An artist’s treasure
With the auction Howard Hodgkin: Portrait of the Artist, Sotheby’s not only unveils the private collection of the late painter and collector Howard Hodgkin, but it also reveals how some of these masterpieces influenced his creations
Howard Hodgkin, one of the most admired post-world war artists from the UK, had the ability to make colour sing from the canvas. Through rapturous, pigment-loaded strokes he could make a beholder feel the sheer pleasure of being alive. His works were interpreted by many as being abstract, but in reality, Hodgkin created a unique pictorial language about people and places he interacted with. The artist’s eye for the exceptional had reverberated through his own paintings, but it had also lent itself to identifying extraordinary works of art in the most unexpected places.
While much has been written about Hodgkin’s collection of Indian miniatures, which was exhibited internationally, it is the kaleidoscope of 400 objects in his private collection that served a more intimate purpose. Revealed after he passed away in
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His penchant for colour is evident in the carpets he acquired. In fact, he was particularly drawn to fragments for their colour and texture. The jewel here is the 17th-century fragment that belonged to the legendary Robert von Hirsch (estimated between £80,000 and £150,000). His broad-ranging fabric collection also includes several European tapestries, like the glorious 16th-century French “grotesque” medallion (estimated between £80,000 and £120,000). He was also fascinated with recurring motifs, works that included elephants and palm trees, collages, inlaid items and surface patterns like mosaic, pietra dura, cosmati, marquetry and more. They inspired his banyan tree mural for the British Council, New
Introduction Metal engravings were common in the sixteenth century, in all probability because in those days, they were the easiest means of rendering multiple copies of an illustration. These engravings were made by using a sharp tool to engrave an image onto a thin metal sheet. The sheet was then smeared with ink and the engravings traced on the sheet to a paper. Creating copies for publication was potentially Theodore De Bry’s idea in engraving John White’s watercolors, which depicted the Native Indian life, in the sixteenth century. However, De Bry was not true to White’s depiction of the Native Indians in creating these engravings.
The dust across the mid ground of the painting contrasts against the blue and green hues of the top third of the painting. The detail of the drover on his horse in the foreground of the painting shows how Roberts can have intricate details whilst maintaining a soft and smooth stroke line. This interprets the theme of ‘The Bush’ by comparing it to Australia’s inner core landscape. The green from the trees is perched above and away from the earthy tones below. The perfectly blue sky shows a hope in the distance indicating the help the drover needs in this story.
I decided to focus on the Unicorn Tapestries for my Renaissance art project. The Unicorn Tapestries are a series of seven tapestries originally known as The Hunt of the Unicorn, and are tentatively dated between 1495 and 1505 which, according to the book timeline, is during the High Renaissance in Italy and the continuing Renaissance in the rest of Europe. Very little is known about the origin of these tapestries, and they are believed to have originated in the Southern Netherlands in Brussels. They are in phenomenal condition and the colors are still brilliant. Only one of the tapestries is missing a piece—The Mysterious Capture of the Unicorn a.k.a.
Jasper Johns: More Than the Sum Jasper Johns stated, “I think a painting should include more experience than simply intended statement” (Gershman, 2014). This stated goal for his own art allowed Johns to become and influential and celebrated artist. The people embraced his vision in art exhibits across the country. His influence in the cultural world of the era of the 1960s brought him fortune and notoriety and his contribute to the art world is still felt today. Johns calls viewers of his art to look beneath the veneer and feel the many aspects that make up what they see.
A native of Tacoma, Gary Larson’s comedic artistry that brought smiles to millions over the decades, may be construed as controversial and a reflection of social events. Over the years Larson’s talent has been displayed in newspapers, art galleries, and books. His humor “known to be on the dark side”, gives his personal view of human culture and “life on this planet” (Sherr). His approach to the unthinkable subject matter, draws readers to his comics and laughter to the uncomfortable, politically incorrect material that most feel uneasy to discuss.
One of the pieces of his that I find interesting is his "octopusplate". The piece is utilitarian and decorative. It is very decorative, there are many octopuses drawn together with simple scratches in between all the octopuses. For what I can see there are nine octopus '. It is painted with a black underglaze and looks like he used a clear glaze also.
PURPOSE: Born in England, Tom Eckersley is a known as a ‘modernist master’, due to his famous graphic and playful posters. He design original artworks from 1934-1995, with a bold simple style, using shapes, texture and flat colour. He breaks down intricate messages in a way where the audience can easily interpret them. Eckersley is inspired by the constructivists and Bauhaus whom feature the asymmetrical features.
The painting is oil on canvas and contains an extensive amount of contrast. For example, the bright vermillion blanket against the dull eggshell colored door. The disparity between the colors used is prominent. Additionally, the fusion of ornate patterns and simplistic solids is evident. The tablecloth is a geometric mixture of cream and periwinkle.
The painting’s size alone does wonders to draw viewers
The Unicorn Tapestries are the mystery of woven artworks from the Middle Ages; the researchers are trying to discover exactly who is the artist who designed them and their true origin. These tapestries from the late fifteenth century are the most famous and came to public attention in the mid-nineteenth century. They were housed in the castle in the city of Boussac from 1660 to 1835 and in the last year the contents of the castle were sold to the city by the last descendant of the Carbonnieres family. In 1883, the tapestries made their way to the Cluny museum in Paris, where they are officially installed and attracted many visitors over the years. However, the exact place of origin and the identity of the artist is yet to be confirmed.
John Wolseley and Andy Goldsworthy are two contemporary artist, displaying similarities as well as differences between their artworks, in particular, Wolseley’s artwork ‘Camel Gate, Border Track’ and Goldsworthy’s ‘Rowan Leaves’. Both the artists have their own style to present their artwork but still while analysing the two artworks, not only differences but also similarities, such as those in the structural frame, materials, and processes of production along with symbolism of their works, are clearly visible. Both the artists have valued the natural environment from ecological as well as philosophical angle. ‘In every work of art, the artist himself is present’ (Christian Morgenstern). John Wolseley artwork has been influenced by the Australian
With the rise of celebrity icons, we can begin to notice that Pop Art’s interest in these people created an extra layer of publicity and attention. The movement drowned itself in the cultural obsession of glamour and fortune and showed how easily the media could manipulate dictate fame. Warhol was a unique man and harboured a life-long excitement for fame, that of others probably more so than his own, believed that “In the future everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” FOOTNOTE. He began creating silkscreens in the early sixties, a method that he would practice for his entire career.
Rothko becomes representative of the more obscure direct of the 20th century and is highly appealing to the elite, who often pay and normal prices 4 works but puzzle for the wider public art. Art and the wars have been connected
Henri Regnault’s “Summary Execution in Granada Under the Moorish Kings” is a riveting visual experience on multiple levels. Through calculated artistic choices, Regnault ensures that the painting’s grotesque nature strikes first, shocking the viewer on a primal level. He plays with theatrical scale, angles, and lighting to elevate the drama of this scene in a way that would certainly have appealed to the fantastic imaginations of his audience in 19th century France. But equally as mesmerizing is how Regnault quietly imbues the painting with a sense that its characters are subject to some larger, unseen power. Through the use of line, color, and brushwork, Regnault forces the viewer to suspend judgement of the scene by alluding to the the complexity of what influenced the action.
The urge to acquire and own art is a time-honoured one. From the grand patronage of Renaissance popes and princes (not to mention de Medici), to eighteenth-century British aristocrats, or the bulk buying of Europe’s cultural heritage by America’s J. Paul Getty, over the centuries art has been amassed for purposes of propaganda, prestige, intellectual enlightenment and sheer pleasure. Few activities run the gamut of human impulses more comprehensively than the acquisition of art. Yet, however lofty or ignoble the underlying motivation, the cultural significance of art collecting has always extended beyond individual desire.