Pygmalion (second series) by Edward Burne-Jones, 1875-78 (top to bottom: The Heart Desires, The Hand Refrains, The Godhead Fires, The Soul Attains). As promised, here is Burne-Jones’ second version of his illustrative series depicting William Morris’ poem ‘Pygmalion and the Image’. Click here to see yesterday’s post showing the first version.
Pieta by Pietro Perugino, 1490. Pieta is the Christian term for the depiction of the Virgin holding the dead body of Christ. Perugino’s version is linear and static, with an emphasis on symmetrical order.
The Lawyer by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1566. The body of this character is made up of legal documents, whilst the face is created with plucked poultry and fish. This is typical of Arcimboldo’s style.
Pygmalion (first series) by Edward Burne-Jones, 1868-70 (top to bottom: The Heart Desires, The Hand Refrains, The Godhead Fires, The Soul Attains). This is Burne-Jones first version of a painting series illustrating the William Morris poem ’Pygmalion and the Image.’ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has an excellent online review of the work and how Burne-Jones chose to portray particular parts of the story. I will be posting his second version of the series tomorrow evening, so keep your eyes peeled!
Cliff Dwellers by George Bellows, 1913. I love how Bellows manages to make his figures anonymous and yet maintain a sense of community and interaction. See also Forty-two Kids as another example of this portrayal.
Portrait of a Maori, New Zealand by Sydney Parkinson, 1769. Parkinson was one of Captain James Cook’s official expeditionary artists on his first voyage between 1768 to 1771. He depicts this Maori native as an exotic being with primitive features and unusual accessories, such as the hair feathers and grass cape.
La Fornarina by Raphael, c.1518-19. I still cannot believe I missed seeing this at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica at the Palazzo Barberini when I was in Rome a few months ago! It was a case of too many things to see and far too little time to do it in.
Above the Gravel Pit by Emily Carr, 1937. There is definitely something Van Gogh-esque about the gradation in the sky in this piece by modernist Canadian artist Emily Carr. Starry Night anyone??
At Breakfast by Zinaida Serebriakova, 1914. I adore these angelic faces! I would imagine these are relatives of Zinaida, as the little girl bares an uncanny resemblance to her self portraits. Could this in fact be a study of Zinaida’s family when she was growing up? She did have two brothers after all. If anyone knows, please enlighten me!
