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283 – Life and Thought inspired by Art and Poetry

Evelyn de Morgan, Life and Thought emerging from the Tomb, 1893. The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. I’ve written about Evelyn de Morgan before, and spoken about her fairly often as well as the result of at least two exhibitions, but also in connection to the ‘Pre-Raphaelite Sisters’ – the women associated in one way orContinue reading “283 – Life and Thought inspired by Art and Poetry”

282 – And when did you last see this painting?

William Frederick Yeames, And When Did You Last See Your Father? 1878. The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. This week, on Monday 7 September at 6pm, I will be continuing my occasional series of talks A Stroll around the Walker, getting to know my local museum of ‘Old Master’ paintings, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.Continue reading “282 – And when did you last see this painting?”

281 – Definitely flowers, definitely real

JD Fergusson, Jonquils and Silver, 1905. Fleming Collection. I first got to know the Scottish Colourists, about whom I will be talking this Monday, 31 August at 6pm, when I spent seven months in Pitlochry, ‘The Gateway to the Highlands’, nearly twenty years ago. Not far away was the city of Perth (Scotland, not Australia),Continue reading “281 – Definitely flowers, definitely real”

Looking back across the sea

Barbara Hepworth, Pelagos, 1946. Tate. Yes, another re-post! Basically, I’m having a break from writing over the summer… but I’ll have to write a new entry next week. This is a good one to look back to, though, as the sculpture Pelagos, which takes its name from πέλαγος – an Ancient Greek word for theContinue reading “Looking back across the sea”

Clara Peeters: Second Breakfast

Clara Peeters, Stil Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels, c. 1615, Mauritshuis, The Hague. You may be familiar with the concept of ‘second breakfast’ from the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien – he popularised the idea by suggesting that it was popular with Hobbits. However, even before Tolkien took it to Middle-earth, the second breakfast was standard practiceContinue reading “Clara Peeters: Second Breakfast”

Looking again at the Leading Star

Judith Leyster, Self Portrait, c. 1630, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Greetings from Shetland! I still have a few days here, but will be back in plenty of time for my talk this Monday, 3 August at 6pm which will be the first of two about the superb exhibition I saw in Ghent back inContinue reading “Looking again at the Leading Star”

280 – “Amo” I love!

Edward Robert Hughes, Study for a Picture: Fra Lippo Lippi, 1893. Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Birkenhead. I am only just starting to get to know the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum in Birkenhead. It’s a little bit out of the way for me, on the Wirral, but only 20 minutes to drive… However, IContinue reading “280 – “Amo” I love!”

Hockney, retrospective

David Hockney, My Parents and Myself, 1976. The David Hockney Foundation. I first posted today’s blog just under two years ago, when the National Gallery was showing a closely related work in a rather wonderful 3-painting display. It seems apt to repost it today, though, as I look forward to this week’s talk (at 6.00pmContinue reading “Hockney, retrospective”

279 – Honeysuckle A and B

May Morris, Design for Honeysuckle wallpaper, about 1879-83. The William Morris Society. I spent the weekend with a very slow WiFi connection trying to get my laptop back up to running order. If you’re reading this now, I have clearly succeeded. However, the whole process has given me plenty of time to look at myContinue reading “279 – Honeysuckle A and B”

278 – Heading for a Fall

Henri Matisse, The Fall of Icarus, 1943. Private collection. You know when someone says, ‘I’m having one of those weeks’? Well, that’s me. For a while I even thought I would have to postpone Monday’s talk, Matisse because on Tuesday night (well, Wednesday morning) at about 12:30am my laptop locked me out. However, I gotContinue reading “278 – Heading for a Fall”