Have you heard of French artist Jacques-Emile Blanche (1861-1942)? He was a renowned portraitist, receiving commissions to immortalize a host of famous figures including writers James Joyce and Marcel Proust as well as painters Edgar Degas and John Singer Sargent. Many of his subjects were women, whether successful French pianist Marie-Leontine Bordes-Pene above […]
AROUND PARIS Take another tour of Paris through the eyes of an international cast of artists, from Frenchman Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Swiss born Felix Vallotton (1865-1925), Spaniard Ramon Casas (1866-1932) and American Charles Courtney Curran (1861-1942).
I love the night passionately. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) He who contemplates the depths of Paris is seized with vertigo. Nothing is more fantastic. Nothing is more tragic. Nothing is more sublime. Victor Hugo (1802-1885) Night came on, the lamps were lighted, the tables near him found occupants, and Paris […]
THROUGH THE EYES OF A FRENCH IMPRESSIONIST IN THE HEART OF PARIS French Impressionist Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) was a born Parisian, spending his entire life within its environment, especially drawn to its streets and boulevards. London is a riddle. Paris is an explanation. G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) You’re no true Parisian, you […]
Both American master Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921) and Finnish artist Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905) painted the subject of siblings in the same year of 1884. The Sisters above by Thayer have been identified as Bessie (in front) and Clara Stillman (behind) in one of his most acclaimed portraits, while below Edelfelt enables the […]
Two American artists William Keith (1838-1911) and Winslow Homer (1836-1910) were contemporaries, who interpreted the vast landscapes of the United States, but on opposite sides of the continent. Keith, originally from Scotland, eventually settled in California where he painted the fiery sky of Mount Diablo at sunset, while Homer concentrated on the Maine coast […]
American artist John Frederick Peto (1854-1907) was a specialist in trompe-l’oeil (“deceived eye”), basically causing the viewer to mistake painted objects for reality. He often focused on books, letters, and newspapers recreating them with a variety of colors and textures arranged in creative, at times, unpredictable designs.
Will the future bring your wisdom to me? Or will darkness rule the kingdom for all eternity? Nostradamus The 16th century seer Nostradamus (1503-1566), renowned for his prophecies, and Dutch iconic artist Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) have a fascinating connection. Both lived in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, today a town of almost 10,000 […]
Italian artists Titian (1488/1490-1576) and Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572) were prolific portraitists, both of them favored by the powerful dynasties of the Italian Renaissance. For instance, Bronzino was the court painter of the Medici family, leaders of Florence for centuries. One of his most striking subjects was Eleanor of Toledo (1522-1562), the consort of Cosimo de’Medici, […]
French impressionist icon Claude Monet (1840-1926) is identified with waterlilies, building his own floral paradise at his home in Giverny, today a major tourist destination. He created some 250 interpretations like Waterlilies, Reflections of Tall Grass above, ranging in scope, from standard sized canvases to the huge murals at Musee de l’Orangerie in Paris. Fellow […]
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