feel-art-again

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Feel Art Again: The Champion Single Sculls

October in Philadelphia is a beautiful time of year. Thomas Eakins' painting, The Champion Single Sculls (Max Schmitt in a Single Scull), perfectly captures a perfect Philadelphia October day. Yet this painting is not just a pretty picture; it is packed with significant imagery and it made an impact on the art world and on the world of sports. 1. Thomas Eakins believed that the painter's job was to specify what time it was, what month it was, and where the weather was heading, as well as what kind of... READ ON

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Feel Art Again: Queen Marie-Antoinette and Her Children

On this day in 1793, Marie Antoinette was guillotined for treason. Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun painted approximately 30 portraits of Marie Antoinette prior to the queen's death; "Queen Marie-Antoinette and Her Children" was the last. I've dug up a few interesting facts about this significant painting, which is now on display at the Chateau de Versailles. 1. Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun was not just a painter to the queen; she was the her favorite artist and a close personal friend. 2. The... READ ON

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Feel Art Again: The Persistence of Memory

Salvador Dali's La persistencia de la memoria (The Persistence of Memory), like the Mona Lisa, is one of the most famous and most referenced paintings of all time. Pretty amazing, considering that Dali's piece isn't nearly as old as da Vinci's. This month is the perfect month to discuss Dali's work, most famous for its melting clocks, since October is National Clock Month. 1. The Persistence of Memory has come to be known by many other names, including Soft Watches, Droopy Watches, The Persistence of... READ ON

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Feel Art Again: The Three Graces

Greek mythology tells of the Golden Apples of the Hesperides — apples that give the gift of immortality. The Three Graces by Sanzio Raffaello (aka Raphael) features those golden apples. October, as National Apple Month, is quite an appropriate time to delve into Raphael's painting. 1. Originally, Allegory (at right; also known as The Knight's Dream or Vision of a Knight) and The Three Graces were probably a single diptych. In the first panel, Allegory, the sleeping knight Scipio must choose... READ ON
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Feel Art Again: Mona Lisa

Perhaps the most famous smile in the world is that of the Mona Lisa. Because tomorrow is World Smile Day, let's discuss Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece and the famous smile it contains. 1. The painting was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, but was not discovered missing until the next day. Both Guillaume Apollinaire, the French poet, and his friend, Pablo Picasso, were suspected during the course of the investigation, but were exonerated. The real thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, was an Italian patriot who... READ ON

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Feel Art Again: Albrecht Dürer's "Self-Portrait at 26"

Albrecht Dürer was a master of self-promotion, as he began his artistic career at age 13 with a self-portrait. Thus he's the perfect painter to discuss today, at the beginning of both Self-Promotion Month and German-American Heritage Month. 1. Dürer painted three widely-known self-portraits: one at age 22, one at age 26 (above), and one at age 29. In the portraits, he progresses from a young, effeminate boy to a Christ-like man. 2. By 1515, when Dürer exchanged works with Raphael, he had... READ ON

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Feel Art Again: Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Since today just happens to be Love Note Day, let's celebrate by talking about Jean-Honoré Fragonard's "The Love Letter" and "Love Letters." Some interesting tidbits: 1. The inscription on the title letter in "The Love Letter" (left) has two interpretations among scholars. It could be "cavalier," as in a gentleman or knight, or it could be the name "Cuvillere." If the latter is the intended interpretation, then the girl in the painting is Marie Émilie Boucher, the daughter of Fragonard's teacher... READ ON

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Feel Art Again (A New Regular Feature)

"Feel Art Again" is something we've done before in the magazine. To make sure you're getting a steady diet of art education, we're reviving it here on the blog. InternAndréa will be your guide "“ give her a polite round of applause. --Mangesh & Jason In celebration of today's Harvest Moon, we present you with Caspar David Friedrich's "Two Men Contemplating the Moon." A few fun facts: 1. Friedrich created several paintings with this same general theme and composition. The most well-known... READ ON

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