ArtExpertOnLine

     For my last painting of 2020, I have selected Emile Bernard's work of 1886 titled, Boy Sitting in the Grass.    Although it is the queerest of pictures, I do like the thought of putting our backs to the past and looking forward into the sunshine, which I believe this young man is doing.    Bernard (1868-1941) was considered a post-impressionist in his younger, prime painting years, between 1886 - 1897.  He was associated with Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, sharing their paintings and their multiple views on art.  Near the end of the nineteenth century Bernard began a series of travels eventually resulting in a change of direction for his art, which history has recorded as not as successful as the early years.  From 1904 till his death in 1941 he taught at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.     The first reproduction of this painting that I saw, the picture was cropped just above the head, making the image a square.  Now looking at the whole we see those two feet in our upp

     In the spirit of the holidays, I decided a Christmas image would be appropriate this week.  Many painters created this scene of the Wise Men coming to worship the baby Jesus and Sandro Botticelli's is thought to be the first, painted in 1475.  Here we are in Florence, Italy during the period now known as the early Renaissance and Botticelli (c.1445-1510) has been commissioned by Gaspare di Zanobi del Lama to paint this scene for his family's chapel in Santa Maria Novella.  Some references refer to him as a banker, while others are more direct, calling him a money changer.      I find this painting very interesting for it certainly has a lot in it. Botticelli lived his entire life in Florence, traveling only occasionally to other parts of Italy, so he would only know what could be read or told him about the conditions surrounding Jesus.  This painting is almost secular.  There are no halos around the Holy Family, only a star/light at the top center pointing down to Jesus to

   A little change of pace for this week, and for those of you who visit often, you know how much I love strong compositions.     Here we have Danish artist, Vihelm Hammershoi's (1864-1916) painting, Ida Reading a Letter.    With a quick look, it appears to lack color, but closer examination shows this is not true. However, it certainly is a restrained palette.   This is a reasonably typical painting from Hammershoi's finest period.  Later in life, he did some travel and after seeing work by other artists, expanded his colors and added more elements inside his pictorial space, thereby losing all the mystery we find here.         Ida, was Hammershoi's wife and she was depicted in many paintings from this period; dressed in black, with a white apron.  Here we see her reading, and our title tells us it is a letter.  And why is the door open?  Has the post just arrived? But the open door does not lead to the outside.  And where are we?  Our only clue is the table set with one p

    This week we visit a panoramic vista of the Ohio River valley.  It is an oil painting created by artist Robert Duncanson (1821-1872) between 1870 and 1871.   Duncanson was a self taught painter.  He has an interesting history, being a Black American living in Ohio most of his adult life.  For a great deal of time, to earn a living, he was quite successful traveling around Ohio and Michigan area as an itinerant portrait painter.  In 1848 he became interested in landscapes so to develop some skill he copied the work of Thomas Cole, plus drew sketches in the outdoors to later develop in his studio.             Ellen's Isle is in the tradition of Cole, and the Hudson River School.  I find it a serene, beautiful composition.  The low sun close to the horizon is reflected back into the water, almost to the point where the boat is about to reach; clearly the center of interest.  But the sweeping river and hills carry our eye across the format to view this wonderful setting.  Notice ho