Art Detectives

Looking at Google Arts & Cultures "New Years Eve" choices proved fascinating AND bizarre! The choices they proffered were .... a bit odd in some cases! See below! Top of the Day is this wonderful collaboration between two genius artists:  Joan Mir ó  & Josep Royo.  Including the link here because it shares more info on Joan Mir ó  & Josep Royo, Tapestry of Tarragona, 1970 -- link --   Museum View, Joan Mir ó  & Josep Royo, Tapestry of Tarragona, 1970 --  link  --  James Tissot, Joseph Dwelleth in Egypt, c. 1896-1902 -- link --  Unknown Artist, Shridevi, 19th Century (exact date unknown) -- link --  Viktor Shreckengost, Jazz Bowl, circa 1931 -- link --  Mestre de Lluçà, Altar from Santa Maria in Lluçà, 1225 - 1250 -- link --  Museum View,  Mestre de Lluçà, Altar from Santa Maria in Lluçà, 1225 - 1250  -- link -- 

 Today we looked at the work of Leon Washington, Zenobia pointed out this intriguing artist & his work so we took a day to look at his artistry.  Top of the Day is his magical painting, Lady with Flowers and Vines Mayan Memory -- link --  Woman and Lamb -- link --  Circle of Love -- link --  In Between the Moon -- link --  Keeping up Appearances -- link --  More works by Leon Washington -- link -- 

Top of the Day: Lockheed Worker Working on the Fuselage of a P-38, from the series “Women at War” - Edna Reindel, 1942 Today's Artwork: Wonderful You - Jane Hammond, 1995 -- link -- The Goose Pond, East Hampton - Mary Nimmo Moran, 1881/1881 -- link -- Plate 5 from Dissertation in Insect Generations and Metamorphosis in Surinam - Maria Sibylla Merian, 1719 -- link -- She Always Thought She Was Wrong - Hollis Sigler, 1982 -- link -- Lockheed Worker Working on the Fuselage of a P-38, from the series “Women at War” - Edna Reindel, 1942 -- link -- ​

 Today we showed a variety of goodies from Diego Rivera's Russian kiddoes to photos from around the world.  Top of the Day is Elaine's breathtaking photo of Dale Chihuly's sculpture garden at the Phoenix Botanical Garden.  Diego Rivera, Russian Boy with Sled, 1956 -- link --  Diego Rivera, Russian Boy with Ice Cream, 1956-- link --  Diego Rivera, Russian Boy with sled, 1956 -- link --  Diego Rivera, Sputnik Boy, also called Russia Boy with Sputnik Toy 1956 --  link  --  Diego Rivera, Russian Boy with Sputnik Toy also called Sputnik Boy (another view),-- link --  Another photo from Elaine of Dale Chihuly sculpture that looked to many of us  as if it was floating on glass (which it is!) or a pond.  Elaine captured a sumptuous view of some of Dale Chihuly's masterworks  at the Phoenix Botanical Garden.  Elaine took video so we could be there with her at the Dale Chihuly / Phoenix Botanical Garden exhibit.  Luba found these gorgeous photos from around the world so we sp

Top of the Day: Firelight - Alice Pike Barney, born Cincinnati, OH 1857-died Los Angeles, CA 1931, n.d. Today's Artwork: Laura in Arabian Costume - Alice Pike Barney, born Cincinnati, OH 1857-died Los Angeles, CA 1931, 1905 -- link -- Man with the Cat (Henry Sturgis Drinker) - Cecilia Beaux, 1898 -- link -- Hagar - Edmonia Lewis, 1875 -- link -- Tree Landscape - Edward Mitchell Bannister, born St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada 1828-died Providence, RI 1901, 1877 -- link -- Light Fan - Sam Gilliam, 1966 -- link -- Firelight - Alice Pike Barney, born Cincinnati, OH 1857-died Los Angeles, CA 1931, n.d. -- link -- Self Portrait in Painting Robe - Alice Pike Barney, born Cincinnati, OH 1857-died Los Angeles, CA 1931, 1896 -- link -- Southeast View of "Sedgeley Park," the Country Seat of James Cowles Fisher, Esq. - Thomas Birch, ca. 1819 -- link -- While looking at art today, the movie The Electric Life of Louis Vain was suggested as a great one to watch

Top of the Day: Cuauhtemotzin Street - Emilio Baz Viaud, 1941 Today's Artwork: Self-portrait of the Artist as a Teenager - Emilio Baz Viaud, 1935 -- link -- Untitled - Ignacio Asúnsolo, 1919/1919 -- link -- Frida - Carlos Guerrero, 1997 -- link -- Allegory of Freedom - María Izquierdo, 1937 -- link -- Cuauhtemotzin Street - Emilio Baz Viaud, 1941 -- link -- More about Emitio Baz Vlaud as well as another portrait of him (which Elaine called his "Zaddy" phase! Hahah!) and a photograph as well -- link --  Here's a portrait Zenobia found of Frida with the thorn necklace & a swallow which Carlos Guerrero must have had in mind when he embroidered her portrait -- link -- There are also a lot of other images of Frida on this link as well as some interesting tidbits about her life & work.  ​

Top of the Day: Russian boy with a sled - Diego Rivera, 1956 Today's Artwork: Sailboats and Fish - Manuel González Serrano, ca.1947 -- link -- Portrait of His Wife - Alfonso X. Peña, 1943 -- link -- The Cabinetmaker - Gabriel Fernández Ledesma, 1925 -- link -- Odalisque - Roberto Montenegro, 1910 -- link -- The Whore - Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, 1927 -- link -- Russian boy with a sled - Diego Rivera, 1956 -- link -- Nun's Badge - José María Vazquez, ca. 1700 -- link -- ​Looks at these images of Nun's wearing their badges including a fantastic video you can watch of a film with a group of Nuns wearing them! --  link  -- 

Top of the Day: Taking a Snow Town - Vasily Surikov, 1891 Today's Artwork: A Midnight Modern Conversation - after William Hogarth, 1697–1764, British and Unknown artist, ca. 1732 -- link -- The Ancient Capitol Ascended by Approximately One Hundred Steps… (Campodoglio antico a cui si ascendeva per circa cento gradini…) - Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1743 -- link -- Existence-2001 - Bahk, Seon Ghi, 2001 -- link -- Harlequin, Magician and Barber: The Rivals Exposed - Troost, Cornelis, 1738 -- link -- The Miraculous Draft of Fishes - Raphael, c.1515 - c.1516 -- link -- Pop Shop (Poster) - Keith Haring -- link -- Veiled Erotica - Man Ray, 1933 -- link -- Romantic Landscape - Thomas Cole, circa 1826 -- link -- Taking a Snow Town - Vasily Surikov, 1891 -- link -- ​

Top of the Day: Bust of a Man - Studio of Francis Harwood, 1726/7–1783, British, active in Italy, ca. 1758 Today's Artwork: Bust of a Man - Studio of Francis Harwood, 1726/7–1783, British, active in Italy, ca. 1758 -- link -- The Rock of Gibraltar from Algeciras (Spain) - George Lothian Hall, 1825–1888, British, 1843 -- link -- On the Banks of the Nile, Upper Egypt - John Frederick Lewis, 1804–1876, British, 1876 -- link -- A Young Girl with an Enslaved Servant and a Dog - Bartholomew Dandridge, baptized 1691–died in or after 1754, British, ca. 1725 -- link -- Interior Scene, Possibly in Norway - Harold Gilman, 1876–1919, British, ca. 1912 -- link -- ​

Top of the Day: Shotgun, Third Ward #1 - John Biggers, 1966 Today's Artwork: The Subsiding of the Waters of the Deluge - Thomas Cole, 1829 -- link -- Market Day Outside the Walls of Tangiers, Morocco - Louis Comfort Tiffany, born New York City 1848-died New York City 1933, 1873 -- link -- Young Omahaw, War Eagle, Little Missouri, and Pawnees - Charles Bird King, 1821 -- link -- Shotgun, Third Ward #1 - John Biggers, 1966 -- link -- Independence (Squire Jack Porter) - Frank Blackwell Mayer, 1858 -- link -- ​

Top of the Day is this shot of Ray with some of his characters from the Mother Goose Stories.  Mother Goose Stories -- a video of the shorts , 1946 -- link --  Ymir from 20 Million Miles to Earth -- link --   Cyclops & Dragon from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad -- link --  Hydra Fight from Jason and the Argonauts -- link --  Giant Octopus attacking The Golden Gate Bridge from It Came from Beneath the Sea -- link --  Wonderful article listing ten of Ray Harryhausen's great achievements -- link --  Ray Harryhausen Creature Wiki (listings) -- link -- Click on the pics and you will see a bunch of wonderful clips ... it's not the most CLEARLY marked series of photos and clips; but it's still a wonderful resource. 

Top of the Day: Man in a Vest - William H. Johnson, 1939-1940 Today's Artwork: A Visit from the Old Mistress - Winslow Homer, 1876 -- link -- The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane - John Quidor, 1858 -- link -- Aurora Borealis - Frederic Edwin Church, 1865 -- link -- Elk-Foot of the Taos Tribe - Eanger Irving Couse, 1909 -- link -- Man in a Vest - William H. Johnson, 1939-1940 -- link -- Dodges Ridge - Andrew Wyeth, 1947 -- link -- Poor Cupid - Edmonia Lewis, modeled ca. 1872, carved 1876 -- link -- ​

Beth led Saturday's show & our group discovered Elihu Vedder. We thought his work needed further study & wowwwwwww .... this fantastical artist & "drawing" documentarian (my moniker) did not disappoint!  Top of the Day is this vision of a long lost loved one over the ocean.  One of nearly 200 drawings documenting life and views on the Nile while Elihu Vedder was on a cruise down the world's longest river, 1889 -- link --  A view of three more of the drawings -- link --  Questioner of the Sphinx, 1875 -- link --  Questioner of the Sphinx, 1863 version -- link --  The Sphinx of the Seashore, 1879 -- link -- this page makes the painting very dark .... so turn up your brightness to see it please.  The Cumaean Sybil, 1876 -- link --  Watercolor drafts of The Cumaean Sybil, no date given -- link --  Young Marsyas, 1878 -- link --  The Pleiades, 1885 --  link  -- 

Top of the Day: Self Portrait with Red Eyes - Suh Yongsun, 2009/2009 Today's Artwork: Pope Alexander III offers Doge Ziani the Holy Candle - Leandro Da Ponte detto Bassano, c. 1605 -- link -- Vespero di marzo - Carlo Fornara, 1905/1909 -- link -- Self Portrait with Red Eyes - Suh Yongsun, 2009/2009 -- link -- The Rhinoceros - Albrecht Dürer, 1515 -- link -- Soul in Bondage - Elihu Vedder, 1891-1892 -- link -- Sacrifice of Iphigenia - Arnold Houbraken, 1690/1700 -- link -- Beggar with a Wooden Leg - Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), ca. 1630 -- link -- Drouet (C.L. Drouet, Sculptor) - James McNeill Whistler -- link -- Cavaliers sur la plage (I) (Riders on the Beach (I)) - Paul Gauguin, 1902 -- link -- A Lady Writing by Vermeer, detail of the tabletop (fig. 8) - E. Melanie Gifford and Johannes Vermeer -- link -- Abstraction with Curve and Circle - Georgia O'Keeffe, 1915-1916 -- link -- Pleasant Landscape 1098 - Kim, Ik Mo, 2011 -- link -- Landscape - E

  Top of the Day are ALL of the photos Terry took! But if we have to have JUST one ....  Terry wanted everyone to look at a few more shots, similar to hers. You can scroll through the photos on this Matthias Church Wikipedia entry --  link  -- and view several from the interior of the church that were taken with different lighting or from different angles. 

We've visited countless churches in our meetings about architecture and through artwork, we also surveyed the designs & artwork of mosques from around the world. It's way beyond time to visit some of the world's magnificent synagogues! We only saw a few today but will visit more soon! Top of the Day is this beautiful view of the interior of the Spanish Synagogue from Prague but any one of the gorgeous interiors we saw would make for a beautiful shot  Doh á ny Street Synagogue Budapest -- link --  Twin tower view of the Doh á ny Street Synagogue -- link --  Ornamental detail from the Doh á ny Street Synagogue -- link --  Interior of the Doh á ny Street Synagogue -- link  --  Dome ceiling of the Doh á ny Street Synagogue -- link  --  Interior of the Doh á ny Street Synagogue -- link --  Views of the Doh á ny Street Synagogue with explanations -- link  -- Click on the arrows to see more pics.  A short article on the Great Synagogue of Rome -- link --  The dome of the

Top of the Day: Moses shows the Tables of the Law, from the Book of Exodus - Marc Chagall, 1966 Today's Artwork: Spout vessel shaped as a bird - unknown, 200/700 -- link -- Epopeia Eslava - Ciclo XII - Alphonse Mucha, 1912 -- link -- The explosive inmediacy of statement - Roy Lichtenstein, 1969 -- link -- untitled - Blic, Cozy, unknown -- link -- A la Bastille (Jeanne Wenz) - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1888 -- link -- Moses shows the Tables of the Law, from the Book of Exodus - Marc Chagall, 1966 -- link -- María Teresa (1638–1683), Infanta of Spain - Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez), 1651–54 -- link -- Dish with a dove - Pablo Picasso, 1949/1949 -- link -- Situla (Bucket for Holy Water) -- link -- ​

Top of the Day: "Octopus and Butterfly" brooch  - Wilhelm Lucas von Cranach, 1899 - 1900 Today's Artwork: Liu Wei:"Myriad Beings" Exhibition scene - Liu Wei, 2011.9.3-2011.9.10 -- link -- Rotherhithe (Wapping) - James McNeill Whistler, 1860 -- link -- Indian Acorn - Betty Parsons -- link -- The Gates of Hell - Auguste Rodin, 1880 - 1917 -- link -- Dog Pack - Humphrey, David -- link -- Une rue à Montmartre - Juan Gris, 1911 -- link -- Wallpaper with a Fava Bean Motif - Gerrit Willem Dijsselhof, 1898/1898 -- link -- Bracelet with a miniature ivory carving - Unknown, About 1830 -- link -- "Octopus and Butterfly" brooch  - Wilhelm Lucas von Cranach, 1899 - 1900  -- link -- ​ Started as a random day but ended up wandering the Pforzheim Jewellery Museum -- link -- Quote of the day:  Pearls are just kidney stones for oysters.  Thanks Zenobia 

Top of the Day is this wonderful vision of a Passover Seder,  Nicole Eisenman's Seder, from 2010; here's a write up about the painting as well --  link  --  Eva Hesse, Untitled, 1963-1964 -- link --  The Jewish Museum permanently shows 16 paintings of Kehinde Wiley one of which is Alios Itzhak. His 2011 painting of an Ethiopian-Isreali man -- link -- The first part of this article talks about the painting.  Katje noticed that Kehinde Wiley used this wonderful background which we saw yesterday: Isreal Dov Rosenbaum, Mizrah (also known as Mizrach), 1877 -- link -- and indeed he did as we can see from this article! Good eye, Katje! -- link --    Kehinde Wiley's Portrait of Barack Obama, 2018 -- link --  Kehinde Wiley's version of Thomas Gainsborough's Blue Boy is entitled Portrait of a Young Gentleman (2021)  Marriage Contract (Pisa, Italy), 1721 --  link  --  Marriage Contract (Florence, Italy), 1836 --  link  --  Moshe Son of Yeshu'a, Marriage Contract (Isfa

As part of the Hanukkah Holiday, today we looked at Hanukkah Lamps & related art.  Top of the Day is this Copper Alloy repoussé  Hannukah Lamp  by an  Unknown Artist & Maker from the 18th Century --   link   --  r epoussé is metal hammered from the back leaving sometimes delicate relief images & artwork Unknown Artist & Maker, (Copper Alloy) Hanukkah Lamp, 18th - early 19th Century -- link --  Artist listed as BD, (Silver) Hanukkah Lamp, 1867 - 72 -- link --  Unknown Artist & Maker, (Silver with copper alloy, delicate) Hanukkah Lamp, early 19th Century -- link --  Israel Dov Rosenbaum, Mizrah, 1877 (date of inscription) -- link -- The Mizrah, or Mizrach, is  an ornamental or sacred picture hung on the east wall of a house or synagogue in the direction of Jerusalem toward which Jews face when in prayer. This one is made of paint, graphite & ink on cut-out paper! A Thoroughly Modern Menorah -- though some of us thought it was more 60s than 80s! Haha! Peter Shi