Category: Art Rauf Likes

Exploring Gender and Identity in Michael Davis’s “Madam XY” | August 18 2025, 14:09

We arrived in Sheperdstown yesterday, where there is a studio of a local artist, Michael Davis. His works are very interesting. In the studio, an enormous painting hangs on the whole wall, which immediately brings a smile to those somewhat versed in art, as it’s a riff on Madam X, and the artist decided to add Y — clearly alluding to transgender identity. At first, I thought it was his wife he painted (she seemed to be in charge at the studio yesterday, but perhaps they just resemble the XY model, so I didn’t ask). The strap on Madam XY has fallen, just like in Sargent’s original version before he repainted it and relocated it to avoid complete moral outrage.

A very talented artist. I will definitely visit his classes. Initially, I said “as much as 50 minutes to ride”, but now I think about it and will say “only 50 minutes to ride”.

#artrauflikes

Michael Timothy Davis Fine Art

Rediscovering Peder Severin Krøyer: The Overlooked Impressionist | July 23 2025, 22:40

I haven’t posted anything about artists in a while. Today, I want to talk about an Impressionist you’ve probably never heard of, yet he deserves to be ranked alongside Degas, Manet, Monet, and Renoir. His name is Peder Severin Krøyer, a Danish painter from the second half of the 19th century.

Interestingly, a film about his wife, Marie Triepcke, was released in 2012. She was considered the most beautiful woman in Europe, and he — at least in Denmark — the most talented painter. She was an artist too, but eventually stopped painting entirely in his shadow. According to some sources, not without the influence of her brilliant husband, who actively convinced Marie of her lack of talent.

Posts like this are grouped under the hashtag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the Art Rauf Likes” section you can find all 152 entries (unlike Facebook, which forgets — or ignores — nearly half of them).

Navigating Art and Meaning: The Journey of Misha Marker | May 14 2025, 20:26

Misha Marker is one of the few artists I follow who prioritizes meanings and words over technique, though he clearly possesses ample skill in both areas. Residing in Russia, he must navigate his expressions cautiously, yet he appears to manage it successfully. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Virgil Elliot, author of Traditional Oil Painting (arguably the premier resource on the topic) and I posed a question: which holds greater value today, the skill to replicate reality or the creativity that fosters new interpretations? Unsurprisingly, there is no straightforward or sole correct response. Misha’s art primarily explores meanings.

Posts like these are categorized under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com, the “Art Rauf Likes section compiles all 151 entries (in contrast to Facebook, where tag searches often omit nearly half).

Daniela Werneck: From Rio to Realism | May 04 2025, 13:24

An intriguing artist from Houston — Daniela Werneck. She specializes in watercolors. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A self-taught painter who holds a degree in interior design from the School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro. She has dedicated herself to realistic figurative art for just the past decade. Thus, with sufficient resolve, anything is achievable.

Posts discussing art like this are categorized under the tag #artrauflikes, and at beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, one can discover all 150 (unlike Facebook, which tends to forget (or omit) nearly half of them).

Sunlit Perspectives: Exploring Joshua LaRock’s Unique Technique | March 26 2025, 23:38

Very interesting contemporary American artist, Joshua LaRock. He has a wide range of works—there are many of them, and they’re technically and emotionally impressive, in my opinion. But I started the gallery with a selection of paintings where the sun is shining directly at the viewer. You actually don’t see this very often in oil paintings. It’s not that it’s particularly difficult to do technically, it’s just that no one really does it. Well, except for the Impressionists. In those very rare cases where it does appear, it usually depicts a sunset or sunrise, but never with people in the foreground.

Posts like this are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and you can find all 148 of them (unlike Facebook, which forgets—or ignores—almost half) in the “Art Rauf Likes section at beinginamerica.com.

Unveiling the Mystery of a Dark Artwork | March 25 2025, 14:04

I stumbled upon this eerie and mesmerizing painting, which appears to depict a mother embracing a demonic entity. In some places on the internet, it is claimed to be called “A Mother’s Love” and is allegedly painted by an artist named Carl Olof Petersen. However, I am quite skeptical because Petersen normally works in a different style. I think it might simply be someone’s guess that everyone else picked up without checking the source.

I tried to dig deeper, but I found no reliable confirmation of either the artist’s name or the title of the painting. It is very likely that this is AI art—indicated by the strange anatomy of the woman’s arm (elbow and forearm).

#artrauflikes

Grant Wood: The Enigmatic Life of an American Icon | February 15 2025, 17:29

American artist Grant Wood (Grant DeVolson Wood, 1891–1942) is best known for his painting American Gothic. Starting with Impressionism, he later focused on realistic depictions of Iowa. He lived modestly, avoiding publicity. His strict Quaker father forbade art, but after his father’s death, Wood dedicated himself to painting.

American Gothic—one of the most recognizable, frequently copied, and parodied paintings—brought him worldwide fame, though Wood had no idea what to do with it. He spent his life trying to be talked about, written about, and known as little as possible. To achieve this, he spent years crafting the image of a “farmer-artist”—a painter in overalls, uneducated, and entirely unremarkable. In an interview, Wood once said: “I’m the plainest kind of fellow you can find. There isn’t a single thing I’ve done or experienced that would be worth talking about.”

In 1935, the loss of his mother and an unsuccessful marriage changed his life. He died in 1942, leaving behind a legacy as one of America’s most significant artists. Just a couple of days ago was the anniversary of his death, and a day later—his birthday.

Similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and all 147 of them can be found in the Art Rauf Likes section on beinginamerica.com (unlike Facebook, which forgets—or ignores—almost half of them).

Exploring Konstantin Seleznev’s Nostalgic Soviet Realism | February 12 2025, 18:29

Interesting works. Moscow artist Konstantin Seleznev (1975). Some pieces have a touch of nostalgia, and in general, Soviet realism hasn’t gone anywhere. After all, a good artist should also be a good photographer. If your works have a million focal points, making it hard to distinguish what’s primary and what’s secondary – that’s not bad, but.. As if to say, everything is important—take a closer look. I don’t know, mixed feelings, but overall, I like it more than I don’t. So, I’m sharing.

Similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and all 146 can be found in the “Art Rauf Likes” section on beinginamerica.com (unlike Facebook, which forgets—or ignores—almost half of them).

Exploring Frances Bell: A Modern Master of Detail and Color | February 06 2025, 20:59

(ENG) A truly cool English artist, Frances Bell. Her works are either portraits or scenes of people by water, yet all are executed with immense attention to detail without the actual details—directly following the principles of Sargent. Traditional techniques, simply people, alive, posing. Frances claims she works solely from life, no photographs involved. Observe how splendidly she conveys colors and shapes, “with a single stroke”.

Similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and at beinginamerica.com under the ‘Art Rauf Likes’ section, all 145 are available (unlike Facebook, which forgets (overlooks) almost half of them).

(ENG) A remarkable English artist, Frances Bell. Her canvases depict either portraits or people beside water, yet all are crafted with prodigious care for details—amazingly without actual details—a true adherence to Sargent’s tenets. She employs traditional techniques, capturing lively, posing individuals. Frances asserts that she operates purely from life, eschewing any use of photographs. Notice the masterful rendering of colors and forms, oftentimes achieved in “a single stroke”.

Posts of this kind are collected under the hashtag #artrauflikes, and at beinginamerica.com in the ‘Art Rauf Likes’ section, you can find all 145 of them, unlike Facebook, which neglects (disregards) nearly half.

(/ENG)

Exploring Emanuele Attadia: Ancient Themes in Modern Artistry | February 05 2025, 02:29

An intriguing artist — Emanuele Attadia (Italy, b. 1986). A fusion of the ancient and modern. There’s realism, yet it’s imbued with an unusual tenderness. I’m particularly fond of his use of color and his selection of motifs.

Similar posts can be found under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, where all 144 posts are catalogued (unlike Facebook, which loses track of (or disregards) nearly half of them).