What is the secret of the paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, which inspired Dali and other surrealists of the XX century
Fantastic talent and eccentric portraits made Giuseppe Arcimboldo, one of the strangest Renaissance artists, world famous. His compositions of portraits of flowers, fruits, leaves, fish and books are unique in…

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What impact do paintings of Savrasov, Levitan and other famous landscape painters have on people
To understand these landscapes, one does not need any art education, no general erudition, or even knowledge of the name of the artist. The painting itself appeals to the viewer,…

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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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narcissism

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 a muse-inspirer, and a guardian angel. She was an integral part of Boris himself, who, by the will of fate, ended up in a wheelchair. It was her courageous decision, when the question arose of what to keep her husband for life – arms or legs, allowed to extend for another 10 years the creative fate of the artist. And it was during this time that he created his best works, which were included in the golden fund of world art.

The talented painter fell not only great love, but also a difficult fate. Yes, and not only on himself, but also on the woman who walked a life path with him, despite the trials and troubles.

And today, in continuation of the theme of the wives of the great and famous masters of Russian painting – an amazing and heart-rending love story of the Kustodievs.

Fateful meeting Continue reading

What butterflies meant in the paintings of world famous artists

Butterfly and moth are one of the main symbols in art and a significant number of major artists include this image in their canvases. It is noteworthy that the butterfly in most allegorical phenomena is considered a symbol of the soul, immortality, rebirth and resurrection. Traditionally, people saw in this insect the ability to transform, transform as they were born, and transform from worldly caterpillars to a winged celestial being. In addition, the butterfly is a type of the Mother of God.

Winslow Homer

When an illustration or painting is intended to convey a fabulous or heavenly quality, artists usually include several butterflies in their work. This is what the American artist and graphic artist Winslow Homer did, actively using butterflies in his paintings, for example, on the canvas Girl with Butterflies, Fish and Butterflies, etc. Continue reading

Sentimental paintings about the village children of Frederick Morgan

Today, lovers of sentimental painting are given the opportunity to get acquainted with the magnificent gallery of genre paintings by the English artist Frederick Morgan, who worked at the turn of the last two centuries and created a number of paintings dedicated to rural children.

The theme of children in the 18th century was very winning. These paintings diverged from the collections of wealthy art lovers with enviable speed. How could you not admire the images of cute angels: blue eyes, a sugar smile, sincerity, the desire to imitate adults in everything. And the fact that the plot canvases depicting the children of an English painter were very popular during his lifetime was quite natural.

Frederick Morgan was born in London in 1847. His father John Morgan was also an artist. At one time he graduated from the school of design, and later becoming a member of the Society of British Artists, he painted paintings on historical and biblical themes. Continue reading

How the primitive paintings of Grandma Moses influenced the course of the Cold War
Having crossed the age limit for 60 years, many no longer expect any fateful changes from life and quietly live out their lives. However, history knows many cases when older…

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Skillful fakes that museums took for originals
Artistic fakes are a very real threat that museums constantly have to contend with. Fake artifacts appear in many museums from time to time, which can be displayed for several…

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Vincent Laurence van der Winne and his still lifes vanitas: where did the artist hide his portrait?
Vincent Laurence van der Winne (1628–1702) is a Dutch artist and writer. Initially, van der Winne was engaged in weaving, but then, sensing a craving for fine art, he decided…

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