Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee  (27 November 1853 – 17 October 1928) Many of Dicksee’s paintings depict beautiful women whom he felt were masterpieces made by God. In the next picture, the theme is vanity. The picture is entitled: The Mirror. One can literally read the thoughts of this young lady. She was probably asking herself while looking into that mirror whether she is still as beautiful as she was the day before? The passage of time, the ultimate vulnerability of human beauty to aging is also expressed. Dicksee’s uncle was John Robert Dicksee (1817-1905), another notable painter, as was his sister Margaret Dicksee (1858-1903), and brother Herbert Thomas Dicksee (1862-1942). The family lived in the Bloomsbury area of London. Frank’s first encounter with Art was in his father’s workshop, before enrolling at the Royal Academy Schools in 1870. (The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London, England). Some of the more famous visiting lecturers were Frederic Leighton, and Millais. Dicksee was a very conscientious student, who was soon discovered by his teachers for his promising talent in painting. He won many awards, among others, a Gold Medal in 1875, participating in his first exhibition at the Royal Academy in London.

Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee  (27 November 1853 – 17 October 1928)

Many of Dicksee’s paintings depict beautiful women whom he felt were masterpieces made by God. In the next picture, the theme is vanity. The picture is entitled: The Mirror. One can literally read the thoughts of this young lady.

She was probably asking herself while looking into that mirror whether she is still as beautiful as she was the day before? The passage of time, the ultimate vulnerability of human beauty to aging is also expressed.

Dicksee’s uncle was John Robert Dicksee (1817-1905), another notable painter, as was his sister Margaret Dicksee (1858-1903), and brother Herbert Thomas Dicksee (1862-1942).

The family lived in the Bloomsbury area of London. Frank’s first encounter with Art was in his father’s workshop, before enrolling at the Royal Academy Schools in 1870. (The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London, England).

Some of the more famous visiting lecturers were Frederic Leighton, and Millais. Dicksee was a very conscientious student, who was soon discovered by his teachers for his promising talent in painting. He won many awards, among others, a Gold Medal in 1875, participating in his first exhibition at the Royal Academy in London.

  • March 14
  • , 2012
Alexander Roslin (1718 – 1793) was a Swedish portrait painter. Roslin was born on July 15, 1718, in Malmö, Sweden. In 1759 he married Marie-Suzanne Giroust. He plied his trade in Stockholm, Bayreuth, Vienna, Paris and Italy. From 1750, he worked mainly in Paris. He died in Paris on July 5, 1793. A number of portraits of Russian Imperial statesmen have been attributed to Roslin, including portraits of Ivan Betskoi and Ivan Shuvalov. He also painted some notable portraits of Polish and French aristocratic ladies. The vast majority of his paintings feature aristocrats and nobility in Europe.

Alexander Roslin (1718 – 1793) was a Swedish portrait painter.

Roslin was born on July 15, 1718, in Malmö, Sweden. In 1759 he married Marie-Suzanne Giroust. He plied his trade in Stockholm, Bayreuth, Vienna, Paris and Italy. From 1750, he worked mainly in Paris.

He died in Paris on July 5, 1793.

A number of portraits of Russian Imperial statesmen have been attributed to Roslin, including portraits of Ivan Betskoi and Ivan Shuvalov. He also painted some notable portraits of Polish and French aristocratic ladies. The vast majority of his paintings feature aristocrats and nobility in Europe.

  • February 15
  • , 2012
Charles Courtney Curran (1861-1942)  Curran’s portraits and landscapes are among the most cherished and refined images of America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Curran was born in Hartford, Kentucky in 1861, but spent his childhood in Sandusky, Ohio. Curran’s father was an amateur painter who fostered his early love of art. In 1888, Curran traveled to Europe where he would absorb the tenets of the French Impressionist style and hone his artistic technique. He enrolled in the Académie Julian in Paris, France and studied under the artists Jean-Joseph Benjamin Constant, Henri-Lucien Doucet, Jules-Joseph Lefebvre, and P.A.J. Dagnan-Bouveret. Curran joined a burgeoning group of American expatriates who introduced Impressionism to America at the turn of the century, including fellow artists James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, and Childe Hassam. Curran was enormously popular among his contemporaries and his works were heralded by critics for their beauty, delicacy and sophisticated style. Curran sought solace in nostalgic landscapes that represented the simplicity of the past. He is best known for his portraits, genre scenes, and idealized views of nature. He typically depicted tranquil, noble images of women and children set outdoors amid lush gardens and expansive pastures and hillsides, rendered with soft features and a trademark innocence and charm.

Charles Courtney Curran (1861-1942)

 Curran’s portraits and landscapes are among the most cherished and refined images of America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Curran was born in Hartford, Kentucky in 1861, but spent his childhood in Sandusky, Ohio. Curran’s father was an amateur painter who fostered his early love of art.

In 1888, Curran traveled to Europe where he would absorb the tenets of the French Impressionist style and hone his artistic technique. He enrolled in the Académie Julian in Paris, France and studied under the artists Jean-Joseph Benjamin Constant, Henri-Lucien Doucet, Jules-Joseph Lefebvre, and P.A.J. Dagnan-Bouveret.

Curran joined a burgeoning group of American expatriates who introduced Impressionism to America at the turn of the century, including fellow artists James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, and Childe Hassam.

Curran was enormously popular among his contemporaries and his works were heralded by critics for their beauty, delicacy and sophisticated style. Curran sought solace in nostalgic landscapes that represented the simplicity of the past.

He is best known for his portraits, genre scenes, and idealized views of nature. He typically depicted tranquil, noble images of women and children set outdoors amid lush gardens and expansive pastures and hillsides, rendered with soft features and a trademark innocence and charm.

  • December 21
  • , 2011
John William Waterhouse: Pandora, 1896 Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, “all-gifted”. When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus’ brother. With her, Pandora had a jar which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, and that was Hope. She opened the jar out of simple curiosity and not as a malicious act.  

John William Waterhouse: Pandora, 1896

Pandora

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth.

Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, “all-gifted”.

When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus’ brother.

With her, Pandora had a jar which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth.

She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, and that was Hope.

She opened the jar out of simple curiosity and not as a malicious act.

 

  • July 12
  • , 2011