Villa Madoma

This is the oil sketch for the artist Anton Raphael Mengs, in preparing to paint the ceiling of a church in Rome. The Glory Of Saint Eusabius dates to circa 1757.

Here we have a glimpse of the next gallery space. My favourite sculpture in the building is at the far end.

I moved into a side corridor. The Dead Christ On The Cross is an oil painting dating to 1655-60, by Philippe de Champaigne.

Here we have a porcelain sculpture, made under the direction of Louis-Simon Boizot. Marie Antoinette As Minerva was cast by 1780.

Rome From The Villa Madama is the title of this circa 1765 oil painting by Richard Wilson.

Finishing for today, here we have Garden Of An Italian Villa by Hubert Robert, done in 1764.

Master Works

This bust appeared in yesterday's post. Pierre Pugot sculpted this marble at some point between 1663-68. Bust Of A King doesn't identify the subject, but it has a commanding presence.

Elsewhere in the Baroque Room is this large painting. Guercino, aka Giovanni Francesco Barbeiri, painted Christ And The Woman Of Samaria in 1647, depicting a New Testament meeting at a well. 

Moving on, this caught my eye. Francesco Salvati painted The Virgin And Child With An Angel between 1535-39.

Here we have a work by Rembrandt van Rijn. Heroine From The Old Testament was painted in 1632-33, and depicts an unnamed woman of the Bible. The sitter may have been his soon to be wife.

This view of the fountain courtyard is taken from above.

Bernardo Bellotto painted The Arsenal, Venice around 1743.

Francesco Guardi gave us this painting, The Church of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice between 1780-85.

And for today I finish with this painting. Young Woman With A Fan is by Pietro Rotari, painted between 1754-56.

The Old Masters

A happy Thankgiving to my fellow Canadians!

Today I start with a look at some of the art in the world section of the National Gallery. The Crucifixion is attributed to Jean Penicaud II, dating circa 1550. Colour is used sparingly in his works. 

This is from the workshop of Antoine Caron. Dated circa 1570, The Submission Of Milan To Frances I blends a mix of historical and allegorical elements in this depiction of the 1515 battle.

Here we have a marble work by Gregorio di Lorenzo, circa 1485. The Virgin And Child was likely done for a client in Urbino, given the coat of arms incorporated into the work. 

Here we have something from the workshop of Sandro Botticelli. The Christ Child And The Infant John The Baptist dates to around 1490. Botticelli sketched the idea and delegated it to an apprentice. 

One of the spaces here is called the Baroque Room, filled with large paintings and several sculptures.

Sebastien Bourdon painted Ulysses Discovering Astyanax Hidden In Hector's Tomb at some point between 1654-56. It depicts the Greek king of Ithaca, Odysseus, finding the hidden heir of Troy after the city has fallen. Hector's widow Andromache pleads for her son's life, but to no avail.

Jacopo Bassano and his workshop were behind this large canvas. The Departure of Abraham For Canaan dates to around 1570, and depicts the Old Testament patriarch and his family being directed by the Almighty to go to Canaan. 

For today I finish with three shots of this bust by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The sculptor crafted this marble bust around 1632. Maffeo Barberini, Pope Urban VIII gives us a very human look- crow feet, wrinkles, and stubble included- at his patron in the Vatican.

Creative Inspiration

Here we have another Lawren Harris painting, Lighthouse, Father Point, dating to 1930. Harris and his Group of Seven colleague A.Y. Jackson took a trip the previous year to Atlantic Canada, and Harris found this lighthouse near Rimouski, Quebec.

Two works of art are side by side, one a sculpture and the second being a portrait of the artist.

Gesture is a 1927 marble by Elizabeth Wyn Wood.

Gordon Davies painted the artist with two of her works in 1936. Elizabeth And Gesture is the title of this oil painting.

This display case features carved works by First Nations artists.

Woman At Clothesline was painted in 1956-57 by the artist Alex Colville, depicting his wife Rhoda.

Alex Janvier is a First Nations artist of the Dene people who works in a vivid, abstract style; his Morning Star over at the Museum of History is a particular favourite work of art of mine. This is another of his works, Alberta Blues, dating to 1966.

Daphne Odjig was a colleague of Janvier, with Odawa and Potowatomi First Nations roots. Universe is a 1970 acrylic painting.

I headed up to the world art section. On the upper landing I photographed out the glass tower towards Parliament Hill and Major's Hill Park.

There's a staircase that leads up to here. Standing Nude is a limestone sculpture by Aristide Maillol, and it's on the landing halfway up. It was done from 1919-21.

For today I finish off with a view of the garden courtyard from the upper level.

Of Vivid Imagination

I left off yesterday with a wider view of these three paintings by Group of Seven member Lawren Harris. The first is North Shore, Lake Superior, a 1926 painting. Harris had travelled with A.Y. Jackson to the region for the first time in 1921, and it made an impression.

Pic Island, Lake Superior was done in 1924.

Lake Superior, Sketch No. 63 is circa 1926, a quick sketch Harris painted out in the environs. It was typical of the Group to paint these sketches in the field and then over the winters to paint a larger work in their studios. 

Another Harris painting is here. Greenland Mountains dates to 1930, a time when he visited the Arctic.

North Shore, Baffin Island II is from that time as well, a 1931 painting by Harris depicting the landscape of the Canadian far north.

I mentioned in yesterday's post how Emily Carr was associated with the group. Some of her paintings are here in the background. Much of her work was focused on the First Nations in the Pacific Northwest, and so it is fitting that some of her work shares space with the dramatic art and craftsmanship of First Nation artists.

Moving on from the circle of the Group of Seven, I came across other works. Pegi Nichol MacLeod painted this oil painting in 1935. It is titled A Descent Of Lilies.

For today I conclude with two paintings by the same artist, Lilias Torrance Newton, set together. 

Portrait Of Frances Loring dates to around 1942.

Her self portrait dates to around 1929.