Searching the ordinary for the extraordinary
Brushstrokes
Artists Against the Eiffel Tower
“I ought to be jealous of the tower. She is more famous than I am.” Gustave Eiffel Gustave Eiffel’s words have a prophetic ring. The Eiffel Tower continues to be more famous than the man who designed and fought for her existence. Surrounded by a history of controversy, the Tower embraces the whole of Paris […]
MoreHappy Birthday, Pierre-Auguste Renior
“To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them.” Pierre-Auguste Renoir “The work of art must seize upon you, wrap you up in itself, carry you away. It is the means by which […]
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Happy Birthday, Grant Wood
“All the good ideas I ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.” Grant Wood Grant Wood’s American Gothic is arguably the most recognized painting in 20th-century American art. It comes from the environment in which Grant Wood was raised: the rural American Midwest. The story behind the painting goes back […]
MoreHappy Birthday, Max Beckmann
“I believe that the reason why I love painting so much is that it forces one to be objective. There is nothing I hate more than sentimentality.” Max Beckmann (February 12, 1884 – December 27, 1950) Max Beckmann lived in a time of conflict and fundamental change. His artwork is a brilliant reflection of this […]
MoreHappy Birthday, Paula Modersohn-Becker
“I think the time is coming for struggle and uncertainty. It comes into every serious and beautiful life. I knew all along that it had to come.” Paula Modersohn-Becker (February 8, 1876 – November 21, 1907) Paula Modersohn-Becker was a rare combination of artist and writer. A diarist and prodigious letter-writing, she offered us […]
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