Just two years ago I discovered Bob Ross show ‘The Joy of Painting‘ although it’s pretty old. You might not like his style, but he is fun to watch. It’s the most peaceful art show I have ever seen - he is more like a monk preaching happiness then a art teacher. I love it - and I might even learn a trick of two.

He died over ten year ago 1995 - a sad loss, since there are not many TV art shows around. I would swap ten big brothers for one decent show about architecture or sculpting. I would even dump some of these techno fetish documentaries (Monster Trucks, Monster Buildings, Monster Anything) from the History Channel for some more art education.

We already have way too much crap on TV.

More? Bob Ross on YouTube

Click image for a larger Teutonic Master.

Herr Dürer is simply a God of Art. He paints and draws like none other. Too bad his great skills were wasted during the Dark Ages. This is his self-portrait aged 28.

More? Albrecht Dürer @ Artrenwal

Click frames to get bigger ones.

In my art postings or rarely have paintings with their frames. But a good frame can really improve a picture.

This ‘Allegory of Spring‘ is brilliant and shows Maestro Botticelli at his best. Usually his crowd scenes look flat and confusing - but this one is almost like a modern comic panel.

The Scene is set in in the Garden of Venus - with the lovely Goddess in the center of it all.

The figures of the painting …

Venus

Mercury

Cupid

The Three Graces or Charites

The three Charites of the Greek Mythology: Aglaea ("Beauty"), Euphrosyne ("Mirth"), and Thalia ("Good Cheer").

Flora, Chloris and Zephyrus

More? Wikipedia has an most excellent article

Socrates death was a tragic loss for Athenian culture - and still stands as a grave warning to all Democracies around the world: don’t kill your intellectuals, just because you don’t understand or appreciate them telling you the truth.

Athens just started it’s decline - it had lost the Peloponnesian War against Sparta. Socrates himself had fought for Athens and was a loyal patriot. But he also challenged the status quo of it’s society and wanted more progress. His ’smartass’ questions made the citizens of Athens more and more uneasy.

Plus Socrates had a large following of younger man and often met with them in more or less secret places to discuss their ideas. It didn’t help that some of Socrates biggest followers Alcibiades had betrayed Athens during the war with Sparta. So it was suggested that Socrates was corrupting Athens’ youth and he should therefore be punished. And Socrates challenged the religious believes of his times.

His trial was a huge event - he was judged by 500 of his fellow citizens. Socrates stuck to the truth, even mocked the jury and all the accusations instead of playing ‘nice’ and begging for mercy. He was found guilty 280 to 220. But he was still defiant. When his punishment was discussed he himself suggested being threat like an Olympic winner and given free meals (which was a great insult). So his death sentence had an even greater majority 360 to 140.

His execution was a sad affair - he refused to flee the city or take any chance to redeem himself.

We have seen the prosecution of smart wise man again and again in all cultures by kings, priests and mobs alike. Democracy is not a protection against acts of stupidity and uneducated destruction of brain power.

The curse of any great thinker will always be that his fellow citizens will be far behind him. The great publicity and admiration people like Einstein, Freud or Oppenheimer in their days was and is very unusual. Today’s bighead like Noam Chomsky and Richard Dawkins face very hostile opposition and ignorance. Once again the citizens of democratic states don’t like to be asked simple questions or have their religion challenged by ‘thinkers’ …

More? Jacques-Louis David @ Wikipedia and Socrates @ Wikipedia

Here is a great description of this painting taken from Euroweb.hu:

Bruegel painted this picture when he was still living in Antwerp and supplying drawings to the engraver Hieronymus Cock. Turning his back on the then-dominant Italian models, he plunges into the then old-fashioned tradition of Hieronymus Bosch’s world. An apparently inextricable mixture of persons and shapes offers itself to our bewildered gaze. Emerging from distant depths in a halo of light, monsters are thrown to earth as from a breaking wave. Angels combat them, led by St Michael, thin as a rake in his golden armour, striking with his sword at the dragon with the seven crowned heads on which he has his foothold.

The combat of the archangel with the fallen angels is described in the Book of Revelation (12, 3-9) and was frequently illustrated from the Middle Ages onwards. In Bruegel’s rendering, the violence is expressed not in the bitter nature of the battle - indeed St Michael and his sparse troops do not appear particularly threatened by the demons - but by the intensity of the fall - infernal and endless - of this crawling, hideous multitude that invades the entire surface of the picture, in a remarkable unity of action which increases its impact. By borrowing minutiously observed elements from the plant, animal, mineral and human worlds and combining them to form hybrid, deformed beings, Bruegel invents creatures that are the most repulsive, but also the most curious and fantastic imaginable. Mussel shells grafted onto a gigantic shrimp, a human head with butterfly wings attached to a shapeless, bloated body, a puffy gnome carrying a sundial and with a plumed helmet on his head, viscous fish with arms, lizard scales, crustacean paws… a seemingly endless list. Within the "mêlée", every element is differentiated by the scrupulous rendering of the textures. With their long, refined silhouettes, St Michael’s allies, elegantly garbed in delicate, luminously coloured albs, are automatically on the side of the Good, in a state of grace that enables them to dominate effortlessly the monstrous hordes, moving around in a clear and azure sky which is in profound contrast with the darkness reserved for the rebels.

Bruegel reveals himself here to be a marvellous colourist, dexterously distributing accents of red, green, blue and white and alternating the dark browns and lighter beige ochres with brio.

Too bad I only have such a small copy of this great painting. For years now I have been looking for a better image to zoom into details. No luck so far. Someone out there who has a larger and better file?

Once again a collection of images, texts and background info about an old and great myth. The story of Icarus & Daedalus is complex and highly symbolic. It contains several layers and aspects I find very interesting:

Daedalus - the great inventor, whose skills are highly praised, but bring only blood and tears to himself and his family.

Evil King - who forces Daedalus to build the labyrinth.

Father and Son - a great family story, how they work together to escape the evil king.

Freedom - you can outwit evil and literally fly into freedom. Great symbolic act.

Inventor - great ideas can give you wings and let you escape your current (dreadful) situation. Outsmart your own destiny.

Wild youth - when youngster go wild and burn themselves - once again in a literal way. Also connects to the old ‘I told you so’ aspect of parenthood.

Burning - you can burn yourself if you get to close to the Gods or being too curious.

Falldown - the higher they fly, the deeper they fall. Also ‘keeping it low - even when you made it’ - so you don’t fall to deep. Daedalus was wise and survived, Icarus was foolish and died.

Moving on - although he lost his son Daedalus continues his life. He also faced his treacherous talents and prayed to the gods.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

Why do people paint such great images to ceilings - to break our necks. This image actually makes perfect sense up there - since it all happened in the sky above us.

This is a wonderful depiction of the whole event. Anyone knows the artist?

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

The myth in comic style - anno 1500. The only thing that confuses me are the flies on the tower.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

A more intimate portray of our two heroes testing their wings before trying to escape the King of Minos.

I find this image a bit odd. Icarus looks very feminine on this painting, almost like a female angel taking of his bra / wings. His face looks very soft and his hand gesture are so absolutely gay …

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

This one looks more like flying lessons from one old angel to a younger one. All very Kitsch. There is no context to the original tale or anything Greek.

More? Charles-Pail Landon Wikipedia entry 

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

Daedalus and Icarus are getting ready to escape the evil king Minos with their newly built wings. Imprisoned in a high tower of the royal palace they get ready to fly away. They are excited, they are nervous. Will they be discovered before they are ready? Will it work? Can they escape? Or will they plunge to death?

A final deep breath and they jump down …

This is one of the most iconic images of the series: the cranky and bend father preparing the young and beautiful son for the escape. Note the wind in the ropes - and especially the black rope behind Icarus as a bad omen of what’s to come.

I also like that Leighton has made some effort to present the Greek theme with the statue in the background as well as including a high place for a better takeoff.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

Click image for a bigger landscape.

Here Maestro Bruegel shows his great sense of drama as well as humor. Icarus and his death are a sidestory. A guy falling into the sea - so what? Bruegel condemns the young man to a tiny side story. Even the peasants in the image hardly take natice of what is happening.

Here is a excerpt from the wikipedia entry about this painting that explains the attitude behind this:

There is also a Flemish proverb (of the sort imaged in other works by Bruegel):"No plough stands still because a man dies". The painting may, as Auden’s poem suggests, depict humankind’s indifference to suffering by highlighting the ordinary events which continue to occur, despite the unobserved death of the mythic figure Icarus, who is seen drowning in the bottom right area of the sea. In Greek mythology, Icarus was the son of Daedalus, famous for his death by falling into the sea when he flew too close to the sun, melting the wax holding his artificial wings together. The sun, already half-set on the horizon, is a long way away; the flight did not reach anywhere near it.

Life is each human’s own tragedy!

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

Another depiction of Icarus terrible end. His mighty wings broken. Curious and delicate sea-nymphs lament the young heroes death.

This is one of the most iconic images of the series

For me this is the most dramatic painting in this series. It has a sleight Kitsch factor with the added sea nymphs, but they also contribute to the loss of vitality and sexuality of another brave soul lost to the gene pool.

I love Draper’s intricate painting of the wings - the biggest wings in all paintings in this collection.

Overall there is always the problem of confusing Icarus with an fallen angel. The idea of winged messengers from the gods is not an Christian invention, but we all associate the myth of fallen angels with such scenes. I have seen this painting (ab)used once in a Christian blog … ah, the pagan irony …

More? Herbert Draper’s entry @ Art Renewal and the tiny Wikipedia entry

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

The attempt has failed. Icarus has crashed and died. All his fathers inventiveness and all his warnings couldn’t protect and save the youth from his own cockiness. The tragedy is double - Daedalus will escape and survive. But this death will forever plague his soul.

We see young Icarus twisted and mangled by the impact. All his grace, power and youth is gone. All that remains is broken bones and flesh.

More? Paul-Ambroise Slodtz Art Renewal entry

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Daedalus and Icarus"

Click image for larger fairies.

A lovely scene from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Oberon and Titania are the King and Queen of the Fairies.

The synopsis (here on Wikipedia) is the perfect inspiration for painters and movie makers alike. It has love, tragedy, pagan nastiness, comedy and some indecent sexual undertones.

Highly recommended.

Let’s get the historical facts first from Wikipedia:

Lucretia is a legendary figure in the history of the Roman Republic. Her husband was Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, son of Egerius, son of Arrus II, who was the brother of Tarquinius Priscus, their father being Demaratus the Corinthian. ^[1]

According to Livy’s version of the establishment of the Republic, the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (superbus, "the proud") who ruled from 535 BC to 510 BC, had a violent son, Sextus Tarquinius, who raped a Roman noblewoman named Lucretia.

Lucretia compelled her family to take action by gathering the men, telling them what happened, and killing herself. Lucius Junius Brutus incited the people of Rome against the royal family by displaying her body. They were impelled to avenge her, and Brutus led an uprising that drove the Tarquins out of Rome to take refuge in Etruria. The result was the replacement of the monarchy with the new Roman Republic. Among the avengers were her husband Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, ^[4] being one of the first consuls of Rome, along with Lucius Junius Brutus. They were second cousins as was Sextus Tarquinius.

So basically here we have the template for the virtuous maid or wife - who rather kills herself instead of living without honor and shame. But it also includes the motive or revenge - from one family against another.

2000 years later we still have rape within our society. It is still a most vile act and punished by law - and still in some countries woman are shamed and even killed for it.

Rape, suicide and revenge make excellent stories for artists. The story of Lucretia has been put into words, onto paint and into statues. The great William Shakespeare wrote the "The Rape of Lucrece" (here is some background to the poem).

In this series "The Story of Lucretia" you find several paintings and one statue about this tragic event. I haven’t included all artwork I found - I only wanted the most interesting pieces or have a look at well known Maestros and how they handled this ancient motive.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for a MUCH larger version for more details.

Botticelli tries here to tell the story of Lucretia in three parts - but I must admit I can’t follow him. On the left section Lucretia is threatened by her rapist Sextus Tarquinius. In the middle we see obviously her funeral and public outrage. The man standing over her casket if probably Lucius Junius Brutus (no, not that Brutus who killed Caesar). And at the very right her death and discovery by her family.

The setting is certainly Roman, but the ‘costumes’ reflect more  Botticelli’s own era. Nice perspective for the architecture.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Even the great Titian had a go at the drama. I guess it must have been one of these irresistible legends you simply had to paint as an established artists. And why not? It has sex, drama, aristocracy, a damsel in distress, a virgin brutally raped and killing herself - a public outcry and attack of a noble Roman family. Who can resist that story?

I applaud Titian’s honesty in the scene - that a rape is not a charming affair. He didn’t hide the event behind some symbolism or abstraction: the rapist forcing his knee between her legs and having his hard steely dagger ready to pierce her. His red pants are on fire (more or less).

But I must say that the Lady looks a bit fat and disproportionate. Also how he holds the dagger looks a bit odd - similar to Rembrandt who also had some problems including the dagger in a way you realize it’s one and painting it dangerously.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Certainly not Rembrandt’s finest hour. It looks a bit awkward - and the dress is certainly not very Romanesque. She looks more like a Victorian Lady admiring a dagger.

Sorry for the bad image quality - anyone got a better file?

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

I am still not very convinced by Rembrandt’s second attempt to paint the tragedy of Lucretia. The wound wound looks more like a soup stain, the dagger is hard to see and what’s with the rope?

Sorry for the bad image quality - anyone got a better file?

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Maestro Cagnacci is a new discovery for me - one I made researching this series about Lucretia. This painting was sold this year (2007) for a staggering 1,4 Million Euros.

Lucretia in her final moments: rapped and dishonored - ready to end her life. Compared to Titian’s, Rembrandt’s and Botticelli’s attempts this one is reigns supreme. It really looks like a snapshot of her last few seconds on this earth. Despair and imminent doom are in her face, the firmly holds the dagger (yes, and this time the deadly iron looks menacing and real).

The whole painting has that timeless feeling: it’s setting isn’t tied to any period, since it’s minimalist and her ripped dress could be almost from any period.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for more Bellucci.

I am a bit underwhelmed by this painting. It has all the right ingredients, but somehow the spark for greatness is missing.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for a bigger final moment.

A young woman rapped - in her final seconds. She must be terrified, full of anger, fear, confusion - but also determination. The last few thoughts before your own death after you have been violated must be terrible.

Another rare catch of a unknow  Maestro - at least to me. I couldn’t find much about Mazzanti on the Intranets apart from this tidbit (taken from here):

Mazzanti Ludovico (1686-1775)

A painter who came from a noble family of Orvieto, he belonged to the Romano-Neapolitan school of artists and carried out his early work in Rome and Orvieto. In Rome he collaborated with Nicolò Pomarancio in the church of Santa Maria Apollinare, while at Orvieto he designed the upper mosaics for the Cathedral façade (1713-1714). He executed many works at Naples, where he was based during the years 1733 -1740, and in Campania (the Abbey of Montevergine).

In 1744 he became a member of the Academy of St. Luca. When he was invited to Città di Castello he was already famous. He painted the frescoes of the original cupola of the Cathedral, designed by the architect Nicola Barbioni, which collapsed in the earthquake of 1789. Documents relating to this work are conserved in the Museum archives. All that remains are the Evangelists at the base of the cupola arches and some models held in the Cathedral Museum: a work of "truly baroque magniloquence" (V. Casale). At Città di Castello he painted two altarpieces for the "Murate" monastery (enclosed order of nuns) and other works in private houses. He also received commissions from foreign countries notably France and Poland.

This painting looks like a sequel to Guido Cagnazzi’s Lucretia - just a few seconds later. I am amazed by the perfect painting of her cloths and her skin looks so silky it’s unbelievable.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"

Click image for a closer look.

Here some info about this great Sculptor (taken from here):

Damián Campeny y Estrany

(b Mataró, 12 April 1771; d Barcelona, 7 July 1855). Spanish sculptor and teacher. He began studying at the Escuela de Bellas Artes de la Lonja in Barcelona at the age of 14, and he worked in the studio of Salvador Gurri ( fl 1756-1819), a late Baroque sculptor with Neo-classical tendencies. Campeny left the studio after he was attacked by Gurri, who, as a teacher at the Escuela (1785), continued to persecute him and threw him out. Campeny then worked in Lérida, Cervera and Montserrat. He produced his first major work, St Bruno (1795; destr. 1831), in carved polychromed wood. He also trained with Nicolás Traver and José Cabañeras, both late Baroque artists. Stylistically, Campeny began with a moderate and personal naturalism, later assimilating some of the Baroque influences from his Catalan teachers. Readmitted to the Escuela, in 1795 he won a scholarship to complete his studies in Rome, where he went in 1796 and had his own studio for 17 years. He was at the Accademia di S Luca, worked in the restoration department of the Museo Capitolino and also studied with Antonio Canova, who had a decisive influence on his work and became a close friend. In Italy he became such a pure Neo-classicist that he was called the ‘Spanish Canova’. Various works from this period are held at the Lonja in Barcelona, for example Paris (1808) and Campeny’s masterpiece the Dying Lucretia (plaster, 1803; marble, 1834). The collection also contains a statue of the Virgin as Ianua Coeli (1815), made using various hard coloured stones.

I must say I am totally enchanted by this statue: I want to rush to Lucretia and hold her in my arms to rescue or at least comfort her on her way to the afterlife.

What a great piece of art.

Part of the Art Motive Series: "The Story of Lucretia"