Category: Artist of the Day

Winslow Homer was born on February 24, 1836 in Boston.  He painted landscapes, particularly marine scenes, capturing in loose brush strokes the wild spirit of the vastness of nature.  You can nearly feel the wind in his paintings when you let yourself enter into the … Continue readingWatching the Breakers by Winslow Homer

Rembrandt Peale was born on February 22, 1778 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  He is best known for his portraits of famous people, particularly presidents. Peale’s father was an accomplished artist and named him after the Dutch master Rembrandt.  The boy had much to live up … Continue readingWashington Before Yorktown by Rembrandt Peale

Pierre Auguste Cot was born on February 19, 1837 in Bedarieux.  He was a French academic painter of some renown, and two of his paintings in particular, The Storm (showed above) and Springtime (showed below) have maintained popularity. Cot studied at l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts and then moved on to Paris, … Continue readingThe Storm by Pierre Auguste Cot

Louis Comfort Tiffany was born on February 18, 1848.  He is best known for his stained glass art, that which he created and designed, and his name has lived on as his family stained glass company has continued to prosper. Tiffany grew up in Pennsylvania … Continue readingPastoral Window by Louis Comfort Tiffany

Charles-André van Loo was born on February 15, 1705 in Nice, France.  He painted religion, mythology, history, allegory, portraits, and genre scenes, and is considered to be the most famous in a whole dynasty of Dutch painters. Van Loo was a member of the Académie Royale … Continue readingThe Adoration of the Magi by Charles-André van Loo

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was born on February 13, 1682 (or 1683).  He was an Italian Rococo artist who painted religious scenes. Piazzeta studied under Giuseppe Maria Crespe, whose influence greatly shaped the student’s style.  Perhaps the most striking thing about Piazzeta’s work is his use … Continue readingThe Ecstacy of St. Francis by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Thomas Moran was born on February 12, 1837 in England but was considered to be an American artist.  He is best known for his majestic landscapes, and he focused particularly on scenes in the Rocky Mountains.  He was hired as an illustrator for Scribner’s Monthly, eventually becoming … Continue readingShoshone Falls on the Snake River by Thomas Moran

Ary Scheffer was born on February 10, 1795.  Though of Dutch origin, he was a French Romantic painter.  He typically painted works of literature from authors such as Dante and Byron, and religious scenes, and he was also a prolific portrait painter.

Guercino was born on February 8, 1591 as Giovanni Francesco Barbieri.  He is known as an Italian Baroque painter with a lively nature in his paintings. Guercino received the nickname by which he is best known because he was cross-eyed, and the word is Italian for … Continue readingReturn of the Prodigal Son by Guercino

Carl Spitzweg was born on February 5, 1808 in Bavaria.  He was an important part of the German Romantic movement in art, and especially in the Biedermeier era in which art grew to appeal to middle class people. Spitzweg was trained as a pharmacist, but ironically … Continue readingThe Butterfly Hunter by Carl Spitzweg