Raphael, born Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino in 1483, emerges as a shining star in the firmament of the Italian Renaissance, an era marked by a vibrant resurgence of culture and creativity. This article is a journey through the life and art of Raphael, an exceptional painter whose works continue to enthral and inspire audiences globally.
In the art history, few names shine as brightly as that of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. Born in 1606 in the bustling city of Leiden in the Dutch Republic, Rembrandt would go on to become one of the most celebrated painters and printmakers of all time. His works continue to captivate audiences worldwide, and his mastery of light and shadows remains unrivaled. In this article, we embark on a journey through the life and art of Rembrandt, a true luminary of the Dutch Golden Age.
Immense minds climbed to the apex of exceptional transformation at an era of great development in Europe, and that transformation forever impacted the world.
A great genius emerged in Italy’s southern area of Europe, in the city of Vinci. He was known as Leonardo da Vinci.
Michelangelo painted the glorious Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. It took four years to be complete, and of those four years, in 1509, the beautiful ‘Delphic Sibyl’ was painted using the ‘al fresco’ technique along with the other Prophets and Sibyls of the ceiling.
Silverpoint was a unique technique used as early as the 12th century for writing and markings, it became immensely popular from the 14th to the 16th century, for the creation of art. It was favoured among old masters of the Renaissance period, before the incorporation of graphite. Silverpoint is only one of the metals used falling under the larger category of metal-point, where gold, platinum, lead, copper, and iron were also used. Silver was the most used metal and why the technique ‘metal-point’ became more known as silverpoint.
Painting with egg yolk and milk is already weird enough, then what about painting with people’s flesh?
“Let there be light’, a phrase that Rembrandt Van Rijn allowed to become the motif of his work throughout his entire career. Solidified in history as the most important figure in the history of Dutch art.
The following article will be a part analysis and part appreciation post, we’ll be observing his techniques at creating such complex works. as he is one of my favourite artists and every piece he created has a thousand lessons hidden in their strokes and etches. If you have any agreements or disagreements, please write them in the comment section as I’d love to hear what you think.
Western art was developed differently compared to the art in China. In China, calligraphy and painting were evolved together, therefore combining their painting, graphic arts, literature, and poetry in a way that did not happen in Europe. There are a few things to note on how they differ.
There is a short story called The flower sermon about one of the last lessons the Buddha gave to his followers in which he was to talk about the law, or the essence of life, and he did it by taking a flower on his hand and just holding it while looking the persons around him in silence. Buddha handed the lotus to Mahakasyapa and began to speak. “What can be said I have said to you,” smiled the Buddha, “and what cannot be said, I have given to Mahakasyapa.”
Mahakasyapa became Buddha’s successor from that day forward.
I found The flower sermon while looking for some historical background on the art of sumi-e, a particular style of painting originated in China by the 7th century and spread to Japan in the 13th century by Zen Buddhist monks. Just as in the sermon, this painting style has a deep, quiet, almost solemn approach to the act of understanding and portraying the world…