The Easel (by Park West Gallery)

Columbus Day

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.

Yosemite National Park Established

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.

Remembering 9/11

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

August is American Artist Appreciation Month

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.

Happy Fourth of July!

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.

Flag Day

TITLE: “Flag with Heart”

ARTIST: Peter Max

DATE: 2011 (© Peter Max 2012)

WHY WE CHOSE IT: Today is Flag Day in the United States. The national holiday commemorates the adoption of the American flag by resolution of the Second Continental Congress, on June 14, 1777.

SOURCE: Park West Gallery Collection

Fine art by Peter Max is available through Park West Gallery and its cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.

American Gothic

TITLE: “American Gothic”

ARTIST: Grant Wood

DATE: 1930

WHY WE CHOSE IT: American painter Grant Wood (Feb. 13, 1891 – Feb. 12, 1942) was born 121 years ago today. His most iconic painting, “American Gothic,” was so-called because of the architectural style of the house behind the central figures — a farmer and his spinster daughter modeled after the artist’s own dentist and younger sister, Nan.

The painting was entered into a competition at The Art Institute of Chicago, where Wood was awarded the bronze medal, a $300 cash prize and the museum acquired the work for their permanent collection. Critics initially assumed the image was meant to be a satire of repression and the narrow-mindedness of rural small-town life, however the work eventually came to be seen as a depiction of the steadfast American Midwestern pioneer spirit.

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.

Norman Rockwell, an American Icon

TITLE: “Triple Self-Portrait”

ARTIST: Norman Rockwell

DATE: 1960 (©The Norman Rockwell Estate. ©1960 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, Indiana.)

WHY WE CHOSE IT: Norman Rockwell (Feb. 3, 1894 – Nov. 8, 1978), perhaps the most well-known American artist of all time, was born 118 years ago today. His heartfelt portrayals of everyday American life, used for decades as cover illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post magazine, are what earned him renown and continue to be admired by all generations. One such illustration, a rare self-portrait, has become an iconic image of its own… 

The four self-portraits on [Rockwell’s] canvas—Albrecht Durer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh—are his references. They invite us to compare (as he did) how other artists tackled the problem of a self-portrait.

Influenced during his student years by Durer’s superb draftsmanship, Rockwell puts him at the top of his canvas. Next in line is Rembrandt, whose painting style Rockwell admired above all others. Below it is Picasso, whom Rockwell admired greatly but whose work, he admitted, was opposite his own. Last is Van Gogh, a painter with whom Rockwell never identified, and whose style his own work never resembled. Unlike Rockwell, all four artists produced numerous formal self-portraits… —Excerpted from the Norman Rockwell Museum’s description of “Triple Self-Portrait”

SOURCE: The Norman Rockwell Museum

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.

Election Day 2011

TITLE: “Election Day”

ARTIST: Norman Rockwell

DATE: 1944

WHY WE CHOSE IT: The Tuesday following the first Monday in November is Election Day in the United States. Today, Americans will flock to the polls and exercise their freedom to vote on political candidates and issues.

Perhaps no other artist is more closely associated with depicting the freedom of the American spirit than Norman Rockwell. His illustrations evoke messages of family, equality, tolerance, love of country and imagination. 

SOURCE: Cedar Rapids Museum of Art