Humans have always been intrigued by that which is different from themselves. Anytime we encounter something that does not belong to our set of principles, values, style, etc., we tend to see it as exotic. True, it may inspire fear upon a lot of people, but also fascination and will to know more about it. Such was the case of the Romantics of the XIX century.
The Fable of Arachne or The spinners is one of my favorite paintings ever. Why? Well it has many of the elements that I love about art. Firstly, it tells a mythological story: the fable of Arachne; secondly, it is full of characters and elements that surprise us as we discover their meanings. And finally, it’s like having a painting within a painting. Not to mention that is was made by one of the greatest painters: Diego Velázquez.
In this article, I would like to talk about one of my favorite painters: Guido Reni. There’s something about his painting that caught my attention from the first time I saw them. Reni was born in 1575 in Bologna, Italy. Since he was the son of Danieli Reni, a musician, it was expected of him to follow his father’s steps. However, Guido’s passion and talent to paint took him to another path. He started studying art under the guidance of Denys Calvaert. Soon after, he went to continue his artistic education in the Carracci Academy where there was an emphasis in nature. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of examples of this period of his life.
People tend to say that a dog is a man’s best friend, but I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong, I adore dogs, but I love horses. Ever since the man was able to make art, he have depicted horses, just take a look at the prehistoric paintings of Lascaux and Altamira…
“Women are from Venus and men are from Mars.” Surely, you’ve heard and said this phrase at least once. It is a common way of referring to the widely different views in which women and men see the world. As we see an artwork, we cannot make the assumption that such representation is the only and true one.
Every artist prioritize what he or she thinks it is necessary and interprets the scene from his or her point of view. That is why we find in some artworks that depict similar stories different messages. An example of it is the biblical story of Susanna and the elders…
Ever since I came across the Drawing Academy website and their approach to traditional drawing, I’ve been really interested with the Old Masters. How they can convey such great emotion, force, power, fragileness with only a few strokes? This is what I wanted to know. I did a lot of research on YouTube and various social media but I couldn’t find any great answer.
The Drawing Academy picked my interest in searching ways to learn and improve my art skill. The Drawing Academy helped me understand that art can be really beautiful, and all you need is knowledge and dedication. For days, I searched for that knowledge, reading all the things that the Academy tutors say about anatomy, perspective, human figure and so on. And in my frantic research, I stumble across one name: Ilya Repin, St. Petersburg. Someone mentioned it and said they studied there, since then my interest was picked and I gathered all the information I could about this amazing school.
Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is under a mysterious veil. This mystery has often been attributed to the unknown identity of the model and it seems that the question “who is she?” not only never becomes trite, but also elicits new answers and dimensions as the time passes by…
On July 15, 1606 a baby boy by the name of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born in the city of Leiden, Netherlands. His father was a miller named Gerritsz van Rijn. His mother was a baker’s daughter named Neeltgen Willemsdr van Zuytbrouck. Rembrandt had a total of 7 siblings (2 died during infancy). By 1640, only 4 of his siblings managed to make it to adulthood.
Rembrandt was enrolled in Latin school until age 14. By then he transferred to Leiden University. Bored with his courses, he eventually left the university to pursue something of greater interest: painting. His first art teacher was a man named Jacob van Swanenburgh who lived in Leiden. Rembrandt studied under Jacob for 3 years. Rembrandt then ventured to Amsterdam to learn under another master for 6 months, Pieter Lastman, who was especially gifted in the creation of historical paintings. As well as, Jan Pynas. Under both artists, Rembrandt learned subjects such as history and rhetorical gestures.
Nothing could be more exciting and surreal for an artist to visit an area of the world where his favorite artist has lived and worked. In the fall of 2016 I had the great fortune to travel the south of France for a period of time. Most of us already know the Van Gogh life story, but actually walking in his past foot steps conjured up an emotional response for which I was not prepared.
Upon first entering the grounds of Saint Paul de Mausole in St. Remy France, a creepy vibe entered my realm that was unmistakably Vincent. This vibe immediately flooded my memory with all things Vincent, from his documented struggles outwardly and inwardly to an eerie chill ascending my spine…
There are many great museums around the world, but none compares to the eternal splendor of St. Petersburg’s own Hermitage. The Hermitage is the greatest attraction in St. Petersburg, Russia. With over three million items in its vast collections, the Hermitage houses the most impressive display of art and antiquities. Part of the exquisite charm and splendor of the museum is not only the collections, but the buildings themselves that house the collections. The Hermitage is made up of five interconnected buildings. The largest building, being the Winter Palace, did house the Romanov Tsars from 1762 until the revolution in 1917.
The art collection was started by Catherine the Great in 1764 when she officially made her first bulk art purchase. It has been augmented since, and houses great artist’s works like Rembrandt, Reuben, Matisse, Picasso, and Gaugin. With a world-wide collection, you can find an impressive display, from the entire global reach of art.