Susan Ryder, 1944

British painter Susan Ryder began painting professionally at an early age. Encouraged by her father, Robert Ryder VC, an enthusiastic amateur painter who imbued his daughter with a similar passion, she entered the prestigious Byam Shaw School of Art.

There, her tutor, Bernard Dunstan, introduced her to the work of the post- Impressionist Edouard Vuillard, whose gentle scenes of intimate interiors, domestic spaces and gardens in soft blurred colours proved a significant influence on her painting style and choice of subject for the rest of her career.

Sue was only 18, and still a student, when she first exhibited at the Royal Academy. Shortly after, she married Martin Bates and spent the next decade juggling the demands of her career with that of her young family, painting both interiors and portraits.

Louis Icart | Art Déco painter

Louis Icart's nickname was Helli derived from his initials L.I. Louis Icart (1890-1950), was a French Art Deco painter and designer. Icart was born in 1890 in Toulouse and died in Paris in 1950. He became most well known as an artist in New York in the 1920's.

Icart made over 500 engravings and illustrated more than 30 books.

Life

Louis Justin Laurent Icart was the first son of Jean and Elisabeth Icart. He started drawing early on. His aunt, who was impressed by his talent during a visit, brought him to Paris in 1907, where he dedicated himself to painting, drawing and the production of numerous etchings.

In the studio, where he initially produced frivolous postcards with copies of existing images, he soon designed his own works. Thereupon he received orders for the design of title pages for the magazine La Critique Théâtrale. Fashion houses hired Icart to create fashion sketches, with which he soon became known.

Jose De la Barra, 1956 | Magic Realism painter

Jose De la Barra, Peruvian painter has created a dream-like world through his expressing the internal and external fantasies of his imagination with his precise talents in painting and drawing.

The expressions and the sensual movements that appear in each piece, create mystic allegories about the universe.

By combining his interest in the human form with his desire for symbolic content, he has engendered a language that explains the human condition through a unique perspective.

There is a method through with he develops his art replying on material and composition to develop his personal, magical universe.

Jean-Pierre Cassigneul, 1935 | Post-Impressionist painter

French painter Jean Pierre Cassigneul studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris and held his first one-man exhibition there at the age of 17.

Since then, his work has been exhibited extensively throughout Europe, Japan and the United States, including shows at the Galerie Tivey Faucon and Galerie Bellechase, Paris; Gallery Tamenaga, Japan and Wally Fihdlay Gallery, New York.

Michael Malm, 1972 | Figurative painter

"The human figure, in my mind is the most beautiful of God’s creations. So much can be communicated through the tilt of the head, or the gesture of the hand. I strive to capture subtle things such as these in hopes of creating something emotional and moving"- Michael Malm.

Well versed in a variety of painting styles, from still lifes to landscapes, Michael Malm is perhaps best known for his impressionistic paintings of figures.

A native of Utah, Michael Malm is a painter of figurative subjects, especially females in western landscape, often with horses.

Vladimir Davidenko, 1966 | Genre / Landscape painter

Владимир Давыденко / Vladimir Davydenko is an Russian painter, born in Lipetsk.

Member of the Artists Trade Union of Russia.

Member of the Petrovsky Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The paintings of Davydenko are in private collections in England, Germany, Japan, Hungary.

Vladimir Davydenko is a realist artist.

Natasha Milashevich /Наталья Милашевич, 1967

Наталья Милашевич was born in Dushanbe in the former Soviet Union.

She started her studies locally, graduating from the Art College of Dushanbe in 1989.

She continued her studies in St. Petersburg in the studio of the renowned artist Vasili V. Sokolov at the Repin Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture - widely considered the finest art academy in Russia from which she graduated in 1995.

Susan Lyon, 1969 | Realist/Impressionist painter

Susan Lyon grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. Her initial interest in art was sparked by a PBS television show on Georgia O’Keeffe🎨 that inspired her to take drawing classes.

Lyon studied art at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and was an active participant in Chicago's Palette and Chisel Club. It is there she first began exhibiting and selling her work; at twenty-three she was the youngest winner of the prestigious Gold Medal🎨 which she won two consecutive years in the annual Oil Painting show plus a third place in the Silver Medal show. Medal Watercolor show.

She entered the Oil Painters of America show once and got 7th place. In 1998 and 2000 she won an artist choice award🎨 in the Northwest Rendezvous Show.

Alessandro Granata | Genre painter

Neapolitan artist🎨 Alessandro Granata was born in Salerno. He showed a strong passion for painting from an early age. He graduated at the Art High School in Naples.

He was awarded the "Alfonso Gatto" award🎨 the graphic and painting section, by the Province of Salerno.

The artist made large-scale sacred-themed paintings.

In 2020 he participated in the collective exhibition "Le Madonna di Raffaello" at the diocesan museum of Salerno, where he received the "Special Jury" award.

Mark Kostabi, 1960 | Pop Symbolism painter

Painter and Composer Mark Kostabi was born in Los Angeles to Estonian immigrants. Raised in Whittier, California, he studied drawing and painting at California State University, Fullerton.

Kostabi moved to New York in 1982, and by 1984, emerged as a leading figure in the East Village art scene where he cultivated a provocative media persona by publishing self-interviews reflecting on the commodification of contemporary art.

By 1987, his work was widely exhibited in New York galleries as well as prominently throughout the United States, Japan, Germany and Australia.

He inspired extensive international press coverage in 1988 when he founded Kostabi World, his Manhattan art studio, which employs numerous painting assistants and idea people.

Beginning in the early 1990s Kostabi's work has been widely exhibited throughout Italy. Kostabi established a second home in Rome in 1996. Dividing his time between Rome and New York enabled him to dramatically enhance his presence in the Italian art scene.

Antonietta Varallo, 1954 | Landscape painter

Born in Talsamo (Taranto province, Southern Italy) and a livornese adoptee, Antonietta Varallo approaches painting when she was just fifteen. Varallo, for one year, attended at the Free Academy "Trossi-Uberti" directed by Voltolino Fontani, then the maestro Luciano Torsi has been her guide up to her artistic maturity after eighteen years of teaching.

On 1976 Varallo won the first prize🎨 "Chimera" held in the city of Arezzo (Tuscany).

Nowadays she’s still a honorary professor of the Academy of "Machiavello" in Florence as well as in the Academy "G. Marconi" in Bologna.

Angelo Morbelli | For 80 cents!, 1895

Angelo Morbelli's work, one of the masterpieces of the Burgundy Museum, was purchased in 1912 at the Art Exhibition of the irrigated countryside held in Vercelli, a few years after the Museum opened to the public.

The painting, signed and dated 1895, underwent a long and tormented elaboration, as evidenced by the correspondence between the artist and his colleague Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo: begun in 1893, it was resumed before being exhibited in 1895 at the Venice Biennale.

The canvas assumes an important role for the collection, not only for its belonging to the pictorial current of Divisionism, but above all for the subject strongly connected to the Vercelli area.

Franz Liszt: "Truth is a great flirt"

• Music embodies feeling without forcing it to contend and combine with thought, as it is forced in most arts and especially in the art of words.
• I conclude that the Wagnerian operas which are already in the repertoire, and other master works as well, stand in no further need of my services.
• I did not compose my work as one might put on a church vestment… rather it sprung from the truly fervent faith of my heart, such as I have felt it since my childhood.
• I find little in the works of Beethoven, Berlioz, Wagner and others when they are led by a conductor who functions like a windmill.
• I foster a sorrowful conception of affection. Make no sacrifices.
• In Hungary all native music, in its origin, is divided naturally into melody destined for song or melody for the dance.
• Inspiration is enough to give expression to the tone in singing, especially when the song is without words.
• It is impossible to imagine a more complete fusion with nature than that of the Gypsy.
• It is my fervent wish and my greatest ambition to leave a work with a few useful instructions for the pianists after me.

Franz Liszt Fantasizing at the Piano, 1840 (detail) by Josef Danhauser ▪ Alte Nationalgalerie ▪

Joanna Zjawinska, 1950 | Figurative painter

Joanna Zjawinska began to paint at the early age of six. She earned her B.A. degree in 1972 from the School of Architecture in Warsaw.

To follow her own dream of being an artist, Joanna then studied at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts where she perfected her unique style of oil and watercolor painting.

In 1978 she was awarded a masters degree in Graphic Design with honors in painting from the academy which is one of the most prestigious school in Europe.

Bryce Liston, 1965 | Plein air / Figurative painter

Liston’s artistic inspiration comes largely from the late-19th century; he lists John William Waterhouse, John Singer Sargent🎨, Joaquin Sorolla🎨, Anders Zorn and William Bouguereau🎨 among his strongest influences.

“As an artist my career is dedicated to the integrity and quality of representational fine art”, says Liston. “My goal is to regain the traditions of the past along with the standards of craftsmanship and training. By studying the great artists of the past, we artists of today can once again regain a full command of proficiency to create great works of art… art about life”.

Louise Glück, 1943 | Nobel Prize for Literature

© BBC - This year's Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to the US poet Louise Glück.

Glück was recognised for "her unmistakable poetic voice, that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal" said the Swedish Academy, which oversees the award.

The Academy added she was "surprised" when she received their phone call.

Glück, born in New York, lives in Massachusetts and is also professor of English at Yale University.

The Academy's permanent secretary Mats Malm said he had spoken to Glück just before making the announcement.

"The message came as a surprise, but a welcome one as far as I could tell" - he said.

Louise Gluck / Fabian Perez | Retreating Wind / Vento calante

When I made you, I loved you.

Now I pity you.

I gave you all you needed:

bed of earth, blanket of blue air -

As I get further away from you

I see you more clearly.

Your souls should have been immense by now,

not what they are,

small talking things--

Nino Chakvetadze, 1971 | Kid's Book illustrator

Nino Chakvetadze in an Georgian painter and Kid’s Book illustrator.

She draws inspiration from everyday moments and her paintings depict love, friendship, human relationships, and peace.

According to the artist, she found her particular style in 2010 and her nostalgic paintings are based on memories that are relatable for many viewers.

El Greco | L'eredità artistica

El Greco (1541-1614) fu molto poco considerato dalle generazioni immediatamente successive, perché il suo lavoro sotto molti aspetti era opposto ai principi del primo stile barocco che iniziò ad imporsi verso gli inizi del XVII secolo e che presto finì per soppiantare gli ultimi fuochi del manierismo del XVI secolo.

El Greco fu giudicato incomprensibile e non ebbe seguaci di rilievo.

Solo suo figlio e alcuni altri sconosciuti pittori realizzarono delle poco valide imitazioni dei suoi lavori.

Tra la fine del XVII secolo e l'inizio del XVIII dei critici spagnoli iniziarono a lodare la sua abilità, criticando però al contempo il suo stile anti-naturalistico e la sua complessa iconografia.

Sir Alfred Munnings | Romantic Equestrian painter

Sir Alfred James Munnings, KCVO, PRA (8 October 1878 - 17 July 1959) was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken critic of Modernism.

Engaged by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund, he earned several prestigious commissions after the Great War that made him wealthy.

Munnings was elected president of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1944.