Las Meninas~ is a 1656 painting by Diego Velázquez. It's always fascinated me. From a perspective standpoint, it confuses me. Am I the painter? That's Velasquez over there on the left. Am I one of the observers in the studio,...like the people pictured in the mirror on the back wall? Am I the subject of the painting, the back of which we see Diego working on? Every time I look at Las Meninas I see something different.
David~ Donatello~1440s (!!!!!)Forget about it. If you're thinking about working in bronze, there was this guy who, ...about 5 1/2 centuries ago, conveyed the human form in a Biblical AND sensual way. Let's all just give up now. Donatello was the real shit.
Nude Descending a Staircase~ Marcel Duchamp~ 1912Love it. Poetry in motion. Futurist elements, a little Picasso influence, also a glimpse at the new photographic advances. Great stuff. The kind of painting I wish I could paint.
Under The Birches~ Theodore Rousseau~ 1843
Takes my breath away. The sort of painting I want to climb into.
Autumn Landscape~ Vincent van Gogh~ 1885Masterpiece. Brooding.....foreboding......brilliant.
Young Woman with a Water Pitcher~ Johannes Vermeer~ 1665
A command of light that I find astounding. Also, the ability to convey texture, such as in the girl's dress and headdress...veil....whatever....that white thing. Awesome.
One of the nice things about this blogging business is that I can make additions. By the time I'm through with this thing, I expect to have about a dozen more of my favorites.....
Excellent....Vermeer is dynamite with light.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is....oh hell, I'm going to go add it to the post. Thanks Cat.
I spent 7 years on a post-secondary education. A year at the vo-tech, getting my LPN, and then 6 more at university...getting my BA, BSN and MSN...most of my credits are in natural and social sciences. I only took 6 credits of "expressive arts"...3 in ballet, and 3 in creative writing.
ReplyDeleteIf I could it do it over again, I wouldn't worry about getting a BA in Soc. I would take enough sociology to fulfill requirements for my BSN (11?), and spend those other credits in art. (and maybe optics...I'm fascinated with light and reflection.)
Light. I'd rather be dead than blind.
Schmutzie - what in the world was I doing that I didn't see this until today!!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous stuff - some of my favorites too -- especially the Donatello and the Picasso. Nice that you have them one under the other, I felt it brought out a new dimension in each!!
The Donatello is even more breathtaking in person - and you can get right up to it, and it can just about breathe on you. An amazing work.
There is nothing for the soul like art.
All of it - 2d, 3d, music, writing.
Gorgeous thread!! Just gorgeous!
Glad you like it. I'm going to have to figure out a way to side-bar the thing so I can keep adding to it.
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