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Paintings of Eugène Delacroix: 17 Masterworks
In the previous articles in this series I have shown a substantial selection of the paintings of Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863). It’s time to take stock of them, here in establishing which are his...
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Arthur: Introduction to a new series on paintings of Arthurian legends
Most peoples, cultures and nations have their own legends or mythology. Over the last six months, I explored those that dominated classical Mediterranean cultures from about 700 BCE in the epics of the...
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Ukrainian Painters: Conclusions and index
Over the last six months, I have published a series of articles looking at the careers and work of all the Ukrainian painters I have been able to obtain sufficient information and images for. This...
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Reading visual art: 71 Skull
Attitudes to human remains like skulls have changed greatly over time. A few thousand years ago, in the towns and cities of early civilisations in the Fertile Crescent, our ancestors appeared quite...
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High: Grand tourists and wanderers
Although it’s possible to travel overland from the north of Europe to Italy without ascending much above sea level, those privileged enough to undertake the Grand Tour more usually crossed the Alps on...
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Susanna and the Elders 1
It’s time for a long weekend, and to help you enjoy it, I have three articles exploring paintings of one of the most popular narrative religious stories drawn from the Old Testament: Susanna and the...
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Susanna and the Elders 2
In the first of these three articles, I looked at paintings telling the story of Susanna and the Elders, from the Old Testament book of Daniel. I have focussed on those showing Susanna in her garden...
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Susanna and the Elders 3
In this third and final instalment of this series looking at paintings telling the story of Susanna and the Elders, from the Old Testament book of Daniel, I have reached the nineteenth century, a...
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Arthur: 1 The sword in the stone
The Duke of Tintagel had opposed Uther Pendragon, King of England, for many years. When the Duke and his wife Igraine attended the royal court, King Uther desired his wife, but she refused him, and the...
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Paintings of Eugène Delacroix: 18 The colourist
There has been a long-standing debate in European painting between those who place greater emphasis on form and ‘drawing’, and others who rank colour more highly. Although it has older origins, this...
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Reading visual art: 72 Thyrsus
In mythology, a thyrsus or thyrsos is a form of staff or even spear decorated with plant matter. In its strictest form, it should be a wand made from the giant fennel plant, decorated with ivy leaves...
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High: Explorers and surveyors
During the nineteenth century, mountains around the world were explored and surveyed. In India, this started in 1802 in the Great Trigonometrical Survey, which was finally completed in 1871. This was...
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Back to the viewer: Rückenfigur in paintings 1
Most figures in images, both photos and paintings, like to look at least vaguely towards the viewer, unless there’s good reason that they should be looking at someone else. Occasionally, though,...
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Back to the viewer: Rückenfigur in paintings 2
In the first of these two articles looking at landscape paintings in which figures have their back to the viewer, in German Rückenfigur, I showed some examples painted by Caspar David Friedrich and his...
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Arthur: 2 Excalibur and Guinevere
Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, King of England, and Igraine, widow of the Duke of Tintagel, had been brought up by Sir Ector, and named by Uther as his successor just before the King’s death. Arthur...
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Paintings of Eugène Delacroix: 0 Contents and summary
This article presents an outline of the contents of each of the articles in this series on the life and art of Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), together with links to those articles. A brief overview of...
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Reading visual art: 73 Gloves
It’s highly unusual for figures in paintings to have their hands covered. Although people have worn gloves since ancient times, in most European cultures they’ve been among the more unusual items of...
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The bicentenary of Alexandre Cabanel: 1
In a fortnight’s time, on 28 September, we celebrate the bicentenary of the major French narrative artist and great teacher Alexandre Cabanel (1823–1889). In this, the first of three articles about his...
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High: Vanishing glaciers
Around the world glaciers are in retreat as a result of climate change. While there are often photographic records of their state in the late nineteenth century, only paintings can document them...
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Paintings of Sicily as a legendary land 1
The island of Sicily lies between the ‘toe’ of Italy and North Africa, and has evidence of human habitation going back long before recorded history. This weekend, in two articles, I look at paintings...
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