ArtExpertOnLine

    I probably should have saved this for the 4th of July, but that is a little far off and this work is among Childe Hassam's finest.      I have known of Childe Hassam (1859 - 1935) for a very long time, but only recently did Wikimedia straighten me out about the correct way to pronounce his first name.  It seems the "e" is silent; and his last name is pronounced as written, with two syllables.        From what I have read, Hassam was a pretty sharp guy, and possibly a little  arrogant.  He created 3,000 some works of art in his career and lived his entire adult life on the proceeds of their sale.  This is quite remarkable.  Most artists, (at least before 1930) had to supplement their income by teaching, commissioned portraits or careers outside the art field.  But Hassam figured out not only how to market his work, but also what subjects would be popular.  Timing is always a big issue, and he wa...

     I thought it time for a little contrast, something sweet and pretty.  But this week's image isn't just a nostalgic mismatch, but a professionally composed arrangement of a scene.   Carl Larsson (1853-1919) did this work in 1898 after he had achieved considerable success as an artist.  The family had recently moved into a new home where Carl and his wife, Karin designed and decorated the whole of the interior.  It was then that Carl created a series of 26 watercolors of his family active inside this new home.  Here we have "The Kitchen".        Allowing our eye to flow through the painting we notice a lot of detail, a lot telling us how meals were prepared in this space.  Two things catch me and make me smile.   First is that the window is open and a nice breeze coming in. Next, look at the cat.  Why is he huddled next to the oven/stove?  It seems safe to assume the breeze is cooling the r...

   I did a little searching to find an interesting painting for this week, and so, with a little smile, I show you "The Jug on the Window".   There is a lot to look at here, and my first reaction is: "what in the world is this all about?".        One of the delightful things about studying painting, is the discovery of unique places.  A couple of weeks ago we were in Japan looking at an ancient station and road connecting the important capital cities.  And now, we are in another unique place on the other side of our planet. This is Les Baux-de-Provence in Southern France.  It is located in the Alpilles mountains, 22 kilometers south of Avigon, 15 kilometers NE of Arles.  It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.  People  have occupied this village since back to 2nd and early 1st centuries BC.  And, today contains ancient ruins of life, especially a ruined castle.    "The Jug on the ...

      It was back in March of 2021 when I first featured a painting by this artist.   There are many reasons why I am attracted to his work, but I think primarily because he successfully records early nineteenth century American history.   This week's painting is a regional work straight out of the area recorded by Samuel Clemons (Mark Twain) in his books about life on the Mississippi.       George Caleb Bingham (1811-1879) painted "Lighter Relieving a Steamboat Aground" in 1847.   (It is interesting to note that Samuel Clemons was an adolescent when Bingham painted this scene, so maybe it was Bingham's images that helped influence Clemons?)    Bingham is rightfully considered a Missouri artist, but he was much more than that.  He traveled to different areas of the United States and Europe to gain an education perfecting his artistic talent, but eventually did settle back in Missouri with his family to paint...

   I found this image while scanning through the internet.  The artist is new to me, but I was captivated by the subject and composition.      The artist is Charles Weir, (1823 -1845), and it was painted in 1842, three years before his death.  There are several interesting things about this artist.  First, he was the younger brother of Robert Weir, a well known painter and educator who spent the majority of his adult life teaching art at West Point. As his dates indicate, he did this painting when he was only 19, and dying at 22.  I could find no information about why he passed away so young.  Seeing a photo of Robert Weir, it appears Robert was a Caucasian man, so it make sense that Charles was, too.  The last interesting fact is that this painting is one of only two known works - what a pity.      Although almost no information is available about Weir's short life, there is a fair amount about this scene b...