Recent art that you liked
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stlukesguild
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Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio AKA Titian and Sir Peter Paul Rubens are two artists who are in no way "new" to me... and yet this painting by Rubens is:
The painting by Rubens is actually a copy of a painting by Titian:
Titian's portrait is frequently titled, Portrait of a Lady in White or Portrait of a Lady with a Fan. The 1561 painting is housed in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden. In one of the surviving letters from Titian, he refers to her as “‘the most precious being’ in his life,” calling her “the absolute mistress of my soul”. The question is: “is this a portrait of Titian’s daughter Lavinia, his illegitimate daughter Emilia, or might she be the artist’s mistress?” If this is Titian's mistress, and he's in his mid 70s, there's a sizable age gap there. While we know Titian loved his women, one would question whether Titian at the ripe old age of 75 would have such a beguiling mistress.
Her rich clothing and jewelry suggest that she may have been a woman of wealth or mistress of a person of wealth and power. Yet at the time, the Venetian state had passed sumptuary laws that made extravagance a criminal offense. A mere prostitute or even a courtesan of an aristocrat could not be seen in public in such attire.
There's some speculation that the white dress is a bridal dress, but art historians point out that her blonde hair is fashioned into a bun... and yet a bride generally wore her hair down. Only as married women had their hair pulled back into a bun.
Still another possibility is that The Lady in White might not be a real person at all, but rather Titian's version of the 16th century ideal of beauty in Venice... that this fantasy beauty in paint was the absolute mistress of his soul.
Rubens' copy after Titian's painting was unknown to me until I stumbled upon it on my Instagram feed... although I have long been aware of other copies of Titian's paintings by the artist. Rubens' painting dates from c. 1614 making the artist somewhere around 37 years old. By this time, he was already one of if not THE leading painter in Europe. What I find fascinating... and truly admire... is that an artist of Rubens' stature at the time was still practicing... still learning... and willing to invest the time needed to make such a stunning copy of a work of art by another artist that he admired. There is perhaps a lesson in there for any artist.
The painting by Rubens is actually a copy of a painting by Titian:
Titian's portrait is frequently titled, Portrait of a Lady in White or Portrait of a Lady with a Fan. The 1561 painting is housed in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden. In one of the surviving letters from Titian, he refers to her as “‘the most precious being’ in his life,” calling her “the absolute mistress of my soul”. The question is: “is this a portrait of Titian’s daughter Lavinia, his illegitimate daughter Emilia, or might she be the artist’s mistress?” If this is Titian's mistress, and he's in his mid 70s, there's a sizable age gap there. While we know Titian loved his women, one would question whether Titian at the ripe old age of 75 would have such a beguiling mistress.
Her rich clothing and jewelry suggest that she may have been a woman of wealth or mistress of a person of wealth and power. Yet at the time, the Venetian state had passed sumptuary laws that made extravagance a criminal offense. A mere prostitute or even a courtesan of an aristocrat could not be seen in public in such attire.
There's some speculation that the white dress is a bridal dress, but art historians point out that her blonde hair is fashioned into a bun... and yet a bride generally wore her hair down. Only as married women had their hair pulled back into a bun.
Still another possibility is that The Lady in White might not be a real person at all, but rather Titian's version of the 16th century ideal of beauty in Venice... that this fantasy beauty in paint was the absolute mistress of his soul.
Rubens' copy after Titian's painting was unknown to me until I stumbled upon it on my Instagram feed... although I have long been aware of other copies of Titian's paintings by the artist. Rubens' painting dates from c. 1614 making the artist somewhere around 37 years old. By this time, he was already one of if not THE leading painter in Europe. What I find fascinating... and truly admire... is that an artist of Rubens' stature at the time was still practicing... still learning... and willing to invest the time needed to make such a stunning copy of a work of art by another artist that he admired. There is perhaps a lesson in there for any artist.
stlukesguild
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I just came across this lovely painting bt the contemporary painter, Will St. John:
stlukesguild
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There was always something almost Mannerist to Lempicka's work. There was an extreme artifice... everything... even the figures seem to have been made from metal... like the Art Deco sculpture:
This last one has elements that suggest Mayan art. The Art Deco period was almost a reverse of the Art Nouveau. Both styles embraced pattern and decorative elements, but where these were based in Nature in the Art Nouveau, Art Deco was rooted in artifice. This was a period that embraced the idea of "better living through industry... and machines". This idea would come crashing down with the onset of WWII and all the horrors wrought by machinery.
There are many works of figurative sculpture of the period that are far more sensuous and fluid:
Lempicka's woman in sleek and sexual... almost like a beautiful automobile.
Still... I quite like her work... and surely she hasn't rebuilt her model anywhere near the extent that Picasso did.
This last one has elements that suggest Mayan art. The Art Deco period was almost a reverse of the Art Nouveau. Both styles embraced pattern and decorative elements, but where these were based in Nature in the Art Nouveau, Art Deco was rooted in artifice. This was a period that embraced the idea of "better living through industry... and machines". This idea would come crashing down with the onset of WWII and all the horrors wrought by machinery.
There are many works of figurative sculpture of the period that are far more sensuous and fluid:
Lempicka's woman in sleek and sexual... almost like a beautiful automobile.
Still... I quite like her work... and surely she hasn't rebuilt her model anywhere near the extent that Picasso did.
stlukesguild
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Oddly... I just came upon another painting by Tamara Lempicka on one of my social media feeds:
The painting is gorgeous, but I couldn't find anything about the artist when I searched for more. Can you provide a link?
Hey St. Luke/ David (I have seen both names used in replies),
I want to thank you for the enormous number of stunning images you have posted. I could spend all of my time immersed in them and never get anything else done.
The rational for the study of course would be that they are so educational, and sort of downplay the addictive pleasure of their beauty.
Another major factor, personal to me, is your descriptions and anecdotes of life in Cleveland.
‘Home’ for my entire life, except for the last 3 years, has always been a residence within 40 mies of Public Square. It is still in my heart.
Our first apartment was on E. 100th St, between Chester and Hough Aves.
The building and street both have since been obliterated for Urban Renewal around the Mt.Sinai Hospital University Circle area and no longer exist.
I also briefly attended Case School of Applied Science. Would have loved to have courses at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
I am sure you get the picture.
Regards,
Trier
I want to thank you for the enormous number of stunning images you have posted. I could spend all of my time immersed in them and never get anything else done.
The rational for the study of course would be that they are so educational, and sort of downplay the addictive pleasure of their beauty.
Another major factor, personal to me, is your descriptions and anecdotes of life in Cleveland.
‘Home’ for my entire life, except for the last 3 years, has always been a residence within 40 mies of Public Square. It is still in my heart.
Our first apartment was on E. 100th St, between Chester and Hough Aves.
The building and street both have since been obliterated for Urban Renewal around the Mt.Sinai Hospital University Circle area and no longer exist.
I also briefly attended Case School of Applied Science. Would have loved to have courses at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
I am sure you get the picture.
Regards,
Trier
stlukesguild
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Trier; I lived for all of my childhood through Art School at CIA in Amherst, sandwiched between Lorain and Oberlin... 35 miles west of Cleveland. After art school I spent a little less than two years living in Jersey City on the Hudson in the shadows of the World Trade Center. When my wife-to-be and I moved back to Ohio we lived in Coventry, then Ohio City, then North Collinwood, then I lived in my gallery and studio near East 40th and St. Clair before moving for 4 years to Sheffield/Elyria. For the last 10 years we have lived in Cleveland again in the West Park neighborhood (West 130s-150s).
stlukesguild
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I haven't found a lot on Will St. John myself. I stumbled upon the posted painting on my Instagram feed. Here's his Instagram site: https://www.instagram.com/willstjohnart/
He's an instructor at the Florence Academy of Art:
https://www.florenceacademyofartus.com/will-st-john/
I found a few other paintings on a Google Image search using Chrome:
He's an instructor at the Florence Academy of Art:
https://www.florenceacademyofartus.com/will-st-john/
I found a few other paintings on a Google Image search using Chrome:
brianvds
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Harold Harvey (1874 - 1941) - Summer milking oil on canvas 63 x 76 cm
I find I enjoy paintings that are not quite impressionist in the Monet sense, but that have clearly been influenced by impressionism in that the subject of the work is light as much as anything else. Harold Harvey combines this with the confident brushwork that I also enjoy, thus making for pleasant viewing, by my own aesthetic. No doubt he's a lightweight compared to all those ab-ex masters.
stlukesguild
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I just stumbled upon this painter, Pedro Pedro, initially from New York who now lives and works in LA (so perhaps Arty knows him or of him). I haven't found a whole lot about him except for this biographical detail repeated on all the sites I viewed. It seems Pedro had one of his testicles removed and during the recovery, he spent a lot of time painting... which led to his current career choice. Anyway... I quite like his funky still life and figurative paintings. I'm reminded of some examples of Latin-American "Magic Realist" paintings, Expressionism, and even R. Crumb and underground comics.
and during the recovery, he spent a lot of time painting... which led to his current career choice. Anyway... I quite like his funky still life and figurative paintings. I'm reminded of some examples of Latin-American "Magic Realist" paintings, Expressionism, and even R. Crumb and underground comics. 
xie-kitchin
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Part of my job involves putting together online reviews for a local arts magazine, and sometimes I stumble on nifty stuff. Hung Liu lives in California, is originally from China, and she's shown work locally (in Kansas City) before. But these works are new to me. They look like paintings but are actually monotypes with gold leaf. These look like simply pretty paintings of kids, but they're based on Depression-era photos by Dorothea Lange, so there's some deeper subtext there.
Roni
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xie, this picture is magnificent.
It doesn't look at all like a [quote:] "simply pretty painting"; as it is Not "pretty" (like "neat" and "nice").
It's beautiful, yes, but not in a pretty-nice way.
I absolutely love the harshness of the background + the massive contrasts + the line-over work.
Thank you.
It doesn't look at all like a [quote:] "simply pretty painting"; as it is Not "pretty" (like "neat" and "nice").
It's beautiful, yes, but not in a pretty-nice way.
I absolutely love the harshness of the background + the massive contrasts + the line-over work.
Thank you.
stlukesguild
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A good majority of the finest painterly painter have an incredible skill in painting or drawing in a far more polished or controlled manner.
