Horatio Greenough was commissioned to create a statue of George Washington for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the president’s birth. Drawing influence from classical art, he based his sculpture on Phidias’ representation of Zeus of Olympus, one of the Wonders of the World … Continue readingGeorge Washington by Horatio Greenough
Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog is delightfully mysterious in its depiction of a man gazing out into the oblivion of a fog-shrouded landscape. A historian named John Gaddis described it as “suggesting at once mastery over a landscape and the insignificance of the … Continue readingWanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich
Featured here is Paul Kane’s oil painting, Assiniboine Hunting Buffalo. It is unique because its style is strongly influenced by European art, but of course its subject is strictly American. This combination of ethnic expressions illustrates his own personal history. Born in Ireland on September 3, 1810, Kane … Continue readingAssiniboine Hunting Buffalo by Paul Kane
Jacques-Louis David’s much loved painting, Oath of the Horatii, depicts an ancient Roman legend in which Rome and Alba Longa were at war. In order to settle a dispute between the two cities, they chose to each send three champions to fight each other, and the country … Continue readingOath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David
John Leech was born on August 29, 1817. He was a caricaturist, illustrating particularly for humorous magazines and satirical literature. Lithograph work and wood engraving were his specialties. Perhaps some of his most loved (and most lovable!) work is found in Charles Dickens’ first edition … Continue readingFrontispiece of A Christmas Carol by John Leech
Jacob Maris was born on August 25, 1837. He was a Dutch painter, and he is remembered for his landscapes and his portraits of the Royal House of Orange especially. Particularly striking in his work is his depiction of clouds, the way he was able … Continue readingShip on the Scheveningen Beach by Jacob Maris
Archibald Willard was born on August 22, 1836 in Bedford, Ohio. He fought in the Civil War, and he captured many of his experiences through painting. Some of his work ended up in Washington Court House in Ohio, and many were printed in newspapers and … Continue readingThe Spirit of ’76 by Archibald Willard
Le Pont de l’Europe (or The Bridge of Europe) is by Gustave Caillebotte, who was born on August 19 of 1848 in Paris. He was known as an impressionist, though his work certainly has a realist flair to it! His passion was to portray what … Continue readingLe Pont de l’Europe by Gustave Caillebotte
George Luks was born on August 13, 1867 in a coal mining region of Pennsylvania. He knew poverty as he grew up in this setting, and his first exposure to art was from his mother, who was a musician and loved to paint. His childhood … Continue readingKnitting for the Soldiers by George Luks
Thomas Bewick was born on August 12, 1753 in England. He is known as an engraver and author of natural history. Some of his most renowned works include his illustrations of Aesop’s Fables (for example, the print above) and his book, A History of British … Continue readingThe Angler and the Little Fish by Thomas Bewick