Jean-Laurent Mosnier and Empress Elizabeth Alexejevna

'Empress Elizabeth Alexejevna' (1807) by Jean-Laurent Mosnier; State Art Museum, 

Nizhni Novgorod, Russia

Today's painter is unknown to me and I did not choose him right away but because I didn't like the other options, I came back to him and chose this painting. The artist's name is Jean-Laurent Mosnier, born in 1743 and died on 10 April 1808. Wikipedia doesn't have an English page on him (or there is one but without content), so I hope you read French. Mosnier was trained in Paris as a miniature painter and fled to London in 1790 after the outbreak of the French Revolution. From London, he went to Hamburg and then to St. Petersburg in 1801. He was accepted into the St. Petersburg Academy in 1802 and became a professor there in 1806. He painted portraits of the imperial family, amongst others this painting of the Empress Elizabeth, wife of the Russian Tsar Alexander I. I love the fine details of the dress and jewelry.

Joseph Karl Stieler and Amalie von Schintling

'Amalie von Schintling' (1831) by Joseph Karl Stieler; Nymphenburg Palace, Munich

Lately I only have been doing posts on famous or well-known painters, so I haven't had the chance to discover a new artist. Today I could have done a post on Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous Pre-Raphaelite painter, whose date of death was on this day. But I've decided to postpone him till the 12th of May when it's his date of birth. So today I can do a post on an artist unknown to me. His name is Joseph Karl Stieler, born on 1 November 1781 and died on 9 April 1858, and if you google his name and images, you can see why I like his paintings. They're fine portraits and I love portraits, especially female ones. Although I had never heard of Stieler, there is one portrait that is world-famous and male. It is the portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven and it's the most famous representation of the composer. Stieler's most distinguishing feature in doing portraits was his utter focus on the sitter. He didn't pay much attention to the decor as if not to distract the viewer. He was a court painter and is known for his Neoclassical portraits, especially for the Gallery of Beauties in the Nymphenburg Palace, a portrait gallery of 36 portraits of the most beautiful women of nobility and middle classes of Munich. The portraits were commissioned by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Click here for further reading on the Gallery of Beauties. It was difficult for me to choose one painting for this post because there are so many beautiful ones but by giving you two links to the gallery (I am so cheating!), you can see all 36 paintings. 

Pablo Picasso and The Tragedy

'The Tragedy' (1903) by Pablo Picasso; National Gallery of Art, Washington 

It's no easy task to choose one painting for today's post on one of the greatest and most versatile artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso, born on 25 October 1881 and died on 8 April 1973. I have never been a great fan of Cubism but have grown to appreciate it more and more. So I could have posted one of Picasso's later works or the famous and great Guernica, but I have always liked his blue and rose period, ever since I was a student and had a postcard of the painting 'The Tragedy' hung in a frame on my wall. This painting so reminds me of my student period in Utrecht. So it's a bit of a nostalgic choice but I still love this painting. Picasso's blue period is famous for its somber paintings. This blue period started after the suicide of his friend Carlos Casagemas. The painting 'The Tragedy' shows a man, woman and child by the sea, but it's not clear what tragedy really occurred. During examination of the painting, it was revealed that Picasso had painted over another image and even later examination showed that the canvas had been used a minimum of four times. If you're interested in reading more about how this painting came about, click here.

El Greco and Lady in a Fur Wrap

'Lady in a fur wrap' (1577-80) by El Greco; Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow

I think almost everyone has heard of the painter El Greco, born in 1541 and died on April 7, 1614. He was Greek by birth and El Greco ('The Greek') was his nickname. I have seen some of his paintings in real life but I am not familiar with the one that I've chosen for this post. This painting of a lady in a fur wrap is absolutely beautiful, I think, so I had to show it to you because I think many of you have never seen this either and know El Greco only from his religious paintings. The pink colours in this painting are also very different from the colour palette El Greco is famous for. I googled this painting and found an article in the Guardian of 2004. Apparently there was some debate going on whether the 'Lady in a Fur Wrap' was by the hand of El Greco. Click here for a further analysis of this painting. There is much to tell about El Greco's life and his art in style and technique that I simply refer you to the link above. Since this painter is so much linked to Toledo and I love Spain, there is no reason why I should not visit and see more of his work. 

John William Waterhouse and The Lady of Shalott

'The Lady of Shalott' (1888) by John William Waterhouse; Tate Britain, London

I knew that the day that John William Waterhouse was born, 6 April 1849, was coming up (though the English Wikipedia page mentions 6 April as the day he was baptised), and had plenty of time to think about what painting to use for this post. I find so many of his paintings beautiful so it was a bit difficult. I say that of a lot of artists but when I say it's difficult with Waterhouse, then I mean Difficult with a capital D. I already loved his work before having seen an exhibition at the Groninger Museum in Groningen in 2009. It is one of the best oeuvre exhibitions I have ever seen in my life. I have to say that the museum had paid attention to detail. Even the marzipan layer on the cake in the museum's restaurant had the image of one of Waterhouse's paintings on it. Waterhouse was a Pre-Raphaelite painter and depicted mainly women from Greek mythology or Arthurian legend. For this post I chose 'The Lady of Shalott' (see another post on the Lady of Shalott by Holman Hunt). It is beautiful here on screen but in real life it is breathtaking. The colours and details are stunning and the moment depicted here is dramatic. It is the moment that the Lady of Shalott drifts in her boat to Camelot but dies before reaching it. For further reading, see the Tate site.

Jules Dupré and The Sunken Path

'The Sunken Path' (1833) by Jules Dupré; Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Today's painting is a painting that I've seen more than once in real life. It's on permanent display at the Van Gogh Museum and was painted by the French artist Jules Dupré, born on 5 April 1811. You will notice the painting instantly when you enter the room because the blue sky and the beautiful light draw you in. Dupré was a landscape painter and a member of the Barbizon School. He is known for his dramatic sunset effects and other dramatic aspects of nature. He was the son of a porcelain manufacturer and started off painting porcelain at his uncle's china factory. He was influenced by 17th-century Dutch landscape painting and by the English artist John Constable. I love this painting, every time a little bit more!

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon and Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck with his family

'Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck with his family' (c.1801-02) by Pierre-Paul Prud'hon; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, born on April 4, 1758, was a French painter who was both influenced by Neoclassicism and Romanticism. He gained the favour of Napoleon and became the portraitist of Josephine, the empress. He was famous for his allegories and portraits. Whereas the approach of the Neoclassicist Jacques-Louis David, who influenced his work, was academic and cold, Prud'hon used soft forms and soft light (in this respect influenced by Correggio). The painting shown here is a portrait of Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck and his family. Schimmelpenninck played an important role in Dutch politics during the 19th century but Prud'hon has chosen to depict him here as a father and husband rather than as a statesman. I think it's a lovely portrait, with beautiful warm and soft colours, but cannot remember having seen it while visiting the Rijksmuseum. Anyway, it's now in storage and hopefully will be on display again when renovations are finished in 2013. 

Melchior de Hondecoeter and Palace of Amsterdam with Exotic Birds

'Palace of Amsterdam with exotic birds' (1670) by Melchior de Hondecoeter; Private Collection

I think I probably wouldn't have done a post on Melchior de Hondecoeter, born c. 1636 and died on 3 April 1695, if I hadn't seen a small exhibition dedicated to him some years ago at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Because seeing images of his paintings on the internet, mainly of birds, doesn't make my heart beat any faster. Having said that, in real life his paintings, often large-scale, do make an impact. I recall having stood in front of his paintings, taking in all the details and marvelling about his craftmanship. I can't remember having seen this one live, but I think on screen it's one of his lovelier ones. A peaceful scene with beautiful colours! If you want to know more about the painter, please click on the link above.

William Holman Hunt and The Lady of Shalott

'The Lady of Shalott' (1886-1905) by William Holman Hunt; The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford

Tennyson's poem, The Lady of Shalott, has inspired many artists but particularly the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. They shared Tennyson's interest in the Arthurian subject. I love the painting of the Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse (I will do a post on him on the 6th of April!) but I am not familiar with this depiction by William Holman Hunt, born on 2 April 1827. Hunt was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelites. In the beginning he had to endure a lot of criticism, for his work was considered to be ugly and clumsy. Later on he dedicated himself more to religious paintings (after various visits to the Holy Land) and achieved fame. To tell you honestly, I think he is my least favourite Pre-Raphaelite artist (I love Millais and Waterhouse!) but I do like this painting. I like the colours and the many details. And I love the story of the Lady of Shalott! This painting was first exhibited in 1905 and the last of Hunt's works. The moment depicted here is the fateful climax in Tennyson's poem when the Lady of Shalott, while weaving the tapestry, turns to see the image of Lancelot in the mirror. She looks out of the tower's forbidden window and thus causes the curse to descend upon her. Hunt painted this work shortly before his death and needed assistance to complete it since he was too frail to do it alone. 

Franz Eybl and The Reading Girl

'Reading Girl' (1850) by Franz Eybl; Österreichische Galerie im Belvedere, Vienna

I love this painting! It's in my book of women and reading in art. I had already looked up the dates of birth/death of the artist and had made a note. So the artist's name is Franz Eybl and his date of birth is April 1, 1806. This Austrian painter, who never left his birthplace Vienna, was very succesful with his genre paintings and portraits. Today's painting of a girl reading dates from 1850. The innocent face of the girl and her total absorption in the book lends infinite charm to this painting. I think it's pure and lovely.