The Floor Scrapers, 1875 by Gustave Caillebotte.
Caillebotte liked to portray everyday scenes like these workers removing wax from floors. He liked to portray everyday people going about their business in a realistic way.
Far Out
Love, 1968 by Peter Max. Poster reprinted in 1993.
This poster by Peter Max was so ground breaking and struck such a chord at the time that it changed the way art was viewed and help launch the Psychedelic movement of the 1960's.
Eros
Psyche et l'amour, 1817 by Baron Francois Gerard, Louvre, Paris.
A popular subject throughout the 19th century, Gerard version of the story of Cupid and Psyche almost portrays the figures as secondary to the outdoor temple and landscape setting. The vibrancy of the bright colors also serve to draw our attention from the couple.
Pretty Flowers
Two Sisters (On the Terrace), 1881 by Pierre Auguste Renoir, The Art Institute of Chicago.
Renoir began his career painting on porcelain and the pretty subjects he chose lend themselves well to that type of work. This painting is of the young woman who would become Mme. Renoir and her younger sister. She was a frequent model of his.
Across the Reflecting Pool
Abraham Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.,
The memorial dedicated in 1922. Sculpture of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French.
Controversy
The Peacock Room, 1877 by James McNeill Whistler, Freer Gallery, Smithsonian.
Whistler, in his usual flamboyant and arrogant manner, took his decoration of this London dining room to such an extreme, he angered and the patron and made their argument public.
What are Your Neighbors Up To?
The Little Bay, Port Vendres by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
In the last four years of his life Mackintosh left Scotland for France. Although he painted some beautiful watercolors of the area he is not well known there. Exhibitions of his work, including his architecture and furniture designs, have been organized to show the people of the area the work of the architect/artist/designer who lived in their town.
Floral Shapes
Photo via Worthpoint
Biting Cold
February, 1940 by Grant Wood.
Wood came to appreciate lithography as a medium late in his career. Many of his lithographic works were offered through the Associated American Artists project that offered the artistic names of the day through the mail for as little as $5.00.
Bathed in Fabric
The Bather of Valpincon by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.
Ingres' skill at portraying drapery and textiles was the best of the 19th Century French Classical artists. He was inspired by the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael whose clear straightforward yet lush style made his influence third after the Renaissance giants Michelangelo and Leonardo.
Form Following Function
Japanese Rabbit Netsuke, Late 18th early 19th century.
The most popular pronunciation is "net-ski", while the actual Japanese is closer to "netskeh," they were used weigh down the end of the sash or obi of a kimono. In the 19th and 20th centuries they became highly collectable and remain so today.
Butterfly
Acacias, c.1880 by Albert Moore.
Moore was influenced by the Elgin Marbles (Parthenon statuary which had recently arrived in London at the British Museum - where they remain and are the source of much controversy).
Narrow Escape
Watson and the Shark, 1777 by John Singleton Copley.
Copley's historical painting tells a story about Brook Watson who would survive the attack and go on to become Lord Mayor of London.
Creating New From Old
Return of the Sun, 1986 by Odd Nerdrum.
Nerdrum is an artist whose influence lies in classic artists like Rembrandt, who prefers to mix his own paints and stretch his own canvases. He draws upon a knowledge of art history to create his work - he has done his homework and reveres those that have come before him, paying them homage and respecting history.
Venus Redux
Venus, c.1984 by Andy Warhol, various collections.
Warhol was one of the most successful artists to come out of the Pop movement in America. His use of everyday images gave people something to relate to.
Botticelli, Birth of Venus, 1485-86
Bored
A Bar at the Folies Bergere, 1881-82 by Edouard Manet.
Manet's last major painting. At first glance you see the bored looking barmaid staring off into the distance. Upon closer inspection we can see all the activity of the bar going on in the mirror. Including a patron whose presence is not doing anything to improve her mood - perhaps he caused the mood? Those tangerines just jump out at you, don't they?
How Long?
Waiting (L'Attente) by Edgar Degas.
Degas' paintings of the life that goes on behind the scenes at the ballet are among his most beloved because they are real and show what went on, not just the finished product on the stage. We see the dancers trying to stay limber, the chaperones trying to stay awake, caught by an artist who managed to blend into the woodwork to bring us their world.
Going to Church
Jesus Loves Me by Varnette Honeywood.
Honeywood's flat one dimensional style and strong colors give her work a unique look. She has done a lot of book illustrations, for which her technique is very well suited. Honeywood's work captures the varied experiences of African Americans and celebrates the relationships and traditions that bond the people and communities.
A Second Post
La Joconde (Mona Lisa), 1749-1828 by Leonardo da Vinci, The Louvre.
That mysterious smile, many words have been written about it and its meaning, could it be a matter of
Behind the Scenes
Mabel Tainter Memorial Building, 1889 by architect Harvey Ellis, Menomonie, WI
The style of this building is called Richardsonian Romanesque, but the architect was a strong behind-the-scenes influence on the American Arts & Crafts movement. Harvey Ellis worked with Gustav Stickley and has been credited with many of the company's furniture designs and undoubtedly influenced Stickley's Craftsman style.
