Aristos (An Online Review of the Arts)

12/20/2020

How Young America Came to Love Beethoven

A unique perspective on the great B. - L.T.

On the 250th anniversary of the famous composer’s birth, the story of how his music first took hold across the Atlantic

11/21/2020

What contemporary art can be. For more by Matthew Lawrence Almy, see my comment below.
- Louis Torres, Founding Co-Editor, Aristos (An Online Review of the Arts).

Charcoal portrait by Matthew Lawrence Almy, a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art ⚜️ @matthewlawrencealmy
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#florenceacademyofartalumni #florenceacademyofart #florenceacademyofartgraduate #contamporaryrealism #charcoaldrawing #charcoalportrait #classicalpainting #portraitpainting #figurepainting #contemporaryportraits #atelier #nitram #nitramcharcoal #charcoalportrait #classicalrealism #figurativerealism #realism #arte #oilpainter #portrait #contemporaryart #academicart #academictraining

11/10/2020

She's only 25! - L. T.

Self-portrait by Tara Glenny, an Advanced Painting student at The Florence Academy of Art ⚜️ @taraglennyart
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This painting and other student works are available to view in our 2020 Student Exhibition- https://www.florenceacademyofart.com/2020-student-exhibition/
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#florenceacademyofart #florenceacademyofartstudent #oilpainting #oilpainter #selfportrait #paintedselfportrait #portrait #oilportrait #figurativeart #realistart #paintingfromlife #contemporaryart #contemporaryrealism #contemporarypainting #painting #arte #classicalrealism #artistsoninstagram #traditionalart #oilonpanel #figurativerealism #arte

10/23/2020

Exquisite decorative art. Three female musicians:? Where are the other two? See my comment on the Frick's post. - Louis Torres, Founding Co-Editor, Aristos (An Online Review of the Arts)

Get a closer look—this patinated-bronze figure is one of three female musicians perched on the base of a large candelabrum. 🕯️ While she plays a pair of pipes, another beats a raised tambourine, and the third claps a pair of castanets. The melodious ensemble features decorative motifs commonly found in other pieces of the period, including gilt grapevines and flowers.
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Candelabrum Vase (detail), French, ca. 1785. Gilt and patinated bronze, lapis lazuli, and marble, 45 1/2 × 19 1/4 in. (115.6 × 48.9 cm). The Frick Collection, New York

09/26/2020

Rubens, one of the greatest of the greats. See more of his drawings (and paintings) at: http://www.peter-paul-rubens.org/drawings/

Take a cue from Peter Paul Rubens's studies of Venus and hit the snooze button this Saturday morning. 💤

One of the most influential artists of Northern Europe in the seventeenth century, Rubens was also an incredibly imaginative draftsman. Take a closer look at this detailed ink drawing, including the bonus sketch on the reverse, at bit.ly/2GSxMX2.
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Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640), Studies of Venus (?) (detail), ca. 1618−20. Pen and brown ink on paper, 8 × 11 1/16 in. (20.3 × 28.1 cm). The Frick Collection, New York

09/03/2020

America’s Lost Generation of Black Conductors | WQXR Editorial | WQXR

“America’s Lost Generation of Black Conductors” - Did you know?

The 1970s are hardly ancient history, but the decade seems like a distant world that had African American symphony and opera conductors in a few highly visible positions.

08/13/2020

Posted earlier today. One like, one share. Deleted in error. Sorry! (See comment below.) - Louis Torres, Founding Co-Editor, Aristos.

Winslow Homer - (1835-1909)
Girl Watering Plants
Watercolour

08/13/2020

Great artist, great painting, and great collector. - Louis Torres, Founding Co-Editor, Aristos

Hot summer days call for a visit to "The Lake."

Camille Corot was one of Henry Clay Frick’s favorite artists. In this grand landscape—one of four acquired by Frick—the artist seems less involved in the specifics of the scene than in the overall impression it made on him. Everything is viewed through a screen of hazy foliage.

When the nearly monochromatic work was first exhibited in 1861, one critic declared "what he wants is to express his personal feelings, not nature that inspired them in him."
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Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (French, 1796–1875), The Lake, 1861. Oil on canvas, 52 3/8 x 62 in. (133 x 157.5 cm). The Frick Collection, New York

07/04/2020

upload.wikimedia.org

'Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776'
[Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Writing_the_Declaration_of_Independence_1776_cph.3g09904.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Writing_the_Declaration_of_Independence_1776_cph.3g09904.jpg

06/24/2020

Don’t miss the N. C. Wyeth ‘Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings’ (and bio) [http://collections.brandywine.org/ncwcr] after a long look at this illustration. Search for ‘The Pledge.’ (N. C. was the father and teacher of Andrew.)

We can barely contain our excitement because THE BRANDYWINE IS REOPENING ON JULY 1, 2020!

In order to protect its visitors, volunteers and staff, the Brandywine will be implementing a variety of safety protocols when it reopens, including facemask requirements, timed ticketing and capacity limits. A complete list of new procedures, safety protocols and FAQs can be found at www.brandywine.org/reopening.

Image: N. C. Wyeth (1882 - 1945), The pledge, 1921. bit.ly/2Yv0hk9

05/25/2020

upload.wikimedia.org

MEMORIAL DAY

Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Angel_of_the_Resurrection.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad_World_War_II_Memorial

30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Features a 28-foot (8.53 m) heroic-sized bronze sculpture, ‘Angel of the Resurrection,’ that portrays Michael the Archangel lifting up the soul of a dead soldier from the "flames of war."

Walker Hancock, Sculptor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Hancock

05/22/2020

WQXR

If you love music: Cellist Jan Vogler and conductor-turned-pianist Fabio Luisi performing Camille Saint-Saëns 'The Swan.' (3 min.)

On the next Where 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀! episode we’ll be featuring Cellist Jan Vogler and conductor-turned-pianist Fabio Luisi performing Camille Saint-Saëns ‘𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻’. Also featuring performances by flutist Emi Ferguson, violinist Kevin Zhu, and the great pianist Emanuel Ax- Official Page.
Tune in 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟳❗️
Link: https://www.wqxr.org/story/saturday-where-music-never-sleeps-jan-vogler-3/

04/28/2020

On the left: Sir Thomas More. One of the greatest portraits, ever. [Enlarged: https://tinyurl.com/Sir-Thomas-More] [Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_More] [Movie: ‘A Man for All Seasons’ (1966): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060665/ – What a cast!] SUBSCRIBE to receive Aristos publication notices: https://www.aristos.org/sign-up-form.htm. New issue forthcoming.

Name a more iconic duo at The Frick Collection. We'll wait. ⏳

We're continuing our #FrickPick features with the most requested painting combo in the collection: Hans Holbein's Sir Thomas More (left) and Thomas Cromwell (right).

Mortal enemies, More and Cromwell were both statesmen in the court of Henry VIII. But, as a devout Catholic, More refused to acknowledge the King as the head of the church. Cromwell ruthlessly orchestrated the arrest and subsequent execution of More. Only five years later, Cromwell too fell out of the favor of the King and met a similar fate.

Mr. Frick delighted in reuniting pairs of portraits and hung them face to face in the Living Hall. The works have remained in their place for over one hundred years, separated by the mantel and El Greco's triumphant St. Jerome.
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Installation view of the Living Hall, The Frick Collection, New York

03/23/2020

On Cast Drawing, see http://www.cast-drawing.com/ and https://atelierrousar.com/sight-size-cast-drawing/. Scroll down to view more! - Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos (An Online Review of the Arts)

Cast drawing completed last year in the Intensive Drawing Program by student Jacques Viljoen @jacques.art ⚜️ This artwork won “Best Cast Drawing with White Chalk” in the Program during The FAA End of Year Ceremony of 2019 ⚜️ charcoal and white chalk on toned paper
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#florenceacademyofart #castdrawing #charcoal #charcoaldrawing #nitramcharcoal @nitramcharcoal #academicart #academicdrawing #drawingfromlife #sightsize #charcoalart #plastercast #atelier

03/20/2020

The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection

Some colorful content for your feed. 🌸 Enjoy a serene snapshot of springtime at the Frick, featuring our Fifth Avenue magnolia trees.

Continue to access the #MuseumFromHome with hundreds of videos, like this, available at youtube.com/frickcollection.

03/17/2020

INSPIRATION FOR THESE TRYING TIMES
- Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos

* See Mike Oswell comment regarding possible Grace Darling connection.

* Winslow Homer, Daughter of the Coast Guard (1881) [likely more accurate colors]
https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/homer-winslow/daughter-coast-guard

* Wreck and Rescue: Grace Darling, A Victorian Heroine
https://historicengland.org.uk [Search for title here]

* Grace Darling – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Darling

Daughter of the Coast Guard (1881).

Homer travelled to England in 1881 and, after spending a few weeks in London, settled in the village of Cullercoats near Tynemouth on the craggy North Sea coast, remaining there until spring 1882. This remote place, nestled on a hill by a small bay, was inhabited by a small community of fisherfolk, whose customs and hazardous lives Homer observed and depicted in his works. This stay was such a revealing experience for the artist that both he and his art underwent a significant transformation.

Throughout these months Homer used watercolour almost exclusively, employing a very loose technique and a sombre palette suited to capturing the misty atmosphere of the place. The village women, who soon became the main subjects of his are depicted performing their domestic chores or helping their husbands with fishing tasks. Kenyon Cox noted in 1914 that “the first and most important of these effects of the Tynemouth visit upon Homer’s style is the awakening in him of a sense of human beauty and, particularly, of the beauty of womanhood.” The artist himself defined them in an article published in 1882 as “stout, hardy creatures, with petticoats of blue flannel [...] they stand on the beach in the morning full equipped for a hasty journey to town.”

In Daughter of the Coast Guard, a watercolour dated 1881, the subject is one of these fishergirls whom Homer sets against the stormy waters and misty sky of the North Sea. The scene appears to capture the girl’s exhaustion after hours of fruitlessly searching with her voice horn for survivors of some shipwreck or a boat lost in the fog. Her figure, rendered in monumental proportions that are further enhanced by the low viewpoint, is endowed with such dramatic force that it could be considered a symbol of the human’s tragic struggle with the forces of nature.

03/14/2020

Here is another work by the great Albert Bierstadt, painted when he was about 26! – “Storm Among the Alps,” 1856, [http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/full.php?ID=17051#]. See 531 superb images of his paintings at http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?s=yu&m=a&aid=439.

Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos (An Online Review of the Arts) https://www.aristos.org [March 2020 issue forthcoming!]

Take a deep breath and relish in this tranquil moment from the American painter Albert Bierstadt. 😌

After a visit to Switzerland in the summer of 1856, Bierstadt painted several large canvases of the landscapes he encountered there from his home in New Bedford, Massachusetts. 🏔️

What brings you peace? Let us know in the comments below ⬇️

🎨Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830–1902). Sunrise on the Matterhorn, after 1875. Oil on canvas. #TheMet #MuseumMomentofZen

Image description: A luminous cloud-encircled snow-capped mountain peak, strikingly juxtaposed with a low, rocky forest during sunrise.

02/19/2020

Anders Zorn, one of the 19th century's greatest painters [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Zorn]. See my comment on this post (click on image). - Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos

Happy birthday, Anders Zorn 🎂! The painter became a close friend of Isabella after the two met at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, where Zorn was exhibiting The Omnibus. After learning that the man she was speaking with was in fact the artist, Isabella reportedly said, “I feel that either we will soon become enemies, or also forever, very, very good friends. Come to tea with me this afternoon.”

Image: Anders Zorn, The Omnibus (detail), 1892.

02/11/2020

♥ Valentine's Day, February 14, during the Civil War. Winslow Homer's 'The Initials' (1864) is not actually a V-Day painting, however. It shows a young woman apparently tracing initials already carved into a tree with her fingers. The soldier, either at war or dead, also made the cavalry insignia of crossed swords, seen higher up, as well as other markings. See enlarged image of painting at [http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/full.php?ID=439#] See also this Valentine's Day page from Harper's Weekly, "the most popular illustrated newspaper of the Civil War years" - http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1864/february/valentines-day.htm.

Co-Editor Michelle Kamhi and I wish you a happy V-Day!

Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos - www.aristos.org

Winslow Homer - (1835-1909)
The Initials
Oil

01/29/2020

WQXR

My musical hero. Click on image, then scroll down to see 3:27 video of Rubinstein's performance. Click on "YouTube" to view Full Screen, then on "full screen" icon. At the end of the article, click on "Comments" to see mine. Hope all this is clear! - Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos

Don't take Arthur Rubinstein for granted, says Jeff Spurgeon. Celebrate the great pianist's birthday with his favorite encore, in 1947 at @carnegiehall.

01/08/2020

A small painting-study by Bierstadt. See 24 images of his magnificent landscapes of he Amercian West on his Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Bierstadt - Louis Torres, Co-Editor, Aristos - www.aristos.org

Born in Germany on this day in 1830, artist Albert Bierstadt was brought to the United States, by his parents, at the age of one. Bierstadt was known for his sweeping landscapes and was considered an artist of the Hudson River School.

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Coast of California, n.d. Richard M. Scaife Bequest, 2015. http://bit.ly/2rP7IFh

12/01/2019

Sublime indeed.

"An Eruption of Vesuvius" by Johan Christian Dahl is one of four beloved paintings depicting the Sublime that you can see in our newly endowed Christen Sveaas Gallery. 🌋

Learn more: met.org/2OJcThj

🎨 Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, 1788–1857). An Eruption of Vesuvius, 1824. Oil on canvas. On view in Gallery 807.

10/28/2019

A gift to the Frick Art Reference Library in 1984 by Helen Clay Frick, daughter of Henry Clay Frick, as a memorial to her father. She died that year at age 96.

Visitors to the Frick Art Reference Library's Reading Room are often greeted by this work by the Italian sculptor Andrea della Robbia, who was born in October of 1435. The institution acquired the ‘Madonna of the Impruneta,’ attributed to his school, in 1984 as a gift from the Library’s founder, Helen Clay Frick. Information about this wonderful 16th-century ceramic work:
https://tinyurl.com/y5hduu9d

09/23/2019

Exhibition Examines Michelangelo’s Working Process through Rare Original Drawings

Now at the Cleveland Museum of Art and in 2020 at the Getty Museum (Los Angeles): "Michelangelo: Mind of the Master," featuring 28 of his magnificent surviving drawings.

Exhibition Examines Michelangelo’s Working Process through Rare Original Drawings

07/16/2019

Remembering a truly great artist.

Andrea del Sarto was born or baptized on this day in 1486. We remember with satisfaction the exhibition that we and the Getty hosted in 2015-2016. Information about that wonderful project (breathtaking drawings from the Uffizi, Met, National Gallery, and other collections!) lives on our website here: https://www.frick.org/exhibitions/del_sarto

07/12/2019

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) was born on this day.

This succinct biographical sketch, especially the summary of “the tendencies that define much of Wyeth’s work,” is a fitting reminder on his birthday of what made Andrew Wyeth so beloved and admired. The accompanying impish photograph by granddaughter Victoria adds a too often overlooked aspect of a life that was “full of fun and high spirits.” (L.T., comment following Brandywine River Museum of Art's Facebook post.)

Our long-promised essay, "Andrew Wyeth's Black Models: 'Close Friends' or 'Oppressed' Neighbors?" by Louis Torres, is now scheduled for publication in early fall.

“If somehow I can, before I leave this Earth, combine my absolutely mad freedom and excitement with truth, then I will have done something.” – Andrew Wyeth

Born on this day in 1917, Andrew Newell Wyeth is recognized as one of the most important American artists of the twentieth century. For more than seven decades he painted the regions of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania—where he was born—and mid-coast Maine, where he spent most of his summer months. Wyeth was the youngest of artist N. C. Wyeth’s five children. At age fifteen he began several years of intensive artistic training under his father. In addition to achievements in watercolor, Andrew Wyeth became a master of egg tempera—a medium introduced to him in 1936 by his brother-in-law, artist Peter Hurd.

By the 1940s, the tendencies that define much of Wyeth’s work were taking shape, among them a focus on death and loss; the uses of places and objects to serve as stand-ins for people; an intense and unsentimental scrutiny of nature; and an often startling austerity and stark lack of color. Rather than depict nature with photographic accuracy, Wyeth used painting to convey emotions that were difficult to put into words. His work often reflected memories, associations and echoes from his personal life, including his own distinctive sense of the wondrous and the strange. Following Andrew Wyeth’s death in 2009, the artist’s wife, Betsy, gifted her husband’s studio in Chadds Ford to the Brandywine River Museum of Art. Now a National Historic Landmark, the Andrew Wyeth Studio is open to the public seasonally for tours.

Photo: Andrew Wyeth on his 82nd birthday (c) Victoria Browning Wyeth/ARS, NY.