228th Birth Anniversary of John James Audubon

John James Audubon by John Syme - portrait
located at the White House (public domain)

One of the world's greatest ornithologists, Audubon was also a leading naturalist and artist. He painted over 400 true to life works of art depicting the birds he encountered. His body of work forms a significant contribution to the field of ornithology, which was made possible by shooting the birds first and then painting them. It seems harsh today, since we shoot birds with cameras now, but in earlier times, when cameras couldn't zoom or display color, it was the only way to create an accurate portrait. Many naturalists of his time adhered to the maxim, “What's hit's history: what's missed's mystery.” The University of Pittsburgh is one of the few institutions to own a rare and complete set of Audubon's Birds of America plates. The entire collection has been digitized and can be viewed online; the images are of very high resolution and quality. Wikimedia Commons also displays Audubon images, and they are also very hi-res. Audubon painted his birds not only in great detail, but also with some feeling for the character of each breed. He did observe how dedicated birds were to their offspring and portrayed them beautifully in their natural setting.

 

Audubon's Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Google doodle for Audubon's 226th anniversary

Audubon's Goosander

130th Birth Anniversary of Vincent Van Gogh

Blossoming Almond Tree - Vincent Van Gogh 1890, public domain, Wikimedia Commons

One of the best tributes to Van Gogh is Don McLean's song, "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)." Almost everyone who is moved by art has their own appreciation for Van Gogh's powerfully moving paintings. And while many of his of works are bold in color and emotion, a distinct delicacy is also evinced in others. I've always loved the "Blossoming Almond Tree" for its ethereal, floating quality which to me has always evoked Dogwood blossoms.  A nicely representative gallery of his works may be viewed on Wikimedia Commons, including several self-portraits.

200th Birth Anniversary of Nathaniel Currier

American Homestead Winter - Currier and Ives, Public Domain

Nathaniel Currier, of Currier and Ives fame, started his famously prolific lithographic company in the 19th century and produced over 7500 lithographs. The Currier and Ives lithographic style is probably one of the most recognizable anywhere, as the images are often reproduced for greeting cards and other merchandise. While today most people associate Currier and Ives with Christmas cards and cookie tins, the company also produced a number of illustrative lithographs depicting political figures and events. Their collection may be viewed on many websites, as most, if not all, is in the public domain:

Currier & Ives Foundation

Online Gallery of Currier & Ives Prints

Currier & Ives, Printmakers to the American People

Currier and Ives, Printmakers to the People

A Gallery of Currier and Ives Lithographs

Library of Congress Digital Resources; search Currier and Ives

Behind the Scenes: The Artists Who Worked for Currier and Ives

Currier and Ives Tradecards

Currier and Ives, Perspectives on America

Harriet Endicott Waite research material concerning Currier & Ives, 1923-1956  from the Smithsonian Archives of American Art

Bridge of Light

 

This beautiful art installation looks like it could have been built by Cisco Systems since it resembles their logo. It's sort of like a static fireworks display which you can watch all night long!

Faking It - Before Photoshop

How did photographers manipulate images before computers? In many clever ways, sometimes by just cutting and pasting (literally). Sometimes they employed other methods such as exposure tricks or painting. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of manipulated photos is being shown at the National Gallery of Art in DC this Spring. This show is being sponsored by (surprise!) Adobe. The photos are all mesmerizing and in some cases eerie and creepy. The WP has reviewed the show and the NGA has provided a catalog of the works on display.
 

Photo at left: Wanda Wulz, Io + gatto (Cat + I), 1932, [Multiple Exposure of Woman and Cat's Face] Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Role of Beauty

Why We Love Beautiful Things (NYT) - this article probably explains why I am drawn to Bing every day even though I don't use the search very often. I just need to look at the beautiful images.


Field with purple Flowers by Pál Szinyei Merse (1845 - 1920) - public domain Wikimedia Commons

Kid Art

Kid Art 2 - simplicity

Kid Art 1 - extravaganza

The extravagance and simplicity of children's art - here are works by my young nieces which reflect their nature and current moods. There is nothing purer than children's art.