Nationality Archive

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In some stories the most vital moments aren’t filled with armies battling or acquiring the throne. In the deep look, vital moments in such stories are those which bear the possibility of eliminating the subsequent havoc happened and after which is crossed, there is no turning back. Greek mythological story of Oedipus has many such moments in his life. The direst one is represented in the current painting by the French painter. Oedipus’ prophecy of killing his father and marrying his own mother Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jacasta of Thebes. On his birth the king knew about the prophecy which stated that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his own mother. To eliminate such horrible possibilities, the king left […]

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French, Greek, Greek Mythology, King, Neoclassical, Oedipus, Sphinx

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Completed in 1824, The Sea of Ice or sometimes referred as The Wreck of Hope is a piece by the German painter Casper David Friedrich. It represents the accident of a ship which is drowning under the ice while the broken ice sheet by the accident has arisen upwards significantly. The top and bottom of the painting also resembles the popular color use of blue vs. orange, abundantly apparent in modern day art, films, posters and paintings. Subject The subject isn’t a random depiction of ice and ship-accident. The painting was made during the period when the expeditions to the north and south poles were in talks. Though, the attempts to a successful expedition are much older than the 19th century. The original title for […]

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German, Ice, Romanticism, Ship, Shipwreck

(13 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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Indian artists aren’t as much known as the western artist. Though, if we think about India one name comes in our mind, Raja Ravi Varma. One of the few 19th century Indian painter who had the caliber to stand alongside the top level western artists. Here is presented one of the best art works by Raja Ravi Varma. He was known, mostly, for depicting the scenes from either Ramayana or Mahabharata, two grand Indian epic poems, which are often equaled with Iliad and Odyssey by Homer. But, in reality, such comparisons are baseless. Subject of the current painting is taken from the Indian epic poem Ramayana. Literal meaning of Jatayu Vadham from Sanskrit is the killing of Jatayu. Story of Jatayu Vadha (The Killing of […]

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Bird, Epic, Epic Poem, Jatayu, killing, Ravana, Sita

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Suprematist Composition by Kazimir Malevich is a piece of suprematism by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich. The most famous artworks from Russian art are the Bogatyrs by Viktor Vasnetsov and Morning in the Pine­tree Forest by Ivan Shishkin. But, when it comes to the most expensive painting from Russian art, surprisingly, it is the represented painting with $60,000,000 price tag on it. It was sold by Sotheby’s in 2008. The artist of the painting, Kazimir Malevich, was the founder of the Geometric abstraction during early 20th century when the avant-garde movement was on the rise. For his new art style, artist proclaimed, “Only with the disappearance of a habit of mind which sees in pictures little corners of nature, madonnas and shameless Venuses, shall we witness […]

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Avant-garde, Expensive, Famous, Geometric abstraction, Rectangle, Russian, Square, Suprematist, Ukrainian

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Rhoda Yanow is a master with depiction of contemporary images. His works have left the mid-20th Century abstractness behind, and manage to stand out perhaps as the most real pictures of modern life. In the Unguarded Moment story, there are elements that evoke thoughts of humor, pontification and reality, all passing through your mind like movie trailers. However, this is a rich work, no matter how shabbily priced it might look from far. It has all the elements that tell you this is the work of a great artist when you stand facing it. When I saw this painting from a far end of the room, it never struck me as something out of the ordinary in a contemporary art gallery. However, I did notice the […]

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American, Old Man, Sleeping Man

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Alice Neel’s Roses is a rather morbid depiction of such an auspicious flower. Painted in 1983, the work carries a sense of dereliction in the subject. Although it can be categorized as a still life painting, it is contemporary work nevertheless. As a result, it has to carry something that is a definite part of modern psyche. If you noticed art through the post-Second World War period, there was a sense of renewal in the western world. Government expenditures went down, the economy revived in New York, and Alice Neel was rubbing shoulders with people who lived in avant-garde architecture while she was very young. While we can keep profiling a New York artist endlessly, it is also important to notice the rather overused trend […]

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American, Flower, Glass Vase, Red Rose, Rose, Table

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This painting includes a total of 112 Natherlandish proverbs in a single scene. The proverbs are taken literally. For instance, “To crap on the world” is literally represented as a person crapping on a globe. The depiction is on the left corner of the picture where a man in red clothes is coming out of a window. Artist of the Flemish renaissance from 16th century, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was known for similar works, which included The Seven Deadly Sins, The Months, Big Fish Eats Little Fish and The Blind leading the Blind.   Pieter Bruegel the younger, the artist’s son had depicted more than 20 versions of the paintings. Here is one of them.

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Devil, Dutch, Fish, Flemish, Flemish Renaissance, Fool, Man, People, Pig, Sheep, Snake, Village, Woman

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The first version of  Massacre of the Innocents by Rubens was made in 1612. Here is represented the second version made in 1638, which resembles some similarities to the original while brutalizes some aspects even more than the first one. The subject matter and the scene is elaborately described in the first version’s iconography. The second version is painted after 25 years of the first one and it hasn’t lost its impact. Actually, Rubens has made it more intense and gruesome than the first one. More realistic approach than the first version In here, the emphasis is on the use of weaponry to kill infant. In the first version, soldiers were depicted in a moment in which they were killing either snatching the infants from […]

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Angel, Children, Famous, Flemish, Flemish Baroque, Jewish, Man, Mother, Motherhood, Soldier, Woman

(1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)

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The Kiss is Gustav Klimt’s most famous painting from his whole career and also from his ‘golden period’ during which he used real gold and silver leaf in his paintings. The artist’s recent sensual works before The Kiss acquired him the title of enfant terrible, meaning the terrible child. A term used for the geniuses who have the unorthodox views towards the conventional wisdom. The Kiss isn’t especially sensual. Instead, it was well reviewed by the viewers and gained the artist some more reputation during his golden time. Though for his other scrutinized works he famously quoted, “If you can not please everyone with your deeds and your art, please a few”. The painting represents a couple busy in romantic apogee of sensual pleasure. The man in the long robe is […]

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Austrian, Couple, Expensive, Famous, Garden, Gold, gold leaf, Kiss, Kissing, Man, Romance, Woman

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Issac Van Amburgh is a name less celebrated today, but he was God for many during the 1800s. The man died aged about 65, and left a legacy that I will definitely remember when I see the next freak playing with a leopard or crocodile on National Geographic. Animal trainer and knighthood recipient, Van Amburgh was one of the most popular animals man in his day. He is also responsible for introducing lions, panthers, tigers and the lot to circus. Such was the prowess of his training abilities. The painting depicts an occasion when he surprised everybody by entering a cage with a lion, a tiger, two leopards, a bear and a lamb! Legend has it that he also faced a panther on a similar […]

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Animals, Man