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.
Sleeping Muse, 1909-10 by Constantin Brancusi, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Brancusi began training at a young age after running away from home. He eventually trained with Rodin before beginning his career as a sculptor. He went onto become one of the premier artists of the Abstract movement.
Dominant Curve by Vasily Kandinsky.
Kandinsky was one of the most influential Abstract artists of the 20th century. He was a teacher of both law and later art, teaching for a number of years at the German Bauhaus. He himself claimed he became interested in abstraction after seeing one of his paintings upside down.
Betty, 1988 by Gerhard Richter, St. Louis Art Museum (copyright Gerhard Richter).
What looks to be a photograph is actually a painting of the artist’s daughter. It cannot be considered a true portrait when it is of the back of the subject but he lovingly portrays the his subject. His style has varied a lot over the years from photo-realistic paintings like to the very abstract.
The Hunter (Catalan Landscape) by Joan Miro, 1923-24, MoMA, NYC.
Miro began his work as a painter doing portraits but soon found the work of artists like Picasso and the Surrealists with whom he socialized in Paris, to influence him to try other directions in his paintings. The Spanish Civil War drew his work into a political realm as his countrymen suffered at home. His career lasted well into the later part of the twentieth century, in fact a large tapestry he did for the World Trade Center was one of the most valuable pieces of art work that was destroyed on September 11, 2001.
Figure 6 by Joan Miro, 1974, The World Trade Center (destroyed 9/11/01).
Stuart Davis believed that abstract painting could impart more of the meaning of the work than a straight figurative interpretation. This work is about American jazz and giving a viewer a sense of the relaxed “coolness” inherent in its form. The name “Mellow Pad” refers to slag used by the musicians for a low-key place to hang out.
Your Daily Art 