Giovanni Boldini

Happy Birthday Giovanni Boldini!! Italian born portrait painter from 1842, Boldini's father was also a painter, of religious subjects. Giovanni studied in Florence and then in 1872 moved to Paris.  Although some of his work does show Impressionistic influences of friends such as Degas, his style was described as bold, dazzling and elegant. He was a sought after portrait painter of fashionable Parisian and London figures. He was known as the "master of swish" for his flowing brushstrokes. The painting below is titled Spanish Dancer at the Moulin Rouge. 

With some sadness and regret I have to report that this will be my last blog post of Famous Artists on their birthdays, not only for this year, 2011, but permanently. This ends an intense 2 years of research and study of art and the personalities who create it. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the discovery, it is time to move on. I have been retired from teaching for 7 months now. Other avenues are opening up to me and I must follow them. Therefore, so long Van Gogh's Ear the journey has been truly inspiring, enlightening, and educational!! Happy New Year!

Aad de Haas

Happy Birthday Aad de Haas!! This artist was an Expressionist sculptor, printmaker and painter from Holland, born today, in 1920. He was educated at the Rotterdam School of Fine Arts. After being labeled a "degenerate" by the Nazis and a stay in prison, he and his wife escaped to South Limburg. He was forced into hiding for a time and finally lived a rather unsettled existence in an abandoned castle in Strijthagen. Through his work he addressed social themes such as suffering, temptation and eroticism. The painting included today is from a series of 14 titled The Way of the Cross, depicting the suffering of Jesus. They were painted directly on the walls of the chapel in St. Joseph's Hospital in Heerlen. Sadly the chapel was destroyed in 1970, the paintings were removed, and are located in a hall in Landgraf today. 

Benjamin Burt

Happy Birthday Benjamin Burt!! Born in 1729, this American silversmith's father (also named Benjamin) was a blacksmith. The family lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and originally owned several businesses which were lost during the Revolutionary War. Following the war, his family relocated and Burt apprenticed and began his career as a silversmith in Boston. He worked in the Neoclassical style, stressing simple, classical, symmetrical forms. His contemporary, Paul Revere II, achieved more fame and notoriety as they competed for commissions. His "Sauce Boat" (1770), created for Nathan and Rebecca Peirce,  is shown below.

Ludolph Backhuysen

Happy Birthday Ludolph Backhuysen!! (Bakhuysen, Backhuyzen, Bakhuizen) This Dutch artist was actually born in Germany in 1631. His family went back to Amsterdam in 1649 and Backhuysen's first career as a bookkeeper began. His lovely penmanship earned him a membership in the group Kalligraphie. His focus was the sea and Willem van de Velde II ( Dec. 18, 1633) was a contemporary. Backhuysen was considered the leading seascape painter of The Netherlands, second only to the van de Veldes.  Backhuysen's paintings were dramatic in color and lighting and quite realistic, enhanced by his time spent on the open sea in observation for his work. The painting below depicts Christ on the Sea of Galilee during a storm.

Rene Georges Hermann-Paul

Happy Birthday Rene Georges Herman Paul!! Born in Paris in 1864, Paul's father was a doctor, his family wealthy, from the South of France. Attempting to follow his father's footsteps for a time, Hermann-Paul was unhappy in science so transferred to Ecole des Arts Decoratifs. At the time (1870's) Paris was alive with art, and he became friends with Toulouse-Lautrec, creating poster art, satiric cartoons, illustrations, as well as paintings and pastels. His prints, derived from lithography and woodcuts, were daring in composition and often brilliant in color and high contrast. Interesting to learn a bit about this artist in relation to Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, especially after just seeing a delightful collection of Latrec in Las Vegas at the Centaur Gallery at Fashion Show Plaza. The advertising poster (1895) included here is for an exhibition of the Salon des Cent.

Anthony Ziesenis

Happy Birthday Anthony Ziesenis!! Born in 1731, Anthony Ziesenis was a sculptor and architect from The Netherlands. He was responsible for designing the Town Hall of Westzaan, Northern Holland. The use of this building was eventually focused on wedding celebrations when the town of Westzaan was absorbed into Zanstaad. Not much to be found in the way of biographical information about the artist Ziesenis, but an interesting aside: the inscription above the door of the old Town Hall is a "chronogram", an anomaly that occurs when the letters added up in Roman Numeral amounts reveal the date of construction.

Abraham Bloemaert

Happy Birthday Abraham Bloemaert!! Born in 1564, Dutch Mannerist artist Abraham Bloemaert was a painter and printmaker. The son of an architect, he studied under painters in Ultrecht and in Paris for 3 years, coming back to the Netherlands to settle in Ultrecht. He created landscapes, genre and historical, still life and animal paitnings. Particularly apropos for Christmas Day, the painting I have chosen for today is Rest on the Flight into Egypt, portraying the Holy Family at rest in a ramshackle shack. This painting is on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Joseph Cornell

Happy Birthday Joseph Cornell!! This American artist was born in 1903, in the quaint Victorian town on Nyack, New York, on the Hudson River. A collector, he was self-taught and worked with found objects, creating incredible assemblage boxes. It is reported that he first began assembling these 3-dimensional collages to amuse his brother, who had cerebral palsy. Each sectioned wooden box is filled with delightful collections of theater tickets, trinkets, slips of paper, wooden bits, etc. A Symbolist, Cornell used his treasures to allude to big ideas such as the passing of time, looking to the future, memories, fantasies, homage to various figures, etc. You must see these to truly appreciate them, as pictures really cannot do these creations justice!

 

George Barnard

Happy Birthday George Barnard!! American war photographer, born in 1819, Barnard had a studio in New York. When the Civil War broke out he was sent to photograph locations in Virginia and in Washington D. C. The photograph included below is of soldiers from the Union Army removing railroad tracks in Atlanta (1864).

John Crome

Happy Birthday John Crome!! English artist, born in 1768, Crome was a self-taught landscape painter who began as a sign painter's apprentice. He was founder of the Norwich Society of Artists, exhibiting with them regularly. In 1814 he traveled to Paris, by way of Belgium, to view the paintings looted by Napoleon. His son was also a painter, often imitating his father.

Thomas Couture

Happy Birthday Thomas Couture!! French painter born in 1815, Couture was a teacher and historical and portrait painter. He is best known for a large “orgy” painting titled The Romans of Decadence. Manet was his most well known student. His tonal contrast and free handling of the paint are evident in Manet's work. I am including a lesser known portrait demonstrating his style.

Clodion

Happy Birthday Clodion!! The French sculptor was born in 1738 and worked in the Rococo style. He went to Paris and began working in his uncle's (Lambert-Sigisbert Adam) studio in 1755. He worked in terra cotta and seemed to reject the idea of creating monumental works. The sculpture for today is titled The Invention of the Balloon (1784), depicting (obviously) the creation of the balloon by nymphs and angels in the flamboyant Rococo style for which he was known.

Su Tung-p'o

Happy Birthday Su Tung-p'o!! The Chinese poet, painter and calligrapher was born today in 1036! Confuscious, Taoism and Buddhism all influenced his poetry and art. He often spoke and wrote against official policies. Considered the greatest poet of the Sung Dynasty, Su wrote satirical free verse. He is credited with designing the parks around Lake Si in Hangzhou. He created impulsive paintings from childhood memories.

Willem van de Velde II

Happy Birthday Willem van de Velde II!! This painter, born in 1633, was from Holland. He was a student of Simon de Vlieger, painter of atmospheric maritime scenes, contrasted by Willem's own father who was also an influential painter of realistic seascapes. Initially Willem II concentrated on serene Dutch genre scenes of fishing boats near the shore, but his focus shifted a bit when he and his father relocated to England. Here he depicted Royal yachts and warships, and was commissioned by the king to paint battles at sea. The painting below, titled The Gust (1680), pictures a ship in trouble with perhaps the smaller ship coming to its aid.

Paul Cesar Helleu

Happy Birthday Paul Cesar Helleu!! French born painter and engraver from 1859, Helleu's work chronicles France at the turn of the century. In 1876 he attended an Impressionist exhibit which was to greatly influence his work thereafter. He painted society ladies whose commissions helped establish his fortune. However his portraits of his wife Alice are perhaps his best loved for their sensitivity and grace. He also loved the sea and created many works on the subject. The pastel portrait included today is of Madame Helleu. Isn't the vantage point unique and interesting?

Antonio de la Gandara

Happy Birthday Antonio de la Gandara!! French painter and pastellist, Gandara was born in 1861 to parents of Mexican (father) and English descent (mother). He began his artistic training at age 14 and a portrait was accepted by the Salon in 1882. He quickly became a favored portrait painter of prestigious figures in Paris. The influence of his friend Whistler can be seen in the setting of his figures against dark background as seen in his portrait of Madame Pierre Gautreau (below).

David Teniers II

Happy Birthday David Teniers II !! This Flemish painter, born in 1610, came from a family of painters; his father was a painter and then his son and son's son followed as well. His wife, Anna, was the daughter of painter Jan Bruegel. He painted group scenes of peasants engaged in various forms of “merrymaking” in golden light with great detail. He is considered one of the greatest European painters of his day. The Tavern (1651) is included below.

Francois Hubert Drouais

Happy Birthday Francois Hubert Drouais!! French painter, born in 1727, in Paris, this artist's father was a painter of portrait miniatures. He was in fact, trained by his father as well as other painters including Boucher. He exhibited regularly at the Salon and was the official court portrait painter for the King Louis XV. He was known for painting great likenesses and also for depicting children in landscape settings, such as the Duke of Bouillon's children shown here.

Clark Mills

Happy Birthday Clark Mills!! Born in 1810, this American artist was a sculptor. He had his own foundry and several slaves assisted him, including the highly skilled Philip Reid, who after emancipation stayed on to continue working with Mills. He became best known for his 3 renditions of Andrew Jackson on horseback, the one below is located in Washington D. C.

Helen Frankenthaler

Happy Birthday Helen Frankenthaler!! The American artist Helen Frankenthaler was born in 1928. She was born into a wealthy family from Manhattan and had determined by age 16 that she would become an artist. She was a painter, sculptor and printmaker who was influential in Abstract Expressionism. She experimented in color field painting and used landscape to guide her abstract work. Frankenthaler was married to Robert Motherwell for 13 years and the two surely collaborated on themes, methods and ideas. She developed a style called “soak-stain” method in which she thinned down the paint with turpentine and then poured, spread, wiped it over the large canvas. I was enthused to see her work (see below) in a recent landscape show: A Sense of Place, in Las Vegas at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.