cross spirit
Robert Boyvin was a French illuminator who worked in Rouen between 1480 and 1536.
Robert came from the Boyvin family of booksellers, known since the early 15th century. He was part of a group of illuminators along with Jean Pichord, Jean Serpen, Etienne du Monstier and Nicolas Hisse.
Boyvin produced more than 80 surviving manuscripts, most of which were books of hours, and his style had a great influence on the Rouen workshops. From 1530, Boyvin also made some jewelry for Cardinal Georges d'Amboise.
Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet, a pioneering French painter and sculptor, revolutionized the post-war art scene with his radical Matterism movement. He defied the conventional aesthetics of his time, championing "low art" and propelling a more genuine, humanistic image-making approach.
Dubuffet, born in Le Havre, France, in 1901, was a prominent figure at the Ecole de Paris and an advocate for Art Brut, or "raw art", which sought to capture art's purest form. His works were characterized by a rough, unrefined aesthetic, which eschewed academic norms in favor of spontaneity and authenticity.
Art enthusiasts and experts can view Dubuffet's innovative works at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, where his legacy as a groundbreaking artist continues to be celebrated. His Matterism philosophy has left an indelible mark on the art world, inspiring generations of artists to embrace the beauty in the unconventional.
For those interested in the avant-garde and the legacy of Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet, sign up for our exclusive updates. This service is designed for connoisseurs and professionals in the art and antique sector, promising alerts on new insights and events strictly related to Dubuffet's profound influence.
Amico Aspertini was an Italian Renaissance painter, draughtsman, and sculptor, considered one of the leading representatives of the Bolognese school of painting.
He was trained in the family workshop and was influenced by the artists of the Ferrara school, Ercole de'Roberti, Lorenzo Costa, and Francesco Francia. He worked as a painter and sculptor, and was also an excellent draughtsman, as evidenced by his many surviving drawings and sketches. Contemporaries marveled at his complex and impulsive character and noted that he worked with both hands simultaneously.
Aspertini painted splendid portraits as well as numerous frescoes and altarpiece paintings in chapels and churches in Italy. Many of his works are eccentric and eclectic, even whimsically fantastical, his complex style anticipating Mannerism.
Akseli Gallen-Kallela, born Axel Waldemar Gallén, is a Finnish artist of Swedish descent.
He studied at the Académie Julian in Paris, traveled to Africa, and later designed flags, coats of arms and uniforms for the army of independent Finland.
Akseli Gallen-Kallela is a representative of Finnish National Romanticism and Northern Art Nouveau painting from 1880-1910. In his work he used symbolism and artistic techniques of Art Nouveau style. The unvarnished depiction of disease, suffering and social hardship was part of the naturalistic conception of art that Gallen-Kallela followed from the beginning of his career. He frequently painted the harshness of life, often with elements of Christian symbolism.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was a British scholar-archaeologist, military intelligence and strategist, writer and poet.
Thomas studied at the High School and Jesus College, Oxford, studying medieval military architecture in particular, researching Crusader castles in France and in Syria and Palestine. Then in the early 1900s he took part in an excavation, though more likely a cartographic reconnaissance from Gaza to Aqaba for strategic military purposes. The study was published in 1915 under the title The Wilderness of Zin (The Wilderness of Zin).
At the outbreak of World War I, Lawrence became a member of the cartographic staff of the War Office in London, tasked with producing a militarily useful map of Sinai. From 1914, with the rank of lieutenant, he was already active in various operations in Cairo and other Arab countries. It is believed that Lawrence made a significant contribution to the victory of the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, and locals gave him the nickname Lawrence of Arabia.
Lawrence had time to work on his war memoirs as well, publishing a book about his activities, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, in 1926. Also of interest are his poignant service chronicle "The Mint" and a considerable amount of correspondence. He was commissioned by book designer Bruce Rogers to translate Homer's Odyssey into English. Lawrence also wrote over 100 poems, which were published in the collection Minorities in 1971.
After World War I, Lawrence worked for the British Foreign Office and served in the Royal Air Force. He died in a motorcycle accident in May 1935 at the age of 46.
Master Gijsbrecht van Brederode was a Northern Dutch book illuminator who worked in Utrecht in the 3rd quarter of the 15th century.
The artist got his name from the book of hours, which he illuminated for Gijsbrecht van Brederode, dean of Utrecht Cathedral (died in 1475). It is known that between 1465 and 1470 this master created almost all the miniatures in this manuscript.
Bernard van Orley was a versatile Flemish artist and representative of Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, who was equally active as a designer of tapestries and, at the end of his life, stained glass. Although he never visited Italy, he belongs to the group of Italianizing Flemish painters called the Romanists, who were influenced by Italian Renaissance painting, in his case especially by Raphael.
