John Henry Fuseli

Henry Fuseli (7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draftsmen and writer on art who worked and spent most of his life in Britain. Fuseli was born in Zürich, Switzerland, the second of eighteen children. His father was Johann Caspar Füssli, a painter of portraits and landscapes, and author of Lives of the Helvetic Painters.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was born on 15 July 1606 in Leiden, in the Dutch Republic, now the Netherlands. He was the ninth child born to Harmen Gerritszoon van Rijn and Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck. His family was quite well-to-do; his father was a miller and his mother was a baker's daughter. Religion is a central theme in Rembrandt's paintings and the religiously fraught period in which he lived makes his faith a matter of interest. His mother was Roman Catholic, his father belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church, but the Dutch Republic was famously tolerant and, while his work reveals deep Christian faith, there is no evidence that Rembrandt formally belonged to any church, although he had five of his children christened in Dutch Reformed churches in Amsterdam: four in the Oude Kerk (Old Church) and one, Titus, in the Zuiderkerk (Southern Church).

Honoré Daumier

Honoré Daumier (February 26, 1808 – February 10, 1879) was a French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor, whose many works offer commentary on social and political life in France in the 19th century. A prolific draftsman who produced over 500 paintings, 4000 lithographs, 1000 wood engravings, 1000 drawings, 100 sculptures he was perhaps best known for his caricatures of political figures and satires on the behavior of his countrymen, although posthumously the value of his painting has also been recognized

Nicolas Poussin

Nicolas Poussin (15 June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. His work is characterized by clarity, logic, and order, and favors line over color. Until the 20th century he remained a major inspiration for such classically oriented artists as Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Paul Cézanne. He worked in Rome for a circle of leading collectors there and elsewhere, except for a short period when Cardinal Richelieu ordered him back to France to serve as First Painter to the King. Most of his works are history paintings of religious or mythological subjects that very often have a large landscape element.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Further information on the great artist: Having achieved youthful success as a portrait painter, Rembrandt's later years were marked by personal tragedy and financial hardships. Yet his etchings and paintings were popular throughout his lifetime, his reputation as an artist remained high,and for twenty years he taught many important Dutch painters. Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified especially in his portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible. His self-portraits form a unique and intimate biography, in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity.

Luca Cambiasi

Luca Cambiasi (surname also written Cambiaso or Cangiagio; 18 November 1527 – 6 September 1585) was an Italian painter and draftsman, familiarly known as Lucchetto da Genova. Cambiasi was born at Moneglia, then part of the Republic of Genoa, the son of a painter named Giovanni Cambiasi. Cambiasi was precocious, and at the age of fifteen he painted, along with his father, some subjects from Ovid's Metamorphoses on the facade of a house in Genoa. In 1544, at the age of seventeen, he was involved in the decoration of the Palazzo Doria, now the Prefettura, perhaps working with Marcantonio Calvi, a painter of his father's generation. He aided in the vault decoration of the church of San Matteo, in collaboration with Giovanni Battista Castello. His Resurrection and Transfiguration altarpieces for San Bartolomeo degli Armeni date from c. 1560. In 1563, he painted a Resurrection for San Giovanni Battista in Montalto Ligure. This was followed by frescoes for the Villa Imperiale at Genoa-Turalba (also called the Palazzo Imperiali Terralba) with a Rape of the Sabines (c. 1565) and the Palazzo Meridiana (formerly Grimaldi; also in 1565). In the Capella Lercari of the Duomo di San Lorenzo, Cambiasi frescoed a Presentation and Marriage of the Virgin in 1569, remainder of chapel by Castello. The 1911 Britannica states that Cambiasi by his thirties began to decline in skill, though not at once in reputation, owing to the vexations brought upon him by a passion which he conceived for his sister-in-law. His wife having died, and the sister-in-law had taken charge of his house and children, he failed to procure a papal dispensation for marrying her. In 1583 he accepted an invitation from Philip II to complete for the Escorial a series of frescoes begun by Castello; and the 1911 Encyclopædia states the principal reason for traveling to Spain was that he hoped royal influence would gain favor with the Vatican for his marriage plans, but this failed. In the Escorial he executed a Paradise on the vaulting of the church, with a multitude of figures. For this picture he received 2,000 ducats, probably the largest sum that had, up to that time, ever been given for a single work. His paintings in Spain, hew to strict religious thematic. His son Orazio Cambiasi became a painter. Other followers from Genoa include Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo, Simone Barabino, Giulio Benso, Battista and Bernardo Castello, Giovanni Battista Paggi, Francesco Spezzini,and Lazzaro Tavaro

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828 was a Spanish romantic painter and print maker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and the first of the moderns. Goya was court painter to the Spanish Crown; throughout the Peninsular War he remained in Madrid, where he painted the portrait of Joseph Bonaparte, pretender to the Spanish throne, and documented the war in the masterpiece of studied ambiguity known as the Desastres de la Guerra. Through his works he was both a commentator on and chronicler of his era. The subversive imaginative element in his art, as well as his bold handling of paint, provided a model for the work of artists of later generations, notably Manet, Picasso and Francis Bacon.

Quinta da Sapeira

I have not being so regular with my drawings of late, as I have been busy helping out a friend with wine making. A few days ago we heard that their wine has been awarded another gold medal at the international wine competition in Vienna. This is not the first, they have been winning prizes often, and they are looking forward to a very good future. If you have a moment, take a look at their website: www.quintadasapeira.pt , they have a very interest presentation video.

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

Rembrandt van Rijn. one of the greatest artist ever. This man new the human anatomy like not other, and with a swift stroke of his brush, he could draw the most unbelievable figure studies. I find a lot of his drawing remind me of the Japaese art called sumi-e Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn; (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter and etcher. He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and print makers in European art and the most important in Dutch history.[2] His contributions to art came in a period of great wealth and cultural achievement that historians call the Dutch Golden Age when Dutch Golden Age painting, although in many ways antithetical to the Baroque style that dominated Europe, was extremely prolific and innovative.

Drawing Hands

Drawing hands has long been the nemesis of many aspiring artist. The masters had this down to a fine art. This sketch is an attempt at copying the drawing of Andrea Del Sarto.

This is an attempt at copying Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770, also known as Gianbattista or Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice. He was prolific, and worked not only in Italy, but also in Germany and Spain. Successful from the beginning of his career, he has been described by Michael Levey as "the greatest decorative painter of eighteenth-century Europe, as well as its most able craftsman."

Andrea del Sarto

This is one of the portraits I have been putting off - for some reason I have procrastinated in having a go at this, but as my choices seem to get less and less, the ones that I did not fancy doing will have to be done. I really need to post some images of the wine farm as well.

Michelangelo Buonarroti

Is there any value to constantly redraw the same drawing over and over? Does one become a little flat at it? Is there a cut-off time, where one has to say. "enough is enough, I can not learn anything new from this exercise". If one comes back to the same drawing a year later, will ones attitude have changed, and then a another go at it?

2 nd day of comeback

Well maybe I´m back into the swing of things, the second drawing is done. This is a copy of a drawing done by Peter Paul Rubens. Think I must also put up some images of the the wine harvesting as well.

Quinta de Sapeira

It has been some time since I did some drawings. I have been involved in harvesting grapes and the making of wine. I think that should be a excuse that will hold up to any critical comment. How can an artist paint without the liquid of the Gods? The creation of wine is an art in itself. Have been helping a friend of mine that has a small and very respected wine farm in the center of Portugal. The name of this illustrious little vineyard is "Quinta da Sapeira". "Quinta" meaning farm and "de Sapeira" of the bird of prey that hunts frogs. Unusual to say the least They have won various awards in competitions in Vienna, and each year promises to be better. It is because of this harvesting that I have not completed my goal set out last year: of doing a drawing a day for 365 consecutive days. Having done 289 drawing and then dropping out is just not good enough, so in an effort to redeem myself, I have started to draw again to day. This drawing is a copy of Leonard´s work.

Its been some time

Its been some time since I added some photos to this blog, I have been very preoccupied with painting the house and garden walls that I have done or thought of nothing else. That is not good - as painting the walls of the house das not more artistic merit than a monkey doing the tanga.

Peter Paul Rubens

No explanation needed (Hopefully)

Some more exercises

Jacopo da Pontormo

This is a attempt at copying one of the works of Pontormo. Jacopo Carucci (May 24, 1494 – January 2, 1557), usually known as Jacopo da Pontormo, Jacopo Pontormo or simply Pontormo, was an Italian Mannerist painter and portraitist from the Florentine School. His work represents a profound stylistic shift from the calm perspectival regularity that characterized the art of the Florentine Renaissance. He is famous for his use of twining poses, coupled with ambiguous perspective; his figures often seem to float in an uncertain environment, unhampered by the forces of gravity.

AlFonso Mucha - the singer and artist.

Birth name: Alfons Maria Mucha Born: 24 July 1860,Ivančice, Moravia, Austrian Empire (present Czech Republic). Died: 14 July 1939 (aged 78), Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia Nationality: Czech Field: Painting, Illustration, Decorative art. Training: Munich Academy of Fine Arts, Académie Julian, Académie Colarossi. Movement: Art Nouveau. Works: The Slav Epic (Slovanská epopej). Patrons: Count Karl Khuen of Mikulov. Influenced by Neoclassicism,Paul Harvey and Kevin Wasde. This drawing was done as a study for a painting of "Hamlet" - 1899

Copy of one of Matisses works

Henri Matisse

I think this is one of the better drawing of H Matisse. Most of his line drawing are matter of pen flow with little attention to proportion, but more attention given to the fluid lines of the model. This copy has the added colour given to the hair.

H Matisse's drawing

Henri Matisse

once again the great master H Matisse, but when I was putting this up on the internet net, I could not help but think it looked more like a woman taking a dump. That chair might not be a chair but rather an elaborate toilet seat.

Henri Matisse

Good old Henri went crazy on the middle east. Started to copy all the harem girls.

Jelly woman

Some more copies and interpretations of H Matisse's drawings

Another jelly woman by Matisse

Jelly woman

I have been copies some of the drawings that were done by H Matisse, and have come to a conclusion that most of the drawings seem to portray the woman as jelly woman, with a lot of wobble and shake.

Some more copies done of Matisses Sketches

Some more lessons from H Matisse

Some more copies of Henri Matisse

Copies and interpretations of Henri Matisses work

2 more copies of Henrii Matisse's work

Henry Matisse

This is a copy and interpretation of one of the sketches of the great Henri Matisse. He made a lot of line sketches that show of the female form as been very flowing and lose. .

Another page taken from my sketch book

For those that know the work of H.Matisse, this will be a familiar image. He did this with much more flare than I will ever do, but he did it in pen and I did it with a brush and Indian ink, with a touch of colour - hope you like it.

Sketch Book

Another copy and interpretation of one of Henri Matisse' drawings. The man knew how to draw a fluid line that emulated the female form.

Taken From Sketch Book

Good Afternoon, this is a copy done with a brush and Indian ink of one of the works of Matisse.