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The Enigmatic Genius of Johannes Vermeer: Unlocking the Secrets of a Master Painter
Vermeer revolutionised the way in which we use and make paint and his colour application techniques predate some of those used by the impressionists nearly two centuries later. Girl with a Pearl Earring remains to this day his greatest masterpiece.
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Edvard Munch, the master of psychological, emotional and spiritual perception
Edvard Munch (1863-1944), a Norwegian painter involved in Expressionism, was so attached to his work that he called his paintings his children, which is rather unsurprising given that they were deeply personal.
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Shelley’s Art Musings – International Women’s Day – Celebrating Female Artists
There are still huge worlds apart for many women across the globe in areas of work and pay, acknowledgements and accolades. Female artists are still outweighed by male artists in most contemporary galleries. We are very used to seeing the female form as the centrepiece but usually painted from the male perspective.
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James McNeill Whistler – Born under a wandering star
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) made his debut on the artistic scene at a decisive moment in the history of art and became a pioneering figure. Whilst the impressionists were embodying the epitome of the avant-garde, Whistler’s paintings reached a level of abstraction that had not yet been achieved.
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Shelley’s Art Scandal – Spotlight on Allen Jones
During the 60s, Jones worked on the three pieces of art which gained him the controversial notoriety which he is known for. These were “Chair”, “Table” and “Hat Stand”. These are sculptures which were designed by Jones, then cast in clay, finally finished by a company that made mannequins. Each set of three were duplicated six times, which were completed in 1969.
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Shelley’s Art Musings – Banksy making waves in Rome
2020 is really just going from one difficult situation to another, isn’t it? Many events cancelled, the potential of the second wave of Coronavirus on the horizon. There has been odd weather, protests and political tom foolery, which has all contributed to a year like no other for everyone globally. This thankfully hasn’t stopped creativity and heartfelt actions taking place. We have seen people celebrating key workers, joining in unity to support Black Lives Matter and so many acts of kindness that it has made individuals realise that humans are capable of great things if we stop working against each other. This year certainly hasn’t stopped the artist Banksy from…
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Great Minds Think Alike
This sentiment couldn’t be truer for Sydney’s International Art Series. With the likes of El Greco, Leonardo, Raphael, Monet (and many more!) being featured in The Greats: masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland, we can’t even imagine the kind of strings that the Art Gallery of New South Wales had to pull to get the National Galleries of Scotland to share their treasures. Over 400 years of artistic production under one roof, but who’s intimidated? According to the NSW’s official website, the collection will comprise of “over 70 outstanding works, all but two will be seen in Australia for the first time, including Botticelli’s exceptional The Virgin adoring the sleeping…
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Filth for Filth’s Sake
It is not the mission of art to wallow in filth for filth’s sake, to paint the human being only in a state of putrefaction, to draw cretins as symbols of motherhood, or to present deformed idiots as representatives of manly strength. So declared Adolf Hitler in 1935, leaving no uncertainty over his views on much of modern art. Many German and Austrian artists at the time were trying to express their own views of the world and their anger and despair towards society following the horrors of the First World War, yet Hitler saw only intolerable statements undermining his vision of a perfect German society. In 1937, the Degenerate…
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Vom „Erbfeind“ zum Freund
Die deutsch-französische Freundschaft ist seit 1963 vertraglich geregelt, und so jährte sich am 22. Januar die Unterzeichnung des Élysée-Vertrages zum 50. Mal. Neben Städtepartnerschaften, dem deutsch-französischen Jugendwerk und anderem mehr sind es doch die jeweiligen Staatsoberhäupter, Präsident und Kanzler(in), die diese Freundschaft immer wieder zu einem Ereignis machen. Die im Vertrag vorgesehenen Konsultationen des jeweiligen „deutsch-französischen Paares“ gehen meist nur wenig später mit Bilddokumenten durch die Medien. Und so können wir sowohl über zahlreiche Karikaturen als auch über Foto- und Videoaufnahmen oft genug schmunzelnd politische Geschichte erleben. Die Verdienste von Charles de Gaule und Konrad Adenauer sind unumstritten, der recht kühle Umgang zwischen Georges Pompidou und Willy Brandt ist Geschichte.…
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Van Gogh: Genius and Covetous?
Vincent Van Gogh: A man of many talents…and many mysteries. Here’s a small list of ‘did you know…?’: That he was a teacher? That he was a missionary? That he was a late-bloomer, artistically? (He didn’t start painting until his late-twenties.) That he was an extremely dedicated worker…he produced around 2,100 artworks in about ten years. That works out to 210 sketches/paintings/watercolours/doodles per year! (If you happen to be in possession of any of them, you’d be guaranteed to be an owner of a valuable piece of art!) That he was named after his stillborn baby brother? That he suffered from mental illness…leading up to the supposed self-inflicted shooting? That…
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