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Homage to Bleroit by Robert Delaunay, 1914.
In 1909 Bleroit was the first person to cross the English Channel in an airplane. Delaunay wanted to capture this moment that he saw as the dawning of a new age of modern man. He uses a modern method of painting the scene (notice the Eiffel Tower in the background) because to use a more straightforward or realistic representation would not have done justice to the new technology.
The Apparition by Gustave Moreau, 1874-76, Louvre, Paris
In this watercolor painting by Moreau we see Salome's vision of the head John the Baptist is she remorseful or celebratory, it is hard to tell. Moreau was part of the Symbolism movement that paved the way for the Surrealist and Abstract artists who were to come.
Pygmalion and Galatea by Jean-Leon Gerome, ca. 1890.
Gerome is well known for his beautiful paintings but he also took up sculpture late in his career and created a sculpture based on this same subject.
Breton Girls Dancing, Pont-Aven by Paul Gauguin, 1888, National Gallery of Art.
Known as the Volpini Suite, Gauguin's ground-breaking show that is widely considered to be the first exhibition of Symbolist Art.
"Zodiac Man" from the calendar pages of the Tres Riches Heures of Jean Duc de Berry, 15th Century, France.
Found at the end of the calendar pages in this beautifully illustrated Book of Hours, the "zodiac man" illustrates the alignment on the body of the signs of the Zodiac.
Regatta at Cowes, Raoul Dufy, 1934, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
I could not resist posting this, it is so wonderful with the colors and the boats. Dufy is one of the fauve painters and each piece of his is better than the last.
The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds, c.1647 by Georges de la Tour.
It does not look like anyone at this table is playing by the rules especially the fellow with the extra cards behind his back. The background is totally dark but the clothing stands out and looks more rich because of it. de la Tour lit most of his paintings with candlelight.
A wonderful serene snow-covered landscape, named for the magpie perched on the fence gate.
Luncheon at the Boating Party, 1880-1881 by Pierre Auguste Renoir.
The young woman holding the dog would eventually become Mme. Renoir and is frequently used by him as a model. Renoir was a very social person and painted scenes of the pastimes he participated in.
Seahorse Brooch, 1902 - 1905 by René Lalique.
Another example of Lalique's amazing art nouveau jewelry designs. Nature and natural objects were favorite subjects of art nouveau artists.
Madame Jacques-Louis LeBlanc (Francoise Poncelle), 1823 by Jean-August-Dominique Ingres.
Ingres did over two dozen preliminary drawings in preparation for this painting. His work is clear and sharp and seems more like a photograph than a painting. Portraits are an artist's bread and butter.
The Builders, 1920 by Fernand Leger.
A follower of the Cubist movement, elements of it can be seen in this work of workers on a high rise. He was trained in an architect's office where he could study construction firsthand. Starting in the late 1920's through the 1950's America experienced an unprecedented growth in skyscrapers as the architects and moguls competed to make taller and taller structures.
Le Talisman, 1888 by Paul Serusier
Serusier was strongly influenced by Post Impressionist Paul Gauguin's bright and bold works and this painting represents nature broken into blocks of color. What makes the Nabis artists different from the Abstract Expressionists who saw their work as a revolution, is that the Nabis saw theirs as a bold new interpretation of their world, rather than a revolution against tradition.
The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard.
Fragonard is considered the greatest artist of a short period known as Rococo. This 18th century style followed the Baroque period where it utilized all the ornament and fashion of the Baroque, but left out the drama.
Fountain by Marcel Duchamp.
In 1917 French Dadaist artist turned the art world on it's ear when he exhibited this piece signed by "R.Mutt." He said Mr. Mutt did not need to create the object, his mere choice of it and applying his signature could serve as its consideration as art. Thus began a movement known as Found Object.
Drapery Study for Semiramis by Edgar Degas.
Sometimes the studies artist's do (and often never intend to publish) are the most beautiful.
Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne, 1806 by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
Ingres' state portrait of Napoleon the I is one of the most commanding ever done. He was a young man and a student of Jacques-Louis David when he painted this work.
Oedipus and the Sphinx by Gustav Moreau, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Moreau captures the tension as the Sphinx asks Oedipus that simple riddle that eluded so many before him.
Woman with a Cat, 1921 by Fernand Léger, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ©1999 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris
Léger's early study of architecture can be seen in the lines and lay-out of his paintings. His artwork is a bridge between the two worlds.
The Chariot of Apollo, c.1912 by Odilon Redon.
The Chariot of Apollo has been painted a number of different times throughout history, but Redon's version is probably the most ethereal. He was a member of the Symbolist movement.