Another one of Klimt’s golden ladies. He was truly addicted to the beauty and charm of woman.
But you should be aware of the cut off head in the right corner. This princess is a dangerous one - guys literally loose their head around her.
To use an old phrase: she is the beauty and the beast in one package.
Click image for a larger a hungarian Übervater.
Dürer’s portraits are simply breath taking. The details, the atmosphere and the intimacy. He took this art form to a new level as a master painter and an artist.
From Wikipedia about Albrecht Dürers Family heritage:
Dürer was born on May 21, 1471, third child and second son of his parents, who had between fourteen and eighteen children. His father was a successful goldsmith, originally named Ajtósi, who in 1455 had moved to Nuremberg from Ajtós, near Gyula in Hungary. The German name "Dürer" is derived from the Hungarian, "Ajtósi". Initially, it was "Thürer," meaning doormaker, which is "ajtós" in Hungarian (from "ajtó", meaning door). A door is featured in the coat-of-arms the family acquired. Albrecht Dürer the Elder married Barbara Holper, from a prosperous Nuremberg family, in 1467.
Dürer about his father (taken from here) - who was also his first art teacher:
My father suffered much and toiled painfully all his life, for he had no resources other than the proceeds of his trade from which to support himself and his wife and family. He led an honest, God-fearing life. His character was gentle and patient. He was friendly towards all and full of gratitude to his Maker. He cared little for society and nothing for worldly amusements. A man of very few words and deeply pious, he paid great attention to the religious education of his children. His most earnest hope was that the high principles he instilled into their minds would render them ever more worthy of divine protection and the sympathy of mankind. He told us every day that we must love God and be honourable in our dealings with our neighbours.
But one more thing is truly remarkable: the age of his father. Not many people reached 70 in these days. Albrecht Dürer himself died age 56 - a lot younger than his father. I couldn’t find out when his father actually died.
Click image to see more sand.
Picasso always amuses me. He has such a wonderful way to look at the world and reduce it to it’s bare essentials. The head - just a tiny thing with a few holes. A stretched arm to provide comfort. A small dune (?) and two more female hills. Sand and skin are almost the same on the beach.
I love it.
Click image for a stronger woman.
Another brilliant Mapplethorpe moment - with all the power, beauty and grace almost all his snaps posses. For me it’s also a perfect expression of the 80’s - and a new feminine strength showing in art that is neither weak nor overdone.
Click image for a larger version.
They don’t make woman like that anymore - and such portraits. All modern photographer trying to emulate that look have failed so far. I guess it’s a matter of attitude and the right camera. Old optics were very different from today’s supertech digital cams.
And Vivien? She is just stunning. Just like Betty Davis she has that certain magic that has disappeared somewhere around the 1960’s …
Photographer: Does anyone know the artist? Thanks!
Click image for a larger version.
Madame Lamarr is not your usual silverscreen beauty - she had brains and lots of it. How many Hollywood actresses do you know that hold an U.S. patent?
What a fascinating woman!
Photographer: Does anyone know the artist behind the camera?
Simplicity often is the best way to let beauty speak for itself. Robert Mapplethorpe was the Master of reduction - he had a keen eye for just capturing the essence of his subjects.
Here is an excellent article about “Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Tradition” in relationship to Mannerism.
Most amusing side note: here we see the God Apollo - who was also the patron of the Arts.
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1. Click player below to start the music. 2. Click the image above to dive into the art. 3. Study for seven minutes (sorry, a bit longer than usual) this great piece of art. |
I am a huge Beethoven fan. This human being was simply amazing and his music still sends shivers down my spine. And I guess I am not alone.
One of the things that pisses me off about Beethoven is that we don’t have any recordings of him playing the piano. It has been reported that he was not only a genius composer but also a master of the black & white keys.
Can anyone please build a time machine and bring back a good recording?
This portrait from Herr Stieler is the only one were Beethoven could be persuaded to sit down and be painted. People noted back than that this portrait was actually pretty close to the van’s passionate self.
Click image for more blue.
I constantly come back to Odilon Redon’s paintings … his colors and stories intrigue me. There always seem hidden layers and myths in his art - although they are mostly composed of ’simple’ elements.
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1. Click player below to start the music. 2. Click the image above to dive into the art. 3. Study for three minutes this great piece of art. |
The figures of the painting …
Click image for more Rays.
Today such images are standard - but back in the early days people like Alfred Stieglitz, Man Ray and George Weston reinvented the nude act for this new medium called photography.
For us it’s hard to see these old images in this new and fresh way - like Man Ray’s contemporaries saw them in early 20th century. We are so much bombarded with images each day that we can hardly be as open and innocent as people almost a hundred years ago.
He seems to be quite a charming young fellow, don’t you think Lord Archibald?
I really love his sensual paintings and lush surroundings. When you see more than three of his images you immediately spot his style and addiction to a certain type of woman.
But once you know that his wife Elizabeth Siddal in 1862 - who killed herself after the birth of their dead child - it all becomes all so understandable.
Heartbroken Rossetti drowned his sorrows with booze and drugs. His life was not a happy one. Apart from being a gifted painter he also wrote poetry and published works on Italian authors.
Elizabeth was also the model for many other artists of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - so you might know her from other paintings as well.
He died sad, broken and mentally unstable 1882.
More? Rossetti @ ArtRenewal.org or @ Wikipedia and a List of his paintings. And an excellent online exhibition by the Walker Art Gallery.
Most art postings are about the painting / art itself and the artists. Rarely do we get a glimpse at the process, inspiration, model or muse behind it. Jane was a muse for many British painters of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Jane Morris was one of Rossetti’s favorite models after the death of his beloved wife. She was married to his great fellow painter William Morris.
Click image for a bigger apple and arrow …
The title derives from Latin literature and means ‘Venus, turner of hearts’. This is the Sonnet he wrote for this painting:
She hath the apple in her hand for thee,
Yet almost in her heart would hold it back;
She muses, with her eyes upon the track
Of that which in thy spirit they can see.
Haply, ‘Behold, he is at peace,’ saith she;
‘Alas! the apple for his lips, - the dart
That follows its brief sweetness to his heart,-
The wandering of his feet perpetually!’A little space her glance is still and coy;
But if she give the fruit that works her spell,
Those eyes shall flame as for her Phrygian boy.
Then shall her bird’s strained throat the woe foretell,
And her far seas moan as a single shell,
And through her dark grove strike the light of Troy.
Poetry and image information taken from here.
More? Rossetti @ ArtRenewal.org or @ Wikipedia
Hey Stumblers … don’t forget to check out the other Rossetti paintings below.
Click image for more red hair …
Lilith is the first woman Adam met in paradise - not Eve. She was an tempting topic for many painters. And this motive is pre-christian and appears in the Gilgamesh epos.
More? Rossetti @ ArtRenewal.org or @ Wikipedia
Click image for more Rossetti music …
The model is Alexa Wilding and the paintings shares some creative DNA with another of his great images "Venus Verticordia".
More? Rossetti @ ArtRenewal.org or @ Wikipedia
Click image for more blue amazement.
Once again the classic Rossetti Lady (the famous Jane Burden aka Jane Morris) in perfect pose. Unusal are the blue and green tones - he usually prefers red hair and warm earth tones. This is his last painting before he died in the same year.
More? Rossetti @ ArtRenewal.org or @ Wikipedia
Wow, what an amazing portrait from 1957 - you can literally feel all the testosterone ooze out of the image. They don’t make guys like that anymore …
Click image for more amazement.
Ah, I am bewitched by this woman. She has fire in her eyes. She ain’t the usual dumb blonde - she was very feisty.
Photographer: George Hurrell
One of the great classic Maestro’s of Photography. He shot many poses and captured many moments other photographers still try to snap today. Many of these acolytes could learn from the great Master: most of all he didn’t see objects and people like we would classify and describe them. He didn’t see a woman, a toilet, a pepper or a shell. He only saw shapes, light and composition.
That is why he was able to capture beauty in every object he photographed. He didn’t rate or classify what he say - he just looked at it’s ‘being’ and framed the beauty that was obvious to him.
Maestro Dalain died just recently from Cancer - aged 80. Too bad there is not much about him to be found on the intranets. What a shame!
We are all individuals, but we still belong to uniformed groups.
This is an exciting and insightful study of our western lifestyles and the desire of humans to be individuals while STILL belonging to a group. Bring some time to click yourself through this amazing tapestry of modern moments, groups, looks and styles.
Brilliant!
More? www.exactitudes.com
Click image for more surrealism.
Dali and Halsman are both Maestros in their fields of expertise. So their collaboration could only result in a work of supergenius. 
I like that image, because it was hard work - they didn’t have Photoshap back in the 1940’s …
More? Philippe Halsman
Click image for more Gable.
I love these old school portraits. They are simply amazing.
Artist: unknown - can anyone help?
Click image for more Nadja.
A moment of eternal erection.
Helmut Newton knew to create the perfect erotic moment.
Moira has sent me this great gallery of old guys portraits. It is rare that the male form entices photographers to snap my species. But making pix of old guys is even rarer.
Thanks Moira.
John Singer Sargent has created many trivial paintings like family portraits - but he also created a few magical ones. Whoever Madame X was - Sargent has captured her beauty and fascination well. A dream on canvas.
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Stumble it!
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