The Easel (by Park West Gallery)
TITLE: “Thanksgiving”
ARTIST: Doris Lee
DATE: 1935
WHY WE CHOSE IT: From the Park West Gallery family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
SOURCE: The Art Institute of Chicago
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies”
ARTIST: Claude Monet
DATE: 1899
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Claude Monet (November 14, 1840 – December 5, 1926), the founder of French Impressionism, was born 172 years ago today.
From the Met:
In 1893, Monet, a passionate horticulturist, purchased land with a pond near his property in Giverny, intending to build something “for the pleasure of the eye and also for motifs to paint.” The result was his water-lily garden. In 1899, he began a series of eighteen views of the wooden footbridge over the pond, completing twelve paintings, including the present one, that summer. The vertical format of the picture, unusual in this series, gives prominence to the water lilies and their reflections on the pond.
SOURCE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Thinker”
ARTIST: Auguste Rodin
DATE: 1880
WHY WE CHOSE IT: French sculptor Auguste Rodin (November 12, 1840 – November 17, 1917) was born on this day, 172 years ago.
From the Rodin Museum:
Auguste Rodin originally conceived a smaller version of this sculpture to sit atop his monumental bronze portal entitled “The Gates of Hell” (1880-1917). The figure was intended to represent Italian poet Dante Alighieri pondering “The Divine Comedy,” his epic story of Paradise and Inferno. However, in 1889 Rodin exhibited the sculpture independently of “The Gates,” giving it the title “The Thinker,” and in 1902 he embarked on this larger version.
Rodin recalled: “Guided by my first inspiration I conceived another thinker, a naked man, seated upon a rock, his feet drawn under him, his fist against his teeth, he dreams. The fertile thought slowly elaborates itself within his brain. He is no longer dreamer, he is creator.”
SOURCE: Rodin Museum
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Norman Rockwell at the Voting Booth”
ARTIST: Norman Rockwell
DATE: 1960
WHY WE CHOSE IT: From The Saturday Evening Post:
“Here I am on November 8. As you can see, it’s not easy for me to make up my mind…” Norman Rockwell says in the caption of this 1960 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company advertisement.
The ad was one in a series of 81 pencil drawings Norman Rockwell sketched in the ’50s and ’60s for the insurance company.
Though we don’t know if he cast his vote for Richard Nixon or John F. Kennedy, we do know that he enjoyed working with both men in 1960, painting each of their portraits for The Saturday Evening Post covers.
Election Day 2012 has finally arrived! Will Democratic President Barack Obama win re-election or will Republican challenger Mitt Romney be chosen as America’s next president? We shall soon find out…
SOURCE: The Saturday Evening Post
Through association with the Norman Rockwell Licensing Company (the estate of the artist) and Curtis Publishing (owner of the copyrights of “The Saturday Evening Post” artwork), Park West Gallery is able to bring new and exceptional collecting opportunities for Norman Rockwell artworks to enthusiastic collectors. For more information, please visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Simply Dreaming”
ARTIST: Itzchak Tarkay
DATE: 2005
WHY WE CHOSE IT: This is your friendly Daylight Saving Time reminder! Don’t forget to set your clocks back this Sunday, November 4, at 2 a.m. We’re certainly looking forward to “falling back” into an extra hour of sleep — aren’t you?!
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Itzchak Tarkay is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. To learn more, please visit www.parkwest-tarkay.com.
TITLE: “Pyramid of Skulls”
ARTIST: Paul Cezanne
DATE: c. 1898-1900
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican holiday observed annually on November 1 and 2. The holiday pays tribute to departed spirits, with family and friends gathering together to remember and celebrate those who have passed.
SOURCE: Grand Palais, Paris
Fine art by Paul Cézanne is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Duendecitos (Hobgoblins)”
ARTIST: Francisco Goya
DATE: c. 1799
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Trick-or-treat! It’s finally here, the night of costumes and candies that all children — and many of us adults — anxiously anticipate all year long. Happy Halloween!
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Francisco Goya is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Light in the Storm”
ARTIST: Thomas Kinkade
DATE: 1995
WHY WE CHOSE IT: As Hurricane Sandy approaches the East Coast, our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the storm’s path.
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Thomas Kinkade is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwest-kinkade.com.
TITLE: “Le Vieux Roi (The Old King)”
ARTIST: Pablo Picasso
DATE: 1963
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Pablo Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was born 131 years ago today. The Spanish Cubist is unquestionably the most famous artist of the 20th century. In his artistic lifetime, lasting more than 75 years, Picasso created tens of thousands of works, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, lithographs, etchings, linoleum cuts and ceramics. Picasso changed art more profoundly in the 20th century, and had a greater influence on modern art, than any other artist in history.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” —Pablo Picasso
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Pablo Picasso is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Park West is one of the longest running and largest dealers of Picasso graphic works internationally. Learn more at http://picasso.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Flower Jumper Over Sunrise II”
ARTIST: Peter Max
DATE: 2001 (© Peter Max 2012)
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Happy 75th Birthday, Peter Max! The legendary pop artist was born on this day in 1937.
“I’m just wowed by the universe. I’m just glad to do something I love to do. I love color, I love painting, I love shapes, I love composition, I love the people around me. I’m adoring it all. My legacy is in the hands of other people.” —Peter Max
SOURCE: Park West Gallery
Park West Gallery has enjoyed a relationship with Peter Max since the 1970s, and is the artist’s largest and longest-running dealer in the world. Peter Max fine art is available at Park West Gallery cruise art auctions throughout the world and via our gallery in Southfield, Michigan. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Dancing Masks”
ARTIST: Anatole Krasnyansky
DATE: 1999
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Halloween is only two weeks away, so it’s definitely time to get into the “spirit” of the holiday! Is your costume ready?
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Anatole Krasnyansky is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwest-krasnyansky.com.
TITLE: “Columbus Breaking the Egg”
ARTIST: William Hogarth
DATE: 1752
WHY WE CHOSE IT: According to legend…
Columbus was dining with many Spanish nobles when one of them said: ‘Sir Christopher, even if your lordship had not discovered the Indies, there would have been, here in Spain which is a country abundant with great men knowledgeable in cosmography and literature, one who would have started a similar adventure with the same result.’
Columbus did not respond to these words but asked for a whole egg to be brought to him. He placed it on the table and said: ‘My lords, I will lay a wager with any of you that you are unable to make this egg stand on its end like I will do without any kind of help or aid.’
They all tried without success and when the egg returned to Columbus, he tapped it gently on the table breaking it slightly and, with this, the egg stood on its end. All those present were confounded and understood what he meant: that once the feat has been done, anyone knows how to do it.
Happy Columbus Day!
SOURCE: National Portrait Gallery, London
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Gleaners”
ARTIST: Jean-François Millet
DATE: 1857
WHY WE CHOSE IT: French painter Jean-François Millet (October 4, 1814 – January 20, 1875) was born on this day, 198 years ago. Millet is recognized as one of the founders of the Barbizon school, an art movement that embraced the splendors of nature and focused on depicting the native landscape.
“To tell the truth, the peasant subjects suit my temperament best; for I must confess, even if you think me a socialist, that the human side of art is what touches me most.” —Jean-François Millet
SOURCE: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Charlie Brown and Snoopy”
ARTIST: United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
DATE: 2004
WHY WE CHOSE IT: The very first “Peanuts” comic strip, written by Charles M. Schulz, appeared in nine newspapers on October 2, 1950. The comic was four panels long and showed Charlie Brown walking by two other young children, Shermy and Patty. Snoopy was also an early character, first appearing in the third strip, on October 4. “Peanuts” ran in more than 2,600 papers worldwide, for a total of 17,897 strips, before it finally concluded on February 13, 2000.
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
A wide variety of animation art is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Yosemite Cowboys”
ARTIST: Alexander Chen
DATE: 2000
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Yosemite National Park was established on October 1, 1890 by an act of Congress. Yosemite is located within central California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range and is famous for its natural wonders like Half Dome and giant sequoia trees.
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Alexander Chen is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Autumn”
ARTIST: Erté
DATE: 1975
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Autumn 2012 officially begins tomorrow — Saturday, September 22. It’s the time of year when the leaves change into a beautiful spectrum of colors, everyone gets excited about visiting their local cider mills and kids begin planning out their Halloween costumes. What do you most enjoy about the upcoming season?
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Erté is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Apples and Pears”
ARTIST: Alexander/Wissotzky
DATE: 2003
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began on Sunday evening and continues until Tuesday at sundown. Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated by enjoying sweet treats, like apples dipped in honey, symbolic of a sweet year ahead. L’Shanah Tovah!
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Alexander/Wissotzky is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Paysage Bords de Seine (Banks of the River Seine)”
ARTIST: Pierre-Auguste Renoir
DATE: 1879
WHY WE CHOSE IT: The art world is buzzing this week over an unlikely flea market find. According to reports:
A woman who paid $7 for a box of trinkets at a West Virginia flea market two years ago apparently acquired an original painting by French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir without knowing it.
Painting No. 24349 turns out to be Renoir’s painting “Paysage Bords de Seine,” which translates to Banks of the River Seine. It dates to about 1879 and measures 6 inches by 10 inches.
The painting is set for auction Sept. 29. It could fetch $75,000 or more.
SOURCE: AP
Fine art by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Blessing Rainbow USA (9/11)”
ARTIST: Yaacov Agam
DATE: 2002
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Our thoughts and prayers today are with everyone affected by the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
TITLE: “End of Summer”
ARTIST: Yuval Wolfson
DATE: 2006
WHY WE CHOSE IT: The official start of autumn isn’t until September 22, but now that Labor Day weekend is over and kids are heading back to school, summer seems to be quickly fading away. What’s your fondest memory from this summer?
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Yuval Wolfson is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “La Grande Odalisque”
ARTIST: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
DATE: 1814
WHY WE CHOSE IT: French Neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (August 29, 1780 – January 14, 1867) was born on this day, 232 years ago.
According to the Louvre:
[“La Grande Odalisque”], his most famous nude, was commissioned by Caroline Murat, Napoleon’s sister and the queen of Naples. Here, Ingres painted a nude with long, sinuous lines bearing little resemblance to anatomical reality, but rendered the details and texture of the fabrics with sharp precision. This work drew fierce criticism when it was displayed at the Salon of 1819.
This woman lying on a divan is offering herself because she is nude and turns her face towards us. The painting’s title, which means “harem woman,” and the accessories around her conjure up the sensuous Orient. But the woman is also discreet because she shows only her back and part of one breast. The nude was a major theme in Western art, but since the Renaissance figures portrayed in that way had been drawn from mythology; here Ingres transposed the theme to a distant land.
SOURCE: Louvre Museum
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Behold the Man (Ecce Homo)”
ARTIST: Elias Garcia Martinez
DATE: c. 1890
WHY WE CHOSE IT: What happens when a good-intentioned parishioner volunteers her amateur art restoration services?
According the report:
The “Ecce Homo” a depiction of Christ crowned with thorns painted by local artist Elias Garcia Martinez has graced the wall of the Santuario de Misericodia Church in the village of Borja, near Zaragoza, Spain, for more than 120 years.
But over the last 18 months its surface has deteriorated due to moisture in the church, causing parts of the painting to flake off.
A woman in her 80s, upset at the worsening state of an image she loved to gaze on, took it upon herself to restore the artwork to its former glory, but with devastating results.
The result was a botched repair in which the original face has been almost completely painted over with amateur brushstrokes and the image now resembles more ape than man.
Time to call in the professionals.
SOURCE: The Telegraph
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Seated Woman with Red Hat (Femme assis au chapeau rouge)”
ARTIST: Pablo Picasso
DATE: c. 1954-1956
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Indiana’s Evansville Museum recently made a surprise discovery — a previously misattributed work, stored for nearly 50 years in their own collections, is actually a rare work of glass art by Pablo Picasso.
According to the Evansville Courier & Press:
“Seated Woman with Red Had” is a rarity for Picasso, who only created some 50 works in gemmail, a colored, fused and fired-glass between 1954 and 1956. The colors in layered glass piece, which is 36 inches high, 28 inches wide and 3 inches thick, are only visible when illuminated from behind.
The piece, donated to the museum by industrial designer Raymond Loewy in 1963, initially was cataloged as art inspired by a design for a Picasso painting, but credited to another artist named Gemmaux. The supposed artist’s name turned out to be the plural for “gemmail.”
SOURCE: Evansville Museum (Indiana)
Fine art by Pablo Picasso is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at http://picasso.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Eeny Mean-y”
ARTIST: Scott Jacobs
DATE: 2005
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Rev your engines, metro Detroit! This Saturday (August 18) is the 18th annual Woodward Dream Cruise, the world’s largest one-day automotive event. The popular cruise was first held in 1995, and today attracts over one million visitors and 50,000 classic cars from around the globe.
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Scott Jacobs is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwest-jacobs.com.
TITLE: “Starstruck Betty”
ARTIST: King Features, Inc.
DATE: 2001
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Thousands are converging on Graceland this week to mark the 35th anniversary of the death of pop culture icon Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977). “The King” was just 42 years-old when news of his untimely death shocked the world, although to this day, fans still claim sightings of the superstar everywhere from burger joints to gas stations.
“Rhythm is something you either have or don’t have, but when you have it, you have it all over.” —Elvis Presley
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
A wide variety of memorabilia and animation art is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Woodstock Series: Profile on Blends”
ARTIST: Peter Max
DATE: 2006 (© Peter Max 2012)
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Groovy! The Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened on this day in the summer of 1969. Nearly half a million people converged in upstate New York during the historic three-day festival celebrating peace, love and freedom.
SOURCE: Park West Gallery
Fine art by Peter Max is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Left Hand of an Apostle (Linke Hand eines Apostels)”
ARTIST: Albrecht Dürer
DATE: 1508
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Southpaws, raise your hand — August 13 is International Left-Handers Day! The annual holiday is an effort to promote awareness of the inconveniences facing lefties, or approximately 10% of the world’s population.
It’s often speculated that lefties are right-brain dominant; the side of the brain linked to non-verbal thinking, artistic ability and creative skills. Therefore, it’s perhaps fitting that the list of famous left-handed artists includes: Albrecht Dürer, Raoul Dufy, M.C. Escher, Thomas Kinkade, Paul Klee, Michelangelo, LeRoy Neiman, Raphael, Rembrandt van Rijn and Leonardo da Vinci.
SOURCE: Albertina Museum, Vienna
Fine art by Albrecht Dürer is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Louvre”
ARTIST: Alexander Chen
DATE: 2006
WHY WE CHOSE IT: On August 10, 1793, France’s famed Musée du Louvre opened to the public for the first time. Now a central landmark in Paris, the 219-year-old museum was originally established as a national palace “for gathering together all the monuments of the sciences and the arts.” Opening day presented an exhibition of 537 works, mostly paintings from the collections of the French royal family and aristocrats. Today, the Louvre houses 35,000 works of art drawn from eight departments, displayed in over 60,000 square meters of exhibition space dedicated to the permanent collections.
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Alexander Chen is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “New York Moonscape”
DATE: 2004
ARTIST: Fanch Ledan
WHY WE CHOSE IT: French artist Francois Ledan (b. August 9, 1949), known primarily by his Breton nickname “Fanch,” celebrates his 63rd birthday today!
Fanch is known for his brightly-colored “interiorscapes,” which often include paintings by other modern masters, as he says, “to pay tribute and humble homage.” Can you identify the other artists referenced in the work above? (Answers: 1, 2)
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Fanch Ledan is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwest-fanch.com.
TITLE: “Victorian Light”
ARTIST: Thomas Kinkade
DATE: 2000
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Today is National Lighthouse Day, commemorating the Congressional Act of August 7, 1789, which established the federal creation and maintenance of lighthouses, buoys, beacons and public piers. Lighthouses have become historical symbols in America, signifying safety and security for boats at sea.
“I am intrigued by lighthouses. Erected in locations of great peril, they often stand in settings of remarkable beauty and drama as well. Where nature is most powerful, it can also be most majestic.” —Thomas Kinkade (1958-2012)
SOURCE: The Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Thomas Kinkade is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwest-kinkade.com.
TITLE: “Self-Portrait”
ARTIST: Andy Warhol
DATE: 1986
WHY WE CHOSE IT: The “Prince of Pop,” American artist Andy Warhol (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987), was born 84 years ago today.
“If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface: of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There’s nothing behind it.”
—Andy Warhol
SOURCE: Tate
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Electric Cord”
ARTIST: Roy Lichtenstein
DATE: 1961
WHY WE CHOSE IT: A Roy Lichtenstein painting missing for 42 years has resurfaced at a New York City warehouse. The famed American pop artist created the black-and-white “Electric Cord” painting in 1961. It was purchased in the 1960s by art collector/gallery owner Leo Castelli, but disappeared in 1970 after being sent out for restoration. The Lichtenstein Foundation was alerted to the find when another gallery, unaware of the painting’s missing/stolen status, contacted them to request an authentication prior to an impending sale.
SOURCE: New York Daily News
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “American Flatlands (fig. 36)”
ARTIST: Tim Yanke
DATE: 2010
WHY WE CHOSE IT: August is American Artist Appreciation Month! From Andy Warhol and Andrew Wyeth, to Georgia O’Keeffe and Mary Cassatt, America is the birthplace for some of art history’s most talented and celebrated artists. Who’s your favorite?
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Tim Yanke is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery-yanke.com.
TITLE: “Seaside (July: Specimen of a Portrait)”
ARTIST: James Tissot
DATE: 1878
WHY WE CHOSE IT: July has quickly come and almost gone. Doesn’t it seem like we were just celebrating Independence Day? But plans are already being made for Labor Day weekend, back-to-school commercials have begun to play and fall fashions are starting to fill department stores…
This painting belongs to a series of allegories representing various months of the year. The sitter’s relaxed pose and the distant beach suggest a summer vacation by the sea. Bright sunlight is reflected off the sand and filtered through the awning into the room, where it rebounds from the woman’s ruffled dress onto her face. —From The Cleveland Museum of Art
SOURCE: The Cleveland Museum of Art
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Self-Portrait”
ARTIST: Giorgio Vasari
DATE: 1550-1567
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Italian painter, architect and Renaissance historian Giorgio Vasari (July 30, 1511 – June 27, 1574) was born 501 years ago today. Vasari’s famed publication, “Lives of the Most Excellent Italian Painters, Sculptors, and Architects” (1550), has been a standard reference in art history courses throughout the centuries, earning him the nickname “The Father of Art History.”
SOURCE: Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Olympic Torch (Runner on Brown)”
ARTIST: Peter Max
DATE: 1979 (© Peter Max 2012)
WHY WE CHOSE IT: The highly-anticipated opening ceremony of London’s 2012 Summer Olympics is just hours away. Gymnastics, swimming, tennis, etc… what part of the Games do you most look forward to watching?
SOURCE: Park West Gallery
Fine art by Peter Max is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Letter II”
ARTIST: Hua Chen
DATE: 2008
WHY WE CHOSE IT: On this day in 1775, the U.S. postal system was established by the Second Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was its first postmaster general.
There’s still something special about receiving a handwritten letter in the mail, don’t you agree?
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Hua Chen is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Spirit of Detroit”
ARTIST: Marshall Fredericks
DATE: 1958
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Happy 311th birthday, Motown! The city of Detroit was founded on July 24, 1701, by French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.
Considered a symbol of Detroit, the 26-foot-tall “Spirit” statue (located in front of the city’s Coleman A. Young Municipal Center) represents the universal spirit of man. The bronze statue, nicknamed the “Jolly Green Giant,” holds a sphere with rays in his left hand, representing God, and a family group of three figures in his right hand, representing all human relationships.
SOURCE: Smithsonian American Art Museum
TITLE: “Moon Shadows”
ARTIST: Ken Shotwell
DATE: 2000
WHY WE CHOSE IT: On July 20, 1969, at 10:56 pm EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke the following words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on the surface of the moon, 43 years ago today.
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Ken Shotwell is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer (Petite danseuse de quatorze ans)”
ARTIST: Edgar Degas
DATE: ca. 1879–80
WHY WE CHOSE IT: French artist Edgard Degas (July 19, 1834 – September 27, 1917) was born 178 years ago today. A founder of the Impressionists, Degas sought to capture the fleeting moments of modern life, often depicting scenes at the theater, the café and the ballet.
SOURCE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Heat of Summer”
ARTIST: Maya Green
DATE: 2009
WHY WE CHOSE IT: With record-breaking temperatures plaguing the country this summer, we’re just thankful to be working in the comfort of a well air-conditioned gallery. That’s right — Park West Gallery has A/C! All the more reason to stop by for a visit. And for those who enjoy the heat, did we mention our backyard sculpture garden and natural pond?
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Maya Green is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Black Magic”
ARTIST: Erté
DATE: 1979
WHY WE CHOSE IT: If you suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia (Frigga, as in the Norse goddess for whom “Friday” is named; triskaidekaphobia, as in fear of the number thirteen), you may want to lay low today. Also, beware of black cats, ladders and broken mirrors. You’ve been warned!
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Erté is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Madam Pompadour”
ARTIST: Amedeo Modigliani
DATE: 1915
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Italian painter/sculptor Amedeo Modigliani (July 12, 1884 – January 24, 1920) was born 128 years ago today. The artist is best known for his figurative works, characterized by elongated faces with simplified features.
SOURCE: The Art Institute of Chicago
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Campbell’s Soup Cans”
ARTIST: Andy Warhol
DATE: 1962
WHY WE CHOSE IT: On this day in 1962, Ferus Gallery (Los Angeles) was the first to exhibit pop artist Andy Warhol’s now-famous set of 32 Campbell’s soup cans. The prints were identical, except for the flavors inscribed on the can labels. The set was displayed in a single line across the gallery, suggestive of a grocery shelf.
SOURCE: Museum of Modern Art, New York
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “The Two Fridas”
ARTIST: Frida Kahlo
DATE: 1939
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Mexican painter and feminist icon Frida Kahlo (July 6, 1907 - July 13, 1954) was born on this day, 105 years ago. Kahlo, the wife of famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, once said: “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”
SOURCE: Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City
To learn more about your favorite artists and the fine art available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea, visit www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Manhattan Celebration”
ARTIST: Alexander Chen
DATE: 2006
WHY WE CHOSE IT: From the Park West Gallery family to yours, we wish you all a very safe, happy and fun Fourth of July!
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Alexander Chen is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.
TITLE: “Popism #2 - Bright Future”
DATE: 2006
ARTIST: Dominic Pangborn
WHY WE CHOSE IT: Starting today through July 20, the new MIGreatArtist™ art competition is accepting online submissions.
The contest is open to visual artists, 18 years and older, who live, work or attend school in one of Michigan’s six Economic Growth Alliance counties: Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland and St. Clair.
The public will vote online to choose the top 20 artists, from which a five-member jury of arts professionals—including artists Dominic Pangborn and Don Tocco—will select five semifinalists. The winner will be determined by a combination of jury score and public vote.
The MIGreatArtist winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and more. Four runners-up will each receive $250 and other prizes.
Visit www.migreatartist.com for more information.
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Dominic Pangborn is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery-pangborn.com.
For more info on our collection, please contact our sales team at 800-521-9654 x 4 or email sales@parkwestgallery.com - thanks!
TITLE: “Happy”
ARTIST: Tim Yanke
DATE: 2009
WHY WE CHOSE IT: American abstract artist Tim Yanke was born on this day in 1962. Yanke’s work combines his fascination with southwestern and popular culture in a unique miasma of color and movement that can just as easily resolve to a weathered cow skull as a popular band icon.
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
Fine art by Tim Yanke is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery-yanke.com.
TITLE: “Muhammad Ali: Athlete of the Century”
ARTIST: LeRoy Neiman
DATE: 2001
WHY WE CHOSE IT:
Iconic American artist LeRoy Neiman, known for his trademark handlebar mustache and his bright, impressionistic portrayals of the world’s top sporting events, died in New York on Wednesday. He was 91.
Although his paintings captured everything from U.S. presidents to jazz musicians to the powerful animals of Africa, Neiman became best known for his bright, bold sketches of the sports world, capturing its motion and emotion in his brushstrokes.
(via CNN.com)
SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection
To learn more about the artist LeRoy Neiman, please visit http://bio.parkwestgallery.com/artists/Leroy-Neiman.
