Jun 18
Figure study of a woman from behind by Malcolm T. Liepke — oil painting, luminous flesh tones and blue drapery against a muted textured ground
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Syria
seen from Netherlands
seen from Spain
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
Figure study of a woman from behind by Malcolm T. Liepke — oil painting, luminous flesh tones and blue drapery against a muted textured ground
Countess Széchenyi
Artist: Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (Austrian, 1793–1865)
Date: 1828
Medium: Oil on fabric
Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Description
This portrait typifies painting in Vienna between 1815 and 1865, an era known as the Biedermeier period, during which the Habsburg government promoted positive artistic depictions of Viennese life and culture. The mountains in the background express both the artist's romantic fascination with nature and patriotic devotion to his Austrian homeland. The sitter, Crescentia Seilern, was a prestigious member of the aristocracy who married Hungarian reformist patriot István Széchenyi.
The Virgin in Prayer
Artist: Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609-1685)
Date: c. 1640-1650
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Young Woman Holding a Sunflower
Artist: Bartholomeus van der Helst (Dutch, 1613-1670)
Date: 1670
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: The Leiden Collection, New York City, NY, United States
Allegorical Portrait of Anne of Austria as Minerva
Artist: Simon Vouet (French, 1590-1649)
Date: Early 1640's
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria (1601–1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. A Spanish Habsburg, she overcame decades of political isolation and a difficult marriage to give birth to the future Louis XIV. As regent, she successfully steered France through the tumultuous Fronde rebellions
Allegory of Reason (Mathematics and Geometry)
Artist: Attributed to Charles Lucy (English, 1692 - after 1768)
Date: 1760
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: National Trust Collections, London, United Kingdom
Penelope at her Loom
Artist: Angelica Kauffmann (Swiss, 1741-1807)
Date: 1764
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: Brighton and Have Museums and Art Galleries, London
Penelope
Penelope is a character in Homer's Odyssey. She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and Asterodia. Penelope is known for her fidelity to her husband Odysseus, despite the attention of more than a hundred suitors during his absence. In one source, Penelope's original name was Arnacia or Arnaea.
Alexander the Great and Deceased Wife of Darius
Artist: Giambettino Cignaroli (Italian, 1706−1770)
Date: 1760-170
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: National Gallery of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Description
After the Battle of Issus, Alexander captured the Persian camp. King Darius managed to escape, but his mother, wife and two daughters were taken prisoner. The mercy and generosity Alexander showed towards the members of the Persian royal household are legendary. When Darius’s wife Stateira died in childbirth in the military camp, this greatly affected Alexander, since, as Plutarch says, the young victor was no longer able to show her his kindness. He gave orders that the queen should be buried with all honours.
In Cignaroli’s depiction, Alexander is shown in the moment of entering the tent, a military escort behind him. The manneristically slender figure of the gentle-faced youth in military attire, a plumed helmet on his head, illustrates Alexander’s legendary mercy, which he also expresses by raising his right hand in greeting as he enters the tent. The body of the dead queen lies on the ground before him, dressed in a white gown. The blue drapery covering her belly hints at the tragic outcome of her pregnancy. The dead woman’s daughters grieve over her body. The weeping girl leaning over the table is probably a servant. The precious vessels and crown placed on the table may also be associated with the dead queen.