Eric Wallis, 1968 | Impressionist painter

Eric Wallis, American painter, started oil painting at the age of seven painting en plein-air along with his father, Kent R. Wallis.

The two worked together, trekking through mountain forests and rural farmland, searching out scenes of quiet, soulful serenity.

Spending his formative years at the side of his experienced father, Eric attained mastery of his medium at a very early age--and for him, painting became intrinsic to living.

Caspar David Friedrich | Stile pittorico e temi

«Il pittore non dovrebbe dipingere solo ciò che vede davanti a sé, ma anche ciò che vede dentro di sé. Se dentro di sé non vede nulla, allora eviti anche di dipingere ciò che vede davanti a sé»

- Caspar David Friedrich.

L'innovazione portata avanti da Friedrich si realizzò in chiave paesaggistica: Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) intendeva far evolvere la concezione classica di paesaggio, inteso solo come scenario bello da vedere, aggiungendovi il sentimento del sublime, una riunione con il sé spirituale attraverso la contemplazione della natura.

L'artista fu un personaggio chiave per trasformare il paesaggio, sino ad allora un fondale subordinato al dramma umano, in un soggetto autosufficiente.

Non a caso i dipinti di Friedrich includono spesso una Rückenfigur, ovvero una persona vista di tergo, assorta nella contemplazione del panorama.

Jean-François Portaels | Orientalist painter

Jean-François Portaels or Jan Portaels was a Belgian painter of genre scenes, biblical stories, landscapes, portraits and orientalist subjects.

He was also a teacher and director of the Academy of Fine Arts of Ghent and the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

He is regarded as the founder of the Belgian Orientalist school.

He was praised in his time as the premier painter of 'everyday elegance and feminine grace'.

Madre Teresa / Dorian Florez | Give me someone to love..

Lord, when I am hungry,

give me someone needing food.

When I am thirsty,

send me someone needing a drink

When I am cold, send me

someone to warm

When I am grieved, send me

someone to console

When my cross grows heavy

let me carry another's cross too

Robert Henri | Ashcan School painter

Robert Henri (1865-1929) was born Robert Henry Cozad in Cincinnati, in 1865, the son of a professional gambler and businessman.

In 1881 he accompanied his family to Denver. When his father was indicted for manslaughter a year later the Cozads changed their name and fled to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In 1886 Henri enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he studied under Thomas Anshutz, Thomas Hovenden and James B. Kelly.

In 1888 he went to Paris and enrolled at the Académie Julian under Adolphe-William Bouguereau and Tony Robert-Fleury. During the summers he painted in Brittany and Barbizon, and visited Italy prior to being admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1891.