Poetry, stories and strange odds and ends from the desk of a writer
Salvatore Mundi1500High RenaissanceOil on wood panelLouvre, Abu Dhabi, UAE It is probable that Salvatore Mundi was commissioned by King Louis XVII of France following his 1499 conquest of Milan. The painting portrays Christ in the role of saviour of the world and master of the cosmos. To reflect this da Vinci uses such as the … Continue reading Salvatore Mundi by Leonardo Da Vinci
El Khasné, Petra1874RomanticismOil on canvasOlana State Historic Site, New York Church created several paintings following his travels across the Middle East during late 1860s and early 1870s. Capturing the vista of El Khasné in a dramatic glimpse of the neoclassical columns Petra emerging from the towering dark avenues of stone the revelation of the façade … Continue reading El Khasné, Petra by Frederic Edwin Church
Artist: Frida Kahlo Born: 6 July 1907, Mexico City, Mexico Nationality: Mexican Movement: Naïve art, Modern art, Surrealism, Magical Realism, Symbolism, Naturalism, Primitivism, Social realism, Cubism Died: 13 July 1954, Mexico City, Mexico...
Beginnings1958Colour field PaintingMagna on canvasHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., USA Beginnings, on a perfectly square canvas, Noland places concentric circles, thus marking the artist’s first attempts at basic forms and archetypal patterns. The circles are slightly irregular which may or may not have been intentional in its effect. The colours complement or contrast … Continue reading Beginnings by Kenneth Noland
Dada Bowl1916DadaVarnished/Lacquered WoodMuseum of Modern Art, New York, USA With this almost-minimal object of turned wood Taeuber-Arp demonstrates the possibilities of infusing a functional every day thing with a radical aesthetic. Using the nascent Dada strategy she attacks the bourgeois sensibilities of the corrupt world to the decorative arts. The Dada Bowl straddles boundaries. It … Continue reading Dada Bowl by Sophie Taeuber-Arp
Partition1962Color Field PaintingAcrylic paint on canvasTate Modern, London, UK ‘Partition’ is one of Louis’ Stripe series, all of which were painted in the last months of his life. The works were part of the artists interest in the optical effects of colour relationships at the same time his simplification of non-representational form to extremes. The … Continue reading Partition by Morris Louis
Repeat and Reverse1963BauhausStainless steel on concreteArt and Architecture Building, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Albers created the Repeat and Reverse sculpture at the request of Paul Rudolph, the architect of the Art and Architecture Building at Yale University. Albers used a simple arrangement of steel bars to produce a three-dimensional illusion of planes that seemingly … Continue reading Repeat and Reverse by Josef Albers
Canyon: Broadway and Exchange Place, New York City, July 16, 19361936Modern PhotographyGelatin silver printCollection of Museum of the City of New York, New York, New York, USA The focus on the façade of the Exchange Court Building appears to define the space in-between the Adams Building and the North American Building. Abbot captured the narrow … Continue reading Canyon: Broadway and Exchange Place, New York City, July 16, 1936 by Berenice Abbott
Nightview, New York1932SurrealismGelatin silver printCollection of Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA In this 1932 photograph by Abbott the white lights in the buildings and headlights of cars contrast starkly with the solid structures of the buildings that dominate the city. Abbot captured New York at night as a representation of the … Continue reading Nightview, New York by Berenice Abbott
Roadsign, Route 1, Maine1954Modern PhotographyVintage gelatin silver printCollection of Syracuse University Art Collection, Syracuse, New York, USA A lone male figure walking down the middle of a two-lane highway as though he owns the road in Maine, USA. Situated in the middle ground of the picture Abbott used to clear grey light to tie the … Continue reading Roadsign, Route 1, Maine by Berenice Abbott
Revolving Torsion Fountain1972-3Kinetic ArtStainless SteelSt Thomas's Hospital, London, UK A public artwork, elegantly constructed from curved, stainless steel plates, Revolving Torsion represents the culmination of Kinetic art first explored over 50 years earlier by Gabo’s Kinetic Construction. The central abstract form makes a full rotation every ten minutes as water plumes emerge with various pressure … Continue reading Revolving Torsion Fountain by Naum Gabo
A Bigger Message2010British ArtOil on 30 canvasesThe David Hockney Foundation " A Bigger Message is the culmination of a series of works by Hockney inspired by Claude Lorrain’s the Sermon on the Mount (1656). Hockney spent three weeks digitally cleaning the original painting on his computer, a process that enabled him to get know the … Continue reading A Bigger Message by David Hockney
Winter Timber2009British ArtOil on 15 canvassesGuggenheim, Bilbao, Spain Many of Hockney’s most renowned works were inspired by photographs, however, ‘Winter Timber’ was painted in front of the motif, at the corner of an old Roman road in Yorkshire. The purple palette generated a contemporary landscape and an eternal, almost like a computer-generated illusion of a … Continue reading Winter Timber by David Hockney
Artist: Fernand Léger Born: 4 February 1881, Argentan, France Nationality: French Died: 17 August 1955, Gif-sur-Yvette, France...
Mama, Papa is Wounded!1927SurrealismOil on CanvasMuseum of Modern Art, New York, USA The vast space, pale palette, and dark shadows cast by airborne objects in the eerie light evoke a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Typical of the correlation between words and images in Surrealism, the title does nothing to clarify the meaning of the work, in fact … Continue reading Mama, Papa is Wounded! By Yves Tanguy
William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River1876-77RealismOil on CanvasCollection of Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA The painting depicts Philadelphian sculptor and ship carver, William Rush, in his studio as he carves a female figure based on the woman posing in the foreground. A woman sits, knitting, as she serves as … Continue reading William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River by Thomas Eakins
Bathsheba at Her Bath1654Baroque, Dutch Golden AgeOil on canvasThe Louvre, Paris, France A life size canvas presenting the biblical character Bathsheba in a shallow space, illuminated from the left in front of a darker background. The Old Testament tells how King David noticed a woman bathing outdoors when he was on the terrace of his … Continue reading Bathsheba at Her Bath by Rembrandt
After the Rain1933SurrealismPhotograph Maar travelled to various places in Europe ii the early 1930s working as a photojournalist, and she also began taking her own pictures. Her focus on street scenes and glimpses of isolated city life, these works are melancholic and quietly piquant. ‘After the Rain’ depicts a mother and child walking along a … Continue reading After the Rain by Dora Maar
Noses and Ears, Etc.: The Gemini Series: Profile with Ear and Nose2006Conceptual ArtScreen print on paper mounted on Sintra with hand painting. © John BaldessariNational Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia Baldessari exposes an isolated nose and ear on a profile in silhouette in this piece. He views the anatomical elements of the individual organs, rather … Continue reading Noses and Ears, Etc.: The Gemini Series: Profile with Ear and Nose by John Baldessari
Viewing Matters: Upstairs1996Conceptual Art, Institutional CritiqueInstallation and storage props (lather, drill, toll box, crates, etc)Collection of the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, Netherlands Both a curated exhibition and an installation, Haacke juxtaposes works from the collection of the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum to create new relations between them. In seemingly iconoclastic manner he mixed works from … Continue reading Viewing Matters: Upstairs by Hans Haacke
The American Dream I1961Abstract ArtOil on canvasMuseum of Modern Art, New York, USA The American Dream I is four circles depicted in two rows of two. Each circle contains the common elements of Indiana’s paintings, including stars, text, and numbers. Indiana’s characteristic use of stencils to create text and numbers in bold colours is also … Continue reading The American Dream I by Robert Indiana
A Bigger Splash1967Pop ArtAcrylic on canvasTate Gallery, London, UK Painted while at the University of California in Berkley, ‘A Bigger Splash’ was a result of two smaller paintings in which Hockney developed his ideas, ‘A Little Splash’ and ‘The Splash’. One of the first artists to make extensive use of acrylic paint, a relatively new … Continue reading A Bigger Splash by David Hockney
La Fornarina and Raphael1814Neo-ClassicismOil on canvasHarvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Massachusetts, USA Conceived as part of a series of paintings illustrating the life of Ingres’ idol, Raphael, La Fornarina depicts the Renaissance master in the arms of his mistress. Ultimately Ingres abandoned the project, however he painted five or six versions of this scene, showcasing both … Continue reading La Fornarina and Raphael by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Weeping Coconuts (Cocos gimientes)1951Naïve artOil on boardLos Angeles County Museum of Art, USA Weeping Coconuts is exemplary of the late work by Kahlo. She is best known for her psychological portraiture but she painted still life throughout her career. She created paintings of fresh fruits and vegetable produce as well as Mexican objects in her … Continue reading Weeping Coconuts (Cocos gimientes) by Frida Kahlo
I Am Making Art1971Conceptual ArtPerformance video https://youtu.be/u4YJfGmtAH8 In this video, Baldessari makes several arm movements reciting the phrase ‘I am making art’ after each movement. Baldessari, always aware of the power of choice in artistic practice such as choosing to paint something red and not blue or green, is carefully associating his arm movements with … Continue reading I Am Making Art by John Baldessari
View of the Kremlin from the Krymsky Bridge in Inclement Weather1851RealismOil on canvasTretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia One of the first of Savrasov’s paintings after he left art school View of the Kremlin from Krymsky Bridge during Inclement Weather depicts storm clouds, pushed relentlessly by strong winds, rushing from right to left. The same winds have … Continue reading View of the Kremlin from the Krymsky Bridge in Inclement Weather by Alexei Savrasov
Kinetic Construction (Standing Wave)1920Kinetic ArtMetal, wood and electric motorTate, London, UK A simple construction of a steel rod affixed to a wooden base, but when an electric motor sets it in motion the oscillations generate a complex image of a freestanding, twisting wave. Kinetic Construction was the first motorizes sculpture by Gabo and demonstrated his … Continue reading Kinetic Construction (Standing Wave) by Naum Gabo
Flower Geometry1917ExpressionismPainted Plaster ReliefPrivate Collection Janco answered Tzara’s call for artists to create directly in the media of stone, wood and iron with this abstract plaster relief. He creates tension by juxtaposing Cubist elements with Expressionist elements. The irreconcilable contradictions of Dada, the meeting of geometry and nature, breaking down the traditions of fine art. … Continue reading Flower Geometry by Marcel Janco
Untitled2004The Pictures GenerationColour photographMetro Pictures Posing as a sad clown, Sherman is wearing elaborate make-up and costumes. Positioning herself in front of digitally manipulated backgrounds she explores the clown character extremes with intense yet superficial humour. Set up as a glamour shot the photograph focuses on the face of the clown as its character stares … Continue reading Untitled by Cindy Sherman
La Butte Pinson1905-08ImpressionismOil on card glued on woodMusée de l'Orangerie, Paris, France This painting demonstrates the lasting influence of Impressionism with its softened brushwork, blurred lines and hazy light. Utrillo‘s placing of leafless trees in the foreground between the viewer and the bright. Colourful huts in the distance creates vibrant, bright spots in a winter … Continue reading La Butte Pinson by Maurice Utrillo
Self Portrait1975Modern PhotographyPhotograph on paper, dry mounted on boardRobert Mapplethorpe Foundation, New York, USA A young Mapplethorpe is posed shirtless against a white background for this black and white portrait, with a playful boyish smile and an arm stretched across the background wall, his body remains mostly out of frame. Self-portrait marks the transition from … Continue reading Self Portrait by Robert Mapplethorpe
Villa Jean Fuchs1927-29Cubism, ConstructivismResidential Building27 Negustori Street, Bucharest, Romania This Janco-designed villa was the first modernist residential building in Bucharest. It primarily featured flat, clean, white facades, free of unnecessary decorative element s on the exterior, and light-filled interior spaces. Movement between exterior and interior spaces was defined through a smooth system of terraces and … Continue reading Villa Jean Fuchs by Marcel Janco
First1961Abstract ExpressionismAcrylic on woodBaltimore Museum of Art, Maryland, USA Initially, ‘First’ resembles a section of an everyday suburban picket fence., however, on close examination the posts reveal subtle variations from on another in height, width, and the shape of the point, giving them a fragile, human quality. The central pillar is tallest of the three … Continue reading First by Ann Truitt
Sea Garden1964Kinetic ArtMarine paint on aluminiumPart of a private collection Made after Truitt moved to Japan, Sea Garden is an angular form, resembling a rocky out crop in a barren landscape. Truitt carefully choreographed the relationship between the sculpture’s earthy colours and its form to suggest balance and stillness with a subtle hint of movement … Continue reading Sea Garden by Ann Truitt
FauvismStarted: 1899Ended: 1908 Luxe, Calme et Volupte by Henri Matisse, 1904. Oil on canvas. Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, France The first movement in modern art of the 20th century, the examples of Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, and Georges Seurat inspired Fauvism. A loosely allied group of French painters with shared interests … Continue reading Serenity Through the Significance of Ideas
Achille-Etna MichallonBorn: 22 October 1796, Paris, FranceNationality: FrenchMovement: RomanticismDied: 24 September 1822, Paris, France Michallon was a prodigiously talented artist who tragically died at the very young age of 25. He was the son of a sculptor and studied under Jacques-Louis David and Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes. In 1817, he won the Prix de Rome for … Continue reading The Prodigious Painter
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp1632Baroque, Dutch Golden AgeOil on canvasMauritshuis Art Museum, The Hague, The Netherlands Posed awkwardly in a pyramid seven men with bright, white ruffs are watching Dr Tulp intently as he facilitates and anatomy lesson. Dr Tulp commands the righthand side of the painting, as he demonstrates on a male … Continue reading The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp by Rembrandt
Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph1656Baroque, Dutch Golden AgeOil on canvasLocation: Schloss Wilhelmshone, Kassel, Hesse, Germany Rembrandt’s biblical paintings are cited as his most masterful work and in this scene we see Joseph, as a chief advisor to the Pharaoh, bringing his sons to Jacob’s, his father, deathbed to receive the family blessing. Ostensibly guided … Continue reading Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph by Rembrandt
Cataract 31967Op ArtEmulsion PVA on linenArts Council Collection, London, UK Riley created the series of Cataract paintings in 1967, and they constitute her first explorations into the use of colour, just before Riley became the first British painter and the first woman to win the International Prize for Painting at the 1968 Venice Biennale. Riley … Continue reading Cataract 3 by Bridget Riley
Harran II1967Abstract ExpressionismPolymer and fluorescent polymer paint on canvasSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA In his explorative work Stella worked in series, developing increasingly complicated variations on a selected theme. Harran II is part of his Protractor series, and Stella uses a vibrant palette and a composition of rectangular shapes superimposed on curving and … Continue reading Harran II by Frank Stella
Patti Smith1978Straight PhotographyGelatin Silver PrintLos Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angles, USA In an everyday home setting, Patti Smith cuts her hair ceremoniously. Facing the camera and staring directly into the lens she is uninhibited by the camera’s gaze. Likewise the cat, perched nonchalantly, echoes the stare into the lens. Mapplethorpe captures Smith’s essence … Continue reading Patti Smith by Robert Mapplethorpe
Rainstorm over the sea1824-28Romanticism, LandscapeOil on paper laid on canvasLocation: Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK Rainstorm over the Sea is an oil sketch of Brighton Beach quickly painted to capture the turbulent feel of the advancing storm. It diverges from the strict documentation and accuracy of Constable’s earlier work and his paint surface is … Continue reading Rainstorm over the Sea by John Constable
Self Portrait as a Young Girl1914Modern PhotographyPhotographic printJersey Heritage, St Helier, Jersey One of the earliest known self-portraits by Cahun, the photograph displays an intensely, penetrating stare. The artist’s head is seemingly disembodied, suggesting an imbalance between head and body as though the head is too heavy making the body redundant. The abundant flowing hair … Continue reading Self Portrait as a Young Girl by Claude Cahun
Bold androgyny doubled by a mirrored- reflection, Cahun presents themself in an image of lush textures and tones. The checked jacket, highlighted hair and sun-kissed skin all make for an image vividly abundant with life...
The young Ingres dedicated himself to historical painting, the most respected genre at the Académie. In accordance to his neoclassical training he selected his subject from Greek mythology...
Like so many of his works, Flags over the Town Hall is based on an image on a postcard representing the village of Maixe, located in Lorraine in eastern France...
According to Gould Madonna dal Collo Longo is Parmigianino’s most characteristic and most extreme work. That a single piece can be most extreme and most characteristic illustrates the visionary artist Parmigianino was...
At the insistence of his teachers in 1817 Michallon was awarded a prize. The honour permitted the young artist to spend the nest two years in Italy, where he painted numerous outdoor sketches such as Goatherd Opposite the Falls of Tivoli...
Corot depicts an Old Testament scene from the Book of Genesis in this painting. Hagar was a servant of Abraham with whom he had a child as his wife Sarah was unable to conceive...
Rich detail and expansive in scope, this painting depicts a procession of people behind various religious shrines. In the right foreground a large and diverse crowd follows the primary religious icon...
