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: “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: “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: “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: “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.
