Art is the Solution

The Death of Medusa II Source: Southampton City Art Gallery Among the painters of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Edward Burne-Jones stands out as one of the most productive and talented artists of his age. Like many of the Pre-Raphaelites, much of his work was inspired by the legends and myths of older cultures, spanning from the stories of Medieval Europe to the famed Greek myths. One subject that seemed to fascinate him was the story of Perseus. The legend of Perseus comes from Greek mythology. It tells the story of the heroic son of Zeus, Perseus, who embarks on a mission to save the princess Andromeda from the monstrous Gorgon, Medusa. Burne-Jones planned to tell the entire story through paintings, but he died before he could complete the project. The Death of Medusa II is one unfinished piece from the series. It depicts Perseus escaping with the head of Medusa while her sisters, the other two Gorgons, gaze at her dead body in distress. The Pre-Raphaelites strove for a degree of...

The Botched Restoration of the Murillo's Immaculate Conception Source: Artnet News Today, I want to do something different and talk about an art story that is currently in the news. Several news outlets have recently reported a story about a botched attempt at art restoration in which a furniture restorer was hired by a private collector to clean a painting by the Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The painting was a copy of one of Murillo’s most famous paintings, The Immaculate Conception of El Escorial . The person tasked with the restoration was paid just thirteen hundred dollars for his work, which permanently disfigured the face of the Virgin Mary, marring her beyond recognition. ( You can read about the story in more detail here .) This scandal has led to calls for regulation of the art restoration business. Such regulation would allow art restoration to be carried out only by trained professionals. Personally, I’m in favor of this. As an art lover, the idea that a...

Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds Source: Medium Although most people are acquainted with the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance (after all, the Mona Lisa is certainly the most famous painting in the world), comparatively few are familiar with the pieces of art that started the Renaissance movement. The Italian painter Giotto was among the first artists to experiment with elements of the Renaissance style, and his work influenced countless generations of artists. This piece, entitled Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds , depicts Saint Francis of Assisi—the patron saint of animals—preaching to a flock of birds about the love of God. It was a fairly popular subject for Christian artists of the time, made popular by an account of his life entitled the Little Flowers of Saint Francis . While it is a touching and memorable scene in its own right, Giotto’s approach to it is particularly beautiful.  "My sweet little sisters, birds of the sky, you are bound to heaven, to G...

Julie Daydreaming Source: WikiArt Among the great impressionist artists of the nineteenth century, there are few that are as undervalued and under-appreciated as Berthe Morisot. Morisot’s work was highly esteemed by other artists of her time—including famous painters like Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas,Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Claude Monet—however her paintings were largely ignored by art historians until recently. While her work varies widely, one of her favorite subjects was her only child: Julie Manet. Julie Daydreaming is perhaps her most famous painting of her daughter; it depicts a sixteen year old Manet gazing wistfully at the viewer. Her expression is thoughtful; Manet is clearly lost in her own world, daydreaming as the title suggests. On aesthetic merits alone, Julie Daydreaming is a beautiful painting. It is a charming piece that inexorably draws the eye. It is beautifully executed, a wonderful example of Morisot’s artistic skill. While the painting captures Manet’s face,...

Winter Fields Source: Whitney Museum of American Art Andrew Wyeth is perhaps one of the greatest painters in American history. He hails from the great Wyeth family of artists, which includes his father, the illustrator N.C. Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth. His work is iconic, forming an indelible image of American life and culture (especially in the mid-twentieth century).  Today, I’m going to talk about one of Wyeth’s most memorable and evocative paintings: Winter Fields . The piece depicts a frozen crow, lying stiff and dead in a brown, shriveled field. It is an unusual painting, zeroing in on the dead bird with laser focus. The fields and buildings in the background are comparatively small and insignificant. This unusual point of view creates a poignant scene that strikes straight to the heart of the viewer. Many art historians have interpreted this painting as a commentary on the wave of death and violence produced by World War II. Wyeth completed the painting in 1942, as t...

Las Hilanderas Source: Wikimedia Commons In the history of Spanish art, there is one name that stands out: Diego Velázquez. Velázquez is commonly regarded as the greatest of Spanish painters, only matched in talent and ingenuity by the likes of Francisco Goya and Pablo Picasso. Velázquez’s work is world renowned, and I would venture to say that his masterpiece, Las Meninas , is one of the most famous paintings in the world (it’s certainly in the top ten, if not the top five). The painting I’m going to discuss today, which is entitled Las Hilanderas ( The Spinners ) dates from the latter portion of his career, by which time Velázquez was well established in his role of court painter. At this point in his life, Velázquez had developed a well defined and confident style, which was marked by expressive brushstrokes and a sense of visual dynamism. Las Hilanderas depicts the story of Arachne, a legend from Greek mythology. According to legend, a mortal woman named Arachne challenged th...

Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges Source: Pinterest French artist Henri Matisse is rather famous for his paintings of goldfish. In fact, one of his most famous paintings, entitled Goldfish , depicts several of the aforementioned fish swimming in a bowl. Matisse is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century. His work is closely associated with the Fauvist movement and is generally characterized by great energy and rich, intense colors. Based on my research , Matisse began painting goldfish after he traveled to North Africa. In Morocco, Matisse observed locals watching goldfish swim in their bowls as they sunk into a meditative state. The fish subsequently became a symbol for this sense of tranquility, coming to represent an idyllic version of the world only accessible through joyous day-dreams. These calming fish are prominent in this painting, which is entitled Le Chat Aux Poissons Rouges (which translates to The Cat With Red Fishes ). However, the serene energy of the f...

Vanity Source: The Royal Academy Beauty is one of the primary accomplishments of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Although Pre-Raphaelite art had a serious, philosophical bent, it was also an aesthetic movement. Painters who produced Pre-Raphaelite art strove to reproduce reality but often did so in a romanticized way, heightening beauty and removing undesirable aspects of real life. Vanity —perhaps one of the most recognizable paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite period—is an excellent example of this commitment to beauty. Put simply, the painting is gorgeous. It is a visual feast for the eye, rich in vivid color and lavish details. The subject itself is allegorical in nature. The piece depicts a young woman dressed in an ornate gown. Ropes of pearls dangle around her neck and a mirror glints in her hand, a symbol of vanity. The idea of depicting vanity dates to the Medieval period in Western art; however, it really came into its own during the Renaissance. During that time, it became comm...

When will you Marry? Source: Wikimedia Commons Though Paul Gauguin is a rather controversial figure in the art world, it is undeniable that his paintings are among the finest ever produced by a Western artist. Gauguin had a great genius for expressing emotional and psychological truths through art, relying on a complex and colorful visual language to achieve this effect.  At its core, Gauguin’s art seeks to access a level of authenticity in each painting, with Gauguin seeking to explore the essence of each subject he painted. His most famous paintings date from his time in Tahiti, which Gauguin traveled to in hopes of finding a more genuine way of life, separate from the industrialized towns and cities of Europe. When will you Marry?  is one of Gauguin’s most famous paintings from his Tahitian period, and it became one of the most expensive paintings ever sold when it was purchased by a private collector for three hundred million dollars in 2015. The painting portrays tw...

Julie Manet with Cat Source: Musée d'Orsay In keeping with my continuous efforts to celebrate cats in art, today I am going to be chatting about a rather adorable painting: Portrait of Julie Manet with Cat . The painting depicts Julie Manet—the niece of the famed French painter Édouard Manet and the daughter of the great impressionist painter Berthe Morisot—at age nine. Morisot and her husband Eugène Manet commissioned their good friend Pierre-Auguste Renoir, one of the greatest and most famous painters of the impressionist movement, to paint their daughter Julie. Here, Renoir depicts Julie in a white dress with a smiling cat on her lap. According to the Musée d'Orsay, the painting is a good example of Renoir's "Ingresque" period (that is, similar to the art of the French Neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres). Julie’s smooth, placid expression and round face invites the comparison to Ingres’ doll-like portraits of women. Renoir’s painting of Juli...

Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I Source: Wikimedia Commons While portraiture is a common genre in Western art, few paintings are as famous as Gustav Klimt’s portrait of his friend and patron Adele Bloch-Bauer. The painting is simply iconic, known throughout the world for its lavish gold leaf embellishments. In fact, the portrait is so famous and desirable, that it became the most expensive painting ever sold when it was purchased by the Neue Galerie in 2006 (although other paintings have since broken that record). Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is perhaps the pinnacle of Klimt’s creative and artistic production. Klimt is famous for his gold paintings, but his first portrait of Bloch-Bauer is his most lavish in this regard. The painting is encrusted in gold and silver leaf. Klimt conceived this artistic idea after viewing golden, Byzantine mosaics in Italy. Klimt brings the mosaics into the modern age with his portrait, which captures both the grandeur of the Classical past and...

El Jaleo Source: Wikimedia Commons John Singer Sargent is perhaps the most well-known American painter in the history of Western Art. Famous (or, more accurately, infamous) for his Portrait of Madame X , Sargent is best known as a portrait artist, although he executed many other notable paintings throughout his career. Painted early in his career, El Jaleo is one of his most significant paintings. The piece was executed after Sargent traveled to Spain and portrays a young woman engaged in a traditional dance. The painting is remarkable for its extraordinary originality and palpable energy. The dancer dominates most of the composition; with her arms outstretched and her shadow flickering across the wall, she seems to fill the canvas. In the background, musicians provide the accompanying music while other dancers clap and wave their arms in time to the rhythm. The painting is executed with wonderful freedom. While it is clearly the product of careful thought and consideration, it ...

The Annunciation Source: Wikimedia Commons The Annunciation has been a common theme in Christian art for thousands of years; it refers to the biblical scene in which the Archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that she will conceive the son of God. Western artists have traditionally portrayed the Annunciation as a contemporary scene, dressing the Madonna in the fashionable clothes of the time and surrounding her with Western luxury items ( Robert Campin’s Annunciation is a good example of this style).  While these artists invested the Virgin with the trappings of a European noblewoman, American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner took a different approach in his 1898 version of the Annunciation. According to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Tanner created his Annunciation after traveling to Egypt and Palestine to visit the real-life settings of the biblical scenes he so often portrayed. The Annunciation reflects this influence. Here, we see the Virgin Mary as a Middle Eastern teenag...

Merahi metua no Tehamana Source: Wikimedia Commons As a human being, Paul Gauguin is somewhat infamous in the art world. The nineteenth century French painter has been connected to many racist and misogynist acts, and his work has been tied to ideas of colonialism by modern scholars. However, his artistic skill is beyond compare, and I really do enjoy his painting, so today I’m going to be talking about one of his masterpieces: Merahi metua no Tehamana . The title, which roughly translates to Tehamana Has Many Parents or The Ancestors of Tehamana , refers to Gauguin’s Tahitian lover Tehamana (their relationship is quite problematic because she was a young teenager at the time, but we’ll set that aside for now and just talk about the painting). The painting depicts Tehamana in a European style of dress as she stands in front of a painted fresco that seemingly portrays Tehamana’s ancestors. Gauguin was interested in all varieties of spiritual and religious experience, and this paint...

Destiny Source: Wikimedia Commons A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the work of Swiss Symbolist painter Carlos Schwabe, and I’ve been grappling with its strangeness ever since. I often describe the work of certain artists as weird or unusual (always compliments in my estimation), but Schwabe’s work is downright bizarre. Just google his name and you’ll see what I mean. While his paintings range from bloody and horrifying to Romantic and touching, all his work exhibits a fiercely original mind and an expansive imagination. Like all Symbolists, Schwabe was interested in seeking a higher truth through art. Like the Romantics before them, Symbolists turned toward an emotionally rich and psychologically complex visual lexicon. However, while the Romantics often accomplished this through painting the natural world, Symbolists pursued a more abstract approach. As the name suggests, these artists used a symbolic language to convey an internal world of thoughts and emotions. Schwabe was pa...

Ship of Fools Source: Wikimedia Commons Among the art of the Northern Renaissance period, there are perhaps no stranger or more imaginative paintings than the work of Hieronymus Bosch. Bosch is probably most famous for his religious paintings ( The Garden of Earthly Delights is certainly his most well known work), but he also executed several secular paintings during his lifetime. These works contained social commentary, references to daily life, and sometimes even criticism of social institutions. Ship of Fools is one such painting. The painting makes reference to a common trope in Western thought. The idea of the ship of fools was conceived by Plato, who used it to describe the problems of a political system that was not directed by persons of experience. However, in later years, the ship of fools became a common metaphor for all kinds of social ills and vices. The trope could also be used as a screen for veiled criticisms of social institutions, such as religion and government...

Flowers in a Glass Vase Source: Detroit Institute of Arts The prosperity of the Dutch Golden Age gave many artists from the Netherlands the chance to flourish. Economic growth in the Netherlands fueled a desire for art and other luxury items, giving rise to an explosion of artistic production. Female painters were among those to benefit. Although painting has traditionally been seen as an inappropriate profession for a woman in the Western world, Dutch female artists were often able to circumvent this social taboo by focusing on still-lifes, a subject deemed acceptable to women. Still-life paintings also experienced a rise in popularity during the Golden Age, creating an ideal environment for the female artists of the time. Rachel Ruysch was one such artist. Ruysch is one of the most successful female painters in the history of Western art. She painted for over six decades and enjoyed critical acclaim and financial success throughout her life. Ruysch’s artistic specialty was flower...

The Absinthe Drinker Source: King Baudouin Foundation The nineteenth and twentieth centuries represented an artistic explosion in the Western world. As modernization and industrialization increased, dozens of artistic movements emerged in response to the rapidly changing social and economic conditions. Symbolism was one of these movements. In my opinion, Symbolism was a reaction against the increasing industrialization and standardization of the modern world. The Realist movement celebrated these aspects of modern life, and Realist painters devoted themselves to capturing the world in all it’s gritty disarray. The Symbolists, however, felt that artists should seek a higher truth in their work. Like the Romantics before them, Symbolists turned toward an emotionally rich and psychologically complex visual lexicon. However, while the Romantics often accomplished this through painting the natural world, Symbolists pursued a more abstract approach. As the name suggests, Symbolist artis...

Portrait of Pepper Artist Credit: Yelida Hierro Many works of art created throughout history are the result of commissions; basically, a patron paid the artist to create a piece of art to their specifications. That system has largely fallen by the wayside, as artists working in the modern age have increasingly understood art to be an expressive work reflecting their individual thoughts and feelings. However, art is still a business and a livelihood, and there are still many artists who are willing to create custom pieces of art for their customers. I recently had the privilege to commission such a piece of art. I ordered a pen and ink portrait of my cat Pepper from an artist named Yelida Hierro on Etsy . The final result was great; the artist captured the likeness of my cat perfectly and managed to convey her feisty personality, even in a pen and ink drawing. But, to me, the most interesting part of the process was actually commissioning the drawing. Although I think a lot about ar...

Red Cows Source: El Museo del Barrio For some reason or another, cows are a perpetual and common subject in fine art. It is perhaps natural that they should be so. Cows have lived alongside humans for thousands or years and have become symbols of country life, prosperity, fertility, and more depending on the culture. However, in Myrna Báez’s painting, Red Cows ( Vacas Rojas ), they have a double meaning. Báez, a Puerto Rican artist, produced highly distinctive work. 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. Red Cows exemplifies these characteristics. Here, Báez uses the cow to experiment with shape and colors within the landscape. The result is an otherworldly scene: a herd of bright red cows arranging themselves in geometric patterns. While the animals are clearly cows, their shape and color are rem...

Endpapers for Treasure Island Source: Brandywine River Museum of Art Yesterday, I discussed the work of American Artist Andrew Wyeth, so today I want to spend some time talking about the work of his father, N.C. Wyeth. N.C. Wyeth—the patriarch of the Wyeth family of artists—was both a painter and a rather famous illustrator in his own right, well known for his illustrations for books and magazines. I first encountered Wyeth’s work (unknowingly) when I read an illustrated version of Treasure Island when I was ten. Wyeth’s illustrations for Treasure Island are known as some of his finest work. Over the years, I read Treasure Island many times, and I recall those illustrations vividly. In fact, I have a print of the endpapers for Treasure Island hanging in my room. To this day, I have deep appreciation for the bold, realist style that makes Wyeth’s illustrations so effective.  "For all the world, I was led like a dancing bear" Source: Brandywine River Museum of Art ...

Christina's World Source: The Museum of Modern Art Out of all the iconic American painters, Andrew Wyeth is perhaps the best known. Wyeth is a member of the great Wyeth family of artists, which includes his father, the illustrator N.C. Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth. There is something about his work that captures the best of American culture and the American spirit. His oeuvre conveys a sense of quiet dignity and determination. Perhaps the best example of this theme of quiet, inner strength in his work is Christina's World , one of Wyeth’s most memorable and well-known pieces. Christina's World depicts a woman sprawled in a field of withering grass. Her face is turned away from the viewer, gazing at a grey farmhouse and barn in the distance. Wyeth painted Christina's World after being inspired by his neighbor Anna Christina Olson, who had a muscular tradition that did not allow her to walk. Instead, Olson chose to drag herself along the ground, refusing to acc...

Rubens Peale with a Geranium Source: National Gallery of Art As summer gets into full swing, I wanted to bring you a painting that I encountered when I was surfing the internet the other day. This piece, entitled Rubens Peale with a Geranium , was created by American artist Rembrandt Peale—a native of Philadelphia—in 1801. The painting depicts the artist’s brother Rubens Peale (a botanist) with a geranium plant, supposedly the first geranium ever grown in America. I was initially drawn to this painting because I was shocked that it took someone until 1801 to grow a geranium in the US. As many of you probably know, geraniums are pretty easy to grow. Basically, you just need to give them a decent amount of light and water. However, geraniums are native to southern Africa, so I suppose it’s understandable that it took them awhile to get to the Americas. In terms of the style, the painting demonstrates a high degree of realism. Peele presents his brother’s achievement without fanfare o...

The Swing Source: Wikimedia Commons The Swing is perhaps one of the most famous paintings in the Western world. Over the years, it has become a symbol of the Rococo movement (probably because it demonstrates the characteristics of the Rococo style without too many raunchy details, which are rather prevalent in rococo art). So, today, I’m going to use The Swing to talk about the Rococo movement and its characteristics. Rococo is a very distinctive style. It’s highly elaborate and decorative, and the easiest way to describe it is “over the top.” I like to think of Rococo as a stereotypical wedding cake: covered in flowers and puffs and frills. The Rococo movement is an outgrowth of the Baroque movement, and it retains the sense of energy and dynamism characteristic of Baroque art. However, where Baroque art tends to be dark (in color), heavy, and dramatic, Rococo art tends to be light and breezy; it’s full of pastel colors and the subject matter tends to revolve around romantic lov...

Ya van Desplumados Source: Wikimedia Commons I’ve written many times about my love for Francisco Goya’s work. Goya is one of my favorite artists. His work is endlessly interesting to me; his style is expressive and the content is often highly original and imaginative. One of the recurring themes in his oeuvre is the relationship between men and women. Goya was constantly interested in exploring human interactions and the way society treats certain individuals. Ya van Desplumados (which translates to There they go plucked) is an example of this aspect of his work. The print comes from the Los Caprichos series, a series of etchings that depict the social ills of contemporary Spanish culture. Ya van Desplumados depicts a group of prostitutes beating plucked birds with human heads with brooms. The birds represent the women’s clients. The implication is that they have “plucked” the men, stealing their money and possessions. Here, the women are portrayed as predators, preying on i...

Dance Source: Wikimedia Commons As spring fades into summer, I thought I would take some time to chat about a painting that encapsulates the spirit of spring (in my opinion anyway). Dance is one of Henri Matisse’s great masterpieces; Matisse himself called it "the overpowering climax of luminosity." As the title suggests, the painting depicts a group of dancers. The figures are red on a background of green and blue. The piece summons a sense of hedonistic joy, a sort of celebration of la vie bohème that took hold in Paris in the twentieth century. The simple color scheme creates an aura of elegant grace that also feels very modern and vital. Yet, the painting also feels very timeless. It references classical composition, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek art in particular. Matisse is generally known as one of the father’s of modern art. He experimented with many different styles and mediums throughout his career, and his work is highly imaginative and original. Dan...

A few days ago, I wrote a post about my favorite album covers (from an artistic perspective). Writing that piece got me thinking about other forms of art that are often overlooked, such as book covers. Cover art for books (in the modern sense) is a relatively recent innovation in the history of books. For most of their history, books had simple cloth or leather covers printed with the text’s name. Based on my research, cover art first began to gain popularity in the 1920s (although cover art certainly existed before that time), as the book industry began to expand and become more competitive. Booksellers increasingly looked for ways to market their books to the general public, sparking rapid advancements in cover art after World War I. Technological innovation also increased during this time, eventually allowing for the easy and affordable printing of more complex and colorful images. Personally, I think the development of cover art has probably enriched many lives in incalculabl...