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Pierre Bonnard – The “prophet” of Post-Impressionism
Pierre Bonnard was the leader of a group of Post-Impressionist painters who called themselves the Nabis, from the Hebrew word meaning “prophet”. Bonnard, Vuillard, Roussel and Denis, the most distinguished of the Nabis, revolutionised decorative painting during one of the richest periods in the history of French painting.
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The Social World of Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun
Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (1755-1842) was not only the rare woman of her time who integrated herself into the French Royal Academy of Painting, but also beloved portraitist to the aristocracy.
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Lempicka (English version)
The smoothly metallic portraits, nudes and still lifes of Tamara de Lempicka encapsulate the spirit of Art Deco and the Jazz Age, and reflect the elegant and hedonistic life-style of a wealthy, glamorous and privileged elite in Paris between the two World Wars. This book celebrates the sleek and streamlined beauty of her best work in the 1920s and 30s.
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Portrait Paintings and Studio Drawings
"It takes a long time for a man to look like his portrait." - James Whistler
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1000 Portraits of Genius
Exhibition: The Art of Portraiture in the Louvre Collections Date: May 30 2018 – Sep 03 2018 Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo Since Antiquity, portraits have been commissioned to represent important people, figures, heroes and gods. Over time, this artistic genre has evolved from the embellished Greek marble sculptures to contemporary paintings, photography and abstract works. While the specific aesthetic style of the portrait often varies over time, the main purpose of portraiture, has remained consistent-to depict the personality, characteristics or essence of a person or important figure by using the face as the dominant feature of the composition. The first known portraits can be traced back to prehistoric…
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Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun : beauté, talent et modernité
Élisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun fut célèbre par son talent et par sa beauté. Son talent lui valut d’être admise aux académies de peinture de France, de Rome, de Parme, de Bologne et bien d’autres. Sa beauté lui valut d’être une femme à la mode, et l’agrément de son esprit de garder longtemps cette faveur qui l’entourait des gens les plus distingués de son siècle. Tout ceci se passait avant la première Révolution. Cette beauté, ce talent, cet esprit, furent dans tout l’éclat de leur brillante jeunesse sous le règne de Louis XVI, et la manière dont on accueillit et fêta ses avantages chez les princes et chez le roi prouve une…
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Arcimboldo’s Artistic Harvest
I have never imagined, whilst gazing at a bowl of fruit, that its contents could ever resemble anything like a human face. Making a remotely artistic connection between food and painting would take me back first to potato-printing in primary school, advancing perhaps to a somewhat more sophisticated ‘Still life of pear and mug,’ created in my later school years. Giuseppe Arcimboldo saw things differently, which is of course not a huge surprise! Although perhaps his fruity infatuation stemmed from similar beginnings… Arcimboldo, born in 1527, and most famed for his imaginative portrait heads in which he uses various fruit and veg to render his often esteemed subjects, began his…
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Vallotton: One of Art’s Greatest Over-Achievers
Félix Vallotton is perhaps the chameleon of the Nabis era. With a traditional start in academic and portrait painting, Vallotton mastered printmaking, portrait painting, wood engraving, Nabis-style genre scenes and nudes, and then moved on to Realism before leading the way for the New Objectivity movement. He did not stop at painting, however, but tried his hand at writing no fewer than eight plays and three novels. Whilst these may not have been the most significant or even best-selling tomes of their time, it was still a remarkable achievement. After adding landscapes, still life painting, and sculptures to his already impressive repertoire, the resulting impression of this artist is that…
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Gustav Klimt, 150 ans après sa naissance
Le parfum de scandale qui a accompagné la carrière de Klimt de son vivant, est toujours présent à l’évocation de son nom. La célébration des 150 ans de sa naissance est l’occasion de parcourir les différents jalons de sa vie. C’est aussi le moyen de découvrir la vie intime de ce peintre, grand amateur de femmes, qualité indispensable à tout artiste de renom. Se libérant des codes artistiques conservateurs de la Vienne impériale, Klimt révèle les corps élancés des femmes, sans entraves. Il a sans aucun doute été fasciné par les femmes et a d’ailleurs réalisé de nombreux portraits féminins. Même dans ses toiles chatoyantes représentant…
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