Sir Joshua Reynolds' "Portrait of British General John Burgoyne"

Seven works of art I would like to see at the Frick

I recently visited New York and seeing the Frick was part of my plans, but due to time constraints I couldn't do it.  Anyway, in an effort to turn lemons into lemonade, I'm going to post seven works of art from the Frick that I wish I could have seen.  

Nationality: English

Born-Died: 1723-1792

Creation Date: c. 1766

Media: Oil on canvas 

Location: The Frick Collection, New York City, New York, USA

It may be obvious to people who follow this blog but this is my favorite kind of painting--"grand manner" portraiture.  


This is an image of a hero--an image of a man that embodies virtue.  In terms of art, it makes no difference if that actual sitter for this painting was virtuous or not.  The value of art is that the scene is it's own world reflecting what is important in our world, not that it is a journalistic recreation of the particulars of this world.  


The overall statement of this painting is positive, but the world he lives in is not world made out of Nerf and candy.  He has carved out a place for himself in it and it doesn't look like it was a cake walk.  It reminds me of Howard Roark.  Roark suffered tremendously in his world, but in the end his triumph was so great that it far overshadowed the trials he passed through.

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 7

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1869-1934

Yet another excellent cartoon.

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 6

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1869-1934

Another good one.

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 5

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1869-1934


I think this is about whether to engage in World War I or not.  Uncle Sam here is right--he has plenty of his own work to do.

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 4

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1869-1934

The only thing I don't like about this is the word "conceit" on the figure's shirt on the far right.  I think that comes from an ignorant understanding of self-esteem.  Otherwise though, I love this image.

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 3

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1869-1934

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 2

Nationality: American

Born-Died: 1869-1934

A Week of Winsor McCay's Editorial Cartoons for Objectivists, Day 1

Nationality: American
Born-Died: 1869-1934


I found these in two books called "Winsor McCay: Early Works III" and "IX" and they are really great.  I think other Objectivists will enjoy them.  Looking through his work I am very impressed by how  he supported the free market, industry, science, freedom and how anti-religion and superstition he was.  His work is not above criticism however.  He very often cast wealth, money and greed in a negative light while glorifying immoralities such as public education.  In any case, his drawings are fantastic and many of the ideas are too.  I hope you enjoy them as I do!


This first one is AMAZING.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres' "Oedipus and the Sphinx"

Nationality: French

Born-Died: 1780-1867
Creation Date: 1805

Media: Oil on canvas

Gerrit van Honthorst's "Samson and Delilah"

Nationality: Dutch

Born-Died: 1590-1656

Creation Date: c. 1621
Size: 50.75 x 37 inch (129 x 94 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas

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

This scene appears to be quite tender despite the maliciousness of the act.

Justin Wisniewski's "Valerie Defended Valerie with her Violin Bow"

Nationality: All American
Born: 1978
Creation Date: 2011
Media: Graphite on paper
Location: Collection of the artist

Johannes Vermeer's "The Geographer"

Nationality: Dutch
Born-Died: 1632-1675
Creation Date: c. 1668
Size: 20 × 17.9 inch (52 × 45.5 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt, Germany


Another wonderful "Romantic" painting by Vermeer.  It has been suggested that the model might have been Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek (see below), the father of microbiology.  Vermeer and Leeuwenhoek certainly knew one another.  Not only is there a historical account of Vermeer having the chance to look through one of Leeuwenhoek's microscopes to see microbes within a drop of water, but Leeuwenhoek was hired to manage Vermeer's estates after he died.  

Do you see any similarities between these two paintings?

Johannes Vermeer's "The Astronomer"

Nationality: Dutch
Born-Died: 1632-1675
Creation Date: c. 1668
Size: 20 × 18 inch (51 × 45 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

This is one of my favorite Vermeer paintings.  The character here reminds me of Howard Roark or Equality 7-2521.

Like "The Art of Painting" this painting was at one time owned by the Nazis.  I recently read that they stamped a swastika on the back and I am dying to know if it is still there.  I'm sure it would have been small, but that is still strange.

Justin Wisniewski's "Ayn Rand"

Nationality: All American
Born-Died: 1978-

Creation Date: 2011

Size: 7.5 x 10.5 inch (19.05 x 26.67 cm)

Media: Charcoal and gouache on watercolor paper

Location: Collection of the artist, USA

This drawing is currently for sale on eBay starting at only $49.99 or you can buy it now for only $99.99! 

Peter Paul Rubens' "Perseus and Andromeda"

Nationality: Flemish
Born/Died: 1577-1640

Creation Date: 1639-1640
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The Prado, Madrid, Spain

Caspar David Friedrich's "Wanderer Above the Sea and Fog"

Nationality: GermanBorn/Died: 1774-1840

Creation Date: 1818
Size: 37.3 × 29.4 in. (98.4 × 74.8 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Xavier-Alphonse Monchablon's "Victor Hugo"

Nationality: French
Born/Died: 1835-1907

Creation Date: 1883
Size: 54 x 25.25 x 37 in. (14.2 × 10.2 cm)
Media: Photogravure of an Engraving (?)

So awesome. You can buy prints of this image on eBay for very little money.

Ayn Rand vs. Thomas Kinkade, "The Fountainhead" vs. "Cobblestone Bridge"

This is the first in new a series of posts where I will compare two works of art. I do not plan on doing posts like this every day, but I do have many comparisons planned.
 
Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead"
Nationality: American

Born/Died: 1905-1982

Creation Date: 1943
Media: Fiction Novel 
 Novel


Thomas Kinkade's "Cobblestone Bridge"
Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1958

Creation Date: 2000
Media: Painting



Thomas Kinkade and Ayn Rand are artists with some similarities and some important differences. Although there are many things to compare between these two artists, in this comparison I will focus only on the metaphysical assessments of reality reflected in each and I will point out how they are different.

Cor Blok's Illustrations for "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit"

Nationality: Dutch
Cor Blok is an artist that many other Objectivists might not like, which is understandable. I think his work is very charming and despite the lack of rendering in his work I can see that consideration was put into the shape and color relationships. Although I enjoy many of his paintings I don't think he is a great artist. Unfortunately, I have never been able to find out much about him and a Wikipedia article for him is definitely overdue.

Another reason that I really like his work is that although his paintings look vaguely like Eastern European folk art, many of them are actually illustrations for J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit--which are books that I love. Most fantasy illustrators do not employ such a loud style so his work is a little bit refreshing to me in that regard. Because of his strange style it is not always immediately apparent which scenes from the stories are being depicted. I think it's fun to look at them carefully and to try to guess what scenes from the story are being illustrated. Can you guess which scenes are which?

William Henry Rinehart's "Hero"

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1825–1874
Creation Date: 1871
Size: h:34 in. (h: 86.4 cm)
Media: Marble
Location: The Peabody Art Collection, Peabody Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Although I like this sculpture, it pales in comparison to the heroism of the characters of Ayn Rand and Victor Hugo!