beside the easel

Le Bain, 1880c Born in Belgium on the 11th of May, 1823 Alfred Stevens was a painter of modern women from the mid-1800's. While successful in his own day in terms of sales, nowadays he is largely unknown and somewhat dated, yet his work carries a certain poetic quality at times that is worth investigating. There is a freshness and spontaneity in his brush that is not commonly seen in other artists, particularly in his era. Although he comes from a strong Classical tradition, Stevens makes effective use of fashion and character in his portraiture with a timelessness, an ability to capture a moment in time like a photograph, but not photographic at all. In Le Bain above, a woman is lost in though while laying fully clothed in a bathtub of water. She casually holds white flowers in her hand while an open book sits on a pillow beside her. Note the texture of the bathtub in its dark, warm hues that Stevens renders here. Despite this unusual theme the young woman appears carefr...

A recent article explains how viewing art in a museum has a more powerful effect on the viewer.

By Summer Seas, 1912 Born in London, 1863, Herbert James Draper was a Victorian Classical painter. He made his early career on mythological subjects then moved onward to portraiture, yet it is his keen understanding and appreciation of the female form, in an age of repression, that I find fascinating about his work. I cannot think of another artist who combined Classical structure of the body with a relaxed sensuality and a deep awareness of body language as a key narrative element. Observe By Summer Seas above and you can clearly see the difference between the two females. The kneeling figure is very Classical and pretty, hair tightly compressed in a traditional scarf, yet she seems to defer to the graceful and sensuous figure seated on the rocks, hair blowing gently in the wind. Note how Draper uses a very cool skin palette to give their skin a soft glow. It contrasts beautifully with that incredible water behind them, reflecting the warm rocky mountain. Draper perches them bo...

Pierre Subleyras, Christ at the House of Simon the Pharisee, 1737 In this post I'd like to tackle a subject that I have been thinking of for a long time. As a photographer for nearly 30 years I devoured many books on how to take better photos and wasted numerous rolls of film trying to develop an innate sense of framing and "finding the shot" before I take it. And it works . Photography is great experience in honing your eye for what to include and exclude in the frame, and even what to enhance or focus on. But when it came to applying what I learned toward my art, I realized I still had much to learn. Indeed. One of the most misunderstood yet fundamentally important elements of art is composition . Incredible, but true. Many believe it's their signature or choice of color palette, or their artist statement that will garner more sales and gallery representation, not giving much of a second thought to the very element that literally holds their painting tog...

Read this biting article by Cambridge educated aesthetics philosopher Roger Scruton on the elitism and emptiness of modern art.

A 1620s Anthony van Dyck portrait of the musician Hendrick Liberti sold at Christie’s on Tuesday for £2.9 million. from the New York Times Read this article from the New York Times on how the art market is beginning to change for the Old Masters, despite a popularity of the contemporary art scene.

The Health of the Bride, 1889 Irish painter Stanhope Alexander Forbes was born in Dublin on November 18, 1857. He was a founding member of the Newlyn School , which was an art colony of British artists in southwestern England that became very popular in the 1880's. They painted primarily en plein air to capture the majestic light and interesting characters of this small, modest fishing community—a theme that would recur throughout Forbes' career. What distinguishes Forbes from the rest of his artist colleagues was his naturalism, and a strong sense of narrative reminiscent of Joaquín Sorolla in being able to understand people and body language with an innate sense of group composition. I was fortunate enough to see The Health of the Bride above in Tate Britain in September and I was awed by its simple power and drama. Off to the right a sailor raises his glass to the bride and groom seated at the table while friends and family around the table are poised to sip from th...

Viejo desnudo al sol, 1863 Born on June 11, 1838 in Reus, Spain, Marià Fortuny ( Mariano José María* Bernardo Fortuny y Marsal ) was a Romantic Catalan Spanish painter. He was known for his loose, distinctive brushwork, strong colors and a rich breadth of subject matter such as Academic drawings, military, portraiture and Orientalism. At a time when many painters of his era were taking more lucrative portraiture commissions while balancing their own individual styles, Fortuny's Romantic independence gave him a fresh eye, no matter where he pointed his brush. And while France was in the beginnings of breaking from the Salon and rising toward Impressionism, Fortuny seems to have absorbed outside influences from Paris and Rome into his own uniquely Spanish style. Sadly, his characteristic genius—like some notably great artists before him—was cut short and Fortuny passed away at the very young age of 36. One can only wonder what direction he would have taken had he lived ...

Elegante au sofa, 1895 Continuing on this series of sensual artists of French background is Julius Leblanc Stewart , born on September 6, 1855. He was a Philadelphia-born artist who lived and painted most of his life in Paris, earning him the nickname " the Parisian from Philadelphia ." Stewart's family had moved there when he was only 10 years old, and from the wealth of his father's Cuban sugar plantation Stewart lived and painted to his heart's content. One teacher who had considerable impact on him was Gérôme . His father's wide influence as businessman and prominent art collector helped to secure Stewart's place in the Parisian art world within a relatively short period of time. Stewart's breadth of work ranges from the social life of the belle epoque to sensuous yet fun outdoor female nudes. Elegante au sofa above is an sophisticated yet natural portrait of a woman seated in a warm room with simple furnishings. I love the contrast in textur...