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ᗯISᕼIᑎG EᐯEᖇYOᑎE TᕼE ᗷEST TᕼIS SEᗩSOᑎ ᕼᗩS TO OᖴᖴEᖇ, ᗩᑎᗪ ᗩ ᑭEᗩᑕEᖴᑌᒪ ᗩᑎᗪ ᕼᗩᑭᑭY ᑎEᗯ YEᗩᖇ! This year's e-card was created by Jim Rehlin, using his pen and ink drawing, Carolers. 
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Joan M. Rehlin A holiday mini art history post... Thomas Nast (9/27/1840–12/7/1902) was born in Germany and immigrated with his family to the United States when he was a young child. Although he did poorly overall in school, he excelled in drawing. At 15 Nast enrolled at the National Academy of Design in NYC, and at 17 his drawings first appeared in Harper’s Weekly magazine. Nast became a staff illustrator with Harper’s beginning in 1862, and was associated with the magazine until 1886. Considered the father of the American cartoon, Nast reportedly exerted more political power than any other 19th century artist. He created political caricatures (e.g., Boss Tweed / Tammany Hall) and symbols (e.g., Republican elephant), plus refined others (e.g., Democratic donkey, Uncle Sam). Of importance to our holiday mini art history post is the fact that Nast also created the modern-day depiction of Santa Claus, as a jolly man delivering presents to children. Nast based his Santa drawings on older, traditional German figures — from his fond childhood memories of a bearded Sankt Nikolaus, who distributed treats at Christmastime — and on the description of Santa by Clement Moore in the well-known poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas. Merry Old Santa Claus, illustration, 1881, Thomas Nast  by Joan M. Rehlin One of our mini art history posts... N. (Newell) C. (Convers) Wyeth (10/22/1882–10/19/1945) was a renowned American artist and patriarch of a family of famous artists, notably son Andrew and grandson Jamie. Wyeth began creating watercolors at age 12, and his artistic interests were inspired and encouraged by his mother who was acquainted with Thoreau and Longfellow. He studied at the Howard Pyle School of Art in Delaware with Pyle, himself, where Wyeth refined his craft as a painter and illustrator. Wyeth created over 3,000 paintings and illustrated 112 books during his lifetime, earning particular acclaim for the art he provided for Charles Scribner’s Sons. Among his book illustrations were creations for Treasure Island in the 1910s. Wyeth also expanded Scribner’s Illustrated Classics, a line of children’s books that included The Yearling, Kidnapped, and The Last of the Mohicans, and his illustrations gave children’s stories a realism seldom seen before then. In addition, Wyeth created posters, calendars, and other ads for clients such as Coca-Cola and Lucky Strike, and painted murals for various banks, hotels, and other public and private buildings. His non-illustrative landscape and portrait paintings changed in style from impressionism in the 1910s to realism in the 1930s. In 1941 N.C. Wyeth was elected to the National Academy. Wyeth wed Carolyn Bockius in 1908, and the couple settled in the village of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania where they raised five children and resided for the remainder of his life. The painting shown here depicts the beautiful countryside surrounding Wyeth’s home. Chadds Ford Hills, oil on canvas, c. 1931, N.C. Wyeth  by Joan M. Rehlin Another of our mini art history posts... Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa, better known as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, was a French artist who, along with Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin, is considered a prominent Post-Impressionist. Although he lived only 36 years, Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) created a prodigious collection of elegant, avant-garde images — 700+ canvas paintings, 350+ prints and posters, 5,000+ drawings, and 250+ watercolors — depicting life during the theatrical and decadent fin de siècle in Paris. Born into an aristocratic family, Toulouse-Lautrec suffered from health issues that were attributed to his parents also being first cousins. When his physical issues limited other activities, he turned his focus almost entirely to creating art and, at 8 years old, began drawing sketches and caricatures. He later received art training from several respected artists / instructors and, beginning in 1887, exhibited his works in a variety of venues both in and outside of Paris. When the Moulin Rouge opened in 1889, he was commissioned to create a series of posters and also had a seat reserved for him in the famous cabaret. In the mid-1890s, he contributed illustrations to the satirical Le Rire magazine. Toulouse-Lautrec shared a common label of social misfit with marginalized populations, and is attributed with instilling humanity in his realistic art that portrays them. He is quoted as stating, “Everywhere and always ugliness has its beautiful aspects; it is thrilling to discover them where nobody else has noticed them.” Wanting to escape his physical and emotional pain, Toulouse-Lautrec reportedly filled his hollowed-out cane with liquor, never to be without something strong to drink. Unfortunately, his prolific artistic life ended prematurely due to alcoholism and syphilis. Included among his famous works is At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance (shown here) which is currently displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At the Moulin Rouge, The Dance, oil on canvas, 1890, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec  by Joan M. Rehlin Highlighting Rothko in this mini art history post… Mark Rothko, né Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz (9/25/03–2/25/70), emigrated from Russia to the USA in 1913. At 17, he graduated with honors from secondary school and became adept at political discussions, promoting issues such as workers’ and women's rights. After attending Yale for two years, Rothko watched students sketch models in 1923 while he worked in New York’s garment district, and decided to turn to art. He took classes at several New York City art and design schools but considered himself mostly a self-taught artist. Refusing to embrace any specific movement, Rothko was nonetheless credited with introducing Abstract Expressionism into the art world. His later works, especially, emphasize an emotional aspect, which is a component of Abstract Expressionism. Beginning in 1946, he created paintings that others labeled “multiforms,” which would eventually evolve into his signature style that displays horizontal blocks of contrasting color on immense vertical canvases. An example, shared here, is his Untitled (Yellow Red and Blue) oil on canvas. Several critics thought the size of his paintings was an attempt to hide a lack of substance. However, Rothko felt his large creations, with no human figures or landscape, possessed their own life force and allowed the viewer to feel “enveloped within” the painting. Untitled (Yellow Red and Blue), oil on canvas, c. 1953, Mark Rothko  by Joan M. Rehlin A mini art history tribute to Mildred Miller Weber (1886–1958), who was born, lived her life, and died in Pittsburgh, PA. Both an artist and an English teacher, she received a degree to teach English in the public schools, but she also found time to pursue her love of art. She painted in oil and watercolor, and as was the custom for young women during the late 1800s and early 1900s, she painted floral designs on ceramics, too. Along with those activities, Mildred Weber raised four children, the third oldest being Jim Rehlin’s mother, Martha. Jim recalls his grandmother encouraging him to learn many useful life skills when young, including how to tie his shoelaces. Most importantly, Jim credits Grandma Weber with being the first artistic influence in his life. When he was an 8-year-old, she noticed Jim’s talent and gave him a box of oil paints, which he eagerly put to good use. This eventually led to his taking extracurricular painting classes at Carnegie Institute during his elementary school years (for more on Jim’s artistic education, please visit Jim’s Artist’s Statement webpage). Grandma Weber was a loving, positive influence on her children and grandchildren, and encouraged Jim’s emerging artistic talent. Although she didn’t achieve artistic fame, many of us, especially Jim, believe that she has more than earned this mini art history tribute. Thank you, Mildred Miller Weber! Untitled, oil on canvas, c. 1954, Mildred Miller Weber Composite photo, clockwise: 1) Painting depicts the artist’s son’s back yard, which is shown in next photo; 2) Labor Day 1952, with Mildred (middle) and her children Emily, Martha, Harriet, and Dave; and 3) Mildred, in her college cap and gown.  by Joan M. Rehlin Highlighting Manet in one of our mini art history posts... Édouard Manet (1/23/1832–4/30/1883) was a French painter who was born, lived most of his life, and died in Paris. Rejecting the future originally envisioned for him by his father, who expected Édouard to pursue a career in law, Manet was encouraged by his uncle, Edmond Fournier, to pursue painting. Becoming engrossed in the world of painting, Manet opened a studio in 1856, and his early masterworks, Le déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia (both, 1863) are considered paintings that mark the start of modern art. Eventually, he developed his own style that would be acclaimed as innovative and would serve as a major influence for future painters. As one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern-life subjects, Manet was pivotal in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. He elaborated, “there are no lines in nature, only areas of colour, one against another.” He often sat at Père Lathuille's restaurant on the Avenue de Clichy, which had a garden in addition to the dining area, where he would observe 19th-century Parisian social life. Many of his paintings of café scenes were based on sketches executed on the spot, including Chez le père Lathuille, shown here, which is currently located in the Musée des Beaux-Arts Tournai. Chez le père Lathuille, oil on canvas, 1879, Édouard Manet  by Joan M. Rehlin ᗩ ᐯᗩᖇIᗩTIOᑎ Oᑎ ᗩ TᕼEᗰE… Rehlin Graphics / Fine Art is presenting a slightly different kind of mini art history post, highlighting our own Jim Rehlin. Although not as famous an artist as his influences — including Van Gogh, Seurat, Cézanne — Jim has developed a significant following over the past few years since turning to the fine art field full time. As a child, Jim began creating paintings when his grandmother, also an artist, noticed his talent and gave him a box of oil paints. During grade school, he took extracurricular painting classes at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Institute and then all the available art classes throughout school, culminating with his earning a BFA degree from Wittenberg University. As time allowed, Jim painted, sketched, and sold some of his artwork while pursuing his career as a graphic designer and illustrator. After refocusing his attention in 2014 to creating art on a full-time basis, he has been honored to have his work selected to be in a variety of venues, including in the Ann Arbor Art Center’s downstairs 117 Gallery Shop and in some of their upstairs exhibitions, as well as in a number of other local and state-wide exhibitions. And Jim is fortunate to find success selling his art both locally and nationally. For more on Jim, please browse this website to read his Artist's Statement and view his ever-growing catalog of paintings and drawings in this website's Galleries. If you have questions, contact us via our email icon, above right. Sunflowers / White Tail Jumping, 2017, acrylic on canvas, Jim Rehlin  by Joan M. Rehlin For this mini art history post, we’re featuring Ethel Reed… Born in Newburyport, MA, 3/13/1874, Ethel Reed was a renowned American graphic artist. She attended art school in Boston and then quickly achieved fame, not unusual considering the high quality of her work. As an illustrator and poster artist, Reed created art for a variety of books, magazines, and newspapers, including an Easter poster (shown here) for the Boston Sunday Herald. Beginning in the 1890s, posters drew attention to the items being offered, as well as to the posters which became sought after by collectors. Virtually any flat surface in the public eye could be found covered with bold, colorful posters that advertised everything imaginable. Reed’s engaging designs and images influenced the success of posters and consequently the growth of 20th century advertising. Unfortunately, Reed's personal life was filled with problems that, according to several sources, eventually overwhelmed her artistic talents. Reed died in London in 1912, and disappeared from art history archives as quickly as she rose to fame. Only recently has she been rediscovered, and Ethel Reed's works can be found on exhibit at several prestigious American museums. The Boston Sunday Herald – Easter, c. 1895, color halftone poster print, by Ethel Reed  by Joan M. Rehlin Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (7/28/1887–10/2/1968) is considered, along with Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, as one of the three artists who defined the early 20th-century revolutionary developments in the plastic arts. His artistic work is associated with Cubism and conceptual art, and he was responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture. Duchamp eventually rejected the work of many of his contemporary artists, including Matisse, as art that was intended only to please the eye. Instead, he wanted art to benefit the mind. Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 (shown here) uses color and abstract elements to convey the rhythmic movement of a nude. In 1912, this work was labeled by the Cubists as being too futuristic, but eventually became regarded as one of the most famous Modernist classics of its time, and currently resides in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Duchamp, who was born and died in France, became an American citizen in 1955, and he advised collectors of Modern art, which shaped the tastes of Western art and challenged conventional thought about artistic processes. Although he painted few canvases after 1912, Duchamp is considered by many critics to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2, oil on canvas, 1912, Marcel Duchamp  by Joan M. Rehlin Oscar-Claude Monet (11/14/1840–12/5/1926) was a founder of French Impressionism and was considered its most prolific practitioner, understanding the effects of light on colors and the juxtaposition of colors especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. One of Monet's creations, Impression: Sunrise, gave its name to the Impressionist movement, and although it did not sell in the first Impressionist exhibition, it was on display there in Paris in 1874. In 1883, Monet purchased property in the village of Giverny and began a vast landscaping project that included lily ponds, which would become the subjects of his best-known works along with bamboo, ginkgo, Japanese fruit trees, and a Japanese footbridge. In 1899, Monet began painting water lilies, first in vertical views with a Japanese bridge as the main feature, and later in a series of large-scale paintings that occupied him for the remainder of his life. His Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge (shown here) is 35.3 in x 35.6 in and is currently at the Princeton University Art Museum. Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge, 1899, oil on canvas, by Claude Monet  by Joan M. Rehlin Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day! In celebration of this holiday, we're sharing one artist's visual interpretation of love… Marc Zakharovich Chagall (7/6/1887–3/28/1985) was born in Russia and spent much of his life there as well as in France. Associated with many styles (incl. Cubism and Expressionism) and most formats (incl. painting, stained glass, tapestries, book illustrations, fine art prints), Chagall was described by Picasso as being the only painter other than Matisse who understood what color really is. Although he had a reputation for being both an early modernist and a major Jewish artist, Chagall saw his work as "not the dream of one people but of all humanity.” Over the Town (shown here) depicts Chagall and his wife, Bella Rosenfeld Chagall, flying over Vitebsk, Belarus, the small town where Chagall spent his childhood. Chagall, who painted other works of his wife and him in flight, created this one as a celebration of the love he and Bella shared. Over the Town is currently located at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia. Over the Town, oil on canvas, 1918, by Marc Chagall  by Joan M. Rehlin Anna Mary Robertson Moses (9/7/1860-12/13/1961), aka Grandma Moses, is one of America’s best-known folk artists. She noted in her autobiography that a favorite treat was the drawing paper her father brought her as a child, but she didn’t begin a career in the arts until late in life. Instead she worked on farms, in upstate New York and rural Virginia, and didn't create her first painting, Fireboard, until she was 58. As its name indicates, the hardboard painting was used to seal off the fireplace in the summertime. Grandma Moses is attributed with saying, if she hadn't started painting, she’d have continued to raise chickens. Not surprisingly, when she began to paint full time at age 78, she created art that depicts farm activities and rural life. Her style was initially described as “American Primitive,” but she rejected the label as derogatory. More recently, her paintings have been considered part of the Modernism movement, a style that breaks with classical and traditional forms. Through her use of bright colors and nostalgic, simple realism, Grandma Moses has achieved a wide following of admirers. The Old Checkered House in 1860, oil on masonite, 1944, by Grandma Moses  by Joan M. Rehlin Born in France on New Year’s Eve, 147 years ago, Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse (12/31/1869 – 11/3/1954) is considered a leading figure in modern art. Initially a Fauvist who later became known as a classic French traditionalist painter, he also worked as a graphic artist and created original lithographs as well as B/W book illustrations. Matisse began painting at age 20, when his mother gave him art supplies to use as he recovered from a ruptured appendix. He is quoted as saying that creativity takes courage, and discovering “a kind of paradise” while painting, Matisse chose to leave the legal field and pursue art, to the great disappointment of his father. “The Dessert: Harmony in Red,” which is in the permanent collection of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, is an example of Matisse's Fauvist style and emphasizes strong color rather than realistic representation of subject matter. Although this painting was initially ordered as “Harmony in Blue,” when Matisse decided he wasn't happy with his creation, he painted over the blue with his preferred color of red. As we head toward 2017, we wish everyone the courage to be creative, as Matisse was, in whatever pursuits you choose. The Dessert: Harmony in Red (The Red Room), 1908, oil on canvas, by Henri Matisse  by Joan M. Rehlin Mary Cassatt, 5/22/1844 – 6/14/1926, regarded herself as a figure painter. She was born in the United States (Allegheny City, now part of Pittsburgh), but lived most of her adult life in France. In 1877, Cassatt was invited by Edgar Degas to show her work with a group of artists who called themselves Impressionists. However, as a female, she couldn’t meet with the other, mostly male members of the group in public cafés. She objected to the stereotype of being labeled a “woman artist” and supported women’s suffrage. Cassatt was most prolific in oils and pastels, and beginning in 1887, she no longer identified herself with any art movement, experimenting instead with a variety of techniques. Regarding the effort and concentration required to create art, Cassatt exclaimed: “The trying and trying again and again and oh, the failures, when you have to begin all over again… After a time, you get keyed up, and you do more in a few weeks than in the preceding weary months. When I am ‘en train,’ it seems easy to paint, but I know very well it is the result of my previous efforts.” Summertime, oil on canvas, c. 1894, by Mary Cassatt  Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!  I created our Thanksgiving e-card by adding a decorative border and type to a photo of my original Golden Maple acrylic-on-canvas painting.
by Joan M. Rehlin Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917) was born and lived most of his life in France. He was considered an Impressionist although he differed in that he avoided painting en plein-air and instead embraced a less spontaneous, more predetermined approach. Best known for his art that showcases dancers, Degas masterfully depicted movement in those creations. His portraits also reveal the complexity and isolation of the human spirit. The painting shown here currently resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers, 1865, oil on canvas, by Edgar Degas  by Joan M. Rehlin Frida Kahlo (7/6/07 – 7/13/54) was born and died in Mexico City and is well-known for creating art that depicts Mexican traditions and culture, as well as the female experience and form. Having a volatile marriage with another famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera, led Kahlo to comment, “There have been two great accidents in my life. One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.” Even so, the trolley accident, which happened when she was 18, caused lifelong suffering and semi-isolation. Kahlo’s portraits, part autobiography and part mythology, often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She denied being a surrealist, adding, “I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.” Of the over 140 paintings she created, 55 are self-portraits. Self-Portrait with Monkeys, 1943, oil on canvas, by Frida Kahlo  by Joan M. Rehlin James Abbott McNeill Whistler, an American-born British-based artist, was a leading proponent of "art for art's sake” and a major influence on the art and culture of his time. He used a stylized butterfly with a long stinger as his painting signature, which represented both sides of his personality: a sensitive nature and a combative public persona. Finding a parallel between painting and music, Whistler (7/10/1834 – 7/17/1903) included ”arrangement,” "nocturne,” or “symphony” in the title of many of his paintings, to emphasize tonal harmony and composition rather than subject matter. Whistler’s universally recognized work is Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 — better known as Whistler's Mother — but instead we opted to share one of his lesser-known pieces, Symphony in White No. 3. This was initially exhibited at London’s Royal Academy, beginning in 1867. Symphony in White No. 3, 1867, oil on canvas, by James Abbott McNeill Whistler  by Joan M. Rehlin Jackson Pollock (1/28/12–8/11/56) was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement who enjoyed considerable fame during his lifetime, even though his distinctive mural-sized drip paintings initially received mixed reactions and limited sales success. Nature, specifically eelgrass marshes with their watery light, was an inspiration for Pollock whose unique style wasn’t absolutely spontaneous, as he would often retouch the drips with a brush and wasn't afraid to alter his work. Pollock stated: “Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer awhile back who wrote that my pictures didn’t have any beginning or any end. He didn’t mean it as a compliment, but it was. It was a fine compliment.” According to his wife, Lee Krasner, Pollock switched from naming to numbering his works to “make people look at a picture for what it is—pure painting." Pollock's Number One (shown here) is currently in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Number One, 1949, paint on canvas, by Jackson Pollock  |
ART BLOGWelcome to our Art Blog where we occasionally present topics of interest in the fine art world, including featuring artists other than Jim Rehlin. Some of the artwork has been created by long-departed but well-known greats; some, by compelling contemporary artists. All will be pieces we find worthwhile to share with you. If you like any of these, consider sharing the posts forward to your own blogs and other social media. |
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