Max Beckmann (February 12, 1884 – December 28, 1950)

                                                                                            

Self-Portrait with Raised Hand

1908

Beckmann is a wonderful artist who, like many of his New Objectivitist compatriots, suffered rather ignominiously under the Third Reich. But before the rise of Nazism, Beckmann was an extremely well-received painter, viewed as a leading figure in the Weimar Republic's art scene. As for his works, while it was not uncommon for New Objectivists to deal broadly and jarringly with taboos, Beckmann did so with a softness and uniqueness, such as in Brother and Sister, that characterized his art with a romanticism absent from his circles. And his life's portfolio, as this small sample somewhat illustrates, was extremely dynamic, though almost always based in figurative representation. 

Brother and Sister

1933

Birds' Hell

1938

Quappi in Rose

1932-1934

The Iron Footbridge

1922

Small Deathbed Scene

1906

Jacopo Bellini (c. 1400 – c. 1470)

                                                                                                  

Madonna with Child

c. 1465 

Bellini, most of whose works unfortunately have not survived the centuries, was one of the most influential artists, who helped bridge the Gothic and Early Renaissance styles. Now, it would be unfair to note that there were Early Renaissance painters who existed well before Bellini's birth, such as Giotto; still, it would be too simple to dismiss Bellini chronologically as his art illustrates a very strong movements towards what I could only simply term as a cleaner version of the Early Renaissance, which was not popularized until after his death (I think Madonna with Child most strikingly illustrates Bellini's revolution). 

Crucifixion

St. Anthony Abbot and St. Bernardino of Siena

1459-1460

St. John the Evangelist

1430-1435

The Apostle Peter

1430-1435

The Virgin and Child Adored by Lionello d'Este

c.1450

Gino Severini (April 7, 1883 – February 26, 1966)

                                                                                        

The Dance of the Pan Pan at the Monico

1911

Severini was one of the main figures in Futurism, both in terms of output and theory. Often the focus of his paintings was dancers, but there was not much formulation in their depiction, which has left us with a variety of wonderfully amusing depictions. And Severini worked in a number of styles, including in Pointillism, featured here. I can't seem to express my enthusiasm for Severini well enough, and I don't know how to remedy the fault. What can I say about him to do his art justice? Perhaps I should say that when I look at his works I most acutely feel the world of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms; but is that enough?

Dancer

1913 

Dancer

1915-1916

Dancer

1915

Spring in Montmartre

1909

Blue Dancer

1912

Armored Train

1915

The Black Cat

1911

Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) II

                                                                                  

Convergence

1952

Jackson Pollock is someone I've wanted to re-feature for a while (the first post was a bit austere). He remains an extremely controversial artist, whose critics and fans seem equally zealous in their arguments. And, while we know Pollock mostly for his sort of Abstract Expressionist works (a sub-style often labeled Action Painting or Gestural Abstraction), such as the piece above, he also worked for a long time in Expressionism, largely influenced by Picasso. Lastly, I want to note that his particular style of Abstract Expressionism is very strongly indebted to Kandinsky, but, for some reason, the derivation is barely ever stressed. What do you think of Pollack?

Head

1940-1941

Male and Female

1942 

Composition with Pouring II

1943

Naked Man with Knife

1938-1940

Blue Poles: Number 11, 1952

1952

Woman

1930-1933

Number 14, 1951

1951

Antoine Vollon (April 23, 1833 – August 27, 1900)

                                                                                                        

Haystacks

Vollon was a tremendous force in the art world during his lifetime, despite certain prominent critics, such as Manet, yet, while retaining a semblance of celebration after his death, his stature has fallen considerably. His reputations fall could be due, in part, to the fact that he was and is known in many circles far more for his still lifes than his other works, and, as I've discussed before, there is a general, pernicious sentiment in the art world that still lifes are lesser works. But what marvelous still lifes Vallon created! 

Still Life with a Pen, Jug, Bottle and Eggs on a Table

1871

Portrait of a Man

In the Roost

View of Antwerp

1871

Francis Bacon (October 28, 1909 – April 28, 1992)

                                                                                                      

Study After Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X

1953

Bacon is very hard to describe as an artist and a man. It can easily be said that he was extremely obsessive and you can tell this from his pieces, which often went through nearly endless editions (the painting above is the most famous piece of a group of over forty versions of Velázquez's famous painting of Pope Innocent X). His artworks macabre sense derives from the New Objectivity movement, but even surpasses the grotesqueness that the Weimar Republic's painters could ever achieve. And what is most glaring about Bacon's works is not the presence of death as a symbol, but the nearly constant visualization of suffering; thoughts on that suffering haunted me as a child when I first saw his works, and somehow remain more potent and material than any imagery or symbolism of death in other pieces.  

Self-Portrait

1972 

Study for Human Body

1991 

Man with Dog

1953

Head IV

1949

Painting

1946

Caravaggio (September 29, 1571 – July 18, 1610)

                                                                                            

Taking of Christ

c. 1598

Who can ever get tired of staring at the works of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio? And his influence has been massive, touching upon, most directly, such greats as Rembrandt and Rubens. A quick glance at his paintings can easily announce where so much of his brilliance lies: in the shadows. In fact, the movement Tenebrism (derived from the Italian word, roughly meaning gloominess), which actually began with da Vinci, is often referred to as Caravaggism, because of Carvaggio's extremely strong influence on the movements scions. Influence, influence, influence.

David

1600

Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto

1597-1600

The Conversion of St. Paul

1600

The Conversion on the Way to Damascus

1601

St. John the Baptist

c. 1600 

Love Conquers All

1602