Artistic geniuses

How Pavel Tretyakov competed with the emperor to create the most famous art gallery in Moscow
Before the revolution, patronage of the arts was considered not only charitable, but also beneficial for the donor himself, and the point here was not taxes at all. According to…

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Two seasons of love by Paul Gauguin: Virtuous Danish and passionate Tahitian
Paul Gauguin was passionate and enthusiastic, he could instantly be inflamed with passion, but his feelings passed as quickly as they appeared. Only two women left a deep mark on…

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Beloved woman of Boris Kustodiev, in whose name he overcame hellish pain and created his best works
“Dear Yulik” - that’s what Boris Kustodiev called Yulia Proshinskaya, which was everything for the artist: a faithful and selfless wife, and the greatest love, and a devoted friend, and…

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The tragedy of the author of the most famous portrait of Chekhov: How he lost his family and paintings, and why he got to Solovki Osip Braz

Over several centuries of development, Russian culture has presented the world with a galaxy of brilliant painters, whose works are included in the world treasury of fine art. Among them are distinguished artists and undeservedly forgotten. One of the last is the talented master of the portrait genre Osip Emanuelovich Braz, the author of the famous portrait of A.P. Chekhov from the Tretyakov Gallery. The name of the Russian artist, academician and collector, unlike his creations, few people know for very objective reasons, subject to the trends of the time in which the painter lived and worked.

Osip Braz in his works masterfully combined realism with elements of impressionism and modernism, he was rightfully considered one of the outstanding Russian portrait painters of the early 20th century. However, the artist fell not only on creative success, career growth and a happy family union, but also false arrest, confiscation of the collection, and years of imprisonment spent on Solovki, and the loss of two sons and the death of his wife, which he only survived for a year. Continue reading

What are the secret meanings of the image of a parrot in the paintings of great artists of different eras

For artists of the Gothic, Early Renaissance and High Renaissance, birds were part of a rich visual symbolism. In a society with limited literacy, allegorical images were vital for the spiritual enlightenment and education of ordinary people. For many centuries, artists assigned special roles to the images of parrots on their canvases. First of all, this is caused by the unusual features of parrots: their spectacularly colored plumage and the ability to imitate human speech. What is the hidden meaning of this bird?

Since the Middle Ages, the parrot has been an attribute of the birth of Christ by the Virgin Mary or acted as a witness to the fall. It has also been noted as the pet of wealthy families. This bird was more noticeable in the Dutch scenes of ordinary life. The parrot often appears in still lifes and portraits, sometimes posing as people or replacing them, playing the role of a woman’s beloved or taunting the stupidities of human behavior. Continue reading

The riddle and curse of the “Crying Boy”: Why Amadio was called the devil painter

The Italian painter Bruno Amadio, who worked under the pseudonym Giovanni Bragolin, is considered to be the most dramatic and sinister artist in the history of art of the 20th century, who was called the devil painter. His name, in particular, is associated with a terrible story that terrifies many who have encountered his creation “The Crying Boy”, covered in a terrible legend, rumors and speculation.

A few words about the artist

Bruno Amadio (Giovanni Bragolin) was born in 1911 and lived a fairly long life, leaving a number of art paintings that depict crying children. Despite the fact that the artist lived in the last century, very little information has been preserved about him. After his life, there were practically no personal photos left, he never gave interviews to journalists, art historians did not write their reviews about him. It is only known that in the war years he was a member of World War II, who fought on the side of Mussolini. At the end of the war he moved to Spain, and already there he changed his real name from Bruno Amadio to Giovanni Bragolin. Later he lived and worked in Venice, was a restoration artist. Continue reading

Secrets of the painting “A Lady with a Parrot by the Window”: How the Smile of a Heroine and a Bird are Connected

Caspar Netscher is a Dutch artist of German descent, an outstanding portrait painter, and also a master of depicting everyday scenes of the Dutch elite. He also developed a technique that allowed him to imitate a wide range of textures: be it linen, satin or coarse fibers of an oriental carpet. Caspar Netscher is part of a triad of prominent Dutch Golden Age masters along with Rembrandt and Vermeer.

From the life of an artist

Netsher was the son of sculptor Johann Netscher. As a child, he was sent to Amsterdam to study with Hendrick Coster, a little-known artist of still lifes and portraits. In 1664, Netscher moved to Deventer to complete his studies in the workshop of Gerard Terborch. Having done this, he went to Italy in 1658, then to Bordeaux, where Netscher married Margaret Godin and lived there for several years. In 1662, in The Hague, Netscher became a member of the Society of Artists. At this early stage, he wrote small genre compositions, preferring the dark colors and themes of everyday life, which Terborch clearly influenced. Continue reading

Monet is a spot, Manet is a people: How to distinguish two masters of impressionism

Their acquaintance began with a big conflict, but later they became great friends. Monet — Manet is a story of long-standing friendship based on great respect and mutual assistance. When Monet was in financial difficulties, he wrote to Mane for help. Manet not only never refused to help his colleague, but after he found out about the illness of Camille, Monet’s first wife, he wrote off all Claude’s debts. Due to Monet’s influence, Manet more often painted in the open air and brightened his palette. These were not just real people, but also great talents with big hearts.

Eduard Manet was one of the first modernist artists of the 19th century to turn to the objects of modern life; he became a key figure in the transition from realism to impressionism. In addition, he was a key figure in the transition from realism to impressionism and one of the first in this era to portray modern life. Continue reading

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Beloved woman of Boris Kustodiev, in whose name he overcame hellish pain and created his best works
“Dear Yulik” - that’s what Boris Kustodiev called Yulia Proshinskaya, which was everything for the artist: a faithful and selfless wife, and the greatest love, and a devoted friend, and…

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“Love Letter” by Jan Vermeer: Why the lute is central to the picture
At the first glance at Jan Vermeer's famous painting “Love Letter”, the name seems far-fetched, because the letter itself is hardly noticeable. But the lute in the hands of a…

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Giuseppe Arcimboldo - a phenomenal artist of the 16th century
This year marks almost 430 years since the death of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, an Italian artist known for his original portraits of fruits, vegetables, flowers and fish. Giuseppe so skillfully portrayed…

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