Art: All Time Magnificent Paintings…

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”   Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) – Garçon à la pipe

Claude Monet (1840-1926) – Impression, soleil levant,(sunrise)

Georgia O’Keefe (1887-1986) – Ram’s Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills

Paul Gauguin  (1848-1903)  The Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch

Henri Matisse (1869 -1954) Woman Reading

When I started this post, my goal was to share about 30 or so magnificent art pieces that we’ve seen or enjoyed over the years. Art is loved for both its aesthetic and therapeutic appeal.  When we need our creative juices rejuvenated and our gratitude quotient elevated, we can look at exquisite art at a museum, a gallery and even online… My list includes many of the top names and a mix of styles. You’ll have to come back for the rest as I am still gathering them for the post. (Update: Most have been added. More later).  On another note, if you tried to visit my post from yesterday, I updated it and hence the blank page you landed on. Here is the new link: Memories: Of Moments In Bliss…   Thank you! 🙂

“Art is contemplation. It is the pleasure of the mind which searches into nature and which there divines the spirit of which Nature herself is animated.”   Auguste Rodin

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)   Composition VII

Francis Bacon (1909-1992) – Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion

Rene Magritte  (1898-1967) – The Treachery of Images Non-free media use rationale for The Treachery Of Images Below

Max Beckmann  (1884 -1950) – oil on canvas triptych Carnival

Jackson Pollock  (1912-1956) – No. 5, 1948

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) – Starry Night

What I find so remarkable is how well these works; complex, varied, rich in color, and captivating, have lasted. This is an artistic feast for the eyes. Enjoy the virtual gallery/museum visit and do share the names of favorite artists you have enjoyed over the years; even if they are included here or not.

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.” Leonardo da Vinci

Egon Schiele (1890-1918) – Porträt von Wally

El Greco (1541-1614) – View of Toledo

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) – The Persistence of Memory

Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) – The Garden of Earthly Delights

Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) – Adele Bloch-Bauer’s Portrait

This is one of my favorite group of selections from the collections. The colors are vibrant, the characters and compositions are dynamic and strong. Also, I have a pair of very comfortable Icon shoes with that painting of Adele from Klimt on it. The idea of wearable art is always a great conversation piece because it is something that people either appreciate or abhor. What are your thoughts?

“The only valid thing in art is the one thing that cannot be explained, to explain away the mystery of a great painting would do irreplaceable harm, for whenever you explain or define something you substitute the explanation or the definition for the…”  Henri Matisse

Paul Cezanne (1839–1906) – Les Grandes Baigneuses Also see The Card Players

Marc Chagall (1887 -1985) – Bestaire et Musique

William Turner (1789 -1862) – Newnham-on-Severn from Dean Hill

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) – La nascita di Venere

Pieter Bruegel (1525-1569) Tower of Babel

Another thing I find impressive is the depth and detail of each work. This is another strong grouping. The colors schemes are incredibly sharp and we begin to appreciate the magnificence of each piece when we pause to consider that many of these works of art are over a century old. Come back later for the rest.  (All now fully updated) More below… Thank you! 🙂

“How rich art is; if one can only remember what one has seen, one is never without food for thought or truly lonely, never alone.”  Vincent Van Gogh

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) Bal Du Le Moulin de la Galette

Leonardo Da Vinci  (1452-1519) – Mona Lisa

Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) – The Gleaners

Édouard Manet(1832–1883) – Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l’herbe)

Hans Holbein  (1497-1543) – Desiderius Erasmus  Also see Henry VIII

As the collection comes together, I am awestruck by the sheer magnificence and beauty of it all… Art stirs something inside of us that cannot always be expressed in words. I could spend hours in a museum, mesmerized by the great collections gathered there for our enjoyment. It is truly a gift to spend time in the company of great works as they inspire us to go create our own works of beauty in whatever field we work in.

“What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter…a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue.”   Henri Matisse

Frida Kahlo(1907 -1954) – What The Water Gave Me

Edvard Munch (1863-1944) The Scream ( Just sold by Sotheby’s for  $119.9M)

Johannes Vermeer  (1632-1675) Girl with a Pearl Earring  (See The Art of Painting)

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1654) The Creation of Adam

Paul Klee (1912-1956) Twittering Machine

This was another fascinating grouping of paintings to put together. By now you might know that the Munch painting, The Scream, fetched $119.9 million at auction (Sotheby’s) after a mere 12 minutes of furious bidding, and has joined the growing list of paintings with huge price tags in the dizzying world of collectors and observers. Great art remains a phenomenally good investment. Of course, one must be able to afford to bid and pay the price for a rare piece.

“The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation.”   Auguste Rodin

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec (1864-1901) Der Salon in der Rue des Moulins

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn  (1606-1669) The Night Watch

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) Nighthawks

Andrew Newell Wyeth  (1917-2009) Christina’s World (See fair use below)

I hope you enjoyed your visit to this post and had fun walking through this virtual gallery of some of the finest works of art known to the modern world. They are all unique and capture some aspects of the spirit of the artists. I plan to put together another group, but completely different, list of fine works so stay tuned. Stay Inspired! What are your thoughts? Do you have time to visit museums? Do you have any favorite artists? Who would you suggest we include? Do share! Thank you. 🙂

This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Plinky: Do you have a favorite work of art?

*Please bear with me as I continue to catch up on your blogs and commenting… Thank you all for your patience! 🙂

Positive Motivation Tip: Great Art always engages our hearts, eyes and mind… enjoy them often

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos credited with each painting above via Wikipedia and/or via Flickr

Non-free media use rationale for The Treachery Of Images, oil on canvas triptych Carnival, Christina’sWorld,
Article: The Treachery Of Images, oil on canvas triptych Carnival, Christina’sWorld,
Purpose of use: It illustrates an educational article about the painting that this image represents.
The image is used as the primary means of visual identification of the article topic.
It is a low resolution image.
Its inclusion in the article adds significantly to the article because the painting and its historical significance are the object of discussion in the article.
Replaceable? : It is not replaceable with an uncopyrighted or freely copyrighted image of comparable educational value.
Some references from: Listology.com, Voices.yahoo.com, Biographyonline.com and again, Biographyonline.com

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

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