Levina Teerlinc, Portrait of Katherine Grey, Countess of Hertford, c. 1555-60, 1.3” diameter, watercolor on vellum, London, Victoria and Albert Museum, Artwork in the Public Domain.
Levina Teerlinc is credited with the rise of miniature painting of royals in the 16th century. She was born in Bruges and probably received her artistic training from her father, the well-known illuminator Simon Bening. In 1545, she and her husband … Continue reading
Tracy Emin, With You I Breathe, 2010, neon lights, Photo by Saaleha Bamjee via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic.
The June 2015 issue of ARTnews is dedicated to women in the art world over 40 years after the same magazine published Linda Nochlin’s seminal essay, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” The lead article by Maura Reilly … Continue reading
Marcantonio Raimondi, Orpheus Charming the Animals (Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci?), 1505, engraving, 21.4 x 17.3 cm, Cleveland Museum of Art, Photo via artnet news.
Live Science reported yesterday that Ross Duffin, a music professor at Case Western University, claims that the figure playing the lira da braccio (a stringed instrument) in a print created by Marcantonio Raimondi is not the Greek hero Orpheus but … Continue reading
David Hockney, A Bigger Splash (Detail), 1967, acrylic on canvas, Tate Gallery, London, Photo by Ian Burt via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.
Memorial Day weekend is upon us and many Americans will gather poolside to enjoy a picnic while celebrating the memory of American soldiers. No one has captured the appeal of the American poolside setting better than British Pop artist, David Hockney. … Continue reading
René Magritte, The Son of Man, 1964, oil on canvas, 45.67” x 35”, Private Collection, Photo by Williamo! via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.
The Son of Man, a painting of a man in an overcoat and a bowler hat whose face is obscured by a floating green apple, actually is a self-portrait by Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte. You can see part of his … Continue reading
Paul Gauguin, Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?), 1892, oil on canvas, 40” x 30”, Qatar Museums, Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Last week, artnews reported that Qatar purchased Paul Gauguin’s painting, Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?), for a rumored $300 million in a private sale. This is the highest price ever paid for a work of art. Since its … Continue reading
Francisco Goya, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800, oil on canvas, 9’17” x 11’, Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
King Charles IV did not reject Francisco Goya’s less than flattering group portrait, Charles IV of Spain and His Family, but we know he didn’t like it much. This is not a surprise. One easily could argue that Goya made … Continue reading
Robert Frank, Rodeo, New York City, 1955, gelatin silver print, 13” x 9 1/16”, Image via the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sometimes an outsider’s perspective is keen. Born and raised in Switzerland, the photographer Robert Frank immigrated to the United States in 1947. Within 10 years, Frank’s initial optimism about the country soured as he roamed throughout the U.S. on a … Continue reading
Grandma Moses, Catching the Thanksgiving Turkey, July, 22, 1944, 19¾“x 26”, oil and glitter on Masonite, Private Collection.
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, also known as Grandma Moses, the American Folk artist, began her artistic career at the ripe age of 78. This self-taught artist painted nostalgic scenes of “old-timey” New England landscapes depicting rural life. She began painting … Continue reading
Emil Nolde, Mask Still Life III, 1911, oil on canvas, 28 3/4 x 30 1/2 inches, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City, Photo by Breve Storia del Cinema via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.
As an Expressionist artist, Emil Nolde, the German Danish painter and printmaker, attempted to convey subjective and emotional content in his paintings through intense subject matter, thick brushwork, and bold color. Nolde intended for this painting of masks and a shrunken … Continue reading
Josiah Wedgwood and Sons and John Flaxman, Jasperware vase with lid, c. 1790, Jasperware with applied relief decoration, 16.25” x 5.5”, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Public Domain via Wikipedia.
Most people are familiar with Wedgwood’s jasperware, but not many realize the origins of the immediately recognizable blue and white porcelain. In the mid 1770’s, Josiah Wedgwood invented jasperware to meet to the rising demand in England for all things inspired … Continue reading
Sarcophagus Lid, Pakal Transitioning from Life to Death, c. 675 BCE, Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque, Chiapas, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Beneath the stepped pyramid of the Temple of Inscriptions, down a steep stairway and in a small chamber, rests the tomb of K’inich Janaab’ Pakal. The ancient Mayan king Pakal, part political leader and part living god, ascended to the … Continue reading