Chinese Art Today 272 – Natural Bridges, Secretly Kissing, Bohemian Families
From the mid-'80s until his death in 1910, painter Winslow Homer often left his home in Maine in the winter to escape the harsh winter.
Pictured below is a work created in Bermuda, with Homer paying particular attention to its unique coastline. This is due to the rocky cliffs and ledges formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago, a sight that fascinated the great artist.
These rocks are constantly eroded by the sea, creating a very tense appearance, like a bridge. The limestone layer suggests ancient geological time, which will continue to change with the environment and time.
The artist's vibrant Bermuda landscape also contains allusions to the British colonial presence on the island, and a red-clad soldier in the lower right of the work can be noted.
Winslow Homer (USA, 1836-1910). Natural Bridge, Bermuda, circa 1901. Watercolor, charcoal lead.
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Look at the clever idea of the graphics, where the light of the incandescent light illuminates the center of the picture, hands clasp and kiss after winning the game. Fragonard is best known for his energetic large-scale works, highly finished imitating 17th-century Dutch paintings, demonstrating his technique (ingenuity). More directly, part of Fragonard's paintings was learned from one of his teachers, François Boucher. The work appears to have been created during Fragonard's first Italian sojourn, funded by the Maltese Ambassador to the Holy See, Bailli de Bréteuil, and is likely one of Fragonard's first privately paid works.
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (France, 1732-1806), The Stolen Kiss, circa 1760, oil on canvas, 19x25 inches (48.3×63.5 cm). A gift from Jesse Woolworth Donahue.
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Take a closer look at this work!
This oil painting by 17th-century artist Jan Steen depicts a scene of chaos in a family, with sleeping guests, half-eaten snacks and broken glass. Above his head hangs a basket with an ominous swatter that symbolized leprosy or plague at the time.
Jan Steen (Netherlands, 1626-1679). The Dissolute Household, circa 1663–1664. Oil on canvas.
Musical instruments yearn for beauty, books symbolize hope, are forbidden and trampled, messy homes, alcoholism, disregard for children, only the beggar's call to beg in exchange for the child's confused exploration
