In this post, I take a closer look at Bedroom in Arles by Vincent van Gogh-a colorful depiction of his bedroom, with an awkward perspective and the typical van Gogh style. I cover: Key Facts Here are some of the key facts about the painting: It depicts van Gogh’s bedroom at 2 Place Lamartine in Arles, … Read more
Pablo Picasso’s The Bull is a series of eleven lithographs created in 1945. It depicts the bull at various stages of abstraction, starting with a fairly realistic depiction and ending with nothing but a few lines. The first lithograph in the series appears light and spontaneous, as if it were quickly sketched with a brush and … Read more
Symbolism was a late 19th century movement whose artists communicated ideas through symbols instead of bluntly depicting reality. It was created as a reaction to art movements that depicted the natural world realistically, such as Impressionism, Realism, and Naturalism. In this post, I cover: Beginnings of Symbolism Symbolism first appeared as a literary movement that … Read more
John Singer Sargent was a remarkable and prolific artist, having created over 900 oil paintings and 2,000 watercolor paintings (many of which you can see on Sargent’s gallery page). You will notice that I use his work to illustrate many of the posts on Draw Paint Academy. In this post, I take a closer look … Read more
In this post, I take a closer look at the remarkably intricate Ophelia by British artist and founding member of the Pre-Raphaelites, Sir John Everett Millais. I cover: Key Facts, Ideas, and Subject The figure in the painting is Ophelia, a character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act IV, Scene VII. She is depicted lying in the stream … Read more
Most people know Sir Winston Churchill for his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945. But few know that he was also an avid painter. In this post, I take a closer look at some of his paintings and his life in the arts. I cover: “Painting is a companion … Read more
Portrait of Madame X, or Madame X, is an elegant portrait by John Singer Sargent featuring a young socialite named Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. Sargent ranked this as one of his best works, but it was also one of his most controversial. In this post, I cover: Key Facts Here are some of the key … Read more
The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer is a stunning demonstration of realism, color, and composition. In this post, I take a closer look at the painting to see what you can learn and apply to your own art. I cover: Key Facts, Ideas, and Subject The Milkmaid is thought to have been painted around 1657-1658, but … Read more
I don’t write about Alfred Sisley as much as I should. Despite being one of the figureheads of Impressionism, he is overshadowed by some of his more famous contemporaries, such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In light of this, I wrote this post about Sisley’s life and art. In this post, I cover: “Every … Read more
Isaac Levitan (1860 – 1900) was a master Russian painter known mostly for his remarkable and diverse landscapes. He is one of the first artists I look to whenever I am in need of landscape painting inspiration. In this post, I take a closer look at his life and art. In this post, I cover: … Read more