If you could choose any three famous paintings to hang on your walls, which ones would you choose?
If you could choose any three famous paintings to hang on your walls, which ones would you choose?
In order of priority, these would be my choices:
- The Fighting Temeraire, by John M W Turner
I have gazed for a long time at the original of this painting in the National Gallery in London, England. I had become familiar with it from a university course in English Literature, upon reading works by John Ruskin. Ruskin idealized Turner which whetted my curiosity to see his paintings and this is the one that had most attracted my attention, not only because it told a story, but because it was a forerunner of French Impressionism, ahead of its time. As it happens, the BBC ran a poll of the English Public, to determine that it was as well their most favourite painting.
- The West Wind, by Tom Thompson
Tom Thompson was attached to the famous Canadian artist group, The Group of Seven. He painted this picture in 1917, and it is said to have been his last painting before he drowned in a lake in Central Ontario, which is where he did most of his work. A large framed print of this painting hung in the public school I attended as a child and I saw it every day I went to school, so it imprinted itself in my mind. I was always attracted to the lakes of Central Ontario, and this was an idealized depiction of them. I eventually bought a cottage on one of those lakes. It is one of the most famous paintings by a Canadian artist.
3. I and the Village, by Marc Chagall
This painting hangs in the Museum of Modern Art, in NYC. To explain the painting, I quote Wikipedia:
The work contains many soft, dreamlike images overlapping one another in a continuous space. [2] In the foreground, a cap-wearing green-faced man stares at a goat or sheep with the image of a smaller goat being milked on its cheek. In the foreground is a glowing tree held in the man's dark hand. The background features a collection of houses next to an Orthodox church, and an upside-down female violinist in front of a black-clothed man holding a scythe . Note that the green-faced man wears a necklace with St. Andrew's cross, indicating that the man is a Christian. As the title suggests, I and the Village is influenced by memories of the artist's place of birth and his relationship to it. [1] [3] [4]
The significance of the painting lies in its seamless integration of various elements of Eastern European folktales and culture, both Russian and Yiddish. [5] Its clearly defined semiotic elements (e.g. The Tree of Life ) and daringly whimsical style were at the time considered groundbreaking. [6] Its frenetic, fanciful style [3] is credited to Chagall's childhood memories becoming, in the words of scholar H.W. Janson , a "cubist fairy tale" [7] reshaped by his imagination, without regard to natural color, size or even the laws of gravity. [3]
What are YOUR 3 choices?
Tags
Who is online
582 visitors
Besides being indicative of your personal taste, maybe something about your background and life experiences, I think that your choice of paintings could say something about your personality. Let's see what you would choose.
Buzz to the Ojibwe water is sacred. Ojibwe women sacred duty is to care for the waters. So we can heal ourselves, and in turn help heal Shkaakaamikiwe (mother earth). The rivers are the veins of Shkaakaamikiwe through which her blood runs. Our basic food is wild rice. We call it the land where food grows on water.
We are water people. Our land is the Great Lakes, and the rivers and steams that abound in the area.
So, the painting of water, would be my favorite.
I have always been comfortable near and on the water. Perhaps it's because I'm an Aquarius. Some people prefer mountains, some desert, but I have always lived near water - born and grew up and lived most of my life next to Lake Ontario and used to fish with my father on Lake Erie, with my uncle on the pier at the canal between Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay, and on the lakes up north where I eventually bought a cottage with 250' of shoreline.
Can you choose another couple of paintings? I did think of including a Morrisseau, but I already have one (at least I had it until I gave it to my wife when we divorced - but I know it will go to my son eventually).
I posted two above Buzz.
I posted two above Buzz.
Not sure why the don't appear for me, Kavika.
I can't see them either, so will have to look them up!
I always have loved this and wished I could find a print of it, to hang in my house... I love how the background draws you in--
Thomas Cole, I think.
I have a Paul Sawyier print in my house-- one with a young deer, in front of a tree, in the mist. I couldn't find a copy of it to save.
Nice choices. I like the one of the people standing on the cliff.
That one is usually featured in text books when they discuss the settlement of KY... I don't know who it is, but it usually on the page with Daniel Boone!
Thomas Cole, I think.
Dowser.
Actually, it's by Asher B. Durand … but, Cole is one of the figures in the painting ("Kindred Spirits").
The other figure is William Cullen Bryant, a friend of Cole'a and a poet of the day.
The "story" is that Cole is about to travel to Europe to study the works of the "Old Masters;" Bryant warns Cole not to lose his desire to paint the American Wilderness … to "Keep that Wilder Image Bright."
Sonnet--to an American Painter Departing for Europe
by William Cullen Bryant
Thine eyes shall see the light of distant skies:
Yet, Cole! thy heart shall bear to Europe's strand
A living image of thy native land,
Such as on thy own glorious canvass lies.
Lone lakes --savannahs where the bison roves--
Rocks rich with summer garlands--solemn streams--
Skies, where the desert eagle wheels and screams--
Spring bloom and autumn blaze of boundless groves.
Fair scenes shall greet thee where thou goest--fair,
But different --every where the trace of men,
Paths, homes, graves, ruins, from the lowest glen
To where life shrinks from the fierce Alpine air.
Gaze on them, till the tears shall dim thy sight, But keep that earlier, wilder image bright.
1829
This poem was written to Thomas Cole, Bryant's frequent walking companion in the Catskills and a celebrated landscape painter . Here is a painting of the two men ("Kindred Spirits" as painted by Asher Durand) . Note the kind of wild American landscape which is pictured here and in his other pictures, and consider how that image of wildness (and American-ness) is woven into this poem. Since Cole is a landscape painter, the first line is even more significant. Think about how this poem is related to this kind of romantic painting (in subject matter, idea, and style).
Every now and then I call on my Fine Art/Art History Degree.
Excellent information - but in your case I'll borrow a line from Casablanca: "I expect no less."
Mac, now they have disappeared from my screen as well. I have no idea what is going on.
Mac, now they have disappeared from my screen as well. I have no idea what is going on.
I can see them now, Kavika.
LOL, I still can't see them Mac....But I did post three by Leroy Neiman that I can see.
Damn evil spirits.
Number 2, The West Wind..
Water and Ojibwe...What else is there to say..
Test
"Test"
Why?
You can say that again. Oh, you did. LOL
We have the same order of choices Buzz. The first one is striking as it seems to use reflections or a mirror look to it. It feels very detailed yet vague at the same time.
The second on would be my favorite if it was a little more real looking. I love the water, but I want it to look more like water. It's a beautiful picture all the same.
The third one would probably keep me busy trying to find something new on it for quite some time, I bet.
Tom Thomson's style was a little rough, which I think is quite a propos his subject matter. The north country is not a delicate place.
1. Girl With A Pearl Earring.
I like paintings where people from bygone days show expression on their faces. In the eras of portraits the subjects often seemed expressionless. The girl has the hint of a slight smile, and is alluring. Girl With A Pearl Earring was painted by Johannes Vermeer in 1665.
2. First Snow by Leonid Afremov
Color and depth. This would brighten any day.
3. Melting Clocks by Salvador Dali
The harsh visual contrasts help the stark reminder that time is both our ally and our enemy.
Excellent choices, John. I spent a lot of time looking at Girl With a Pearl Earring and almost chose it instead of the Chagall because I thought I should have had at least one painting of a human. There is something magnetic about that image - it's hard to take your eyes off it. It Did you ever watch the movie with Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson?
R.C. Gorman, I actually have two of his paintings.
Broken Promises opens, but I cannot open the R.C.Gorman picture. What is the title? I can search it on the internet.
J D Challenger, ''Broken Promises''.
Dear Friend Buzz: The three works of art categories from which I would use are these:
The Persistence of Memory - Salvador Dali
Anything from the Sarajevo Haggadah
Anything from Marc Chagall
Artistically Yours,
Enoch.
The Persistence of Memory by Dali is the one that John Russell posted below. I posted a Chagall. I really wanted to post the Hadassah Hospital windows, but that would have been excessive. However, the Sarajevoh Haggadah is remarkable. The illustrations are precious. For those who are unaware, the Haggadah is a prayer book used at the Passover Seder. Here is an example of a page from it:
That is really beautiful!
A terrific topic, Buzz.
Frederich Church
William Sidney Mount
Although there have been greater painters, I'm partial to 19th Century American painting.
Turner, British, is among the greatest.
There have been some wonderful American artists and I was tempted to choose something from them as well. I especially saw some great autumn paintings, and one of the California Redwoods that was breathtaking.
I love these, too, A. Mac! I, too, am partial to 19th century art...
"A terrific topic, Buzz"
It's gratifying to see how many members are contributing to it.
One of my favorite topics... art.
So many to chose... so hard to do. No order here..
I'm familiar with Monet's Water Lillies (he painted many versions of them) and Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone. I think you posted the middle picture sometime previously, but I don't recall the name or the artist.
I love Monet, because he painted what I see without my glasses... All those stars become glowing globes of light. 3 cheers for astigmatism! 3 cheers for glasses!
I love these colors, too!
Looks like Neiman has his fans, but I like the bombers.
They are very beautiful, NWM! I like them!
OK, I'm going to try posting painting again and hope that they don't disappear.
I have the following three Neiman's.
Tour de France, serigraph
Casino at Monte Carlo, serigraph
Harbor at Monte Carlo, serigraph
They worked for me, Kavika.
Great Buzz, I have no idea why the first two I posted yesterday just disappeared.
At first, your first two didn't show, but eventually I got "Broken Promises" to be visible, and for me it is still visible. Is it not for you?
Neither one shows for me Buzz.
Out of curiosity, did you adjust the pixel size to less than 700 pixels width before trying to post the pictures. I copy and save pictures and photos to my computer "documents-pictures", then edit - resize them smaller or larger to about 650 to 700 pixels width, make other adjustments such as cropping, tilting, colour correction, brightness, contrast, etc., then save them and post them at the "512" size - rarely have a problem.
They are beautiful! I love the one with the boats! What a happy picture!
I love period paintings ... life studies long past ...
"The Curlers," Sir George Harvey 1835This one I smile over, as almost everyone says curling is "boring" NOT! IMHO
Love everything about this painting ...
"Highlands and Drover in Valley," Louis Bosworth Hurt 1856-1929
Always near to my heart ... the Highlands of Scotland and Hilean Coos
Thank you, Moon-crow, those are a great addition to the article. Have you ever curled? I have, and had to smile as well at that picture. Although the sweeping can get pretty frantic, it sure doesn't get as frantic as that picture shows.
Buzz ...sadly I have not, but I love to watch it. Oddly, what attracted me to it was the concept of using stones as the playing media ... I love rocks!
Frida, Klimt and Maxfield Parrish
@Pat-wilson: I had two originally framed Maxfield Parrish prints (now in the hands of my ex-wife). The one you posted is entitled "Daybreak", probably his most famous painting. I had that one and one called "Garden of Allah":
In 1975 my wife (now ex) and I were driving in Cape Cod and came across a flea market, something that was always hard for us to resist exploring, and when wandering far in, noticed a vendor had the two Parrish prints behind him. We asked how much he wanted for them and he said $15 each. We asked how much if we buy both of them, and he said $25. Of course we bought them - a bargain at 10 times the price. While walking out of the market carrying them we were offered by three different vendors to buy them from us, but no way would we sell them. They were hung on the wall of our dining room for the rest of our married life.
hey Buzz, you have great taste !!!
When you say "prints" were these numbered from limited editions ?
What a great find, dayammn !
I don't know what was on the back of the prints, because they were sealed with brown paper and I never opened the backs. Even if they were not limited edition numbered prints, they were of great value to us. The prints, without including the ornate frames (like the one on the print I posted), were about 30 inches across.
I had been intending to post a picture essay on Parrish, because I think that many of his works are magnificent art deco, but the load size limitation on this site is discouraging.
I imagine his images would certainly be huge files !
Fun article, Buzz. I wanted to post sooner but my desktop computer died Friday and the iphone just wouldn't do it.
Thanks, Pat. I will be doing more of them.
Pat,
Did you know that Parrish sometimes was the model for his female figures?
I didn't know that. How did he model for himself ?
Parrish would have himself photographed and use the photograph as the basis of a figure in one of his paintings.
It worked !
Considering the femininity of the females in his works I assume he didn't look like Charles Atlas.
Maxfield Parrish …
I want to thank everyone who contributed to this article. You have made it a very worth-while effort to have posted it.