Today I delved into Richard Schmid’s “Alla Prima,” and throughout the text, he repeatedly mentions Anders Zorn, an eminent Swedish painter from the early 20th century. Curiosity piqued, I explored his art and stumbled upon this piece featuring a boat and a girl clad in white—it’s a watercolor sold for $3.5 million. His other water-themed works are similarly executed in watercolor, while nearly everything else is in oils. Observe the varied techniques he employs. Beyond his paintings, Anders also produced several hundred etchings. It astonishes me that his work had eluded me until now. Truly, a genius!
I’d like to remind you that similar posts are categorized under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes section, you can explore all 69 (to date) posts. This is in stark contrast to Facebook, which tends to forget (or ignore) nearly half of them.
Today, I am showcasing the works of an interesting Japanese artist, Takahiro Hara. His works are very diverse, but you can notice the typical Japanese love for detail, color, and meticulous execution in what is otherwise not at all typical Japanese painting.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes section, you can find all 69 (as of now) posts (unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half of them).
Russian artist Nikolai Kozlenko (1952-2017). His work often features bright, sunny scenes with a child and a dog, evoking the scents of fresh grass, manure, and chickens. Additionally, he has created quite serious still lifes that connect through their color and style into a coherent series.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and all 69 (currently) pieces can be found in the “Art Rauf Likes” section on beinginamerica.com, unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half of them.
Today, I’m introducing John Currin, one of the most renowned contemporary American artists. His paintings simultaneously evoke laughter and admiration, blending coarse elements of popular culture with the refinement of high art. This contrast grabs attention and elicits mixed feelings of disgust and fascination. 🙂
There are artists who cannot draw a person without a reference. A reference can be in the form of a photograph or having the person sitting in front of them as they draw/paint them from life. But take away the reference and ask them to draw from memory—nothing comes out. Most of us don’t retain a clear picture in our memory, especially not the details that are unimportant to us but important to recreate an image on the canvas. However, there are artists who don’t need a reference because they already have an image in their head and just need to transfer it to the canvas. All the artists above can be divided into those who know and use anatomy and those who don’t need it much, as their task is simply to transfer color patches from their head to the painting, and if done accurately, everything falls into place. The academic approach is to reconstruct the structure and then overlay the color patches. In practice, it all happens simultaneously, but nevertheless, there are “academists” and “visuals” (terms I coined for lack of better ones). Artists specializing in caricature must master all these skills at the highest level. They obviously don’t copy references (model or photograph) but build a structure distorted in just the right way to produce the desired impression.
Technically, John Currin is not a caricaturist. Although his paintings may include grotesque and satirical elements, they are done in a classical style and with high quality. This creates a contrast that elicits strong emotions from viewers.
Another observation: some artists find a style and start “churning out” a whole series in it, likely because it sells well. An example is Laurent Parcelier. I don’t make separate posts about such artists, though they are certainly talented. It’s just boring; all of Laurent’s paintings are “the same,” with sunlight filtering through leaves to form a pattern on the wall of a Mediterranean house. It’s much more interesting when an artist’s style is hidden deeper, in technique rather than in the ability to convey one thing.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, all 68 (at the moment) are available (unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half).
Another great artist in my “collection” is Konstantin Lupanov from Krasnodar. You have likely never heard of him. Sometimes, when you want to write about an artist and start looking for more works beyond the two or three you initially liked, you only discover that the rest are mediocre. That’s why I haven’t introduced you to, for instance, Miriam Escofet or Michaël Borremans (the rest was not mediocre, but not of my taste). However, with Lupanov, it’s hard to stop adding his paintings to the gallery. All of his works are exceptional. Konstantin portrays the reality around him just as it is: friends, relatives, and his beloved cat.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, where all 68 (currently) are available (unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half).
Today, I want to talk about an interesting contemporary artist, Guillermo Lorca García-Huidobro (1984). His works are very unusual and captivating, perhaps because they encapsulate childhood experiences and fears, each unique to the individual. His paintings feature little girls and all sorts of bizarre creatures in the form of their “pets”. I can’t say I’m thrilled by his art, but Guillermo definitely grabs attention and stands out among others.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, all 64 (at the moment) are available (unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half).
Artist Thomas Benjamin Kennington resided in Victorian England, a time rife with homeless children. I intentionally excluded numerous pieces in a quasi-Baroque style, filled with opulent and vivid beauties because they feel superficial. However, these works offer something profound for observation and contemplation.
I’d like to remind you that related posts can be accessed under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com within the “Art Rauf Likes” section, where all 64 entries (current count) are available (unlike Facebook, which tends to overlook (or ignore) nearly half).
Oh, what a wonderful artist we have today! Evgeniy Monahov (1974). Observing his “Ophelia” (the first in the series, evidently inspired by John Everett Millais), an intriguing notion struck me — how captivating it would be to reimagine any renowned painting from a slightly altered perspective while preserving its distinctiveness? I have yet to encounter such an approach. What captivates me about Evgeniy’s artworks is their profound significance; they invariably portray a brilliantly orchestrated scene, crowned by his exceptional technique. Indeed, as the saying goes, when a portrait is more than merely a portrait.
Don’t forget, that related posts can be found under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com, specifically in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, where all 64 entries are accessible (to date), unlike Facebook, which tends to overlook (or neglect) nearly half of them.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to the Ukrainian artist Mykola Pymonenko (1862-1912). Look at his works — it’s like a time machine taking us back 100+ years.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, you can find all 64 (currently) of them (unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half).
Andrew Wyeth is one of the most beloved and, at the same time, one of the most underrated American artists of the 20th century. All his paintings exude an atmosphere of loneliness, longing, and melancholy. Essentially, he would sit on his porch or inside his house and paint everything around him.
In “Christina’s World,” a painting where a girl is semi-lying in a field, this girl is Wyeth’s neighbor Anna Christina Olson, partially paralyzed by CMT disease. Despite her physical limitations, Christina led an active life on the farm, helping with chores and taking care of the house. The painting symbolizes human resilience and the pursuit of goals despite difficulties.
Andrew Wyeth’s father, Newell Convers (N. C.) Wyeth, was a renowned illustrator and artist. The family was generally quite creative (his father, grandfather, and two aunts were artists), making it difficult for Andrew to avoid the fate of becoming an artist himself. 🙂 He was taught art by his father from an early age, and they were very close. When Wyeth was 28, his father died under the wheels of a train, and since then, the melancholy in Wyeth’s paintings has only increased.
His father made him draw from plaster casts and Rimmer’s Anatomy, teaching him to study the model, then turn his back on it and draw from memory. It’s actually a very interesting approach. I always thought that foreign languages should be learned in the same way. Read or heard a text—turned your back on it and recited it. A lot of information goes in one ear and out the other, and what enters through the eyes often goes somewhere deep and gets buried. Separating the important from the unimportant and being able to reproduce knowledge is a very important skill. This is partly why I write a lot on Facebook and the Hybrismart blog, because it’s a way to remember and understand things better.
I remind you that similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, there are all 63 (currently) of them (unlike Facebook, which forgets (ignores) almost half).
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 