From an artistic point of view, Hieronymus Bosch (Jeroen for short) the world famous brilliant forerunner of surrealism was in his day, unique and radically different. Bosch was born (ca. 1450-1516) during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, in the Duchy of Brabant, Netherlands. Bosch places visionary images in a…
Pompon Animals | Famous in France
FRANCOIS POMPON (1855-1933): Receiving encouragement from Rodin, Francois Pompon (May 9, 1855 – May 6, 1933) sculpted animal statues such as the Polar Bear statue first displayed at the 1922 Salon d’Automne (Musee d’Orsay in Paris). The lumbering strength of the bear’s movement conveys its form, mass, and dimensionality suggestive of Rodin’s influence on Pompon. Pompon studied…
Bernini | Baroque Verve & Sprit
Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680) was one of the most prolific and enduring artists of the Baroque era. His works capture the transience of the moment through an energetic portrayal of the characters as they twist and writhe in their narratives. He received commissions from popes and monarchs alike creating innovative sculptures, paintings, and architecture…
Van Gogh | Starry Night
The Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is legendary for his heavy impasto application of paint, brilliant colors, and vibrant swirling brush strokes. His heavily textural and colorful painting style expressed his opinion that Impressionism did not provide one with enough freedom to convey one’s emotions. Instead, he took brush in hand and raw paint on his…
Degas Ballerina Replicas
EDGAR DEGAS (1834-1917): Together with Monet the founder of French Impressionism, Edgar Degas was famous for his innovative compositions in his paintings and later in his sculptures — including the Fourteen Year Old Little Dancer Statue at right. In his sculpture, he searched for “truth” — accuracy of movements and posture. Degas created a tremendous…
Frank Lloyd Wright | American Architect
As one of the greatest 20th-century American architects, Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy is apparent in architectural and decorative elements throughout the modern age. He was a pioneer in Modern Architecture and possibly the greatest American architect. He created innovative uses for building materials which contributed to a building’s unique purpose and location. He is credited with…
Rodin | Timeless Human Expression
Auguste Rodin has been appreciated for decades as one of the pre-eminent Realist sculptors of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century. Rodin’s goal, as he put it, was “to render inner feelings through muscular movement.” He achieved this aim by joining his profound knowledge of anatomy and movement with special attention to the body’s surfaces,…
Modigliani | Female Forms Abstract Elongated
The elongated forms and simple linear features — eclectically borrowed from African and oceanic tribal masks, medieval carvings and classical sculpture — show how for Modigliani the primitive could be decisively modern. Amedeo Modigliani’s work is recognized immediately by many people because of the typical elongated shapes. His paintings show his passion for sculpting, a…
Escher Fascinates with Repeating Patterns
M.C. Escher (1898-1972) was a 20th century Dutch graphic artist recognized for his unique interpretation of repeating patterns (tessellations), impossible architecture, and skills in woodcutting and lithography. Although lacking formal training in math or science, he was greatly appreciated by mathematicians, scientists, and crystallographers for his intuitive capacity for transforming geometric shape into a workable and…
Tree Man Hybrid Man with Boat Shoes by Hieronymus Bosch
THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTSHieronymus Bosch shows us how we mortal souls, arisen from earthly paradise, are on our way to the atrocious ordeals of hell via our unchaste lives on earth. The dark painting on the closed panels shows the Creation, surrounded by water, in accordance with medieval traditions. Many recognize a self-portrait in…