The Irritatingly Versatile Jacob Van Ruisdael

I've always been an admirer of the gloomily beautiful works of Jacob Van Ruisdael (Dutch 17th century).  The sun rarely shines in Van Ruisdael's scenes, yet there is light, airiness and stillness.

The Watermill (ca. 1660)                        Oil On Canvas                                        NGV Melbourne

He was also a highly talented draftsman, as the drawing below testifies.

The Watermill, Sun

He also tried his hand at etching very early in his career (around 1646) and some of his prints contain almost dazzling intricacy.  

The Little Bridge(ca 1652)

Would Van Ruisdael have been such a fine landscape painter without possessing excellent drawing skills?  I doubt it.

W C Piguenit - Fame By Association?

Considered Australia's first native born significant artist, William Charles Piguenit was born in Hobart in 1830, the son of a convict who was transported to Van Dieman's Land.  He is also considered the last true Romantic landscapist, preferring to focus on the dramatic moods in landscape as opposed to the Heidelberg School who presented Australia as an amiable sunny land.

The Upper Nepean 1889

The Flood Of The Darling   1895

The above oil on canvas was purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales immediately after it's completion.

Mt Ida, Lake St Clair

Piguenit appears to be largely self taught, and of particular interest to me is his background as a draughtsman with the Department of Lands survey office in Tasmania.  So I'll claim fame by association as my background is as a draughtsman with the Victorian Lands Department.

Adolph Von Menzel

Was there ever a greater painter of crowds than Adolph Menzel (1815 - 1905)?  This is his "Iron Rolling Mill" of 1875.

The painting is thought to be a triptych, with a girl supplying bread to the workers on the right, the middle section shows the men toiling with the molten metal while on the left we see the them washing up at the end of their shift.  I love the strong diagonal in the composition created by the fire, the huge flywheel and the far recesses of the factory.

But is Menzel the dispassionate observer or critical commentator of the back-breaking nature of modern industrial work?  For some reason, this painting comes to mind whenever I visit a large department store such as Target or Kmart and see electrical goods and clothing sold at ridiculously low prices - the products of present day sweat-shop labour.

Rogier Van Der Weyden

Like many artists early in their careers, I was somewhat intimidated by the masters of the past, and in my case they were the Heidelberg School artists of the late 19th century.  But never mind them, what about Rogier Van Der Weyden (about 1399-1464).

Rogier Van Der Weyden                                                                       Descent From The Cross

His "Descent From The Cross" (c.1435) measuring approximately 2.6 metres wide is considered one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance.  It is a triumph of draftsmanship, composition and emotion.  The clear, cool colours of the new oil paintings which were just appearing on the scene at this time are another highlight.  I'm not of a religious inclination at all, but I do acknowledge the contribution religion has made to art and architecture.

If you care to look, you will find on Youtube a 5 minute segment from the series "The Renaissance Unchained" hosted by Waldemar Januszczak featuring this painting.  It is a very moving account of a work of genius which was a commission from the Cross Bowman's Guild - hence the shape formed by Christ's body.

From Railway Clerk To Painter Of Twilight

Like many people, I have this misconception that there were no British painters of any significance between Turner and Francis Bacon.  There was to name but one, John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893) who was featured in an exhibition in London in 2011.  An article in The Guardian accompanying the show paints a picture of an artist dogged by the pressure to produce work rapidly in order to pay the bills, keep the family together and in lieu of rent for his various residences.

Liverpool Quay By Moonlight  1887

His parents actively discouraged his artistic urges by refusing heating in his studio and throwing away his paints.  Proficient in both oils and watercolours, Grimshaw painted thinly (to save money) and used quick drying varnishes.

Heath Street, Hampstead

Grimshaw emerged from the shadows after a 1979 exhibition of his work at Leeds and he is now one of the most sought after artists of the period  "Another trademark subject, rain-washed streets in views of northern cities and central London, had the bonus of needing a smaller palette. It was shrewd move because a wet road reflects the sky so the same basic colouring can be used."

Boar Lane, Leeds  1881

Grimshaw had 16 children, 10 of whom died prematurely while 4 became painters (see below). Greatly admired by Whistler, Grimshaw died of tuberculosis and left no journals, papers or letters thus leaving art historians little material to work with.

Grainger Street, Newcastle  1902                                                                            Louis Grimshaw

Edward Burra

In an age where artists are constantly being reminded that they must come out from behind the canvas, the plinth, the camera or whatever and put themselves forward if they want to succeed, it's worth reflecting on the career of Edward Burra (English 1905-1976).

Striptease (1934)

Stricken with painful arthritis from childhood, Burra mostly painted in watercolours as he felt this would put less strain on his hands.  He was fascinated by the seedy side of life in London and Paris - as an observer, not a participant.  After each trip abroad, he would return to his parents house to recuperate. 

Snack Bar (circa 1930)

Despite his debilitating illness, he did have 3 things going for him; his parents were wealthy (he never had to work), he was a fine draughtsman, and he had a patron.  His attitude to publicity can be summed up very simply; "I never tell anyone anything".  He hated being interviewed.

This was Burra's response to the Spanish Civil War which he witnessed first hand in 1936.

Living In A Parallel Universe

Czar Nicholas II commissioned a series of eggs from the Faberge company in the late 19th century to satisfy his hunger for expensive trinkets.  They are exquisite to be sure, but meanwhile his country was disintegrating. Over 500,000 were dying of starvation which ultimately led to the 1917 revolution and the execution of the entire Russian royal family.

The abyss into which Russia was sinking is best represented by "The Black Square", painted by Kazimir Malevich in 1913.

The Lost Forests Of Gippsland

Apparently much of Gippsland once looked like this scene, painted by Isaac Whitehead circa 1870.  The title of this oil is "A Sassafras Gully, Gippsland", and in Whitehead's time large areas of Gippsland were heavily timbered including massive mountain ash rivalling the redwoods of California.  But lumbering was well underway, hence the bullock train hauling split timber depicted in the lower left.  Photographer Nicholas Caire became popular in the late 19th century with his Gippsland views.  He warned that Gippsland's big trees were in danger of becoming things of the past if harvesting continued unabated.

I have an issue with the scale of this work.  To me the ferns seem far too large in relationship to the mountain ash and the bullock train.