Art is the Solution

Susanna and the Elders Source: Wikimedia Commons Artemisia Gentileschi was one of the finest painters of the Baroque painters. Her work exemplifies the spirit of the movement, demonstrating the drama, energy, movement, and emotion that make Baroque art so engaging. Susanna and the Elders is a first rate example of Gentileschi’s mastery, representing a pinnacle of her artistic production. The painting depicts the biblical story of Susanna and the Elders, which comes from the Book of Daniel. In the text, Susanna is bathing in her garden when two elders sneak in and attempt to seduce her. When Susanna refuses, they attempt to ruin her reputation by accusing her of adultery. Fortunately, the young Daniel notices inconsistencies in their story and manages to prove Susanna’s innocence. The story—which was assigned multiple allegorical interpretations during this time period—was a popular subject for Baroque painters. While the subject was common, Gentileschi’s interpretation of it was n...

Bolívar Marquez Source: Flint Institute of Arts For the past two days, I’ve been discussing the art of conflict and how artists respond to war. I’m going to continue that today with a look at a different kind of conflict: political struggle. Art has long been a part of politics and political conflict. It is an excellent tool for spreading political messages and ideas; and history is dotted with political posters and paintings that changed hearts and minds. In the history of Puerto Rican art, political art tends to bend towards one cause: Puerto Rican independence and an end of colonialism. José Alicea clearly demonstrates this tendency in his print Bolívar Marquez . The print references a real historical event—the Ponce Massacre—however, Alicea’s print is more interested in conveying a political message than documenting the event itself. The Ponce Massacre occurred On Palm Sunday, March 21, 1937, when members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and other civilians gathered in...

Rutu Source: New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage For most of human history, war has been a major inspiration for art, spawning both pro and anti war pieces. Yesterday, I discussed Franz Marc’s masterpiece The Fate of the Animals , which is widely regarded as an artistic premonition of World War I. While The Fate of the Animals represents one artist’s apocalyptic vision of war, approximately twenty years later New Zealand artist Rita Angus took a different approach to anti-war painting. Angus was a staunch pacifist and spent the 1940s expressing her opposition to World War II, refusing to participate in any efforts that might benefit the war effort. She also expressed her pacifist views through art, creating a series of three goddess paintings that symbolized peace. Rutu , which is a self portrait, is one of these paintings. Here, Angus depicts herself as a modern-day Madonna, with the sun forming a golden halo behind her head. As a mother figure, it is rather easy to ima...

The Fate of the Animals Source: Wikimedia Commons Yesterday, I discussed the art of German Expressionist artist Franz Marc. The painting I discussed—the Yellow Cow —is a joyful scene, typical of his style. However, while I was researching his work, I came across a darker piece: The Fate of the Animals .  Marc had a deep affinity for animals, and much of his work depicts them in idyllic settings. In the Fate of the Animals however, this dynamic is turned on its head. Here, Marc’s beloved animals face brutal destruction. Trees topple as panicked animals try to escape a blazing fire; the scene may reference a forest fire, although Marc was always more interested in depicting psychological reality as opposed to the physical world. Whatever his intent, the resulting scene is the sort of image that will be seared in your mind forever. It is jarring, terrifying and heartbreaking all at the same time. In comparison to Marc’s other work, The Fate of the Animals can only be called...

The Yellow Cow Source: Wikimedia Commons Among the art produced in the early twentieth century, Franz Marc’s work was among the most distinctive in both style and subject matter in Western Europe. Marc was one of the leaders of the Expressionist movement, which has its roots in the Romantic and Symbolist styles. Like Romanticism, Expressionism seeks to depict a psychological landscape; it aims to portray the emotional reality of either the subject or the artist. The most important aspect of Expressionism is the emotion the paintings represent and evoke; it is through these emotions that the artists work to convey a sense of authenticity. Franz Marc achieved this through brightly colored painting animals, his preferred subjects. The Yellow Cow is one of his most famous pieces; it depicts the titular yellow cow galloping across a geometric landscape. According to my research , Marc conveyed his ideas through a complex language of color. Within this language, yellow signifies...

Today, I want to chat about an art form that often goes overlooked: album covers. Although many music lovers take album art for granted, it is often the subject of deep consideration for the musician and their creative team. From an artistic perspective, album covers are often a work of art in and of themselves, utilizing complex visual language and compositional techniques. Sometimes, they even sample from other pieces of art, adding new layers of meaning to preexisting pieces. So, today I thought I’d do something fun and show you my favorite album covers from an artistic perspective (by which I mean the album covers that I find most visually interesting). Wish You Were Here Source: Esquire 1. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd - I’m not the biggest fan of Pink Floyd (I have to be in a certain mood to listen to their music), but no one can deny that their album art is always stunning. To me, the cover for Wish You Were Here looks like something Salvador Dali would produce if he...

Moonrise over the Sea Source: Google Arts & Culture Today, I wanted to share a painting by one of my favorite artists, Caspar David Friedrich (in fact, I like his work so much that I named my cat Caspar after him). Moonrise over the Sea is one of the finest examples of Friedrich’s romantic style. Today, Friedrich is considered to be one of the foremost artists of the Romantic movement. His use of dramatic landscapes, celebration of natural beauty, emphasis on individualism, and focus on emotion and the inner life of the artist make his work perfectly representative of the ethos of the Romantic movement. Romanticism was a reaction against the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Thus, painters like Friedrich sought authenticity and spiritual fulfillment by exploring their own psyches with the goal of tapping into a higher emotional truth. Moonrise over the Sea strives to achieve this emotional realism through its symbolic landscape. The painting depicts a night scene. ...

Collar y Cemí Source: The Museum of Modern Art When examining Puerto Rican art, you will find that the Taino people—Puerto Rico’s original inhabitants—are a recurring theme. Many Puerto Rican artists draw inspiration from the artifacts of Taino culture, taking advantage of their distinctive visual style to create bold and meaningful art. The idea that modern Puerto Ricans are connected to the Tainos—either genetically or culturally—is an important cornerstone of Puerto Rican identity and an underpinning concept in the Puerto Rican nationalist movement. Puerto Rican artist José Alicea explores this idea in his print Collar y Cemí . Alicea is one of many Puerto Rican artists who became interested in printmaking in the mid to late twentieth century. Today, he is well known for his prints and woodcuts and for his interest in portraying social and historical subjects. At first glance, Collar y Cemí appears to be a drawing of a Taino collar, a ritual item often uncovered at archeologi...

A few weeks ago I was doing some research one the Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, and, as I browsed, I kept coming upon images of cats by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen. Steinlen was a French, Art Nouveau artist who is best known for his work on posters, advertisements, and illustrations. Tournée du Chat Noir Source: Wikimedia Commons I wasn’t very familiar with Steinlen’s work, but, after reviewing his catalog, I realized he was fascinated with cats from an artistic perspective. In fact, he is probably most famous for his advertisement for Le Chat Noir, a Parisian nightclub that was frequented by artists and other members of the bohemian movement. This poster— which, as you can imagine, features an image of a black cat— is now iconic and is commonly sold as a decorative print. Aside from that particular poster, Steinlen produced many drawings, paintings, and advertisements featuring cats. He even published a book of cat illustrations, which was entitled Dessins Sans Paroles ...

Cass Source: New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage One of the best things about writing this blog is that every now and then I encounter a new artist. I recently stumbled upon the work of Rita Angus, one of New Zealand’s best loved painters, and I immediately knew that I wanted to talk about her art. Angus is particularly well known for her portraits and landscapes, but her painting Cass is arguably her most famous work. The piece depicts the train station of the small, rural town of Cass. Mountains loom in the background, dwarfing the tiny, man-made structure in the foreground. The composition creates a sense of loneliness and isolation but also highlights the strength and spirit of rural communities. The piece explores the push and pull between the natural world and the ever-encroaching tide of human civilization. She uses differing artistic styles to highlight this contrast. The train station is boxy and clean-cut, while the mountains in the background are painted in ...

Platanal Source:  Smithsonian American Art Museum The plantain is an enduring symbol of Puerto Rican art. A cheap and plentiful food source, it has become a symbol of the Puerto Rican culture and lifestyle. The plantain is particularly linked to the jíbaros , the island’s subsistence farmers who are associated with a more traditional way of life. As such, plantains are plentiful in Puerto Rican art; however, Puerto Rican painter Myrna Báez puts a new spin on the subject in her painting Platanal . Báez’s work is very distinctive. She studied in Spain and was heavily influenced by impressionism and surrealism; there are even elements of cubism in her style. She tends to use cool tones in her paintings and experiments heavily with light and shadow. Platanal includes all these aspects of her work. It depicts a highly stylized, slightly abstract version of a plantain plantation, the plants stretching as far as the eye can see to the horizon. Mountains can be seen in the backgro...

Guédé Wedding Source: Nottingham Contemporary Gallery Haitian art has always been a part of my life. My mother traveled to Haiti before I was born, and my childhood home was decorated with several pieces of Haitian folk art that she purchased during her trip, including one very large painting that hung in our living room. As a child, I was always drawn to the bright colors and fantastical scenes, although I didn’t have much to compare them to. According to my research , Haitian art is typically characterized by vibrant colors and a “flat” or “two-dimensional” style (lacking spatial depth). These characteristics have led some Western art critics to compare these paintings to naive art (art produced by untrained artists). Themes vary widely, but Haitian art often contains references to current social or political events, scene of everyday life, and religious imagery, often relying on Haiti’s Vodou religion. Guédé Wedding is an excellent example of this style. Produced by one of...

Saint Barbara Source: Museo del Prado The art of the Northern Renaissance holds a special place in my heart. The Northern Renaissance (a term I’m using pretty loosely here) refers to an artistic movement in northern Europe that occurred at roughly the same time as the Italian Renaissance. Art of the Northern Renaissance is characterized by increased attention to the accurate portrayal of three dimensional space and greater realism in the depiction of the human form. However, art of the Northern Renaissance lacks the grandiose style of its Italian counterparts; instead, northern artists focused on more down-to-Earth scenes of everyday life and religious subjects. Robert Campin is one such artist. Although he is primarily a painter of religious scenes, Campin’s art is very much grounded in everyday life. His painting of Saint Barbara—one third of a lost triptych—is a good example of his style. Here we see the saint—not yet crowned by a golden halo—reading a book in front of a fire, j...

El Arbol de los Despojados Source: La Fundación de las Artes Augusto Marín Without a doubt, Augusto Marín is one of the most important and famous Puerto Rican artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Although his style tends toward abstraction, Marín’s paintings often draw inspiration from more traditional themes and famed pieces of Western art. This drawing, entitled El Arbol de los Despojados (which translates to The Tree of the Bereft ) is one such example of this phenomenon. As the title suggests, the drawing depicts a tree that appears to be composed of the twisted bodies of human beings. At the top of the tree, a horned figure (which appears to represent the Devil) stretches his arms up to the sky. The disembodied head of a horse lays behind him. El Arbol de los Despojados is undoubtedly strange and sinister, but it has its roots in the idea of the Tree of Life, a mythological idea prevalent in Western art (and in art around the world). Generally, the Tree of Li...

Look how Solemn they Are! Source: MET Museum Today, I want to return to one of my favorite topics in art, Francisco Goya’s groundbreaking series of prints: Los Caprichos . Goya published Los Caprichos —a series of etchings that depict the social ills of contemporary Spanish culture, in 1799—at the dawn of a new century that would change Spain forever. This print, entitled Miren que Grabes! (which translates to Look how Solemn they Are! ) is the sixty-third print in the series. It presents a criticism of Spain’s hereditary nobility. Here, we see two monstrous “witches,” which many contemporary accounts identify as representatives of the nobility and clergy, sitting astride two donkey-like animals. It is noted that, “[o]ne of them is a courageous thief. The other is a fanatic savage. Such are the kings and principal magistrates of the towns. Even with all of this... [the people] acclaim them and trust them with their government.” Goya mocks the false righteousness and dignity of a...

Macbeth, Banquo, and the Witches Source: National Trust Swiss artist Henry Fuseli can best be described as a painter of horror. Although his work encompassed a variety of topics, his most memorable pieces touch on the liminal space between ordinary life and the world of supernatural horrors. His work explores the dark places in the human psyche, exploring the turbulent landscape of the mind in dark and gory detail. His paintings draw their power from Fuseli’s expert understanding of visual drama. In fact, His masterpiece, The Nightmare , is one of the most quintessential images of the Romantic age, an artistic movement that drew its inspiration from emotion and individualism. Given this source of inspiration, it’s unsurprising that some Romantic painters turned to the work of Shakespeare for subject matter. Shakespeare’s Macbeth —full of darkness and drama—was prime material for Romantic artists. Fuseli himself returned to Macbeth several times throughout his career; one of the ...

Christ of Saint John on the Cross Source:  Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Although Salvador Dalí was well known for his stranger paintings, he also had a strong interest in portraying religious subjects. This wasn’t because Dalí—who was an extremely eccentric individual—was at all devout, but rather because he was interested in exploring the power of religious imagery. In essence, Dalí used art to forge a mystical connection to what he perceived to be divine. Christ of Saint John on the Cross is one of Dalí’s most interesting religious paintings. The piece depicts the crucified Christ from above, with the cross hanging seemingly unsupported in the sky. Christ’s body slumps off the cross, as if he is about to fall out of the sky. The graceful arc of his arms resembles the sweeping wings of a bird. Below, a seascape stretches to the horizon below, and a boat bobs in the water. This part of the scene is modeled on Port Lligat, where Dalí lived. The pa...

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas Source: Wikimedia Commons It seems to me that every time I write about a painting by Caravaggio, I say it’s one of my favorites. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that every painting by Caravaggio is my favorite. There’s something about his work that just draws me in; I love his sense of visual drama and the elements of gritty realism—so absent in the art of the Renaissance—that he brings to his work. That being said, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas is truly one of my favorite Caravaggio paintings. It portrays a scene from the Gospel of John in which Jesus appears to Saint Thomas, who doubts that he has truly risen from the dead. The painting illustrates one of the most quoted verses from John’s Gospel, a tool often used in teaching Christian theology: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Caravaggio depicts Thomas with his hand on Christ’s wound, proof that he has truly died...

Clair de Lune Source: Wikimedia Commons French painter Félix Vallotton is probably best known for his paintings of domestic life in nineteenth century Paris. While his interior scenes have been rightly praised, he also executed many fascinating landscapes throughout his career. Of these paintings, my personal favorite is Clair de Lune , which depicts the moon—half hidden by clouds—shining down on an empty field. Its light is reflected on the surface of a river, giving the painting a slightly eerie sense of symmetry. As many art historians have noted, Vallotton took an unconventional approach to landscapes, painting from odd or unusual angles. Vallotton was known for throwing out the rule book when it came to these scenes, choosing instead to simplify such scenes into something that gave emotional resonance. As Vallotton once wrote: "I dream of a painting entirely disengaged from any literal concern about nature. I want to construct landscapes entirely based on the emotions ...

Sita and Sarita Source: National Gallery of Art Sita and Sarita is perhaps one of the most interesting portraits in the history of American art. The painting depicts Cecilia Beaux’s (the artist) cousin, Sarah Allibone Leavitt (the Sarita in the title) with a black cat on her shoulder. However, Modern day viewers have likened it to a witch with her familiar or have suggested that the painting has sexual undertones. Some have even compared it to Édouard Manet’s famous painting of a courtesan, Olympia, arguing that Beaux used Sita and Sarita to reclaim her gender from the facile portraits of women executed by men. Odd as it may sound, the controversy actually seems to be a credit to Beaux’s work, an unintentional homage to her vibrant and expressive portraiture style. Beaux—who is famous for her portraits of America’s wealthiest and most elite families—is known for her subtle and nuanced depictions of women. Her work has been favorably compared to that of contemporary artists Mary...

Virgen Negra Source: Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico Puerto Rican artist Marta Pérez is known for her lavish, allegorical paintings. Her work draws on the bright and vibrant motifs of Caribbean culture and on her own cultural heritage (Pérez has connections to Basque, Jewish, Greek, and Irish culture). Virgen Negra —which loosely translates to Black Madonna—is perhaps my favorite Pérez painting. As the title suggests, the painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child on her lap. The mother and son are surrounded by a bizarre landscape of ghostly blue trees, purple fish, and a magenta sky. The pose of the Madonna and Child suggests that Pérez may be referencing the Black Madonna of Montserrat, one of the most important spiritual icons in Spain. Such a reference suggests that Pérez is exploring the way European Christianity has come to function in the Caribbean. Her landscape is an allegorical representation of the multicultural world created by the transcontinental exchange of...

Self-Portrait with her Daughter, Julie Source: Wikimedia Commons In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to bring you one of the most famous—and controversial—paintings of a mother and child in Western Art. When Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Le Brun presented her self-portrait with her daughter to the Paris Salon, it caused a scandal . The casual pose and clothing of the mother and daughter, along with the mother’s smile caused controversy. Vigée-Le Brun depicted herself smiling with her teeth, an unconventional gesture that was regarded as vulgar or low-class at the time. The motif of mother and child typically received serious or even sombre treatment by contemporary artists; this was largely because of its thematic connection to the Madonna and Christ Child. Vigée-Le Brun’s decision to include this smile speaks to her desire to bring motherhood back down to Earth; her painting demystifies the relationship between mother and child, giving it a more natural and organic face in art. Lookin...

Under the Jacaranda Source: Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art Recently, I’ve been writing quite a bit about some grittier, more edgy paintings, so, today I want to take a step back and look at something more pleasant. Under the Jacaranda is the uncontested masterpiece of English-Australian painted R. Godfrey Rivers. In fact, it is one of the most recognizable and well-known paintings in Australia. The painting depicts the artist and his wife drinking tea (a popular activity at the time) in the shade of a jacaranda tree in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. The visual focal point of the painting is the jacaranda tree, dominating the painting with its lavish purple flowers. The boughs of the tree give structure to the composition of the painting, gradually directing the viewer’s eye to the couple under the tree. It is quite a Romantic painting. Romantic art rebelled against the structure of rationalism, instead choosing to explore the emotional landscape and celebrate...

Interior from Strandgade with Sunlight on the Floor Source: WikiArt Yesterday, I wrote about the work of French artist Felix Vallotton, who is known for his paintings of interior scenes. Although Vallotton’s style is very unique, his choice of subject matter was not. Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi, a contemporary of Vallotton, is also famous for his paintings of interior spaces (although the two men never met and their work is extremely distinct). So, today, I want to continue to discuss these images of domestic life and take a look at Hammershøi’s work. His Interior from Strandgade with Sunlight on the Floor is a particularly startling image. Like all of his work, the painting can be described as a work of realism. Yet, the painting also pushes the boundaries of this style; his work captures spontaneous moments of everyday life, seemingly disconnected. While these moments feel random, they also convey a sense of deep, existential loneliness. The empty rooms, solitary figures, a...

Woman Reading to a Little Girl Source: WikiArt In a recent exhibition, the Metropolitan Museum of Art named French artist Felix Vallotton the painter of disquiet. I think this is a very accurate way to describe Vallotton’s work. There is a quality of directness and authenticity in his work that gives his paintings the ring of psychological truth. While Vallotton’s paintings usually depict everyday scenes of Parisian life, his approach to art adds complexity and challenge to what would otherwise be rather conventional images. Woman Reading to a Little Girl is a good example of this aspect of his work. Vallotton was quite interested in interior, domestic scenes and knew how to use compositional elements of these settings to maximum possible effect. Here, the painting centers around a woman and a little girl; both are oblivious to the viewer’s gaze, carefully studying the book they are reading together instead. They are the main figures of the painting, but, in some ways, they are out...