James Tissot. Part 4 – True love, loss and a return to his homeland
James Tissot (1836 – 1902) Tissot had stayed at the home of his friend, Thomas Bowles, when he arrived in England in June 1871, and remained his guest until 1872, at which time he went to live in a...
View ArticleJames Tissot. Part 5 – The latter years and his religious paintings.
The Garden Bench by James Tissot (1882) Tissot, heartbroken at the death of his lover and muse Kathleen Newton, returned to Paris in November 1882. It was on his return to France that he competed a...
View ArticleWalter Frederick Osborne.
Walter Frederick Osborne My featured artist today is Walter Frederick Osborne, the Irish impressionist and post-impressionist landscape and portrait painter. He was born on June 17th, 1859 at 5...
View ArticleThe talented Rayner Family. Part 1. The mother and father, Samuel and Ann.
In the next few blogs I want to explore the lives of an amazing artistic family. Today I am starting this voyage of discovery by looking at the lives of the heads of the family, the mother and father...
View ArticleThe talented Rayner children. Part 2: Ann Ingram (Nancy) Rayner, Rhoda (Rose)...
Ann Ingram (Nancy) Rayner This is a detail from Nancy’s sister Rose’s 1856 painting Divided Attention and it is thought that it depicts Nancy at work, sitting here in fancy dress. Samuel and Ann Rayner...
View ArticleThe talented Rayner childen. Part 3. Louise Rayner
In the “About” section of my blog I state quite categorically that I am not a painter. This has now changed in as much as I have now started to dip a paintbrush into paint and touch it to a canvas....
View ArticleAxel Waldemar Gallén (Akseli Gallén-Kallela). Part 1 – the early days.
My blog today is a veritable “potpourri”. It is a blend of history and geography all carefully mixed with the usual large serving of art history. It is a tale of a lake and forest, a country’s change...
View ArticleAxel Waldemar Gallén (Akseli Gallén-Kallela). Part 2. Marriage, Aino,...
Axel Gallén in his studio (ca.1905) Finnish nationalism as far as language was concerned became prominent in the nineteenth century and was a consequence of the dominance of the Swedish language in...
View ArticleCharles Spencelayh – English genre painter and portraitist
Interior of a Tavern by Adriaen Brouwer The term genre painting relates to works depicting scenes of everyday life. Such depictions embrace scenes of ordinary people at work or enjoying their leisure...
View ArticleBalthasar Denner – Portrait artist committed to the truth.
When an artist paints a landscape, seascape or cityscape he has to decide whether what he produces is a topographically accurate depiction of what he is looking at or an idealized version. He may...
View ArticleGerald Leslie Brockhurst – painter of mesmeric beauty.
To capture beauty with a camera is complicated but with all the aids such as lighting, make-up and Photoshop, photographs of beautiful women are often seen in magazines and newspapers. However, to...
View ArticleArthur John Elsley – the painter of idyllic life.
As in life itself, snobbery pervades the arts. When asked what our taste in literature is, does one admit to liking romantic fiction or, do we, to save face, rattle on about our love for the novels of...
View ArticleThe Palm family. Part 1 – The father, Gustaf Wilhelm Palm.
Portrait sketch of landscape artist Professor Gustaf Wilhelm Palm by Fritz von Dardel, There has to be an enticement to become an artist if one or both of your parents or siblings is a successful...
View ArticleAnna Palm de Rosa, the Swedish watercolourist.
Anna Palm de Rosa (1865-1924) In my last blog I looked at the life of Gustaf Wilhelm Palm, the renowned Swedish landscape painter. In this blog I want to talk about his equally artistically talented...
View ArticleAlois Heinrich Priechenfried
Settling the Accounts by Alois Heinrich Priechenfried Today’s blog is a very short one. I think I have mentioned before how I choose an artist to write about. There are two things I need before I can...
View ArticleAnders Zorn. Part 1 – The early years
For my last blog featuring Alois Priechenfried I struggled for biographical information. In the next few blogs I am looking at the life and work of the well-known Swedish painter Anders Zorn and I am...
View ArticleAnders Zorn. Part 2 – America
Emma Zorn by Anders Zorn In 1896 the Zorns returned to Sweden and went to live at their home, Zorngården, in Mora. Anders’ wife, Emma, immersed herself in the life of the small town and became involved...
View ArticleAnders Zorn. Part 3
Anders Zorn Some biographers have maintained that Zorn’s personality was somewhat loud and garish and it is that personal trait which can often be seen in the animated, broad sweeping distinctive...
View ArticleMuseo de Bellas Artes, Sevilla
Having decided to escape the cold and miserable weather of Britain for a short period I find myself in the warmth of the Algarve soaking up the sun and staring out at the blue sky and sea whilst...
View ArticleMuseo de Bellas Artes, Sevilla. Part 2 The Murillo Exhibition
Murillo Exhibition at Seville ……….when I arrived at the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a special exhibition on marking the 400th anniversary of...
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