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Paris, je t’aime
Many people are acquainted with Stockholm syndrome, in which hostages develop feelings of sympathy or even defend their captors, but how many know of Paris syndrome? Typical to French style, Paris syndrome is much more romantic and far less violent than Stockholm syndrome. The intense idealization of France has deluded people into thinking that Paris lies at the top of Mount Olympus, that croissants are the baked version of ambrosia, and that the language is lovelier than a siren’s song. Some people, when they finally land at Charles de Gaulle airport and step into their Eden, suffer psychiatric symptoms – Paris syndrome. A handful of tourists a year suffer hallucinations,…
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Goya: The Original Photojournalist?
Admittedly, Goya never actually took photos. But replace his pencil and etching tools for a camera and Goya was predating the practice of objective war photojournalism by centuries. During the terrible Peninsular War of 1808-1814, the artist visited the Spanish countryside and witnessed unimaginable horrors. His recordings of these became the powerful series Disasters of War, which would go unpublished until thirty years after his death. Goya completed these works for himself, recording simply what he saw and what drew his attention, rather than what any patron wanted to see. Although taken individually they could be powerful propaganda, as a whole the series takes no sides. Goya portrays with equal…
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Etch a Sketch
Raphael undoubtedly played a role in Renaissance art. One cannot think of that era without thinking of the beautiful Madonnas and little, fat cherubs done by Raphael. His talent, however, goes beyond that of painter, as he played a significant role in the development of reproductive print. Although Raphael never produced any prints himself, he created many drawings for the sole purpose of being engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi. Together, Raphael and Raimondi created some of the most famous Italian prints of the century and gave rise to print publishing in Rome. Just as the Gutenberg Press made printed word available to the general audience, through easily and affordable reproduction, the…
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Kleine Würfel – Große Kunst
Kunst muss nicht gegenständlich sein, weder Figuren noch eindeutige Motive haben und erst recht nicht auf den ersten Blick zu durchschauen sein, aber oft wünscht sich genau dies der Besucher beim Betrachten von Kunstwerken. Daher geht er an Werke mit abstrahierten Motiven, die ihm vor allem Rätsel aufgeben, skeptisch und mit Vorbehalten heran. Allerdings hat die moderne kunstgeschichtliche Entwicklung gezeigt, dass es möglich ist, blaue Kreise und schwarze Quadrate oder auch nur weiße Leinwände zu bedeutenden Meisterwerken zu erheben – doch dies war nicht immer so. Am Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts schockierten zwei Künstler die Pariser Öffentlichkeit mit kleinen Würfeln und geometrischen Formen, mit deren Hilfe sie Formen und Figuren…
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Le dimanche après-midi.
Cyniques, drôles, critiques acerbes ou parfois poétiques… Les gravures de Félix Vallotton s’éloignent définitivement de l’image un peu barbante que vous pouviez vous faire de l’art de la gravure. Vous pouvez me croire, elles sont vraiment drôles ! Comme cette snob qui tente de garder toute sa dignité malgré un gros coup de vent :
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The Man who Loved Women
Sex sells. Or at least in today’s society, the marketing world strategically incorporates erotic imagery in advertisements to gain consumers’ attention. If the moniker “sex sells” is true for advertisements, could it also be true in art? In nude paintings, does the artist aim to “sell” something by enticing us with the image of a naked and supple body? When looking through Felix Vallotton’s artistic catalog, the amount of nudity is great. Vallotton used naked women in any context, from nude women bathing to nude women playing with kittens. Vallotton, like most artists, appreciated beauty, including the beauty of the naked human body. But while the artist might have seen…
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Olympia in Venice
Remember the first time you went away from home for an extended period of time? Your mother made sure you packed warm socks and clean pants, even if it was going to be 40 degrees Celsius in your final destination. She called and wrote you often, making sure you were eating your vegetables and brushing your teeth. She loved and worried about you. I imagine this is what the Musée d’Orsay is going through at the moment, having sent one of its most precious babies off to Italy for the summer.
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What is Love?
Love. Love is, waking up late on the weekend. Love is, frosty, autumn mornings, breath fogging the air. Love is, smelling the cut grass on a hot summer’s day. Love is, feeling the steam rise off the ground after a tropical rain storm. Love is, laughter.
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Getting to Know Glart
Here’s a fun fact for you: Glass has been around since around about 3000 BC (in the Bronze Age), and glassblowing was created in Syria, in the 1st century BC. You may be wondering what that has to do with the price of fish – well, let me explain. Glass is immensely important in our society. And, the fact that it was developed so early on in our history means that it has been incredibly important for our ancestors’ society, and their ancestors’ society… for thousands of years. Again, you may be asking what the point of this is. Well, fine you got me, I guess there isn’t a point…
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Vampires: dark and evil or sparkly and romantic?
When thinking of dark romanticism, I am plagued with thoughts of dark, sultry mystery. Especially encompassing the supernatural, dark romanticism is essentially the humanising of all things evil and hellish. This includes vampires, werewolves, ghouls, devils, the whole gamut. Having just come off of a most epic two month Buffy-binge, I get it. But authors like Stephanie Meyer, have taken what was once the essence of evil and torture and literally turned them into shiny, happy beings.
This is an interactive art blog in multi languages, you will find new articles on artists, art history, exhibitions, etc. Contributions welcome.
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