feel-art-again

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10 Facts About The Ten

In 1897, ten painters seceded from the Society of American Artists in protest of the group's increasing focus on “too much business and too little art.” These 10 artists signed a charter for their own new group, agreeing to hold an annual exhibition, for each person to exhibit at every annual show, and to only admit new members who were unanimously supported, yet they assigned no name for themselves. They became known as “Ten American Painters,” or simply “The Ten,” by the press after their... READ ON

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The People's Artist: Qi Baishi

Thursday was the 53rd anniversary of the death of Qi Baishi (1864-1957), who is considered an “obscure Chinese artist” by westerners but “the Picasso of China” by the Chinese. So, in the hopes of educating the west about this influential Chinese painter, today's post is devoted to Qi Baishi. 1. Copying figures and motifs from The Mustard Seed Garden, a famous Qing Dynasty painting manual, Qi Baishi taught himself to paint. He was never formally trained at an art school, though he went on to... READ ON

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Innovator, Inventor, and Painter: Jan van der Heyden

The Dutch painter Jan van der Heyden (1637-1712) left a lasting mark not only on the world of art, but on the world of firefighting as well. The talented landscape artist actually made his living—and a prosperous one at that—as an inventor and civil engineer. He didn't generally consider himself a professional painter and, despite having patrons, still owned most of his work at the time he died. Today, we'll take a look at both aspects of his life: painter and inventor. 1. Jan van der Heyden... READ ON

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Desert Monet: Emily Kngwarreye

Last Friday marked the 14th anniversary of the death of Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910-1996), an Australian Aboriginal artist. She has been described as “one of the most prominent and successful artists in the history of contemporary indigenous Australian art,” “one of the world's great painters,” and the “Desert Monet.” Akira Tatehata, the director of the National Museum of Art in Osaka, summed it up by saying, “...there can be only one way to describe her. She was just a genius.” So today we... READ ON

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The Last Survivor of the Late Pre-Raphaelites: Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale

Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale (1871*-1945) died just over 65 years ago, yet her artwork remains popular today. Take a look at her paintings, and you'll see why she was the exception among female artists in her day: successful and praised by critics and fellow artists. As artist G.F. Watts declared: “I feel inclined to throw away my palette and brushes. What are my things by the side of such stuff as hers?” 1. Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale demonstrated an early skill for drawing, studying first under the... READ ON

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Feel Art Again Returns: Henryk Siemiradzki

Yesterday marked the 108th anniversary of the death of Henryk Siemiradzki (1843-1902), a Polish painter known for his Graeco-Roman and New Testament scenes. We'll kick off a new season of "Feel Art Again" with an overview of this talented Polish Academician. 1. Although Henryk Siemiradzki's passion was his art, he was also a talented scientist. Under pressure from his family, like so many artists, Siemiradzki studied in the Physics-Mathematics School of Kharkov University, graduating with... READ ON

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Holy of Holies: The Tribuna of the Uffizi

Today's "Feel Art Again" is a double-header. First up was a post on the German-English artist Johann Zoffany (1733-1810); now this post delves into his painting "The Tribuna of the Uffizi." Read both to get the full story on this talented artist. In the summer of 1772, Johann Zoffany was sent by Queen Charlotte to Florence with Â£300 and a letter of introduction. He was to paint highlights of the Grand Duke of Tuscany's collection as they were displayed in the... READ ON

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Creating Magic: Johann Zoffany

Today's "Feel Art Again" is a double-header. First up is this post on Johann Zoffany, followed by a post delving into his painting "The Tribuna of the Uffizi." Read both to get the full story on this talented artist. Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) was a German-born English painter and favored portraitist of King George III and Queen Charlotte. It was said that when Zoffany was given a paintbrush, magic was created. 1. Johann Zoffany, who ran away from home at age 13 to... READ ON

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Creating Melodramas in Silhouettes: Kara Walker

(This post was a week in the making, due to the overabundance of articles, reviews, and critiques on Walker and her art.) The American artist Kara Walker had achieved "both notoriety and acclaim in the art world while still in her twenties." Her art—much of which would be considered "not safe for work"—usually sells at prices between $30,000 and $80,000, despite (or perhaps because of) the ire and controversy it causes. Still only 40 years old, Walker is considered... READ ON

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Drawing in Sand: Kseniya Simonova

A performance by Kseniya Simonova on Ukraine's Got Talent has become a viral hit on the internet, receiving more than 6 million views. We've scrounged up some background information on the 24-year-old artist and her performance"¦ 1. Kseniya Simonova wasn't trained as an artist and hasn't been practicing for very long, either. Her business was one of many to fall apart with the credit crunch, and she used her newfound time to begin drawing in sand. She started out drawing... READ ON