Category Archives: Art

Art Sunday 12/14/08: Ludwig Kirchner and the Berlin Street paintings

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  Five Women on the Street, 1913 Ludwig Kirchner Oil on canvas  This exhibition (no longer on display at The Museum of Modern Art) brings together German Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s renowned Street Scenes series, created between 1913 and 1915. I saw this exhibit a few week ago in New York City and I just loved the colors he used in these. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938), the subject of the MoMA exhibition “Kirchner and the Berlin Street,” is, in the greater scheme of 20th-century art, … Continue reading →

Art Sunday 03/01/09: Cool Paintings by Rock Stars

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Left: Iggypop  Here’s a great article I found that I thought would be cool for Art Sunday of paintings by rock musicans. You usually hear about musicians who want to act, but what about musicians who want to paint? We were surprised to discover that more than a handful of rock stars had actually tried their hand at art, but not so surprised to find out that most of ‘em weren’t very good. But don’t take our word for it, see for yourself (click the … Continue reading →

Art Sunday: Mysteries in Art

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The Mystery in the Mirror Vermeer’s Camera This painting called, ‘Lady at the Virginals with a gentleman”, was created by the great Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer in the 1660s. It shows an exquisitely painted interior scene, with a woman playing a keyboard and a man listening. The woman has her back to us, although we can see a reflection of her face in the mirror on the wall. The man’s role is unclear. He appears to be wearing an outdoor coat, and is carrying a … Continue reading →

Art Weekend 12/28/08: Andrew Wyeth

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Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth Oil on canvas The Museum of Modern Art, New York City Christina’s World is the most famous work by American painter Andrew Wyeth, and one of the best-known American paintings of the 20th century. Painted in 1948, this tempera work is displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It depicts Christina Olson, who had an undiagnosed muscular deterioration that paralyzed her lower body—likely Polio. She was a strong and independent woman who did not let anything stop … Continue reading →

Art Weekend Mystery 01/18/09: Who was The Fornarina ?

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Raphael and the Fornarina, 1814 Jean Auguste Ingres Oil on canvas Ingres’ imaginary double portrait (shown above), Raphael and La Fornarina (1814), which shows the dark-eyed lady perched on the artist’s lap, helped turn Raphael’s painting into a cult icon.  The scenario also caught Picasso’s interest; in 1968 he made a series of drawings of Raphael and his lover caught in flagrante by the pope, sometimes with Raphael’s rival, Michelangelo, peeking out from under the bed.     Raphael and the Fornarina close-up by Jean … Continue reading →

Art Sunday 03/22/09: The Colors of Spring

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Left: Spring Flowers, 1911 Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, (January 8, 1836,Dronrijp, the Netherlands – June 25, 1912 Wiesbaden, Germany) was one of the most renowned painters of late nineteenth-century Britain. Born in Dronrijp, the Netherlands, and trained at the Academy of Antwerp, Belgium, he settled in England in 1870 and spent the rest of his life there. A classical-subject painter, he became famous for his depictions of the luxury and decadence of the Roman Empire, with languorous figures set in fabulous marbled interiors or against a … Continue reading →

Art Sunday 10/05/08: A Celebration of Judaism in Art

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Self-portrait of Solomon Alexander Hart Solomon Alexander Hart 1806-1881 was a British painter. He was born in Plymouth, England, the son of Samuel Hart, a Jewish engraver and teacher of Hebrew. He remained an observant Jew all his life. He served as an engraver’s apprentice in where he studied at the Royal Academy, and excelled in miniature painting. Hart became celebrated as a painter of historical scenes and characters, and in 1854 was appointed professor of painting in the Royal Academy.   The Feast of … Continue reading →

Art Sunday 03/30/07: Gustav Klimt and Amedeo Modigliani

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Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) Austrian Art Nouveau Painter Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I 1907 – Oil and gold on canvas This painting was recently purchased by the cosmetics magnate Ronald S. Lauder for $135 million, the highest sum ever paid for a painting. Lauder is the founder of the Neue Galerie, a tiny museum at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street in New York City, devoted entirely to German and Austrian fine and decorative arts. Ronald S. Lauder quote : “This is our Mona Lisa” About Gustav … Continue reading →

Art Sunday 01/05/08: Louis Comfort Tiffany

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Snowball Window Louis Comfort Tiffany Leaded Favrile Glass, 1904 Metropolitan Museum of Art   Born in New York City to the founder of Tiffany & Co., the famous jewelry store, Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) became known for his designs of richly colored works of glass in the Art Nouveau style. However, he expressed no interest in the family business and focused on his own painting talents, starting as a creator of landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, working in both oil and watercolor. Louis was … Continue reading →

Art Sunday 02/10/08: John William Godward

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An Auburn Beauty, 1895 John William Godward Oil on canvas John William Godward(9 August 1861 – 13 December 1922) was an English painter from the end of the Pre-Raphaelite/Neo-Classicist era. He was a protégé of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema but his style of painting fell out of favour with the arrival of painters like Picasso. He committed suicide at the age of 61 and is said to have written in his suicide note that “the world was not big enough” for him and a Picasso. His … Continue reading →