Blog
-
John Boydell: The Enlightenment man.
A biographical sketch of an outstanding representative of the English Age of Enlightenment John Boydell, engraver, art dealer, publisher, politician.
"It may be a matter of wonder to some, what enducements I could have to present the City of London with so many expensive Pictures; the principal reasons that influence me were these:
First: to show my respect for the Corporation, and my Fellow Citizens,
Secondly: to give pleasure to the Public, and Foreigners in general,
Thirdly: to be of service to the Artists, by shewing their works to the greatest advantage: and,
Fourthly: for the mere purpose of pleasing myself."Image: Portrait of John Boydell by Sir William Beechey. 1801. Guildhall Art Gallery. London.
-
Claude Lorrain. Liber Veritatis.
Lorrain was so much appreciated and admired in the XVIII century England, that he was often referred to simply as Claude. His artwork was in such demand that John Boydell, an entrepreneur, artist and publisher, decided to publish the famous sketchbook Liber Veritatis in 1770s. For this purposes, he commissioned the best engraver of that time Richard Earlom to transform Claude's inks and washes into etchings and mezzotints. -
A Red Sun by Joan Miro in the Cantic del Sol aquatint
The striking aquatint by Joan Miro is an illustration to the Canticle of the Sun by St Francis of Assissi. The red ovoid shape recurs throughout Joan Miro's work as a symbol of the Sun. It embodies the quintessence of Miro's aesthetic - bold colors, playful lines and vibrant imagery.
-
Русские художники в Америке. Елизавета Шуматова - Андрей Авинов
Фотограф Фрэнсис Миллер. Президент Линдон Джонсон пожимает руку Елизавете Шуматовой на церемонии открытия портрета Франклина Рузвельта в Белом Доме. 1967. Музей искусств Кливленда.
Рассказ о двух произведениях из коллекции Goldin Fine Art, написанных братом и сестрой, художниками русского происхождения. Об акварельном портрете питтсбургской светской дамы, Мари Луизы Джонсон Морленд, внучки известного капиталиста-нефтяника, сотрудника Джона Рокфеллера, Джона Вортингтона. Автор Елизавета Шуматова (Авинова), прославившаяся тем, что написала портрет Президента США Франклина Д. Рузвельта. Портрет вошел в историю как "Незавершенный", поскольку во время сеанса позирования Рузвельт скончался от инсульта.
Брат Шуматовой, Андрей Авинов, тоже художник - эмигрант первой волны, автор портрета одного из четырех адмиралов Военно-Морского Флота США, Уильяма Халси, несущий подписи как художника, так и самого адмирала. Андрей Авинов был не только художником, но и ученым. На протяжении 20 лет он был директором Питтсбургского музея естественной истории Карнеги.
-
Russian Artists in America. Elizabeth Shoumatoff (1888-1980)
Elizabeth Shoumatoff is an artist whose fate is just as unusual as the unusual are her sitters. Not to mention the many other, but the Frick, Mellon, Grand Ducas of Luxembourg etc. Her most famous client was the great American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Not all Americans know her name, but almost everyone knows this unfinished portrait. -
Shakespeare Gallery
Eighteen Century is a time of glory for Shakespeare. His plays were the main part of a repertory. For an actor, Shakespeare’s role was an apprenticeship qualification. Visual Art contributed to the popularity of Shakespeare via engravings for illustrated editions. The culmination was The Shakespeare Gallery initiated by John Boydell (1719 - 1804), a London engraver, artist, publisher, entrepreneur, and politician of the XVIII century.
