… impressionism, by Mary Cassatt
Cassatt is an American artist best known for her portraits of mothers with their children. She was 15 when she began to seriously study art but became disappointed with her education in America and moved to Paris with her family. The Paris art scene was brimming with the new impressionistic style at that time, and Cassatt found that it suited her talents and sensibilities.
Summertime, 1894, Mary Cassatt. Image from Wikiart
… animation, by Walt Disney Productions. Music: Tocatta and Fugue in D minor by Bach, performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski, in pioneering Fantasound.
(I need a few unicorns and flying horses today)
… illustration, by Kay Nielson
This illustration is from The Book of Death, a series of drawings exhibited in London but never published in book form. Nielson went on to work for Disney Studios and was the art director for Fantasia, one of my favourite pieces of animation.
From The Book of Death, 1911, Kay Nielson
Japanese Woodblock prints, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Kuniyoshi is considered a master of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), and his favourite subject was cats. He was obsessed with cats, and his studio was often overrun by them. He often portrayed them as well-loved characters from stories or as part of kabuki theatre. His art is inventive and often playful, and it quickly became popular and well respected, lifting him out of the poverty of his early life.
Amusements of the First Snowfall, 1852, Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Jill Bearup is has made much more fun and informative video on the infamous boob armor than those made by doods (which were not always bad) and I really think it is worth watching if you are interested in that kind of thing.
…portraiture, by Alice Neel
Alice Neel suffered many tragedies in her life, including the loss of several of her children. She suffered a nervous breakdown, attempted suicide and was hospitalized for over a year. Her work is infused with emotional intensity and a fearless realism. There was some criticism of her work contemporarily because it did not hold with the ideals of how the feminine should be portrayed in art, but Neel is now considered one of America’s best portrait artists. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City will be hosting an exhibition of Ms. Neel’s art from March 22 until August 1, 2021. Virtual Tours are available by request.
Mother and Child (Nancy and Olivia), 1967, Alice Need. Image from The New York Review
… repose, by Finnish artist Eero Järnefelt (1863-1937)
Saimi Kedollasaimi in the Meadow, 1892, Eero Järnefelt. Image from Wikiart
… impressionism, by Edgar Degas
I love the feeling that Degas captured in this painting. The expression on the woman’s face is a mixture of serious decision making and delight, and the hats bloom across the canvas like flowers in the summer sun. Degas was known to paint only indoors, and he scoffed at his contemporaries who painted outdoors. Degas is best known for his paintings of dancers, and his ability to translate movement is evident in the active posture of the woman who seems to be rotating the hat to see it from different angles.
The Millenary Shop, 1855, Edgar Degas. Image from Wikiart.
… landscape, by William Merrett Chase
I felt the need for the full, warm healing light of summer sun today and this painting by Chase fit the bill perfectly. Enjoy.
The Fairy Tale, 1892, William Merritt Chase. Image from Wikiart.
… Pablo Picasso, painted during his early and impoverished years in Paris. This painting was created during what is now known as the artist’s Rose Period.
Famille de saltimbanques, 1905, Pablo Picasso. Image from Wikipedia
… Flowers, by Spanish artist and master of still life painting, Juan van der Hamen (1596-1631)
Because Mondays are always better with flowers.
Still Life with Flowers and a Dog, 1625, Juan van der Hamen. Image from Wikiart.
… art nouveau advertising, by Alfonse Maria Mucha
I love Mucha’s style, but that toga looks a bit too formal for feeding the baby.
Nestle’s Food for Infants, 1897, Alfonse Maria Mucha. Image from Wikiart.
… Impressionism, by American artist Robert Lewis Reid (1862-1929)
Girl in Blue Kimono, 1911, Robert Lewis Reid. Image from Wikiart.