art history – Veronica Winters Painting

Tag: art history

The Eleusinian Mysteries: A Window into the History of Mystery Religions and Ancient Spirituality

Posted on December 10, 2024December 17, 2024 by veronica

Delve into the enigmatic world of the Eleusinian Mysteries! This video explores the ancient Greek rituals, their connection to the cult of Demeter and Persephone, and the potential role of psychedelic substances like the “kykeon” in inducing altered states of consciousness. We’ll examine the archaeological evidence, historical accounts, and philosophical interpretations of these sacred rites, uncovering the mysteries surrounding death, rebirth, and the pursuit of esoteric knowledge in ancient Greece Although the use of psychedelics is a forbidden topic in our society, ancient cultures have used them for centuries. Join me as I dive deep into the secrets of Demeter’s ancient cult, sacred space and architecture in Eleusis!

Video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/RFUU8yxs5yU

To see pictures of the place and read more: https://veronicasart.com/what-lies-beneath-demeters-ancient-cult-of-eleusinian-mysteries-psychedelics-death-god/

Subscribe & rate this podcast on Spotify and Apple | Show your support for the podcast: here | Host: Veronica Winters, MFA | veronicasart.com

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What is the color white in life & art history?

Posted on April 7, 2024December 21, 2024 by veronica

Canova-Napoleons sister-closeup of feet-Borghese gallery -blog

What is the color white? Is it the titanium white in oil painting? Or is it the color of your skin, feather, cream, silk, snow, kitty, pearls, chess, lace, car, flowers, crystals, swans, wall paint, clouds and the moon? Or is it the white of a happy smile, hope, or the light of your soul? Is it the blinding sunlight, the whiteness of an angel’s wings or purity and innocence of a child?
It seems that white represents no color. Yet, it means so much to us. The bride’s wedding gown. The white glow of the sublime. The ethereal beauty of a white Greco-Roman marble sculpture. White light. White face. White lilies. White room. White staircase. White dove. White snow. It’s either a clean start or cold emptiness. We see unity in the symbolism of white across many cultures but not all. White can mean either a wedding or a funeral.

Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mMMiPF6OpQY

Technically, white isn’t a specific “color” like red or blue. When all the wavelengths of visible light are present and reflected by an object, we perceive it as white. In simpler terms, white is “all colors of the rainbow combined.”

Ai-generated female face in neutral white hue.

What is the color white technically?

The color spectrum & white

Rainbow. What is the color white? | photo: Veronica Winters

All the colors we see exist on the visible light spectrum, a range of wavelengths our eyes can perceive. Each color corresponds to a specific wavelength of light. White is an achromatic color, which means it lacks a “hue.” White light is “all colors combined.” ( We perceive black when an object absorbs all wavelengths of light instead of reflecting them. An opposite to white, black is the absence of reflected light).

What is the color white? | photo: Veronica Winters

What is the color white in oil & acrylic painting?

Closeup of a white gown and metal from the Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection

While prehistoric art got created with a white chalk made of the mineral calcite, white oil paint has a different composition and history. In oil painting, the ideal opaque white is neither warm nor cool. For generations artists painted with lead white until the 19th century when everything changed. Companies began to mass-produce art supplies including watercolor and oil paint. No more hand-grinding of pigments!

White comes from substances like titanium dioxide, lead carbonate, calcite or zinc oxide. Zinc white has zinc pigments. Flake white is a softer, warmer white that used to have lead in it. Flake white is found in early Chinese painting. Kremnitz white, Venetian white, French white and Dutch white were also based on lead carbonate and lead hydroxide. Flemish white is based on lead sulfate. Cool color, the Titanium white is the strongest and most opaque white used by most contemporary artists today. A vast majority of the manufactured white pigments don’t have toxic lead in them. However, such paint is a lot more brittle and susceptible to the environmental changes, especially if it’s mixed with the safflower oil and not the linseed oil.

**Symphony in White, No. 2: The Little White Girl 1864, James Abbott McNeill Whistler,** 1834-1903, oil on canvas, Bequeathed by Arthur Studd 1919, © Photo: Tate http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03418 CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 (Unported).
In this painting the artist painted his mistress wearing an airy white dress – Jo Hiffernan with whom he lived for a decade. “The Little White Girl” is one of three Whistler paintings known as “Symphonies in White.” Out of three paintings, I think this one is the most successful because the woman looks real and the white gown is also beautifully painted.
Joyce H. Townsend, Senior Conservation Scientist, Tate, London, and honorary professor in the School of Culture and Creative Arts, University of Glasgow wrote about her experience of seeing te shades of white when old, lemon-yellow varnish got removed in 2021. This varnish removal revealed a range of beautiful, soft whites Whistler painted in the dress that included crimson red lake, red ochre, yellow ochre, blue ultramarine, and bone black, painted over a thinner layer of dark gray for the grate according to the conservation scientist. As you can see this range of whites got painted to capture the surrounding colors of the model cast from the pink flowers, blue vase and fireplace.

Detail of “The Little White Girl” showing how Whistler painted Hiffernan’s skin over the dress’s white fabric. © Tate, London | image taken from https://www.nga.gov/blog/how-whistler-painted-white-in-full-color.html

James McNeill Whistler -symphony in white, no1 the_white girl-Smithsonian-blog what is color white — James McNeill Whistler, Symphony in white, no.1, 1861-1863, 1872, the White Girl at the Smithsonian. 213 x 107.9 cm (83 7/8 x 42 1/2 in.), oil on canvas.
All three paintings were influenced by the Japanese art as the country opened itself in the 19th century. Just like the Impressionists, Whistler took the unusual elements of the Japanese woodblock printing to stylize his art. Artists borrowed cropping, the point of view, flatness of space and emphasis on patterns of color.

James McNeill Whistler -symphony in white, no1 the_white girl-Smithsonian-closeup-blog what is color white — James McNeill Whistler, Symphony in white, no.1, 1861-1863, 1872, the White Girl at the Smithsonian. 213 x 107.9 cm (83 7/8 x 42 1/2 in.), oil on canvas.

A modern invention, acrylic white is a chemical-based paint that’s made of pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. It’s also made of plasticizers, silicone oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps. Unlike oils, it’s water-based and dries super quickly. Used in house painting, acrylic paint dries to be water-resistant. Some artists love painting with acrylics while others don’t. Unique properties of each paint fit different creative personalities.

statue torso of river-the palatine museum-rome-blog — “Torso of river” statue fragment at the Palatine museum in Rome | Photo: Veronica Winters

What are the shades of white?

Duomo di Bergamo cathedral rose window wall. Near Milan, Italy. | look at all these shades of white! I absolutely love the use of color marble here. Also there are several different patterns and textures that describe the ornamentation of this cathedral. Beautiful!

While most people don’t think of white having shades, artists and creatives perceive a wide range of subtle variations of white while creating their art. Normally, we don’t see the difference between the shades of white unless we chose a wall paint in a hardware store or look at the neatly stacked rows of clothes in a shop.

Shades of white seen in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain

White should be neutral but it’s often either warm or cool. Warm whites have a hint of yellow to create a sense of warmth and coziness. Ivory, eggshell, cream, antique white, vanilla, and beige are the shades of warm white.

Bernini, Apollo and Daphne-details 1625 — Bernini, Apollo and Daphne, closeup of fabric and hand, 1625, Rome, Italy. This white marble has a warm tone because of warm light.

The dodge’s palace in Venice, Italy. Here the white marble has a warm cast on the left side and a bluish color on the right.

Neutral color of the white snow in Russia.

Cool whites have a bluish-grey undertone giving a sense of timeless airy feel. Alabaster, pearl, white smoke and snow come to mind describing cool whites. But not all snow scenes are created equal. Some snow scenes have warm, yellowish color and bluish shadows seen under the sun.

Shades of white could also lean towards a specific color like pink, peach or green. Seashell white is a soft, pinkish-white reminiscent of the delicate hues of seashells.

The crystal white tiara could literally be any color of the light projected onto it. Here it ranges from a purplish white to warm white.

One of my favorite artists is John Singer Sargent. I love his use of bold brushstrokes, color and richness of paint he achieved in his large-scale canvases.

John Singer_Sargent_Lady_Agnew Scottish National Gallery — John Singer Sargent, *Lady Agnew of Lochnaw* (1864-1932), 1892, 127.00 x 101.00 cm, oil on canvas, National Galleries of Scotland.https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/5396/0?overlay=download
I’ve seen this painting hanging at the entrance to the art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. The artist painted ultra wealthy individuals and often participated in the arrangement and choice of gowns on his models. According to the museum’s notes, living a lavish lifestyle, Gertrude had to sell several paintings including this one to the National Gallery of Scotland in 1925!

Regardless, I love how fluid and beautiful the white fabric is here. Look at all these shades of white!

John Singer Sargent, *Lady Agnew of Lochnaw* (1864-1932), a closeup of the painting revealing beautiful shades of white shifting from warm to neutral to cool white.

Sir Frederic Leighton, Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna), Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 31 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (80 x 52.1 cm), 1859, Philadelphia Museum of Art
While her face appears artificial lacking life and character I love how the artist painted all these different white garments! They range from neutral white in her robe to a warm white of silk cover to a pinkish white skirt. Also, a single string of white pearls matches the warmth of the silk. The background has some white elements that are greyed down and subdued to bring the figure forward.

Sir Frederic Leighton, Portrait of a Roman Lady (La Nanna), Oil on canvas Dimensions: 31 1/2 x 20 1/2 inches (80 x 52.1 cm), 1859, Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Symbolism of White across Art History

Paul Delaroche-the execution closeup of hands — Paul Delaroche, The execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833, National Gallery, London, a closeup of hands and white gown. Photo: Veronica Winters | Here the white fabric is warm while the “grey” shadows are neutral and warm somewhat as well.

Canova, Napoleon's sister, closeup of fabric in marble, Borghese gallery, Rome, Italy — Antonio Canova, Napoleon’s sister, Venus Victrix, 1805-08, closeup of fabric in marble, Borghese gallery, Rome, Italy | The light is warm hitting the marble casting bluish-grey shadows.

The symbolism of the color white is quite astonishing if we think about it. There are universal associations with this color as well as the nuanced meanings of white depending on culture or context. One color. Two opposite associations.

Positive associations with the color white

In Christianity white represents purity, innocence, divinity.

Think of the white angels, white robes of monks and heavenly figures, a white dove or the white lilies of the Virgin Mary.

paintings of angels — The Ghent Altarpiece. Adoration of the Mystic Lamb: The Archangel Gabriel, 1432. Here, Gabriel brings the white lilies to Mary in annunciation. These flowers mean purity and virginity. The archangel wears a white robe with beautiful pearls decorating the fabric.

Dressed in a beautiful white gown, heavenly figure of Mary soars on a white cloud. This is one of the most beautiful religious sculptures I’ve seen in the European churches.

angel painting thyer — Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel, 1887, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art

caravaggio angel violin — Michelangelo Caravaggio, a closeup of a painting “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1597. We see an angel playing music wrapped in swirling white fabric.

While the white clothing is ceremonial of passing into another world or Heaven, the ethereal glow of white light represents heaven and the divine, spiritual purity, enlightenment and truth.

Scottish national gallery — John Duncan, 1866-1945, Scottish, St.Bride, 1913 detail | Scottish National Gallery | White clothing is ceremonial of passing into another world or Heaven. It’s the color of the ascension into the Heavens.

This is the official emblem of the pope with a dove or the Holy Spirit depicted in the center of it. I think I saw it in the Vatican, Italy. I love how Italian artists used colored marbles and stone to decorate the churches, placing the material on the floor and walls.

A closeup of the Pope’s emblem showing the Holy Spirit

White dove or the Holy Spirit is a symbol of peace, forgiveness, hope and love. In art, it forms the Trinity and flies in rays of sunlight with an olive branch in its beak.

Portrait of Pope, Leo X and his cousins, cardinals Giulio de’ Medici & Luigi de’ Rossi. Closeup detail of the white garment of the pope. Raphael, c. 1518-1520, oil on wood, 154 cm × 119 cm (61 in × 47 in), Uffizi, Florence.

White can symbolize hope, innocence and royalty in ceremonies.

A white wedding gown means innocence and pure perfection especially of a young bride. White is the color of light and white pearls communicate similar symbolism.

Vladimir Makovsky, to the marriage (farewell), 1894; Russian Federation, oil on canvas, Samara Regional Museum of Fine Arts, Samara, Russia, Dimensions: 115 x 99 cm. | Here, although the bride wears a white gown and is about to get married, she is devastated by the normally joyful event. The artist commented on common practice of parents giving their daughter to marry at a young age to fix the family’s financial situation.

Fedotov, Matchmaking of a major, 1848 | This famous Russian painting carries similar symbolism where a young bride doesn’t want to marry an old man for money.

James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs Frances Leyland, Image source: Frick Collection, NY., Henry Clay Frick Bequest, 1916.1.133

Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection

Closeup of a white gown and jewelry pieces from the Accolade, Edmund Blair Leighton (1852–1922), oil on canvas, 1901, height: 182.3 cm (71.7 in); width: 108 cm (42.5 in), private collection | White is the color of light, divinity, nobility and purity of the heart. White pearls also symbolize purity, wisdom and sincerity. And let’s just say that these beautiful pearls make a great visual statement in paintings like this one!

White can represent royalty.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 259 cm × 162 cm (102 in × 64 in), oil on canvas, 1806, Musée de l’Armée, Paris. | You’d be surprised but this artwork wasn’t popular at the Paris Salon when he exhibited this monumental painting. It received vitriolic criticism mainly because Napoleon looked too artificial and Gothic. However, if you know other paintings by Ingres, this is the most elaborate one! Just like another French artist – Poussin, Ingres often received poor reception for his art at the Salon. Moreover, in the middle of his career he got so fed up with the criticism and poor receptions of his work that he began to exhibit his art in his studio and private apartments. A student of famous neoclassical painter David, Ingres took a different road in his vision of art that the contemporaries and critics didn’t get.
In this painting you can certainly admire a perfect balance of color, lines, objects, textures and symbols captured in one painting. The artist’s composition is a reversed triangle. Both composition and realistic textures are reminiscent of Jan van Eyck’s painting.

French artist, Ingres puts a lot of symbolism into this painting depicting Napoleon as a ruler blessed by God. Napoleon looks like a religious icon. The artist bestows a Roman-like golden laurel crown onto his head and paints a circular-shaped throne behind him to suggest the divine power of the ruler. White ermine fur incircles the Napoleon’s neck – the symbol of royalty. The emblem of bees seen throughout the Vatican can be noticed on this lush, red cloak. The golden bees represent immortality and resurrection, while the Eagle represents military might. You can read about life and work of the artist in a concise book titled “Ingres” Karin H. Grimme.

The sword represents military power of French kings.

The painting detail shows the Charlemagne’s golden scepter – the symbol of the executive power.

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 1806, detail of the hand of justice — Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon on his Imperial Throne, 1806, detail of the Hand of Justice ( in white).

Anthony van Dyck Henrietta Maria of France. meaning of white in art — Anthony van Dyck, Henrietta Maria of France.

Marie-Antoinette, oil on canvas, 92.7 × 73.1 cm (36 1/2 × 28 3/4 in.), after 1783, unknown artist, at the Smithsonian national gallery

Jacques-Louis_David_madame recamier — Jacques-Louis David, madame Recamier, 1800, the Louvre

Sargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, a closeup of white gown at The museum of fine arts, Houston, 1899, Canvas or panel: 58 1/8 × 38 1/8 in.

Sargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, The museum of fine arts, Houston, 1899, Canvas or panel: 58 1/8 × 38 1/8 in.

John White Alexander -American -repose-1895 — John White Alexander, Repose, oil painting, 1895, American, the Met, New York | Similar to Sargent and Chase, Alexander loved to capture wealthy women in gowns at rest. This beautiful white dress stretches from left to right forming a diagonal, which is one of the ways to create a dynamic composition.

White is Heaven.

The Cathedral of Salerno inside, Italy. The Cathedral of Salerno was built between 1080 and 1085 on the ruins of a Roman temple.

Ivan the Great Bell Tower at the Kremlin, image by Veronica Winters. | We can enjoy seeing the white stone cathedrals bathing in a warm sunlight. The Kremlin was built between the 14th and 17th centuries. The first white-stone walls and towers were built in 1367-68. The existing walls and towers were built by Italian masters from 1485 to 1495.

Wat Rong Khun - the White Temple — **Wat Rong Khun – the White Temple in Thailand.** Photos c Veronica Winters | This looks like heaven on earth. Famous contemporary Thai artist- Ajarn Chalermchai wanted to build a temple that’s different from other wats. Normally, Thai temples are golden and the artist wanted to emphasize the Buddha’s purity who achieved Nirvana. Ajarn considered gold having a negative connotation about human behavior like lust. He put myriads of small mirrors into the white sculptures that beautifully reflect the light of the temple. These mirrors are the symbol of Buddha’s wisdom that shines throughout the universe according to the artist. He amassed a team of artists to build this beautiful site that represents heaven on earth. Wat Rong Khun is expending as new elements are added to the wat. The admission is free for people to enjoy the garden feeling peace and joy. Isn’t it wonderful?

The Alhambra was built between 1238 and 1358, mainly during the reigns of Ibn al-Aḥmar and his successors. Located in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra is one of the world’s finest examples of Islamic architecture that served as inspiration for many artists including Escher. This elaborate geometric design shows heavenly colors of white and blue. Image by Veronica Winters

White in mythology:

White crane, a closeup of a Japanese temple decoration. Photo: V.Winters | In Japanese culture, **the white crane**, or tsuru, is a national treasure and symbol of good fortune, longevity, and peace. It is also associated with loyalty, wisdom, fidelity, and beauty. The crane is depicted in art, literature, and mythology, and is said to live for 1,000 years. It is also associated with the Shinto god of happiness, and it is said that the god will come to a person who folds 1,000 cranes. Recently, the crane has become a symbol of peace, hope, and healing.

Look at these beautiful patterns of gold, blue and white! We can see the white dragon in the center of the decoration. Two white cranes create symmetry in this elaborate decoration seen in Japan.

In Japanese culture, dragons are guardians of the Buddhist temples and their meaning varies depending on their color. The white dragon, or Hakuryuu, is a water god that controls rainfall and water. White dragons are also associated with great wealth and blessings in marriage.

White as a force in duality of nature:

Yin and Yang is a core concept in the Chinese philosophy that describes two opposing yet interconnected and complementary forces that are believed to underlie all of reality. They represent intertwined aspects of a whole in a dynamic balance within the universe. Famous symbol of yin and yang is the taijitu, a circle divided into two halves, each containing a swirl of the opposite color. The swirl within each half represents the seed of the other force, signifying their interdependence. In art it often means balance where white can’t exist without black just like the sun doesn’t exist without the moon.

Among Neolithic jades of ancient China are bracelets (huan), penannular rings (chüeh), half-rings (huang), a flat disc with a hole in the centre (pi) and a ring or short tube squared on the outside (tsung). In later historic times these shapes acquired a ritual or ceremonial function, the pi and tsung, for example, symbolizing respectively heaven and earth.
(From the book: the arts of China, 3d edition, Michael Sullivan)

White often represents all the light in the world opposing the black of the darkness.

Vasnezov Sirin and Alkonost. The song of happiness and sadness — Viktor Vasnezov, Sirin and Alkonost. The song of happiness and sadness, 1896, The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

In this oil painting, “Sirin and Alkonost,” also referred to as “The Birds of Joy and Sorrow,” depicts two beautiful, half-bird, half-woman creatures from Slavic mythology. Sirin, on the right, is typically associated with joy and enchantment, while Alkonost, on the left, brings sorrow and mourning. Their contrasting melodies intertwine, creating a complex and evocative harmony that reflects the duality of human experience. The painting itself is a masterpiece of the Russian Romanticism expressed in symbolism that invites contemplation of life’s emotional range.

A close up of hands and lace in oil painting, Metz, France. Photo: Veronica Winters

Holbein-the ambassadors closeup — Holbein, The ambassadors, oil painting’s closeup of fur. London

The calming power of white:

The calming effect of white is obvious in snowy landscapes, white clouds or cashmere sweater that bring us feelings of peace. Tranquil nature relaxes our mind. Soft, white fabric evokes serenity. And white swans and snowflakes seem magical floating in water.

Snowy Gorge-
Utagawa Hiroshige -Japanese-
Edo period 1615–1868-Met — Snowy Gorge, Utagawa Hiroshige, Japanese, Edo period (1615–1868), the Met

White can carry a special meaning in objects we often see. For instance, symbolic of new life, white egg represents birth. Moreover, we can read the Chinese ancient legend about the origins of the world.

“Once upon a time, the universe was an enormous egg. One day the egg split open; its upper half became the sky, its lower half the earth, and from it emerged P’an Ku, primordial man. Every day he grew ten feet taller, the sky ten feet higher, the earth ten feet thicker. After eighteen thousand years P’an Ku died. His head split and became the sun and moon, while his blood filled the rivers and seas. His hair became the forests and meadows, his perspiration the rain, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder-and his fleas – our ancestors.” This legend expresses a Chinese philosophy, that man is not the culminating achievement of the creation, but a relatively insignificant part in the scheme of things; an afterthought. By comparison with the beauty and splendor of the world itself, the mountains and valleys, the clouds and water- falls, the trees and flowers, which are the visible manifestations of the workings of the Tao, he counts for very little.
(From the book: the arts of China, 3d edition, Michael Sullivan)

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/68969 Rank Badge with Leopard, Wave and Sun Motifs
Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), late 18th century, China, silk, metallic thread, 10 3/4 x 11 1/4 in. (27.31 x 28.57 cm), Textiles-Embroidered, Credit Line: Bequest of William Christian Paul, 1929

Caspar_David_Friedrich_-the polar sea — Caspar David Friedrich, the polar sea or the sea of ice,1823–1824,oil on canvas, 96.7 cm × 126.9 cm (38 in × 49.9 in). This is one of my favorite Romanticism artists who painted the power of Nature to show its spiritual dominance over men.

White hue can also be a symbol of cleanliness. Healthcare facilities have white rooms, corridors, and doctors’ coats.

Contemporary architecture loves the color white. Both interior and exterior spaces have white paint and decorum seen across Florida’s new construction to amplify the light in the region.

White can also represent neutrality or fairness, negotiation or surrender – the white flag of surrender.

John Trumbull, The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, oil on canvas, 1826,21 × 30 5/8 × 3/4 in. image from the Yale University Art Gallery. It can be also seen in 12′ x 18′ size at the US Capitol Rotunda. This painting illustrates the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, which ended the last major campaign of the Revolutionary War. https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/buildings-grounds/capitol-building/rotunda

Jacques-Louis_David death of marat — Jacques-Louis David, the death of Marat, 1793–1793, in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
This neoclassical painting has a very careful, classical design both in color and lines. Marat was a revolutionary in France and a friend of the artist. David was also a radical thinker and revolutionary who was once an official court painter to Napoleon but ended up in prosecution and escape from France to Belgium closer to the end of his life.
Marat’s skin condition made him take long baths to sooth the pain where he got assassinated. This painting represents the ideals of neoclassical art and politics- simplicity, heroism, idealization, classicism, neutrality and stoicism. Color white helps communicate these virtues.

In modern art, white can symbolize a fresh start, an open canvas, or a space for interpretation. White is neutral, blank canvas. Artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Agnes Martin explored this potential in their monochromatic white paintings. Rauschenberg first painted his white canvases in 1951 in six variations- one to seven panels. Martin spent her 40-year career exploring the perception of stillness.

Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), the white skull, Chicago art institute. O’Keeffe often painted the bleached white bones and skulls of the animals in New Mexico. She associated the skulls with strength of an American spirit.

White means innocence.

William Sergeant Kendall, art interlude, 1907, oil on canvas, American Art Museum at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

Rembrandt van Rijn, *Lucretia,* oil on canvas,(47 1/4 x 39 3/4 in.), 1664, closeup of fabric and pearls. National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, Washington DC. Rembrandt depicts the suicide of Lucretia happening in Rome in the 6th-century BC. She signifies virtue, loyalty and honor wearing white and pearls. You can read the full story here: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.83.html

Psyche Abandoned by Pietro Tenerani, Pitti palace, Rome, Italy. Image by Veronica Winters

Paul Delaroche-the execution of lady jane grey-national gallery London — Paul Delaroche, the execution of Lady Jane Grey, National Gallery London. The only person dressed in white – Jane Grey symbolizes innocence.

Paul Delaroche, the execution of lady Jane Grey, National Gallery London, Photo by Veronica Winters

Sir Joshua Reynolds The Ladies Waldegrave 1780_detail_scottish national gallery — **Sir Joshua Reynolds The Ladies Waldegrave 1780, closeup, Scottish national gallery.** The dresses in Joshua Reynolds’ “The Ladies Waldegrave” are a striking feature of the painting. All three sisters are clad in garments of a singular color: white. The material is most likely muslin, a popular choice for fashionable gowns in the late 18th century. White evokes purity, innocence, and a sense of classical elegance and timeless quality Reynolds appreciated in ancient art.

Canova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture, 1793, louvre-veronica winters art blog — Canova, Cupid and Psyche, marble sculpture, 1793, Louvre. Photo: Veronica Winters

The Dance Class-Degas-met — Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, oil painting, 1874, the Met, NY | Degas created a series of paintings devoted to the theme of dance. He captured white ballerinas in rehearsals sketching in pastels and painting in oil.

Gerome, Pygmalion and Galatea,1890, oil on canvas, 35 x 27 in. (88.9 x 68.6 cm), the Met . “Between 1890 and 1892, Gérôme made both painted and sculpted variations on the theme of Pygmalion and Galatea, the tale recounted in Ovid’s *Metamorphoses*. All depict the moment when the sculpture of Galatea was brought to life by the goddess Venus, in fulfillment of Pygmalion’s wish for a wife as beautiful as the sculpture he created. This is one of three known versions in oil that are closely related to a polychrome marble sculpture, also fashioned by Gérôme (Hearst Castle, San Simeon, Calif.). In each of the paintings, the sculpture appears at a different angle, as though it were being viewed in the round.” the Met

Francesco Hayez Suzanna at her Bath, National Art Gallery of Scotland. A classical painting in many ways, the white fabric forms a circle around the nude communicating innocence of youth.

White as the representation of timelessness & memory

The marble sculpture at the CA’ d’ ORO Palace in Venice, Italy.

I love how lifelike this sculpture looks. It shows a pope blessing the crowd and wearing his crown. The light hit it so beautifully. It’s in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, Rome, Italy.

Negative white

Depending on our view of the world, specific events or cultural differences we can see the color white as cold, empty and artificially sterile. This kind of emotionless, stark white can trigger feelings of isolation, and emptiness. Moreover, white can be associated with mourning and death in some countries.

White ghosts scare us representing the supernatural and death.

William Blake, The Ghost of Samuel Appearing to Saul, c. 1800, pen &ink, watercolor, National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian, Washington DC

White can also represent death. White shroud symbolizes death, mourning, and loss.

Vernet, Horace. angel of death, 1789-1863_hermitage — Vernet, Horace. angel of death, 1789-1863, the Hermitage

Hieronymus Bosch, Death and the Miser, c. 1485/1490, oil on panel (other panels lost), 93 × 31 cm (36 5/8 × 12 3/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Hieronymus Bosch Death and the Miser, c. 1485/1490, oil on panel (other panels lost), 93 × 31 cm (36 5/8 × 12 3/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
“In this panel Bosch shows us the last moments in the life of a miser, just before his eternal fate is decided. A little monster peeping out from under the bed–curtains tempts the miser with a bag of gold, while an angel kneeling at the right encourages him to acknowledge the crucifix in the window. Death, holding an arrow, enters at the left.
Oppositions of good and evil occur throughout the painting. A lantern containing the fire of Hell, carried by the demon atop the bed canopy, balances the cross which emits a single ray of divine light. The figure in the middle ground, perhaps representing the miser earlier in his life, is shown as hypocritical; with one hand he puts coins into the strongbox where they are collected by a rat–faced demon, and with the other he fingers a rosary, attempting to serve God and Mammon at the same time. A demon emerging from underneath the chest holds up a paper sealed with red wax — perhaps a letter of indulgence or a document that refers to the miser’s mercenary activities.
This type of deathbed scene derives from an early printed book, the Ars Moriendi or “Art of Dying,” which enjoyed great popularity in the second half of the fifteenth century. The panel may have been the left wing of an altarpiece; the other panels — now missing — would have clarified the meaning of some aspects of the scene, such as the discarded and broken armor and weapons in the foreground.” Taken from the gallery’s page https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41645.html

Empty white rooms can feel lonely and even scary.

Blindfolded figures often represent ignorance, inability to see and vulnerability but the blindfolded Lady Justice has a different meaning. The blindfold represents that justice is unbiased and should not be influenced by a person’s appearance or other factors.

Justice, from the Cardinal Virtues, Nicolaes de Bruyn Netherlandish, Publisher Frederick de Wit Dutch
1648–56, the Met, New York. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/423841

Whitewashing is a term denoting the covering up of unpleasant truth, describing censorship.

As you can see the color white carries several meanings and rich symbolism in art history and our life. What do you think of white?

PS If you see a mistake in this article, please know it’s not intentional. Reach out with the suggested correction to nika@veronicasart.com

The Color White in Contemporary Art

Ann-Marie Kornachuk, oil painting, copyright of the artist

G Mortenson, Homework, copyright of the artist

lorenzo quinn hands sculpture in Venice — Lorenzo Quinn, Hands, sculpture, Venice. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2017

Lorenzo Quinn hands sculpture in venice italy — Lorenzo Quinn, Hands, sculpture, Venice, Italy. Photo by Veronica Winters, 2017

the infinity of human soul-24x36-veronica winters-oil paintings for sale

Jorge Jiménez Deredia, capullo, marble sculpture-contessa gallery-art wynwood 2023

filippo tincolini-spacesman seat-marble, art contexxt miami — Filippo Tincolini, Spacesman seat, Marble, exhibited in Miami Art Context 2023

Michael Buthe-white painting-tate modern-london-1969 — Michael Buthe, white painting at Tate Modern, 1969, London. I snaped a picture of this painting in 2019. A carefully constructed composition with white stretcher bars, Buthe blurs the line between the canvas and its support, emphasizing the artwork’s physical construction.

Freedom-psychedelic art-Veronica Winters artist — Freedom, 22x30inches, colored pencil drawing by Veronica Winters

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How to paint realistic details by studying famous art & artists through art history

Posted on March 14, 2024June 27, 2024 by veronica

When I travel and visit art museums, I study the art. I often take pictures of closeups and details in the oil paintings to see how famous artists conveyed realism through texture and detail in their masterpieces. Some top art museums have digital art collections available to view and even download online these days but many don’t.

I find it enjoyable to take pictures of jewelry, fabric, bows, gowns, metal, gold, silver and other details I see in art. I learned a lot by studying such detailed paintings and if you’re interested in the realist oil painting techniques, I suggest making painted copies of your favorite paintings. I hope this blog post can inspire you to do just that. Enjoy!

All photos are taken by me- Veronica Winters unless noted otherwise. Also, many famous paintings are in the public domain and can be downloaded for free from art museums websites like the Met, the National Gallery of Art, etc.

Agnolo Bronzino-Eleonora of Toledo with Her Son Giovanni-painting details-blog — Agnolo Bronzino, Eleonora of Toledo with Her Son Giovanni, painting details of pearls and fabric. | photo: V. Winters. From 1539 to 1572, Bronzino served as the court painter to Cosimo I, duke of Florence. The Florentine artist, Bronzino painted in the Mannerist art style – emotionless figures and hyperrealist painting details of jewelry and fabric gowns.

Titian, a closeup of hands, fur and jewelry rings | photo: V. Winters

A close up of a painting showing white lace, Metz, France. Photo: Veronica Winters

Art closeup at the CA’ d’ ORO palace in Venice, Italy

Sargent, Mrs. Joshua Montgomery Sears, a closeup of a white gown, Huston art museum

lady reading letters of Heloise and Abelard-1780-A. dAgesci — Auguste Bernard d’Agesci, A lady reading letters of Heloise and Abelard, 1780, oil painting, Art Institute of Chicago

Titian, Portrait of a Lady, a golden earring and pearl detail, the Pitti palace, Italy

Some ribbon and fabric details at the Smithsonian National Art Gallery

Turin, Italy. Here the meticulously created details of fabric are layered over the initial painting of a fancy yellow jacket.

oil painting closeup-the Soumaya Art museum, Mexico city, Mexico

oil painting closeup, the Soumaya Art museum, Mexico city, Mexico | I love the variety of textures created in this fabric.

white fabric detail-Smithsonian — White fabric detail at the Smithsonian National Art Gallery. | Notice how abstract the details look painted over the base color. Stroke direction and curvature are essential to describe forms, shapes and textures.

how to paint realistic details-white fabric and gold details- the Smithsonian — White fabric and gold details, the Smithsonian. | Notice, how gold reads as gold because of few light highlights added to the general shape of these golden accents. **How to mix gold color:** You should use browns with a touch of either red or yellow (depending on the reflected light) to color mix gold color. It’s not about mixing lots of yellow into the oil paint, rather it’s using ochre and brown oil paint like raw sienna, burnt sienna, raw umber and bunt umber to create the shape first and then adding some strategic highlights over it where the light hits it the most.

Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien 1787. Image downloaded from the Smithsonian website. | This is a beautiful closeup of the female face that shows how to paint hair, face and fabric. The hair is always soft in classical art painting. The fabric has soft edges but definite highlights. The earring has the most defined edge. French female painter, Vigée Le Brun was a self-taught artist who got quickly noticed by her future husband – famous art dealer – Jean Baptiste Pierre Le Brun. The artist enjoyed both the opulent lifestyle and career in Paris and way beyond France, painting the wealthy and royals in Austria, Russia, Italy, Germany, England, etc. She is known for her official portrait of Marie-Antoinette. Her high-paying clientele loved her art style – creative poses based on classical ideals, realism and color choices.

Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun
The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien
1787 — Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, The Marquise de Pezay, and the Marquise de Rougé with Her Sons Alexis and Adrien 1787. Image downloaded from the Smithsonian website. | Although I find Le Brun’s art less intriguing in terms of subject and meaning, I think her ability to paint realistic gowns and details is supreme. Notice how she catches the light on fabric in broad strokes of golden pink. We can feel the shimmer of fabric looking at this intense turquoise-blue and a lush golden sash.

details of hands and animal-the Smithsonian — details of hands and animal, the Smithsonian.

de heem details-the Smithsonian — de Heem, still life painting detail, The Smithsonian, National Gallery of Art | The seventieth-century painter, de Heem is one of my favorite Dutch still life painters who captured life of the wealthy in lux objects and food items. I learned a lot about classical realist painting by studying Dutch art, mainly composition, color choices and objects’ texture. His deliberate compositions feature careful balance of all objects and textures. Usually a piece of fabric leads the eye to the focal point. The background has subtle colors that support high-contrast still life.

de Heem, oil painting details of glass, fabric and silver. The Smithsonian.

Dutch painting of donuts and sweets at the Smithsonian.

Dutch painting of sweets at the Smithsonian.

ringling art museum_Munari_still life with plates — Munari, still life with plates, closeup, the Ringling Museum of Art.

Lavinia Fontana, jewelry painting detail, The Smithsonian

Lavinia Fontana, Portrait of Costanza Alidosi, closup of jewelry- c. 1595, oil on canvas, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington. | Famous female artist of her time, Fontana lived in Bologna, Italy in late1500s. It was highly unusual to have a name and a career as a female artist in Europe before late 19th century. It was also a strange choice to depict the mythological nudes at that time. Like other female artists of the past, she was trained by her father- Prospero Fontana in the late mannerist style. When she married, her husband became her manager; Apparently Lavinia made a lot of money painting portraits of noblewomen and religious subjects for churches because she had a big family of 11 children whom she supported!

Golden jewelry and fabric details at the Smithsonian

Lace and jacket fabric details at the Smithsonian.

Rembrandt, Lucretia, 1664, dress details. The National Gallery of Art (Smithsonian) has 737 works of art by Rembrandt! Notice how abstract the strokes are describing texture and light of the fabric. These are thick strokes with deliberate rotation and movement of the brush.

Rembrandt, Lucretia, 1664, dress and jewelry details. Notice how the artist uses greys to juxtapose colors. Thick, painterly strokes shape and sculpt the subject.

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The infamous fate of some famous artists

Posted on February 27, 2023February 28, 2024 by veronica

All artists strive for acceptance and appreciation. However, the meaning of appreciation may be unique to each artist. Many painters want to win in shows or receive recognition via art sales as a fair validation of their talent and hard work. I don’t think anyone wishes to perish in obscurity without the proper acknowledgment of his or her gift.

It’s interesting to learn that numerous famous artists admired today often struggled both financially and emotionally. Riveted by poverty and seclusion, they lived the creative life in obscurity. Studied in art history classes, admired in art museums, and owned by some wealthy art collectors today, many famous artists were often unknown or underrated during their lifetime. Only after their death, sometimes decades later, they found proper recognition in contemporary society.

If we look back at the art history prior to the 19th-century, the vast majority of artists worked on public paintings commissioned by the Church, the State, and the mega wealthy. Most of recorded artists were male with very few female artists immortalized on the pages of art history books.

vincent-van-gogh-shoes-18x21-1888-the-met-best-art-museums — Van Gogh at the Met, NY

The birth of new art movements

In the 19-th century Paris, the Salon was the most prestigious official space to exhibit contemporary realist art. Sponsored by the French authorities, the Salon has become the annual event since 1737.

The Paris Salon, officially known as the Salon de Paris, was a prestigious art exhibition held annually (and later biennially) from 1667 to 1974. It was a major platform for artists to showcase their work and gain recognition, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some famous artists who exhibited at the Paris Salon were Ingres, David, Delacroix, and Manet.

It was the only important exhibition existing in the country. Receiving acceptance into its annual show was crucial to the artist’s success and career. The Salon’s jury process was controlled by the most talented and skilled Academicians who picked the art for the show. Despite its authority and beautiful art the academy produced, it resisted innovation in classical art. This time period became a place of change when several new art movements emerged. As the importance of getting commissions from the Church and the State vanned around that time, it catapulted the artistic creativity and freedom of expression.

The Impressionists broke away from the classical tradition and became the first modern movement to organize their own, separate shows in Paris. Degas was one of the leaders in this organization. Russian classical school of painting branched out to the Itinerants movement in late 19th century. The art world exploded with new art styles and movements. The traditional, academic style of painting was suddenly losing its ground to the impressionism, post-impressionism, neoclassicism, romanticism, social realism, American realism, the pre-Raphaelites, pointillism, symbolism, art nouveau, and even photography. It continued well into the 20th century with the freedom of artistic expression in fauvism, cubism, expressionism, European avant-garde, surrealism, futurism, dada, collage, fantasy, abstract expressionism, and so on.

Famous artists who died before becoming famous

If we go back to the 19th-century art, although artists became independent from the State and the Church, which dramatically changed the subject matter and the painting style, many lived in extreme poverty. The amateur painter, Vincent Van Gogh struggled both financially and emotionally throughout his life and only his brother Theo recognized and supported his talent.

Classically trained Antoine-Jean Gros started out brilliantly with his painting Napoleon in the Pesthouse at Jaffa, 1804, but drowned himself in a river after 30 years of haunting criticism and artistic failure that followed. An engraver, painter, and poet, William Blake was discovered only a century later after his death. French realist artist, Honore Daumier painted most of his life, but received recognition as a painter during his first solo show at the age of 70.

A. Gros, Napoleon in the Pesthouse at Jaffa, 209x280inches. 532x720cm. The Louvre. Commissioned by Napoleon himself, this painting depicts his visit to sick soldiers in Jaffa during the French invasion of Egypt.

William Blake, Urizen, the Ancient of Days, 13 copies of hand-colored prints are known and attributed to the Romantic poet and engraver

Driven by the need to paint, Paul Gauguin abandoned his family, left France, and spent his last years in Tahiti. A cocktail of poverty, alcoholism, and syphilis brought him death at the age of 55. His fusion of symbolic imagery with the post-impressionist style became influential only after his death, discovered and promoted by the influential art critic in Paris.

If you’re interested in the events and relationship of two famous artists- van Gogh and Gaugin, read the Moon and Sixpence written by W. Somerset Maugham, which is based on true events.

Paul Gauguin, Reclining Tahitian Women, 1894, Oil on canvas, 23 3/5 × 19 3/10 in | 60 × 49 cm, de Young Museum in San Francisco; one of paintings of the Tahitian Women in the series

The Card Players, 25 3/4 x 32 1/4 in, Paul Cézanne, French, 1890–92 This version is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York | This painting is the first of five artworks created on the theme of card players.

One of the most influential painters of modernity, Cézanne (1839-1906) had submitted his artwork to the Salon in Paris for 20 consecutive years. His paintings were not accepted into a single show even once. Self-taught, the post-impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne enjoyed the process of painting in isolation. Out of frustration, with introspection, and in search of perfection, Cezanne had a habit of throwing away his now-famous-paintings, creating art in the country. Like a number of artists, Cezanne had a very difficult relationship with his father who wanted the artist to become a lawyer. Like so many painters, Cézanne got famous after his death. Today his artwork sells for millions of dollars per painting. The Gulf nation of Qatar purchased Paul Cézanne’s painting The Card Players (the 5th version) for a record-breaking $250 million. (By the way, there are more Cezannes in Philadelphia than in France, because of private collections’ acquisitions). One day the painter got ill, after being out in a thunderstorm. Cezanne spent his last few days of life painting, achieving what he always wanted to do – to paint until the end…

Innovation is often rejected in the beginning of a big trend. It takes time for the majority to catch up to trends that eventually become mainstream or fashionable. Artist’s success is rarely accidental. Yes, it could be a ton of hard work, but mostly it’s the ability to social climb or to be able to connect to the influential people in the field, promoting yourself tirelessly. Salvador Dali wasn’t social but he kept his career in trusted hands of his wife, muse and promoter- Gala. Wildly successful, Dali worked across continents and mediums to create personal art. Andy Warhol was a successful social climber who recognized the power of celebrity and often depicted celebrities in his silkscreens. Pablo Picasso knew how to attract attention to his art using his personality and connections. For instance, young Picasso immersed himself in the Parisian art scene in early 1900s. A city already buzzing with artistic innovation and experimentation, the artist actively participated in the art scene, befriending other artists and showcasing his work in various art galleries. This exposure fostered connections and helped him gain recognition within the art community [Source: Ian Leslie, “The Picasso Effect”]. Later, Picasso took a leading role in the Cubist movement that attracted lots of attention. The artist also developed strong relationships with some influential art dealers like Ambroise Vollard and Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who actively promoted and exhibited his work, contributing significantly to his commercial success and public recognition [Source: Museum of Modern Art, “Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris”]. Therefore, while we can admire the skill and creativity of each artist, a successful career is a lot more than just having a talent. Artist’s presence in a creative environment, dedication, extraversion and the support of key individuals within the art world can either propel the artist to the top or leave him at the bottom of desperation and poverty.

Originally published in 2012

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Salvador Dali paintings: perfect mix of surrealism & symbolism at St. Pete museum

Talent & Art: Dali Theater Museum in Figueres, Spain

19th Century Russian Artists and Genre Art: the Itinerants movement that changed the landscape of Russian classical art

19th century Russian Art & Portrait Painting: eyes are the window to the soul

Talent & Art: Dali Theater Museum in Figueres, Spain

Posted on May 20, 2018October 27, 2023 by veronica

Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | One of Dali’ melting clocks jewelry pieces shown at the Spanish museum

Review of the Dali Museum in Spain

There’s no doubt that Salvador Dali is one of the greatest 20th-century surrealist artists. Up to this day the artist defines every exhibition and art review dedicated to the surrealist movement. Although, the artist was bold to exit the group to develop his vision further, Dali was the leading figure in the surrealism movement. His surreal paintings are in numerous art collections and museums today, however if you look at his humble artistic beginnings, they were truly humble.

In the art museum located in Figueres, Spain I saw a number of his early paintings that closely resembled Picasso, Signac, Matisse and even some abstract painters. Dali’ early paintings were imitations of the modernists that showed no obvious “talent” or ability to become the famous artist. I dare to say that he made a bunch of bad paintings in his early career!

Salvador Dali early paintings look like copies of the contemporaries and modernists…

In his next period his work became quite consistent in theme and style but his paintings still lacked contrast, color, strong composition, and his unique subject matter he eventually developed and became famous for. His paintings of figures made of stones expressed his search for his voice as well as his desire to learn classical oil painting technique working from life. He made set ups of stones to paint from them like any realist artist would do. In the pictures below you can see Dali’s attempts to paint his unique ideas from life.

Dali-theater museum in Figueres, Spain | Salvador Dali paintings of stones

dali museum spain_lithography and sculpture_web — This lithography prints and a sculpture illustrate Salvador Dali’s unique voice and expression that were getting close to his most famous paintings in the surrealism style, exploring the subconscious mind or dreams such as the Persistence of Memory in 1931…

Inside the museum you find both paintings and installations. This is one of them. The top image shows a big prism/mirror through which you can see a display of objects below – they become a female face, which is a form of op art.

The art museum doesn't have many famous paintings inside. I think most of them are in private art collections and art museums in the US and Europe. However, it gives a good overview of his early career and experimentation before arriving at his famous surrealist art style.

dali museum spain_various painting styles — It’s quite amazing to face the Dali’s progression from bad art to beautiful surrealism. Here we can see Dali’s various painting styles before arriving at his signature surreal paintings of dreams and subconscious mind….

Salvador Dali surrealist jewelry in Spain

dali museum figueres spain dali jewelry-veronica winters art blog — Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | One of Dali’ jewelry pieces shown at the Spanish museum

While the Dali Theater-museum in Figueres doesn’t display top art collection of Salvador Dali painting, a surprising gem is a separate building of the museum filled with surreal jewelry pieces! Dali’s talent and vision manifests itself in his original, animated jewelry. It combines the use of painting, metals, precious stones and built-in mechanisms to animate jewelry pieces, creating a surreal feeling. In his surreal jewelry we see emotion of the beating Ruby heart. We can watch an icon-like piece with an opening and closing door. There is a revolving, sparkling cornstalk with flapping angel’s wings.

dali museum figueres spain-- surreal jewelry by dali--ruby heart-veronica winters art blog — Ruby Heart at the Dali museum in Spain. The red part of the heart has the movement imitating the heart beat!

It’s not enough to have a talent. Over the years I had a chance to teach art to numerous wonderful students, including several super-talented high school students who could have become skillful artists someday. None of them went to an art college after graduation for various reasons. Talent itself isn’t a prerequisite to have a successful artistic career. Talent doesn’t equal to an obsessive desire to succeed as an artist. There are lots of people with artistic talents who are not strong enough to push themselves forward when it gets really tough. There is not enough introspection and drive. Those artists can create to the point of meeting requirements only, and leave the profession way before they can develop fully to succeed. While it looks like a negative statement, obsessiveness becomes a necessity in creative profession to overcome daily challenges. It also enforces perseverance, develops social skills and builds goals along the way. Artists become artists when they understand that they can’t live without the very process of art creation.

By looking at the Dali’s career trajectory we must consider our own impatience with ourselves and what talent means in short term and in the long run. If he gave up in the beginning of his career, he wouldn’t be famous surrealist painter making history today. When I browse through my files of old artwork, I can’t believe the fact that I can paint so much better today. Improvement is not instant. There is no magic dust in the process of learning. It’s all about steady work and commitment to the art form. We all want to have quick results, but to get there patience with yourself is a requirement. When students call me to study art, I don’t look at their “talent.” While Talent will be developed and cultivated, I teach art because people need art education. Art, theater and music are about introspective work and emotion. Society values merchandise over experiences. Public school is largely about cranking formulas and testing. There are not enough classes to feed the soul. I simply wish to expend my students’ worldview with art because talented kids is the future.

dali museum figueres spain-jewelry of medusa-blog — Jewelry piece by Salvador Dali

Dali museum in Spain: https://www.salvador-dali.org/en/museums/dali-theatre-museum-in-figueres/ (If you decide to visit this museum, be aware that the tickets are sold by day and time due to great popularity and a constant influx of people. Plan ahead and buy them online to ensure your visit.)

Dali museum in Figueres, Spain | One of Dali' jewelry pieces shown at the Spanish museum

Dali museum in St.Pete, Florida:

Further reading: https://veronicasart.com/dali-art-surrealism-symbolism-at-the-museum-in-st-petersburg/

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art appreciation: understanding the qualities of great art

Learn what makes a painting great: Video #1 Part 1

Posted on July 14, 2017November 8, 2023 by veronica

In the first video in the series you’ll learn about some of the greatest works of art, art movements, ideas and artistic elements. This video will help you understand and appreciate the qualities of great art, especially painting created before the 20th century.

Video Notes:

Overview:

Art Movements 0:42

Art Patrons 1:49

Art Education & female artists 2:21

Why do artists create art? 3:26

Artistic Elements : Story & Subject

Story & Subject 4:29

Biblical Scenes 5:16

Historical & Mythological Painting 9:03

Formal Portraiture 14:42

Landscape art 20:33

Genre art & Dutch still life 23:13

Next video: Video #1 | Part 2

In my next video you’ll learn about major artistic elements that artists use to design their paintings. They include composition, emotion, color, and the use of shapes, space and some painting techniques.

Painting detail of angels, art in Turin, Italy

Complete video series:

Video #1 Part 1 – Learn what makes a painting great – you’re here!

Video #1 Part 2 – Learn what makes a painting great, part 2

Video #2 Contemporary Art

Video #3 How to take care of your art collection – coming soon!

Video #4 How to frame art

Video # 5 Why you don’t need an interior designer to buy and display art in your home – coming soon!

Bibliography:

The Metropolitan Museum of art, http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection

History of Art, 5^th edition, H.W. Janson

The gilded age, E. Prelinger

Rhythmic Form in Art by Irma Richter, Dover Publications

Wikipedia & tons of art history classes in college! 🙂

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19th Century Russian Artists and Genre Art: the Itinerants movement that changed the landscape of Russian classical art

Posted on February 23, 2016November 6, 2023 by veronica

As Russian art is not studied in most art history classes in the U.S., I’d like to introduce you to the Peredvizhniki movement – a group of Russian realist painters that appeared in the mid 19th century to question the predominance and value of Russian classical painting. Peredvizhniki translate as the “movers” or “trailblazers”.

19th century is a fascinating time period in the art history of the Western Europe. Both the Church and the State lost their former influence in the patronage of the arts, which allowed for the birth and development of several new artistic movements in Europe. While Russian art remained quite reserved, developing new ideas slowly, it did break away from the cold Academic painting by embracing the depiction of common people and the countryside in Russia.

Peredvizhniki (the itinerants) organized as a group in 1863. Similar to the Impressionists in France, the group of male artists organized traveling shows exhibiting their new work. They painted the common folk like serfs in the countryside, Russian landscape, and portrait art. Their goal was simple. Russian artists wanted to bring the arts to its people. They refused to depict the Bible scenes and Greek mythology, and focused on painting the world around them instead. They often showed inequality between the rich and the poor, the noble men and the inferior women. They also brought to people’s attention a widespread abuse of children, who often engaged in hard, manual labor. As a result of such movement, Russian art preserved its traditional approach to painting in terms of the oil painting technique but considerably changed its themes.

19th-century Russian Genre Art

Here are some famous Russian genre paintings completed by the Peredvizhniki movement.

Ilya Repin (1844-1930)

Russian art, Repin — Ilya Repin, They Did Not Expect Him, 1884-88, The State Tretyakov Gallery

Ilya Repin grew up in poverty and hardship, living among the military as his father served in the military. He showed passion for the art at 13 and began to take art classes at a studio of a local artist. Soon, he became so good that he received commissions to paint the icons, which gave him financial freedom to fulfill his dream. In 1863 the artist travels to St. Petersburg to study art at the Academy. Not admitted the same year, he works on his drawing to get admission the next year. Repin becomes quick at gathering medals and awards for his studies and achieves great success with his final Academic project. At the same time he completes a commissioned piece – “Barge haulers.” After his travels in France, he comes back home to paint with the Itinerants.

Repin believed in moral and social purpose in his art and painted peasant life like no other artist of his time. He depicted daily struggles and overwhelming poverty of workers and peasants who lived in stark contrast to well-dressed high society of the Imperial Russia. In this painting of Barge Haulers we see the never-ending bank of the Volga river where the blinding sun is as strong as the people below it.

Pavel Fedotov (1815-1852)

Pavel Fedotov was born in a large and poor family in Moscow and spent his childhood years among his neighbors. His parents put him into the cadet corps at eleven years of age where the artist showed himself as a brilliant student. He began to sketch the caricatures of his teachers and teacher aids on the pages of his notebooks. When he graduated as the ensign of the Finnish regiment, he was found of music and poetry, translated articles from German and sketched his friends. Being very poor, he couldn’t participate in his friends’ parties and continued to work on portraiture and caricature. After a considerable conviction of his friends, he left the service and entered the Academy to study art.

His art instructors doubted his talent because Fedotov ignored the academic principles of battle painting composing horses and soldiers, and spent his evenings painting genre scenes remembered from his childhood. The artist lived in modest conditions, sending part of his service pension to his family back home. However, his sense of humor never let him give up on himself and eventually his talent got noticed by a famous Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov, who wrote him a letter asking to give up the Academy and work on his genre painting.

Russian art, Fedotov — Just knighted. Morning of the official who received his first cross, 1848, oil on canvas, 48x42cm, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Pavel Fedotov left the Art Academy, and in 1847 showed his first painting “Just knighted. Morning of the official who received his first cross.” The artist loughs at a proud clerk who is shown after his party, living in devastating poverty. The second painting “The Picky Bride” followed the same year to impress his former teachers from the Academy.

Fedotov, choosy bride, Russian art — Picky Bride, oil on canvas, 37x45cm, TheState Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, 1847

Pavel Fedotov, Matchmaking of a major, oil on canvas, 58 x 75 cm, 1848, The Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow

The artist exhibited his masterpiece titled “The Matchmaking of a Major” in 1848 that prompted him an honor award of the Academician. He depicts a beautiful bride running out of the living room as soon as she saw her future groom appear in a doorway. Richly dressed, her mother catches the bride by her gown. This paining brought the artist fame and financial success. Fedotov wished to travel to England to study genre art, but his friends noticed a change in the artist in 1852. Soon, he was placed in the asylum where he died the same year.

In his short life, the artist left tremendous legacy in Russian art by opening a new direction in Russian genre painting. Most of his oil paintings, sketches and portraits can be seen at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow today.

Vasily Perov (1834-1882)

Vasily Perov received his school education from a local deacon, who taught the boy math, language and the Bible. The boy showed great success in calligraphy and his teacher named him Perov (‘Pero’ sounds similar to a ‘feather’ in Russian). Perov’s parents didn’t allow their son to enter a local art school, but let him take some private art lessons. Thanks to one of his relatives, Perov enters the art school later in 1852 and studies there to receive awards. After his graduation, he spends two years in Paris but ‘unable to paint anything worthwhile’ in his words, he begs the Academy to let him come back home. (Best artists received scholarships to spend 1-2 years in Western Europe after their graduation at the Academy).

russian art, perov — Vasily Persov, Easter rural procession, 1861

Besides masterful portraits, Perov paints great genre paintings that capture the reality of Russian life and its people. His art explores the disparity between the rich and the poor as well as the hypocrisy of the church clergy. Despite his fantastic abilities and successful exhibitions, the artist didn’t consider himself worthy of attention. He lived modestly and died in poverty. Most of his paintings can be viewed at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow today.

Perov, Three students carrying water, 1866 | Here the artist depicts children carrying water in freezing conditions of Russian winter.

Russian painting — Perov, The drowned woman, oil on canvas, 68 x 106 cm, 1867, The State Tretyakov Gallery

In this painting, the artist shows an indifferent policeman sitting and smoking over a dead body of a poor woman (presumably a prostitute) that happened so often that the officials expressed no interest in the lives of the disadvantaged.

There are more Russian artists who contributed to the legacy of Russian art in the Itinerants movement that included Ivan Kramskoy, Vasiliy Polenov, Vasiliy Surikov, Vladimir Makovsky, Mikhael Klodt, etc. Female painters were nonexistent until the 20th century Russia.

Makovsky, to the marriage, 1894 | Russian artists often critiqued the tradition of arranged marriage. In this oil painting we can see the desperation of a young bride who has to marry a wealthy, old man.

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