Albert Bierstadt was born in Germany on January 7, 1830, but a year later his family moved to the United States where his life and career would one day flourish. He is best known for his majestic landscapes of the American West, scenes which can … Continue readingAmong the Sierra Nevada, California by Albert Bierstadt
Gustave Doré was born on January 6, 1832 in Strasbourg, France. He worked in a variety of media and is known as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and illustrator, but his primary approach was wood engraving. His subject matter included Bible scenes, mythology, and fairy tales. … Continue readingLittle Red Riding Hood by Gustave Doré
This painting of the Last Supper is one of the most well-known. Its artist, Valentin de Boulogne, painted within it an intimate moment between Jesus and the apostle John, as John leans in to be close to his friend and master. The rest of the apostles … Continue readingThe Last Supper by Valentin de Boulogne
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was born on January 2, 1783 in Denmark. He was the son of Henrik Vilhelm Eckersberg, who was a painter and carpenter. Christoffer followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued his own art, becoming one of the first painters of the Golden Age … Continue readingView of the Interior of the Colosseum by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo was born at the end of December, 1617, in Seville, Spain. He was a baroque painter best known for his religious scenes. Murillo’s work appealed to the aristocracy of his time, but he also painted for friaries, monasteries and convents. He … Continue readingThe Annunciation by Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo
Jean-Baptiste Pater was a French painter born on December 29, 1695. He was a rococo artist. Rococo art was a movement which developed in France in response to the Baroque style. Artists felt that Baroque art was too rigid, that following its stiff rules of … Continue readingDie Freuden des Landlebens by Jean-Baptiste Pater
Louis Héctor Leroux was born on December 27, 1829 in France. He was an academic painter, meaning that his style was influenced by European art academies. It was the Académie des Beaux-Arts which defined what the academic style should mean, combining elements of Neoclassicism and … Continue readingLouis Héctor Leroux and Academic Art
Masaccio was born on December 21, 1401 in the Republic of Florence, Italy. He is considered to be the first great painter of the Italian Renaissance. He was skilled at painting life-like figures who not only bore realistic features and proportions, but seemed to move … Continue readingHoly Trinity by Masaccio
Pieter de Hooch was an artist of the Dutch Golden Age. He was born on December 20, 1629. He was known especially for his domestic scenes indoors, often with an open doorway or a bright window. An interest has been taken in the progression of … Continue readingWoman with Children in an Interior by Pieter de Hooch
Willem van de Velde II was born on December 18, 1633 in Leiden, Holland. The Dutch painter was especially known for his scenes of sailing ships. Van de Velde was taught by his father, who was himself a marine artist. The younger’s works mostly portray … Continue readingBattle of Texel by Willem van de Velde II