contemplative
Allen Jones is a British pop artist and a senior member of the Royal Academy of Arts. He is known for his paintings, sculptures and lithographs on the theme of human sexuality. He was awarded the Prix des Jeunes Artistes at the 1963 Paris Biennale.
Allen Jones' most famous work is "Hat Stand, Table and Chair," created from "fetish" fiberglass mannequins.
Fritz Kreidt was a German painter. He was a member of the Künstlersonderbund, an association of German artists committed to realism.
Coming from university, Kreidt's early works were rather abstract, but he soon turned to a more figurative style of representation. He finally found his main subject in melancholic-looking landscape depictions - often industrial wastelands or building sites - which, although often deserted, bear witness to human labour and its transience. Since the year of German reunification in 1990, Kreidt has been concerned with industrial and urban landscapes of the former GDR.
In 2005, Kreidt went on a study trip to China, which inspired him to create the series "Chinese Landscapes". In these works, deviating from his usual technique of oil painting, he often used conté and coloured pencils, with which he rendered architectural and landscape elements in fine strokes in a manner more oriented towards graphic art.
Johann Jakob Frey was a Swiss landscape painter.
Johann Jakob Frey travelled extensively in Italy, especially in and around Rome, making landscape sketches. In his studio he used these sketches to create paintings. He also traveled to Spain and Egypt to sketch for later works.
Frey's pictorial style is based on paintings by Josef Koch or Franz Horny. For example, they often feature a richly detailed foreground, which often shows elements such as winding paths or rivers drawing the viewer's attention away.
Francesco Petrarca was an Italian poet, the founder of European humanism, and one of the greatest figures of the Italian Proto-Renaissance.
Petrarca studied at the University of Montpellier, then at the University of Bologna, in 1330 entered the service of Cardinal Giovanni Colonna as a chaplain. Then he made various pilgrimages, in 1353 settled in Milan at the court of Archbishop Giovanni Visconti, and carried out important diplomatic missions. Petrarca spent the last years of his life in the village of Arquà near Padua.
Since 1337 Petrarca began to write literary works: these were historical poems in Latin and lyric poems in Italian. In 1327 Francesco saw Laura for the first time, undivided love for which was the main source of his poetry. Laura was for him an object of adoration and pure platonic love. Despite the fact that they saw each other only a few times and were not really acquainted, Petrarca carried this feeling through his life.
Passionate about ancient culture, Petrarch deciphered and commented on the manuscripts of Cicero, Quintilian and others. He opposed medieval scholasticism interest in the earthly purpose of man, argued that the nobility of man depends not on the nobility of origin, but on his virtue. Petrarca highly valued the mind and creative abilities of man, and these humanistic ideas found vivid expression in his lyrics, revealing the inner world of man. Petrarca's work laid the foundation for the formation of Italian humanism. He also dreamed of the unification of Italy, the revival of the former greatness of Rome.
Francesco Petrarca had one of the richest libraries of his time, where ancient Roman writers, poets, historians, philosophers were represented. He was one of the brightest representatives of the culture of the Renaissance. Petrarca's works are characterized by perfection of form and musicality of verse, which played a significant role in the development of European poetry. Among his works are the poem "Africa" about the Second Punic War in Latin, allegorical pastoral eclogues "Bucolics" (1346/1357), a book of songs "My Italy", "Noble Spirit", sonnets, etc.
Johann Jakob Frey was a Swiss landscape painter.
Johann Jakob Frey travelled extensively in Italy, especially in and around Rome, making landscape sketches. In his studio he used these sketches to create paintings. He also traveled to Spain and Egypt to sketch for later works.
Frey's pictorial style is based on paintings by Josef Koch or Franz Horny. For example, they often feature a richly detailed foreground, which often shows elements such as winding paths or rivers drawing the viewer's attention away.
Johann Jakob Frey was a Swiss landscape painter.
Johann Jakob Frey travelled extensively in Italy, especially in and around Rome, making landscape sketches. In his studio he used these sketches to create paintings. He also traveled to Spain and Egypt to sketch for later works.
Frey's pictorial style is based on paintings by Josef Koch or Franz Horny. For example, they often feature a richly detailed foreground, which often shows elements such as winding paths or rivers drawing the viewer's attention away.
Jean-Édouard Vuillard was a French artist, celebrated for his role in the avant-garde group Les Nabis. Known for his decorative art and printmaking, Vuillard's work was heavily influenced by Japanese prints, which is evident in his unique style of flattened color planes and simplified forms. His paintings, often of interior scenes, are distinguished by their intimate and domestic subjects, displaying a keen sensitivity to the subtle dynamics of everyday life.
In the late 1880s, Vuillard joined Les Nabis, a group of artists who sought to break away from traditional artistic concepts. This association played a pivotal role in shaping his artistic philosophy. Vuillard’s early works, like "The Seamstresses" (1890) and "Child in an Orange Shawl" (1894–95), demonstrate his evolving style, marked by the use of vibrant colors and a distinct lack of perspective, aimed at exploring spatial relationships.
Vuillard's artistic journey included ventures into theater decoration and interior design. He designed stage sets and theater programs, notably for Lugné-Poe's Theatre de l’Oeuvre, and also worked on large-scale panel paintings for French patrons. His close collaboration with the Natanson brothers, founders of the cultural review La Revue Blanche, was significant in his career. This association brought him various commissions, including decorative works for private homes and public buildings.
Vuillard's art evolved over time, transitioning from his Nabis-style works to more naturalistic portraits in the 1920s and 1930s. Despite this shift, his focus remained on portraying the intricacies of domestic life, often featuring the people closest to him. Notable among his subjects were Misia Natanson, a prominent figure in the Parisian cultural scene, and Lucy Hessel, with whom Vuillard had a long-term relationship.
For art collectors and experts, Vuillard's works are a window into the intimate spaces of Parisian life at the turn of the century. His ability to transform everyday scenes into art makes his work particularly appealing. Pieces like "The Green Interior" (1891) and "Breakfast at Villerville" (1910) are exemplary of his style and are celebrated for their quiet yet profound depiction of ordinary life.
Vuillard's legacy lives on in galleries and museums worldwide. His work remains a testament to the power of domestic scenes in art, capturing the essence of the period with a unique blend of realism and abstraction.
For those interested in the subtle beauty of Vuillard's work, subscribing to our updates will ensure you stay informed about new sales and auction events featuring his art. Our updates are tailored for connoisseurs like you, providing insights into the world of art and antiques, with a focus on Vuillard's enduring legacy.
Carl Ludwig Christoph Douzette, known as Louis Douzette, was a German landscape painter.
Carl Ludwig Christoph Douzette, known as Louis Douzette, was a German landscape painter.
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist. His drawings and paintings mainly depict Pendlebury, Lancashire (where he lived and worked for more than 40 years) as well as Salford and its vicinity.
Lowry is famous for painting scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England in the mid-20th century. He developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men". He painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death.
