#portraitmonday — Public Fediverse posts

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"Agrippina and Germanicus," Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1614.

Rubens (1577-1640) was one of the most influential Flemish Baroque painters, and an icon in the art world.

This was painted during his time in Antwerp, after returning from a prolonged stay in Italy. There he was influenced by Roman art and antiquities, and it left a lasting impression.

Agrippina the Elder (14BC - 33AD) was the daughter of Roman general Marcus Agrippa and wife of Germanicus, a general and politician. The two had a number of children, including future emperors Nero and Caligula.

Now this is obviously not a portrait taken from the life, but a mixture of portrait and history painting. The two likenesses don't bear much resemblance to surviving busts of the two, and the styling is very much an idealized Flemish Baroque vision. But it's still impressive work.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #PeterPaulRubens #Baroque #Agrippina #Germanicus #RomanHistory #PortraitMonday

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"The Summer Snow," Edward Burne-Jones, 1864.

Burne-Jones (1833-98) was one of the great artists of the Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic schools. While enormously popular in his day (leading to him being granted a baronetcy), he was largely neglected and forgotten after his death, until he was rediscovered in the mid-20th century and now is popular again.

Jane Burden (1839-1914), pictured here, came from poverty but was spotted by Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who were both struck by her beauty. She modeled for both, appearing in a number of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. She eventually married William Morris, the great designer, and became a noted embroiderer and designer herself....although all her designs were credited to him. Typical.

Her private life was something of a soap opera as well. Apparently her marriage to Morris was mostly a business arrangement; she managed his successful design business, had dalliances with Rossetti and poet Wilfrid Blunt, and in the end the lady born in poverty was able to purchase a manor house to secure her daughters' futures.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

#Art #EdwardBurneJones #JaneBurdenMorris #PreRaphalites #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #Herstory

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Julie le Brun Looking in a Mirror," Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1787.

Le Brun (1755-1842) was the most famous female painter in France in her time, and a renowned portraitist. She was popular with royalty and the wealthy for quite a time, but during the French Revolution that popularity worked against her. Being a friend of Marie Antoinette was not a good idea in France at the time...

Julie le Brun, her daughter, was a frequent model for her mother, and there are a number of portraits of her and of the two of them together. Sometimes Mama Le Brun seems to be using these to demonstrate her skill. Here, for instance, we get Julie both en face and en profile. It also seems to comment on the then-current commentary on art as illusion.

Julie le Brun became a painter herself, but with nowhere near her mother's level of success, and she died young in 1819.

Mama le Brun had to flee France during the Revolution, and migrated all around Europe (Italy, England, Russia, Austria...) before returning in 1802. Julie's passing (from syphilis) devastated her, and she memorialize her daughter several times in posthumous portraits.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #ElisabethVigeeLeBrun #PortraitMonday #Rococo #WomenArtists #Herstory #WomenInArt

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Anne Sotheby," Mary Beale, 1676-7.

Beale (1633-99) was one of a few female professional artists working in London at the time, but she became a very successful and in-demand portrait artist.

Daughter of a clergyman and amateur painter, she married young, to a fellow artist, Charles Beale, but became such a success as a portraitist that she became the breadwinner and her husband was happy to be her studio manager, keeping records and booking appointments. Beale accepted clients very carefully but ended up painting some very prominent people of her time. She also taught several young painters as well.

Anne Sotheby was the daughter of a merchant who made his money in the slave trade (boo!) and who became the wife of wealthy art collector James Sotheby in 1674. Whether he's connected to the auction house is unknown to me, but seems likely.

Beale was a very successful and busy artist, but she was also an author, publishing "A Discourse on Friendship" in 1666. An unpublished how-to book on painting was discovered among her papers after she died, the earliest known instructional text by a female artist.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #MaryBeale #PortraitMonday #WomenArtists #Baroque #AnneSotheby

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Mother and Daughter," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was the great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance, chronicling many of the major figures of the era. However, in this portrait of two unidentified women, she confronts a social reality.

This is actually a daring painting for the time as it confronts the realities of mixed-race marriages, at the time a highly controversial subject. (Remember, the Supreme Court didn't legalize mixed-race marriage until the 60s.) Here we have the Black mother and the white-presenting daughter, looking very different but also very alike; even their noses are identical.

What's interesting here is how she takes the style of classical Roman portraits (there are similar ones out there), and mixes it with modernist techniques, as well as a modern social sensibility. The two women seem almost like allies, facing the world together. Mother looks determined; daughter perhaps a bit less so, but still, they're there together.

A remarkable painting!

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #Family #MotherAndDaughter #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ayu-Dag Cliff," Walenty Wańkowicz, 1827-8.

Wańkowicz (1799-1842) was a Polish painter, born in present-day Belarus, and considered something of a celebrity there still. His family home is now a museum of his work.

He and Mickiewicz became friends while at the University of Vilnius and later reconnected in St. Petersburg. Mickiewicz was rising to prominence as a poet, and so this portrait was created, referring to one of his most popular poems about the Ayu-Dag cliffs in Crimea.

Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was a poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist who is still today regarded as a national treasure in Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus. (The Lithuanian national anthem borrows from his work!) He's regarded as one of the greatest European poets ever, while being fairly unknown outside of Europe. He helped lead rebellions against the imperial powers that dominated Poland and Lithuania, before escaping the clutches of the Russian Empire in 1829 and living out his life abroad, but always fighting for a democratic, independent Poland.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #WalentyWankowicz #Romanticism #AdamMickiewicz #Poland #Lithuania #PortraitMonday

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"A Four Year Old Girl with a Cat and a Fish," Jacob Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1647.

Cuyp (1594-1652) was a Dutch painter of still lifes and landscapes who later shifted to portraits, often containing allegorical content.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but the allegorical nature makes it seem absurd and surreal to modern eyes. Why is she holding a fish? What's up with the cat? This has become an internet meme for its very weirdness.

But...there is a meaning here...it's about curbing your lust. The cat, at the time, was a symbol of rampant carnal desire. The fish is suppressed temptation. The cat, instead of lunging for the fish, is doing its damnedest to get away. Meanwhile, the tapestry in the back has a courting couple, and beyond them, a castle. It looks as if it's about how they'll behave themselves and achieve the goal of having a healthy child. Maybe.

Or maybe it's just freakin' weird.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY.

#Art #JacobGerritszCuyp #PortraitMonday #DutchGoldenAge #Meme #Weird

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Ernesta," Cecilia Beaux, 1914.

Beaux (1855-1942) was a very successful portrait artist at the turn of the 20th century, so much so that some referred to her as "the female Sargent." In truth, many feel her on a level with Sargent.

Born to a well-off Philadelphia family, she studied there and in Paris (of course) before returning to the US to make a splash as a society portraitist.

Here we have her favorite niece, Ernesta, in a friendly and casual pose. It's especially fun as twenty years earlier she had painted Ernesta as a toddler. Here she is very much in the environment of a typical society belle, a huge contrast to Beaux, who regarded herself as a "New Woman," an early feminist who sought education and self-reliance, rather than only being a housewife and mother.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #CeciliaBeaux #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt #HerStory

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday

"Angelica Peale Robinson," Moses Williams, 1802-05.

Williams (c. 1770 - c. 1830) was a formerly enslaved Black silhouette artist active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Williams' parents were acquired by artist Charles Willson Peale, who later freed them, and Moses was raised along with Peale's children in his very artistic household. Some reports claim Williams was mixed-race and could pass, leaving unanswered questions about his parents.

Williams grew up to be a successful silhouette artist, and became one of few Black men in Philadelphia to own property when he bought his own house He married a former Peale servant and fathered four children, but further details of his family are unknown.

I love silhouettes, and the detail work on this is exquisite when your realize this is black paper cut with scissors and perhaps with detail cut with a knife.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

#Art #MosesWilliams #Silhouette #BlackArtists #BlackHistory #PortraitMonday

"Lady in a Fur Wrap," Alonso Sánchez Coello, 1577-79.

Coello (c. 1531-88) was a Spanish portraitist, a court painter to Philip II of Spain.

This painting, however, is subject to debate. Unsigned, for years it was believed to have been painted by El Greco, and some still maintain it was. The Coello attribution has become most accepted, but a minority opinion holds that it's by Italian painter Sofonisba Aguissola (c. 1532-1629), a highly successful woman artist of the period.

Hint to future artists: Sign your work!

The sitter is unknown but considering the value of what she's wearing, it's safe to assume she's wealthy and/or nobility or royalty. Two most popular hypotheses are that she's Catalina Micaela, youngest daughter of Philip II who later became Duchess of Savoy, or Juana de Mendoza, Duchess of Béjar.

Questions still abound about this portrait. It was purchased in 1853 at an estate sale of art owned by Louis Phillippe I, the last king of France, and before that it hung in the Spanish Gallery of the Louvre. The new owner, Scottish politician Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, bequeathed it to the city of Glasgow upon his death.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Pollok House, Glasgow.

#Art #AlonsoCoello #WomenInArt #PortraitMonday #Renaissance #Mystery

"Lady in a Fur Wrap," Alonso Sánchez Coello, 1577-79.

Coello (c. 1531-88) was a Spanish portraitist, a court painter to Philip II of Spain.

This painting, however, is subject to debate. Unsigned, for years it was believed to have been painted by El Greco, and some still maintain it was. The Coello attribution has become most accepted, but a minority opinion holds that it's by Italian painter Sofonisba Aguissola (c. 1532-1629), a highly successful woman artist of the period.

Hint to future artists: Sign your work!

The sitter is unknown but considering the value of what she's wearing, it's safe to assume she's wealthy and/or nobility or royalty. Two most popular hypotheses are that she's Catalina Micaela, youngest daughter of Philip II who later became Duchess of Savoy, or Juana de Mendoza, Duchess of Béjar.

Questions still abound about this portrait. It was purchased in 1853 at an estate sale of art owned by Louis Phillippe I, the last king of France, and before that it hung in the Spanish Gallery of the Louvre. The new owner, Scottish politician Sir William Stirling-Maxwell, bequeathed it to the city of Glasgow upon his death.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Pollok House, Glasgow.

#Art #AlonsoCoello #WomenInArt #PortraitMonday #Renaissance #Mystery

"Self-Portrait in a White Dress," Jacek Malczewski, 1914.

Polish painter Malczewski (1854-1929) was technically a Symbolist painter, but he was also one of the central figures of the Young Poland movement, a patriotic modernist movement in art, literature, and music that rejected older forms and sought to create a new, modern identity for the country's aesthetic character.

The son of a noted Polish patriot and activist, he was educated by noted novelist Adolf Dygasiński and learned art under one of the best art teachers in Poland, Leon Piccard.

He did many self-portraits, but why he did this one, and what he meant by it, are unknown. He wears a woman's blouse with a tightly cinched waist and a flamboyant beret. Some take a wink-wink-nudge-nudge attitude to this, but he was a married man with a brood of children. Given that he had aesthetic leanings, with an art-for-art's-sake outlook, it's likely he just thought it was an interesting outfit. Perhaps it's something of a joke; while in female clothing, his pose is more associated with old paintings of knights on horseback.

From the National Museum in Krakow.

#Art #JacekMalczewski #SymbolistArt #YoungPoland #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday

"Self-Portrait in a White Dress," Jacek Malczewski, 1914.

Polish painter Malczewski (1854-1929) was technically a Symbolist painter, but he was also one of the central figures of the Young Poland movement, a patriotic modernist movement in art, literature, and music that rejected older forms and sought to create a new, modern identity for the country's aesthetic character.

The son of a noted Polish patriot and activist, he was educated by noted novelist Adolf Dygasiński and learned art under one of the best art teachers in Poland, Leon Piccard.

He did many self-portraits, but why he did this one, and what he meant by it, are unknown. He wears a woman's blouse with a tightly cinched waist and a flamboyant beret. Some take a wink-wink-nudge-nudge attitude to this, but he was a married man with a brood of children. Given that he had aesthetic leanings, with an art-for-art's-sake outlook, it's likely he just thought it was an interesting outfit. Perhaps it's something of a joke; while in female clothing, his pose is more associated with old paintings of knights on horseback.

From the National Museum in Krakow.

#Art #JacekMalczewski #SymbolistArt #YoungPoland #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday

"Self-Portrait with a Palette," Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowiczowa, 1887.

Bilińska-Bohdanowiczowa (1854-93) was born to a Polish family in current-day Ukraine, and spent her childhood in Russia, learning drawing from instructors who were exiled from Moscow for their participation in the January Uprising.

Moving to Warsaw with her mother and siblings, she studied at the Warsaw Conservatory and later studied in Paris, the first Polish woman to do so. She exhibited with success for multiple years at the Paris Salon and this painting won a silver medal at the Paris Universal Exposition. Sadly, she died young from a heart condition, a few months after marrying.

This painting is one of her most famous; she depicts herself sitting and seemingly tired but satisfied, with mussed hair and a stained apron. Showing her personal fulfillment seems more important than being glamorous, it seems.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Krakow.

#Art #AnnaBilińska_Bohdanowiczowa #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #SelfPortrait #Realism

"Self-Portrait with a Palette," Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowiczowa, 1887.

Bilińska-Bohdanowiczowa (1854-93) was born to a Polish family in current-day Ukraine, and spent her childhood in Russia, learning drawing from instructors who were exiled from Moscow for their participation in the January Uprising.

Moving to Warsaw with her mother and siblings, she studied at the Warsaw Conservatory and later studied in Paris, the first Polish woman to do so. She exhibited with success for multiple years at the Paris Salon and this painting won a silver medal at the Paris Universal Exposition. Sadly, she died young from a heart condition, a few months after marrying.

This painting is one of her most famous; she depicts herself sitting and seemingly tired but satisfied, with mussed hair and a stained apron. Showing her personal fulfillment seems more important than being glamorous, it seems.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the National Museum in Krakow.

#Art #AnnaBilińska_Bohdanowiczowa #WomenArtists #PortraitMonday #SelfPortrait #Realism

"Mrs. Eaton," Dante Gabriel Rossetti, c. 1863-5.

Rossetti (1828-82) was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and was busy as a poet, painter, illustrator, muralist, and translator. He hardly requires introduction; as a painter, he was hugely influential and much copied, even today, and has been the subject of biographies and even a TV series, "Desperate Romantics." He wasn't always the nicest guy, but he was fascinating and talented.

Fanny Eaton (1835-1924) was a mixed-race domestic worker, born in Jamaica, who was a favorite model of Rossetti and his friends. Married and with a family, she seems to have avoided any tawdry entanglements with the Brotherhood, who led rather steamy lives. Why she took up modeling and what she thought of the work that used her is unknown; she left no letters or diaries, but it is thought she modeled simply for the money.

The last known painting of her is from 1867; she seems to have stopped modeling after that, and lived out her life afterwards as a seamstress and cook.

From the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford, CA.

#Art #DanteGabrielRossetti #PreRaphaelites #FannyEaton #Portrait #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt

"Mrs. Eaton," Dante Gabriel Rossetti, c. 1863-5.

Rossetti (1828-82) was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and was busy as a poet, painter, illustrator, muralist, and translator. He hardly requires introduction; as a painter, he was hugely influential and much copied, even today, and has been the subject of biographies and even a TV series, "Desperate Romantics." He wasn't always the nicest guy, but he was fascinating and talented.

Fanny Eaton (1835-1924) was a mixed-race domestic worker, born in Jamaica, who was a favorite model of Rossetti and his friends. Married and with a family, she seems to have avoided any tawdry entanglements with the Brotherhood, who led rather steamy lives. Why she took up modeling and what she thought of the work that used her is unknown; she left no letters or diaries, but it is thought she modeled simply for the money.

The last known painting of her is from 1867; she seems to have stopped modeling after that, and lived out her life afterwards as a seamstress and cook.

From the Cantor Arts Center, Stanford, CA.

#Art #DanteGabrielRossetti #PreRaphaelites #FannyEaton #Portrait #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt

"Portrait of Joseph Roulin," Vincent van Gogh, 1889.

Y'all know Van Gogh by now.

Joseph Roulin was a postal worker in the town of Arles, where Van Gogh had gone in hopes of forming an art colony. It never manifested, but he became close friends with his postman, Roulin, and the entire Roulin family became a huge source of emotional and moral support to the troubled artist.

Roulin was, by all accounts, one of those great people who was not only a devoted family man, but also a generally kind person who was always willing to lend a hand to those in need. Van Gogh was always struck by his features and overall air of kindliness, which comes across a little in this portrait; despite the large beard, he seems about to smile.

When Van Gogh was hospitalized (1888-90, on and off), Roulin looked after his studio and was a regular visitor. Some feel that Van Gogh's psychiatric troubles may have been far worse if not for the presence of his caring friend.

Here we have Roulin proud in his postal uniform, looking a bit amused, but also strong and solid. The background, of bright green and twisting vines and flowers, seems almost to embrace the subject.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

#Art #VincentVanGogh #PortraitMonday #PostImpressionism

"Portrait of Joseph Roulin," Vincent van Gogh, 1889.

Y'all know Van Gogh by now.

Joseph Roulin was a postal worker in the town of Arles, where Van Gogh had gone in hopes of forming an art colony. It never manifested, but he became close friends with his postman, Roulin, and the entire Roulin family became a huge source of emotional and moral support to the troubled artist.

Roulin was, by all accounts, one of those great people who was not only a devoted family man, but also a generally kind person who was always willing to lend a hand to those in need. Van Gogh was always struck by his features and overall air of kindliness, which comes across a little in this portrait; despite the large beard, he seems about to smile.

When Van Gogh was hospitalized (1888-90, on and off), Roulin looked after his studio and was a regular visitor. Some feel that Van Gogh's psychiatric troubles may have been far worse if not for the presence of his caring friend.

Here we have Roulin proud in his postal uniform, looking a bit amused, but also strong and solid. The background, of bright green and twisting vines and flowers, seems almost to embrace the subject.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

#Art #VincentVanGogh #PortraitMonday #PostImpressionism

"Portrait of the Painter Andries van Bochoven and His Family," Andries van Bochoven, 1629.

Van Bochoven (1609-34) died young, only 25, and didn't make much of a career as an artist, but he was obviously talented and well-taught. He only completed a handful of known paintings, of which this is the most popular.

His father Rutger, a prosperous merchant, sits at one end of the small table, about to lead the family in prayer. His wife Johanna sits at the other end, with the smallest children. The painter's grown sisters sit at the table, holding their own books, as if ready to follow along in the prayer. The grown brothers, with Andries holding brushes, stand in the back.

It has a certain charm but Andries, and several other members of the family, passed away during a plague epidemic in 1634-8. The painting stayed in the family until Rutger's death, evidently a reminder of times past.

Happy Portrait Monday, A Day Late! (I got the days mixed up....)

From the Centraal Museum, Utrecht.

#Art #AndriesVanBochoven #DutchGoldenAge #GroupPortrait #PortraitMonday #FamilyDinner

"Portrait of the Painter Andries van Bochoven and His Family," Andries van Bochoven, 1629.

Van Bochoven (1609-34) died young, only 25, and didn't make much of a career as an artist, but he was obviously talented and well-taught. He only completed a handful of known paintings, of which this is the most popular.

His father Rutger, a prosperous merchant, sits at one end of the small table, about to lead the family in prayer. His wife Johanna sits at the other end, with the smallest children. The painter's grown sisters sit at the table, holding their own books, as if ready to follow along in the prayer. The grown brothers, with Andries holding brushes, stand in the back.

It has a certain charm but Andries, and several other members of the family, passed away during a plague epidemic in 1634-8. The painting stayed in the family until Rutger's death, evidently a reminder of times past.

Happy Portrait Monday, A Day Late! (I got the days mixed up....)

From the Centraal Museum, Utrecht.

#Art #AndriesVanBochoven #DutchGoldenAge #GroupPortrait #PortraitMonday #FamilyDinner

"Portrait of a Young Man," Agnolo Bronzino, 1530s.

Bronzino (1503-72) was one of the greats of the Italian Mannerist style, which featured exaggerated proportions, asymmetrical arrangements, and a sort of unnatural elegance.

His best-known works are his portraits and some of his allegorical or religious works, some of which scholars are still arguing about centuries later; he never made things particularly clear.

This is one of his more naturalistic works. The young man, unidentified, stands with his finger in a book; experts believe it to be a book of poetry. He seems almost annoyed, as if we're interrupting his reading. One of his eyes is out of alignment as well, an interesting little detail.

The painting tells us more about the man's status than anything else; he's obviously wealthy, and perhaps a bit full of himself. But the presence of several masklike faces here and there, including the folds of his clothes, seem to hint that his own demeanor is a mask.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #AgnoloBronzino #Mannerism #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of a Young Man," Agnolo Bronzino, 1530s.

Bronzino (1503-72) was one of the greats of the Italian Mannerist style, which featured exaggerated proportions, asymmetrical arrangements, and a sort of unnatural elegance.

His best-known works are his portraits and some of his allegorical or religious works, some of which scholars are still arguing about centuries later; he never made things particularly clear.

This is one of his more naturalistic works. The young man, unidentified, stands with his finger in a book; experts believe it to be a book of poetry. He seems almost annoyed, as if we're interrupting his reading. One of his eyes is out of alignment as well, an interesting little detail.

The painting tells us more about the man's status than anything else; he's obviously wealthy, and perhaps a bit full of himself. But the presence of several masklike faces here and there, including the folds of his clothes, seem to hint that his own demeanor is a mask.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

#Art #AgnoloBronzino #Mannerism #PortraitMonday

"Spring," Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1563.

Arcimboldo (1527-93) is an Italian Mannerist painter best known for his surreal still lifes that form faces. These are felt today to be mostly novelties meant to amuse, but they're the work that has survived.

Very little of his more conventional work has been found, and most of it is, well, very conventional. Unremarkable, even. He saved all his creative energy for things like this.

Honestly, I'd like to give him credit for being a surrealist before surrealism was a thing. Here we have Spring, a woman made up completely of flowers and leaves, with lips of rose petals. What could be more appropriate?

It seems more suited for Flower Friday than Portrait Monday, but heck, it's a portrait of a season, isn't it?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid.

#Art #Mannerism #GiuseppeArcimboldo #PortraitMonday #ProtoSurrealism #Spring

"Spring," Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1563.

Arcimboldo (1527-93) is an Italian Mannerist painter best known for his surreal still lifes that form faces. These are felt today to be mostly novelties meant to amuse, but they're the work that has survived.

Very little of his more conventional work has been found, and most of it is, well, very conventional. Unremarkable, even. He saved all his creative energy for things like this.

Honestly, I'd like to give him credit for being a surrealist before surrealism was a thing. Here we have Spring, a woman made up completely of flowers and leaves, with lips of rose petals. What could be more appropriate?

It seems more suited for Flower Friday than Portrait Monday, but heck, it's a portrait of a season, isn't it?

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid.

#Art #Mannerism #GiuseppeArcimboldo #PortraitMonday #ProtoSurrealism #Spring

"Hearts are Trumps," John Everett Millais, 1872.

Millais (1829-1896) was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite school, & one of its most praised & successful members, getting many society commissions & earning a knighthood.

Starting in the 1850s, though, he began moving away from strict Pre-Raphaelism to a more Realist style, which caused some of his old crowd to view him as a sellout. But today it's seen as a natural evolution of his style, & his own refusal to be corralled by a particular school. Some feel his marriage to Euphemia, the former wife of art critic John Ruskin, a champion of the Pre-Raphaelites, had something to do with it; Effie had received an annulment on the grounds that her marriage had never been consummated. Millais was said to be very uneasy around Ruskin after that.

The women here are the three daughters of writer and collector Walter Armstrong, who was hoping to bump up his family's social status. The pose of the three women at cards is seen as a hint of a competition to marry. Of note is that Mary, to the right and looking out at us knowingly (with the King and Jack of hearts in her hand) married an Irish politician a few years after this was painted.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #PreRaphaelite #JohnEverettMillais #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt

"Hearts are Trumps," John Everett Millais, 1872.

Millais (1829-1896) was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite school, & one of its most praised & successful members, getting many society commissions & earning a knighthood.

Starting in the 1850s, though, he began moving away from strict Pre-Raphaelism to a more Realist style, which caused some of his old crowd to view him as a sellout. But today it's seen as a natural evolution of his style, & his own refusal to be corralled by a particular school. Some feel his marriage to Euphemia, the former wife of art critic John Ruskin, a champion of the Pre-Raphaelites, had something to do with it; Effie had received an annulment on the grounds that her marriage had never been consummated. Millais was said to be very uneasy around Ruskin after that.

The women here are the three daughters of writer and collector Walter Armstrong, who was hoping to bump up his family's social status. The pose of the three women at cards is seen as a hint of a competition to marry. Of note is that Mary, to the right and looking out at us knowingly (with the King and Jack of hearts in her hand) married an Irish politician a few years after this was painted.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Tate Britain, London.

#Art #PreRaphaelite #JohnEverettMillais #PortraitMonday #WomenInArt

"Titus van Rijn, the Artist's Son, Reading," Rembrandt van Rijn, 1656/7.

What can I say about Rembrandt (1606-69), other than he's one of the most recognizable names in art? A painter and printmaker, he pretty much defines the Dutch Golden Age. But unlike may other artists of the period, he didn't specialize.

Unlike, say, our friend Rachel Ruysch, who specialized in flowers, Rembrandt did all sorts of genres. Portraits, historic, religious, landscapes, mythical scenes, animals...he was all over the artistic map. Some of his work courted controversy; a painting of Bathsheba created a furor as everyone knew the nude Bathsheba was Rembrandt's mistress. He also had persistent financial troubles that led to him being ruled incompetent and his affairs managed by his son.

Titus van Rijn (1641-68) was the only child by Rembrandt's wife Saskia to live to adulthood. He was a frequent model for his father, and his death at 26 was a sad blow. Here he is, absorbed in a book, and looking like the apple of his father's eye.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

#Art #DutchGoldenAge #Rembrandt #PortraitMonday #TitusVanRijn

"Titus van Rijn, the Artist's Son, Reading," Rembrandt van Rijn, 1656/7.

What can I say about Rembrandt (1606-69), other than he's one of the most recognizable names in art? A painter and printmaker, he pretty much defines the Dutch Golden Age. But unlike may other artists of the period, he didn't specialize.

Unlike, say, our friend Rachel Ruysch, who specialized in flowers, Rembrandt did all sorts of genres. Portraits, historic, religious, landscapes, mythical scenes, animals...he was all over the artistic map. Some of his work courted controversy; a painting of Bathsheba created a furor as everyone knew the nude Bathsheba was Rembrandt's mistress. He also had persistent financial troubles that led to him being ruled incompetent and his affairs managed by his son.

Titus van Rijn (1641-68) was the only child by Rembrandt's wife Saskia to live to adulthood. He was a frequent model for his father, and his death at 26 was a sad blow. Here he is, absorbed in a book, and looking like the apple of his father's eye.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

#Art #DutchGoldenAge #Rembrandt #PortraitMonday #TitusVanRijn

"Portrait of a Man with Hibiscus Flower (Félix)," Glyn Philpot, 1932.

Philpot (1884-1937) was an English painter known mostly for his portraits. Early in his career he was very Realist, and very similar to John Singer Sargent. Like Sargent, he had a good income from his portraits, which gave him room to travel and experiment artistically.

Late in his life, as we see here, he began to experiment with Modernism. Philpot, although a typical British white guy, began to be noted for his portraits of Black people, and how he portrayed them with dignity and sensitivity.

At this point in his career, his work was also expressing the conflict between his devout Catholicism and his own homosexuality. Philpot had a longtime partnership with another artist, Vivian Forbes, which ended a few years before Philpot's passing, from a stroke.

The identity of the sitter here is unknown; all that is known is his first name, Félix.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection

#Art #PortraitMonday #GlynPhilpot #QueerHistory #LGBTQ

"Portrait of a Man with Hibiscus Flower (Félix)," Glyn Philpot, 1932.

Philpot (1884-1937) was an English painter known mostly for his portraits. Early in his career he was very Realist, and very similar to John Singer Sargent. Like Sargent, he had a good income from his portraits, which gave him room to travel and experiment artistically.

Late in his life, as we see here, he began to experiment with Modernism. Philpot, although a typical British white guy, began to be noted for his portraits of Black people, and how he portrayed them with dignity and sensitivity.

At this point in his career, his work was also expressing the conflict between his devout Catholicism and his own homosexuality. Philpot had a longtime partnership with another artist, Vivian Forbes, which ended a few years before Philpot's passing, from a stroke.

The identity of the sitter here is unknown; all that is known is his first name, Félix.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection

#Art #PortraitMonday #GlynPhilpot #QueerHistory #LGBTQ

"Martin, a Terrier," Rosa Bonheur, 1879.

French painter Bonheur (1822-99) was a daring woman in many ways. Her personal life courted controversy; she dressed in men's clothing and openly had love affairs with other women, at a time when such things could get one arrested. She insisted on being educated and trained as an artist at a time when that route was not open to women. And she insisted on painting animals when everyone else was doing classical human figures.

It was her devotion to her animal art that really paved the way for her in a society that might not otherwise approve. When other artists would use animals in a symbolic or satirical sense, or be overly melodramatic or sentimental, Bonheur depicted animals the way other portraitists depicted people; she strove to communicate their soul to the viewer.

It's unknown who commissioned this painting, but evidently it was a fairly wealthy person who wanted a depiction of a faithful hunting dog. Martin is realistically and meticulously rendered, and she shows his intent, yet soulful expression without resorting to mush.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #RosaBonheur #WomenArtists #QueerHistory #LGBTQArtists #PortraitMonday #Terrier #DogsOfMastodon

"Martin, a Terrier," Rosa Bonheur, 1879.

French painter Bonheur (1822-99) was a daring woman in many ways. Her personal life courted controversy; she dressed in men's clothing and openly had love affairs with other women, at a time when such things could get one arrested. She insisted on being educated and trained as an artist at a time when that route was not open to women. And she insisted on painting animals when everyone else was doing classical human figures.

It was her devotion to her animal art that really paved the way for her in a society that might not otherwise approve. When other artists would use animals in a symbolic or satirical sense, or be overly melodramatic or sentimental, Bonheur depicted animals the way other portraitists depicted people; she strove to communicate their soul to the viewer.

It's unknown who commissioned this painting, but evidently it was a fairly wealthy person who wanted a depiction of a faithful hunting dog. Martin is realistically and meticulously rendered, and she shows his intent, yet soulful expression without resorting to mush.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #RosaBonheur #WomenArtists #QueerHistory #LGBTQArtists #PortraitMonday #Terrier #DogsOfMastodon

"Girl in a Pink Dress," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was THE great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance. Her depictions of major figures in Black history make her worthy of study.

Here we have a portrait of an unidentified young Black woman in a stylist 20s dress, with a stylish 20s hairdo. This is a young lady of fashion, very up-to-the-minute.

But also, her youth, the choice of pink for her dress, and the corsage at her shoulder...this hints at blossoming and young vitality. "Here," Wheeler may be saying, "is the future of Black America, just coming into blossom!"

I've talked about Waring before, including her many portraits and her years teaching, so I won't go into her life story. But I just love this portrait of a young, vital, serene woman, waiting to take on the world.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #BlackHistoryMonth #PortraitMonday #HarlemRenaissance #YouthInBlossom #FutureOfAmerica

"Girl in a Pink Dress," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1927.

Waring (1887-1948) was THE great portrait artist of the Harlem Renaissance. Her depictions of major figures in Black history make her worthy of study.

Here we have a portrait of an unidentified young Black woman in a stylist 20s dress, with a stylish 20s hairdo. This is a young lady of fashion, very up-to-the-minute.

But also, her youth, the choice of pink for her dress, and the corsage at her shoulder...this hints at blossoming and young vitality. "Here," Wheeler may be saying, "is the future of Black America, just coming into blossom!"

I've talked about Waring before, including her many portraits and her years teaching, so I won't go into her life story. But I just love this portrait of a young, vital, serene woman, waiting to take on the world.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From a private collection.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #BlackHistoryMonth #PortraitMonday #HarlemRenaissance #YouthInBlossom #FutureOfAmerica

"Portrait of a Young Woman," Antonio or Piero del Pollaiolo, c. 1470.

One could say "Antonio and/or Piero" as it's unknown which of them painted this, or if the two worked together.

Antonio (C. 1429 or 33 - 1498) and Piero (C. 1443 - C. 1496) were brothers who worked together and shared a studio in Florence, and frequently collaborated on works. In fact, it's become so difficult to tell which did what, or if they worked together, that many works are just attributed to "the Pollaiolo Brothers." Neither was known to sign their works very often.

Antonio, the older by a decade, was also a sculptor and goldsmith; Piero was known only for his painting. Their father was a wealthy poultry merchant, hence their adopted name, a sort of joke as "pollaiolo" means "chicken coop" in Italian.

The identity of the sitter is unknown, although she's obviously from a wealthy family, what with the fancy hairdo and the jewelry. It's thought that this was an engagement portrait, as pearls often symbolize purity and rubies love, and the sitter's obvious youth makes the concept seem likely.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan.

#Art #PollaioloBrothers #Renaissance #WomenInArt #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of a Young Woman," Antonio or Piero del Pollaiolo, c. 1470.

One could say "Antonio and/or Piero" as it's unknown which of them painted this, or if the two worked together.

Antonio (C. 1429 or 33 - 1498) and Piero (C. 1443 - C. 1496) were brothers who worked together and shared a studio in Florence, and frequently collaborated on works. In fact, it's become so difficult to tell which did what, or if they worked together, that many works are just attributed to "the Pollaiolo Brothers." Neither was known to sign their works very often.

Antonio, the older by a decade, was also a sculptor and goldsmith; Piero was known only for his painting. Their father was a wealthy poultry merchant, hence their adopted name, a sort of joke as "pollaiolo" means "chicken coop" in Italian.

The identity of the sitter is unknown, although she's obviously from a wealthy family, what with the fancy hairdo and the jewelry. It's thought that this was an engagement portrait, as pearls often symbolize purity and rubies love, and the sitter's obvious youth makes the concept seem likely.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan.

#Art #PollaioloBrothers #Renaissance #WomenInArt #PortraitMonday

"Portrait of the Artist's Mother," Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1897.

Tanner (1859-1937) was the first Black American artist to win international fame and acclaim, & they were well-deserved.

The son of an AME bishop, Tanner was born & raised in Pittsburgh. He received artistic education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he was trained by Thomas Eakins, & worked with Robert Henri, a founder of the Ashcan School of painting, as well as others, who all remained his lifelong friends.

Finding racism and prejudice at home in the US, Tanner moved to Europe where he found acceptance, & where he lived the rest of his life, except for a few visits home.

Sarah Elizabeth Tanner (1840-1914) was born in Winchester, VA, but details of her early life are unclear; she may have been born to free people, or born into slavery and escaped via the Underground Railroad. She did become a respected missionary and religious worker, and raised seven children who all became successes in one way or another.

The portrait seems a riff on Whistler's famous painting of his mother, but here Tanner presents a warmer tone, although to me she looks sad.

Happy Portrait Monday, and Happy Black History Month!

#Art #HenryOssawaTanner #PortraitMonday #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackArtists #WomenInArt #AmericanRealism

"Portrait of the Artist's Mother," Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1897.

Tanner (1859-1937) was the first Black American artist to win international fame and acclaim, & they were well-deserved.

The son of an AME bishop, Tanner was born & raised in Pittsburgh. He received artistic education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he was trained by Thomas Eakins, & worked with Robert Henri, a founder of the Ashcan School of painting, as well as others, who all remained his lifelong friends.

Finding racism and prejudice at home in the US, Tanner moved to Europe where he found acceptance, & where he lived the rest of his life, except for a few visits home.

Sarah Elizabeth Tanner (1840-1914) was born in Winchester, VA, but details of her early life are unclear; she may have been born to free people, or born into slavery and escaped via the Underground Railroad. She did become a respected missionary and religious worker, and raised seven children who all became successes in one way or another.

The portrait seems a riff on Whistler's famous painting of his mother, but here Tanner presents a warmer tone, although to me she looks sad.

Happy Portrait Monday, and Happy Black History Month!

#Art #HenryOssawaTanner #PortraitMonday #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackArtists #WomenInArt #AmericanRealism

"Luis E. Pombo," Guillermo Laborde, c. 1928.

Laborde (1886-1940) was an Uruguayan Modernist painter who was a founder of Planismo, a style of painting popular in Uruguay and other parts of Latin America in the 20s and 30s.

Planismo is a style that emphasizes sharp angular lines, little shading, brilliant colors, and a focus on everyday life and the Uruguayan landscape. Here, in what is regarded as one of the best-ever examples of planismo, he paints a portrait of his friend, the art critic and author Luis Eduardo Pombo (1900-1976).

Planismo wasn't widely accepted at first, but became eagerly accepted as a uniquely Uruguayan style and a source of national identity. I've seen a lot of this in my travels through the art world. Many times artists have developed a style, or subject matter, that they want to make a point of national pride, to make something not only that they can take pride in, but also something uniquely of their country. I sometimes think of this as ripples of the Romantic movement, which could be very nationalistic.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales, Montevideo.

#Art #GuillermoLaborde #Modernism #Planismo #LuisEduardoPombo #PortraitMonday #Uruguay #LatinAmericanArt

"Luis E. Pombo," Guillermo Laborde, c. 1928.

Laborde (1886-1940) was an Uruguayan Modernist painter who was a founder of Planismo, a style of painting popular in Uruguay and other parts of Latin America in the 20s and 30s.

Planismo is a style that emphasizes sharp angular lines, little shading, brilliant colors, and a focus on everyday life and the Uruguayan landscape. Here, in what is regarded as one of the best-ever examples of planismo, he paints a portrait of his friend, the art critic and author Luis Eduardo Pombo (1900-1976).

Planismo wasn't widely accepted at first, but became eagerly accepted as a uniquely Uruguayan style and a source of national identity. I've seen a lot of this in my travels through the art world. Many times artists have developed a style, or subject matter, that they want to make a point of national pride, to make something not only that they can take pride in, but also something uniquely of their country. I sometimes think of this as ripples of the Romantic movement, which could be very nationalistic.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales, Montevideo.

#Art #GuillermoLaborde #Modernism #Planismo #LuisEduardoPombo #PortraitMonday #Uruguay #LatinAmericanArt

"Girl in a Green Cap," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1930.

Waring (1887-1948) was THE great portraitist of the Harlem Renaissance, painting many of the notable Black people of the era.

Born in Hartford, CT, the daughter of a minister, her family was educated and cultured, and her ancestors had been part of the Underground Railroad. She attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, graduating in 1914. She traveled briefly in Europe, returning home when WWI started, but returned in the 20s, where she honed her style and exhibited in Paris galleries.

Returning to the US in 1927, she was commissioned to do portraits of figures of the Harlem Renaissance; this project, along with her work teaching at Cheyney University, an HBCU outside Philadelphia, was to consume the rest of her life. Her work is now featured in some of the country's top museums and galleries.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but her calm confidence and self-assurance, and that knockout outfit, are beyond question.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Howard University Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #Portrait #PortraitMonday #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #MLKDay #BelieveInYourself

"Girl in a Green Cap," Laura Wheeler Waring, 1930.

Waring (1887-1948) was THE great portraitist of the Harlem Renaissance, painting many of the notable Black people of the era.

Born in Hartford, CT, the daughter of a minister, her family was educated and cultured, and her ancestors had been part of the Underground Railroad. She attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, graduating in 1914. She traveled briefly in Europe, returning home when WWI started, but returned in the 20s, where she honed her style and exhibited in Paris galleries.

Returning to the US in 1927, she was commissioned to do portraits of figures of the Harlem Renaissance; this project, along with her work teaching at Cheyney University, an HBCU outside Philadelphia, was to consume the rest of her life. Her work is now featured in some of the country's top museums and galleries.

The subject of this portrait is unknown, but her calm confidence and self-assurance, and that knockout outfit, are beyond question.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Howard University Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

#Art #LauraWheelerWaring #Portrait #PortraitMonday #HarlemRenaissance #BlackHistory #MLKDay #BelieveInYourself

"Self-Portrait at the Easel," Catherina van Hemessen, 1548.

The career of van Hemessen (1528-1565 or later) has a number of unanswered questions; we don't know who taught her (probably her father, himself a painter), where she was born, exactly when she died, or really much about her personal life in general.

Her career, however, was a success, in part because she attracted the patronage of Maria of Austria, the Spanish-born former queen of Hungary who was then serving as the governor of the Netherlands, at the behest of her brother, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. (Complicated!) She painted mostly portraits, with a handful of religious works, and this is the first known portrait of an artist at work, so it has some significance.

She married a church organist in 1554, and seems to have given up painting after that. She and her husband moved to Spain with Maria when she retired from governorship, Catherina received a generous pension when Maria passed away, and they moved to Antwerp in 1561. The last mention of her in records is in 1565, and one source says she died in childbirth in '65 or '68.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel.

#Art #FlemishRenaissance #CatherinaVanHemessen #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday

"Self-Portrait at the Easel," Catherina van Hemessen, 1548.

The career of van Hemessen (1528-1565 or later) has a number of unanswered questions; we don't know who taught her (probably her father, himself a painter), where she was born, exactly when she died, or really much about her personal life in general.

Her career, however, was a success, in part because she attracted the patronage of Maria of Austria, the Spanish-born former queen of Hungary who was then serving as the governor of the Netherlands, at the behest of her brother, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. (Complicated!) She painted mostly portraits, with a handful of religious works, and this is the first known portrait of an artist at work, so it has some significance.

She married a church organist in 1554, and seems to have given up painting after that. She and her husband moved to Spain with Maria when she retired from governorship, Catherina received a generous pension when Maria passed away, and they moved to Antwerp in 1561. The last mention of her in records is in 1565, and one source says she died in childbirth in '65 or '68.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunstmuseum Basel.

#Art #FlemishRenaissance #CatherinaVanHemessen #WomenArtists #WomenInArt #SelfPortrait #PortraitMonday

"Winter," Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1563.

Arcimboldo (1527-93) was a visionary who foretold the rise of Surrealism centuries later. His portrait still lifes are popular and admired today.

As far as can be known from records, he regarded these paintings only as novelties and entertainments, but they're also the only work of his that has had any impact. What is known of his conventional work is bland and dull compared to these, and much has been lost or forgotten.

Here we have Winter as a gnarled tree trunk, with a beard made up of roots, hair of ivy, wrapped in a plain straw mat, with citrus fruits (the only winter fruit in Italy) sprouting from his chest. A good representation of winter.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

#Art #Surrealism #GiuseppeArcimboldo #Winter #PortraitMonday

"Winter," Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1563.

Arcimboldo (1527-93) was a visionary who foretold the rise of Surrealism centuries later. His portrait still lifes are popular and admired today.

As far as can be known from records, he regarded these paintings only as novelties and entertainments, but they're also the only work of his that has had any impact. What is known of his conventional work is bland and dull compared to these, and much has been lost or forgotten.

Here we have Winter as a gnarled tree trunk, with a beard made up of roots, hair of ivy, wrapped in a plain straw mat, with citrus fruits (the only winter fruit in Italy) sprouting from his chest. A good representation of winter.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

#Art #Surrealism #GiuseppeArcimboldo #Winter #PortraitMonday

"Titus at His Desk," Rembrandt van Rijn, 1655.

Who doesn't know Rembrandt?

This is a portrait of his one surviving son by his first wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh. (Three other children died within weeks of their birth.) Saskia herself died of tuberculosis a year after Titus' birth, and her illness and death affected him greatly, as we can see from his paintings of her on her deathbed. There is a tender sort of anxiety in his depictions of Titus, who he painted frequently, as if fearful that he could leave any day.

Titus van Rijn (1641-1668) was by all accounts an intelligent and willful child who adored his father and did everything he could to help him, especially when Rembrandt's financial problems led to a bankruptcy. When Titus got older, he and Rembrandt's mistress Hendrickje set up a corporation as art dealers to generate work and support for his father.

Titus married in 1668 to Magdalena van Loo, but died a few months later of unstated causes. His daughter Titia was born six months after his passing. Rembrandt himself passed on the following year.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.

#Art #DutchGoldenAge #RembrandtVanRijn #PortraitMonday #Portraits

"Titus at His Desk," Rembrandt van Rijn, 1655.

Who doesn't know Rembrandt?

This is a portrait of his one surviving son by his first wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh. (Three other children died within weeks of their birth.) Saskia herself died of tuberculosis a year after Titus' birth, and her illness and death affected him greatly, as we can see from his paintings of her on her deathbed. There is a tender sort of anxiety in his depictions of Titus, who he painted frequently, as if fearful that he could leave any day.

Titus van Rijn (1641-1668) was by all accounts an intelligent and willful child who adored his father and did everything he could to help him, especially when Rembrandt's financial problems led to a bankruptcy. When Titus got older, he and Rembrandt's mistress Hendrickje set up a corporation as art dealers to generate work and support for his father.

Titus married in 1668 to Magdalena van Loo, but died a few months later of unstated causes. His daughter Titia was born six months after his passing. Rembrandt himself passed on the following year.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.

#Art #DutchGoldenAge #RembrandtVanRijn #PortraitMonday #Portraits

"Woman Before the Mirror," Ellen Emmet Rand, 1925.

Rand (1875-1941) was an American illustrator and portraitist. Born in San Francisco, educated in Boston and New York, she started off as an illustrator for magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Harper's Weekly, and Vogue. She then traveled to London and Paris, and returned to New York in 1900 to paint full time.

A cousin to Henry and William James, as well as several other artists, she had connections to exploit, and she did a number of portraits of society figures, artists, and writers. Reportedly she started a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt but found it too difficult (constant interruptions) to complete. She did paint Franklin Roosevelt's official portrait, which is now missing from the National Archives. (Has anyone checked Mar-a-Lago?)

The textured work here is lovely, and instead of checking herself out, the lady is looking out at us, confronting the viewer with a certain self-assertion. She mixes new with old; the clothes and furniture are clearly 19th century, but the assertiveness of her gaze is modern.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Art Institute of Chicago.

#Art #EllenEmmetRand #PortraitMonday #Realism #WomenArtists #WomenInArt

"Woman Before the Mirror," Ellen Emmet Rand, 1925.

Rand (1875-1941) was an American illustrator and portraitist. Born in San Francisco, educated in Boston and New York, she started off as an illustrator for magazines like Harper's Bazaar, Harper's Weekly, and Vogue. She then traveled to London and Paris, and returned to New York in 1900 to paint full time.

A cousin to Henry and William James, as well as several other artists, she had connections to exploit, and she did a number of portraits of society figures, artists, and writers. Reportedly she started a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt but found it too difficult (constant interruptions) to complete. She did paint Franklin Roosevelt's official portrait, which is now missing from the National Archives. (Has anyone checked Mar-a-Lago?)

The textured work here is lovely, and instead of checking herself out, the lady is looking out at us, confronting the viewer with a certain self-assertion. She mixes new with old; the clothes and furniture are clearly 19th century, but the assertiveness of her gaze is modern.

Happy Portrait Monday!

From the Art Institute of Chicago.

#Art #EllenEmmetRand #PortraitMonday #Realism #WomenArtists #WomenInArt