Saturday, July 31, 2010

Reveries

(click to enlarge)
Maxfield Parrish
(American, 1870-1966)
Reveries, 1813
Oil on canvas

Friday, July 30, 2010

Night and Her Daughter Sleep

(click to enlarge)
Mary Lizzie Macomber
(American, 1861-1916)
Night and Her Daughter Sleep, ????
Oil on canvas

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Adieu

(click to enlarge)
Edmund Blair Leighton
(English, 1853-1922)
Adieu, 1901
Oil on canvas

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A Summer Shower

(click to enlarge)
Charles E Perugini
(English, 1839-1918)
A Summer Shower, 1888
Oil on canvas

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Kate

(click to enlarge)
Charles E Perugini
(English, 1839-1918)
Kate, ????
Oil on canvas

A portrait of Kate Perugini, by her husband and fellow artist Charles E. Perugini.

Monday, July 26, 2010

News from the Front

(click to enlarge)
Alexander Rossi
(English, 1840-1916)
News from the Front, 1899
Oil on canvas

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Good News

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Isaac Snowman
(English, 1874-1947)
Good News, ????
Oil on canvas

So sweet!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Young Sculptress

(click to enlarge)
Alexander Rossi
(English, 1840-1916)
The Young Sculptress, ????
Oil on canvas

Friday, July 23, 2010

A Story

(click to enlarge)
Alexander Rossi
(English, 1840-1916)
A Story, ????
Oil on canvas

"I love it! So full of seaside goodness...and of course everybody loves a crusty old sailor with storytelling skills. The kids look so captivated..they're surrounded by fun stuff to do; They could be sea-bathing, sailing, building record-breaking sandcastles. But why bother with that stuff when they're hearing an exciting story about a near-death experience in the Bahamas or somewhere?"
–Katie, reader and blogger

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Girl Reading

(click to enlarge)
Charles E Perugini
(English, 1839-1918)
Girl Reading, ????
Oil on canvas

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Evening Repose

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
Vespertina Quies (Evening Repose), 1893
Oil on canvas

The background, expression, and pose all seem to be a homage to the Mona Lisa.

(click to enlarge)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Angel

(click to enlarge)
Abbot Handerson Thayer
(English, 1849-1922)
Angel, 1889
Oil on canvas

Monday, July 19, 2010

Afternoon Tea

(click to enlarge)
Artist Artist
(English, 1864-1949)
Afternoon Tea, ????
Oil on canvas

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Song of Love

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
Le Chant d'Amor (Song of Love), 1868-77
Oil on canvas

From Russel Ash's book Sir Edward Burne-Jones:
Here an ancient Breton song that was probably known to Georgiana [Burne-Jone's wife] provides the subject and the title for the painting: Hélas! je sais un chant d'amor/Triste ou gai, Tour á tour (Alas, I know a love song/Sad or merry, each in turn). The work depicts an organist with a figure representing Love working the bellows. The figure of Love is sightless ('love is blind'), while Burne-Jones's abiding interest in the language of flowers is manifest un the painting, where tulips (symbolizing 'ardent love') and wallflowers ('bitterness') jointly represent the contradictory emotions expressed in the song.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Peonies

(click to enlarge)
Charles E Perugini
(English, 1839-1918)
Peonies, ????
Oil on canvas

Friday, July 16, 2010

Angel of the Birds

(click to enlarge)
Franz Dvorak
(Austrian, 1862-1927)
Angel of the Birds, ????
Oil on canvas

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Betrothed

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Leonard T. Watts
(English, 1871-1951)
The Betrothed, ????
Oil on canvas

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Annunciation

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George Lawrence Bulleid
(French, 1858-1933)
The Annunciation, 1903
Watercolor

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Empress Comes

(click to enlarge)
George Lawrence Bulleid
(French, 1858-1933)
The Empress Comes, ????
Watercolor

Monday, July 12, 2010

A Portrait of Dora

(click to enlarge)
Kate Perugini
(English, 1839-1929)
A Portrait of Dora, 1892
Oil on canvas

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Serenity

(click to enlarge)
Edgar Maxence
(French, 1871-1954)
Sérénité (Serenity), ????
Oil on canvas

Saturday, July 10, 2010

They Toil Not, Neither Do They Spin

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Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale
(English, 1871-1945)
They Toil Not, Neither Do They Spin, 1903
Watercolor
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6:28-29

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Hours

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
The Hours, ????
Oil on canvas

The hours of the day from waking to sleeping.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Golden Stairs

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
The Golden Stairs, 1876-80
Oil on canvas

Unlike many of Burne-Jones's other paintings, this painting does not have any literary or mythical subject matter (other than the title being derived from Dante). He  did consider several other titles, including The King's Wedding and Music on the Stairs.
On a completely different note, while painting this work Burne-Jones remarked "I have drawn so many toes lately that when I shut my eyes I see a perfect shower of them." ;)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Head of a Tudor Girl

(click to enlarge)
Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale
(English, 1871-1945)
Head of a Tudor Girl, ????
Watercolor and bodycolor

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Arming of Perseus

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
The Arming of Perseus, 1885
Oil on canvas

This painting shows the nymphs bringing Perseus his winged sandals, a helmet of invisibility, and a purse for the Gorgon's head.
It is almost identical to Burne-Jones's first version, Perseus and the Sea Nymphs. I like this version better: the colors are darker but brighter, Perseus got a haircut, and the sea nymphs look much happier. Which version do you prefer? :)

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Gift That is Better Than Rubies

(click to enlarge)
Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale
(English, 1871-1945)
The Gift That is Better Than Rubies, 1899
Watercolor and bodycolor
Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Proverbs 8:10-11

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The Prioress' Tale

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
The Prioress' Tale, 1865-98
Oil on canvas

The Prioress's Tale is a story from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. In Russel Ash's book Sir Edward Burne-Jones there is a short summary of the story and the symbolism of the flowers:
This painting tells the story of a seven year old boy whose throat was cut for singing a Christian song in a Jewish city in Asia, but miraculously continued to sing when the Virgin Mary placed grain in his mouth. He died soon afterwards and was buried as a martyr. The flower symbolism of the white lily represents purity, that of the red poppy consolation, the dwarf sunflower adoration and the wallflower fidelity in adversity. 

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Pea Blossoms

(click to enlarge)
Edward John Poynter
(English, 1836-1919)
Pea Blossoms, 1890
Oil on canvas

Friday, July 2, 2010

Temperance

(click to enlarge)
Edward Burne-Jones
(British, 1833-1898)
Temperantia (Temperance), 1872
Oil on canvas

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Falling Apple Blossoms

(click to enlarge)
Hamilton Hamilton
(American, 1847-1928)
Falling Apple Blossoms, ????
Oil on canvas