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”
Category Archives: Self portraits
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”
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”
269 – A – Z (II) – William Nicholson was an Artist
William Nicholson, A was an Artist, from An Alphabet, published by William Heinemann, 1897. UK Government Art Collection. A few weeks back I wrote a post From A – Z playing on the idea that the letters were Anders Zorn’s initials. I hadn’t remembered at the time that one of the earliest independent works byContinue reading “269 – A – Z (II) – William Nicholson was an Artist”
267 – From A – Z: All about Zorn
267 – From A – Z: All about Zorn Anders Zorn, Zorn’s London Studio on Brook Street, 1883. Zornmuseet, Mora. I would love to say that I planned this, but I really didn’t. Last week I was talking about Anna Ancher, who was born on 18 August 1859, and this week I’m moving on exactlyContinue reading “267 – From A – Z: All about Zorn”
264 Caravaggio: If music… (b).
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Musicians, 1597. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The two one-painting exhibitions in London at the moment have a lot in common, and so do the artists who are represented. Apart from anything else, music and love are major themes, and in my blog last week I quoted theContinue reading “264 Caravaggio: If music… (b).”
Another look at Laura looking
Laura Knight, Laura Knight with model, Ella Louise Naper (‘Self Portrait’), 1913. National Portrait Gallery, London. This Monday 5 August at 6pm I will conclude my three part series on Tate’s superb Now You See Us, with a talk entitled From photography to something more modern. I will look at a few remaining paintings inContinue reading “Another look at Laura looking”
Back to the Crossroads
Angelica Kauffman, Self Portrait at the Crossroads between the Arts of Music and Painting, 1794. National Trust Collections, Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire. This Monday, 11 March, I will talk about the Royal Academy’s long-awaited exhibition Angelica Kauffman. And to introduce that, I am re-posting an entry from the early days of this blog – ‘day 14’ toContinue reading “Back to the Crossroads”
Doggedly re-posting
William Hogarth, The Painter and his Pug, 1745. Tate Britain, London. I’m not much of a dog person, but I have developed a fondness for William Hogarth’s pet pug, not least because it rejoiced in the name of Trump (no relation). This portrait – if that’s what it is – belongs to Tate, rather thanContinue reading “Doggedly re-posting”
Looking back at Catharina
Day 28 – Catharina van Hemessen, Self Portrait, 1548, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel. I got back from Paris last night after a 36-hour art attack on the city, and was very glad to catch the Musée d’Orsay’s Rosa Bonheur exhibition in its final week. I will talk about it – and her – in the final week of WomenContinue reading “Looking back at Catharina”
dr richard stemp 