La classe de danse (The Dancing class), c.1873-75 by Edgar Degas, Museé d’Orsay, Paris.
Degas had access to all areas of the dancer’s world and took advantage of this capturing them at rest, rehearsing, performing and dressing. They were a subject he returned to frequently over the years.
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters from Los Caprichos,1799 by Francisco Goya.
Los Caprichos was a series of prints Goya produced after he had become quite ill and eventually lost his hearing. It seems he let his imagination run wild and captured all of these unfettered thoughts in this group of etchings.
River Trout , c.1830 by Ando Hiroshige.
Hiroshige is best known for his woodblock prints, but was also a skilled painter and wrote a book on fish.
Knucklebones, c. 1830 -1896 by Frederic, Lord Leighton, Private Collection.
Playing an ancient Greek game called Astragoli, the model looks like she is sleeping rather than playing a game. Leighton’s models were often seen lounging in diaphanous gowns.
American Gothic, 1930 by Grant Wood, Art Institute of Chicago.
The “Gothic” in American Gothic refers to the window in the background of the painting. It is a style seen in Gothic churches with the point on the top. The woman is Wood’s sister Nan and the man was the town dentist.
Red Hous, 1859 owned by William Morris, architect Philip Webb. Decorated by Morris & Co., National Trust, Bexleyheath, England.
A departure from the traditional Victorian style because it was open and full of light. Morris reaction to the industrial movement motivated him to hire artists and craftspersons to decorate the home and lead to the beginning of the arts and crafts movement.Interiors
Gamble House, 1908 by Greene & Greene, Pasadena, CA.
A masterful combination of arts & crafts and Japanese aesthetics, the Gamble House is one of the crowning glories of the movement that preached a return to skilled craftsmanship and creating beautiful, useful objects.
Cat and Spider, c.1868 – 1912 by Oide Toko, The Metropolitan Museum.
From the Meiji period which began during the end of the feudal period and when Japan was exposed to the modern world. An eclectic mix of the ancient mix of the two worlds.
Three Black Cats by Maud Lewis, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Canada’s best known Folk Artist is Maud Lewis.The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia even has her small house which she decorated with her paintings restored and on display.
Halloween, 1955 by Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma Moses,” Copyright © 1984 Grandma Moses Properties Co. , The Bennington Museum, Bennington VT.
The Folk Artist known as Grandma Moses was 80 years old when she was “discovered” by a New York art dealer in 1940. For the next 20 years she painted and became a beloved American figure. She created over 1500 works although she did not begin to paint until in her 70’s.
Your Daily Art 