MENTAL GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
19 June, 2024
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FAMILY PORTRAITS: A SYMBOL OF EVERYTHING!
Have you ever had a family portrait commissioned? Or maybe asked the waiter at the restaurant to take a photo of the family? Were you busy making sure the waiter understood that the patriarch of the family was in charge, or that the children look well-mannered and educated? Maybe the ideas are transmitted in a royal photo but not as likely for the rest of us – particularly in a restaurant! Of course, there can be subtle social cues, but realistically this is not a priority in most family photos.
1 November 2023
THE ART OF FATE
There are some proverbs that often ring true. ‘Timing is everything’ is a good one followed by ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ Many times, people refer to both when reflecting on their own or someone else’s career. Artists are, of course, no different in this respect.
18 October 2023
4 October 2023
ARTISTIC BUSINESSMAN?
Often times, artistic people find it difficult to develop good business sense. It can be because they are more focused on the creative aspect of their work rather than the numbers or they just might not have the instinct or level of expertise required to hone their business skills. You may not think this could influence how talented they may or may not be, but it can absolutely influence their legacy.
20 September 2023
A LOST MONUMENT IN ANGERS
Gorinchem is a small town in the middle of the Netherlands approximately 40 km/25 mi south of Utrecht. The only fully fortified town still in existence in the country, it has a rich history of trade sitting firmly on the river Merwede. Because it serves as a transit route to the south, including Brussels and Paris, and to the east and the German states, Gorinchem, like many cities in the 17th century Dutch Republic during this time it was flourishing. What makes Gorinchem so interesting is how many artists came from this small but notable place.
WITHOUT MONEY YOU ARE NOTHING
Encyclopedia Britannica defines an allegory in art as “a symbolic fictional narrative that conveys a meaning not explicitly set forth in the narrative.” So, this could be interpreted as the idea of adding intellectual depth to an image. However, the literary world suggests that an allegory can be used as a way for the artist (writer) to distance themselves from the issues they are trying to highlight, especially when those issues are a strong critique of society. But could an artist use an allegory as a slight towards an employer or even family?
17 May 2023
WHO FOOLED GOERING AND IS PART OF THE GHENT ALTARPIECE?
Pablo Picasso is often credited as saying “good artists borrow, great artists steal”. The suggestion is that while great art alters its source material, lesser art relies on imitation. But then, a counterfeit good enough to fool the experts is in a category of its own. Perhaps that is why forgeries hold such allure and disdain at the same time. Are they artists to be respected for their work or criminals to be shunned and dismissed?
August 31, 2022
17th CENTURY PROFIT MAXIMIZATION?
To the untrained eye, many of the Dutch still-lifes from the 17th century look the same. Roemer (glass) of wine – check! Silver piece (in this case a saltcellar) - check! A herring – check! Particularly within the Haarlem school of still-life painters, most notably Willem Claesz Heda and Pieter Claesz, the props in the painting and the composition are similar if not identical. But, one of these artists definitely had a different set of talents.
July 6, 2022
DID THE DUTCH INVENT PROTEST ART?
Art takes on many rolls, sometimes social and often political. Great artists have used their talent to protest against political action (Picasso, Guernica) or highlight the need for social action (Keith Haring, Ignorance=Fear). Protest art is by definition a defiance against the politics or social issues of the day. It very much feels like a 20th century phenomenon, but was it really?
June 8, 2022
THE KANNENKIJKER (one who peers wistfully into the bottom of an empty jug)
A man looking forlorn as he peers into a jug. Not thrilled with what he is seeing, we can assume there is not much at the bottom. Our painting entitled the Kannenkijker on the surface, appears to show a lonely figure looking for more drink to possibly drown his sorrows. But, is this our 21st century take on an image? Are we plastering our modern attitudes on a subject that may have not been sad or solemn at all?
May 18, 2022
MIDDLE CLASS ICONS
An interior scene of a girl playing piano. This subject in 19th century paintings is not unfamiliar. Name almost any French (or European) painter of that period and you can probably find some version of this scene in their oeuvre. But what prompted this theme to become so popular? Although these were not controversial, they were definitely not spiritual. Were patrons demanding these scenes? How did the 19th century ‘girl playing piano’ become so de rigeur?
March 3, 2022
January 25, 2022
SNAIL POWER
A floral still life is a must-have in almost any well-rounded collection. These pictures can vary in exact components but they tend to follow the same parameters. A large and blooming floral bouquet, very often executed to technical perfection with the artist adding the most charming of details. Often placed for meaning, these details are still usually in keeping with the setting, for example a bee or fly. More unusual in the context of the setting is a snail sitting on the shelf or climbing up a leaf.
January 12, 2022
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GET YOUR ASPIRIN READY!
Champagne, wine and beer have all been around in some form or another for 100’s of years. Popping the cork and toasting with sparkling, fizzy champagne as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve is a tradition in many households around the world.
December 31, 2020
HOLIDAYS ARE A TIME TO THINK ABOUT FAMILY
The holidays are always a time that families come together. Unfortunately, these days it isn’t always possible. Adults often evoke nostalgia for their own childhood, during these times, and have hopes of making holidays as special for the current generation as they were for them.
December 16, 2020
