Jean-Léon Gérôme's "Woman with a Veil"

Nationality: French

Born-Died: 1824-1904

Creation Date: c. 1891

Size: 23.8 x 12.8 in (60.5 x 32.7 cm)

Media: Bronze 

Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Antione Watteau's "Fêtes Vénitiennes"

Nationality: French
Born-Died: 1684-1721
Creation Date: 1718-1719
Size: 93.9 x 47.7 in (55.9 x 45.7 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas 
Location: The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK


This wonderful painting is another example of a work that was given a title after the death of the artist.  Apparently the lutist is a depiction of Watteau himself.  It appears as if the primary figures in this painting are about to engage in a very serious dance.  As is typical of Watteau, it also appears as if some sexual advances are being made by other characters.

Henry Raeburn's "William Fraser Reelig"

Nationality: Scottish

Born-Died: 1756-1823
Creation Date: 1801

Size: 29 x 24.5 in (74.9 x 62.2 cm)

Media: Oil on canvas

Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

Emile A. Gruppe's "Winter Landscape"

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1896-1978
Creation Date: 1947

Media: Oil on canvas

Location: Castellani Art Museum, Niagara University, New York, USA

Albert Bierstadt's "Red Mountain Peaks"

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1830-1902

Media: Oil on canvas

Location: Castellani Art Museum, Niagara University, New York, USA

Thomas Hill's "Vernal Falls"

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1829-1908
Creation Date: 1890

Media: Oil on canvas

Location: Castellani Art Museum, Niagara University, New York, USA

White Artists Painting 25 Beautiful Skin Tones

This post is a response to recent controversies involving the racist professor, Derrick Bell, and numerous discussions I have had with artist-friends of mine regarding the topic of race.  There is a horrible and utterly ignorant view in the minds of many that all white people are automatically racist.  Some even hold that all members of all races are automatically racist--that we are all tainted with the "original sin" of racism from birth.  These are views that only racists can hold and there is no excusing such views under any circumstances.  Lack of education does not make such views "okay" and neither do PhD's.  These days, anti-white views are unfortunately all-too-common in the arts industry.  Such views reveal an ominously "concrete-bound" mentality in a group that prides itself on independent, rational thinking.  I would like to draw attention to this disconnect.

Racism is a concept, and as such it's meaning is communicable and it's application can be appropriate in many contexts independent of historical, cultural and economic factors.  The concept "racist" is appropriately applied to anyone of any race independent of any other factors about his own race.

To contrast the false views above I am posting 25 details of paintings all made by white artists that show an incredible appreciation for--and even love for--skin tone variety.  Many of these paintings are well over 100 years old. The oldest is about 400 years old.

It is more than okay to appreciate these skin tones.  It is more than okay to think, "I love the look of this very dark skin" or "I love the look of this very pale skin" and everything in between.  It is no more necessary to criticize pale skin as "pasty" or "blindingly white" than it is to criticize some other skin-tone for being it's shade. 

I can only hope that this post will help combat those hurtful, irrational and indefensible ideas.

I hope you enjoy these beautiful skin-tones as much as I do!

All the best,
- Justin 

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' "Edmond Cavé"

Nationality: French

Born-Died: 1780 - 1867

Creation Date: 1844

Size: 16 x 12.875 inch (40.6 x 32.7 cm)

Media: Oil on canvas

Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

This unfinished painting has always been fascinating to me because it reveals Ingres' methods.  All photos by me.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' "Jacques-Louis Leblanc"

Nationality: French
Born-Died: 1780 - 1867
Creation Date: 1823
Size: 47.625 x 36.625 inch (121 x 95.6 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' "Madame Jacques-Louis Leblanc (née Françoise Poncelle, 1788–1839)"

Nationality: French
Born-Died: 1780 - 1867
Creation Date: 1823
Size: 47 x 36.5 inch (119.4 x 92.7 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

St. Giles Cathedral, Day 6: A Variety of Carvings and Architectural Details

Nationality: Scottish
Media: Marble
Location: St. Giles Church, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

St. Giles Cathedral, Day 3: Tomb of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose

Nationality: Scottish
Media: Marble
Location: St. Giles Church, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Jean-François Millet's "Autumn Landscape with a Flock of Turkeys"

Nationality: French
Born-Died: 1814-1875

Creation Date: c. 1872-1873

Size: 31.875 x 39 in. (81 x 99.1 cm)

Media: Oil on canvas

Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

Detail photos by me.

Bust by Roman Sculptor

Nationality: Roman

Media: Marble
Location: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

One Year of Art! Jacques-Louis David's "Napoleon Crossing the Alps"

Nationality: French
Born/Died: 1748-1825

Creation Date: 1801
Size: 102.3 × 87 in. (261× 221 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: Château de Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison, France

All of the detail and in-context photos are by me.

Although Napoleon was a terrible and deeply flawed person (he reminds me of Gail Wynand actually), independent of the specifics of history, I have always loved this painting which is why I am posting it for the one-year anniversary of this blog. In fact, it is one of my favorites--a powerful view of man as a capable and heroic being. When Napoleon commissioned it, he said he wanted to be portrayed as "calm on a fiery steed," which is an idea that I love.

Daniel Chester French's "Memory"

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1850-1931

Creation Date: carved 1917-1919, revised 1909
Size: 57.5 x 25 x 42.5 in. (146.1 x 63.5 x 108 cm)
Media: Marble
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

Randolph Rogers' "Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii"

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1825-1892

Creation Date: 1859
Size: 54 x 25.25 x 37 in. (137.2 x 64.1 x 94 cm)
Media: Marble
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

Photos by me.

Attilio Piccirilli's "Fragilina"

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1866-1945
Creation Date: 1923
Size: 48.5 x 15.5 x 25 in. (123.2 x 39.4 x 63.5 cm)
Media: Marble
Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA

Photos by me.

Unknown Sculpture by Unknown Scottish Artist

Nationality: Scottish
Size: 88 in. (224 cm)
Media: Sandstone
Location: Edinburgh, UK

I saw this nice example of architectural decoration while walking around Edinburgh. It's made of the red sandstone that is used all over Edinburgh, and unfortunately that type of stone doesn't seem to hold up too well. Any fine detail work this piece may have had is obviously long gone. The torso is nicely sculpted but the hands are awkward, so maybe it did not have much detail to loose. Although I don't always like this kind of decorative choice, being from a country where representational architectural decorations are rare I though it was interesting to see.

Charles-Marie Bouton's "Gothic Chapel"

Nationality: French
Born/Died: 1781-1853

Creation Date: 1650
Size: 18.375 x 15.25 in. (46.7 x 38.7 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The Metropolitan Museum, New York City, New York, USA

This is a painting that is rich with meaning. All photos by me.