The Peace of Art

[LaisDeMarieDeFrance]

I could sit and stare at a painting for hours - lose myself in it, trying to imagine the story behind it. I love the peace it brings, just sitting there absorbing it. I love to read about those who inspired it, the history behind it, and search for the little Easter eggs hidden within the painting. For example, in early Christian art, each saint had a symbol so that the viewer would know automatically who was being portrayed (ie St Peter typically held the keys to the Kingdom, see https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/smca/hd_smca.htm for more examples). Sometimes the painter included their self portrait or the face of a lover in the crowd.

Post your favorite art and please share if it has any special personal meaning to you or the fascinating history behind it. I'd love to see what artworks everyone loves!

I'll go first. I've always admired Caravaggio's use of chiaroscuro (dramatic shading; use of light). His art reflects his life; he was constantly getting into brawls and his artwork was considered rebellious. His painting "The Beheading of St John the Baptist" is his only work that he signed and his signature is in the blood spilling out from the throat.

My favorite of his is "Saint Jerome Writing". The brightness of the red robe against the dark shadows is mesmerizing. It looks like you can reach out and feel the smoothness of the skull, the folds of the robe, and turn a page of the book. Such talent!

 

[gga]

One of my favorites is Rembrandt's "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee".

This particular painting has fascinated me for many reasons.

First, for me personally, it is the religious connotation. One of the greater biblical stories when it comes to faith is the story of the calming of the Sea of Galilee. The story to me represents the faith and belief in a higher power to tell us not to be afraid.

This painting was also Rembrandt's only seascape. There are 14 people on the boat, with 13 being Jesus and his 12 disciples. The 14th (looking directly out towards the viewer) is said to be a self-portrait of Rembrandt himself. Rembrandt represents the viewer, and the viewer's place in putting their trust in God.

A beacon of light shines through the darkness from the heavens, and the boat is headed toward that light. Light representing Jesus as the Light of teh World has always been a foundation of Christion faith.

Beyond the painting itself, I am fascinated by its history. This painting was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 and is yet to be recovered. I have been captivated by the history of the thefts and have watched documentaries and listened to podcasts examining the events of that evening and beyond. Having been to the museum, I've seen where the empty frame is still in place on the wall.

Hopefully this exquisite and striking piece of art will someday be recovered and returned to where it belongs so that it can be enjoyed by future generations of art lovers.

 

[Mo_Bandy]

I like a lot of art but thought I would share some Max Beckman who the Nazis considered to be degenerate art during the 1930s. I kinda dig his style.

 

[Massive Grooves]

Is this only for legendary art?

Or can I pretend like I’m an artist?

 

[LaisDeMarieDeFrance]

Is this only for legendary art?

Or can I pretend like I’m an artist?

Any kind of art!

 

[Massive Grooves]

Sometimes there’s a moment of peace we can capture and we are taken back to that moment every time we see it. While I travel with my camera often, I captured this one in my backyard.

I have it printed and framed on my wall.

 

[Massive Grooves]

I’m do one more.

I had this hung up behind my desk and it received the most comments of anything I took. One guy commented on it every time he walked into my office, so I pulled it off the wall, took it out of the frame, and handed it to him.

 

[LaisDeMarieDeFrance]

Sometimes there’s a moment of peace we can capture and we are taken back to that moment every time we see it. While I travel with my camera often, I captured this one in my backyard.

I have it printed and framed on my wall.

https://imgur.com/UHzJXi0

I’m do one more.

I had this hung up behind my desk and it received the most comments of anything I took. One guy commented on it every time he walked into my office, so I pulled it off the wall, took it out of the frame, and handed it to him.

https://imgur.com/LlFDmfW

Those are gorgeous!

 

[Massive Grooves]

Those are gorgeous!

Thank you.

I’ll take them down soon.

Sure, I’ll leave dick pics up forever, but these are a piece of me and I don’t want to just leave them out there long.

 

[cheekygirl75]

Thank you.

I’ll take them down soon.

Sure, I’ll leave dick pics up forever, but these are a piece of me and I don’t want to just leave them out there long.

I'm really glad I caught them, they're amazing!

 

[Massive Grooves]

I'm really glad I caught them, they're amazing!

Thank you.

It’s nice to have a hobby.

 

[gga]

Any others?

 

[LaisDeMarieDeFrance]

The Flemish painter Rubens has always been a favorite of mine because of his inclusion of women of all shapes and sizes. He didn't paint just the socially accepted norms of beauty.

 

[JakBird]

Frederic Russell, who had a certain talent for capturing poignant moments of obscure history. Plains Indians encounter their first Texas Longhorn, puzzling over this strange creature. You don't notice at first, but the backdrop is a beautiful rendition of the Plains in bloom, color everywhere. Every time I see this picture I wonder if one of my ancestors was out there on the Dakota plains, encountering that same alien being.

These days, no longhorns or Indians, just corn and soybeans out to the horizon, broken only by the occasional sight of a grain elevator in the distance. It also has a beauty of its own, especially if you love tacos and tofu.

 

[DickandDoof]

I am an artist. Here’s a piece that I created in the past year. It’s called ‘A Blue Day in the Garden’.

 

[LaisDeMarieDeFrance]

I am an artist. Here’s a piece that I created in the past year. It’s called ‘A Blue Day in the Garden’.

View attachment 2142634

Oh my! That's beautiful beyond words!

 

[Stillrandy]

Aurora from the ISS

 

[NC_Coastal]

Had an art history professor in college try to convince us that Frangonard's "The Swing" was "too erotic" for public consumption. I studied the painting and learned that it was instead a private painting commissioned by an art patron. It was never for public consumption.
OK, class dismissed.

 

[DickandDoof]

Oh my! That's beautiful beyond words!

Thank you so much for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. This started out as a photo that I took in my garden and then uploaded to my computer. I then used several apps to make it look more abstract and a bit more surreal. The final step was to add a few more colours (like blue) that weren’t really in my garden. I appreciate your support and will continue posting my art every now and then on this thread.

 

[LaisDeMarieDeFrance]

Had an art history professor in college try to convince us that Frangonard's "The Swing" was "too erotic" for public consumption. I studied the painting and learned that it was instead a private painting commissioned by an art patron. It was never for public consumption.
OK, class dismissed.

View attachment 2142738

I'm sure that at the time it was considered erotic since women of that period weren't even supposed to show an ankle (oh the horror). Was your professor saying that it's still too erotic? If so, I'm guessing porn would probably blow his mind. lol

 

[DickandDoof]

The Flemish painter Rubens has always been a favorite of mine because of his inclusion of women of all shapes and sizes. He didn't paint just the socially accepted norms of beauty.

View attachment 2142573View attachment 2142574View attachment 2142575

I have a friend who used to own a somewhat overweight dog. Instead of saying that she was fat or chubby, he would describe her as Rubenesque.

 

[gga]

Thank you so much for your kind words. They mean a lot to me. This started out as a photo that I took in my garden and then uploaded to my computer. I then used several apps to make it look more abstract and a bit more surreal. The final step was to add a few more colours (like blue) that weren’t really in my garden. I appreciate your support and will continue posting my art every now and then On this thread.

Very nice DandD!
The blues are mesmerizing!

 

[gga]

Aurora from the ISS

Beautiful, but I hate it when people let the wiper blade stop in the middle of the windshield.

 

[DickandDoof]

Very nice DandD!
The blues are mesmerizing!

Thank you. I was especially pleased with the way that part turned out. I think it’s every gardener’s frustration that there aren’t more ‘true blue’ flowers. So it’s nice to be able to add some in digitally.

 

[NC_Coastal]

I'm sure that at the time it was considered erotic since women of that period weren't even supposed to show an ankle (oh the horror). Was your professor saying that it's still too erotic? If so, I'm guessing porn would probably blow his mind. lol

I think his problem was with all of the Late Baroque period and its showy, ornamental, pastel influences.