Something Beautiful

North American Landscapes in Art

This excellent site has been around for a long time, but it's still good -- North American Landscapes, which reveals the ways in which North American artists have depicted the continent's varied landscape.

I keep meaning to dissect its parts so that a passer-through can more easily find his or her way around. Perhaps posting this will prompt me finally to get around to that.

St Martin and the Beggar (El Greco)

The painting of the day for today at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. is St. Martin and the Beggar, c. 1597, by El Greco.  Great colors! 

Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder

Here is another wonderful site that has been around for a long time -- Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder. 

H & H is a Dutch company that sells Old Master paintings.  Their site presents many of these works in a tasteful and compelling way.  Have a look -- 

Battle at Sea between Hollanders and Pirates c. 1675, by Ludolf Backhuyzen

Summer Flowers in a Vase,  by Rachel Ruysch (1664 - 1750)

Still Life with Flowers and Fruit, by Jan Van Os Middelharnis (1744-1808)

There are lots more.  You can find some by using the home page (above) or give the search engine a try (just choose a letter and click). 

Flower Still Life

There are lots of still lifes that I don't care for very much, but I do quite like this one -- Flower Still Life, 1614, by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder

Flowers with Animals (still life)

To appreciate these Flowers with Animals, 1704, by Johann Adalbert Angermayer, be sure to check out the larger version.   

Prophet Ezekiel

Just a small portion of Michelangelo's Sistine ceiling for today -- the Prophet Ezekiel. (There's a wee bit of info on this particular section here.)

Portrait (Rijksmuseum)

I try not to overuse the word exquisite.   But I think it probably really fits here --

Hortense de Beauharnais, 1808, by Anne-Louis Girodet-Triason (additional info)

Dig the jewelry and the fabric.

Ingres portrait

This portrait of the Princesse de Broglie, 1851, by Ingres, looks fairly ordinary at a small size, but it turns lovely when viewed under the Zoom lens. 

Kindred Spirits

The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., currently has on exhibition the painting Kindred Spirits, 1849, by Asher B. Durand.   The work shows the painter Thomas Cole and the poet William Cullen Bryant enjoying the wilderness of the Catskill Mountains in New York State.   (The zoom feature will take you close to the two men and to the natural setting they are admiring.)

Infanta (with lace)

Take a look at the lace in this portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain, 1599, by Juan Pantoja de la Cruz.  Amazing!