PaintingsToGo.com - Corporate And Residential Fine Art Firm Enhances Interior Spaces

PaintingsToGo.com - Corporate and Residential Fine Art Firm for Interiors

2010-01-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

PaintingsToGo.com Corporate and Residential Fine Art Firm
Rita de Acuna Founder/President of Paintings To Go, Inc.

As a corporate and residential art firm, we bring knowledge and experience to creating and finding artwork for the enhancement of interior space. Services include the creation of custom oil paintings, fine art museum-quality oil painting reproductions, murals, portraits, custom frames and delivery/ installation.

PHILOSOPHY
We honor the power of art to calm our senses, focus our attention, challenge our intellect, and expand our imagination. Art has the ability to create a conversation, make us laugh, or tell a story. Bringing this to our clients is our measure of success.

OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU
A great collaboration is central to the successful outcome of every project. Developing a dynamic partnership takes attention to detail, clear communication and a sense of adventure. We respond by finding solutions that are fresh and unique.

ENRICHMENT OF YOUR SPACE
From empty to enriched, random to refined, and unremarkable to memorable, finding artwork appropriate to each interior space creates balance and makes a statement. Based on knowledge, experience, and intuition, we implement creative concepts that are progressive and practical. Achieving our vision with diligence and care cultivates thoughtful and well-integrated solution.

PAINTINGSTOGO.COM works closely with corporations, architects, designers, art dealers, public and private sectors. Ms. Acuna has long been acclaimed for her ability to blend New York sophistication with her warm, winning ways with her fine art clientele. A broad exposure to the fine art from the Italian and Northern Renaissance, through Contemporary art and artists has won her much popularity online, and within her community. "I have a strong belief that all budgets deserve great art; because everyone deserves to live life in high style, with beautiful art." ~ Rita Acuna

FEATURED ARTISTS
Alama-Tadema, Bierstadt, Bonnard, Bosch, Botero, Botticelli, Bouguereau, Bruegel, Cassatt, Cezanne, Chagall, Church, Copely, Da Vinci, David, Degas, Duchamp, Dufy, Durer, Fantin-Latour, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Gauguin, Giotto, Van Gogh, Goya, Hals, Heade, Hogarth, Holbein, Hopper, Ingres, Inness, Kahlo, Kandinsky, Klimt, La Tour, Leighton, Leutze, Magritte, Manet, Matisse, Monet, Munch, O'Keeffe, Raphael, Rembrandt, Renoir, Vermeer, Wildbank, Warren Godfrey, Ivan Sherman.

Art as shown above:

Artist, Ivan Sherman
Out of the Box:
Art Created From
Recycled Corrugated Boxes

Artist, Warren Godfrey
Original Folk Art
Garden of Eden -
Acrylic on Canvas

PaintingsTogo.com
Custom Oil Painting Reproduction.
Children of Charles 1 - Original artist
Anthony van Dyke, Windsor Castle,
Royal Collection, UK 1637,
Custom Canvas Oil Painting: 40"w X 50"h

Claude Monet (1840-1926)

2009-12-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Born November 14, 1840, in Paris, France. Claude Monet was raised in Le Havre, where he developed a reputation as a caricature artist by the time he was 15. In 1858, the young artist met landscape painter Eugène Boudin, a mentor who first introduced him to outdoor painting. Monet was reluctant to leave the studio and the familiarity of indoor scenes, but plein air painting eventually became the basis for his life’s work.

Against his parents’ wishes, Claude Monet left home for Paris in 1859 to pursue a career in painting. There, he was inspired by the work of Eugène Delacroix, Charles Daubigny, and Camille Corot. He studied at the free Académie Suisse, where he met Camille Pissarro, and was a frequent patron of the Brasserie des Martyrs, a gathering place for fellow realist artists such as Gustave Courbet.

Claude Monet took a brief hiatus from his artistic pursuits to serve in the military in Algeria from 1860 to 1862. Upon his return to Paris, he picked up where he left off, studying art, experimenting with new styles, traveling, and forming important friendships with fellow painters, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Frédéric Bazille, and Édouard Manet. He also worked in the forest at Fontainebleau with the Barbizon artists Théodore Rousseau, Jean François Millet, as well as with Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot.

During the 1960s, Claude Monet was constantly traveling, having become captivated by natural light, atmosphere, and color. The artist continually sought to convey the remarkable variety and subtle particulars of each new landscape. Terrace at Sainte-Adresse (1867) exemplified this experimentation with its shimmering array of bright, natural colors, eschewing the somber browns and blacks of the earlier landscape tradition. Tragically, few of Monet's canvases from this early period survived. The artist was financially unstable and frequently destroyed his own paintings rather than have them seized by creditors.

In 1870, Claude Monet married his wife, Camille, and the two traveled to London and eventually settled at Argenteuil. His best-known, most popular works were produced during this time at Argenteuil, where he often painted alongside Renoir, Sisley, Caillebotte, and Manet. Monet regularly exhibited his paintings in the private Impressionist group shows, which first took place in 1874. During that first show his painting Impression: Sunrise (1872) inspired a hostile newspaper critic to call all the artists "Impressionists," a name that persists to characterize the artistic movement today.

Claude Monet's paintings from the 1870s, notably Red Boats at Argenteuil (1875), are fine examples of the new Impressionist style. The paintings are essentially illusionist, but ring with a chromatic vibrancy. Monet worked directly from nature and revealed that even on the darkest, gloomiest day, an infinite variety of colors exist. To capture the fleeting lights and hues, Monet had to employ a new painting technique using short brushstrokes filled with individual color. The result was a canvas alive with painterly activity, the opposite of the smooth blended surfaces of the past.

While traditional landscape artists painted what they saw in their mind, Claude Monet, sought to paint the world exactly how he saw it, not how he knew it should look. So rather than painting a myriad of separate leaves, he depicted splashes of constantly changing light and color. It’s important to note that in this aspect, Monet belongs to the tradition of Renaissance illusionism. In depicting the natural world, he based his art on perceptual rather than conceptual knowledge.

In 1883 Claude Monet moved to Giverny, and likewise most of his Impressionist colleagues left the security of the cohesive group to explore their own directions. While his home was in Giverny, he never ceased traveling—to London, Madrid, and Venice, as well as within his native country. Thanks to the art dealer Durand-Ruel, Monet gradually gained critical and financial success during the late 1880s and the 1890s. A lifelong supporter of Monet and his work, Durand-Ruel sponsored one-man exhibitions as early as 1883 and organized the first large-scale Impressionist group show in the United States.

How to Spot a Real Rembrandt

2009-12-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

A new Getty show offers tricks for telling the difference between master and pupils

By CANDACE JACKSON

A show that opened this week at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles features dozens of authentic Rembrandt drawings—and just as many that aren't. The idea is to reveal to museum-goers the tricks experts and art scholars use to identify his unsigned artwork, something the museum world rarely publicizes.

The "fake" Rembrandts in the Getty's show are all drawings attributed to the Dutch master painter for hundreds of years, until as recently as a few years ago. Over the past 30 years, new scholarship and cataloguing techniques have helped scholars determine that at least half of the more than 1,000 "Rembrandt" drawings were by others.

One reason for all the confusion: Rembrandt had one of the largest teaching practices in his day, with at least 50 pupils studying closely alongside him in his sprawling Amsterdam studio. The curriculum included close imitations of his style and subject matter, says Lee Hendrix, the Getty curator for the show.

In the 17th century, some students eventually became more famous than Rembrandt, though of course that's not true today. (In the latter years of his life, Rembrandt's naturalistic style fell out of favor with wealthy patrons, who came to prefer a more flattering, less realistic painting, says Ms. Hendrix.) The Getty show features early training drawings by several of his best-known pupils, including Ferdinand Bol.

Another problem for scholars has been that although Rembrandt drew prolifically, very few of his drawings are signed. Scholars have used the signed drawings, and drawings connected to signed paintings, to find themes and symbols common to the unsigned work. These characteristics—like his use of storytelling, expressive faces and directional light— form the basis for determining modern historians which unsigned works are actually Rembrandts.

"Most people see [authenticating artwork] as a sort of scary, mystical process," says Ms. Hendrix. "It's not."

The Getty has organized the show in several galleries. In each, it has paired drawings side by side, on the left a real Rembrandt and on the right a work done by a student, with text explaining the clues to authorship. There's a central room that viewers can visit and revisit to check, via touch-screen video and text, the tips for identifying Rembrandts.

One pair includes one drawing that depicts St. John the Baptist preaching to a group (Rembrandt often painted biblical subjects), another of St. Paul preaching. On the left, Ms. Hendrix points out, the listeners' eight faces each have a distinct expression (bored, fascinated, confused, skeptical). In the other, the listeners are roughly sketched, their faces similar. These drawings were chosen to illustrate Rembrandt's tendency to focus on facial expressions.

Several pairs at the Getty depict the same nude model or street scene, but drawn from slightly different angles, a tip-off to scholars that one might not be a Rembrandt. Ms. Hendrix says the master would often join his students in drawing exercises—but of course would have a slightly different view, depending on where he was standing. Two drawings titled "A Quack and His Public" roughly sketch a snake-oil salesman putting on a show for a street crowd. For years they were both thought to be Rembrandts, but the one painted from a side view shows a defined emotion in the charlatan's face, while student Gerbrand van den Eeckhout has drawn the man from behind, with no expressions on faces in the crowd, Ms. Hendrix says.

Further confusing the matter is that some drawings even feature corrections done by Rembrandt himself, or lines drawn to show students what they should have done.

The exhibition is one of several devoted to the artist's work opening soon in Southern California. On Jan. 9 a show featuring Rembrandt prints will open at the Hammer Museum in L.A. On Jan. 22, the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego opens a show focusing on Rembrandt's New Testament prints from the 1650s. The Getty show closes Feb. 28 and won't travel: The drawings are too delicate.

Ms. Hendrix says that even though scholars generally agree that the drawings designated as Rembrandts in the Getty's show are legit, "in the end, it is always hypothetical."

Write to Candace Jackson at candace.jackson@wsj.com

PaintingsToGo.com Open To The Trade And Retail. Contemporary Art And Famous Masterpieces: Gustav Klimt - Son of Gold Engraver

2009-12-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

PaintingsToGo.com Open To The Trade And Retail. Contemporary Art And Famous Masterpieces: Gustav Klimt - Son of Gold Engraver

Gustav Klimt - Son of Gold Engraver

2009-12-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

Gustav Klimt was born at the XIV district of Baumgarten in Vienna on 14 July 1862 as son of a gold engraver. In 1876 he began his studies at the Vienna Kunstgewerbeschule under the influence of the history painter Hans Makart, which was apparent in his first orders for theatre decorations and ceiling paintings. Soon Klimt received prizes for his works. At the turn of the century - he was just designing wall and ceiling decorations for the university - he developed a new two-dimensionally-ornamental, decorative style, which combines naturalistic details of bodies with abstract, colourful, mosaic-like patterns. His orderers protested resolutely and legal proceedings erupted. In 1905 Klimt was allowed to keep the designs in return of his payment. At the same time the Vienna Secession emerged and Klimt was a founding member and its first president from 1897 to 1905. In 1902 Klimt executed the famous Beethoven frieze for Josef Maria Olbrich's Secession building, which can still be visited in the basement of the building. In 1905 Klimt and a group of like-minded people left the Secession due to conflicts with the artist association's naturalistic wing. Klimt's motifs were partly provocatively erotic, partly playfully ornamental. He created impressing portraits, especially of ladies from the Viennese high society, but also intensively dense landscape paintings. Like no other artist and as the favourite of certain circles of the Viennese society of the ending monarchy he was able to depict the spirit of the feudal bourgeoisie with its aspirations to cultivate the aesthetic and its yearning for the pleasures of life at the Fin-de-Siècle. Klimt travelled extensively - one of his most important works is not in Austria, but in Brussels: he executed the decoration of the dining room in Josef Hoffmann's Palais Stoclet, a Gesamtkunstwerk of Viennese Art Nouveau. The artist's international approval was proven by numerous exhibitions and finally moved the conservative spirits, who honoured him: Although a professorship for Klimt was repeatedly refused, he became honorary member of the academies in Vienna and Munich. Gustab Klimt died from a stroke in his hometown Vienna on 6 February 1918.

What Scientists in Italy Say About Art

2009-11-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

Scientists In Italy Say To Ease Pain, Gaze At A Painting.

A glance at a painting may help as much as aspirin, say scientists in Italy.

Volunteers who viewed famous works of art while exposed to uncomfortable stimuli reported less discomfort while looking at paintings they liked. Scientists say the brain's pleasure center lights up when we see something we find beautitiful, distracting us from unpleasant sensations. The paintings that proved the best? Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Starry Night by Van Gogh. See some right now. Find these works of art online at http://www.PaintingsToGo.com

Art Collecting for Pennies on the Dollar

2009-06-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

(Above) Lady with Her Maid Servant Holding A Letter
by Jan Vermeer 1632-1675 b. Netherlands

Become an Art Collector for Pennies on the Dollar
by Rita Acuna ~The Art Diva of PaintingsToGo.com

Have you ever dreamed about owning a really impressive work of fine art? Even if you don't know much about art, having a priceless painting hanging over the fireplace or in your office is a thought that appeals to just about everyone. Not only can great artwork really impress your friends or clients, owning such a piece is truly a joy. Of course, most of the priceless original pieces painted by the master artists of yesteryear are now on display in museums or they are in personal collections of multi-millionaires. But what about the rest of us? You could probably find a poster or print of a priceless Renoir, Da Vinci or Van Gogh, but this just doesn't offer the same quality look and feel as a real painting. But there is an affordable alternative. Consider buying an "original reproduction." Original reproductions are hand-painted by real artists, but they're copied from original pieces. Companies who do this kind of work are able to provide you with high-quality reproductions of just about any famous (or not so famous) painting you would like. These high-end oil painting reproductions...are real, hand-painted oil on canvas works of art that are 99% true to the original work. Artists can also make any requested changes in color and size that differ from the original. For example, if you always wanted to see Mona Lisa in a red dress, or would like as a smaller or larger size, chances are you can get it. The next time you picture something nice hanging over your fireplace, or in your office, don't settle for a print. Look into fine art reproductions, and own a real work of art.

Author Rita Acuna is the Founder/President, of PaintingsToGo.com.
Located in New York, PaintingsToGo can reproduce just about any painting in any size or style you like. All works are hand-painted oil on canvas, by professional and dedicated artists. Money-back guarantee. Most orders are completed in 6 to 8 weeks.

For more information about PaintingsToGo, visit http://www.paintingstogo.com/ or call Rita Acuna at 866-5260922

Richard Serra - Fernando Pessoa, 2007 -2008

2009-05-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

RICHARD SERRA
Fernando Pessoa, 2007-2008 Weatherproof steel
354 1/2 x 118 1/8 x 8 inches (900.4 x 300 x 20.3 cm)
Photo by Joshua M. White

"The intellectual power of Richard Serra's work verges on the infinite." ~ The Art Diva of PaintingsToGo.com

Born in 1939, Richard Serra is one of the most significant artists of his generation. His groundbreaking sculpture explores the exchange between artwork, site, and viewer. He has produced unparalleled large-scale, site-specific sculptures for architectural, urban and landscape settings. In the summer of 2008, he conceived Promenade, a course of five steel sculptural elements towering seventeen metres, for MONUMENTA at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Other recent projects include the eight-part permanent installation The Matter of Time at the Guggenheim Bilbao (2005) and a survey exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art (2007). Work comes out of work, an exhibition of works on paper 1989-2008, was presented last yeat at the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by Kate Nesin. For further information, please contact the gallery at +44.20.7841.9960

Italian Art and the Artists of Italy

2009-05-09T05:22:00.000-07:00

(Above) Lamentation of Christ
Giotto di Bondone, Renaissance 1266-1377 b. Italy

(Above) Modonna and Child
Benozzo Gozzoli, Renaissance 1421-1497 b. Italy

(Above) Elenora of Toledo with her son Giovanni de Medici

Agnolo Bronzino, Mannerist 1503 - 1592 b. Italy

Italian Art and the Artists of Italy

The Etruscans

Etruscan bronze figures and terra-cotta funerary reliefs include examples of a vigorous northern Italian tradition which had waned by the time Rome began building her empire on the Italian peninsula. The Etruscans were the most powerful force in central Italy until Roman unification of the peninsula. Vestiges of their art, architecture, and unique language have long intrigued scholars, and the search for this mysterious civilization continues to fire the imagination. Despite a history of pillage, rich archaeological evidence survives: thousands of tombs, many of them frescoed and filled with vases, sculpture, jewelry, and metalwork; and the mysterious Etruscan sites that are places of tourist pilgrimage, such as Cerveteri, Vulci, and Tarquinia.

The Roman Period

The Roman period, as we know it, begins after the Punic Wars and the subsequent invasion of the Greek cities of the Mediterranean. The Hellenistic styles then current in Greek civilization were adopted. The cultic and decorative use of sculpture and pictorial mosaic survive in the ruins of both temples and villas. As the empire matured, other less naturalistic, sometimes more dramatic, sometimes more severe, styles were developed -- especially as the center of empire moved to eastern Italy and then to Constantinople.

Byzantine Period

With the fall of its western capitol, the Roman empire continued for another 1000 years under the leadership of Constantinople. Byzantine artisans were used in important projects throughout Italy, and Byzantine styles of painting can be found up through the 14th Century.

Gothic Period

The Gothic period marks a transition from the medieval to the Renaissance and is characterised by the styles and attitudes nurtured by the influence of the Dominican and Franciscan order of monks, founded by Saint Dominic (1170 to 1221) and Saint Francis of Assisi (1181 to 1226) respectively. It was a time of religious disputes within the church. The Franciscans and Dominicans were founded as an attempt to address these disputes and bring the Roman Catholic church back to basics. The early days of the Franciscans are remembered especially for the compassion of Saint Francis, while the Dominicans are remembered as the order most responsible for the beginnings of the Inquisition. Gothic architecture began in northern Europe and spread southward to Italy. The earliest important monument of the Italian Gothic style is the great church at Assisi. The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi (St Francis) is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery and the lower and upper church (Basilica inferiore e superiore) of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed 1253. The lower church has frescos by Cimabue and Giotto di Bondone. In the Upper church are frescos of scenes in the life of St Francis by Giotto and his circle. Cenni di Petro (Giovanni) Cimabue (c.1240-1302} and Giotto di Bondone (better known as just Giotto) (1267-1337), were two of the first painters who began to move toward the role of the artist as a creative individual, rather than a mere copier of traditional forms. They began to take an interest in improving the depiction of the figure. The Byzantine style was unrealistic and could be improved upon by a return to forms achieved in ancient Greece. Other terms sometimes applied to describe the artists of this period are The Primitives and the Early Renaissance.

The Renaissance

The Renaissance is said to begin in 14th century Italy. The rediscovery of Ancient Greek and Roman art and classics brought better proportions, perspective and use of lighting in art. Wealthy families, such as the Medicis, and the papacy served as patrons for many Italian artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti Donatello, and Raphael.The focus of most art remained religious. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, and sculpted his famous Pietà® Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Raphael painted several Madonnas. Both Michelangelo and Donatello sculpted visions of David.

Mannerism

As the Renaissance had moved from formulaic depiction to a more natural observation of the figure, light and perspective, so the subsequent, Mannerist, period is marked by a move to forms conceived in the mind. Once the ideals of the Renaissance had had their effect artists such as Giulio Romano (ca 1499? to 1546) were able to introduce personal elements of subjectivity to their interpretation of visual forms. The perfection of perspective, light and realistic human figures can be thought of as impossible to improve upon unless another factor is included in the image, namely the factor of how the artist feels about the image. This emotional content in Mannerism is also the beginnings of a movement which would eventually, much later, become Expressionism in the 19th century. The difference between Mannerism and Expressionism is really a matter of degree. Guilo Romano was a student an protege of Raphael. Other Italian Mannerist painters included Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino, students of Andrea del Sarto. The Spanish Mannerist El Greco was a student of the Italian Renaissance painter Titian. The most famous Italian painter of the Mannerist style and period is Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti) (1518-1594).

Modernity

From Mannerism onward there are more and more art movements representing tides of opinion pushing in various different directions, causing art philosophy over the centuries from about the 16th century onward to gradually fragment into the characteristic isms of Modern art. The work of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio sometimes simply called Caravaggio (1571-1610) stands on its own as one of the most original and influential artists who ever lived. He did something completely contraversial and new. He painted figures, even those of classical or religious themes, in contemporary clothing or as ordinary living men and women. This in stark opposition to the usual trend of the time to idealise the religious or classical figure. Caravaggio set the style for many years to come, although not everyone followed his example. Some, like Agostino Carracci (or Caracci) (1557 to 1602) and his brothers were all influenced by Caravaggio but leaned toward the idealism and spirituality from which Caravaggio was perceived to have strayed.

Baroque

A movement to reform Mannerism, Italian Baroque art saw Mannerism as excessive and tried to bring it back to Christian piety. Nevertheless, this reform took place within the context of the Mannerist attempt to introduce more movement and passion and is part of a conceptual dialogue with Mannerism.

Rococo

Rococo was the tail end of the Baroque period, mainly in France of the 18th century. The main artist of the Rococo style in Italy was Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696 to 1770).
Impressionism and Post-ImpressionismItaly produced its own form of Impressionism, the Macchiaioli artists, who were actually there first, before the more famous Impressionists.

Expressionism

The great Italian Expressionist was Amedeo Modigliani (1884 to 1920). Cubism, Futurism and DadaAcross all forms of art, architecture, literature, painting etc. new approaches were taken. Futurism was the Italian movement contemporaneous with Cubism. Futurism was started by the poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. Marietti influenced Italian painters and suggested that the paintings seen in Parisian Cubist exhibitions were examples of the direction Italian painters should be taking. The most famous Italian Cubist/Futrist painter was Gino Severini (1883-1966). As Cubism attempted to modernise perspective representation by adopting not one but several points of view, so Futurism attempted to modernise all the arts and imbue them with force and dynamism by multiple methods. The Futurists loved movement and dance. The Futurists were also great enthusiasts of science and machines. Their love of machines was mercilessly parodied by the Dadaists. Much of Dada's style and methods came originally from subverting Futurism.

Metaphysical painting and Surrealism

Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) was the Italian painter who founded the Metaphysical school of painting and was an enormous influence upon the Surrealists.

Classical Modernism of the 20th Century

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Italian sculptors and painters joined the rest of Western Europe in the revitalization of a simpler, more vigorous, less sentimental Classical tradition,that was applied in liturgical as well as decorative and political settings. The leading sculptors included: Libero Andreotti, Arturo Martini, Giacomo Manzu, Emilio Greco, and Lello Scorzelli. Leading painters included Pietro Annigone.

Post-Modern Italian Art

Post-Modernism is a highly controversal label which generally refers to a period of time after the project(s) of modernism have ended and in which all time periods and styles are not necessarily separated anymore. Just as paints of different colours can be mixed on a palette, so all the styles of antiquity, gothic, renaissance, baroque, expressionist, cubist, surrealist etc. can all be merged and produce hybrids which access and are informed by all the knowledge of art history. Nothing is positively forbidden. Even Bad art and Kitsch are part of the vocabulary employed to question the Metanarratives of art (and world) philosophy. A good example of Italian Post-Modern painting is that of Carlo Maria Mariani.This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Art of Italy"

Leonardo da Vinci - High Renaissance Artist - 1452-1519 b. Italy

2009-04-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Leonardo da Vinci,
Universal Man

Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci

The Madonna of the Carnation

Leonardo da Vinci was a Florentine artist, one of the great masters of the High Renaissance, who was also celebrated as a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist. Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, in the small Tuscan town of Vinci, near Florence. He was the son of a wealthy Florentine notary and a peasant woman. In the mid-1460s the family settled in Florence, where Leonardo was given the best education that Florence could offer. In his teens Leonardo was sent to apprentice as a painter under Andrea del Verrocchio where he quickly developed his own artistic style which was unique and contrary to tradition, even going so far as to devise his own special formula of paint. Later da Vinci became the court artist for the duke of Milan. Throughout his life he also served various other roles, including civil engineer and architect and military planner and weapons designer. Although Leonardo produced a relatively small number of paintings, many of which remained unfinished, he was nevertheless an extraordinarily innovative and influential artist. The Mona Lisa, Leonardo's most famous work, is as well known for its mastery of technical innovations as for the mysteriousness of its legendary smiling subject. This work is a consummate example of two techniques—sfumato and chiaroscuro—of which Leonardo was one of the first great masters. Leonardo deserves, perhaps more than anyone, the title of Homo Universalis, Universal Man.

John William Waterhouse - Pre-Raphaelite Painter, 1849 - 1917 b, Rome

2009-04-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

Tristan and Isolda

(Above)
The Enchanted Garden

The lady of Shalott

John William Waterhouse was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter most famous for his paintings of female characters from mythology and literature. He belonged to the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.Waterhouse was born in Rome on the 6th of April, 1849. Both of his parents were English painters who moved to Italy in pursuit of art. Waterhouse and his parents eventually moved back to England in the late 1850's. While growing up, Waterhouse assisted his father in art studio where the young Waterhouse developed his talents for sculpting and painting.

Claude Monet - Inspirational Quotes & Beautiful Oil Paintings

2009-04-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

(Above)

La Japonaise by Claude Monet

(Below)

Water Lilies (The Clouds) by Claude Monet

(Above)

Water Lilies by Claude Monet

I have chosen these inspirational art quotes and oil paintings by the famous French Artist Claude Monet Claude Oscar Monet for their sentiment and true beauty. It is wonderful that the words and art of Monet can bring joy and warmth to us even now.

~ The Art Diva of Paintingstogo

- My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.

- I can only draw what I see.

- Everything I have earned has gone into these gardens.

- Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.

- It took me time to understand my waterlilies. I had planted them for the pleasure of it; I grew them without ever thinking of painting them

- I know that to paint the sea really well, you need to look at it every hour of every day in the same place so that you can understand its way in that particular spot and that is why I am working on the same motifs over and over again, four or six times even.

- It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.

Michael Jackson - King of POP

2009-04-17T16:15:00.001-07:00

The King Of Pop Michael Jackson

He has gone through personal scandal, family squabbles and numerous career quakes but Michael Joseph Jackson remains one of the planet's best known figures.
Born in 1958, Jackson has spent his whole life in the public eye as he began performing at the age of four.
Though the youngest member of the Jackson Five, he became the group's lead vocalist, projecting a self-confident image which belies the private personality he shows today.
Despite his age, he managed to make chart-toppers like I Want You Back and I'll Be There completely credible.
By the time he was 10, the Jackson Five had signed to Motown Records and were well on the road to US success, bullied into fame by their father Joe.
"There is a lot of sadness in my past life," Jackson told Oprah Winfrey in 1993.

Animals and Toys

Rumours began of slightly odd behaviour at this time, with Michael said to be seeking solace in the Scarecrow role and going home at night with his make-up still on.
He was really launched as an adult star with Off The Wall in 1979, a collaboration with legendary producer Quincy Jones.

The album topped the UK and US charts and had the singles Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, for which Jackson won a Grammy, and Rock With You.
But the rumours about Jackson's behaviour grew.
He seemed to be trying to capture the youth he never had, surrounding himself with animals and toys.

In 1982 he released the very adult album Thriller, the most successful album of all time, selling more than 47m copies and winning seven Grammys.
It produced a run of hits such as The Girl Is Mine - a duet with Paul McCartney - Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller.

He landed the largest individual sponsorship deal in history from Pepsi in 1983 and his involvement in the 1984 Victory tour sparked the greatest demand for concert tickets in history.
Michael Jackson had become a myth and as his career headed for the stratosphere, rumours about him started to gain mythical proportions too.

Andy Warhol - Pop Artist - Art and Quotes

2009-04-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Birth Name
Andrew Warhola
Born August 6, 1928 (1928-06) Pittsburgh
Died February 22, 1987 (aged 58) b. United States

Pepsi Cola

(Above) Turquoise-Marilyn

Campbell's Soup Can

Personal Quotes

- I would rather watch somebody buy their underwear than read a book they wrote.
- In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.
- I am a deeply superficial person.
- Success is when the checks don't bounce.
- (His advice about audiences, to) "The Velvet Underground" Always leave them wanting less.
- Living in New York City gives people real incentives to want things that nobody else wants.

Warhol's First Paintings
1960, Warhol began to make his first paintings. They were based on comic strips in the likes of Dick Tracy, Popeye, Superman, and two of Coca-Cola bottles. In 1961, using the Dick Tracy comic strip, he designed a window display for Lord & Taylor, at this time, major art galleries around the nation begin noticing his work. In 1962, Warhol made paintings of dollar bills and Campbell soup cans, and his work was included in an important exhibition of pop art, The New Realists, held at Sidney Janis Gallery, New York. In November of this year, Elanor Ward showed his paintings at Stable Gallery, and the exhibition began a sensation. In 1963, he rented a studio in a firehouse on East 87th Street. He met his assistant, Gerard Malanga, and started making his first film, Tarzan and Jane Regained... Sort of (1964). Later, he drove to Los Angeles for his second exhibition at the Ferus Gallery. In November of that year, he found a loft at 231 East 47th Street, which became his main studio, The Factory. In December, he began production of Red Jackie, the first of the Jackie series. In 1964, his first solo exhibition in Europe, held at the Galerie Ileana Sonnebend in Paris, featured the Flower series. He received a commission from architect Philip Johnson to make a mural, entitled Thirteen Most Wanted Men for the New York State Pavilion in the New York World's Fair. In April, he received an Independent Film Award from Film Culture magazine. In November, his first solo exhibition in the US was held at Leo Castelli Gallery. And at this time, he began his self portrait series.

Pablo Picasso - Personal Life

2009-04-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

Pablo Picasso

Dora Maar au Chat, 1941

Personal life

In the early 20th century, Picasso divided his time between Barcelona and Paris. In 1904, in the middle of a storm, he met Fernande Olivier, a Bohemian artist who became his mistress. Olivier appears in many of his Rose period paintings. After acquiring fame and some fortune, Picasso left Olivier for Marcelle Humbert, whom he called Eva Gouel. Picasso included declarations of his love for Eva in many Cubist works. Picasso was devastated by her premature death from illness at the age of 30 in 1915.

He maintained a number of mistresses in addition to his wife or primary partner. Picasso was married twice and had four children by three women. In the summer of 1918, Picasso married Olga a ballerina with Sergei troupe, for whom Picasso was designing a ballet, in Rome; and they spent their honeymoon in the villa near Biarritz of the glamorous Chilean art patron. Khokhlova introduced Picasso to high society, formal dinner parties, and all the social niceties attendant on the life of the rich in 1920s Paris. The two had a son, Paulo, who would grow up to be a dissolute motorcycle racer and chauffeur to his father. Khokhlova’s insistence on social propriety clashed with Picasso’s tendencies and the two lived in a state of constant conflict. During the same period that Picasso collaborated with Diaghilev’s troup, he and Igor collaborated on Pulcinella in 1920. Picasso took the opportunity to make several sketches of the composer.

In 1927 Picasso met 17-year-old Marie-Thérèse Walter and began a secret affair with her. Picasso’s marriage to Khokhlova soon ended in separation rather than divorce, as French law required an even division of property in the case of divorce, and Picasso did not want Khokhlova to have half his wealth. The two remained legally married until Khokhlova’s death in 1955. Picasso carried on a long-standing affair with Marie-Thérèse Walter and fathered a daughter, Maia, with her. Marie-Thérèse lived in the vain hope that Picasso would one day marry her, and hanged herself four years after Picasso’s death.

Dora Maar au Chat, 1941
The photographer and painter Dora Maar was also a constant companion and lover of Picasso. The two were closest in the late 1930s and early 1940s and it was Maar who documented the painting of Guernica.

War years

During the Second World War, Picasso remained in Paris while the Germans occupied the city. Picasso’s artistic style did not fit the Nazi views of art, so he was not able to show his works during this time. Retreating to his studio, he continued to paint all the while. Although the Germans outlawed bronze casting in Paris, Picasso continued regardless, using bronze smuggled to him by the French resistance.

After the liberation of Paris in 1944, Picasso began to keep company with a young art student, Françoise Gilot. The two eventually became lovers, and had two children together, Claude and Paloma. Unique among Picasso’s women, Gilot left Picasso in 1953, allegedly because of abusive treatment and infidelities. This was a severe blow to Picasso.

He went through a difficult period after Gilot’s departure, coming to terms with his advancing age and his perception that, now in his 70s, he was no longer attractive, but rather grotesque to young women. A number of ink drawings from this period explore this theme of the hideous old dwarf as buffoonish counterpoint to the beautiful young girl, including several from a six-week affair with Geneviève Laporte, who in June 2005 auctioned off the drawings Picasso made of her.

Picasso was not long in finding another lover, Jacqueline Roque. She worked at the Madoura Pottery in Vallauris on the French Riviera, where Picasso made and painted ceramics. The two remained together for the rest of Picasso’s life, marrying in 1961. Their marriage was also the means of one last act of revenge against Gilot. Gilot had been seeking a legal means to legitimize her children with Picasso, Claude and Paloma. With Picasso’s encouragement, she had arranged to divorce her then husband, Luc Simon, and marry Picasso to secure her children’s rights. Picasso then secretly married Roque after Gilot had filed for divorce in order to exact his revenge for her leaving him.

Picasso had constructed a huge gothic structure and could afford large villas in the south of France, at Notre-dame-de-vie on the outskirts of Mougins, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. By this time he was a celebrity, and there was often as much interest in his personal life as his art.

In addition to his manifold artistic accomplishments, Picasso had a film career, including a cameo appearance in Jean Cocteau’s Testament of Orpheus. Picasso always played himself in his film appearances. In 1955 he helped make the film Le Mystère Picasso (The Mystery of Picasso) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.

Leonardo da Vinci - Portrait of Mona Lisa

2009-04-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

Portrait of Mona Lisa (1479-1528), also known as La Gioconda, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo; 1503-06 (150 Kb); Oil on wood, 77 x 53 cm (30 x 20 7/8 in)

Musee du Louvre, Paris
This figure of a woman, dressed in the Florentine fashion of her day and seated in a visionary, mountainous landscape, is a remarkable instance of Leonardo's sfumato technique of soft, heavily shaded modeling. The Mona Lisa's enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait universal fame.

Reams have been written about this small masterpiece by Leonardo, and the gentle woman who is its subject has been adapted in turn as an aesthetic, philosophical and advertising symbol, entering eventually into the irreverent parodies of the Dada and Surrealist artists. The history of the panel has been much discussed, although it remains in part uncertain. According to Vasari, the subject is a young Florentine woman, Monna (or Mona) Lisa, who in 1495 married the well-known figure, Francesco del Giocondo, and thus came to be known as ``La Gioconda''. The work should probably be dated during Leonardo's second Florentine period, that is between 1503 and 1505. Leonardo himself loved the portrait, so much so that he always carried it with him until eventually in France it was sold to François I, either by Leonardo or by Melzi.

From the beginning it was greatly admired and much copied, and it came to be considered the prototype of the Renaissance portrait. It became even more famous in 1911, when it was stolen from the Salon Carré in the Louvre, being rediscovered in a hotel in Florence two years later. It is difficult to discuss such a work briefly because of the complex stylistic motifs which are part of it. In the essay ``On the perfect beauty of a woman'', by the 16th-century writer Firenzuola, we learn that the slight opening of the lips at the corners of the mouth was considered in that period a sign of elegance. Thus Mona Lisa has that slight smile which enters into the gentle, delicate atmosphere pervading the whole painting. To achieve this effect, Leonardo uses the sfumato technique, a gradual dissolving of the forms themselves, continuous interaction between light and shade and an uncertain sense of the time of day.

Marc Chagall Quotes

2009-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

+ Will God or someone else give me the strength to breathe the breath of prayer and mourning into my paintings, the breath of prayer for redemption and resurrection?

+ Only love interests me, and I am only in contact with things I love.

+ I am out to introduce a psychic shock into my painting, one that is always motivated by pictorial reasoning: that is to say, a fourth dimension.

+ The habit of ignoring Nature is deeply implanted in our times. This attitude reminds me of people who never look you in the ye; I find them disturbing and always have to look away.

+ If a symbol should be discovered in a painting of mine, it was not my intention. It is a result I did not seek. It is something that may be found afterwards, and which can be interpreted according to taste.

+ Changes in societal structure and in art would possess more credibility if they had their origins in the soul and spirit. If people read the words of the prophets with closer attention, they would find the keys to life.

+ My hands were too soft.. I had to find some special occupation, some kind of work that would not force me to turn away from the sky and the stars, that would allow me to discover the meaning of life.

+ In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love.

+ My name is Marc, my emotional life is sensitive and my purse is empty, but they say I have talent.

+ But perhaps my art is the art of a lunatic, I thought, mere glittering quicksilver, a blue soul breaking in upon my pictures.

+ Great art picks up where nature ends.

ING Art Collection

2009-04-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

ING Group Collection

You see art everywhere at ING offices: in corridors, meeting rooms and restaurants. You can come across works from the ING Collection around the world as ING lends artworks to museums and organises exhibitions. The international art collection of the ING Group, consists of national collections world wide. From the description of the origins and development of the different collections, one seeks how the various collections complete each other, not only in terms of art history but also thematically.

Different Country Collections Works of art represented in or purchased for the ING Group Collection connect the collections of:
ING Collection Belgium
ING Collection Mexico
ING Collection Netherlands
ING Collection Poland
ING Collection United KingdomWorks of art by artists as Anja Schrey, Karel Appel, Don Brown, Michael Raedecker and Wilhelm Sasnal are valuable additions that connect the different collections.

Facts & Figures
25.000 works of high quality
on display at 1300 locations
enjoyed by 120,000 employees worldwide
national curators in the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom, Mexico and Poland
contemporary art
in the Netherlands: focus on figurative art

Art Appraisers, Art Insurance, Art Lighting, Art Presentation & Display, Art Shipping &; Handling, Art Storage, & Collections

2009-02-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

APPRAISERS

AARC GroupAppraisers & Consultants for Fine & Decorative Art
Professional appraisals for Fine & Decorative Art since 1974 Serving international collectors, museums and historical societies, the corporate world, governmental agencies, artists
Appraisals for insurance, estate and tax planning , charitable contributions, damage and lossspecialists, equitable distribution, matrimonial purposes, sale and purchase
Collection advice and planning
Experienced expert witness testimony, litigation support, trial preparation, fraud investigation
Appraisal methodology and review specialists
American Society of Appraisers accredited and Uniform Standards of Professional AppraisalPractice (USPAP) tested professional appraisers
Expert speakers available
Contact: Ellen J. Epstein, ASA5 Lake Wood Drive, Katonah, New York 10536914-232-0102Fax: 914-301-5243

Appraisal Resource Associates, Inc.Frances Zeman, ASA, is an American Society of Appraisers Senior Member, accredited to appraise Fine Art for purposes of insurance, donations, estates/estate planning, equitable distribution, damage and loss and mergers/acquisitions. Ms. Zeman has a Masters degree in Art History, and specializes in litigation support valuation disputes. Advisory services are also available, as are appraisal services for antiques and decorative arts.
Contact: Frances Zeman, ASA, Inc.133 Pacific StreetBrooklyn, N.Y. 11201New York: (212)432-6530Brooklyn Hts: (718)852-4961Garden City: (516)326-2715Fax: (718)643-6486

Alex J. Rosenberg, A.A.A./A.S.A. AppraisalsAlex J. Rosenberg, former President of the Appraisers Association of America, Certified/Senior Appraiser in personal/fine art, works with galleries, museums, banks, attorneys, accountants, as well as individuals. Highly qualified, with over 25 years of experience, in matters involving the IRS, estates, tax free gifts, equitable distribution, property loss, business valuation and as an expert witness. Assists with buying or selling at auction and donations to museums. Excellent references.
Areas of Expertise and Specialization · Estates · Donations · Appeals from I.R.S. Rulings · Equitable distribution for commercial and matrimonial matters · Insurance claims and appeals · Valuation of Business and collateral · Bank loans and financing · Consultant · Expert trial witness · Trial preparation · Review appraising
For further information call 212 628 0606, fax 212 628 4969

Art Peritus Appraisers & AdvisorsYour Source for Art Specialists Art Peritus [peritus – Latin: expert, skillful, experienced] is a full-service boutique art advisory and appraisal firm with over 35 specialists in all areas of fine and decorative arts including Fine Art, Sculpture, Photography, American and European Furniture, Asian Works of Art, Silver, Ceramics, Clocks, Rugs & Carpets, Books, Antiquities, Wine, Jewelry, and more. With an average of 20 years of practice in their chosen fields, our specialists come from backgrounds in international art auction houses, galleries, art advisory firms, private art collections, and museums, providing the understanding needed on the diversity of the art marketplace.

Art Peritus provides Qualified USPAP compliant appraisals for insurance, donation, estate tax, and equitable distribution. Additionally, we provide services to assist with the acquisition, disposition, and database management of our clients collections. As members of the Appraisers Association of America, Inc., we are committed to delivering quality expert service with consistency and dependability to all of our clients which include; Accountants, Attorneys, Corporations, Insurance Brokers and Companies, Museums, and Private Collectors. Call today for a free telephone consultation 212-566-6626.
Art Peritus Appraisers & Advisors p: 212-566-6626 f: 206-984-4548

ARTXPRT Beverly Hills Appraisal company and Santa Barbara Appraisal company.9489 Dayton Way suite 300Beverly Hills, CA 90210Tel: 310-276-3687, 1-800 ARTXPRT (NY or CA only)

Fine Art ServicesOld Master, 19th Century and Contemporary European and American paintings, drawings, works of art and antiques. We prepare appraisals for fair market value and replacement value for insurance purposes, equitable distribution, non-cash charitable donations, and estate settlement. All appraisals are prepared to the code of the Uniform Standard of Professional Appraisers Practice. Thirty years experience, member and regional representative of the Appraisers Association of America, Inc.Contact: Mr. Jan Milner340 Westoak TrailWinston-Salem, NC 27104Tel: 336-765-6583Fax: 336-768-6126

Hannibal International Fine Art ServicesAppraisal Services specializing in 20th-century African American art and cultural literature in accordance with the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice.Services include inventory cataloguing, collection managment, art location services and seminars.Contact: Mark Dabney, Apprasier and Consultant199 Greene Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11238Tel: 718-399-6106

Michael Maloney Fine Art Appraisal ServicesCertified Appraiser of 20th Century paintings, drawings, sculpture, prints and photographs. 25 years experience successfully working within the fine art field on both the east and west coasts. Michael has a diversified history of working with middle market and high-end property while maintaining longstanding relationships with both private clients and dealers, auction houses and the international art trade. Institutional Clients: The Getty Museum, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, de Young Museum, San Francisco, The Portland Museum, The Oakland Museum, The Guggenheim Museum, New York, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, The Hirschhorn Museum, Washington D.C. and many others.Contact: Michael Maloney2656 South La Cienega Blvd.Culver City, CA 90034Tel: (310) 829-0985Fax: (310) 829-0885

Kagan AppraisalsBonnie Kagan, Art Advisor & Appraiser
Bonnie Kagan Gallery, Inc. (1984). Offers over 20 years experience as art dealer and adviser. Kagan Gallery represented contemporary Canadian and American artists in drawing and painting. Advisor: presently specializing in the handling of art in estates and that includes: appraisal valuations, historical research for authorship and authenticity, and the preparation of collections for successful re entry into the market. Art buying and selling and collection building.
Appraiser: member of 'American Society of Appraisers', ASA Candidate and 'Appraisers Association of America', AAA. Trained in up to date methodology at George Washington University. All reports prepared in accordance with "Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice" for the purpose of insurance scheduling or damage/ loss replacement, charitable donations, estate settlement, legal issues and collateral loans on art.

Toronto:159 Chiltern Hill RoadToronto, Ontario M6C 3C3 CanadaTel: (416) 256-7889
New York:Tel: (212) 518-8690

Hal Katzen GallerySpecializing in modern and contemporary American and European fine art.Contact: Hal Katzen345 West BroadwayNew York, New York 10013Tel: 212-219-0165
Jacqueline Silverman & Associates, Inc.With over 20 years of experience, Jacqueline Silverman & Associates specializes in the appraisal of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary works of fine art, in all media. Among the types of appraisals we most often prepare are: replacement cost value appraisals for insurance purpose; and fair market value appraisals for both charitable contributions and estate purposes. Each of our appraisal reports is thoroughly researched and complies with the standards set forth in the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice of the Appraisal Foundation and by the Appraisers Association of America. Please be advised that we charge for our services and will gladly forward copies of our Professional Qualifications and Fee Schedule upon request.619 North Almont DriveLos Angeles, CA. 90069Ph: 310-277-4410Fax: 310-659-1001215 East 68th StreetSuite #20KNew York, NY. 10021Ph: 212-717-8290Fax: 212-717-8124

Monika HalfFull Service appraisals of photographs for insurance, estate and donation purposes.Member of Appraisers Association of America. Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices tested.One Garrett Place, Bronxville, NY 10708Tel/Fax: 914-961-0480
O'Toole-Ewald Art Associates, Inc.Full service, fully-staffed appraisal firm specializing in damage/loss/fraud reports concerning both fine and decorative art, as well as comprehensive insurance, fair market and donation appraisals for corporations, foundations and banking institutions. Staff members required to have advanced degrees or have held curatorial position at museum. Permanent in-house staff permits specialist staff to take on large-scale appraisals involving diversified art, antiques, and artifacts. Expert witness testimony available in cases involving disputes re equitable distribution, valuation, and appropriate appraisal methodologies. Excellent analytical reports. All firm members adhere to highest standards of USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice), regulated by subcommittee of Congress, and the guidelines of American Society of Appraisers. Staff members routinely publish articles in both professional and national journals.

Contact Elin Lake Ewald, PhD., ASA for brochure and further information.
1133 BroadwayNew York, NY 10010Tel: 212-989-5151Fax: 212-242-1629

Page Art IncSince 1983 Page Art Inc. has evaluated over $650 million of fine art and personal property in California and across the United States. Our appraisals of art, antiques, furnishings & collectibles are tailored to each client's needs and conform to industry standards.
Whether it is French paintings, Tiffany glass or classic film posters, we deliver accurate valuations on one item, a collection, or an entire estate. Our documentation is supported by digital or 35mm photography. Videotape services are also available.
When you need expert advice, please call on us. We feel that you will be pleased with our professional service, and our always competitive rates.
Contact: Fredrick N. PageLos Angeles and Newport Beach, CATel: (949) 270-2958Cell: (323) 422-9192

Robyn Roderick Fine Art Appraisal ServicesA professional appraiser can help you manage your interests by providing a well developed and documented unbiased estimate of value upon which you can base your financial decisions. Robyn Roderick is a certified and accredited member of the American Society of Appraisers specializing in fine art appraisals for insurance, estates, equitable distribution and donation purposes. All appraisals are prepared in accordance with the Uniform Standards of the Professional Appraisers Practice.

Contact: Robyn Roderick, AMP.O. Box 345Swarthmore, PA 19081Tel: 610-328-2810Fax: 610-328-2811

Jane St. Lifer Art, Inc. (Est 1986)Fine Art Appraiser140 Riverside Blvd. #323New York NY 10069 USAP: 212-580-2102F: 212-579-7470Jane St. Lifer has 25 years experience in the international art world. She is a Certified Appraiser in conformity with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), of the Appraisal Foundation, Washington, DC. She is qualified to appraise: Paintings, Prints, Photographs, Posters and Sculptures from the 19th and 20th Centuries, by American, European, Israeli, Japanese and Latin American Artist. References and Rates available on request.
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ART INSURANCE

AXA Art Insurance Corporation (AXA Art)The world's leading insurer of fine art and collectibles.
Our Expertise: We insure objects in every active area of serious collecting, from paintings, drawings and sculpture to rare stamps, antique furnishings and vintage vehicles. Our 50 full-time art historians around the world are augmented by an extensive network of renowned curators, appraisers, conservators, shippers and handlers, and tax consultants.
Our Clients: Through our brokers we serve a wide range of individuals, from first-time purchasers to the world's most respected collectors, as well as museums, galleries, corporations and public exhibitions. We have offices in New York (our headquarters), Beverly Hills, Chicago and Dallas, and sister offices in Brussels, Cologne, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich.
Art InsureDedicated to providing insurance for the Art World.
Specializing in Fine Art Insurance for Private Collectors, Galleries and Dealers, Artists, Museums and Corporate Collections, Worldwide. We have the most comprehensive and competitive policies available in the Fine Art World.

Contact: Frank P. Arena II, Director
303 Central Park AvenueScarsdale, NY 10583-1300Tel: (914)-686-0100Fax: (914)-686-0544
Barta & PartnerArt Insurance, Austria
Barta & Partner have been specializing in art insurance for many years. We work with many internationally renowned Auction Houses, Museums, Galleries and Collectors. Our client list includes:

Art Links:Galerie HilgerGalerie Hans Knoll, Wien - Budapest
Organisers and Museums:Graphische Sammlung AlbertinaMuseum fuer angewandte KunstTEFAF The European Fine Art Foundation
Auction Houses:Butterfield & Butterfield San FranciscoChristies InternationalLempertz KoelnSotheby's International For more information on us and on which of your valuables should be covered. Concordiaplatz 2/71010 ViennaTel: +43 1 523 08 40Fax: +43 1 532 08 40-10

Hallett IndependentHallett Independent provides a specialist consultancy and advisory service world-wide, on all areas of art insurance - in particular to galleries & dealers, traveling exhibition organizers and private collectors. Make sure that you have the best cover available at the most competitive rates - and that your insurance broker keeps you up-to-date with the most recent savings and improvements. Free quotes and advice. Also, advice on suitable computer software for your business. What's available and what's best for you?
Contact: Louise HallettAsset House7-9 Quay StreetLymingtonHampshire SO41 3AS, UKTel: +44 1590-672 888Fax: +44 1590 689 444
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ART LIGHTING

DeBruyne Fine ArtAs part of our belief in & #147;customer service,” DeBruyne has added Fine Art Lighting to our catalogue of services. We are constantly researching new product lines to the existing Slimline Series / XL Slimline Series. In the future you will be offered other selections for your fine art lighting needs. To order or answer questions, feel free to contact Scott or Jennifer at Debruyne Fine Art (941-262-4551, regular business hours)
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ART PRESENTATION AND DISPLAY

Art Display EssentialsArt Display Essentials is a mail order company supplying collectors, galleries, and museums with display stands, easels, risers, bases, hangers, shelves, adjustable holders, accessories, etc. We also have a custom shop for fabricating customized stands.

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ART SHIPPING & HANDLING

Racine Berkow Associates, Inc. International Fine Art Transport
RBA was founded in 1987 as a global freight forwarder and licensed customs broker specializing in fine arts, antiques, and museum exhibitions. RBA provides museum-quality fine art transport and handling services for museums, galleries, institutions and the discerning collector. During the last two decades, RBA has been privileged to handle a range of objects from monumental Henry Moore sculptures to priceless world treasures, including The Dead Sea Scrolls.
NEW YORK:37-05 Greenpoint AvenueLong Island City, Tel: 718.482.8384Fax: 718.482.8385
WASHINGTON, DC:1211 Tatum Drive, 1st FloorAlexandria, VA 22307Tel: 703-299-0660Fax: 703-299-1211

Memberships/Licenses US Custom Broker - License#14578IATA International Air Transport Association - CNS#0119705AFA - Air Freight Forwarders AssociationAAM - American Association of MuseumsICEFAT - International Conference of Exhibition and Fine Art Transporters

Trimaxion Fine Artsis a storage and art handling company.
We feature climate controlled, high security storage space.
We provide local trucking, national and international shipping, insurance, packing.crating and installations. Our gallery quality viewing room is the largest in the city.
Tel: 718.784.5070Fax: 718.784.5071
Trimaxion Fine Arts2976 Northern Blvd.Long Island City, NY 11101 Back To Top
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ARTIST CAREER MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Contemporary Artists' ServicesContemporary Artists' Services, founded in 1979 by Sylvia White, is one of the few firms specializing in career development of visual artists. We advise artists on all matters related to business, exhibitions, and marketing. In 1986, CAS expanded its consulting services to represent selected artists in its two public exhibition spaces. By familiarizing galleries, museums, collectors, critics, and curators with the work of emerging, mid-career, and established artists, CAS artists have participated in over 300 exhibitions, nationally and internationally. Los Angeles Gallery:2022 B Broadway(enter through alley),Santa Monica, CA90404 New York Gallery:560 BroadwaySuite #206New York, NY10012 Los Angeles Gallery hours:Mon.-Fri., 10am-5pm New York Gallery hours:Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm Tel:(310) 828-6200Fax: (310) 453-7544 Tel: (212) 966-3564Fax: (212) 966-4839
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ART STORAGE

FORTRESS®MUSEUM QUALITY STORAGE AND SERVICES®For over 20 years, FORTRESS has been the leading provider of specialized storage and services for fine art, antiques, collectibles and high-end furniture. Our facilities have been awarded the coveted "HPR" (Highly Protected Risk) rating by insurance experts such as Chubb, Lloyd's, AXA-Art, St. Paul Fire & Marine and more. This is the highest rating afforded to off-site storage facilities. Our unique design allows us to provide many storage options, including private vaults in numerous size configurations, to our clients at an exceptional value.

All facilities are air-conditioned, humidity-controlled, fire-protected and very secure. Services include packing, transit, receiving, releasing, shipping, crating, installation, international services and insurance. We offer the most suitable and comprehensive solution to your storage and service needs.
All employees are long-term, bonded and experienced in the industry. We are actively involved in our local arts communities.

Conveniently located in New York, Boston and Miami:
49-20 Fifth StreetLong Island City, NY 11101718-937-5500Ursula Cornely, Vice President of Business DevelopmentPaul Clark, Director of Business Development
99 Boston StreetBoston, MA 02125-1143617-288-3636Sigrid Thorne, General Manager
1629 NE 1st AvenueMiami, FL 33132-1206305-374-6161Kimberly Jones, General Manager Back To Top
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COLLECTIONS

Artcurial Contemporary ArtArtcurial, with its various departments ranging from the original works to limited edition art works presents the greatest modern and contemporary artists. The artists, with the help of traditional craftsmen, have created works specifically for ARTCURIAL and have successfully produced works in fields such as sculpture, furniture, engravings, jewelry, rugs, etc... The great rigor applied to the design and production work of all these works represents a unique adventure into the art world.In addition to its large galleries on avenue Montaigne in Paris and in the Principality of Monaco, Artcurial now offers you the chance to acquire works as well as a wealth of information about artists and events on the Internet.Artcurial offers works by Salvador Dali, Arman, Man Ray, Sonia Delaunay, Zao Wou-Ki, and Giorgio De Chirico.
61, avenue Montaigne75008 PARISTel: +01 42 99 16 16

Fine Art ServicesWe are a full service organization which specializes in research, restoration, cataloging and maintenance of all works of art.See above for contact information.
RBW Fine Art ServicesWith over 20 years experience in the business of fine art, RBW offers a variety of services to the discerning collector: Collections Management including research, curatorial, acquisition/dispersal, registration, packing/transportation, framing, conservation/restoration, installation, lighting, exhibition loan agreements, maintenance, catalogues, appraisals for insurance, charitable donations and estates:
For inquiries, contact Robin Bonner Ward at:RBW Fine Art Appraisal Services1420 Spring Hill Rd, Suite 600McLean, VA 22102-3030Tel: 703-328-6426 Fax 703-753-3703

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CONSERVATION / RESTORATION

Fine Art ServicesMuseum quality restoration of paintings, pastels and works on paper at very competitive prices. Restoration completed in a timely manner.See above for contact information.
Modern Art FoundryModern Art Foundry is a full service fine art casting facility with over 65 years of experience. Primarily focused on providing high quality castings to artists and communities. Services also include sculpture Conservation and Maintenance and the development of new works through a Commemorative Design service.
Founded in 1932, Modern Art Foundry is well known for working with sculptors such as Archipenko, Lipchitz, Noguchi, Manship, Lachaise, Bourgeois, Gober and hundreds more, including Conservation and Maintenance works on pieces by Miro, Giacometti, Remington and Moore to name a few. The Commemorative Design service has created and installed portrait busts to over life size monuments honoring individuals from all walks of life.
Please visit our website or call for further information. Modern Art Foundry18-70 41st StreetAstoria, NY 11105Phone: (718)728-2030Fax: (718)267-0819

Summit CompanyPartial or full conservation and restoration services, including linen and/or mylar linings, cleaning, inpainting, mounting, and varnishing/waxing. Our conservation studio has been serving dealers and collectors needs for 15 years. Member: AIC and IIC.Contact: Phillip Focer6 East New StreetGlassboro, NJ 08028-1915Tel: 609-863-9426 or 881-8569

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CONSULTANTS

Carol Dabb, Art Consultant: Fine Art ConsultingCarol Dabb Contemporary Fine Art is based on handling all media and art programs, offering quality and personalized service. Serves corporations, businesses, medical, municipal and private individuals Handles all media of contemporary art, both abstract and representational Sales range from fine art prints to originals to sculptures of all scale and price Specializes in site specific commissions for hard to find pieces Curates and produces exhibitions Assists with other art related services: framing, appraisals, restoration, shipping Contact: Carol Dabb41 Sunkist LaneLos Altos, CA 94022Tel: (650) 941-1907Fax: (650) 948-4019
Suzy Locke & AssociatesFine Art Consultant to corporations, business, health care, hospitality and private individuals.Contact: Suzy Locke5253 College AvenueOakland, CA 94618-1414Tel: (510) 547-5455Fax: (510) 547-5495

LYDECKER FINE ARTNew York * Connecticut * California * (917) 940-3353 Lydecker Fine Art (LFA) provides art consulting from a point of view that is informed, engaged, and aimed at successful implementation. LFA focuses on creating projects that are successful, rewarding, and enjoyable collaborations between clients and the LFA staff. Our goal is to meet or exceed expectations by providing art advice within our clients" budget and other limitations, and by choosing artwork they can truly be confident and passionate about.

Lydecker Fine Art advisory services aides in consulting for interior and exterior spaces for large corporations, small offices, hotels, spas, restaurants, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and private residences. In order to create an exemplary finished space for our clients, the LFA staff will conduct a walk through of the existing space, review floor plans, and discuss the artwork options available. We take pride in the finished product and in the satisfaction of our clients. Lydecker Fine Art offers a variety of services to design an ideal space for our clients. Our services include, but are not limited to:

Evaluation of the space for appropriate placement of art in terms of physical dimensions, effective use of space, and design and safety considerations. Personal interview with decision makers regarding desired image artwork is to project, aesthetics, budget, and timeline. Review of existing collection, if present, to determine which works to sell, donate, reframe, reinstall, etc. Research and selection of artwork from a broad range of national artists, galleries, publishers, auction houses, and private dealers. Supervision of shipping, framing, and installing of artworks.
Robert C. Moeller,III- Works of ArtA service every art collector should consider.A private art curator. Trusted with all aspects of collecting, owning, and caring for fine paintings and works of art for more than 30 years. Please call or write for scope and history of services and references.Tel: (307) 733-9607Fax: (307) 733-9528Email: theartadvisor.com
NCE Photo - The Itinerant GalleryNCE Photo, the Itinerant gallery, was created by Nathalie Casabo Emprin in 1995 after she opened and directed the photography section of the Suzel Berna Gallery (Antibes, Paris) for six years. Nce-photo.fr is a gallery online dedicated to modern and contemporary photography. Its activities range from sale of original prints, multimedia projects and installations to curatorial activities, lectures of exhibitions. NCE specializes in Finnish photography but it also represents works by Boubat, Clergue, Dieuzaide, Gibson, Crane, among others. She is also Arno Rafael Minkkinen's agent in Europe. The exhibit and sale of NCE's collection 'Metamorphoses' will be on at Bar Floreal from Nov. 13th -Nov. 21st 2001, during Paris Photo fair.
Contact: Nathalie Casabo Emprin391 rue des Pyrénées75020 Paris, FranceTel: 033-0680628280

Paris Art ConsultingBased in Paris since 1989, David Butcher draws on his polyvalent experience - fine art training, museum experience, art historical knowledge (La Sorbonne) and art market research - to provide an integrated approach to art consulting for an international clientele comprising private collectors, museums, art galleries and corporate collections.The difference between Paris Art Consulting and most other art consulting firms lies in our use of advanced Internet and information technologies, while maintaining a personal one-to-one service. Whether you are a major public institution or a budding private collector, the service remains the same: efficient and tailored to meet your needs and budget.Contact: David ButcherParis Art Consulting16 rue Pierre DupontParis France 75010Tel: 33 1 40380488Fax: 33 1 42053942

Elisa Pritzker Studio @ Casa del Arte New YorkConsulting for Artists, Seminars and Curatorial Services. Providing answers, resources and solutions to artists and craft people. All consultations are private and confidential. Ongoing, one-time session or project specific.Contact: Elisa PritzkerTel: (845) 691-5506Fax: (845) 691-6148

Andrea Schaffner-DittlerJapanese woodblock prints, evaluation, consultation & appraisals of Ukiyore and related works of art.Fuerst-Pueckler-Str. 7850933 Köln, Germany.Phone/Fax: ++49-221-940-3823

Thomas & Associates, Inc.Thomas & Associates, Inc., is an innovative firm that offers staffing, consulting and leadership and management training for museums, non-profit organizations and art businesses nationwide. Our exhibition division develops and travel major exhibitions nationally and internationally. For employment opportunities in the arts and to take advantage of our career services, Call 212. 779.7059.

Geri Thomas, PresidentThomas & Associates, Inc.6 East 39th StreetNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 779-7059Fax: (212) 779-7096
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FRAMERS

ARTSEAL: Art ServicesExpert at preparing Galleries, Museum's, Artist's, & Collector's Portfolio's for Presentation and Sale, ARTSEAL offers:
* Shrinkwrap Services* Slipsleeves* Matting* Mounting* Print holders (metal w/wheels)
ARTSEAL is San Francisco's Leading Provider of Shrinkwrap Services to the Art Community. ARTSEAL.com1847 Larkin St. @ Pacific Ave.San Francisco, CA 94109Tel. 1-888-ARTSEALFax: 1-415-567-6884

MAYEN OLSON FRAMEMAKERS AND GOLD LEAF STUDIO
Are you tired of being disappointed by your framemaker? Would you like to work with friendly people, who are happy to be of service to you? Tired of having to spend your valuable time selecting frames when it could be done for you? Tired of seeing the same designs over and over? Have you decided to find the best frames - hand-carved in real wood, gilded in real gold leaf, with the best finishes - for your paintings? Are you ready for the best service and quality in the business?If you answered yes to any of these questions, you owe it to yourself to try Mayen Olson Framemakers and Gold Leaf Studios. MAYEN OLSON
Contact: Phil Olson20512 Crescent Bay Drive, Suite 100Lake Forest, CA 92630Phone: 949-583-1146Fax: 949-583-1156

Silver Cloud Galleries20 West Ohio St.Chicago, IL 60610 1-800-924-4480 or 312-881-5200
Entering our 30th year in business providing the highest quality customer framing to thedesign,architectural and art dealers/gallery industries, and private clients. We maintaina custom framing salon at 20 West Ohio Street, at State, Near Chicago's Magnificent Mile.We carry Lamarche, Max, Studio, Nei, and Nielsen as well as Andrews, Crescent andBainbridge and all glazing options including AR Museum. 23KT gold leaf, plexiboxes. Weare considered the oversize specialists in Chicago, regularly handling vintage postersand other art up to 72" by 120". Custom mirrors are always available in bevels from nonto 2". Pickup, delivery and installation as well as crating and shipping worldwide. Opensix days. 1-800-924-4480 or 312-881-5200

S O H O PICTURE FRAMING Custom & Archival Framing22k Gold Leaf Hand Finished Fine WoodsOver 3500 StylesExpert Design Quality Service(212) 431-5600 568 Broadway By Appointment Only Est.1977

SUMMIT FRAMESAffordable ready made American Impressionist Frames. Hand carved wood, gold metal leaf finish, seamless corners. Custom sizes also available. Immediate shipping on in stock frames. These elegant frames provide the look and feel of classic early 20th century American Impressionist Frames at a fraction of the cost.
Contact: David Saltzman4304 Twain AvenueSan Diego, CA 92120Tel. (619) 563-8600Fax: (619) 563-8602

Eli Wilner & Company1525 York AveNew York, NY 10028Phone: 212.744.6521Fax: 212.628.0264
Known for: Eli Wilner & Company is committed to giving our clients the best possible service. We pride ourselves on the personal attention we give our clients framing needs. We sell period frames and replicas of our 3000 period frame collection.Other Features: We also offer frame restoration services and frame appraisals. Please visit our website for additional information.

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JOB LISTINGS / RECRUITMENT

Sophie Macpherson Ltd.Sophie Macpherson Ltd is a recruitment company specializing in the fine art industry. We provide temporary and permanent staff to all types of organizations from Old Master picture dealers to contemporary and photographic galleries, from museums and auction houses to major art centers.

Prior to setting up her recruitment agency, Sophie worked for a leading London art dealer for a number of years. Working in a gallery inevitably shed light on the many other dealers searching for the right staff and of course the throngs of highly qualified people looking to be employed in the art world. During this time she recognized the need for a specialist agency that could link both parties in a discreet, confidential and understanding way.
Sophie Macpherson Ltd. was set up with the idea of providing a more personal, less web based fine art recruitment agency that would adapt its approach to suit the individual needs of her clients and candidates.

Our recruitment services include:
Executive Search & SelectionCuratorial & Exhibition staff including techniciansGallery Administrative Staff such as PAs and Gallery ManagersSkilled Craftsmen & Specialist Workers
66 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QETel: +44 (0)20 7636 9878Fax: +44 (0)20 7636 9879

Thomas & Associates, Inc.Thomas & Associates, Inc., is an innovative firm that offers staffing, consulting and leadership and management training for museums, non-profit organizations and art businesses nationwide. Our exhibition division develops and travel major exhibitions nationally and internationally. For employment opportunities in the arts and to take advantage of our career services, call 212. 779.7059.

Geri Thomas, PresidentThomas & Associates, Inc.6 East 39th StreetNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 779-7059Fax: (212) 779-7096
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PHOTOGRAPHY

Light Blue StudioLight Blue Studio specializes in on-site digital photography of paintings and works on paper. Using a better light digital system with fluorescent daylight lamps we produce the highest resolution files for: 4-color separations for printing; photographic prints for presentation; image files for the web.
Timothy Pyle226 East 81st Street, Suite 1BNew York, New York 10028Tel: (212) 988-8065 Slides of ArtI have been making 35 mm slides and 4x5 transparencies for artists, galleries, museums, and publishers, in my studio and on location for over 20 years.
As a fine art photographer, I am intimately familiar with the specific requirements of making high quality documentation for the art world. Excellence can be expected, satisfaction is guaranteed.

Joseph HydeSlides of Art6403 Moyer AvenueBaltimore, Maryland 21206Tel: (410)319-9191
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PRINTING

Karen Powelson Fine Art Print ServicesContact: Karen Powelson130 Camino CrucitasSanta Fe, New Mexico 87501Tel: (505) 982-8400
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SERVICES

Carol Dabb, Art Consultant: Fine Art ConsultingCarol Dabb Contemporary Fine Art is based on handling all media and art programs, offering quality and personalized service. Serves corporations, businesses, medical, municipal and private individuals Handles all media of contemporary art, both abstract and representational Sales range from fine art prints to originals to sculptures of all scale and price. Specializes in site specific commissions for hard to find pieces Curates and produces exhibitions Assists with other art related services: framing, appraisals, restoration, shipping Contact: Carol Dabb41 Sunkist LaneLos Altos, CA 94022Tel: (650) 941-1907Fax: (650) 948-4019

Novo Arts Inc.Novo Arts Inc. offers a unique range of art services to assist designers, architects, art consultants, corporate and private clientele to solve their aesthetic concerns. Novo Arts Inc. is a fine art consulting firm with a unique image bank that tailors solutions to suit clients' specific tastes and budgets. Whether developing corporate, private, or philanthropic art programs, Novo Arts has a 30-year history of successful creating artistic and inspiring environments.
Please visit our website or call for further information.

Novo Arts Inc. a fine art consulting firm57 East 11th St. FL 10New York, NY 10003Phone: 212-674-3093Fax: 212-979-5381

WiselephantPrint, Mail, Web, Press, Follow-Up, Contacts: Wiselephant
Wiselephant is the only full-cycle marketing company built for the creative arts, and we know what it takes to be successful. Progressive, aggressive, reclusive, inclusive, whatever you work may be, we can help clear the path between you and your audience.
We'll get your work online, contact galleries and announce exhibitions.
Make the most of your web, marketing, postcard, portfolio, and press campaigns. Check out our website or give us a call, and you'll see what 100s of artists already know; getting the help you need at a price that's fair is finally possible with Wiselephant.
WiselephantContact: Jason MoriberTel(NY): 718.625.9258

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SPONSORSHIP

NURTUREart Non-Profit, Inc."Our name is our mission."
NURTUREart, a tax-exempt, charitable organization, is a source of exhibition opportunities and material support for talented visual artists who currently lack the means to realize their potential and become full-time, self-supporting professionals.
George J. Robinson, Executive Director160 Cabrini Blvd., PH 134New York, NY 10033-1145(212) 795-5566

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TECHNOLOGY

Business Technology Services, Inc.Business Technology Services, (BTS) has extensive experience helping galleries and artists with their technology needs. From equipping a gallery - to helping artists to make their work visible on the web, BTS offers a variety of ways to help the art world help itself. Need help with your gallery's computers, scanners or e-mail? Looking to upgrade your hardware or software, add databases, and integrate clients/ artwork information? Want a website which is easily managed & updated from the gallery? BTS can make it work. on either Mac or PC platforms or both. For a free on-site technology review & consultation.
Contact: Tom CrimminsTel: (212) 243-9496

WEB DESIGN Jason Stubley Digital ServicesI specialise in professional on-site digital photography for UK fine arts & antique dealers and provide expert help in the online marketing of dealers' stock, including website updates, site design and makeovers.
Jason Stubley40 Trinity RoadN2 8JJ London, UK Tel: 020 8883 6661Mobile: 07803 926987

Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn, Biography (1606-1669) b.Netherlands

2009-01-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Nightwatch - Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn

The Music Party

Aristotle with the Bust of Homer

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on July 15, 1606 in Leiden the Netherlands He was the ninth child born to Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn and Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck. [7]His family was quite well-to-do; his father was a miller and his mother was a baker's daughter. As a boy he attended Latin school and was enrolled at the University of Leidenalthough according to a contemporary he had a greater inclination towards painting; he was soon apprenticed to a Leiden history painter, Jacob van Swanenburgh, with whom he spent three years. After a brief but important apprenticeship of six months with the famous painter Pieter Lastman in Amsterdam Rembrandt opened a studio in Leiden in 1624 or 1625, which he shared with friend and colleague Jan Lievens In 1627, Rembrandt began to accept students, among them Gerrit Dou.

In 1629 Rembrandt was discovered by the statesman Constantijn Huygens the father of Christiaan Huygens (a famous Dutch mathematician and physicist), who procured for Rembrandt important commissions from the court of The Hague. As a result of this connection, Prince Frederik Hendrik continued to purchase paintings from Rembrandt until 1646.[9]
At the end of 1631, Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam, then rapidly expanding as the new business capital of the Netherlands, and began to practice as a professional portraitist for the first time, with great success. He initially stayed with an art dealer, Hendrick van Uylenburg and in 1634, married Hendrick's cousin, Saskia van Uylenburg[10] Saskia came from a good family: her father had been lawyer and burgemeester (mayor) of Leeuwarden. When Saskia, as the youngest daughter, became an orphan, she lived with an older sister in Het Bildt. They were married in the local church of St. Annaparochie without the presence of his relatives. In the same year, Rembrandt became a burgess of Amsterdam and a member of the local guild of painters. He also acquired a number of students, among them Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck.

Portrait of Saskia van Uylenburg ca. 1635.
In 1635 Rembrandt and Saskia moved into their own house, renting in fashionable Nieuwe Doelenstraat. In 1639, they moved to a prominent house (now the Rembrandt House Museum) in the Jodenbreestraat in what was becoming the Jewish quarter; the mortgage to finance the 13,000 guilder purchase would be a primary cause for later financial difficulties.[11] He should easily have been able to pay it off with his large income, but it appears his spending always kept pace with his income, and he may have made some unsuccessful investments.[12] It was there that Rembrandt frequently sought his Jewish neighbors to model for his Old Testament scenes.[13]Although they were by now affluent, the couple suffered several personal setbacks; their son Rumbartus died two months after his birth in 1635 and their daughter Cornelia died at just 3 weeks of age in 1638. In 1640, they had a second daughter, also named Cornelia, who died after living barely over a month. Only their fourth child, Titus, who was born in 1641, survived into adulthood. Saskia died in 1642 soon after Titus's birth, probably from tuberculosis. Rembrandt's drawings of her on her sick and death bed are among his most moving works.
During Saskia's illness, Geertje Dircx was hired as Titus' caretaker and nurse and probably also became Rembrandt's lover. She would later charge Rembrandt with breach of promise and was awarded alimony of 200 guilders a year. Rembrandt worked to have her committed for twelve years to an asylum or poorhouse (called a "bridewell") at Gouda, after learning Geertje had pawned jewelry that had once belonged to Saskia, and which Rembrandt had given her.
In the late 1640s Rembrandt began a relationship with the much younger Hendrickje Stoffels who had initially been his maid. In 1654 they had a daughter, Cornelia, bringing Hendrickje a summons from the Reformed church to answer the charge "that she had committed the acts of a whore with Rembrandt the painter". She admitted this and was banned from receiving communion. Rembrandt was not summoned to appear for the Church council because he was not a member of the Reformed church. The two were considered legally wed under common law, but Rembrandt had not married Henrickje, so as not to lose access to a trust set up for Titus in his mother's will.

Rembrandt's son Titus, as a monk, 1660.
Rembrandt lived beyond his means, buying art (including bidding up his own work), prints (often used in his paintings) and rarities, which probably caused a court arrangement to avoid his bankruptcy in 1656, by selling most of his paintings and large collection of antiquities. The sale list survives and gives us a good insight into his collections, which apart from Old Master paintings and drawings included busts of the Roman Emperors, suits of Japanese armour among many objects from Asia, and collections of natural history and minerals; the prices realized in the sales in 1657 and 1658 were disappointing. He also had to sell his house and his printing-press and move to more modest accommodation on the Rozengracht in 1660. The authorities and his creditors were generally accommodating to him, except for the Amsterdam painters' guild who introduced a new rule that no one in Rembrandt's circumstances could trade as a painter. To get round this, Hendrickje and Titus set up a business as art-dealers in 1660, with Rembrandt as an employee.
In 1661 he (or rather the new business) was contracted to complete work for the newly built city hall, but only after Govert Flinck the artist previously commissioned, died without beginning to paint. The resulting work, The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis, was rejected and returned to the painter; the surviving fragment is only a fraction of the whole work. It was around this time that Rembrandt took on his last apprentice, Aert de Gelder. In 1662 he was still fulfilling major commissions for portraits and other works. When Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany visited Amsterdam in 1667, he visited Rembrandt at his house.
Rembrandt outlived both Hendrickje, who died in 1663, and Titus, who died in 1668, leaving a baby daughter. Rembrandt died within a year of his son, on October 4, 1669 in Amsterdam, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Westerkerk.

Anthony van Dyck - (Antonis van Dijck) Flemish b.1599 - d.1641

2009-01-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

Children of Charles 1
Anthony van Dyke,
Windsor Castle, Royal Collection

Portrait of Charles V on Horseback
Anthony van Dyke

The Virgin and Child, Anthony van Dyke, Louvre, Paris, France

Anthony van Dyck (Antonis van Dijck) is one of the greatest Flemish painters. He was born on the 23rd of March, 1599 in Antwerp, 7th child in the family of a well-to-do silk merchant Frans van Dyck. After the early death of his mother he, at the age of 10, was sent to be trained by painter Hendrick van Balen in his workshop. In 1615, he already had his own workshop and an apprentice. In 1618, he was accepted as a full member of the Lucas Guild of painters.

In 1639, Van Dyck married Mary Ruthven, grand-daughter of the Earl of Gowrie. His only daughter was born on the 1st of December, 1641 and on the 9th of December, 1641 he died in London. He was buried in the St. Paul Cathedral.

In his court portraits Van Dyck established a style of characterization that was to persist all over the Europe for more than two centuries: in his visions of tall and aloof, yet relaxed, elegance, he showed the most subtle ability to bring a precise physical likeness into compositions of fluent and elaborate Baroque splendor.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau - French Academic Painter

2009-01-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

Work Interrupted, 1891
Adolph-William Bouguereau
Meade Art Museum, Amherst College

Le Repose, 1879
Adolphe-William Bouguereau

Self Portrait, 1879
Adolphe-William Bouguereau

William-Adolphe Bouguereau was born in La Rochelle France on November 30, 1825, into a family of wine and olive oil merchants. He seemed destined to join the family business but for the intervention of his uncle Eugène, a curate who taught him classical and biblical subjects, and arranged for Bouguereau to go to high school. Bouguereau showed artistic talent early on and his father was convinced by a client to send him to the École des Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux, where he won first prize in figure painting for a depiction of Saint Roch. To earn extra money, he designed labels for jams and preserves.

Through his uncle, Bouguereau was given a commission to paint portraits of parishioners, and when his aunt matched the sum he earned, Bouguereau went to Paris and became a student at the École des Beaux-Arts. To supplement his formal training in drawing, he attended anatomical dissections and studied historical costumes and archeology. He was admitted to the studio of François-Edouard Picot, where he studied painting in the academic style. Academic painting placed the highest status on historical and mythological subjects and Bouguereau won the coveted Prix de Rome in 1850, with his Zenobia Found by Shepherds on the Banks of the Araxes. His reward was a stay at the Villa Mediciin Rome, Italy, where in addition to formal lessons he was able to study first-hand the Renaissance artists and their masterpieces.
Bouguereau, completely in tune with the traditional Academic style, exhibited at the annual exhibitions of the Paris Salon for his entire working life.

Detail from The Birth of Venus by Bouguereau.
An early reviewer stated, “M. Bouguereau has a natural instinct and knowledge of contour. The eurythmie of the human body preoccupies him, and in recalling the happy results which, in this genre, the ancients and the artists of the sixteenth century arrived at, one can only congratulate M. Bouguereau in attempting to follow in their footsteps…Raphael was inspired by the ancients…and no one accused him of not being original.”

Raphael was a favorite of Bouguereau and he took this review as a high compliment. He had fulfilled one of the requirements of the Prix de Rome by completing a old-master copy of Raphael’s The Triumph of Galatea. In many of his works, he followed the same classical approach to composition, form, and subject matter.

In 1856, he married Marie-Nelly Monchablon and subsequently had five children. By the late 1850s, he made strong connections with art dealers, particularly Paul Durand-Ruel (later the champion of the Impressionists), who helped clients buy paintings from artists who exhibited at the Salons. The Salons annually drew over 300,000 people, thereby providing valuable exposure to exhibited artists. Bouguereau’s fame extended to England by the 1860s and then he bought a large house and studio in Montparnasse with his growing income.

Bouguereau was a staunch traditionalist whose realistic genre paintings and mythological themes were modern interpretations of Classical subjects—both pagan and Christian—with a heavy concentration on the female human body. Although he created an idealized world, his almost photo-realistic style brought to life his goddesses, nymphs, bathers, shepherdesses, and madonnas in a way which was very appealing to rich art patrons of his time. Some critics, however, preferred the honesty of Jean-François Millet’s truer-to-life depiction of hard-working farmers and laborers.

Bouguereau employed traditional methods of working up a painting, including detailed pencil studies and oil sketches, and his careful method resulted in a pleasing and accurate rendering of the human form. His painting of skin, hands, and feet was particularly admired. He also used some of the religious and erotic symbolism of the Old Masters, such as the “broken pitcher” which connoted lost innocence.

One of the rewards of staying within the Academic style and doing well in the Salons was receiving commissions to decorate private houses, public buildings, and churches. As was typical of these commissions, sometimes Bouguereau would paint in his own style, and other times he had to conform to an existing group style. Early on, Bouguereau was commissioned in all three venues, which added enormously to his prestige and fame. He also made reductions of his public paintings for sale to patrons, of which The Annunciation (1888) is an example. He was also a successful portrait painter though many of his paintings of wealthy patrons still remain in private hands.

Bouguereau steadily gained the honors of the Academy, reaching Life Member in 1876, and Commander of the Legion of Honor and Grand Medal of Honor in 1885. He began to teach drawing at the Académie Julian in 1875, a co-ed art institution independent of the École des Beaux-Arts, with no entrance exams and with nominal fees.

In 1877, both his wife and infant son died. At a rather advanced age, Bouguereau was married for the second time in 1896, to fellow artist Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau, one of his pupils. He also used his influence to open many French art institutions to women for the first time, including the Académie française.

Near the end of his life he described his love of his art, “Each day I go to my studio full of joy; in the evening when obliged to stop because of darkness I can scarcely wait for the next morning to come…if I cannot give myself to my dear painting I am miserable”. He painted eight hundred and twenty-six paintings.

Bouguereau died in La Rochelle at age 80 from heart disease.

Marc Chagall - Rain (La Pluie) 1911

2009-01-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Rain (La Pluie), 1911. Oil and charcoal on canvas, 34 1/8 x 42 1/2 inches (86.7 x 108 cm). The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, 76.2553.63. Marc Chagall © 2007 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Other Peggy Guggenheim Collection WorksVIEW AS SLIDESHOW

More Works By Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall’s early work is characterized by a neo-primitive style derived primarily from Russian icons and folk art. When he moved from Russia to Paris in the summer of 1910, the artist took with him several of these paintings depicting the life and customs of his native Vitebsk. During the next year he reworked them and also painted new compositions with similar motifs, infused with nostalgia for his homeland, but now adapted according to techniques and concepts he acquired from exposure to current French art.
Nondescriptive, saturated color is used in Rain in combination with assertive areas of white and black to produce a highly ornamental and vivid surface. Chagall’s use of color was influenced by that of Henri Matisse and Robert Delaunay, whose work he saw almost immediately upon his arrival in Paris. The breaking up of some areas of the composition into shaded planes, for example the roof of the house and the left foreground, has its source in Cubism, though this device is handled somewhat randomly.
Lucy Flint

After Marc Chagall moved to Paris from Russia in 1910, his paintings quickly came to reflect the latest avant-garde styles. In Paris Through the Window, Chagall’s debt to the Orphic Cubism of his colleague Robert Delaunay is clear in the semitransparent overlapping planes of vivid color in the sky above the city. The Eiffel Tower, which appears in the cityscape, was also a frequent subject in Delaunay’s work. For both artists it served as a metaphor for Paris and perhaps modernity itself. Chagall’s parachutist might also refer to contemporary experience, since the first successful jump occurred in 1912. Other motifs suggest the artist’s native Vitebsk. This painting is an enlarged version of a window view in a self-portrait painted one year earlier, in which the artist contrasted his birthplace with Paris. The Janus figure in Paris Through the Window has been read as the artist looking at once westward to his new home in France and eastward to Russia. Chagall, however, refused literal interpretations of his paintings, and it is perhaps best to think of them as lyrical evocations, similar to the allusive plastic poetry of the artist’s friends Blaise Cendrars (who named this canvas) and Guillaume Apollinaire.
Years after Chagall painted The Soldier Drinks he stated that it developed from his memory of tsarist soldiers who were billeted with families during the 1904–05 Russo-Japanese war. The enlisted man in the picture, with his right thumb pointing out the window and his left index finger pointing to the cup, is similar to the two-faced man in Paris Through the Window in that both figuratively mediate between dual worlds—interior versus exterior space, past and present, the imaginary and the real. In paintings such as these it is clear that the artist preferred the life of the mind, memory, and magical Symbolism over realistic representation.
In Green Violinist Chagall evoked his homeland. The artist’s nostalgia for his own work was another impetus in creating this painting, which is based on earlier versions of the same subject. His cultural and religious legacy is illuminated by the figure of the violinist dancing in a rustic village. The Chabad Hasidim of Chagall’s childhood believed it possible to achieve communion with God through music and dance, and the fiddler was a vital presence in ceremonies and festivals.
Jennifer Blessing

Rene Magritte - Voice of Space

2009-01-11T08:11:00.001-08:00

Voice of Space (La Voix des airs), 1931Oil on canvas, 72.7 x 54.2 cmPeggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice 75.2553 PG 101© René Magritte, by SIAE 2008

Influenced by Giorgio de Chirico, René Magritte sought to strip objects of their usual functions and meanings in order to convey an irrationally compelling image. In Voice of Space, the bells float in the air. By distorting the scale, weight, and use of an ordinary object and inserting it into a variety of unaccustomed contexts, Magritte confers on that object a fetishistic intensity. The disturbing impact of the bells presented in an unfamiliar setting is intensified by the cool academic precision with which they and their environment are painted. The dainty slice of landscape could be the backdrop of an early Renaissance painting, while the bells themselves, in their rotund and glowing monumentality, impart a mysterious resonance.

René François Ghislain Magritte was born on November 21, 1898, in Lessines, Belgium. He studied intermittently between 1916 and 1918 at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Magritte first exhibited at the Centre d’Art in Brussels in 1920. After completing military service in 1921, he worked briefly as a designer in a wallpaper factory. In 1923 he participated with Lyonel Feininger, El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, and the Belgian Paul Joostens in an exhibition at the Cercle Royal Artistique in Antwerp. In 1924 he collaborated with E. L. T. Mesens on the review Oesophage. In 1927 Magritte was given his first solo exhibition at the Galerie le Centaure in Brussels. Later that year the artist left Brussels to establish himself in Le Perreux-sur-Marne, near Paris, where he frequented the Surrealist circle, which included Jean Arp, André Breton, Salvador Dalí, Paul Eluard, and Joan Miró. In 1928 Magritte took part in the Exposition surréaliste at the Galerie Goemans in Paris. He returned to Belgium in 1930, and three years later was given a solo show at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Magritte’s first solo exhibition in the United States took place at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York in 1936 and the first in England at the London Gallery in 1938. He was represented as well in the 1936 Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Throughout the 1940s Magritte showed frequently at the Galerie Dietrich in Brussels. During the following two decades he executed various mural commissions in Belgium. From 1953 he exhibited frequently at the galleries of Alexander Iolas in New York, Paris, and Geneva. Magritte retrospectives were held in 1954 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and in 1960 at the Museum for Contemporary Arts, Dallas, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. On the occasion of his retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1965, Magritte traveled to the United States for the first time, and the following year he visited Israel. Magritte died on August 15, 1967, in Brussels, shortly after the opening of a major exhibition of his work at the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam.

Vasily Kandinsky - Upward (Empor)

2009-01-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Upward (Empor), October 1929Oil on cardboard, 70 x 49 cmPeggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice 76.2553 PG 35© Vasily Kandinsky, by SIAE 2008

Vasily Kandinsky here achieves an effect of energy rising upward, while anchoring the forms together by balancing them on either side of a continuous vertical line. Geometric shapes and sections of circles combine in a structure suspended in a field of rich turquoise and green. A partial circle rests delicately on a pointed base. Another fragment of a circle glides along its vertical diameter, reaching beyond the circumference of the first form to penetrate the space above it. A linear design in the upper right corner of the present canvas echoes the vertical thrust of the central motif. This configuration resembles the letter E, as does the black cutout shape at the base of the central motif. These forms may at once be independent designs and playful references to the first letter of Empor, the German title of the painting.The physiognomic character indicates Kandinsky’s association at the Dessau Bauhaus with fellow Blaue Vier artists Paul Klee and Alexej Jawlensky. Jawlensky showed sixteen abstract heads in an exhibition of the Blaue Vier in 1929, which offered Kandinsky the model of large, abstract faces composed of geometric planes of non-naturalistic color and accented by bar-shaped features. However, Kandinsky’s working method more closely resembled that of Klee, who began with intuitively chosen forms that gradually suggested counterparts in the natural world, than that of Jawlensky, who began with the model and moved toward abstraction.

Vasily Kandinsky was born December 4, 1866, in Moscow. From 1886–92, he studied law and economics at the University of Moscow, where he lectured after graduation. In 1896, he declined a teaching position in order to study art in Munich with Anton Azbe from 1897 to 1899 and at the Kunstakademie with Franz von Stuck in 1900. Kandinsky taught in 1901–03 at the art school of the Phalanx, a group he had cofounded in Munich. One of his students, Gabriele Münter, would be his companion until 1914. In 1902, Kandinsky exhibited for the first time with the Berlin Secession and produced his first woodcuts. In 1903 and 1904, he began his travels in Italy, the Netherlands, and North Africa and his visits to Russia. He showed at the Salon d’Automne in Paris from 1904.In 1909, Kandinsky was elected president of the Neue Künstlervereinigung München (NKVM), a newly founded group that in the same year gave its first show at the Thannhauser’s Moderne Galerie in Munich. In 1911, Kandinsky and Franz Marc withdrew from the NKVM and began to make plans for Der Blaue Reiter Almanac. In December of the same year the Blaue Reiter group’s first exhibition was held at the Moderne Galerie in Munich and Kandinsky’s published On the Spiritual in Art. In 1912, the second Blaue Reiter show was held at the Galerie Hans Goltz, Munich; Der Blaue Reiter Almanac was published, and Kandinsky’s first solo show was held at Der Sturm gallery in Berlin. In 1913, one of his works was included in the Armory Show in New York and the Erste deutsche Herbstsalon at the Der Sturm gallery in Berlin. Kandinsky lived in Russia from 1914 to 1921, principally in Moscow, where he held a position at the People’s Commissariat of Education.Kandinsky began teaching at the Bauhaus in Weimar in 1922. In 1923, he was given his first solo show in New York by the Société Anonyme, of which he became vice-president. Lyonel Feininger, Alexej Jawlensky, Kandinsky, and Paul Klee made up the Blaue Vier group, formed in 1924. He moved with the Bauhaus to Dessau in 1925 and became a German citizen in 1928. The Nazi government closed the Bauhaus in 1933 and later that year Kandinsky settled in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris; he acquired French citizenship in 1939. Fifty-seven of his works were confiscated by the Nazis in the 1937 purge of “degenerate art.” Kandinsky died December 13, 1944, in Neuilly.