Something Beautiful

Danish Artists in Rome (Blunck, Hansen)

I've very much liked this painting of A Group of Danish Artists in Rome ever since discovering it on Google Art several years ago.  It was done in 1837 by the Danish painter Constantin Hansen.  

This morning I found a similar painting titled Danish Artists in the Osteria La Genosa in Rome.  It was also painted in 1837, by the artist Ditlev Blunck.     It is, in my opinion, an attractive and surprisingly modern-looking artwork.  

The existence of these two paintings with such similar titles and subjects, both painted in the same year, suggests a story behind them.  A contest of some kind perhaps?  or just a competitive feeling between the two artists?   It would be interesting to know more.   

Nativity

Tonight I was looking for the word 'bagpipe' at Google Art, and came across this Nativity in an illuminated manuscript by Don Silvestro dei Gherarducci, c. 1395.  Take a close look - it's pretty special.   

Days later:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art has another leaf by the same artist. 

 

King David at Prayer

I love depictions of King David in medieval psalters.   He is shown at prayer in the Book of Hours illuminated by the Master of Guillebert de Mets, c. 1450

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Spinola Hours

You can see 36 sides from the Spinola Hours, c. 1510, illustrated by the Master of James IV of Scotland at the Google Art site. 

Saint Barbara with a Tower

A gorgeous page, showing St. Barbara with a tower, by the Workshop of the Master of the First Prayerbook of Maximilian, c. 1510.  

L. A. Ring

Laurits Andersen Ring (1854-1933) was a Danish artist whose work I like very much.   Google Art has 8 paintings by him.  

Quilts

I love these 12 album quilts at the Google Art project. 

Kyung Min Nam, Korean artist

Again and again I'm drawn to these warm, witty paintings by Korean artist Kyung Min Nam. 

Willem Vrelant

Google Art has 90 illuminations by Willem Vrelant.  Viewed as a whole, on a single screen, they are truly handsome and lovely. 

Autumn

I put just the simple word autumn into the search window at Google Art and it returned so many and such wonderful works on that subject that it brought tears to my eyes.   Altogether there are more than 600 works and many, many of them are wonderful.