The Earthly Paradise

Art Revolution: David Hockney's "A Bigger Picture"

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

“Who would have thought that the telephone would bring back drawing?” - David Hockney, via Bloomberg

The art world has been a-flutter over the past several days with a (largely) manufactured battle between two of its stars: David Hockney and Damien Hirst. Hockney mania, the Telegraph reports, has overloaded the Royal Academy website, leaving servers crashing in its wake. Meanwhile, Hirsts "retrospective" of his infamous spot paintings (you know, the ones he didn't actually paint?) has barely registered, except as something for art critics to mock gleefully.

It could be that gallery goers have finally recognized that Hirst is a bit of a one-trick pony. Admittedly, it was a sort of interesting trick - at the beginning. I must admit to snickering over his "The Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" (you know, the shark preserved in formaldehyde? I laughed even harder when it rotted and the hedge fund manager that bought it had to get Hirst to make him a new one!). The whole episode exuded the sort of impish tomfoolery that allowed the YBAs (Young British Artists) to steal the scene in the 90s. But its gotten a bit old.

On to Hockney then: the popularity of his latest exhibit is refreshing for several reasons. First, it suggests the public can only be entertained for so long by having a middle finger extended in their general direction. Second, it indicates that there is a real and abiding appetite for beautiful, relevant, art.

Hockney's exhibit, entitled ‘A Bigger Picture’ opens today and will run until April 9th, 2012 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. It features a number of new artworks created using Hockney's iPad and iPhone (follow the link to see more, including a video). As far as I'm aware, Hockney is the best-known artist to dedicate a significant portion of a new exhibit to works created using the iPad. Of course, artists have been using the iPad and iPhone to create beautiful work since the devices were first released, but the popularity of the Hockney story seems to indicate that there is deeper change afoot.

The bright colours of his new pieces are eye catching and invigorating, and they give the impression that they are somehow backlit. In Hockney's interview with Bloomberg, he dwells briefly on the fact that the iPad's lighting has influenced his work, saying “[t]he fact that it’s illuminated makes you choose luminous subjects, or at least I did: the sunrise, for example, and flower vases with water in them that catch reflections.” The article also touches on the fact that the using his phone or tablet has made his work much easier, simply because it is more accessible: “I realized when I was doing the sunrises last year that it was partly because the iPhone was beside my bed when I woke up...if I’d only had a pencil and paper there I probably wouldn’t have chosen to make pictures of the dawn.” Finally, because the iPad records the movements of his finger across the device, viewers can be brought one step closer to the creative process through videos of the works being made.

Viewers who are able to experience these works in person at the Royal Academy of Arts in London will see them printed on paper. The paper medium still translates the luminous quality of the paintings, but paradoxically, if you only get a chance to see them on your computer, smartphone or tablet, you will have greater proximity to the artist's process. It's strangely like being able to hold an original Van Gogh in your hands. This was exploited to great effect when Hockney's Fresh Flowers exhibit was on display at the Royal Ontario Museum a few months back, where you could sign up to have an "original" piece of artwork he had created on the iPhone emailed to you every few weeks.

There has been a degree of sterility and self-reflexivity about contemporary art that has left the public feeling excluded from artistic discourse. Hockney's exhibit is an exciting opportunity for people to experience art in a fresh new way that resonates with audiences. And if you're interested, you can buy the Brushes app Hockney used to create his masterpieces from the App Store for $7.99 (at this juncture, I feel compelled to note that anyone who is convinced that the cost of the app --plus an iPad or iPhone--is too high, has never had to buy art supplies!).

The Art History Carnival Returns in February

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:41:00 +0000

The Art History Carnival will be returning to The Earthly Paradise on a regular basis starting in February! The February edition of the Art History Carnival will be posted on Wednesday, February 1, 2012. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (Monday, January 30, 2012).

What kind of blog articles will be included?
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed, so please, no spam.

What is a Blog Carnival?
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic."

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere!

Who can submit?
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!).

Can I host a carnival?
Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival.

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is easiest!).
2. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

One final thing to keep in mind:
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival. If a post is six months old, I won't be able to include it in the Carnival, no matter how fabulous it might be.

Thank you again for your participation, and please share the news with other bloggers!

Netflix for Books

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:44:00 +0000

I love reading, and I'm a huge consumer of print media - approximately 20 books a month, plus countless articles. I use the library out of necessity. It would cost me around $6,000 a year to buy all the books I read, so the library is my best choice for affordable access to the books I want to read. I love ebooks, which are slightly more affordable and can't be easily digested by my two toddlers, but once again, I can't really justify buying 20 or more ebooks a month (after all, how many books can my kids destroy per month?). But I do get tired of lugging all the books back and forth from the library and paying fines when I need to keep them a few extra days. Also, it's difficult to tough it out for months on end waiting for new books that I am positively dying to read (my husband bought me the new Steve Jobs biography after he heard me mention I was looking at about six months on the waiting list).

All this has got me to thinking - why doesn't a service like Netflix exist for readers? In my opinion, such a service would need to provide:

Simultaneous access to multiple titles (I'd go crazy if I wasn't able to read at least three books at once - and I know I'm not alone in this)
Availability of pretty much any title I could find at my local library
Ability to read books on multiple platforms (tablet, smartphone, pc)
Affordable pricing (i.e., along the lines of Netflix)

This might sound like a tall order, but Netflix is able to provide these things for movie fans. I do realize that there are probably fewer readers out there demanding a service like this than there are movie and tv fans.

Amazon.com recently announced a service along the lines of a "bonus feature" for Amazon Prime customers. It is pretty much useless, in my opinion. You have access to one book per month (one? Are you kidding me?), have a mere 5,000 titles to choose from, and can only read these books on your kindle. The only good news is that you don't have to pay extra for this horrible service, which is lumped together with Amazon Prime at a cost of $79 USD per year.

Now, I'm sure that Amazon has been begging publishers to allow them to offer more titles, but I'm sure it's difficult to get enough publishers on board. And as this article from Wired magazine notes, nobody really knows what a digital book is "worth" to the publishing industry, nor are they used to negotiating with anyone over the aftermarket for their titles.

Although it was comparatively easier for Netflix to discuss these issues

Now, I hate to say it, but I suspect one of the reasons that book publishers haven't been as willing to acquiesce to the likes of Apple and Amazon is that they have felt less pressure from piracy. The music and film industries are truly suffering from the availability of free content on the web. In contrast, publishers earned 27.9 billion worldwide in 2010, and their revenue appears to be growing, not shrinking.

Adaptation to digital books has started off a bit slow, but it is growing. According to the New York Times (see link above), ebooks represented just 0.6 percent of the the market in 2008. Two years later, they had grown to 6.4 percent. Book publishers might not be feeling the pinch right now, but if this trend continues, they will not be able to ignore the pressure of the web. I've never read a pirated ebook myself, but they do exist, and I'm sure that if they become readily available, they'll be a much more evident threat to the publishing world.

Hopefully, publishers will not let it get to that point, and will come up with an affordable way for consumers to access books. I realize that not everyone reads as much as I do, but, as my husband pointed out when I discussed this issue with him, they might be willing to pay for a subscription to a book service simply because of the way it makes them feel.

This time of year, I'm always reminded of the job I took at the YMCA after high school. I was amazed that so many people would sign up for memberships in January. I worried that the facility would never hold them all! Not a concern, my boss informed me. Most of them will never show up after the second week of January. "But they'll just cancel their memberships!" I protested. "No," she replied. "Just having a membership makes them feel good, even if they never use the gym."

I think an ebook membership would work much the same way. There are a lot of people out there who would feel great about having unlimited access to books, even if they never actually use the service! What do you think? Does the idea of an "ebook membership" appeal to you? Do you think it makes sense for publishers to offer this option through providers like Apple and Amazon?

Washington Apple Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Washington Apple Cake, a photo by theearthlyparadise on Flickr.

There are dozens of recipes for "Washington Apple Cake" out there, but this one is special for a couple of reasons. The first is that the recipe for this cake was handed down to me from my Great-Grandmother (whom I believe discovered it in the newspaper). The second is that it contains a lot more (and different) spices than most apple cakes! Most ask for no more than two teaspoons of cinnamon, whereas this recipe calls for two tablespoons, plus a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. The cinnamon might seem excessive when you are making the cake (the batter is practically red, and the cake IS red when you take it out of the oven). But the apple/cinnamon/nutmeg combination actually produces a mild cinnamon flavour once it has been baked (I can't stand things that have heavy-handed flavours, so trust me when I say it's not spicy!). The cake is perfectly moist and topped with a delectable caramel frosting. A wonderful treat for a chilly fall evening!

Washington Apple Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 - 2 c. sugar
2 eggs

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 T cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
6 large apples - 3-4 cups diced (peeled)
2 tsp. vanilla

Oven 350 degrees 35 min. (That's all my great-grandmother wrote, but I would recommend baking until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, which is about 40 minutes).

Caramel Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 T evaporated milk
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Mix in small saucepan and heat lightly to just melt butter. Mix until sugar dissolves. Add enough confectioners sugar to make consistency right for spreading.

Those are the directions that came with the recipe. You will notice there are no directions provided for the cake - I think my great grandmother expected you to know how to mix a cake! Personally, I always prepare my wet ingredients and dry ingredients seperately and then add the dry ingredients to the wet in my mixer.

I find it really funny that she equates 6 large apples with 3 cups of diced apples! Today's apples are much, much larger than they were 100 years ago.(it reminds me of recipes from the colonial period, where they tell you to use 1/2 dozen eggs when three would do today - eggs were a lot smaller then!). For this recipe, I used 4 galas, which equaled about four cups when finely diced. Also, I would add that you can safely increase the amount of apples in the cake up to 4-5 cups. If you are using apples from your own orchard, then it will probably take six!

I made this cake for tea last week, and my oldest daughter (who just turned two) had a wonderful time eating cake and drinking tea from real teacups. This was her first tea party, and she clearly felt like quite the little grown-up!

I'm back!

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:42:00 +0000

I'm back! I have been enjoying time with both my lovely daughters (the youngest of whom - shown above - is now just a little over 2 months old). This time I really allowed myself to take a break from blogging, social media etc., and it's been a wonderful experience. That said, I feel that it's just about time to return to the virtual world! I definitely have missed you all, and hopefully there are some readers left, since I realize that three months is an eternity in blogging!

I also have to admit that one thing that has kept me from coming back sooner is that I've been having a bit of an identity crisis over what I would like The Earthly Paradise to be, especially now that I no longer have as much free time to devote to writing more serious Art History stuff (something I realize I haven't done in a while). Also, I can't help but notice that my interests have changed quite a bit since I first started this blog back in 2007! So, there might be a few tweaks in the works, which is something that I've been debating with myself about for quite a while. I'm still not entirely sure what this will mean, so stay tuned!

Art History Carnival August 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Welcome to the August 3, 2011 edition of the art history carnival!

architecture

"Well into the 19th century, the educated viewer could read a building as one reads a book, but today the language of classicism is largely mute to us, much of its meaning lost and eroded by time and the relentless evolution of human societies." Andrew Zega and Bernd H. Dams presents a symbolism refresher-course in Architectural Symbolism 101: Geometry posted at NOTED @ Architectural Watercolors

Helen Webberley presents Napoleon's house in exile: St Helena posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly, saying, "When Napoleon Bonaparte was sent into exile for a second time, his British captors were very serious about him not escaping again. So they selected St Helena Island, a remote Atlantic island located in the tropics off the west coast of Africa.

Longwood House was Napoleon’s residence, from Dec 1815 until his death in May 1821. Formerly the summer residence of the Lieutenant Governor, Longwood was converted for the use of Napoleon in 1815 and then expanded. Architectural plans and photographs are available. Longwood House has since been accurately restored by French curators and now the house is now an important historical museum owned by the French government."

art history

Feeling in the mood for a little mystery? David Clark shares Piece 22 – Michelangelo’s Fight in the Brancacci Chapel | Michelangelo's Puzzle posted at Michelangelo's Puzzle, saying, "Michelangelo's Puzzle is a 90 piece blog story that will reveal the secret message on the Sistine Chapel ceiling on November 1, 2012 - the 500th anniversary of the ceiling's dedication."

Sedef Piker presents a review of Professor Mary Garrard's landmark article exploring the reception of women artists in the Renaissance, with a focus on Sofonisba Anguissola in Sofonisba Anguissola and the Problem of the Woman Artist posted at Three Pipe Problem

H Niyazi presents Platonic receptacles, Leonardo and the Salvator Mundi posted at Three Pipe ProblemThe post presents a summary of the available provenance and technical data of the newly attributed Leonardo painting depicting Christ as 'Salvator Mundi'. H also provides an iconographical survey of the 'Salvator Mundi' motif in art through preceding ages and examines a Platonic reading for Leonardo's unique depiction of the orb in Christ's left hand, a departure from traditional depictions of a 'globus cruciger'."

Susan Benford compares and contrasts Edouard Manet's Olympia with Titian's Venus of Urbino in Famous Painters: Edouard Manet (she also raises an interesting question: Cezanne and Manet have both been referred to as the "fathers of modern art" - which artist deserves it more?). The post can be found her blog Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog.

Finally, Francis P. DeStefano explores the artistic relationship between Giorgione and Titian (and raises interesting questions, such as, could Titian have been hired by Giorgione as a contract worker?)in his post Giorgione and the Young Titian posted at Giorgione et al...

That concludes this edition. Thank-you to everyone who participated. I would also like to thank those who sent in submissions that I was unable to include due to the age of the posts. I have been receiving a lot of wonderful posts each month (thank-you to everyone who has worked so hard to get the word out about the carnival!), which has made it impossible to include older posts.

I will be making an announcement shortly as to whom will be hosting the next issue of the Carnival, since it falls right around my due date (my husband and I are expecting a new addition to the family at the end of this month). I imagine I'll have my hands full next month!

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Call for Submissions for the August Issue of the Art History Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:27:00 +0000

The August edition of the Art History Carnival will be posted on Wednesday, August 3, 2011. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (Monday, August 1st).

What kind of blog articles will be included?
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed, so please, no spam.

What is a Blog Carnival?
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic."

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere!

Who can submit?
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!).

Can I host a carnival?
Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival.

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is easiest!).
2. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

One final thing to keep in mind:
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival. If a post is six months old, I won't be able to include it in the Carnival, no matter how great it is.

Thank you for your participation! Share the news with other bloggers!

Florence + The Machine, The Band Perry and the Lady of Shalott in Music Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Today I thought I'd share a video from Florence + The Machine. My husband actually made me sit down and watch the video because he noticed all the mythological and Pre-Raphaelite references! We first encountered Florence + The Machine while watching the Colbert Report, and our first reaction (other than noticing that she had a great voice), was that she looked like she'd fallen out of a Pre-Raphaelite painting. Apparently this is no coincidence, and you'll notice that most of her videos contain references to the Pre-Raphaelites, though the video for "Rabbit Heart" is one of the most overt. From the minute you see the water behind her you can tell this is going to end in a send-up of the Lady of Shalott!

For an even heavier dose of the Lady of Shalott, check out The Band Perry's "If I Die Young". My daughter actually discovered this one on Vevo the other day!

Someone from the band is clearly a big fan of the Pre-Raphaelites! Of course Lady of Shalott is the most obvious reference (the video actually closes with a shot of Tennyson's poem), but I thought the scene at :38 (with the mother at the window) was a little evocative of John Everett Millais' Mariana. It's a very well done video, and the song is beautiful as well.

Art History Carnival July 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Welcome to the July 6, 2011 edition of art history carnival. I hope that everyone is enjoying their holidays (we had Canada Day here July 1st, the Americans had the 4th of July, and Colombia will celebrate on July 20th - a lot of nations seem to celebrate their independence in July). Of course, Canada Day isn't exactly a celebration of independence. It's simply the anniversary of the British North America Act (about 144 years ago, Britain said something along the lines of "it's not you, Canada, it's us"). Anyway, after more than ten years living in Canada, I have to admit that it still feels a bit odd to have a royal visit that day, but when you consider that it was officially known as "Dominion Day" until 1982, it makes a little more sense. I was surprised to find that there are even massive Canada Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square in London each year!

And now to the July edition of the Art History Carnival...

art history

Monica Bowen presents altar of pergamon and baroque scholarship posted at Alberti's Window, saying, "This post largely deals with historiography, explaining why Baroque scholarship became popular in the late 19th and early 20th century." The post examines how the arrival of the Altar of Pergamon in Berlin caused revived interest in Baroque art because of the similarity it bore to the Baroque style (amusingly, some scholars even began referring to the Hellenistic style as "ancient Baroque").

Susan Benford presents Famous Paintings of Berthe Morisot posted at Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog. Morisot was the first female artist to exhibit her works with the French Impressionists (the painting above is entitled "Child with Staked Roses", 1881). Her paintings are lovely and I appreciate that Susan has taken the time to share a little more about Berthe's life and work!

Next, take a moment to stroll along the streets of Paris with Anna (a student of Dr Ben Harvey, who is blogging as part of an independent study class on 19th century art from Paris), who has written a lovely blog post about one of her walking tours near her Paris Apartment entitled The Neighborhood posted at anna on art. Manet's Gare Saint-Lazare (shown above) is one of the many paintings that was created just a stone's throw away. Also, I highly recommend that you take time to read another of her posts, "Manet: Inventeur du Moderne," which she published July 5th. It's a lovely review of a current exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay, and is not to be missed!

exhibits

Paul Doolan presents a fascinating review of Rodchenko and Ai Weiwei in Photography Museum, Winterthur posted at ThinkShop. The exhibit highlights the artists' differing "takes" on communism. Rodchenko (shown above left) began his artistic life rather enamored of the Soviet Revolution, while Ai Weiwei recently experienced a brief stint in Chinese prison as the result of his subversive art.

Helen Webberley presents Vienna Art and Design exhibition, in Melbourne posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly, saying, "A blockbuster exhibition in Melbourne called "Vienna Art and Design: Klimt, Schiele, Hoffmann and Loos" prompted a re-analysis of the Vienna Secession. The paintings, architecture, furniture, jewellery and textiles explore and display modernism, individualism, nationalism and the creation of a new style concentrating on the use of colour, design and opulent glamour."

philosophy of art

Jean-Michel Basquiat's work catapulted him to rock-star status in the early 1980s. Although he died at just 27 years of age, his work continues to fascinate and inspire. junhax reviews a documentary of his life and work in Jean-Michel Basquiat | Junhax posted at Junhax

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

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Technorati tags:

art history carnival, blog carnival.

images courtesy Wikimedia

Call for Submissions for the July Issue of the Art History Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:29:00 +0000

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful summer so far! We just got back from a trip to Jasper National Park yesterday. It was just gorgeous, and June turned out to be a perfect time to go (also, we're expecting another baby in August, so I wanted to go while I was still able to do a bit of hiking). I will have to share some pictures as soon as I get them off the camera!

The July edition of the Art History Carnival will be posted on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 (to give a little break to both Americans and Canadians). You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (Monday, July 4th).

What kind of blog articles will be included?
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed, so please, no spam.

What is a Blog Carnival?
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic."

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere!

Who can submit?
Anyone, as long as you have a blog! And If you don't blog, you can submit one of your friend's articles (except they better be good--I'll be reading them!).

Can I host a carnival?

Absolutely! Please let me know if you'd be interested in hosting the next issue of the carnival.

How to submit articles
You have two options:

1. Use the submission form provided by Blog Carnival (this is easiest!).
2. Send me an email. Include the title and permalink URL of the post you are nominating for inclusion in the carnival, along with the name of the blog. Please put "Art History Carnival" in the title of your email to help me recognize it in my inbox!

Thank you for your participation! Share the news if you know someone who likes to write about art!

Art History Carnival June 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:05:00 +0000

Welcome to the June 3, 2011 edition of the Art History Carnival.

art history

Kelly Knox presents Nekyia: Picasso and the Suicide Death of the Poet Carlos Casagemas posted at KWKNOXART -- ART AS TRANSFORMATION, saying, "This article explores the thematic shift in Picasso's early work surrounding the death of his friend and constant companion in Paris and Barcelona, very early in his career. Many critics (and possibly even Picasso himself) see the events of this period as the genesis of his blue period."

Susan Benford presents Matisse, Modern Art, and The Cone Collection posted at Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog. In this post, Susan examines Matisse paintings from the Cone Collection which are currently on view at the Jewish Museum in New York until September 2011.

I was fortunate to have the chance to see one of the paintings from the Cone Collection at the recent Matisse exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta. The painting - Two Girls, Red and Green Background - was the last to make its way into the Cone Collection, and was seen by Matisse as his best work, and I quite liked it myself! You can catch a glimpse of the painting on Susan's website - I couldn't include it here due to copyright restrictions.

Susan Benford has also written a post entitled Female Painters: Sofonisba Anguissola . Sofonisba was among the most famous female artists of the Italian Renaissance (her self-portrait can be seen above). Read Susan's post to find out more about this talented young woman was already famous at age 15 - reminds me a little of Millais!

Helen Webberley presents Widener's sublime art treasures in Philadelphia posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly, saying, "This post investigates how the newly wealthy family of PAB Widener came to own one of the most important Gilded Age (c1880-1920) private art collections assembled in the USA. First he built a stunning mansion, Lynnewood Hall. Then he filled the mansion with Louis XV furniture, stunning porcelain, and paintings by Raphael, Vermeer, Rembrandt etc.

Later his son Joseph, himself a patron of the National Gallery, agreed to donate most of his family’s collection (600 objects) to the Washington gallery at the request of President Roosevelt."

Dr Ben Harvey presents Oscar Wilde: London Models posted at Emanata (Dr Ben Harvey). Have you ever been curious about the living and working conditions of artists' models in late-Victorian London? In this fascinating post, Dr. Ben Harvey reviews Oscar Wilde's essay "London Models", which was originally published in 1889 in the English Illustrated Magazine. Harvey has included images from the original illustrated essay, so you can see the article the way it was meant to be read. This post is not to be missed, and don't forget to read Wilde's original article as well!

Romeo Vitelli presents The Sculptress posted at Providentia, saying, "Camille Claudel was one of the greatest female artists of all time. And she paid the price for it." This piece follows Claudel from her early artistic endeavors and relationship with Auguste Rodin through to her eventual decline and final decades spent in an asylum. It's not a cheerful story, but the melodrama is the stuff of operas. A must read!

Francis P. DeStefano presents Giorgione and Patenier posted at Giorgione et al..., which compares and contrasts Giorgione's Tempest with Patenier's Rest on the Flight into Egypt.

Ever notice that historical figures often look very different from painting to painting? Especially in the days before photography? Zsombor Jékely presents The Tale of Two Lovers and an Unknown Image of Emperor Sigismund posted at Medieval Hungary. In this post, Zsomber discusses the variations between a number of images of Emperor Sigismund of Hungary. It's a fascinating discussion (and the Tale of Two Lovers is interesting as well!).

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Share
|

Technorati tags:

art history carnival, blog carnival.

Call for Submissions for the June Issue of the Art History Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 24 May 2011 19:41:00 +0000

I hope that everyone has been enjoying a wonderful spring (we have even had sunshine here in Alberta, which seems like a miracle at the end of the very long winter!). It's hard to believe that summer is almost here. I'm also pleased to announce that, after a brief hiatus (the May carnival completely slipped my mind - if you saw me chasing after my adorable toddler you'd understand, I swear), the Art History Carnival is back on track for June.

The June edition of the Art History Carnival will be posted on Friday June 3, 2011. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, Wednesday, June 1st). I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

One final thing to keep in mind:
To keep things current, posts should have been written after the date of the last Carnival. If a post is six months old, I won't be able to include it in the Carnival, no matter how great it is.

Thank you for your participation! Share the news if you know someone who likes to write about art!

Andy Warhol: Manufactured

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:10:00 +0000

Starting May 28th, the Art Gallery of Alberta will be hosting a special exhibition of Andy Warhol's work. Andy Warhol: Manufactured is an internationally touring exhibition of Warhol's work, and the AGA is the only gallery in Canada that is offering the exhibition, which will include his early drawings and commercial illustrations, his better known works, and also many of the films he made.

Warhol was certainly larger than life, and his work as an artist is easily eclipsed by his persona and the celebrity world he inhabited - which is a bit of a shame, in my view, since he was very talented! But as an artist he certainly demonstrates that keen observation of a culture is often a far more powerful force than pointed social critique. And his work certainly has enjoyed enduring popularity. I notice that one of his self-portraits just set an auction record for the artist last Wednesday when it sold for a cool $38.4 million.

Pretty nifty for the seller's estate, since the estimate was $20-30 million. Of course, I'm sure the publicity surrounding this piece didn't hurt either - CNBC featured the self-portrait last month during it's Power Lunch program (Christie's had direct interest in the sale, hence all the extra publicity). I often wonder how differently art auctions would turn out if there was more publicity surrounding recent auctions of, say, Dante Gabriel Rossetti's work.

Andy Warhol: Manufactured will run May 28 - August 21, 2011

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:45:00 +0000

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! For those of you that aren't aware, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican forces over the French at the Battle of Puebla, which occurred on May 5, 1862. It really has nothing to do with Mexican independence (which was declared 52 years before on September 16th), and it's not really celebrated much in Mexico. I don't really know how it came to be such a big holiday in the States (maybe because "Cinco de Mayo" is fun to say?), but it's certainly a great excuse to eat Mexican food and enjoy a margarita.

On an entirely different note, yesterday it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't done an issue of the Art History Carnival for May! I know it sounds a little crazy that something like that could have slipped my mind, but I have been pretty busy lately. Being a stay at home mom certainly keeps me on my toes (my adorable 19 month old is the most active baby on the planet), but I have been forced off my toes for a couple of weeks after I ended up breaking one of them (no fun at all!). Also, my husband and I are expecting another baby in August!

I definitely will be doing an Art History Carnival for June, and my apologies to those of you who were looking forward to submitting posts for the May edition. I will make reminders for myself this time!

Image courtesy wikimedia

Happy Easter! Current Exhibits Worth a Look

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:54:00 +0000

I hope everyone is enjoying spring holidays! April has been quite a month here in Edmonton. We had a lot of dreadful weather (it's finally above freezing for a few days, but I'm not sure I should really get my hopes up just yet!). I always get a terrible case of cabin fever this time of year, but I think I'm recovering. I could certainly go for a trip to a beach somewhere, though!

For now, I will have to console myself by browsing the art events going on around the world right now. I find museums are a great way to beat the spring-is-not-so-springy-blues (that is, if you happen to live in a part of the world where it's not 365 days of sunshine - and if you do, I am afraid to say that I hate you just a little right now).

If you are in rainy old England and need a chance to escape the endless Royal Wedding coverage, the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester (known as "Chi" to the locals, I'm told) is holding an exhibit entitled "House of Fairytales", featuring works by a number of artists, including Fiona Banner, Peter Blake, Spartacus Chetwynd, Mat Collishaw, Dexter Dalwood, Simon English, Paula Rego, Bob & Roberta Smith, Kiki Smith, Gavin Turk, and Rachel Whiteread. There is also as a display of some of Gormenghast author Mervyn Peake's most well-known illustrations and prints (House of Fairytales runs from now until June 17th, while the Mervyn Peake display will be on until July 19th). I wish I could see the Peake exhibit - his work has always fascinated me (and creeped me out just a little). Thank you to Philip Eberell for bringing these exhibits to my attention!

The Art Gallery of Alberta has two great looking exhibits that I haven't had the chance to see yet. Walter J. Phillips: Water and Woods is running from now until June 5th, and it will focus on Phillips' woodcuts and watercolors. His artwork has a distinctive Japanese quality that was very popular in the 1930s (you can see some examples of his work on the AGA website).

The AGA will also be showing Nature and Spirit: Emily Carr's Coastal Landscapes. If you aren't familiar with Carr, then you're not Canadian...When I first arrived in Canada, I swear every other phrase that came off people's lips was "Emily Carr"(well, that and the "Group of Seven," a group of Canadian landscape artists with whom she's associated). I was a little weirded out. Canadians are proud of their national icons in a way that sometimes baffles me, but in Carr's case, I think they're onto something. I really love her work, even though she's so beloved in Canada that it feels embarrassing to admit to liking her!(I can't really think of an equivalent that people of other nations could relate her to - perhaps she's something like Collette is for French literature? Her legend really extends beyond that of any other Canadian artist, which is all the more impressive when one considers that she was a woman). The image below is Odds and Ends, which Carr painted in 1939.

image courtesy wikimedia commons.

Art History Carnival April 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:03:00 +0000

Welcome to the April 5, 2011 edition of art history carnival.

art history

Anyone with an interest in art has come across numerous works that have been attributed to famous artists, but the evidence is often lacking. I frequently receive emails from readers asking me my opinion on works they plan to purchase. They often want to know whether I agree with appraisals that claim the sketches/paintings are by Rossetti, etc. When in doubt (which is ever time!) I prefer to err on the side of skepticism. I still find these stories fascinating, however, as I'm sure most of you do.

That's why I found Zsombor Jékely post Botticelli in Esztergom? posted at Medieval Hungary so fascinating. The post examines the history around some frescoes attributed to Botticelli in Esztergom. There's plenty of detail here to provide armchair art history sleuths with arguments for and against the attribution. The frescoes themselves are lovely, but are they by Botticelli? Read and decide for yourselves!

Andy Warhol (seen above looking remarkably nondescript back in 1963 - a year after creating the Marilyn series) produced a plethora of iconic artworks, among which the Marilyn Diptych stands out as a piece of modern art so ubiquitous that it's become dull - which is doubtless exactly what Warhol would have wanted. (As an aside, I sometimes wonder what he would think of those dreadful "Warhol-inspired" photos of suburban couples that interior designers seem to think are so clever. Argh). Anyway, I was pleased to see the lesser-known Gold Marilyn being featured by Susan Benford in her post Famous Paintings: Gold Marilyn posted at Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog.

H Niyazi's Not Renaissance: Marian symbolism & the constancy of Virgil posted at Three Pipe Problem examines themes found in artistic representations of the Virgin Mary during the Renaissance. Niyazi notes that "the Renaissance is commonly described as a rebirth of learning from antiquity. It was also the inheritor of rich visual and literary traditions that persisted through the Early Christian and Middle Ages. This post examines two of the most prominent of these." Not to give too much of a spoiler, but I found Niyazi's discussion of depictions of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding quite fascinating! (Fun fact: did you know the Council of Trent "forbade the depiction of the Nursing Virgin due to the nudity suggested by the exposed breast"?!).

Pre-Raphaelite paintings are filled with symbolism. It can take hours to find all the little details that the artists have put into their work. This is true of almost all of the paintings produced up until the middle of the last century. The symbolic language of the plants found within paintings is a world unto itself. It would take me forever to learn what every flower means! David Packwood's piece Landscape and Symbol: The Secret Life of Plants. posted at Art History Today examines the use of dandelions--in particular--and landscape--in general--in both Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite art. Dandelions abound in William Holman Hunt's Rienzi (shown above) and can also be seen in Raphael's Entombment. Are there any parallels in the artists' use of these motifs? Read for yourself!

architecture

The romance of luxury travel was once epitomized by the extravagant Orient Express. Helen Webberley has written about efforts to revive the architecture of some of the more iconic stops along the train route in her post Pera Palace Istanbul and the Orient Express posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly, saying, "At first, limited board and lodgings opened up for European visitors arriving in Istanbul. But when the worldwide famous Orient Express train chose Istanbul as its last stop in the East in 1883, the monied classes wanted something special. So Compagnie Internationale de Wagon Lits, owners of the Orient Express Train, bought Pera Palace Hotel and made it exquisite. This post looks at the most recent renovation of the hotel, restoring the hotel to its turn-of-the-century beauty." The restored main hall is pictured above.

reviews

Vik Muniz is a Brazilian-born, Brooklyn-based artist who creates art using unusual mediums, such as sugar, wire and chocolate. Gabriela Rusu has done a profile of the artist, with images of some of his works in her post People who inspire me: Vik Muniz posted at Gabriela Rusu Fine Art.

Finally, on the lighter side, I ran across something that many of you will probably not consider art, but it made me smile. Inside Beat an arts and entertainment blog, sent me a link to a post with images from the Bent Objects website. Bent Objects uses wire and everyday objects to create darkly amusing vignettes (reminiscent of Far Side cartoons). Have fun!

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

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Call for Submissions for the April Issue of the Art History Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:14:00 +0000

Well, Spring is here (officially, anyway - we are still under snow here in Alberta) and it's time for the next issue of the Art History Carnival! The April Art History Carnival will be posted on Tuesday, April 5, 2011. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, Sunday, April 3).

What kind of blog articles will be included?
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed.

What is a Blog Carnival?
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic."

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere!

It's all about perspective...

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:59:00 +0000

It's fascinating how perceptions of art change over time.

As you may recall, the Pre-Raphaelites were so named because they rejected the Royal Academy's unquestioning devotion to Raphael's style of painting. There is still some question as to whether the Pre-Raphaelites were primarily focused on rejecting Raphael himself (less likely), or whether they merely disdained the Academy's insistence that they ape the Rapahel-like style of painting. Either way, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood rejected slavish devotion to the artistic heroes of the past, and Raphael was one of the most obvious targets.

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, 1515 is a perfect example of what irked the Pre-Raphaelites about Raphael. It is unquestionably a lovely work, but also seems a tad insincere. The subjects are posed in an unnatural way, and their grand gestures seem a bit overwrought, though you have to love the fellow on the far right who seems determined to show off his abs and bulging triceps. But on the other hand, Raphael's work was also dignified, beautiful and graceful, which is doubtless why the Academy used him as a standard example for their students.

Of course, it's ironic that one of the chief contemporary criticisms of the Pre-Raphaelites is that their work is chocolate-boxy and picture-perfect (the shoe is on the other foot now, eh?). I'm sure most members of the PRB would be stunned that their work, once so controversial, is now decried as downright twee (in the future will we look back on the work of the Young British Artists and think of their work as cute? That's a scary thought...).

Stimulating...or saccharine?

Over time, I have grown to appreciate (and often prefer) contemporary art, and although I still enjoy the work of the Pre-Raphaelites, I probably wouldn't display it in my home. From my perspective, the work of the PRB is an important part of art history that was very influential for generations of artists (whether they want to admit to it or not), and I love to study it. But I wouldn't like to see artists today imitating the style of the PRB or - for that matter - the style of any other artists or historical period.

What do you think? Would you like to see the artistic style from one of your favourite historical periods come back in fashion? Or do you prefer to keep the past in the past?

Artfinder.com

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:21:00 +0000

There has been a lot of exciting news over the past few months about art on the web. Google recently launched their Art Project, Twitter is teeming with artists, art lovers and art historians, and H Niyazi of Three Pipe Problem just launched the Art History Database, which permits visitors to search some of the best art and history sites on the web for relevant art-related content.

Yesterday, another exciting entrant launched the beta version of their site. Artfinder.com aims to connect visitors to new art through their website. Many of you are likely familiar with Pandora - the music service that automatically builds playlists for listeners based on their preferences. Artfinder.com aims to offer the ability do something similar, helping visitors discover new artists by using their "magic tour."

The magic tour works by showing you a set of four paintings, from which you choose your favorite (or you can skip the entire set if you don't like any of them). This is done 3-4 times, after which a slide show is created based on your earlier choices.

The site mentions plans to develop applications for mobile and tablet devices, with the goal of sharing profits with the museums, galleries and artists featured on the site. Since there will be no cost to museums and galleries, this could be a really wonderful way for museums to increase revenues - especially when times are tough and arts funding is in so much jeopardy across the globe.

I was a bit disappointed that the website is weighted so heavily in the direction of pre-20th century art, although there are works by early 20th century artists like Matisse. Of course, as anyone who blogs knows all too well, it can be tough to get permission to show modern and contemporary works. This is a shame, but I hope things will change going forward. Obviously, Artfinder doesn't want to get slapped with a copyright suit their first day in business! Hopefully once artists (or their estates) are aware of the site, they will be willing to consider allowing their images to be displayed.

I really like the concept. The website has begun with 250,000 artworks, and you have the option to share paintings (right now it's just paintings and sketches, though they have said that they will be adding sculpture in the future) with friends through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

I was a bit disappointed with the magic tour, which is probably largely due to the fact that I am in a bit of a modern/contemporary art mood at the moment, and there is little of that on the website. So, I chose a few 19th century paintings. The results seemed a bit random, but I did find a few artists I was not familiar with. I liked most of what I saw, but I'm not sure if that was because of the accuracy of the "magic tour", or because I'm not that picky!

Overall, I think it's a great site and I'm very impressed with what Artfinder is trying to do. It's still in beta, so there are some wrinkles to be sorted out. However, I would definitely recommend it to readers of this blog, and I am very excited to see that art is alive and thriving in our web 2.0 world.

St. George and the Dragon, 1811 by Franz Pforr, Image courtesy Wikimedia

March Issue of the Art History Carnival to be Hosted at Three Pipe Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:34:00 +0000

The March issue of the Art History Carnival will be hosted at Three Pipe Problem. The deadline for submissions will be Wednesday, March 2, 2011, with the selected entries being posted on Sunday March 6th 2011. If you would like to submit an article, you can do so directly through the submission form. My sincere thanks to Three Pipe Problem for hosting this issue, and I can't wait to see all the posts!

Ford Madox Brown Exhibit this Fall at Manchester Art Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:33:00 +0000

From Saturday, September 24, 2011 - Sunday, January 29, 2012, Manchester Art Gallery will be running a major exhibition of the works of Ford Madox Brown. Over 150 of Brown's works will be showcased, including well-known works such as Work (shown above) and The Last of England.

The exhibit will pay special attention to Brown's role in the Pre-Raphaelite movement and highlight his unique methods. Fans of the Arts and Crafts movement will be pleased that, in addition to his paintings, Brown's forays into furniture and stained glass will also be featured.

If you miss the Manchester venue, the Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Ghent, Belgium, will also be hosting the exhibit from February 25 - June 3, 2012.

Ford Madox Brown: Pre-Raphaelite Pioneer will be curated by Julian Treuherz, an independent art historian and curator who specializes in Victorian art.

The exhibit catalogue will be available both online and in the museum giftshop, so even if you can't make it to Manchester, you'll have the chance to experience it.

For more information, see the Manchester Art Gallery's website.

Image courtesy Wikimedia

Special thanks to Philip Ebbrell for bringing this to my attention!

Art History Carnival February 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Welcome to the February 1, 2011 edition of art history carnival! Thank you to everyone who participated in this issue - there is some fabulous stuff here. We have everything from a reminder that artists - whether painters or film directors - tend to take liberties with the details of history, to a fascinating debate over the meaning and subject matter of Giorgione's The Tempest. So, pour yourself a cup of tea, and prepare to spend a while reading!

art history

Giorgione's The Tempest (seen above) seems to have captured the imagination of a number of art history bloggers this month, including Gina Collia-Suzuki. who raises a number of questions about the painting in her post The Tempest, by Giorgione posted at The Perplexed Palette.

But it doesn't end there! H Niyazi examines the painting from an historical perspective in his post, which explores the turbulent historical background of the early 1500s, and discusses its impact on some iconic works of Venetian Renaissance art, including Giorgione's 'Tempest' and Carpaccio's 'Portrait of a Knight'" in Giorgione, Carpaccio and the Siege of Padua posted at Three Pipe Problem

Have you ever heard of Hubert Van Eyck? I'm sorry to say that, prior to reading the following post, I hadn't! Hubert has been rather forgotten by the art world, thanks to the larger than life image of his brother Jan. Monica Bowen delves into the history of the Van Eyck brothers in Jan and Hubert Van Eyck: What I wish we knew posted at Alberti's Window.

Have you ever wondered why paintings of historical events include figures directly staring at the viewer? Monica Bowen looks to Renaissance scholar Leon Battista Alberti for the answer in historia paintings: here's looking at you, kid posted at Alberti's Window

David Packwood takes us on a journey into the Venetian Renaissance, and the work of Tintoretto, as recounted by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's talismanic advocate John Ruskin in Ruskin & Tintoretto posted at Art History Today

Dr. Frank DeStefano prefaces the work of John V. Fleming, exploring the sacred symbolism in Giovanni Bellini's 'St Francis in the Desert'" in his post entitled The sacred symbolism of Giovanni Bellini posted at Three Pipe Problem

Diana Flores presents her reaction to the Vietnam War Memorial in A Lacanian Intepretation of Maya Ying Lin's Vietnam War Memorial posted at The Canon

One of the biggest challenges for art historians who researching female artists is that women's artwork has often been lost in the pages of history. Susan Benford helps remind us of the work done by one accomplished 17th century artist in Famous Painters: Judith Leyster posted at Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog. Susan has also done a fascinating post featuring the work of portraitist Lavinia Fontana in Famous Paintings: Portrait of a Noblewoman posted at Famous Paintings Reviewed - An Art History Blog.

Vicky Alvear Shecter contemplates Jean Leon-Gerome's 'Pollice Verso' - the painting that inspired generations of historical film makers, and cemented a popular misconception about the 'thumbs down' gesture in gladiatorial combat - in Gladiators: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? posted at History with a Twist

art news

H Niyazi presents ModernARTization at the World Economic Forum posted at The Tait Global, saying, "The globetrotting Liv Tait spends some creative quality time with Damien Hirst and recounts the fascinating proceedings of the recent ModerARTization panel at the World Economic Forum."

exhibits

Natalie Bennett presents a post examining artifacts that have been left behind in history to remind us of the lives (and names) of women in Women in two Oxford museums posted at Philobiblon.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Share
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Technorati tags:

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Giorgione's The Tempest courtesy Wikimedia

Call for Submissions for the February Issue of the Art History Carnival

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:30:00 +0000

I hope 2011 has gotten off to a great start for everyone. I have been very busy so far this year (as some of you may have noticed from the lack of frequent postings), but hopefully things will start to slow down a little over the next couple of months and I will be able to get back to blogging!

The February Art History Carnival will be posted on February 1, 2011. You can submit articles for inclusion in the carnival until 48 hours before the issue comes out (in this case, Sunday, January 30th).

What kind of blog articles will be included?
Posts covering all periods and art mediums are welcome, as are posts discussing art criticism, architecture, design, theory and aesthetics. All submissions will be carefully reviewed.

What is a Blog Carnival?
According to Wikipedia, a blog carnival is "a type of blog event...similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks links to other blog articles on the particular topic."

Blog Carnivals are a great way to help your blog reach a new audience and to make new friends in the blogosphere!

The Poetry of Drawing: Pre-Raphaelite Designs, Studies and Watercolours

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:13:00 +0000

Those of you living in the UK (or visiting) are in for a real treat this month. From January 29, 2011 to May 15, 2011, The Birmingham Museum is hosting what promises to be "the largest survey of Pre-Raphaelite drawings and watercoulours ever staged." The museum has assembled works Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s world-class collections, together with important pieces from public and private lenders, including some works by D.G. Rossetti, William Holman Hunt and Edward Burne-Jones that have never previously been exhibited. The exhibit, entitled The Poetry of Drawing, will place special emphasis on the important role that drawing played in the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

The Poetry of Drawing will include pieces from the most prominent members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, including all the original members of the PRB, Elizabeth Siddal, Edward Burne-Jones, Frederick Sandys and Simeon Solomon. Later artists, such as Aubrey Beardsley, who were influenced by the Brotherhood are also included, as are the Arts and Crafts contributions of William Morris, William de Morgan and Florence Camm.

For those of you who are unable to attend, the exhibition's curator has created an illustrated volume entitled Pre-Raphaelite Drawing. The book will be published by Thames and Hudson. I would love to see this exhibit in person, but if I don't get the chance, I will definitely be looking into the catalogue!

For more information and ticket prices, please visit the Birmingham Museum's exhibition website.

Image above is William Morris' sketch for his Trellis wallpaper design.

Art History Carnival January 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Margaret) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Happy New Year and welcome to the January 3, 2011 edition of art history carnival. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves over the holidays, and I hope you all had a chance to take in some fabulous art! My family finally had the chance to see the Matisse exhibit being held at the Art Gallery of Alberta over Christmas holiday. It was a lot of fun, though my daughter seemed less than impressed by his early work (that's okay, Mommy didn't like it much either).

*disclaimer*

I read all submissions carefully and have chosen those I hope will enlighten and inform. However, these posts represent many different viewpoints and modes of self-expression, and some may not appeal to all readers.

art history

Helen Webberley presents Modern art destroys British morals, 1910! Read all about it! posted at ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly, saying, "In selecting works for The Manet and the Post-Impressionists Exhibition, held in London in 1910, art critic Roger Fry went a long way to define post impressionist art for Britain. Despite the howling derision of traditionalists, British artists and art lovers enjoyed the Cezannes, Matisses, Gauguins and van Goghs very much."

Zsombor Jékely has written about the history of the oldest, well-documented Chinese porcelain objects to enter Europe in a post entitled A note on the Fonthill Vase posted at Medieval Hungary

H Niyazi presents Jan van Eyck : symbolism, virtuosity, and a Vasari myth posted at Three Pipe Problem. The post examines Van Eyck's work and questions the notion that Van Eyck "invented" oil painting.

Monica Bowen debunks a commonly held misconception about the famous Gero Crucifix of Cologne Cathedral in her post Crucifix of Gero Conundrum posted at Alberti's Window

H Niyazi presents Giorgione, herons and a Carpaccio Knight posted at Three Pipe Problem, saying, "Giorgione's enigmatic 'Tempest' has enjoyed a reputation for being undecipherable. This article explores an amazing similarity between Giorgione's work and fellow Venetian artist Carpaccio. It also highlights how Twitter based collaboration helped inform and unite independent researchers from UK, Australia and the US...in real time!"

Nicole Elena Robertson shares her experience studying printmaking at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice in her post Artist book from Venice posted at Nicole Elena Robertson

Monica Bowen takes a closer look at The "Sumptuous" Arts in Greece posted at Alberti's Window saying "the "sumptuous" artistic materials like ivory, gold, silver and gemstone were the artistic mediums that the Greeks most prized. In other words, the Greek marble, bronze and (painted) pottery (all of which are placed at the heart of Western art history) weren't as valued by the ancient Greeks."

exhibits and openings

Alexandra Korey explores the history of the Ghirlandaio workshop, now featured in exhibits across Florence and Scandicci in her post The Ghirlandaio Family- Renaissance painters in Florence and Scandicci posted at Tuscany Arts

Eve Mann presents a candid reaction to the 2010 National Biennial exhibit posted at The Phoenix in a Gas House, saying, "Jamaica is typically known for its beaches and music, however there is a thriving art scene with many cool artists yet to be discovered, especially by those outside of Jamaica. The national Biennial shows the new stars and the old hotness all in one place."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
art history carnival
using our
carnival submission form.
Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

blog carnival index page.

Share
|

Technorati tags:

art history carnival, blog carnival.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons