The Art Thread (traditional visual media)

[Oberon]

Hi, all.

I asked PinkPiranha a question in her blog (would she rather attend a day at the National Gallery, or a Monster Truck Show?) which led her to comment that the Gallery would get the nod, and she would be interested in seeing what her date would like or dislike.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought it deserved a thread.

So I'll start off with something with which some of you are already familiar, which is my appreciation for the work of John Singer Sargent:

In traditional media, I tend to prefer representational pieces. I don't care if critics call it "illustration"... it's what I like. Other personal likes are Winslow Homer and Fredric Remington.

So by all means, feel free to share what you like and why, and post examples.

 

[Domino]

These can be found at the NC Museum of Art. I make a beeline for them because I could stare at them all day.

Jean-Baptiste Oudry, 1745

Mesmerizing. This one has been my absolute favorite since I was a little girl. Can't say why, except that I was drawn in by the primal combat.

Adolphe William Bouguereau
French, about 1880

Looks familiar.

Ubaldo Gandolfi
Mercury About to Behead Argus

ENTP like. When I was a kid, I thought he was stunning and kinda bad in a funny way. I kept staring at him, wishing in a strange way that he was real, that he belonged to me. I was a weird kid.

 

[Domino]

She's lovely, Oberon. Sargent was a master with eyes.

Remington, I adore. How about the Wyeths? I wish I could be just like them.

 

[JAVO]

Adolphe William Bouguereau
French, about 1880

Looks familiar.

Alternate title: Cupid's Inefficient Pre-archery Trials

 

[Oberon]

Oh, the Oudry work looks like it's actually moving!

It's funny... the artist's portrayal of dynamics, motion, tension, as the dog goes after the goose... it reminds me of comic book art.

Which is not an indictment by any means.

 

[Domino]

The over-the-top-edness of the Oudry is what drew me to it in the first place. Plus, if you stare at it really closely, there's the shadow of a dead boar hanging by it's back legs where the stone wall is now. I like paintings with secrets.

 

[Oberon]

How did Bouguereau get the light like that? That cool, diffuse, white illumination?

 

[Domino]

How did Bouguereau get the light like that? That cool, diffuse, white illumination?

No clue. I know a few of the "old master" tricks for dealing with light, but it's really just astonishment to my mind.

The arm, leg and skin pressure is what gets me.

 

[Oberon]

Oh... strangely, I also have a soft spot for El Greco.

His work is more stylized by far than the others I mentioned, is perhaps better grouped with Heironimus Bosch.

With El Greco, it's all about striking contrast and Catholic themes.

 

[Domino]

I find Spanish art before a certain date to be dominated by almost cadaverous human subjects. Maybe a reflection of the bloody mindset at the time. Hard for me to warm up to it.

 

[Orangey]

How about the Wyeths?

I love Andrew Wyeth paintings. Here is one from his "Helga Pictures". I believe it was done in tempera.

 

[Oberon]

I find Spanish art before a certain date to be dominated by almost cadaverous human subjects. Maybe a reflection of the bloody mindset at the time. Hard for me to warm up to it.

Yes, there is sort of a Tim Burton sensibility to El Greco, isn't there.

On the other hand, the Dutch masters used models as well padded as the back seat of a '59 El Dorado. Witness Rembrandt:

 

[Domino]

Yes, there is sort of a Tim Burton sensibility to El Greco, isn't there.

Tim Burton is directing my life. I'm positive of it.

 

[Oberon]

I love Andrew Wyeth paintings. Here is one from his "Helga Pictures". I believe it was done in tempera.

That's quite lovely. It deserves a larger image.

 

[Oberon]

Tim Burton is directing my life. I'm positive of it.

That bastard. We'll get him... we'll put Ron Howard on the job, and you'll be guaranteed a happy ending!

Now... about the Wyeths... their work could be as iconic as any Medieval European's.

 

[Orangey]

Here is a larger...

 

[Domino]

I have piles of Maxfield Parrish prints... I always wanted to be one of the girls.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

Three of my favorite paintings...

The Grand Canal - Venice by Turner

The Cafe Terrace At Night by Van Gogh
I want to live in, or at least spend all my weekend nights inside this painting.

Starry Night by Van Gogh

 

[Domino]

oooooo!!! I used to really find no real charm in Von Gogh, but recently, I've begun to appreciate the complexity of his paintings, especially the color combinations. He must have had a perfect eye for color. The second one is very appealing!

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

Yeah, color is my favorite element of art, and I love his vibrant use of deep blues and golds. He plays the opposites on the color wheel off each other very nicely.