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1501_T

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

How does Dolbadarn Castle (Turner) elucidate its abstract?

Dolbadarn Castle is an oil painting by J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) depicting Dolbadarn Castle, created in 1798–1799. It is part of a body of work completed by Turner during a tour of the region, which included Dolbadarn, Llanberis and other parts of Snowdonia. Many supporting studies can be found in a sketch book now held by Tate Britain (Record: TB XLVI). When Turner returned to his London studio he developed these sketches into a number of more accomplished paintings of North Wales, including this one, which is now kept at the National Library of Wales.This painting is particularly notable as it is one of two that Turner submitted as Diploma works to the Royal Academy in 1800.

1501_NT

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Dolbadarn Castle is an oil painting by J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) depicting Dolbadarn Castle, created in 1798–1799. It is part of a body of work completed by Turner during a tour of the region, which included Dolbadarn, Llanberis and other parts of Snowdonia. Many supporting studies can be found in a sketch book now held by Tate Britain (Record: TB XLVI). When Turner returned to his London studio he developed these sketches into a number of more accomplished paintings of North Wales, including this one, which is now kept at the National Library of Wales.This painting is particularly notable as it is one of two that Turner submitted as Diploma works to the Royal Academy in 1800.

1502_T

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

Focus on Dolbadarn Castle (Turner) and analyze the Historical event.

The painting is an artist's impression of a 13th-century event of some importance in Welsh history. It depicts Owain Goch, the brother of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (LLywelyn the Second), being taken by soldiers to prison at Dolbadarn Castle. Owain was imprisoned at the Castle between 1255 and 1277, when he was released. The imprisonment of Owain, dressed in red in the painting, left his brother Llywelyn free to concentrate on uniting Wales against the English.

1502_NT

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Historical event.

The painting is an artist's impression of a 13th-century event of some importance in Welsh history. It depicts Owain Goch, the brother of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (LLywelyn the Second), being taken by soldiers to prison at Dolbadarn Castle. Owain was imprisoned at the Castle between 1255 and 1277, when he was released. The imprisonment of Owain, dressed in red in the painting, left his brother Llywelyn free to concentrate on uniting Wales against the English.

1503_T

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

In Dolbadarn Castle (Turner), how is the Travel through Wales discussed?

Turner first visited Wales in 1792, when he traveled through the south of the country. On his second visit in 1794, he visited Flintshire and Denbighshire. In 1798 he paid a much longer visit to Wales, travelling through Dyffryn Wysg, Ceredigion, Aberystwyth, Gwynedd and Llangollen.

1503_NT

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

In this artwork, how is the Travel through Wales discussed?

Turner first visited Wales in 1792, when he traveled through the south of the country. On his second visit in 1794, he visited Flintshire and Denbighshire. In 1798 he paid a much longer visit to Wales, travelling through Dyffryn Wysg, Ceredigion, Aberystwyth, Gwynedd and Llangollen.

1504_T

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

Focus on Dolbadarn Castle (Turner) and explore the Details of the picture.

The frame was especially commissioned for the painting from John Jones of London, in the 1940s. The picture was purchased by the Library with the help of the National Art Collection Fund and the National Lottery. The medium is oil on a wood panel and the visible area measures 45.5 x 30 cm., and the frame 62 x 50 cm. Turner also submitted this work with some lines of verse related to the painting's themes, a relatively common practice of his. The verse reads, "How awful is the silence of the waste,/ Where nature lifts her mountains to the sky,/ Majestic solitude, behold the tower/ Where hopeless OWEN, long imprison'd, pined/ And wrung his hands for liberty in vain."Turner's use of contrast between light and dark creates a sense of peril and categorizes the painting as an example of the Sublime.

1504_NT

Dolbadarn Castle (Turner)

Focus on this artwork and explore the Details of the picture.

The frame was especially commissioned for the painting from John Jones of London, in the 1940s. The picture was purchased by the Library with the help of the National Art Collection Fund and the National Lottery. The medium is oil on a wood panel and the visible area measures 45.5 x 30 cm., and the frame 62 x 50 cm. Turner also submitted this work with some lines of verse related to the painting's themes, a relatively common practice of his. The verse reads, "How awful is the silence of the waste,/ Where nature lifts her mountains to the sky,/ Majestic solitude, behold the tower/ Where hopeless OWEN, long imprison'd, pined/ And wrung his hands for liberty in vain."Turner's use of contrast between light and dark creates a sense of peril and categorizes the painting as an example of the Sublime.

1505_T

Spirit of Music (sculpture)

Focus on Spirit of Music (sculpture) and explain the abstract.

The Spirit of Music also known as the Theodore Thomas Memorial, is an outdoor 1923 sculpture and monument commemorating Theodore Thomas (founder of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) by Czech-American artist and educator Albin Polasek, installed in Chicago's Grant Park, in the U.S. state of Illinois.

1505_NT

Spirit of Music (sculpture)

Focus on this artwork and explain the abstract.

The Spirit of Music also known as the Theodore Thomas Memorial, is an outdoor 1923 sculpture and monument commemorating Theodore Thomas (founder of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) by Czech-American artist and educator Albin Polasek, installed in Chicago's Grant Park, in the U.S. state of Illinois.

1506_T

Statue of Mickey Mantle (Oklahoma City)

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Statue of Mickey Mantle (Oklahoma City).

A statue of Mickey Mantle is installed outside Oklahoma City's Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

1506_NT

Statue of Mickey Mantle (Oklahoma City)

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

A statue of Mickey Mantle is installed outside Oklahoma City's Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

1507_T

The Telescope (Magritte)

Focus on The Telescope (Magritte) and discuss the abstract.

The Telescope (French: Le Téléscope) is a 1963 oil on canvas painting by René Magritte.The painting depicts a window through which a partly clouded blue sky can be seen. However, the right side of the window is partially open, revealing a black background where the viewer would expect to see a continuation of the clouds and sky.

1507_NT

The Telescope (Magritte)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.

The Telescope (French: Le Téléscope) is a 1963 oil on canvas painting by René Magritte.The painting depicts a window through which a partly clouded blue sky can be seen. However, the right side of the window is partially open, revealing a black background where the viewer would expect to see a continuation of the clouds and sky.

1508_T

Girl before a Mirror

How does Girl before a Mirror elucidate its abstract?

Girl before a Mirror (French: Jeune fille devant un miroir) is an oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso, which he created in 1932. The painting is a portrait of Picasso's mistress and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, who is depicted standing in front of a mirror looking at her reflection. It is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

1508_NT

Girl before a Mirror

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Girl before a Mirror (French: Jeune fille devant un miroir) is an oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso, which he created in 1932. The painting is a portrait of Picasso's mistress and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, who is depicted standing in front of a mirror looking at her reflection. It is housed in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

1509_T

Girl before a Mirror

Focus on Girl before a Mirror and analyze the Background.

This painting was produced in 1932, a significant year in Picasso's artistic career. By this point in his life, Picasso had already reached the age of 51 and had established his reputation as an important artist. In 1932, Galerie Georges Petit presented a retrospective exhibition of his work, which was an unusual event for an artist, with Picasso taking control of the curation. This was also a highly productive year for Picasso, in which he focused many of his works on his 22-year-old mistress and muse Marie-Thérèse Walter. His 1932 portraits of her were the first public display of their secret affair during his marriage to Olga Khokhlova.Several months after completing this portrait, Picasso stated, "The body of work one creates is a form of diary", alluding to the autobiographical nature of the work. Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Director of The Museum of Modern Art, reported that Picasso had said that he "preferred this painting to any of the others in the long series he had completed that spring".

1509_NT

Girl before a Mirror

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Background.

This painting was produced in 1932, a significant year in Picasso's artistic career. By this point in his life, Picasso had already reached the age of 51 and had established his reputation as an important artist. In 1932, Galerie Georges Petit presented a retrospective exhibition of his work, which was an unusual event for an artist, with Picasso taking control of the curation. This was also a highly productive year for Picasso, in which he focused many of his works on his 22-year-old mistress and muse Marie-Thérèse Walter. His 1932 portraits of her were the first public display of their secret affair during his marriage to Olga Khokhlova.Several months after completing this portrait, Picasso stated, "The body of work one creates is a form of diary", alluding to the autobiographical nature of the work. Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Director of The Museum of Modern Art, reported that Picasso had said that he "preferred this painting to any of the others in the long series he had completed that spring".

1510_T

Girl before a Mirror

Describe the characteristics of the Marie-Thérèse Walter in Girl before a Mirror's Background.

Walter was Picasso's mistress from January 1927 until 1941. Their first meeting occurred outside Galeries Lafayette in Paris, when Walter was aged 17 and Picasso was 45. He introduced himself by saying, "You have an interesting face, I would like to do a portrait of you. I am Picasso". His marriage to Olga Khokhlova was strained, due to his infidelities. As a result, Picasso's affair with Walter had to initially remain a secret.Françoise Gilot, Picasso’s partner from 1944 to 1953, commented, "I could see that she was certainly the woman who had inspired Pablo plastically more than any other. She had a very arresting face with a Grecian profile. The whole series of portraits of blonde women Pablo painted between 1927 and 1935 are almost exact replicas of her".In 1930, Picasso decided to purchase Château de Boisgeloup, a country house 45 miles northwest of Paris. This allowed him to spend time with Walter away from his wife on weekends. Despite being unaware of Picasso's relationship with Walter, Olga eventually uncovered the truth in a series of nude portraits that Picasso showcased at the retrospective exhibition at Galerie Georges Petit in October 1932. Many of Picasso's portraits of his mistress contained symbolism which was sexually charged, most notably in Le Rêve. By 1934, Olga's rage reached a crisis point and she left the apartment in Paris. In the same year on Christmas Eve, Walter informed Picasso that she was pregnant and he promised that he would file for divorce. She eventually gave birth to a daughter, Maya, on 5 September 1935. The couple stayed in a relationship for more than ten years, but never married.

1510_NT

Girl before a Mirror

Describe the characteristics of the Marie-Thérèse Walter in this artwork's Background.

Walter was Picasso's mistress from January 1927 until 1941. Their first meeting occurred outside Galeries Lafayette in Paris, when Walter was aged 17 and Picasso was 45. He introduced himself by saying, "You have an interesting face, I would like to do a portrait of you. I am Picasso". His marriage to Olga Khokhlova was strained, due to his infidelities. As a result, Picasso's affair with Walter had to initially remain a secret.Françoise Gilot, Picasso’s partner from 1944 to 1953, commented, "I could see that she was certainly the woman who had inspired Pablo plastically more than any other. She had a very arresting face with a Grecian profile. The whole series of portraits of blonde women Pablo painted between 1927 and 1935 are almost exact replicas of her".In 1930, Picasso decided to purchase Château de Boisgeloup, a country house 45 miles northwest of Paris. This allowed him to spend time with Walter away from his wife on weekends. Despite being unaware of Picasso's relationship with Walter, Olga eventually uncovered the truth in a series of nude portraits that Picasso showcased at the retrospective exhibition at Galerie Georges Petit in October 1932. Many of Picasso's portraits of his mistress contained symbolism which was sexually charged, most notably in Le Rêve. By 1934, Olga's rage reached a crisis point and she left the apartment in Paris. In the same year on Christmas Eve, Walter informed Picasso that she was pregnant and he promised that he would file for divorce. She eventually gave birth to a daughter, Maya, on 5 September 1935. The couple stayed in a relationship for more than ten years, but never married.

1511_T

Girl before a Mirror

Focus on Girl before a Mirror and explore the Description.

Girl Before a Mirror is portrait of Picasso's mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter, which he created on 14 March 1932. It is signed by Picasso in white paint in the top left corner and dated on the reverse. The painting measures 162.3 cm x 130.2 cm and was created using oils on canvas. It is an image of a woman looking at her reflection in a mirror, which reveals a darker version of herself. The woman's face has been divided into two halves, one of which is presented in a calm, lilac hue, while the other is painted roughly in bright, yellow paint. The reflection offers another representation of the subject, in which she appears to be older and her face sunken, perhaps as an image of her mortality. In the background a vivid diamond pattern completes the scene, which is reminiscent of the harlequin with which Picasso so often identified in previous works.The composition is a complex arrangement of luminous colours and lines, compartmentalised into sections, which has resulted in the painting being likened to a stained-glass window or cloisonné enamel. Multiple layers in the paint show that it was reworked by Picasso to produce the final dense and compressed image. In this composition, Picasso used elements of Cubism to break apart the form of the woman. She is portrayed from the side, yet her reflection depicts her from the front. The organic nature of this portrait also displays a Surrealist style dating from the 1920s and 1930s.Picasso's use of bright colours in this painting is reminiscent of the work of other artists. This period in his artistic career is often referred to as his "Gauguin phase", due to the use of the harmonising tones of lavender and yellow used in the woman's face, which can be seen in Paul Gauguin's artwork. The patterns and bright colours present in this painting have also been likened to the work of Henri Matisse.Girl Before a Mirror is an illustration of Picasso's departure from traditional painting techniques, such as texture and tonality in the representation of the subject. In contrast to these traditions, Picasso depicted his muse with flat blocks of colour covering an entire spectrum. There is little use of light and dark that would normally be used to convey the volume of objects and no representation of texture, such as the woman's hair or skin. Picasso instead emphasised the two-dimensional nature of the canvas and paint. The image is abstract, as it depicts the woman's form unrealistically, using curvilinear lines and circular shapes to convey the fullness of her anatomy and her fertility. The composition has been carefully constructed to offset the curvilinear forms of the woman's figure with the geometric diamond pattern that frames her.

1511_NT

Girl before a Mirror

Focus on this artwork and explore the Description.

Girl Before a Mirror is portrait of Picasso's mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter, which he created on 14 March 1932. It is signed by Picasso in white paint in the top left corner and dated on the reverse. The painting measures 162.3 cm x 130.2 cm and was created using oils on canvas. It is an image of a woman looking at her reflection in a mirror, which reveals a darker version of herself. The woman's face has been divided into two halves, one of which is presented in a calm, lilac hue, while the other is painted roughly in bright, yellow paint. The reflection offers another representation of the subject, in which she appears to be older and her face sunken, perhaps as an image of her mortality. In the background a vivid diamond pattern completes the scene, which is reminiscent of the harlequin with which Picasso so often identified in previous works.The composition is a complex arrangement of luminous colours and lines, compartmentalised into sections, which has resulted in the painting being likened to a stained-glass window or cloisonné enamel. Multiple layers in the paint show that it was reworked by Picasso to produce the final dense and compressed image. In this composition, Picasso used elements of Cubism to break apart the form of the woman. She is portrayed from the side, yet her reflection depicts her from the front. The organic nature of this portrait also displays a Surrealist style dating from the 1920s and 1930s.Picasso's use of bright colours in this painting is reminiscent of the work of other artists. This period in his artistic career is often referred to as his "Gauguin phase", due to the use of the harmonising tones of lavender and yellow used in the woman's face, which can be seen in Paul Gauguin's artwork. The patterns and bright colours present in this painting have also been likened to the work of Henri Matisse.Girl Before a Mirror is an illustration of Picasso's departure from traditional painting techniques, such as texture and tonality in the representation of the subject. In contrast to these traditions, Picasso depicted his muse with flat blocks of colour covering an entire spectrum. There is little use of light and dark that would normally be used to convey the volume of objects and no representation of texture, such as the woman's hair or skin. Picasso instead emphasised the two-dimensional nature of the canvas and paint. The image is abstract, as it depicts the woman's form unrealistically, using curvilinear lines and circular shapes to convey the fullness of her anatomy and her fertility. The composition has been carefully constructed to offset the curvilinear forms of the woman's figure with the geometric diamond pattern that frames her.

1512_T

Girl before a Mirror

Focus on Girl before a Mirror and explain the Interpretations.

Girl Before a Mirror has been noted for its complex symbolism. The art historian Robert Rosenblum drew attention to the duality of the subject's face, which on one side has been painted smoothly in a delicate tone and, on the other side, with a garish, bright colour. This has been considered as contrasting references to youth and old age or light and darkness. Rosenblum states that Picasso is "merging... one of the most pervasive cultural myths about women inherited from the nineteenth century, the polarity between virgin and whore, archetypes that haunted Picasso from his earliest years."Anne Umland comments on the relationship between the woman and her reflection, remarking that the image "reinvents the time-honored artistic theme of a woman before her mirror in radically modern terms, tinged by the mortal associations of traditional Vanity images and by powerful psychic overtones".Picasso's rendering of the reflection in the mirror has been described by Debbie Goldberg at the Museum of Modern Art as a depiction of Death. Picasso made reference to other artworks within his compositions and may have been influenced by a painting belonging to a friend which was an image of Death holding up a mirror to a woman. The prevailing theme of this is memento mori or "remember that life is brief". Picasso also combined the elements of sex and death in his works, most notably in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. To illustrate this theme, Picasso depicted the subject reflected in the mirror as both somber and voluptuous, indicating a transformation of the traditional subject of vanitas by combining sensuality and death.

1512_NT

Girl before a Mirror

Focus on this artwork and explain the Interpretations.

Girl Before a Mirror has been noted for its complex symbolism. The art historian Robert Rosenblum drew attention to the duality of the subject's face, which on one side has been painted smoothly in a delicate tone and, on the other side, with a garish, bright colour. This has been considered as contrasting references to youth and old age or light and darkness. Rosenblum states that Picasso is "merging... one of the most pervasive cultural myths about women inherited from the nineteenth century, the polarity between virgin and whore, archetypes that haunted Picasso from his earliest years."Anne Umland comments on the relationship between the woman and her reflection, remarking that the image "reinvents the time-honored artistic theme of a woman before her mirror in radically modern terms, tinged by the mortal associations of traditional Vanity images and by powerful psychic overtones".Picasso's rendering of the reflection in the mirror has been described by Debbie Goldberg at the Museum of Modern Art as a depiction of Death. Picasso made reference to other artworks within his compositions and may have been influenced by a painting belonging to a friend which was an image of Death holding up a mirror to a woman. The prevailing theme of this is memento mori or "remember that life is brief". Picasso also combined the elements of sex and death in his works, most notably in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. To illustrate this theme, Picasso depicted the subject reflected in the mirror as both somber and voluptuous, indicating a transformation of the traditional subject of vanitas by combining sensuality and death.

1513_T

Chinatown West Gate

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Chinatown West Gate.

The Chinatown West Gate is installed in Los Angeles' Chinatown neighborhood, in the U.S. state of California. Installed in 1938, the structure exhibits traditional Chinese design and displays characters which translate to "Cooperate to Achieve". The gate has 150-year-old camphor wood from China. After being nominated by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the West Gate was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, No. 825.

1513_NT

Chinatown West Gate

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

The Chinatown West Gate is installed in Los Angeles' Chinatown neighborhood, in the U.S. state of California. Installed in 1938, the structure exhibits traditional Chinese design and displays characters which translate to "Cooperate to Achieve". The gate has 150-year-old camphor wood from China. After being nominated by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the West Gate was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, No. 825.

1514_T

Fire in the Oil Depot at San Marcuola

Focus on Fire in the Oil Depot at San Marcuola and discuss the abstract.

Fire in the Oil Depot at San Marcuola is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Venetian vedutista Francesco Guardi, created c. 1790. It has small dimensions and is in the Alte Pinakothek, in Munich. It was one of the last paintings by Guardi who died in 1792.The painting is based on a fire that broke out at night on November 28, 1789, in the district of Cannareggio, near the church of San Marcuola. The fire appears to be burning oil on the waters of a canal. In the foreground of the painting, a crowd of men has gathered to witness the event. In the buildings in the background, there appear to be men on rooftops appearing to fight the fire.There is a drawing in pen and brush, owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1514_NT

Fire in the Oil Depot at San Marcuola

Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.

Fire in the Oil Depot at San Marcuola is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Venetian vedutista Francesco Guardi, created c. 1790. It has small dimensions and is in the Alte Pinakothek, in Munich. It was one of the last paintings by Guardi who died in 1792.The painting is based on a fire that broke out at night on November 28, 1789, in the district of Cannareggio, near the church of San Marcuola. The fire appears to be burning oil on the waters of a canal. In the foreground of the painting, a crowd of men has gathered to witness the event. In the buildings in the background, there appear to be men on rooftops appearing to fight the fire.There is a drawing in pen and brush, owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1515_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

How does Butterflies (Van Gogh series) elucidate its abstract?

Butterflies is a series of paintings made by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 and 1890. Van Gogh made at least four paintings of butterflies and one of a moth. The metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly was symbolic to Van Gogh of men and women's capability for transformation.

1515_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Butterflies is a series of paintings made by Vincent van Gogh in 1889 and 1890. Van Gogh made at least four paintings of butterflies and one of a moth. The metamorphosis of the caterpillar into a butterfly was symbolic to Van Gogh of men and women's capability for transformation.

1516_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Focus on Butterflies (Van Gogh series) and analyze the Butterflies and moths.

Butterflies and moths, in the insect order Lepidoptera, are distinguished generally in several ways: Butterflies are brighter in color and fly in the day. Butterfly wings are not linked and fold together when they are in a resting position. On the other hand, moths are generally duller in color, fly at night and have linked wings. There are some exceptions, though, such as a few types of colored moths.

1516_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Butterflies and moths.

Butterflies and moths, in the insect order Lepidoptera, are distinguished generally in several ways: Butterflies are brighter in color and fly in the day. Butterfly wings are not linked and fold together when they are in a resting position. On the other hand, moths are generally duller in color, fly at night and have linked wings. There are some exceptions, though, such as a few types of colored moths.

1517_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In Butterflies (Van Gogh series), how is the Butterflies as a subject discussed?

Butterflies are found in art and literature, often as symbols of freedom, transformation and life. Van Gogh used butterflies in his works as a symbol of hope.One of his favorite metaphors was about transformative possibilities. In a letter to his sister Wil, Van Gogh says that like a grub eats salad roots, unknowing of the transformation that will take it to a beetle, we are not aware of our potential for metamorphosis. Similarly, he as a "painter ought to paint pictures; possibly something else will come after that." Of prostitutes, such as those he met at brothels, Van Gogh wondered of any woman who fell into a life of degradation: "She is seeking, seeking, seeking -- does she herself know what? Might she be transformed one day like a grub into a butterfly?" That hope may have been on Van Gogh's mind when he took in pregnant Sien Hoornik, a prostitute, and her daughter when he lived in The Hague in 1882.In a letter to his friend Émile Bernard, Van Gogh uses the miracle of transformation from caterpillar to butterfly to consider what possibilities may be available in the universe: "However, since nothing confutes the assumption that lines and forms and colours exist on innumerable other planets and suns as well, we are at liberty to feel fairly serene about the possibilities of painting in a better and different existence, an existence altered by a phenomenon that is perhaps no more ingenious and no more surprising than the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or of a grub into a maybug. The existence of a painter-butterfly would be played out on the countless celestial bodies which, after death, should be no more inaccessible to us than the black dots on maps that symbolize towns and villages are in our earthly lives."When in need of solace, nature is where Van Gogh went to find peace. In a letter to his sister Wilhelmina he writes that he finds to calm down it is best to "look at a blade of grass, the branch of a fir tree, an ear of wheat. So if you want to do, as the artists do, go look at the red and white poppies with their bluish leaves, their buds soaring on gracefully bent stems."

1517_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In this artwork, how is the Butterflies as a subject discussed?

Butterflies are found in art and literature, often as symbols of freedom, transformation and life. Van Gogh used butterflies in his works as a symbol of hope.One of his favorite metaphors was about transformative possibilities. In a letter to his sister Wil, Van Gogh says that like a grub eats salad roots, unknowing of the transformation that will take it to a beetle, we are not aware of our potential for metamorphosis. Similarly, he as a "painter ought to paint pictures; possibly something else will come after that." Of prostitutes, such as those he met at brothels, Van Gogh wondered of any woman who fell into a life of degradation: "She is seeking, seeking, seeking -- does she herself know what? Might she be transformed one day like a grub into a butterfly?" That hope may have been on Van Gogh's mind when he took in pregnant Sien Hoornik, a prostitute, and her daughter when he lived in The Hague in 1882.In a letter to his friend Émile Bernard, Van Gogh uses the miracle of transformation from caterpillar to butterfly to consider what possibilities may be available in the universe: "However, since nothing confutes the assumption that lines and forms and colours exist on innumerable other planets and suns as well, we are at liberty to feel fairly serene about the possibilities of painting in a better and different existence, an existence altered by a phenomenon that is perhaps no more ingenious and no more surprising than the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly or of a grub into a maybug. The existence of a painter-butterfly would be played out on the countless celestial bodies which, after death, should be no more inaccessible to us than the black dots on maps that symbolize towns and villages are in our earthly lives."When in need of solace, nature is where Van Gogh went to find peace. In a letter to his sister Wilhelmina he writes that he finds to calm down it is best to "look at a blade of grass, the branch of a fir tree, an ear of wheat. So if you want to do, as the artists do, go look at the red and white poppies with their bluish leaves, their buds soaring on gracefully bent stems."

1518_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Focus on Butterflies (Van Gogh series) and explore the Paintings made in Arles.

Van Gogh came to Arles in southern France when he was about 35 years of age. There he began producing some of his best work. The sunflower paintings, some of the most recognizable of Van Gogh's paintings, were created in this time. This is likely one of Van Gogh's happier periods of life. He is confident, clear-minded and seemingly content. In a letter to his brother, Theo, he wrote, "Painting as it is now, promises to become more subtle - more like music and less like sculpture - and above all, it promises color." As a means of explanation, Van Gogh explains that being like music means being comforting.

1518_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Focus on this artwork and explore the Paintings made in Arles.

Van Gogh came to Arles in southern France when he was about 35 years of age. There he began producing some of his best work. The sunflower paintings, some of the most recognizable of Van Gogh's paintings, were created in this time. This is likely one of Van Gogh's happier periods of life. He is confident, clear-minded and seemingly content. In a letter to his brother, Theo, he wrote, "Painting as it is now, promises to become more subtle - more like music and less like sculpture - and above all, it promises color." As a means of explanation, Van Gogh explains that being like music means being comforting.

1519_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of Butterflies (Van Gogh series), explain the Grass and Butterflies of the Paintings made in Arles.

Grass and Butterflies, made in Arles, is part of a private collection.

1519_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of this artwork, explain the Grass and Butterflies of the Paintings made in Arles.

Grass and Butterflies, made in Arles, is part of a private collection.

1520_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Explore the Two White Butterflies about the Paintings made in Arles of this artwork, Butterflies (Van Gogh series).

Fascinated by butterflies at a young age, Vincent Dethier became an entomologist. In tribute to him on his seventieth birthday, Miriam Rothschild expressed her appreciation metaphorically through Van Gogh's painting: "Two white butterflies twirling in freedom and winged delight. For me they are the symbol of daydreaming — the poetry that Vince Dethier insinuates so cunningly into our factual information and knowledge. For the gift, of these special white butterflies — along with all your official and unofficial students, past, present and future — Vince Dethier, I tender you my most heartfelt and grateful thanks."Another interpretation of Two White Butterflies describes fragile white butterflies that fly over a field of turning grass, evoking a sense of foreboding.

1520_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Explore the Two White Butterflies about the Paintings made in Arles of this artwork.

Fascinated by butterflies at a young age, Vincent Dethier became an entomologist. In tribute to him on his seventieth birthday, Miriam Rothschild expressed her appreciation metaphorically through Van Gogh's painting: "Two white butterflies twirling in freedom and winged delight. For me they are the symbol of daydreaming — the poetry that Vince Dethier insinuates so cunningly into our factual information and knowledge. For the gift, of these special white butterflies — along with all your official and unofficial students, past, present and future — Vince Dethier, I tender you my most heartfelt and grateful thanks."Another interpretation of Two White Butterflies describes fragile white butterflies that fly over a field of turning grass, evoking a sense of foreboding.

1521_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of Butterflies (Van Gogh series), discuss the Groupings of butterfly and garden paintings of the Paintings made in Arles.

Jennifer Helvey, author of Irises: Vincent van Gogh in the Garden, groups five garden paintings that Van Gogh made in Arles due to stylist similarity. This grouping includes two butterfly paintings: Two White Butterflies and Grass and Butterflies. She found the paintings seem true, natural reflections of gardens, with a top-down perspective. The works in the grouping share a similar color palette and rhythmic brushstrokes. Iris appears, though, to have been subject to greater study: the single plant centered and the brushstrokes of the grass radiating out from the iris. Helvey also offers another grouping with the two butterfly paintings from Arles and Tree Trunks in the Grass made at Saint-Rémy:

1521_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of this artwork, discuss the Groupings of butterfly and garden paintings of the Paintings made in Arles.

Jennifer Helvey, author of Irises: Vincent van Gogh in the Garden, groups five garden paintings that Van Gogh made in Arles due to stylist similarity. This grouping includes two butterfly paintings: Two White Butterflies and Grass and Butterflies. She found the paintings seem true, natural reflections of gardens, with a top-down perspective. The works in the grouping share a similar color palette and rhythmic brushstrokes. Iris appears, though, to have been subject to greater study: the single plant centered and the brushstrokes of the grass radiating out from the iris. Helvey also offers another grouping with the two butterfly paintings from Arles and Tree Trunks in the Grass made at Saint-Rémy:

1522_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

How does Butterflies (Van Gogh series) elucidate its Paintings made in Saint-Rémy?

For one year, from May 1889 to May 1890, Van Gogh was voluntarily admitted at the asylum at Saint-Rémy, which is near Arles. During that time he was often restricted to working within the asylum's grounds. Within the grounds of the asylum he painted ivy covered trees, lilacs, and irises of the garden.

1522_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

How does this artwork elucidate its Paintings made in Saint-Rémy?

For one year, from May 1889 to May 1890, Van Gogh was voluntarily admitted at the asylum at Saint-Rémy, which is near Arles. During that time he was often restricted to working within the asylum's grounds. Within the grounds of the asylum he painted ivy covered trees, lilacs, and irises of the garden.

1523_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of Butterflies (Van Gogh series), analyze the Green Peacock Moth of the Paintings made in Saint-Rémy.

In May 1889 Van Gogh began work on Green Peacock Moth which he self-titled Death's Head Moth. The moth, called death's head, is a rarely seen nocturnal moth. He described the large moth's colors "of amazing distinction, black, grey, cloudy white tinged with carmine or vaguely shading off into olive green." Behind the moth is a background of Lords-and-Ladies. The size of the moth and plants in the background pull the spectator into the work. The colors are vivid, consistent with Van Gogh's passion and emotional intensity. Van Gogh Museum's title for this work is Emperor Moth.

1523_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of this artwork, analyze the Green Peacock Moth of the Paintings made in Saint-Rémy.

In May 1889 Van Gogh began work on Green Peacock Moth which he self-titled Death's Head Moth. The moth, called death's head, is a rarely seen nocturnal moth. He described the large moth's colors "of amazing distinction, black, grey, cloudy white tinged with carmine or vaguely shading off into olive green." Behind the moth is a background of Lords-and-Ladies. The size of the moth and plants in the background pull the spectator into the work. The colors are vivid, consistent with Van Gogh's passion and emotional intensity. Van Gogh Museum's title for this work is Emperor Moth.

1524_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Describe the characteristics of the Poppies and Butterflies in Butterflies (Van Gogh series)'s Paintings made in Saint-Rémy.

Debra Mancoff, author of Van Gogh's Flowers, describedPoppies and Butterflies: "vivid red poppies and the pale yellow butterflies float on the surface of twisting dark stems and nodding buds, all against a yellow-gold background. Although composed of natural motifs, Van Gogh's layering of pattern in Butterflies and Poppies suggests a decorative quality like that of a textile or a screen." Mancoff compared this study to the Japanese prints he admired.Butterflies and Poppies is an artwork by Vincent Van Gough, Vincent completed the artwork in 1889. Butterflies and poppies was painted onto a canvas with oil paints. Vincent used a lot of layers in Butterflies and Poppies to create an almost textile-like feel. Using very fine brush strokes also helped to create this illusion. Vincent painted his series, Butterflies, in Arles, southern France where he rented ‘the yellow house’. Vincent was around 35 years of age, this time is considered his best period for his paintings. Another series created in this region is Sunflower. The painting features two yellow butterflies resting on some red poppies with a pale bluish background. In The Existential Butterfly, a book of poetry about butterflies and nature, Curtis Farmwald wrote of van Gogh's Poppies and Butterflies: "Though it was painted Years ago in another country By the troubled Vincent van Gogh, The painting could have been done Right here sometime this summer. I’ve seen red poppies like those Growing wild just down the road. Yellow sulphurs like those Are all over my yard. Can their beauty still inspire A troubled soul to survive?"Indicating his desire to make the painting, in 1888 Van Gogh mentions hoping to make a better version of butterflies or the field of poppies while in Arles.

1524_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Describe the characteristics of the Poppies and Butterflies in this artwork's Paintings made in Saint-Rémy.

Debra Mancoff, author of Van Gogh's Flowers, describedPoppies and Butterflies: "vivid red poppies and the pale yellow butterflies float on the surface of twisting dark stems and nodding buds, all against a yellow-gold background. Although composed of natural motifs, Van Gogh's layering of pattern in Butterflies and Poppies suggests a decorative quality like that of a textile or a screen." Mancoff compared this study to the Japanese prints he admired.Butterflies and Poppies is an artwork by Vincent Van Gough, Vincent completed the artwork in 1889. Butterflies and poppies was painted onto a canvas with oil paints. Vincent used a lot of layers in Butterflies and Poppies to create an almost textile-like feel. Using very fine brush strokes also helped to create this illusion. Vincent painted his series, Butterflies, in Arles, southern France where he rented ‘the yellow house’. Vincent was around 35 years of age, this time is considered his best period for his paintings. Another series created in this region is Sunflower. The painting features two yellow butterflies resting on some red poppies with a pale bluish background. In The Existential Butterfly, a book of poetry about butterflies and nature, Curtis Farmwald wrote of van Gogh's Poppies and Butterflies: "Though it was painted Years ago in another country By the troubled Vincent van Gogh, The painting could have been done Right here sometime this summer. I’ve seen red poppies like those Growing wild just down the road. Yellow sulphurs like those Are all over my yard. Can their beauty still inspire A troubled soul to survive?"Indicating his desire to make the painting, in 1888 Van Gogh mentions hoping to make a better version of butterflies or the field of poppies while in Arles.

1525_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of Butterflies (Van Gogh series), explore the Long Grass with Butterflies of the Paintings made in Saint-Rémy.

London's National Gallery painting Long Grass with Butterflies, also called Meadow in the Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital, is a view of an abandoned garden with tall unkempt grass and weeds on the asylum grounds. The work was made towards the end of his stay in Saint-Rémy.

1525_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

In the context of this artwork, explore the Long Grass with Butterflies of the Paintings made in Saint-Rémy.

London's National Gallery painting Long Grass with Butterflies, also called Meadow in the Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital, is a view of an abandoned garden with tall unkempt grass and weeds on the asylum grounds. The work was made towards the end of his stay in Saint-Rémy.

1526_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Focus on Butterflies (Van Gogh series) and explain the Lost Butterfly painting.

In 1888 Van Gogh also worked on a "study of dusty thistles, with an innumerable swarm of white and yellow butterflies," but the painting was lost.

1526_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Focus on this artwork and explain the Lost Butterfly painting.

In 1888 Van Gogh also worked on a "study of dusty thistles, with an innumerable swarm of white and yellow butterflies," but the painting was lost.

1527_T

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Explore the Paintings that include butterflies of this artwork, Butterflies (Van Gogh series).

Pink Peach Tree in Blossom (Reminiscence of Mauve) Vincent van Gogh

1527_NT

Butterflies (Van Gogh series)

Explore the Paintings that include butterflies of this artwork.

Pink Peach Tree in Blossom (Reminiscence of Mauve) Vincent van Gogh

1528_T

St. George (Raphael, Louvre)

Focus on St. George (Raphael, Louvre) and discuss the abstract.

St. George or St. George and the Dragon is a small painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, executed c. 1503-1505. It is housed in the Louvre in Paris. A later version of the same subject is the St. George in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

1528_NT

St. George (Raphael, Louvre)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.

St. George or St. George and the Dragon is a small painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, executed c. 1503-1505. It is housed in the Louvre in Paris. A later version of the same subject is the St. George in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

1529_T

St. George (Raphael, Louvre)

How does St. George (Raphael, Louvre) elucidate its History?

This painting and the equally small Saint Michael, also in the Louvre, are a pair. In the Mazarin Collection they were joined together, forming a diptych, and bound in leather. Louis XIV acquired them from Mazarin's heirs in 1661.Saint George has sometimes been ascribed to the artist's Roman period, because the horse resembles one of the horses of Monte Cavallo (the Quirinal Palace). However, Raphael could easily have known this particular horse from a drawing of it, done by one of Leonardo's pupils. To judge by the still somewhat naïve and Peruginesque style of the painting, it is really one of Raphael's early works, dating from about 1504. He did another painting of the same subject a little later (the mentioned panel in Washington D. C.), and towards the end of his life he painted a large Sant Michael which is also in the Louvre. Giovanni Lomazzo, in his Trattato della Pittura (1584), mentions a Saint George by Raphael, commissioned by the Duke of Urbino, which was painted on a little chess-board (tavoliere). According to the old catalogues the small Saint Michael, if not the saint George as well, had a draught-board on the back which is now covered over. Examination by means of X-rays and infrared has not confirmed this statement. In the abovementioned book, Lomazzo seems to have confused various pictures of the same subject. If one can rely to some extent on his late and somewhat muddled testimony, it is possible that the two paintings in the Louvre were painted for the Duke of Urbino. The Uffizi Gallery has a pen-and-wash cartoon for the Saint George (seen here below).

1529_NT

St. George (Raphael, Louvre)

How does this artwork elucidate its History?

This painting and the equally small Saint Michael, also in the Louvre, are a pair. In the Mazarin Collection they were joined together, forming a diptych, and bound in leather. Louis XIV acquired them from Mazarin's heirs in 1661.Saint George has sometimes been ascribed to the artist's Roman period, because the horse resembles one of the horses of Monte Cavallo (the Quirinal Palace). However, Raphael could easily have known this particular horse from a drawing of it, done by one of Leonardo's pupils. To judge by the still somewhat naïve and Peruginesque style of the painting, it is really one of Raphael's early works, dating from about 1504. He did another painting of the same subject a little later (the mentioned panel in Washington D. C.), and towards the end of his life he painted a large Sant Michael which is also in the Louvre. Giovanni Lomazzo, in his Trattato della Pittura (1584), mentions a Saint George by Raphael, commissioned by the Duke of Urbino, which was painted on a little chess-board (tavoliere). According to the old catalogues the small Saint Michael, if not the saint George as well, had a draught-board on the back which is now covered over. Examination by means of X-rays and infrared has not confirmed this statement. In the abovementioned book, Lomazzo seems to have confused various pictures of the same subject. If one can rely to some extent on his late and somewhat muddled testimony, it is possible that the two paintings in the Louvre were painted for the Duke of Urbino. The Uffizi Gallery has a pen-and-wash cartoon for the Saint George (seen here below).

1530_T

Entrance to a Forest

Focus on Entrance to a Forest and analyze the abstract.

Entrance to a Forest is a 1660s landscape painting by the Dutch artist Jacob van Ruisdael. It today belongs to the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Mulhouse, France. Its inventory number is D.58.1.82.The painting is catalogued as number 384 in the complete catalogue established by Seymour Slive in 2001. Slive describes it as "now obscured by dark, yellowed varnish and grime"; it has been cleaned up since.

1530_NT

Entrance to a Forest

Focus on this artwork and analyze the abstract.

Entrance to a Forest is a 1660s landscape painting by the Dutch artist Jacob van Ruisdael. It today belongs to the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Mulhouse, France. Its inventory number is D.58.1.82.The painting is catalogued as number 384 in the complete catalogue established by Seymour Slive in 2001. Slive describes it as "now obscured by dark, yellowed varnish and grime"; it has been cleaned up since.

1531_T

Delirious Hem

In Delirious Hem, how is the abstract discussed?

Delirious Hem is a 1995 painting by Ellen Gallagher. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York, New York in the United States.

1531_NT

Delirious Hem

In this artwork, how is the abstract discussed?

Delirious Hem is a 1995 painting by Ellen Gallagher. It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York, New York in the United States.

1532_T

Delirious Hem

Focus on Delirious Hem and explore the Description.

A part of Gallagher's first major body of work, Delirious Hem comprises pieces of paper glued to a canvas with five penmanship paper sets glued on top. Dispersed around the canvas are numerous groups of tiny human lips that represent minstrel shows and the stereotypes they perpetuate about African Americans. Gallagher has signed the back of the piece, on the backboard. The inscription reads: "Ellen Gallagher 1995".

1532_NT

Delirious Hem

Focus on this artwork and explore the Description.

A part of Gallagher's first major body of work, Delirious Hem comprises pieces of paper glued to a canvas with five penmanship paper sets glued on top. Dispersed around the canvas are numerous groups of tiny human lips that represent minstrel shows and the stereotypes they perpetuate about African Americans. Gallagher has signed the back of the piece, on the backboard. The inscription reads: "Ellen Gallagher 1995".

1533_T

Delirious Hem

Focus on Delirious Hem and explain the History.

This painting debuted at Gallapher's seminal solo exhibition at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York City in 1996. It was then sold to Norman Dubrow in 1996, who in turn donated it to the museum in 2010. Since acquiring it, the piece has traveled internationally for the Tate Modern curated exhibition "Ellen Gallagher: AxME." It traveled to the Tate in 2013, the Sara Hildén Art Museum in 2013–14, and the Haus der Kunst in 2014.

1533_NT

Delirious Hem

Focus on this artwork and explain the History.

This painting debuted at Gallapher's seminal solo exhibition at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York City in 1996. It was then sold to Norman Dubrow in 1996, who in turn donated it to the museum in 2010. Since acquiring it, the piece has traveled internationally for the Tate Modern curated exhibition "Ellen Gallagher: AxME." It traveled to the Tate in 2013, the Sara Hildén Art Museum in 2013–14, and the Haus der Kunst in 2014.

1534_T

Hara (sculpture)

Explore the abstract of this artwork, Hara (sculpture).

Hara is a public art work by American artist Deborah Butterfield located at the Lynden Sculpture Garden near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The sculpture is in the form of horse; it is installed on the lawn.

1534_NT

Hara (sculpture)

Explore the abstract of this artwork.

Hara is a public art work by American artist Deborah Butterfield located at the Lynden Sculpture Garden near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The sculpture is in the form of horse; it is installed on the lawn.

1535_T

Madonnina (statue)

Focus on Madonnina (statue) and discuss the abstract.

The Madonnina (Italian: [madonˈniːna], Lombard: [maduˈniːna]) is a statue of the Virgin Mary atop Milan Cathedral in Italy. The Madonnina spire or guglia del tiburio ("lantern spire"), one of the main features of the cathedral, was erected in 1762 at the height of 108.5 m (356 ft), as designed by Francesco Croce. At the top of the spire is the polychrome Madonnina statue, designed and built by Giuseppe Perego in 1774, during the episcopacy of Giuseppe Pozzobonelli who supported the idea to place the Madonnina at the top of the Cathedral. By tradition, no building in Milan is higher than the Madonnina. When Gio Ponti's Pirelli Building was being built in the late 1950s, at a height of 127.1 m (417 ft), a smaller replica of the Madonnina was placed atop the Pirelli building, so the new Madonnina remains the tallest point in Milan. In 2010 another replica was placed as well on the top of the Palazzo Lombardia, at a height of 161 m (528 ft), being then the tallest building in the city. In 2015 still another replica was placed atop the Allianz Tower so that the Madonnina still occupies the highest roof in the city, now at 209 m (686 ft).The Madonnina is the subject of the most traditional Milanese song, O mia bella Madonnina. The Derby della Madonnina named after it is the local rivalry between the city's two football clubs A.C. Milan and Inter Milan.

1535_NT

Madonnina (statue)

Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.

The Madonnina (Italian: [madonˈniːna], Lombard: [maduˈniːna]) is a statue of the Virgin Mary atop Milan Cathedral in Italy. The Madonnina spire or guglia del tiburio ("lantern spire"), one of the main features of the cathedral, was erected in 1762 at the height of 108.5 m (356 ft), as designed by Francesco Croce. At the top of the spire is the polychrome Madonnina statue, designed and built by Giuseppe Perego in 1774, during the episcopacy of Giuseppe Pozzobonelli who supported the idea to place the Madonnina at the top of the Cathedral. By tradition, no building in Milan is higher than the Madonnina. When Gio Ponti's Pirelli Building was being built in the late 1950s, at a height of 127.1 m (417 ft), a smaller replica of the Madonnina was placed atop the Pirelli building, so the new Madonnina remains the tallest point in Milan. In 2010 another replica was placed as well on the top of the Palazzo Lombardia, at a height of 161 m (528 ft), being then the tallest building in the city. In 2015 still another replica was placed atop the Allianz Tower so that the Madonnina still occupies the highest roof in the city, now at 209 m (686 ft).The Madonnina is the subject of the most traditional Milanese song, O mia bella Madonnina. The Derby della Madonnina named after it is the local rivalry between the city's two football clubs A.C. Milan and Inter Milan.

1536_T

Lady in Green Jacket

How does Lady in Green Jacket elucidate its abstract?

Lady in Green Jacket is an oil-on-canvas painting by German artist August Macke, executed in 1913. It is held in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

1536_NT

Lady in Green Jacket

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

Lady in Green Jacket is an oil-on-canvas painting by German artist August Macke, executed in 1913. It is held in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

1537_T

Eve, the Serpent and Death

Focus on Eve, the Serpent and Death and analyze the abstract.

Eve, the Serpent and Death (or Eve, the Serpent, and Adam as Death) is a painting by the German Renaissance artist Hans Baldung, housed in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. The date of the painting is debated, with proposals ranging from the early 1510s to between 1525 and 1530. Its four main elements are the biblical Eve, a male figure personifying Death and generally likened to Adam, a serpent, and a tree trunk.

1537_NT

Eve, the Serpent and Death

Focus on this artwork and analyze the abstract.

Eve, the Serpent and Death (or Eve, the Serpent, and Adam as Death) is a painting by the German Renaissance artist Hans Baldung, housed in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. The date of the painting is debated, with proposals ranging from the early 1510s to between 1525 and 1530. Its four main elements are the biblical Eve, a male figure personifying Death and generally likened to Adam, a serpent, and a tree trunk.

1538_T

Eve, the Serpent and Death

In Eve, the Serpent and Death, how is the History discussed?

The painting was in the collection of British politician William Angerstein before being auctioned in 1875 at Christie's as a work of Lucas Cranach the Elder, though in fact the work offers a great contrast to Cranach's many Adam and Eves, from which only the pose of Eve is borrowed. Almost a century later, it was determined to be a Baldung work by the Scottish branch of Sotheby's, where it was auctioned in 1969. The buyer sold it to the National Gallery of Canada of Ottawa in 1972, where it has since been cleaned and restored.

1538_NT

Eve, the Serpent and Death

In this artwork, how is the History discussed?

The painting was in the collection of British politician William Angerstein before being auctioned in 1875 at Christie's as a work of Lucas Cranach the Elder, though in fact the work offers a great contrast to Cranach's many Adam and Eves, from which only the pose of Eve is borrowed. Almost a century later, it was determined to be a Baldung work by the Scottish branch of Sotheby's, where it was auctioned in 1969. The buyer sold it to the National Gallery of Canada of Ottawa in 1972, where it has since been cleaned and restored.

1539_T

Eve, the Serpent and Death

Focus on Eve, the Serpent and Death and explore the Description.

Baldung treated the Fall in a number of woodcuts and paintings, which he signifies by the apple and the bite of the serpent; his iconography is often as original and arresting as in this work. In this panel, the bodies are grand in scale and fill essentially the entire space, and pale foreground colors are used against a dark background. The main elements are intertwined; the serpent is coiled around the tree trunk and also around Death, who he holds to the tree. Death's right arm extends upward to grasp the apple. The serpent, which has red eyes and a weasel-like head, closes its jaws around the wrist of Death's left arm, which is at the same time grasping the left arm of Eve. Eve's left hand holds part of the serpent's tail, while her right hand holds an apple behind her back. Among Baldung's treatments of the Fall, the new element in Eve, the Serpent and Death is the active role of the snake; Adam's decrepit condition, halfway between nude and skeleton, suggests the work of poison, as if from the serpent, and the snake's grip on Adam recalls the biting of the apple in the Fall. The apple that each of the figures holds is the symbolic origin of the present scene, in which "everything is dependent on and implicated in everything else".In the background is a dense forest while two more tree trunks, slim, angled, and parallel, occupy the middle ground. A marguerite, probably an oxeye daisy, sits at the roots of the main tree trunk, in front of Death's right heel.

1539_NT

Eve, the Serpent and Death

Focus on this artwork and explore the Description.

Baldung treated the Fall in a number of woodcuts and paintings, which he signifies by the apple and the bite of the serpent; his iconography is often as original and arresting as in this work. In this panel, the bodies are grand in scale and fill essentially the entire space, and pale foreground colors are used against a dark background. The main elements are intertwined; the serpent is coiled around the tree trunk and also around Death, who he holds to the tree. Death's right arm extends upward to grasp the apple. The serpent, which has red eyes and a weasel-like head, closes its jaws around the wrist of Death's left arm, which is at the same time grasping the left arm of Eve. Eve's left hand holds part of the serpent's tail, while her right hand holds an apple behind her back. Among Baldung's treatments of the Fall, the new element in Eve, the Serpent and Death is the active role of the snake; Adam's decrepit condition, halfway between nude and skeleton, suggests the work of poison, as if from the serpent, and the snake's grip on Adam recalls the biting of the apple in the Fall. The apple that each of the figures holds is the symbolic origin of the present scene, in which "everything is dependent on and implicated in everything else".In the background is a dense forest while two more tree trunks, slim, angled, and parallel, occupy the middle ground. A marguerite, probably an oxeye daisy, sits at the roots of the main tree trunk, in front of Death's right heel.

1540_T

Droving into the light

Focus on Droving into the light and explain the abstract.

Droving Into the Light, originally titled Into the Light, is a 1921 painting by renowned Australian artist Hans Heysen. The painting was composed over a period of seven years from 1914 to 1921. It is part of the collection of the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth.

1540_NT

Droving into the light

Focus on this artwork and explain the abstract.

Droving Into the Light, originally titled Into the Light, is a 1921 painting by renowned Australian artist Hans Heysen. The painting was composed over a period of seven years from 1914 to 1921. It is part of the collection of the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth.

1541_T

Droving into the light

Explore the Description of this artwork, Droving into the light.

The painting notably deviates from Heysen's well known use of water colour as an oil painting on canvas. It depicts a drover, an Australian term for a person who moves livestock over long distances, transporting sheep along a road which appears to lead down a gradual incline. The vast, sunbathed landscape presented in the background of the artwork is likely inspired by the nature of the countryside of the Adelaide Hills, an area 28 kilometres (17 mi) south east of South Australia's capital city Adelaide. Heysen resided for the majority of his life in this area in the small town of Hahndorf, thus receiving the inspiration for Droving Into the Light and his other works, most of which depict this natural landscape in some way.Essential to the composition of the artwork are the salient eucalyptus trees, which became a prominent symbol of Heysen's oeuvre throughout the course of his career. Of note in Droving Into the Light specifically is the large river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), which was an afterthought of Heysen's that intended to bring the fine elements of the work together in the later period of its composition:... I realised the weakness of the composition and repainted portions, introducing the large central Red Gum. This helped to bind the two sides and made a great improvement, materially enhancing the whole conception.

1541_NT

Droving into the light

Explore the Description of this artwork.

The painting notably deviates from Heysen's well known use of water colour as an oil painting on canvas. It depicts a drover, an Australian term for a person who moves livestock over long distances, transporting sheep along a road which appears to lead down a gradual incline. The vast, sunbathed landscape presented in the background of the artwork is likely inspired by the nature of the countryside of the Adelaide Hills, an area 28 kilometres (17 mi) south east of South Australia's capital city Adelaide. Heysen resided for the majority of his life in this area in the small town of Hahndorf, thus receiving the inspiration for Droving Into the Light and his other works, most of which depict this natural landscape in some way.Essential to the composition of the artwork are the salient eucalyptus trees, which became a prominent symbol of Heysen's oeuvre throughout the course of his career. Of note in Droving Into the Light specifically is the large river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), which was an afterthought of Heysen's that intended to bring the fine elements of the work together in the later period of its composition:... I realised the weakness of the composition and repainted portions, introducing the large central Red Gum. This helped to bind the two sides and made a great improvement, materially enhancing the whole conception.

1542_T

Droving into the light

In the context of Droving into the light, discuss the Use of Light of the Description.

The painting is acclaimed for its use of light and the interaction of the sun with the landscape and the trees which cover the drover and his sheep. It has been described as "Heysen’s most successful use of light in all his eucalyptus paintings in oil." Heysen's use of oil paints allow for a stark contrast between the light bathing the verdant landscape in the background and the shadowed behinds of the trees facing the sun. These fissures of light between the shadows of the trees from the bright sun in the distance are what gives the viewer a sense of being on a journey with the drover, his sheep, and sheepdog, creating a "complex play of dynamic compositional elements which rescue it from potential banality" as described by Tracy Lock-Weir for the painting's exhibition in the National Gallery of Australia. An identifying motif of Heysen's work and one which is salient in Droving into the Light, the eponymous light inspires and shapes Heysen's oeuvre and the emotion he endeavored to capture in his works: "It’s a great life to feel you can open your lungs, swing your arms and shout whenever you like on a hilltop flooded in sunshine…". Thus the painting serves as a culmination of Heysen's fascination with light, "the sun ... its light and warmth ... is my religion". This fascination wasborn on his return to Adelaide from Europe in 1903. Sailing in Gulf St Vincent off the southern coast of Australia, he reported that Australian light "was like a slap in the face"; profoundly changing his attitude towards art and the vision he had for his future compositions.

1542_NT

Droving into the light

In the context of this artwork, discuss the Use of Light of the Description.

The painting is acclaimed for its use of light and the interaction of the sun with the landscape and the trees which cover the drover and his sheep. It has been described as "Heysen’s most successful use of light in all his eucalyptus paintings in oil." Heysen's use of oil paints allow for a stark contrast between the light bathing the verdant landscape in the background and the shadowed behinds of the trees facing the sun. These fissures of light between the shadows of the trees from the bright sun in the distance are what gives the viewer a sense of being on a journey with the drover, his sheep, and sheepdog, creating a "complex play of dynamic compositional elements which rescue it from potential banality" as described by Tracy Lock-Weir for the painting's exhibition in the National Gallery of Australia. An identifying motif of Heysen's work and one which is salient in Droving into the Light, the eponymous light inspires and shapes Heysen's oeuvre and the emotion he endeavored to capture in his works: "It’s a great life to feel you can open your lungs, swing your arms and shout whenever you like on a hilltop flooded in sunshine…". Thus the painting serves as a culmination of Heysen's fascination with light, "the sun ... its light and warmth ... is my religion". This fascination wasborn on his return to Adelaide from Europe in 1903. Sailing in Gulf St Vincent off the southern coast of Australia, he reported that Australian light "was like a slap in the face"; profoundly changing his attitude towards art and the vision he had for his future compositions.

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Droving into the light

How does Droving into the light elucidate its Significance?

The content of all of Hans Heysen's art and certainly to a great extent Droving Into the Light concerns itself largely with the Australian identity and pride of the Australian nation. A German born artist, Heysen moved with his family to Australia in July 1884, aged only six. He came to fall in love with his new home of South Australia, its nature and lifestyle, which defined the majority of his life, playing a major role in his artistic inspiration.Due to the pride Heysen held for his nation of Australia, it is known that he channelled this passion into his painting, and this is evident within Droving Into the Light through the statement it makes about Australia and the shaping of its history. His use of nationalistic symbols and motifs such as the drover and the river red gum trees works to create a perennial representation of Federation Australia. Composed in a period which defined the Australian identity, mainly due to the events of World War I, Droving Into the Light is considered as a symbol of Australia's Federation period. Hans Heysen’s landscapes were ground breaking in their time and helped the way we view the Australian landscape. Heysen made the monumental gum tree a hero of his nationalistic Federation-period pieces Droving Into the Light has influenced the works of other Australian artists and writers, including Kim Scott and his ekphrasis of the painting in his short story Into the Light. The symbolic use of light within the painting serves as the inspiration for Scott's story, also set in a grand Australian landscape. Nathanael Pree's analysis of the painting's details for the purpose of studying Scott's ekphrasis further expose the meaningful contrasts within Droving Into the Light that represent the condition of life in young federation Australia; the faceless man hunched over the horse, the black dog that follows, elements which "inform the work as much as the promised light ahead."Thus, the painting can be considered symbolic of a journey, the journey on which Australians found themselves on in discovering their national identity, and one which inspired such works as that of Kim Scott, proving its significance to Australian history.

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Droving into the light

How does this artwork elucidate its Significance?

The content of all of Hans Heysen's art and certainly to a great extent Droving Into the Light concerns itself largely with the Australian identity and pride of the Australian nation. A German born artist, Heysen moved with his family to Australia in July 1884, aged only six. He came to fall in love with his new home of South Australia, its nature and lifestyle, which defined the majority of his life, playing a major role in his artistic inspiration.Due to the pride Heysen held for his nation of Australia, it is known that he channelled this passion into his painting, and this is evident within Droving Into the Light through the statement it makes about Australia and the shaping of its history. His use of nationalistic symbols and motifs such as the drover and the river red gum trees works to create a perennial representation of Federation Australia. Composed in a period which defined the Australian identity, mainly due to the events of World War I, Droving Into the Light is considered as a symbol of Australia's Federation period. Hans Heysen’s landscapes were ground breaking in their time and helped the way we view the Australian landscape. Heysen made the monumental gum tree a hero of his nationalistic Federation-period pieces Droving Into the Light has influenced the works of other Australian artists and writers, including Kim Scott and his ekphrasis of the painting in his short story Into the Light. The symbolic use of light within the painting serves as the inspiration for Scott's story, also set in a grand Australian landscape. Nathanael Pree's analysis of the painting's details for the purpose of studying Scott's ekphrasis further expose the meaningful contrasts within Droving Into the Light that represent the condition of life in young federation Australia; the faceless man hunched over the horse, the black dog that follows, elements which "inform the work as much as the promised light ahead."Thus, the painting can be considered symbolic of a journey, the journey on which Australians found themselves on in discovering their national identity, and one which inspired such works as that of Kim Scott, proving its significance to Australian history.

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Droving into the light

Focus on Droving into the light and analyze the Conception.

The painting's development over seven years from 1914 to 1921 can be largely attributed to the disruptions of World War I, which Heysen described as "madness" and "a stupid and terrible thing,". This caused Heysen considerable depression and confusion especially due to his birthplace in Germany, considered by Australians at the time as the antagonist. The attitude of the time caused hateful judgments within people and thus created tension between Heysen and his community, causing him to connect on a deeper emotional level with his passion for art, and was likely a reason he took pride in compositions which represented the grand landscapes of Australia, the country he was always grateful to live in. As time passed, this period only grew Heysen's artistic maturity and caused him to add the aforementioned changes of the river red gum. During these tumultuous years, his passion for painting the Australian landscape only grew and confirmed his identity as strictly Australian, notably eschewing the use of blues and greens that were associated with his European counterparts and focusing more on the warm colours that are present in Droving Into the Light. Heysen used the Australian outback and the scenes of grand nature near his residence as an escape from the hardships caused by the time, immersing himself in his paintings to distract himself from the threats posed by the war. It is for this reason that it is said Heysen's paintings, particularly Droving into the Light, with its intense focus on light interacting with a captivating Australian landscape, create an emotional response within viewers that perfectly mimics the feelings of facing Australia's landscapes. This aligns with Heysen's attitude towards his compositions and art in general, one which permeates Droving into the Light and the rest of his paintings:I am only trying to paint as truthfully as I can and that which my eyes see and perhaps what I unconsciously feel. Truth to nature after all is the goal but truth interpreted through temperament – it all seems to become more precious and beautiful the older one grows – and more wonderful. We are given all these marvellous gifts and yet what proportion of mankind really understands and appreciates that which we can have for nothing.

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Droving into the light

Focus on this artwork and analyze the Conception.

The painting's development over seven years from 1914 to 1921 can be largely attributed to the disruptions of World War I, which Heysen described as "madness" and "a stupid and terrible thing,". This caused Heysen considerable depression and confusion especially due to his birthplace in Germany, considered by Australians at the time as the antagonist. The attitude of the time caused hateful judgments within people and thus created tension between Heysen and his community, causing him to connect on a deeper emotional level with his passion for art, and was likely a reason he took pride in compositions which represented the grand landscapes of Australia, the country he was always grateful to live in. As time passed, this period only grew Heysen's artistic maturity and caused him to add the aforementioned changes of the river red gum. During these tumultuous years, his passion for painting the Australian landscape only grew and confirmed his identity as strictly Australian, notably eschewing the use of blues and greens that were associated with his European counterparts and focusing more on the warm colours that are present in Droving Into the Light. Heysen used the Australian outback and the scenes of grand nature near his residence as an escape from the hardships caused by the time, immersing himself in his paintings to distract himself from the threats posed by the war. It is for this reason that it is said Heysen's paintings, particularly Droving into the Light, with its intense focus on light interacting with a captivating Australian landscape, create an emotional response within viewers that perfectly mimics the feelings of facing Australia's landscapes. This aligns with Heysen's attitude towards his compositions and art in general, one which permeates Droving into the Light and the rest of his paintings:I am only trying to paint as truthfully as I can and that which my eyes see and perhaps what I unconsciously feel. Truth to nature after all is the goal but truth interpreted through temperament – it all seems to become more precious and beautiful the older one grows – and more wonderful. We are given all these marvellous gifts and yet what proportion of mankind really understands and appreciates that which we can have for nothing.

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The Black Duchess

In The Black Duchess, how is the abstract discussed?

The Black Duchess (also Mourning Portrait of the Duchess of Alba or simply Portrait of the Duchess of Alba) is a 1797 oil-on-canvas painting by Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The subject of the painting is María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba, then 35 years old. It is a companion piece to the more chaste The White Duchess, completed two years earlier. The painting is normally kept in New York, where it forms part of the collection of the Hispanic Society of America.

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The Black Duchess

In this artwork, how is the abstract discussed?

The Black Duchess (also Mourning Portrait of the Duchess of Alba or simply Portrait of the Duchess of Alba) is a 1797 oil-on-canvas painting by Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The subject of the painting is María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba, then 35 years old. It is a companion piece to the more chaste The White Duchess, completed two years earlier. The painting is normally kept in New York, where it forms part of the collection of the Hispanic Society of America.

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The Black Duchess

Focus on The Black Duchess and explore the About.

The Portrait of the Duchess of Alba was painted in 1797 by Spanish painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. It is among a number of works by Goya representing María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba. At the time the work was created, she was thirty-five years old. She is pointing to the ground, where the words "solo Goya" are lightly engraved. She is wearing two rings, one engraved with the word "Alba", the other engraved with "Goya". The inscription of the word "solo" was initially hidden, but after the painting was restored the word was revealed.Her husband, José died in 1796. She retreated to a residence in Andalusia for a period of mourning. Goya followed and created numerous paintings and sketches of the duchess during her stay. There is an anecdote that one day, the duchess walked into Goya's studio and requested that he put on the duchess' makeup, then create a painting for her, which he did.

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The Black Duchess

Focus on this artwork and explore the About.

The Portrait of the Duchess of Alba was painted in 1797 by Spanish painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes. It is among a number of works by Goya representing María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba. At the time the work was created, she was thirty-five years old. She is pointing to the ground, where the words "solo Goya" are lightly engraved. She is wearing two rings, one engraved with the word "Alba", the other engraved with "Goya". The inscription of the word "solo" was initially hidden, but after the painting was restored the word was revealed.Her husband, José died in 1796. She retreated to a residence in Andalusia for a period of mourning. Goya followed and created numerous paintings and sketches of the duchess during her stay. There is an anecdote that one day, the duchess walked into Goya's studio and requested that he put on the duchess' makeup, then create a painting for her, which he did.

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The Black Duchess

Focus on The Black Duchess and explain the Clothing.

The Duchess' choice of black for her mantilla and skirt reflects the fact that she was in mourning for her husband. She is dressed in maja style associated with lower social classes. She may have agreed to this depiction in the expectation that it would show her as a "woman of the people". However, the background appears to show one of her estates.

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The Black Duchess

Focus on this artwork and explain the Clothing.

The Duchess' choice of black for her mantilla and skirt reflects the fact that she was in mourning for her husband. She is dressed in maja style associated with lower social classes. She may have agreed to this depiction in the expectation that it would show her as a "woman of the people". However, the background appears to show one of her estates.

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The Black Duchess

Explore the Ownership of this artwork, The Black Duchess.

While the Black Duchess may have been done at the subject's request, at the time of her death it remained in the possession of the artist. It was sold by Goya's son Javier and had various owners before being acquired in 1906 by Archer Milton Huntington and moved to the USA. It was presented to the Hispanic Society by Huntington in 1907, and has remained there. In 2023 it was shown at the Royal Academy, London.

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The Black Duchess

Explore the Ownership of this artwork.

While the Black Duchess may have been done at the subject's request, at the time of her death it remained in the possession of the artist. It was sold by Goya's son Javier and had various owners before being acquired in 1906 by Archer Milton Huntington and moved to the USA. It was presented to the Hispanic Society by Huntington in 1907, and has remained there. In 2023 it was shown at the Royal Academy, London.

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The Black Duchess

Focus on The Black Duchess and discuss the Media Portrayals.

The film Goya en Burdeos (1999) explores the painter's relationship with the Duchess. The film won Pierre-Louis Thévenet the Goya Award for Best Art Direction at the 14th Goya Awards. It references various works by Goya. There is a scene in which the Duchess, played by Maribel Verdú, is painted in a pose reminiscent of the Black Duchess, her costume featuring a black mantilla. In another scene, she appears nude in a pose reminiscent of La maja desnuda. While a number of people, including Carlos Saura the film's director and writer, have made the assumption that the Goya and the Duchess were lovers, the opinion that she was the model for La maja desnuda is a minority one. An alternative candidate is Pepita Tudó who was portrayed by Penélope Cruz in another 1999 film Volavérunt.

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The Black Duchess

Focus on this artwork and discuss the Media Portrayals.

The film Goya en Burdeos (1999) explores the painter's relationship with the Duchess. The film won Pierre-Louis Thévenet the Goya Award for Best Art Direction at the 14th Goya Awards. It references various works by Goya. There is a scene in which the Duchess, played by Maribel Verdú, is painted in a pose reminiscent of the Black Duchess, her costume featuring a black mantilla. In another scene, she appears nude in a pose reminiscent of La maja desnuda. While a number of people, including Carlos Saura the film's director and writer, have made the assumption that the Goya and the Duchess were lovers, the opinion that she was the model for La maja desnuda is a minority one. An alternative candidate is Pepita Tudó who was portrayed by Penélope Cruz in another 1999 film Volavérunt.

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Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints

How does Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints elucidate its abstract?

The Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints is a triptych painting in tempera and gold leaf on panel (159x198 cm) by Agnolo Gaddi. It is dated 1375 and preserved in the Galleria nazionale di Parma.

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Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints

How does this artwork elucidate its abstract?

The Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints is a triptych painting in tempera and gold leaf on panel (159x198 cm) by Agnolo Gaddi. It is dated 1375 and preserved in the Galleria nazionale di Parma.