Art Articles

Article by Ayyub

How do ideas for art emerge? They can be a bright spontaneous spark or take meticulous time to form. One of the best painters of the High Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarotti, told the world that the angels harboring art were already there; he just had to carve or paint them out. Knowing all this, I think almost all artists agree that art reflects an artist, and art therefore becomes inseparable from the artist making it. The best of artworks came from strong emotions such as joy, grief, devotion, rage, ecstasy, and so much more. The very well-known academic painter William Adolphe Bouguereau is no different. Processing the grief of his dearest, he created two devotional paintings that are his expressions of sorrow.

Article by Ayyub

Portrait miniature in England thrived during the 18th century and early 19th century and have produced the finest painters who made their works in a small scale but with remarkable detail. It is the patience and carefulness it takes to create miniature portraits that make them great gifts between royals, aristocrats, and courtiers. One of these prevalent artists was named Sarah Biffin who went through a number of challenges such as her working-class background, her social status as a woman during the Victorian era, and her disability to become a professional and proficient artist.

Article by Ayyub

Being an artist is a lifelong endeavor. The worst mistake any artist, or anybody in general, can make is thinking that their learning stops once they leave school or once they complete an art course. With art being the ultimate expression of humanity, and that humans are constantly changing and progressing, it makes sense for our art to evolve with us. Stagnating our learning and understanding of the world means stagnating ourselves. This is what artists understood for hundreds of years and that motivated them to create lots of meticulous studies to create the best work they could produce. Albrecht Dürer was no stranger to this, for he produced lots of watercolor studies and drawings that can be regarded as their own special pieces today. In today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at the master’s studies to see the versatile and prolific work that was done over the years.

Article by Ayyub

In my journey of studying fine arts and the history of arts, I have recently begun appreciating the beautiful form of artworks known as “tondo”. The name “tondo” comes from the Italian word “rotondo” that literally means “round”. They are paintings or sculptures enclosed in a circular canvas or composition, and they have skyrocketed in fame during the Italian Renaissance. Later throughout art history, artists have created their very own tondos. Since I believe that tondos aren’t really getting the attention that they deserve today, I compiled a list of four tondo paintings and sculptures from multiple periods of art history in hopes of showing you the appeal of them.

Article by Ayyub

Raja Ravi Varma was one of the most successful Indian artists during the other half of the 19th century for using European fine art techniques to tell epic tales of Hinduism and Indian culture. Indian painter and art critic Gulam Muhammad Sheikh asserts that Varma had left his impact on contemporary Indian art. Out of all the paintings Raja Ravi Varma created, the one that intrigues me the most is his painting of the Hindu goddess Kali because to me, it has been an introduction to the Hindu religions, its beliefs, and the gods they worship. It’s definitely hard to get it at first if you practice any Abrahamic religion like I do, but that just goes to show how beautifully diverse Hinduism is. The story of Kali is just one of the many stories that encompass Hindu belief.

Article by Ayyub

If you have ever approached anywhere near art history, you have definitely come across Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and his tragic story. Vincent van Gogh was a troubled man who dedicated his life to his artworks only to find success posthumously. However, there are artists who experience the opposite; they find success during their lifetime only for them to fade into obscurity, never to be seen ever again. John William Godward was one of these artists. Although he has amazing skill, he witnessed his own style fall out of favor, and the combination of very unfortunate factors drove Godward to the absolute edge.

Article by Ayyub

Gibran Khalil Gibran is regarded as one of the best poets of Lebanon. He is very well known for his book “The Prophet", which is a prose poetry book that touched the souls of the world, and he is considered the most influential Mahjari poet. Even though Gibran is revered for his wise words, he used his pencil to draw his thoughts long before he wrote them down. This is the life of Gibran Khalil Gibran as a painter and an opportunity to introduce the world to his mind and art other than his poetry.

Article by Ayyub

The human figure has been, and still is, a principal element in visual storytelling and fine arts. However, the naked human figure is not enough to tell a complete story. Because of that, artists have used draperies in their works. Drapery is the depiction of any clothing or textile in fine arts, and it has been used by artists for many more reasons than simply to clothe the figure or to make the artwork beautiful. Many fine artists have dedicated lots of their practice to depicting drapery since it is a showcase of their mastery and skill; however, as you will see, drapery can also carry symbolic meanings to emphasize a message or idea. With that in mind, we will take a look at a few paintings that show the messages drapery can carry.

While looking at the ghastly night sky, you will see witches going to their sabbath. Behold the insanity of the witch grabbing the goat’s horn as the other yells to command; their eyes are lit with madness. Everyone is on top of each other to catch up. Young beautiful witches are doing their ritualistic dance. The motion never stops. With the sensuality and ecstasy of the painting, you feel your blood rush. This is “Witches Going to Their Sabbath," which was painted in 1878 by an artist you probably have not heard much about. His name is Luis Ricardo Falero, who was completely unknown in his own country, but Paris and London recognized Falero’s depiction of elegance in each and every one of his paintings. Let us figure out who this artist is and his life story.

Article by Ayyub

The Roses of Heliogabalus is a painting done by Sir Lawerence Alma-Tadema in 1888. It was commissioned by Sir John Aird, 1st baronet and is now held in the private collection of Spanish Mexican billionaire Juan Antonio Pérez Simón. This painting might look romantic and colorful at first glance. However, once you know the story behind the cruel party of Elagabalus, you will see the hedonistic indulgence and petty indifference of the hosts towards the guests.