Necklace, Rene Jules Lalique, c.1900, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lalique whose name is better known for his glass than his jewelry, created some amazing art nouveau jewelry, as he was trained as a jeweler. His jewelry often incorporated enamel which led him to begin to work in glass.
Lady with an Ermine, 1485 by Leonardo de Vinci.
This work is one of only three portraits of women done by Leonardo and has sustained a lot of retouching and overpainting throughout the years. However the woman (whose identity remains in dispute) and the ermine itself are so wonderful they are both considered to have been painted by da Vinci. The ermine has actually been identified as a ferret. Seized by the Nazi’s in WWII the painting was returned to Poland in 1946.
The Night Watch, 1642 by Rembrandt van Rijn, The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Called the Night Watch in modern times, the original title of this work Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenhurch was a reference to its main characters. The “golden girl” in the background is a mystery. Considering the very fine clothing she wears, she is assumed to be more than a servant. Also her resemblance to Rembrandt’s wife has been noted. The final misinterpretation lies in the name of the work, it was not painted as a night image, but had been covered in layers of brown varnish until it was restored after WW II.
Flower Still Life, 1669 by Maria Oosterwijck.
Dutch Still Life painting has remained a popular genre since it reached it’s zenith in the 17th century. The beautiful colors and arrangements continue to attract and amaze people with their realism.
Christina’s World, 1948 by Andrew Wyeth, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Wyeth’s painting of a young woman who, unable to walk, often crawled around the house in Maine where she lived and where Wyeth stayed and which he painted many times.
People in the Sun by Edward Hopper.
Hopper is famous for the loneliness in his paintings and even though this is a group of people, the chairs are staggered so each person is alone as they enjoy the sun.
Fort Mackinac, Michigan, 1872 by Seth Eastman.
Located on Mackinac Island, Fort Mackinac was founded by the British in 1870. It remained an active fort until 1895 and went back and forth between the Americans and the British for years.
Veronica, 1960 by Elaine de Kooning.
Elaine was training as an artist when she met Willem de Kooning. She continued to work as an artist and art critic for ARTnews. She eventually concentrated on painting portraits.
Dromos, or outer Court of the Great Temple at Edfou in Upper Egypt by David Roberts, RA 1796-1864
Dated 1840 and inscribed ‘EDFOU, UPPER EGYPT’ Roberts painted watercolors of ruins in Egypt and reproduced them as lithographs and sold them in London to disciples of the Grand Tour.
Farm Garden with Sunflowers, 1907 by Gustav Klimt.
Klimt is one of the most famous artists to emerge from the movement known as Art Nouveau. The rich beauty of his style is so appealing.
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