Fun Art Stuff

Art memes - the most productive outcome of an arts degree. I put art facts after the jokes for fun-tainment!

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Portrait of a couple 1661

Bartholomeus van der Helst

Known for more accessible paintings than Rembrandt, Bartholomeus became the most popular portraitist in Amsterdam in his day.

His 'Banquet of the Amsterdam Civic Guard in celebration of the Peace of Münster' is a great group portrait, over 5 metres long and packed with the members of the Amsterdam Guard. It's of historical value but it's also a stunning work by a master painter.

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Robert Dudley, First Earl of Leicester

Steven van der Meulen 1532

Steven van der Meulen was one of many Flemish artists that practiced in England during the reign of Elizabeth the first. There are arguments about whether he or another Flemish painter, Steven van Herwijck, were the artists behind works that were contemporarily identified as being by the Flemish 'paynter Steven'. There are a few pieces that other historians argue were actually by a guy called George Gower. The point is that artists around that time just trusted people knew who did what, and they started signing more as time went on. In a similar way, I wonder if in the future more songs will have the artist sign off in the song, like they already do in certain countries.

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Portrait of Eleonora di Toledo with her son Giovanni

Agnolo di Cosimo 1545

Agnolo was historically known as Bronzino, probably because of his red hair. I like to think its the same as calling a redhead guy Rusty so much history would remember him by his nickname. Other than being a ginger he was the official painter of the Medicis and probably painted the paintings youve seen of them.

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Sappho and Alcaeus

Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1881

Alma-Tadema wanted to make this painting of the OG lesbian, Sappho, as accurate as possible and wrote the names of her sorority around her.

The bit about Sappho inventing the guitar pick, and the reasoning for it, is 100% true as per historian Kirsty Loehr

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Portrait of my wife, the painter Anna Ancher

Michael Ancher 1884

Michael and Anna Ancher are two of Denmark's most respected artists, he was a realist and she an impressionist but they made it work somehow! They're both commemorated on the thousand kroner bill. In keeping with my impressionism fandom i prefer Anna's work, but theyre both worth a look.

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Xu Beihong 1924

Stroking the Cat

Xu Beihong trained in France and brought the oil skills to Chinese ink paintings when he returned. Also, i assume beagles are underhanded based on ducktales.

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i see a lot of people doing a tournament style series of polls, should i do one for bizarre art?

yes show me weird

...youre going to do it anyway arent you

Voting ended onMar 11, 2023

Ps i might do it anyway

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I know dogs with more valour than you!

Oh, no, im not being mean, its just a real valorous dog

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Unknown ~1890

Owney the Dog

Owney was an American post office dog who rode the railroads with the mail around the United States. He earned so many medals on his adventures that the postmaster general commissioned a custom harness to stop them weighing him down.

[queenslandcreaux]

favourite art style

abstract

classical

cubist

expressionist

impressionist

photorealist

surrealist

Voting ended onMar 8, 2023

Put another in tags if you like

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I know i post a lot of classical pieces but impressionism is really my favourite! There are no wrong answers here, all these styles can be amazing! Also, this should possibly read favourite 'european' art style

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Straight people: oh look, it says she lived with her and helped with her kids, what a good friend

Lesbians: yes, good 'friend'

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George W Lambert 1907

Portrait group - the mother

George Lambert is referencing Velasquez and his famous infante with the posture of the older child. And yes, the two women are described as good friends who just spend a lot of time together and with the kids.

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is this...

a normal man in front of a big door

a tiny man in front of a normal door

neither (reblog/comment with your answer)

Voting ended onFeb 18, 2023

Big man, little man,

Big door, little door,

I've not done a poll before.

(I will put up art information after the poll finishes)

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Edvard Munch 1901

Consul Christen Sandberg

This is more restrained than many of Munch's more recognisable expressionist pieces but he still uses colour to draw the focus up toward the consul's face.

I looked on the Norsk and English wikipedia and found nothing about Christen Sandberg other than that he was also a writer.

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Babysitter for 1st child:

Babysitter for third child:

Information 1st painting

Jan van Belcamp 1646

The Great Picture

This is a snippet from a triptych (3 paintings put next to each other that tell a story together) about the life of Lady Anne Clifford who, at the death of her father when she was 15, began decades of battle for her father's title of baron. The king and her husband suggested she yield to her uncle's offer of a payout to allow him the title uncontested. She ignored them and eventually regained the title. She also overruled her husband in insisting their second daughter be allowed to marry who she wanted.

Information 2nd painting

Titian 1576

Boy with dogs in landscape

People argue over what the message is in this painting, i think given how many he painted hes allowed to have some paintings he just did for fun.

[rub-the-rest-with-yellow]

is this...

a normal man in front of a big door

a tiny man in front of a normal door

neither (reblog/comment with your answer)

Voting ended onFeb 18, 2023

Big man, little man,

Big door, little door,

I've not done a poll before.

(I will put up art information after the poll finishes)

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Edvard Munch unknown date

Naked woman with red hair and green eyes

Munch, as an expressionist, used colours as metaphor and code. Red was for life and sensuality, but green was often used for negative states or emotions. I wonder if the green eyes here are colour as metaphor or colour as contrast?

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Urgh modern art is so jarring, not at all relaxing like classical painting

Classical painting:

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Ángel Zárraga 1909

La femme et le pantin

This is based off of a novel that i feel is kind of written by a mens rights activist. Mateo is into Conchita but she tells him she's not interested and flirts with other guys. This makes Mateo so angry he assaults her and of course shes into it and they have 'consensual' sex. Then they start living together but she's so clingy that Mateo leaves her.

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Patron: can you do a portrait of my daughters?

Goya: sure, easy

P: now nothing creepy though

G: of course

P: so no like witches or demons or titans

G: yep

P: just a nice wholesome-

G: got it

P: dammit forgot to say no dolls

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Francisco Goya 1792

El pelele

Goya was a creepy expert. This one though is a painting of a pelele doll, women throw it into the air at Spanish festivals. Maybe someone from Spain can explain what it means but i think it has something to do with improving your chances of a better marriage.

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TV execs be all like

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John Singer Sargent 1925

Sir Hugh Allen

John Singer Sargent is probably my favourite 'American' artist.

Described by his contemporaries (like Jacques-Émile Blanche) as bisexual, he was also known as the painter of the Jews. Unlike other gentiles, he happily painted portraits of his Jewish friends.

Why the quotes on "American"? He was born in Italy, grew up and trained in France, moved to England until he was in his 50s when he was in America for the last years of his life. His parents were American but I also suspect he liked considering himself American because Europe found him too scandalous, America was more accepting (at the time).