SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: CARL MOLL, WALTER LEISTIKOW, FRANCIS CADELL.

I cannot emphasize enough that imho, one of X's best art accounts is the one by Richard Morris. Even though the time frame from which he borrows his subjects is relatively small (by and large early 1800s - mid 1900s), he keeps coming up with lovely works crafted by artists whose fame is inversely proportional to their obvious talent. Without Mr Morris, I would probably never have heard of Carl Moll, Laura Knight, Edward Seago, Wilhelm Hammershoi and many, many others. Here are three individuals whose work merits far more attention and appreciation:


(via wikipedia) Carl Julius Rudolf Moll (23 April 1861 – 12 April 1945) was an Austrian Art Nouveau painter active in Vienna at the start of the 20th century. He was one of the artists of the Vienna Secession who took inspiration from the pointillist techniques of French Impressionists. He was an early supporter of the Nazis and committed suicide as Soviet forces approached Vienna at the end of World War II.

Art in Vienna around the turn of the 20thC is synonymous with the vibrant, extravagant canvases of Gustav Klimt. By contrast, the quiet, reflective painting 'At the Lunch Table,' (1901) by Carl Moll may strike one as an anomaly of the period, nevertheless it is a portrayal of… pic.twitter.com/w7LPS2Apmi

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) December 15, 2024

Walter Leistikow (1865–1908) was a German landscape painter, graphic artist, designer and art critic. In 1903, he was one of the co-founders of the Deutsche Kuenstlerbund. He committed suicide in 1908.

'Hafen.' (1890) Throughout his career, Walter Leistikow focused on landscapes, a mix of naturalism and abstraction, Impressionism and expressive colour eccentricities; capturing the mood of what he saw through the play of light and shadow at the beginning and ending of the day. pic.twitter.com/FJQnIcJmcN

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) December 12, 2024

(via wikipedia) Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell RSA (12 April 1883 – 6 December 1937) was a Scottish Colourist painter, renowned for his depictions of the elegant New Town interiors of his native Edinburgh, and for his work on Iona.

Francis Cadell's move to 6 Ainslie Place in Edinburgh in 1920 was to provide a stability and security that was reflected in his paintings. A chair often featured in his interiors and serves to emphasise the elegant proportions, refinement and class of the room. pic.twitter.com/9QKIkRqEII

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) December 10, 2024

Good night.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JOSEPH DECKER, WILLIAM NICHOLSON, JAMES HAMILTON HAY, TRISTRAM HILLIER.

Imho one of the best art accounts on Twitter/X (can't get used to the latter) is Richard Morris's, who focuses on non-mainstream, but excellent, painters of, generally, the last two centuries.

'Green Plums.' (1882) While Joseph Decker's work received critical attention during his lifetime, it is only within the past thirty years or so that he has been recognised as one of America's most notable still-life painters. This picture ranks with the best of his work. A critic… pic.twitter.com/1A4YHjaMG9

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) November 14, 2024

Joseph Decker (c. 1853 – 1 April 1924) was a German-born American painter who specialized in still-lifes. Later in his career he tried his hand at landscapes. It's too bad the man died destitute in Brooklyn in 1924, the value of his work only called to attention in 1949 by the art historian Alfred Frankenstein.

'The First Communion,' (1907) shows a young girl running from a house in a floating communion dress. These flat architectural façades set in a shallow picture space feature in several works by William Nicholson but the division into light and shade is novel, and little details… pic.twitter.com/KdICG1s1Td

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) November 12, 2024

Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson (5 February 1872 – 16 May 1949) was a British painter of still-life, landscape and portraits. This particular work calls to mind of John Singer Sargent.

James Hamilton Hay had a passion for Japanese colour prints and this influence is reflected in the decorative nature of many of his works including this beautifully lit, Whistlerian work, 'The Golden Blinds,' from 1909. pic.twitter.com/e09Roueif4

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) November 8, 2024

James Hamilton Hay (1874-1916) was, apart from painter, also a printmaker. Born in Birkenhead, Liverpool, the son of an architect, he trained in St Ives, Cornwall with Julius Olsson (q.v.) in the 1890s, then at Liverpool School of Art. He painted and etched landscapes, marine scenes and portraits and was influenced by Spencer Gore (q.v.), the Camden Town Group and the work of Francis Dodd…

'The Kitchen Table.' (1958) Tristram Hiller painted still lifes throughout his career always preferring to paint objects which he said showed character or personality and developing as he did so his hard-edged disquieting style of work, helped greatly by using tempera which… pic.twitter.com/0ZrrACOVgN

— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) November 7, 2024

A British painter of landscape, still-life, and occasional religious subjects, Tristram Hillier was born in Beijing, where his father was manager of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. After two years studying at Cambridge University (which he described as ‘a waste of time’), he was apprenticed to a London firm of chartered accountants, but he quickly abandoned this career to study at the Slade School under Tonks (1926–1927), while also attending evening classes at the Westminster School of Art. He then went to Paris, where he studied at the Académie Colarossi under Lhote, and until 1940 he lived mainly in the south of France, with visits to Spain, which he ‘came to love above all other countries’. (via artuk dot org)



Good night, and may you have a productive and happy week ahead of you.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JOHN KOCH, EDWARD HOPPER.

Three musicians by John Koch (August 18, 1909 — April 19, 1978), an American painter and teacher who started out as an impressionist but instead over time became a prominent figure in 20th century Realism.





His most famous work is probably The Cocktail Party (1956). That's Koch himself at the bar, pouring Martinis for his guests. Simply gorgeous!



City Roofs (1932), by Edward Hopper. Although half a generation older than Koch, a contemporary nevertheless. A New Yorker too and also a Realist, although more in the sense that his subjects, like Koch's, very often depict ordinary Americans in ordinary situations, doing ordinary things.





Out of his vast oeuvre, it seems that he will forever be associated with Nighthawks. I say it's genius.



Good night.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JAMES PROUDFOOT, SAMUEL JOHN LAMORNA BIRCH, ROCKWELL KENT.

Sunlight on a building (1937), by the Scottish artist James Proudfoot.



Morning Sun, by Samuel Birch.



Monhegan Island, by Rockwell Kent.



All three paintings courtesy of Richard Morris, art historian and art journalist. His knowledge about precious late 19th Century/early 20th Century paintings which have thus far escaped attention of the broader public - and even many people rather knowledgeable in art - is encyclopedic. If you are on twitter, follow him: https://twitter.com/ahistoryinart.

If you are not yet on twitter, making an account for the sole purpose of reading only his tweets is worthwhile!


Good night. Oh yes, I think I should tell you... August 20, 2023 is an historic date for this here humble blog...


...since today we passed the magical treshold of 2,000,000 pageviews. Since 2003! Which means that on average, DowneastBlog attracted over the years some 100,000 PVs per year, or about 273 a day. Very modest of course, but still... it means that I do not intend to stop just yet!


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: PEDER MORK MONSTED (1859-1941).

Peder Mørk Mønsted (10 December 1859 – 20 June 1941) was a talented Danish landscape painter in the realistic style, although some works show impressionist influences.



Green spring landscape with a sitting child at the edge of the beach (1887)



An ardent traveller, especially in the Mediterranean (Algeria, Greece, Egypt...), he produced countless sketches during these travels which he later developed into paintings. He was especially popular in Germany, where he displayed several times in Munichs Glaspalast (destroyed in a fire in 1931).



Wooded river landscape (1929)



Good night.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: LEONARD CAMPBELL TAYLOR (1874-1969).

Leonard Campbell Taylor RA (12 December 1874 – 1 July 1969) was a British painter, mainly of portraits and interiors in a traditional style. During World War 1, he served as an official war artist.


Women playing chess


Exquisite! More on Taylor here.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JOHN LAVERY, CECIL OSBORNE.

Sir John Lavery RA RSA RHA (20 March 1856 – 10 January 1941) was an Irish painter from Belfast, best known for his portraits and wartime depictions.



The Bridge at Grès (1901)



Influenced by Whistler. In 1924 elected to the Royal Academy.



Cecil Osborne (1909–1996) was a self-taught natural painter from Poplar, East London.



Sunday Morning, Farringdon Road (1929)



An echo of Hopper here. Osborne studied in the evenings at John Cooper’s Bow and Bromley Evening Institute classes, and exhibited with the East London Group at Lefevre Gallery, also with NEAC, RA and Civil Defence Artists’ Association at Cooling’s Gallery.



Click on the images to get an unobstructed view please. Good night.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: ALFRED DE BREANSKI SR. (1852-1928).

Alfred de Breanski Sr. was a British landscape painter who made a name for himself with exquisite renderings of rural England, Scotland and Wales. Influenced by John Constable. He was born in 1852 in Greenwich, England, and went on to exhibit his works at the Royal Academy in London from 1872 until 1918.


Banks of Arrochar


The Borrowdale Pass from Derwent Water


As good as it is, imho not his best work yet, but I include it since it brings memories back from my all too short summer holiday in July in "the Heart of Borrowdale". I stayed in Scafell Hotell, whence I climbed Great Gable.


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY (1738-1815).

I'm very sorry for being AWOL for so long, but it's been a rather rough couple of months lately. Health is status quo though.


Copley was an Anglo-American painter, a Boston, Massachusetts native, who already had a well-established reputation in New England when he moved to England in 1774, never to return (not that he didn't want to). With the work below, "The Death of the Earl of Chatham" (1781, oil on canvas), he made his name as a history painter.





The Earl of Chatham was William Pitt The Elder, Prime Minister of Britain in the middle of the eighteenth century, and the architect of Britain's victory in the Seven Years War (1757-1763). Copley's paiting evokes the moment right after Pitt's collapse on 7 April 1778, during a debate in the House of Lords on the American War of Independence. The painting's title is a misnomer though, as Pitt died over a month later in his home in Hayes, Kent.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: WILLIAM MCGREGOR PAXTON (1869-1941).

William McGregor Paxton was an American painter of the Boston School and instructor. He co-founded The Guild of Boston Artists.


The new necklace (1910).


The figurine (1921).



Good night.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: HEINRICH VOGELER (1872-1942).

Heinrich Vogeler (December 12, 1872 – June 14, 1942) was a German painter, designer, architect, and teacher, associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. After WW1 he became politically involved, joining the KPD, the German Communist Party, around 1920. With his second wife he emigrated to the USSR in 1931. Upon Germany's invasion in 1941, he was, despite his communist credentials, deemed a security threat. He died in a collective farm in Kazachstan in 1942.


Fruehling (Spring)


Sommerabend (Summer Evening)


MFBB.

SUNDAY ART SNACK: ALGERNON NEWTON (1880-1968).

Thoroughly underrated British landscape artist whose works have a whiff of Edward Hopper in them. Apart from landscapes, favorite subjects were also canals, so much so that he earned himself the nickname "Canaletto of the Canals". The quasi total absence of people and the exhausted colors lend an eerie, almost post-apocalyptic quality to his paintings.


The Surrey Canal, Camberwell (1935).


The House by the Canal (1945).


A Country Path


The backs of houses, Harley Street, London (1925).

"There is beauty to be found in everything, you only have to search for it; a gasometer can make as beautiful a picture as a palace on the Grand Canal, Venice. It simply depends on the artist's vision." ~Algernon Newton

Good night.


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JOHN ATKINSON GRIMSHAW (1836-1893).

John Atkinson Grimshaw (6 September 1836 – 13 October 1893) was an English Victorian-era romanticist indebted to some extent to the Pre-Rafaelits. The 'Painter of Moonlight' is best known for his nocturnal scenes of urban landscapes.




The Chill of Autumn (1881).





Scarborough Lights (1877).


Good night, have a good start of the week tomorrow.


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: SIR ALFRED MUNNINGS (1878-1959).

Sir Alfred James Munnings, KCVO PRA RI (8 October 1878 – 17 July 1959) was one of England's finest painters of horses. A member of the Newlyn School, he was an outspoken critic of Modernism. Although he had no formal training as such, he also established himself as a sculptor.

Tagg's Island



The Clark Sisters


Good night.


MFBB.

SUNDAY ART SNACK: GEORGE HENRY, EMILE CLAUS, FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH.

Japanese Lady with fan by George Henry.





George Henry RA (1858–1943) was a Scottish painter and a prominent member of the Glasgow School. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and later in Robert MacGregor's studio.



Emile Claus with Afternoon along the river.





Émile Claus (27 september 1849 te Sint-Eloois-Vijve – 14 juni 1924 te Astene) was a Belgian painter, the most talented Luminist. Luminism was a late-impressionist style centered around light effects. The painting above is no luminist work of Claus, but the one below is: Anna De Weert. De Weert, a pupil of Claus, later became a prominent luminist in her own right.






Frederic Edwin Church's Koenigsee, Bavaria.





Frederic Edwin Church (May 4, 1826 – April 7, 1900) was an American landscape painter and a central figure in the Hudson River School.


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID, JOSEPH WRIGHT, JONATHAN EASTMAN JOHNSON

By far the most pleasant and rewarding holiday we ever had was our trip in the States in the summer of 2017. Some four hectic but fascinating days in Washington DC were followed by a trip over Gettysburg and Bethel to the White Mountains in NH (another four days), and we spent the remainder of our fortnight in Hyannisport, with a couple of hours in Boston before boarding the plane back to Europe again.

On the first leg of that journey we visited the National Art Gallery in Washington, and it must be said, they have a mar-vel-lous collection (in particular with regards to impressionist works). Here's just three paintings at random we admired there:



Portrait of a Young Woman in White - Jacques-Louis David

Probably by a pupil of Jacques-Louis David (1748 – 1825) though. David's career spanned cataclysmic changes in French society as he was preeminent during the latter days of the Ancien Régime, during the Terreur (he was a friend of Robespierre), while Napoleon was Empereur and even during the restoration (be it in self-exile in Brussels). David's severe neoclassical style constituted a clear break away from the frivolity of Rococo.




The Corinthian Maid, by Joseph Wright of Derby
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 – 1797), was an English landscape and portrait painter and has been acclaimed as "the first professional painter to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution". Two important patrons were Josiah Wedgwood and Richard Arkwright. Wright is notable for his use of the chiaroscuro effect, which emphasises the contrast of light and dark, and for his paintings of candle-lit subjects. As for this painting, the inspiration came from Pliny the Elder (23/24 - 79 AD) who claimed that the first drawing in history was made by a young Corinthian woman. Knowing that soon her husband will be off to war, she draws a line on the wall containing his shadow, so that she will have something to remember him by. Apparently Ole Pliny never visited Lascaux or Altamira.




Lambs, Nantucket (1874) by Eastman Johnson

Jonathan Eastman Johnson (1824 – 1906) was an eminent American painter and co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. He is best known for his genre paintings, paintings of everyday life and of everyday people, but just as well of prominent Americans such as Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. In his day he was known as the 'American Rembrandt'.



Exquisite, all three of them.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: ETTORE DE MARIA BERGLER (1850-1938).

Ettore De Maria Bergler (born Naples 25 december 1850, died Palermo 28 February 1938), was an Italian Art Nouveau painter with strong links to Sicily.



The ruins of the Temple of Jupiter at Syracuse



Taormina
Taormina is a popular tourist destination on Sicily's East Coast, quite close to the Etna volcano. Although Goethe was an early visitor, it was only in the second half of the 19th century that it began to attract considerable numbers of artists, intellectuals and writers, quite a few of them gay (Oscar Wilde, and in later times Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote), so that by the turn of the century it had gained quite a reputation in this regard. Curiously, Friedrich Nietzsche also settled down here to write Also Sprach Zarathustra.


Nite.


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: GUSTAV KLIMT, ALPHONSE MUCHA.

First two works by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), the Austrian symbolist painter and key figure in Vienna's Secession Movement.



Pallas Athena (1898)


Stiller Weiher (Egelsee bei Golling, Salzburg) (1899)


The prolific output of Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), a Czech Art Nouveau illustrator and graphic artist who often used dreamy, voluptuous goddesses for subjects, tends to obscure the fact that he was just as much - perhaps more - a history painter who used his art to pay homage to the Slavic People. His key work in this regard is The Slav Epic, a monumental cycle of 20 canvases. Much less ambitious, but just as intriguing, are several smaller works, among them Woman in the Wilderness (1923), aka Star or Siberia.





Young Mucha was strongly influenced by Pan-Slavism and had a high regard of Czarist Russia as the epitome of Slavic values. Woman in the Wilderness, which I happened to come across in the small Mucha Museum in Prague in the summer of 2018, can be regarded as Mucha's evocation of the horrible sufferings inflicted upon the Russians under the bolsheviks, in particular the Great Famine of 1921. An emaciated Russian peasant woman sits exhausted in the snow, unable to move any further. Wolves, savouring an easy prey, lurk over the berm. The hungry woman, symbolising Mother Russia under the yoke of communism, stretches her arms in a gesture of resignation. But the shining star above her head offers not only spiritual salvation but also hope for better times.

Come to think of it. When in Prague, really try to visit that museum. Woman in the Wilderness is about halfway through it, to the right. Seeing the painting as a picture in a book or onscreen is one thing. Seeing it for real is a... well, I can only speak for myself of course, but for me it was a mesmerizing experience.


Good night, and have a lucky an productive week ahead.


MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: ALDO BALDING, ANNE MAGILL.

Aldo Balding was born and raised in the UK and currently resides in the South of France. Like the impressionist of times past, he prefers to paint "en plein air":










British-born Anne Magill's works have a hitherto unseen haunting quality:










Brace yourself for the working week. Good night.



MFBB.

SUNDAY NIGHT ART SNACK: WILLIAM JAMES MUELLER, STANHOPE ALEXANDER FORBES.

Santa Maria della Salute, a work by William James Mueller:





A Bristol native, he was the son of J.S. Mueller, a Prussian from Danzig who made it curator of the Bristol Museum. Mueller the son is the best known artist of the Bristol School.



Beach Scene, St Ives. By Stanhope Alexander Forbes.





The son of an Irishman and a French woman, he became the father of the so-called Newlyn School, the English counterpart of the French Barbizon School. Needless to say, they favored painting en plein air.


Both works are displayed at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.



MFBB.