The Birth of Venus
…is from a famous episode from classical mythology when Venus is born of sea-foam and carried ashore. This theme, very popular in the 19th century, provided some artists with the opportunity to introduce eroticism without offending public morality, under the pretext of representing a classical subject. For Cabanel, the mythological theme is indeed a pretext for the portrayal of a nude figure, which, though idealized, is nonetheless depicted in a lascivious pose.
…is from a famous episode from classical mythology when Venus is born of sea-foam and carried ashore. This theme, very popular in the 19th century, provided some artists with the opportunity to introduce eroticism without offending public morality, under the pretext of representing a classical subject. For Cabanel, the mythological theme is indeed a pretext for the portrayal of a nude figure, which, though idealized, is nonetheless depicted in a lascivious pose.
The Knight of the Flowers
…depicts the moment when Parsifal, the chaste hero destined to find the Holy Grail, has just struck down the guardians of the castle of the magician Klingsor. He moves away into the enchanted garden, deaf to the calls of the flower maidens, femmes fatales scantily clad in narcissi, peonies, roses, irises, tulips, violets and hydrangeas.
…depicts the moment when Parsifal, the chaste hero destined to find the Holy Grail, has just struck down the guardians of the castle of the magician Klingsor. He moves away into the enchanted garden, deaf to the calls of the flower maidens, femmes fatales scantily clad in narcissi, peonies, roses, irises, tulips, violets and hydrangeas.
Illustration for The Dream using pencil, pen, chinese ink and watercolor
The Seige of Paris
The figure of Paris - represented by Madame Meissonier, draped in a black veil and a lion skin, in front of a tattered French flag – rises above the ruins of a barricade. Above her, in a sky of billowing clouds of ash and unfolding tragedy, the spectre of famine hovers over a Paris destroyed by fire.
The figure of Paris - represented by Madame Meissonier, draped in a black veil and a lion skin, in front of a tattered French flag – rises above the ruins of a barricade. Above her, in a sky of billowing clouds of ash and unfolding tragedy, the spectre of famine hovers over a Paris destroyed by fire.
Photograph of a group of paperboys
Boats: Regatta at Argenteuil
The Boy with the Cat
...has not given up all its secrets. This male nude has no equivalent in Renoir's work. The identity of the model seen from the back cuddling the cat is unknown. His sly glance at the spectator remains mysterious. The scene does not seem to have any mythological reference.
...has not given up all its secrets. This male nude has no equivalent in Renoir's work. The identity of the model seen from the back cuddling the cat is unknown. His sly glance at the spectator remains mysterious. The scene does not seem to have any mythological reference.
Le chemin de la Machine
The illusion of three-dimensional space is particularly spectacular thanks to the road stretching into the distance, perpendicular to the surface of the painting. The row of trees gives rhythm to the composition, and accentuates the impression of depth, whilst an interplay of lines is achieved through the vertical trunks, echoed by the horizontal lines of the shadows. The slight rise in the road is used to create a vanishing point slightly off centre, and to obtain a plunging view over the sunlit background.
The illusion of three-dimensional space is particularly spectacular thanks to the road stretching into the distance, perpendicular to the surface of the painting. The row of trees gives rhythm to the composition, and accentuates the impression of depth, whilst an interplay of lines is achieved through the vertical trunks, echoed by the horizontal lines of the shadows. The slight rise in the road is used to create a vanishing point slightly off centre, and to obtain a plunging view over the sunlit background.
The Port of Rouen, Saint-Sever
Starry Night
View of the Rhone in which Van Gogh marvelously transcribed the colors he perceived in the dark. Blues prevail: Prussian blue, ultramarine and cobalt. The city gas lights glimmer an intense orange and are reflected in the water. The stars sparkle like gemstones. The serene atmosphere reinforced by the presence of a couple of lovers at the bottom of the canvas.
View of the Rhone in which Van Gogh marvelously transcribed the colors he perceived in the dark. Blues prevail: Prussian blue, ultramarine and cobalt. The city gas lights glimmer an intense orange and are reflected in the water. The stars sparkle like gemstones. The serene atmosphere reinforced by the presence of a couple of lovers at the bottom of the canvas.
The Young Girl and Death
…depicts a young girl in white, surprised in her bed by Death, in the guise of a black angel with huge wings. The medieval aspect of the room, the composition and attention to detail, the depiction of the young girl in profile, the angel’s gesture and even the curved shape of the picture, all give this work an archaic feel typical of Pre-Raphaelitism in Britain at the time.
…depicts a young girl in white, surprised in her bed by Death, in the guise of a black angel with huge wings. The medieval aspect of the room, the composition and attention to detail, the depiction of the young girl in profile, the angel’s gesture and even the curved shape of the picture, all give this work an archaic feel typical of Pre-Raphaelitism in Britain at the time.
