Klimt, Gustav (1862-1918)

Austrian painter and illustrator

Co-founder of the Vienna Sezession, a group of modernist artists who gave rise to the Secession Movement, the Viennese version of Art Nouveau.

Sexuality, eroticism, regeneration, love and death are governing themes of his work.

Well know examples are Danae (1907), Adele Bloch-Bauer (1907), The Kiss (1912) and Die Jungfrau (1913)

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Klimt, Gustav
Klimt
painter
illustrator
fine art
artist
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Klee, Paul (1879-1940)

Swiss born painter

Klee was also an accomplished violinist and almost chose to study music rather than art.

He chose art and attended the Munich Academy in 1900 but his love of music, it's poetic motions and sometime surrealism remained and is reflected in many of his works.

His early works were mainly executed in pen and ink, often combining satirical, grotesque and surreal elements, his humor also being evident in the suggestive titles he gave his works.

He joined The Blue Rider (an Expressionist Group of Abstract painters) co-founded by his friend Wassily Kandinsky bringing to it his own individual style. Color is the mainstay of his paintings, he would build up a mosaic from colored squares which shone with a brightness and radiance and would often incorporate letters or numerals.

In 1933 Klee came down with and later died from the collagen disease Scleroderma which forced him to adopt a simpler painting style.

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Paul Klee
Klee
painter
fine art
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Botticelli, Sandro [Filipepi, Alessandro (di Mariano di Vanni)] (1444-1510)

Italian painter

Enjoyed the patronage of the principal families of Florence who held him in high regard.

Botticelli was highly commended by influential diplomats and leading persons, particularly for his involvement in the decoration of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

In his later life his reputation waned as his style of painting was overshadowed initially by that of emerging painters including Perugino and Francesco Francia then by the High Renaissance style of Michelangelo and Raphael

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Botticelli, Sandro
painter
artist
fine art
Italian painter
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Bronzino, Agnolo (Agnolo di Cosimo) (1503-1572)

Florentine Mannerist painter

Adopted son of Pontormo.

As his pupil Bronzino emulated the works of Pontormo but never quite achieved the emotional strengths evident in Pontormo's works.

Bronzino's is renowned for his skill and display of the nude, but his main successes lay in the field of Portraiture in which he excelled, being appointed Court Painter to Duke Cosimo I de Medici for a large part of his career and influencing the course of European Court Portraiture fo the next 100 years.

Bronzino was one of the Founding Members of the Accademia del Disegno in 1563.

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Bronzino, Agnolo
Bronzinoo
painter
fine art
artist
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Hobbema, Meindert (1638-1709)

Dutch landscape painter

A pupil of Jacob van Ruisdael whose work is frequently reflected in Hobbema's paintings.

Hobbema had a very limited subject range and was particularly fond of painting water mills and trees around a pool.

Hobbema enjoyed popularity in both Holland and England where his influence can sometimes be noted in Gainsborough's early landscapes.

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Hobbema, Meindert
Hobbema
artist
dutch
landscape painter
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Hiroshige, Ando (1797-1858)

A Japanese painter and print maker

Hiroshige was born in Tokyo (then named Edo) and was apprenticed to Utagawa Toyohiro graduating in 1812.

Initially he concentrated on creating prints of traditional subjects such as young women and actors but after this 1830 he concentrated on landscapes for which he subsequently became renowned.

Throughout his career was very prolific producing an abundance of paintings

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Hiroshige, Ando
Hiroshige
Japanese
painter
printmaker
fine art
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Hilliard, Nicholas (1547-1619)

English painter

Hilliard was appointed Court Miniaturist and Goldsmith by Elizabeth I.

He is best known and world renowned for his miniatures, although he executed many full size paintings, particularly portraits including one of Elizabeth I.

His sitters included many members of Court including Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Philip Sidney. The portrait shown is believed to be of Shakespeare.

Following in his father's footsteps he trained as a jeweller and goldsmith, a training which is reflected in the boldness of line and delicate detail achieved in his paintings.

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Hilliard, Nicholas
Hilliard
painter
miniaturist
goldsmith
art print
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Signac, Paul (1863-1935)

Virtually self taught French painter.

As a Neo-Impressionist he developed with Georges Seurat the technique known as pointillism, or divisionism, which uses small dots or strokes of contrasting color to create subtle changes in form.

He was able to use this technique to the full on his Landscapes which constitute the bulk of his works.

He was President of the annual Salon des Independants from 1908 to 1934 during which time he actively encouraged young artists and their controversial works in Fauvism and Cubism.

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Signac, Paul
Signac
art
artist
painter
French painter
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Utrillo, Maurice (1883-1955)

French painter

Utrillo was an alcoholic who took up art at the age of 19 in an attempt to overcome his addiction.

At first he painted a prolific number of somber landscapes of the countryside around Montmagny near Paris but when he returned to Montmare after a 3 year absence his paintings brightened and adopted a less somber tone.

He then created the first of many street scenes composed of ordinary houses and churches, later choosing Cathedrals as his main subject.

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Utrillo, Maurice
Utrillo
painter
art
fine art
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Constable, John (1776-1837)

English painter

Considered one of the finest British Landscape Artists. Constable never travelled abroad, he loved the English countryside so much.

Some of his finest works were of scenes of Suffolk and Hampstead where he resided.

Constable developed his own unique technique of capturing the variances of light and weather with rapid brushstrokes and splashes of pure, bright color.

Recognition of his works was slow to come, although he joined the Royal Academy Schools in 1799 he was not admitted as a full Academician until 1829.

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Constable
Constable, John
artist
painter
art
landscape artist
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Cassatt, Mary (1844-1926)

An American painter and printmaker

Studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

She lived and worked most of her life in France.

She met Degas in 1877 and remained a close friend throughout his life. Degas introduced her to Impressionism, a movement she supported enthusiastically and practically both by direct financial help and by promoting the works of Impressionists Manet, Monet, Morisot, Renoir, Degas and Pissarro in the USA.

She participated in the Exhibitions of 1879, 1880, 1881 and 1886.

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Cassatt, Mary
Cassatt
art
painter
printmaker
artist
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Gainsborough, Thomas (1727-88)

An English painter who painted portraits to earn his living and landscapes for his own personal pleasure.

He initially set up as a portrait painter in Sudbury and Ipswich but later moved to Bath where he soon found his patrons from influential Members of Society

Following his election as a founder Member of the Royal Academy he moved permanently to London where he very quickly became a Court favourite.

Although he was very much an individual painter his works were nevertheless influenced to a significant degree by other artists.

For example his early works reflect the influence of French engraving and Dutch landscaping painting whilst his veneration of van Dyck clearly shows in some of his works executed at Bath (the Blue Boy) and a touch of Rubens is hinted at in some of his later landscapes.

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Gainsborough, Thomas
Gainsborough
art
fine art
painter
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Fantin-Latour, (Ignace-)Henri(-Théodore) (1836-1904)

French painter

Taught as a child by his father, Jean-Théodore Fantin-Latour

Joined the Petite Ecole de Dessin in Paris (1850-56) and studied under Horace Lecocq de Boisbaudran, learning the techniques of the Old Masters by copying their works and styles, his favorites being the Italian painters, Titian and Veronese.

His works included a series of Self Portraits (1854-61).

In 1859 he became a pupil of Gustave Courbet for a few months learning how to calm the harshness of his Master's with a softness and intimacy clearly reflected in his series of "reading" paintings.

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Fantin-Latour
art
artist
painter
self portraits
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Bronzino, Agnolo (Agnolo di Cosimo) (1503-1572)

Florentine Mannerist painter

Adopted son and pupil of Pontormo whose work he emulated, however he never quite achieved the emotional strengths evident in Pontormo's works.

Bronzino excelled in the field of Portraiture, being appointed Court Painter to Duke Cosimo I de Medici for a large part of his career and influencing the course of European Court Portraiture for the next 100 years.

His skill and display of the nude is renowned.

In 1563 Bronzino was one of the Founding Members of the Accademia del Disegno

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Bronzino
Bronzino, Agnolo
artist
art
painter
portraits
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Hockney, David (1937-)

An stupendous British painter, draughtsman, printmaker, photographer and designer who studied at the Royal College of Art where he was a prize winner and went on to achieve International fame before he was in his mid twenties.

His early paintings were technically as a leading Pop Artist. Although he rejected this title he was nevertheless outstanding in this field and, alongside Richard Hamilton, is considered by many to be the instigator of the Pop movement in England.

His paintings were not solely confined to Pop Art, he later turned to a more traditional form and painted some remarkable portraits.

Painting is not his only forte, he is equally successful as a graphic artist producing works such as the illustrations to "Six Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm" and as a Stage Designer with set and costume designs for Mozart's "The Magic Flute" amongst others.

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artist
Hockney
David Hockney
painter
graphic artist
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Tissot, James (1836-1902)

French painter and graphic artist.

Started his artistic life painting historical costume pieces but in his late twenties he successfully changed to painting scenes of contemporary life, usually involving fashionable women in which he was able to indulge his love of painting women's costumes.

He was very successful in Paris and also in London where he was forced to take refuge following his alleged involvement in the turbulent events of the Paris Commune in 1871.

In 1888 he turned to religion and produced many paintings of religious subjects, in particular his illustrations to the events of the Bible were extremely popular.

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artist
Tissot
james Tissot
painter
graphic artist
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Rockwell, Norman (1894-1978)

American artist

for over 40 years his work appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post years ensuring he was known to and loved by Americans everywhere.

First studied at the National Academy of Design and later at the Art Students League in New York.

Perhaps best known for his "Four Freedoms" posters symbolizing for millions the war aims as described by President Franklin Roosevelt.

Also painted portraits of world figures including Nassar of Egypt, Nehru of India and American Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.

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Rockwell
Rockwell, Norman
painter
artist
cartoonist
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Pollock, Jackson (1912-56)

American painter

leader in the Abstract Expressionist movement

first studied as a Regionalist painter at the Art Students League, New York under Thomas Hart Benton, also influenced by Mexican Muralist paintings and Surrealism.

Perhaps best known for his "drip and splash" style which emerged in 1947 when he abandoned the traditional easel in favor of fixing the canvas to the floor or wall and pouring or dripping paint from the can on to it. Instead of using brushes he manipulated it with "sticks, trowels or knives" and often adding an admix of "sand, broken glass or other foreign matter".

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Pollock, Jackson
Pollock
painter
abstract expressionist
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Johnson, (Jonathan) Eastman (1824-1906)

Basically self trained American painter and printmaker.

Initially Johnson tended to concentrate on portraits of prominent Americans which he drew in chalk, crayon and charcoal

In 1848 he commenced a 2 year stay in Germany studying at the Düsseldorf Akadamie followed by 3 years in the Hague studying color and composition in 17th Century Dutch painting, studies which were to greatly influence his future portrait paintings.

Following a brief period in Thomas Couture's Paris studio he returned to America in 1855 where he concentrated on painting American subjects including Battle scenes as illustrated and American Indians in Wisconsin.

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Johnson, (Jonathan) Eastman
artists
fine art
painter
printmaker
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Degas, (Hilaire-Germain-) Edgar (1834-1917)

French painter and sculpter

Renowned for his ability to draw human and animal figures in motion and best known for his paintings, drawings and bronzes of ballerinas and of race horses.

Degas captures and expresses movement, stressing balance and with a clarity of outline which distinguishes him from other Impressionist painters.

He commenced his art studies with Louis Lamothes, a pupil of Jean Auguste Ingres who was revered by Degas, following which he stayed in Italy for 5 years studying Italian art, especially Renaissance. Later, following his return to Paris he met, and became greatly influenced by Édouard Manet.

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degas
degas edgar
artists
fine art
painter
sculpter
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