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Henry Thomas Alcken was an English painter and engraver chiefly known as a caricaturist and illustrator of sporting subjects and coaching scenes. His most prolific period of painting and drawing occurred between 1816 and 1831.
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright, novelist and literary critic, socialist propagandist and journalist, winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature.
George Bernard was born into a poor noble family and, growing up, suffered greatly from that poverty. After a decade of failure on the literary field, Bernard became an active member of the Fabian Society, a middle-class socialist group founded in 1884, which sought the gradual transformation of English society.
He began working as a journalist and writing plays, which soon enough became popular. In The Man and the Superman, Shaw laid out his philosophy that humanity is the last stage of a purposeful and eternal evolutionary movement of "life force" toward ever higher forms of life. By far his most popular play is Pygmalion, a humane comedy about love and the English class system. But George Bernard Shaw was not only the best comic playwright of his time. Some of his stage works - Caesar and Cleopatra, The Man and Superman, Major Barbara, House of Broken Hearts, and St. Joan - are highly serious and refined in their prose.
Shaw was also a bold pamphleteer, a popular and widely read music and theater critic of his generation, a lecturer and essayist on politics, economics and sociology. In the course of his long and prolific life Bernard Shaw shaped the political, economic and social worldviews of several generations.
Taryn Simon is an American photographer. She is known for her conceptual photography, which explores themes of power, control, and the hidden structures that shape our world.
Simon's work often involves extensive research and collaboration with experts in various fields. Her photographs are often large-scale and meticulously composed, featuring subjects ranging from political figures and cultural icons to everyday objects and places.
Some of Simon's most famous projects include "An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar," which documented hidden sites and organizations throughout the United States, and "Contraband," a series of photographs of items seized by customs officials at JFK International Airport.
Simon's work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world, and she has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the field of photography. She continues to produce new work and is widely regarded as one of the most important photographers of her generation.
Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for contributing to the understanding of evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor is now generally accepted and considered a fundamental concept in science. In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history, and he was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey.
Thomas Jefferson was an American politician and statesman, the third President of the United States (March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1809).
Jefferson was the son of a planter and received a law degree. In 1774, he wrote A Summary of the Rights of British America, which attracted public attention, and he soon gained a reputation as one of the first advocates of American independence from the authority of the British Parliament. In the spring of 1775, the Virginia legislature appointed him a delegate to the Second Conference of the Continental Congress. A year later he was appointed to a committee of five, which also included Adams and Benjamin Franklin, to draft a formal statement of reasons to justify a break with Great Britain. Jefferson thus became one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson succeeded Benjamin Franklin as minister to France in 1785, was secretary of state (1790-1793) under Washington, and vice president (1797-1801) under John Adams.
A Democratic-Republican, Jefferson, who believed that the national government should play a limited role in the lives of citizens, was elected president in 1800. One of the most significant accomplishments of Jefferson's first administration was the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million dollars in 1803 (from the Gulf of Mexico to present-day Canada), effectively doubling the size of the United States. During his second term, Jefferson was focused on trying to keep America out of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. After his second term as president, he was succeeded by James Madison in 1808.
Upon leaving office, Jefferson retired to his plantation in Virginia, pursued his favorite pastimes, and helped found the University of Virginia. In addition to politics, he is known as a writer, farmer, horticulturist, inventor, book collector, art historian, architect, and scientist. He died at the age of 83 on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Paul Gauguin, a French artist born in Paris in 1848, is renowned for his significant contributions to Post-Impressionism, Primitivism, and Synthetism. Gauguin's art is distinguished by his experimental use of color and style, which set him apart from the traditional Impressionist movement.
Gauguin's early life was marked by a period in Peru, which influenced his artistic perspective. Initially, he pursued a career in stockbroking but soon turned to art, driven by financial necessity and a growing passion. His artistic journey began under the mentorship of Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro and through exposure to the works of other avant-garde artists.
The hallmark of Gauguin's work is his exploration of non-Western cultures, particularly during his time in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. This period saw the creation of some of his most famous works, including "Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?" His paintings from this era, characterized by vivid colors and Symbolist themes, reflect a fusion of cultural influences and his quest for a "primitive" expression of spiritual and emotional states.
Despite his innovative style, Gauguin struggled with financial difficulties and health issues throughout his life. His work received little recognition during his lifetime, but posthumously, he gained acclaim for influencing modern artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.
Today, Gauguin's works are celebrated in galleries and museums worldwide for their unique blend of cultural influences and artistic innovation. His enduring legacy is a testament to his unique vision and the profound impact he had on the art world.
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Evelyn Waugh, full name Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh, was a British satirical writer, travel writer and historian.
Evelyn Waugh studied at Lancing College in Sussex and at Hertford College in Oxford. He then began traveling and writing, soon earning a reputation as a witty satirist. He visited Ethiopia and the Belgian Congo, and traveled to South America. His works are almost always based on personal experience; notable among the early ones are Decline and Fall (1928), Nasty Bodies (1930), Black Mischief (1932), and others.
During World War II, Evelyn Waugh served in the Royal Marines and the Royal Horse Guards. Written at this time, the novel "Return to Brideshead" (1945) is about an aristocratic English Roman Catholic family. In the trilogy "Men in Arms" (1952), "Officers and Gentlemen" (1955) and "Unconditional Surrender" (1961), the author conducted a serious analysis of the events of World War II, as an eternal struggle between good and evil, civilization and barbarism. Later on these works were filmed television series.
Evelyn Waugh also left a significant trace in journalism and literary criticism, he is considered one of the finest stylists in English prose of the XX century.
Albert Marquet was a French painter, renowned for his affiliation with the Fauvist movement, a group characterized by their use of wild, vivid colors to depict emotional expression. Unlike his contemporaries who embraced bright and violent colors, Marquet distinguished himself with a more subdued palette, employing less intense tones by mixing complementary colors to achieve a naturalistic style, primarily in landscapes. His work is celebrated for its simplicity in form and color, often focusing on serene water scenes, bustling city views, and the animated life of waterfront cities, particularly in North Africa and across various European locales like Naples and Venice.
Marquet's technique involved painting water as a broad area of simple tone, which cleverly held the plane of the water's surface without resorting to illusionistic perspective, allowing ships to emerge into a different plane with ease. This method, alongside his unique approach to color and composition, drew parallels with Japanese Shijo style work, emphasizing simplicity, movement, and the effective use of color to capture scenes' essence.
Throughout his career, Marquet frequently returned to favored subjects, capturing subtle variations in light and atmosphere. His landscapes, cityscapes, and maritime scenes are noted for their tranquility and the artist's keen observation of light and color. His works are housed in prestigious museums worldwide, including the Musée National d'Art Moderne, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Pushkin Museum, showcasing his versatile talent in capturing the natural and urban environment.
Marquet's legacy is significant, admired for his astute sense of color and the ability to convey atmospheric mood with minimal elements. His influence extends beyond the canvas, impacting subsequent generations of artists and collectors who appreciate the subtlety and depth of his work. For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Albert Marquet represents a pivotal figure in modern art, whose works continue to inspire and captivate audiences with their serene beauty and emotional depth.
To stay informed about new sales and auction events related to Albert Marquet's works, signing up for updates can offer exclusive insights and opportunities to acquire pieces by this influential artist. This subscription is an invaluable resource for those keen to enhance their collection with works by one of the masters of Fauvism and modern landscape painting.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, full name Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe, was an American writer and poet, an activist for the eradication of slavery in the country.
Beecher Stowe is the author of the world-famous novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Published first in a newspaper and first published as a book in 1852, it aroused widespread anger in the country and galvanized the fight against slavery in the southern United States. This novel was later reprinted many times in all languages of the world and has been screened more than once.
In her youth, Beecher Stowe received an academic education, wrote poetry, notes and essays on social topics. In addition to "The Shack", she wrote several other novels and was engaged in teaching.
Karl Bodmer was a Swiss-French printmaker, etcher, lithographer, zinc engraver, draughtsman, painter, illustrator and hunter.
