Antonio Fontanesi | Aprile (Sulle rive del lago del Bourget, in Savoia), 1864

Antonio Fontanesi (1818-1882) is considered one of the most important Italian painters of the XIX century. His landscapes influenced several Italian painters of the symbolist generation as well as the 20C Futurist Carlo Carrà.

For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Fontanesi see Antonio Fontanesi | Barbizon School painter.

Antonio Fontanesi | Barbizon School painter

Antonio Fontanesi (23 February 1818 - 17 April 1882) was an Italian painter who lived in Meiji period Japan between 1876-1878. He introduced European oil painting techniques to Japan, and exerted a significant role in the development of modern Japanese yōga (Western style) painting. He is known for his works in the Romantic style of the French Barbizon school.

Camille Pissarro | Snow Effect

Paint the essential character of things.

Dipingi il carattere essenziale delle cose.

At fifty, that is in 1880, I formulated the idea of unity, without being able to render it. At sixty, I am beginning to see the possibility of rendering it.

A cinquant'anni, nel 1880, ho formulato l'idea di unità, senza essere in grado di realizzarla. A sessant'anni sto cominciando a vedere la possibilità di realizzarla.

Claude Monet | The Rouen Cathedral series, 1892-1894

The Rouen Cathedral series was painted in the 1890s by French impressionist Claude Monet. The paintings in the series each capture the façade of the cathedral at different times of the day and year, and reflect changes in its appearance under different lighting conditions.

• Date

The Rouen Cathedral paintings, more than thirty in all, were made in 1892-1893, then reworked in Monet’s studio in 1894. Monet rented spaces across the street from the cathedral, where he set up temporary studios for the purpose. In 1895, he selected what he considered to be the twenty best paintings from the series for display at his Paris dealer’s gallery, and of these he sold eight before the exhibition was over. Pissarro and Cézanne visited the exhibition and praised the series highly.

Domenico Purificato | Neorealist painter

Domenico Purified (Fondi, 1 November 1915 - Rome, 6 November 1984) was a Italian painter, protagonist of "Neorealismo".

In the first part of his career he joined the defined current Roman, initiated by Scipione (Gino Bonichi) and Mario Mafai , shared with Raffaele Wheats. A multifaceted artist, from 1940 to 1943 he was editor of the magazine Cinema.

After the war he was the protagonist in Rome of Neorealism, capturing in his paintings some of the people, country figures and scenes of everyday life.

Claude-Marie Dubufe (1790-1864)

Born in Paris in 1790, Claude-Marie Dubufe began his apprenticeship in Jacques-Louis David's studio in 1804, although his father originally intended him for a diplomatic career.

His first shipment to the Salon in 1810 is "A Roman starves himself and his family to death, rather than touch a deposit of money entrusted to him" (location unknown). This painting was not noticed by the critics, so Claude-Marie decided to go to Italy to complete his training.

He returned to the Salon in 1812 with a large mythological scene, «Achilles taking under his protection Iphigénie, which his father Agamemnon wanted to sacrifice» (unknown location) and two portraits of women, the genre that will be the source of his success.

Odoardo Borrani | Macchiaioli painter

Odoardo Borrani (22 August 1833 - 14 September 1905) was an Italian painter associated with the Macchiaioli group.

He was born in Pisa. The Borrani family moved to Florence, where Odoardo enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1853.

There, he studied under Gaetano Bianchi, Giuseppe Bezzuoli and Enrico Pollastrini. However, he became independent of the academic styles.

His first painting while at the Academy was titled Un veglione di maschere alla Pergola.

In 1859, he painted Lorenzo the Magnificent Saves Himself From Being Murdered in the Sacristy of the Cathedral, an episode of the Pazzi Conspiracy.

Édouard Bisson | Academic /Genre painter

Fanciful ideas and flowing line characterize Édouard Bisson's (1895-1939) studies of graceful feminine types. Distinguished by a certain charm, they agree with Delacroix that the first quality in a picture is to be a delight for the eyes.

Born in Paris in 1856, Édouard Bisson studied art under one of the most successful of French artists, Jean Leon Gerome.

He exhibited regularly at the Salon of French Artists of which he was a member.

He was awarded Honorable Mentions in 1881 and 1889, a Third Class Medal in 1897, and a Bronze Medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1900.

Karen Offutt, 1967 | Impressionist Figurative painter

Karen Offutt was born and raised in Dallas, Texas by a creative family who encouraged her to explore her artistic talent from an early age. Her father is an artist and her mother is a designer and owner of a needlepoint company.

Throughout her formative years, Karen excelled in art classes and participated in several art exhibits. She studied at North Texas State University in search of a more formal fine arts education. As a young adult she sought a more serious outlet for her talent.

The turning point in her career came when she made the decision to study abroad and committed herself to becoming a fine artist.

Olivier Massebeuf, 1963 | Figurative painter

Olivier Massebeuf was born in Lyon, attended the Paris Beaux Arts Academy in the 1980’s and took pleasure in studying the work of graphic artists such as Hugo Pratt and Jacques Tardi but did not feel inclined to devote himself entirely to painting as a way of life.

In those days, he made a few acrylic paintings in black and white.

Between 1983-1987 he concentrated on his British studies but continued to draw and to indulge his fascination with the comic strip as an art form. With his sister Pascale he carried out a project called "Rosa". This involved the writing of a story which inspired the accompanying illustrative cartoon.

Pompeo Mariani | La Belle Époque

The 9th of September 1857 Pompeo Mariani (1857-1927) was born in Monza in a house in "Borgo Como" near S. Biagio Church from Martino Mariani and Giulia Bianchi.

His father Martino (1826-1886) ran - together with Gaetano Pellegrino - the Commercial School Mariani-Pellegrini of Monza.

In that school important generations of Lombard industrialists received the first fundamental teachings.

His mother Giulia (1838-1914) was the first daughter of the painter Giosué (1803-1875) and sister of the most famous artist of the Bianchi family, Mosè (1840-1904).

Margot Homan, 1956 | Figurative sculptor | Public‬ Art

Margot Homan was born in the Netherlands and educated at the Tilburg Academy of Fine Arts. After a few years of teaching at the Markendaal College of Social Studies, she decided to follow her artistic vocation full time. She exhibits regularly at prominent art fairs, such as the European Fine Art Fair Maastricht and PAN Amsterdam, and her work is represented in public and private collections throughout the world. She lives and works in the Netherlands and Italy. | © The Royal British Society of Sculptors

Germana Eucalipto, 1965 | Scultrice astratta

Nata a Sanfront, provincia di Cuneo, in Piemonte (Italia) dove risiede, Germana Eucalipto è ceramista e scultrice, ed espone dal 1992.

Si forma presso la scuola d’arte di Saluzzo e poi nel più antico laboratorio di ceramica del cuneese del Maestro Balmas.

La sua attività espositiva inizia nel 1992 fra Torino, Milano, Francia, Spagna e varie città italiane, ma la sua prima personale è stata a Mondovì.

Sue opere sono presenti presso musei, chiese, e collezioni private ed alcune di esse sono state realizzate con l’antica tecnica del bucchero.

Hopare /Alexandre Monteiro, 1989 | Abstract Portrait painter | Street art

Alexandre Monteiro aka Hopare is a Paris-based growing figure of the street art scene. He discovered street art when he was around 12 years old while coming across an old factory covered with graffiti. He then started his very first illegal graffiti. In 2005 when he was in junior high school he was tremendously influenced by his art teacher who was none other than Shaka, a well-known French street artist still in the game.

Elias Naman, 1980 | Marble Figurative sculptor

Syrian artist Elias Naman was born in Yabruod, Syria. Currently residing in Carrara, Italy.

Graduated in 2002 in sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Damascus, Syria. Later he proceeded for a master in "superior studies in sculpture" at the same Faculty.

In 2003 he interrupted his studies in Syria and was admitted in the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara, Italy. In 2009 graduated with maximum vote with a thesis entitled "A journey into sculpture between Syria and Italy". In 2010 master in "Sacred Art" Italy.

Maria Gamundí, 1952 | Figurative sculptor

Maria Gamundi was born in Caracas, Venezuela.

She studied at thè Pratt Institute of New York and the Scuola del Libro of Urbino Italy, between 1970-73.

She lives and works in Versilia, dividing her lime between Monteggiori and Pietrasanta.

Since 1973 she has held important personal exhibitions in Italy, Europe, the United States and Latin America.

Georges Stein | Parisian Street Scene painter

Georges Stein (1870-1955) was specialized in painting the era of the Belle Époque in London, Paris and Nice and is considered a Paris Boulevard painter and watercolorist from the French school. She was born circa. 1870. However, there is confusion as to whether she was born in London or Paris. Since most of her paintings depict the wonderfully colorful streets of Paris, I would place her birth in France, as do the French.

A fine example of his work is in the Musée Carnavalet in Paris and depicts the Champs-Elysées in the early 1900s, with numerous horse drawn carriages, and Parisian Society parading in their finery.

Marian Pacsuta, 1955 | Plein Air painter

A Signature Member of The American Impressionist Society and a founding member of The Chestnut Group, Pacsuta is an award winning artist whose works are featured in many private and corporate collections alike.

Marian Pacsuta captures the world as she sees it. Be it familial influence, intensive studies with several of todays’ masters in the art world, including Dan McCaw, Carolyn Anderson and Quang Ho; or simply the innate talent that she has fostered over the years, her unique blend of impressionism and expressionism parlays the beauty and emotion art enthusiasts love.

Mihai Teodor Olteanu, 1953 | Impressionist painter

Born in Ludus, Mures County in Romania, Mihai Teodor Olteanu, a famous artist with a plurality of expressions, displays a series of original paintings, the expression of an artistic maturity that impresses every time the art loving audience effervescent, charming and harmonious, the paintings of the world class artist, Mihai Teodor Olteanu, are an odyssey in search of himself and of the true faith in a universe that is beyond our world. Each work is the expression of a perfect interweave of an inner silence and a storm of feelings, which complement each other to triumph in the explosion of the divine message.

Morgan Weistling | The Prairie Church, 2016

Morgan Weistling b. 1964, California, (United States), is an Award winning painter, well known for his paintings of early American pioneer life.

For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Morgan Weistling see Morgan Weistling 1964 | Romantic painter.

Henri Alexis Schaeffer | Paris painting

Henri Alexis Schaeffer (1900-1975) was born in Paris, France in early August of 1900. A student at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris, Schaeffer studied painting under the hand of the master Cormon. Schaeffer’s earlier paintings consisted primarily of architectural studies of classical monuments and religious landmarks. Regardless of the subject matter, virtually al of the artist’s earlier work was of a religious theme. It was not until much later in his career that Henri Schaeffer represented Paris through its imperial and picturesque boulevards.

Pierre Le Faguays | Art Déco sculptor

>Pierre Le Faguays, Fayral 1892-1935, was a prolific Art Déco and versatile avant-garde French sculptor, whose works greatly influenced the styles of the 1920's and early 1930's.

His dancing girls are delicate creatures and have lovely, sensitive faces -in bronze and tinted ivory, equal to those of the better known specialists Chiparus, Preiss, Icart and Lorenzl.

Joaquín Sorolla: "Nothing is stronger than nature.."

• "I hate darkness. Claude Monet once said that painting in general did not have light enough in it. I agree with him. We painters, however, can never reproduce sunlight as it really is. I can only approach the truth of it".

• "Odio le tenebre. Claude Monet ha detto una volta che la pittura in generale non ha avuto abbastanza luce in esse. Sono d'accordo con lui. Noi pittori, tuttavia, non siamo mai in grado di riprodurre la luce del sole come è realmente. Io posso solo avvicinarmi alla verità".

Oscar Mersch | Cityscape painter

Spanish painter Oscar Mersch was born to a German family living in Palma de Mallorca, located in the Balearic Islands of Spain. Laying claim to some of the most impressive and influential artists born to their country, such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco de Goya, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, it is no wonder Spain is where Oscar Mersch was able to thrive in his artistic development and talent.

Louis Dali | Paris painting

Louis Dali (1905-1994) a listed French artist famous for his techniques in capturing the true atmosphere of Paris in his street scenes. He specialized in small street scenes in Paris. He has been awarded high honors in many exhibitions in Europe. Louis Dali was a member of the Society of French Artists in Paris.

Dali started his career as a mechanical engineer and had only started painting as a hobby.

He received the silver medal by the city of Paris in 1965 and won several awards at the Salons in Paris.

Gary Holland | Impressionist Figurative painter

Whether landscape paintings, still lifes, portrait, figure, or even pet portraits… Holland does them all-with passion. As the artist puts it, he has been blessed with a “passion for creation”.

Earning degrees in such disciplines as music, art, education and psychotherapy, his insightful art reflects the diversity of his interests. Holland’s work can be found in collections throughout the world. His art has been featured in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Emilio Payés, 1935 | Paris painting

Spanish painter Emilio Payés was born February 28, 1935 in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain. He began to paint at the age of fourteen. Upon turning eighteen, he began his formal training in art. Due to his talent of drawing, he was inspired and encouraged to begin training at this early age. During his education and training, he studied under the Spanish professor, Mr. Edmundo Jorda.

Rembrandt | The Jewish Bride / La sposa ebrea, 1667

Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, known as "The Jewish Bride", Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, c.1665-1669.

Two contemporaries had themselves portrayed by Rembrandt in historicizing costumes as characters from the Bible. The couple"s tender embrace is at the centre of this poignant painting: the man"s loving gesture is returned with a gentle caress.

The figures and their poses agree with the study, only the figure of King Abimelech spying on them is missing. We, the viewers, assume his role as witnesses of their clandestine love. | © Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Richard Oversmith, 1971 | Plein Air painter

American painter Richard Oversmith received formal training in Fine Art and Illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While at Kendall he was invited to study at the Royal College of Art in London, England. There he gained experience in plein air painting and found direction in his work as an oil painter. He graduated from Kendall College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995 and moved back to his home state of North Carolina to pursue his dream of becoming a professional artist.

Art of El Greco

El Greco (1541-1614) painted many of his paintings on fine canvas and employed a viscous oil medium.

He painted with the usual pigments of his period such as azurite, lead-tin-yellow, vermilion, madder lake, ochres and red lead, but he seldom used the expensive natural ultramarine.

Scholars' conclusions about El Greco's aesthetics are mainly based on the notes El Greco inscribed in the margins of two books in his library.

El Greco discarded classicist criteria such as measure and proportion.

He believed that grace is the supreme quest of art. But the painter achieves grace only if he manages to solve the most complex problems with obvious ease.

Brent Cotton, 1972 | Tonalist/Luminist painter

Raised on his family's cattle ranch in Idaho, Brent's first lessons in art were taught by his grandmother, a talented watercolorist. He grew up sketching the cowboys and horses he observed every day. His family moved to Lindsborg, Kansas when he was in the 5th grade. In this little town steeped in it's Swedish heritage and love of the arts, Brent's creativity flourished. In high school an influential instructor encouraged him to pursue a career in art. Upon graduation, he spent several seasons as a hunting and fishing guide in the vast wilderness of Idaho and Alaska, experiences that led to many painting ideas. He focused on wildlife art and taught himself woodcarving as a way to express himself. His specialty became gamefish and songbirds.

Botond Kuti, 1984 | Abstract painter

Botond Kuti is an Hungarian artist from Transylvania.

Botond Kuti was born in Marosvásárhely (Tg. Mures) and growing up in the heart of Transylvania, in a town called Szováta (Sovata), influenced by his father’s paintings, he soon turned to art himself.

Given this artistic and creative background, he was determined to become a painter by the age of 14. From 1999-2003 Botond was a scholarship student in the Department of Painting at Palló Imre High School of Fine Arts in Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiu Secuiesc).

Paulo Coelho: "Culture makes people understand each other better"

• "Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbour is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions".

Catrin Welz-Stein | Surrealist Digital painter

• "I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfil our destiny, but our fate is sealed".

• "Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering".