The artworks of European artists impress the imagination of many generations of art connoisseurs. The cultural heritage of Europe has many beautiful examples of painting, but the most prominent among them are several special paintings, about which we would like to tell in more detail.
Monet began working on the painting as part of a series of sea paintings in Le Havre, where the artist wanted to depict the port at dawn, during the day, during sunset and at night. In general, a series of paintings of the same object at different times of the day, in different weather and in different seasons were characteristic of the outstanding impressionist.
In this painting, Monet develops the themes that will always be of interest to him: color, the interaction of colors and the influence of sunlight on the perception of nature and the transfer of this perception with colors. It shows the connection of the bright sun and the blue water of the harbor, the bright reflections of the sun’s rays on the morning sea surface. This picture became a symbol of impressionism and forever entered the history of world painting.
This painting by Raphael was commissioned by Pope Julius II and has passed through both oblivion and world fame. A well-thought-out geometric composition is clearly visible on the canvas, emphasized by the placement of characters and even the presence of curtains framing the sky. It is interesting that the two little angels at the bottom of this picture have become popular characters in mass culture. Few people pay attention to the fact that they are leaning on the lid of the coffin. In this way, the artist tells the whole story of the life of Jesus Christ from birth to death on the cross. Perhaps it is precisely because Maria already knows how her son’s life will end that she is so humble and sad in the picture?
The picture was painted for the church of San Sisto (hence the name of the picture) in Piacenza. The painting is currently exhibited in the Gallery of Old Masters in Dresden. The picture got here from the collection of Augustus III Friedrich, who bought it for an amount equivalent to approximately 70 kg of gold.
Pope Sixtus II (died 258) was canonized for his martyrdom for the faith. It is believed that he was a philosopher and studied classical Greek philosophy, read the treatises of prominent Greeks and combined the scientific achievements of antiquity with the new worldviews of the young Christian religion. And he was the Bishop of Rome, who, unlike his successors, did not excommunicate opponents from the church, but entered into open philosophical discussions with them.
The painting depicts the Madonna and Child, next to Saint Barbara and Sixtus II. It gives the impression that Madonna is descending from heaven. Behind her are faintly visible faces, symbolizing souls saved by Christ’s sacrifice.
On the canvas we see the Holy Family: Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. The picture is painted using the «cangiante» technique, thanks to which the skin of the characters resembles marble, and the whole composition evokes associations with a sculptural group. This is the only fully finished easel creation of the great artist Michelangelo that has survived to this day.
He also had the painting «Leda and the Swan», which disappeared at the French royal court.
The painting «Doni Madonna» owes its name to the Doni family, which commissioned the painting from the artist. Michelangelo chose a complex form of painting – tondo (This word derives from the Italian word rotondo, that means round). All characters are sculptural. The master never wavered from his devotion to the art of sculpture. Even when he picked up brushes and paints.
The plot of the painting shows the family of the Spanish King Philip IV and his wife Marianna. Here we see a game with space: the daughter of the couple, Infanta Margarita, is in the center of the composition, and the king and queen themselves are reflected in the mirror on the wall, whose portrait is painted by the court painter.
But not everything is as obvious as it seems at first glance. There is no surviving record of Velázquez painting a pair portrait of the king and queen. So, such a portrait did not exist. But he always painted with special attention to little Margarita. Despite her dynastic features of the Habsburg appearance, Velasquez is able to portray the girl as a cute child.
The painting depicts the artist himself with a giant-sized canvas. He looks towards the viewer, as if painting those who came to see his work.
This picture inspired more than one generation of painters. And Pablo Picasso even created a series of cubist paintings based on the «Las Meninas» by Velázquez.
This is probably one of the most famous paintings in the world, which became decisive in the development of the portrait genre of the Italian Renaissance. Its full title is «Portrait of Mrs. Lisa del Giocondo». The main advantage of the picture is the famous «Gioconda smile», which caused a lot of controversy. The Louvre, as a museum that houses the most famous painting in the world, has done a lot to ensure that the painting remains mysterious and arouses lively interest in itself.
This painting is interesting for a special painting technique invented by Leonardo, called «sfumato», which is characterized by the softening of image contours and a smooth transition from one color to another.
World fame Mona Lisa overtook on August 21, 1911, when it was stolen from the museum. Then the Louvre threw all its forces into the search and maximum publicity of this theft of the century. Two years later, the painting returned to the museum. The Louvre gave Gioconda a world tour, after which it solemnly announced that the painting would never leave the museum’s halls again.
There are two versions of the picture: «The clothed Maja» and «The nude Maja». Maja is a Spanish town girl of the 18th-19th centuries, which was a favorite object of the artist’s work. It is interesting that the Spanish Inquisition accused Goya of immorality because of «The nude Maja», but he was able to escape punishment. Today, both paintings are exhibited in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
The peculiarity of «The naked Maja» is that it is an image of a naked woman without reference to a mythological plot. In general, Spanish painting is not rich in nude female nature. The Inquisition did not approve of such painting. By the way, the great Velázquez had only one nude painting – «The Rokeby Venus» (also known as «Venus at her Mirror», «The Toilet of Venus», Venus and Cupid»), which was painted during he was staying in Venice.
Both paintings are believed to have been commissioned by Spanish Prime Minister Manuel Godoy for his private collection. Most researchers believe that the painting depicts Godoy’s paramour, Josefa de Tudo y Catalan, also known as Pepita Tudo.
Dali’s most famous work, which, according to his beloved Gala, once seen, is impossible to forget. The main idea of the painting is a departure from a linear understanding of time, because the clocks are depicted softened and as if flowing.
One clock hangs on the branch of a dry olive tree, the second flows down the podium, the third seems to absorb the same melting and deformed human head (probably the head of the artist himself). Dali departs from the linear understanding of time in this picture. The painter himself said that he was inspired by the appearance of raw Camembert to make such an interpretation.
The color of the picture deserves special attention. Ocher-brown background, rocks around Portlligat. Dalí worked on this work for some time until he found the final chord, which came to him with a migraine.
«The Persistence of memory» is a kind of icon of surrealism. Despite its small size (24 x 33 cm), it has won millions of fans around the world. The painting is kept in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The painting, created in the style of cubism, depicts tragic events – the bombing of the city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War (1931-1939). This creation of Picasso was received by critics in different ways, but its anti-fascist significance is difficult to overestimate.
The picture was commissioned by the government of the Spanish Republic for the pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris. The picture reveals the theme of the three-hour bombing of the Basque city of Guernica by the planes of the «Condor» legion, which were sent by Hitler at the request of Franco. 1,650 people died in the city, and another 900 were injured. Eyewitnesses said that those who tried to escape were shot with machine guns.
It took Picasso three weeks to create a memory painting. He conveyed the horror of war, the shattered city and people’s lives. Today, the painting is kept in the Queen Sofia Museum in Madrid, which the Basques don’t like very much. For a long time, they have been demanding the painting be transported to Bilbao.
The painting, created in rich blue tones, depicts an incredible night sky over a sleepy town. The artist drew from memory, not from nature, and put into this work his vision of the fantastic energy of the stars and the Moon. This is one of the brightest paintings of the master, thanks to which he developed his signature brushstroke.
The painting was painted during a stay in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He was staying in a mental hospital after an argument with Gauguin and the loss of part of an ear. There is a version according to which Vincent cut off his ear so as not to hear what Gauguin told him. At the same time, Van Gogh worked prolifically and created almost his best paintings. He wrote a lot to his brother Theo about his observations of the starry sky with an incredibly large star. Astronomers are convinced that Vincent saw Venus, which was in sight over Saint-Rémy-de-Provence during the artist’s treatment. After writing «The Starry Night», Van Gogh’s condition deteriorated greatly. Perhaps the picture was written under the influence of the approaching peak of mental disorder, when his vision of the world changed significantly. However, this in no way diminishes the importance of the painting.
The painting is currently kept in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The picture depicts the ideal of female beauty of that time – a naked woman lying on a luxurious bed. In her hands she holds roses – a symbol of Venus, which means fertility. It is believed that this picture is a kind of allegory of marriage.
Titian took the idea from Giorgione’s painting «Sleeping Venus». By the way, Giorgione could have made great competition for Titian if he had not died young during the plague epidemic.
Titian painted a picture commissioned by the Duke of Urbino from the della Rovere family. Here, Titian revealed the versatility of his talent in depicting the female body, conveying the texture of fabrics, building a composition, and using sfumato.
This picture will be a symbol of ideal female beauty for many centuries. Already in the 19th century Edouard Manet will write his «Olympia» under her influence. However, Manet’s painting will be subjected to merciless criticism.
You can learn more interesting information about the paintings of European artists at lectures on European art in our art studio. And you can try to recreate world masterpieces with your own hands at our master classes or at a creative corporate party. Also We offer gift certificates for lecture courses and master classes. So Now you know about one more place where to go in Kyiv. Come and see for yourself that art is eternal!
У меня синдром Стендаля сегодня. Утром ходили в Падуанский баптистерий. Смотрели фрески Менабуя. А после обеда у нас было посещение каппелы Скровеньи. Теперь я понимаю , что сделал Джотто для мира. Очень меня все это впечатлило в живую. Привет передала.
Мир прекрасен. Падуя очень понравилась:) спасибо за лекции Света!
Lily Golovchak
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