The first time I looked at Conviviality Near the Inn, all I saw were the peasants, dancing and hawking wares. The second time I looked, the more to me it seemed the castle (or church) dominated half the painting, not…
inspiration
Strawberries and Cream – A Poem
Raphaelle Peale was considered to be the U.S.’s first professional still-life painter. He was son of Charles Willson Peale, brother to Rembrandt and Rubens, nephew of James Peale, and his cousins were Anna Claypoole, Margaretta Peale, and Sarah Peale. But…
Old Partner – A Poem
Why choose to paint a broken down old kettle? According to Artvee.com, John Frederick Peto was a trompe l’oeil specialist, and painted objects at their actual size. This old kettle painting is only 12.7 x 20.3 cm (5 x 8…
The Strawberry Girl – A Poem
Ammi Phillips (1788-1865) painted more than two thousand portraits in various styles. Many are very much like The Strawberry Girl, with strong dark and light contrasts, and, almost, awkward figures. Phillips managed a steady income as a portrait artist, often…
Oysters – A Poem
Human consumption of oysters dates back to prehistoric times. The oyster then moves through a period of delicacy in Ancient Rome, back to being poor people’s food in Medieval Europe, a boom period during the 19th century, and back to…
Two Bunches of Grapes for Wine Lovers – A Poem
For those who like a glass of wine, becoming a vigneron is a rose-tinted-glasses dream. I don’t know if that’s what Andrew John Henry Way was thinking when he painted Two Bunches of Grapes, but it’s certainly what I thought…
Gooseberries – A Poem
The gooseberries in this still life seem to leap off the canvas. It’s no wonder the artist, George Forster, was credited with making the gooseberry a popular still life subject. I was interested in Forster’s particular choice of fruit, too….
A Peach, Seville – A Poem
George Henry Hall decided to become an artist at the age of 16, and eight years later, proceeds from the sales of his paintings enabled him to go on the first of many trips to Europe. While he loved the…
The Baker’s Cart – A Poem
This painting was unusual for its time for several reasons. The painter, Jean Michelin, was most certainly not commissioned to paint this, as he would have been were the family wealthy, nor were there any guarantees he could sell a…
Distelfink – A Poem
The translation for “distelfink” is literally thistle finch. This stylized bird of Pennysylvania folk art is a symbol of good luck and happiness. The Public Domain Review has a good article here about Fraktur folk art and the distelfink’s role…
Master of the House – A Poem
Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables” was published in 1862. The Siege of Paris occurred from 1870 – 1871. This painting is dated 1875. Les Misérables the musical premiered in 1980 in Paris. I had a little fun trying put them all…
Watermelon 1597 – A Poem
The original phrases in the poem here date back to 1597 and John Gerard’s The Herball or, Generall historie of plantes. The Herball was revised in a later publication of 1633 which is my main source document. You can see…
