It’s Art Alphabet time! The time when we randomly pick subject matter related to art & make it begin with a letter; this week it’s F. It was pleasantly surprising just how easy F was to do in any given category & I could have got many more. But restraint is required on the arty blog. Some decorum please. What’s also pleasantly surprising for the Art Alphabet is that I actually like all the entries for today!
F
What I like about Frølich’s Odin is his ordinariness, compared with some depictions at least. He does look quite grand & imposing & his chair is very impressive, but there’s none of the over the top headgear often associated with him; he just has a sedate little headband. What’s also good is the presence of his array of pets: ravens Huginn & Muninn, as well as the less frequently portrayed wolves, Geri & Freki. & it’s all tidily contained within a lovely frame of Celtic knotwork. Terrific stuff.
2. Art Genre (Fauvism): Self Portrait with a Hat by André Derain (France, 1880-1954)
I really admire Derain’s bold brushwork – the flat, square strokes create a strong & powerful image. Here’s an artist who knows his colours & what they can do & he showcases this perfectly & with care. Less a “wild beast” & more a controlled & disciplined painter.
3. An Object (flower): Tulip by Judith Leyster (Netherlands, 1609-1660)
Leyster’s tulip could have been painted yesterday, it’s so fresh & detailed. An artist perhaps more well-known for portraits – in particular her self-portrait at an easel - & genre paintings, this watercolour is one of several beautiful tulips she painted. Some of these appear in “The Tulip Book,” as you’d expect, a book of over forty tulip paintings by various artists.
4. A Bird (finch): Finches & Bamboo, Emperor Huizong (China, 1082-1135)
Zhao Ji was the eighth emperor (Emperor Huizong of Song) of the Chinese Northern Song dynasty. He was known to be skilled at calligraphy & as we can see was an accomplished artist. The line work is staggeringly precise & the colours are sensitive. As a bit of a bird connoisseur, I’ve been trying to identify the type of finch in the painting. My best bet is the parrot finch, one which we don’t see in the UK.
5. A Body Part (foot): Family of Feet by Jo Beer (England)
A bunch of feet (if indeed this is the collective noun for feet) doesn’t sound like a very appealing subject, yet I love this. This is an incredible & “painterly” painting, one presumes of the artist’s own family’s feet. If it was your family’s feet, it might be a fond & poignant reminder of times together. You might remark on the fact that people’s feet are like hands & other features, often similar in related people. On the other…well, hand…you might be one of those people that dislikes looking at feet. Not all feet are great. Please therefore focus on the adept & subtle realism, the cleverly accurate colour choices & interesting composition…
6. A Country (Finland): Forest in Finland by Berndt Lindholm (Finland, 1841-1914)
This stunning painting is so delicate & utilises such an understated palette & yet, it’s hugely evocative of the forest in the fading light. It could really be any European forest, but as the title tells us, it’s placed in Finland. The work manages to capture the might of the larger trees & peace & calm of the undergrowth. I feel as if I can hear & smell it as well as seeing it. Again, using my birding skills, I’m going to say it looks as if the birds are hooded crows, a firm favourite, looking less like they’re wearing hoods & more as if they have on a cardigan. My opinion & admittedly not a very scientific one.
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
7. A Landscape Feature (forest): Mori (Forest) by Katayama Bkuyo (Japan, 1900-1937)
Another forest! This time it’s less realistic but nonetheless charming. The small creature peering out over the foliage on the ground looks to me a bit like a weasel or a ferret (another F!) but you might know otherwise. It seems like an odd inclusion but in a strawberry patch, perhaps not surprising.
8. An Emotion (fury): Fury by Michelangelo (Italy, 1475-1564)
Michelangelo. He wasn’t bad, was he? It’s a phenomenal head drawing & even the billowing cloth behind the portrait conjures fury. It’s well named too. Fury seems different from rage or anger & suggests an indignant disbelief. Of course it’s also a “fury” or damned soul. You might think you’re a good guy, but when you find yourself being flung through the gates of Hell, it must be pretty galling. This work has been much copied, usually very badly.
9. A Household Object (fridge): by Walter Biggs (USA, 1886-1968)
Despite this seemingly elegant affair, there’s a fridge located at the side. No doubt chilling that wine & keeping the canapés fresh. I suppose at one time the refrigerator must have been the height of fashion, an extravagant & a sort of status symbol. This painting reminds us of this. Hopefully the fridge also contains a nice big fish for the lovely fluffy cat sitting on the chair.
10. A Sea Creature (fugu): Fugu (smaller fish at front) with Amberjack by Utagawa Hiroshige (Japan, 1797-1858)
Speaking of fish… Born Andō Tokutarō the artist has depicted the fugu – a puffer fish – as a somewhat deflated & tragic little article. I’m greatly amused by the fact that he is the main attraction in the work, with his small smile & garnished as he is with a cherry blossom branch. At first glance, the two animals look as if they’re swimming freely in the ocean, but look closer & we realise sadly they’re probably resting on a table or work surface. On reading about the fugu I learned they are “a Japanese delicacy whose body parts contain a nerve toxin.” Mmm, delicious…
No comments:
Post a Comment