Thursday, July 28, 2016

History And Geography Within Art

This rather unusual sculpture is called Memento Mori. It dates back to around 1770, by the Italian artist Francisco Celebrano.


This is a whimsical oil painting by the Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens (and his workshop). It is called As The Old Sing, So The Young Pipe. It dates to 1640, and reflects the proverb that children take after their elders- in this case, not in the best of ways!


The Italian artist Bernardo Bellotto painted this oil painting around 1743. It is called The Arsenal, Venice.


Bellotto also painted this one around the same time- it is titled The Piazzetta, Venice.


Venice also features in this oil painting by Antonio Canal, aka Canaletto, painted circa 1735-37. It is titled St. Mark's And The Clock Tower, Venice. 


This dramatic oil painting is by a British artist, George Morland, painted at some point in the 1790s. It is titled The Wreckers, and deals with a favourite subject of the artist- shipwrecks and their aftermath. 


While I was in this room, I photographed again two items that I've shown you before. The first is the dramatic oil painting The Death Of General Wolfe, painted in 1770 by Benjamin West, and depicting the death of the famed British general at the Battle of Quebec.


The second is the sculpture Dancer by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova.

28 comments:

  1. {{Shudder}} That first sculpture is gruesome!

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  2. My favourites are #3, #4 and #5 from this series.

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  3. A nice overview what your museum has to offer.

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  4. The sculpture, Memento Mori, is very disturbing.

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  5. I have to agree with the previous comments about the first sculpture and its name is just as disturbing. The paintings however are lovely as is the last sculpture.

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  6. love the one at sea, waves crashing & all. ( :

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  7. @Kay: it is indeed.

    @Linda: Venice is lovely.

    @Marianne: indeed!

    @Bill: which makes it effective.

    @Halcyon: definitely.

    @Beatrice: thanks!

    @Beth: I do too.

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  8. I remember taking a tour of the Louvre, and the guide was pointing out the faces where the artist painted himself in! I look for this all the time now!

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  9. Museums encourage me to go and find out more about the things I see.

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  10. I love to see old paintings of Venice because it proves how little the city has changed over the years.

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  11. What a wonderful assortment of paintings. I love the historical ones because they are like a photograph taken in time...and I love the last sculpture - so beautiful!

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  12. Great painting. Last sculpture is beautiful.

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  13. @Jennifer: it happens no doubt in some of these paintings. One I've featured before, the artist put his signature in such a way that it indicated his moral support for a young teacher dealing with a cranky school board in the 19th century.

    @Jackie: me as well.

    @Norma: very impressive!

    @Sharon: I can see that definitely being the case with Venice.

    @Lowell: these do have that photographic feel.

    @Nancy: I do enjoy seeing that sculpture whenever I visit.

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  14. Very impressive William. I live in an apt senior home as you know. Today I visited a lady of 94. She was well read. She gave me a newspaper of her life to take home and read Sid and I. She Married in 1941. I was born in 1942. Her husband she married has 3 marriages before. The ladies he married died early. She this lady has written 80 poems. Had them published. History is priceless. Isn't it. And I have a lot of it in this building. As signatures in paintings. People have signatures in there lives to leave now and behind for others. Your a young man It is wonderful that you are connected to all this. One does not find many who are like you. That take pictures and have the interest. I am glad I got connected with you through your blogs. Red is also the same. I love to hear the stories of long ago. Be nice if I had stories to leave behind for my Great Grandchildren. You never know. I do have connections with my Grandchildren. That is a blessing. Well they are now grownups. Age 24 and two babies 18. Ha ha.

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  15. I love the joy in that sculpture!

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  16. Ah Gen'l Wolf. Yes, you and I must view the history of those days through different lenses! Enjoyed the Venetians and the final graceful statue more than the death memento or moral lesson, LOL

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  17. Those paintings are really dramatic!

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  18. I like thise paintings of wonderful Venice.

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  19. The art definitely gets happier along the way!

    Janis
    GDP

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  20. @Carolann: thanks for stopping in!

    @RedPat: the latter one, I expect! :)

    @Cloudia: General Wolfe was an extraordinary man. And Venice is lovely!

    @Marleen: they are, yes.

    @Jan: I went looking for them this time deliberately.

    @Janis: it does, yes.

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  21. You spent a lot of time in the gallery. You've shared and given information . thanks.

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  22. I think my favourite in this series is The Wreckers, so dramatic!

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  23. @Janey: each time I go in, I like seeing those Venetian paintings. Last time, there was a docent there who told some of the stories about them.

    @Red: and yet I'm occasionally stifled by a mistake- I listed Francesco Celebrano, the artist of the sculpture, as Francisco. Oops!

    @Mari: so do I.

    @Grace: it is.

    @Lorelei: you're welcome.

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