Archive for January 7, 2015

Artist of the moment……..Russell Drysdale

 

Russell Drysdale was one of the most prominent painters in the history of Australia renown for his work with the Australian outback. Drysdale was born in Bognor, Sussex, England in the year 1912. He grew up in Melbourne, Australia and attended college in London, England at the Grosvenor School of Art and also in the Grand Chaumiere in Paris, France.

From the National Gallery of Australia we view a signature work of Drysdale showcasing his thoughts on the Australian landscape:

Drysdale was an outstanding painter despite having very poor eyesight. He was nearly blind in his left eye due to a detached retina when he was only 17 years of age.

The artist had a very successful solo show in 1938 which established him on the international art scene.

In his landscapes, Drysdale was particularly admired for his depictions of the drought ravaged region in New South Wales.

The artist received his knighthood in 1969. Drysdale passed away in the year 1981.

From ABC of Australia we view a show that took place in 2012 in Sydney featuring the work of Drysdale:

Price range information: The artist worked as a printmaker and also used watercolor, oils, and inks. Prices range from $5,000 to $750,000.

On a personal note, Drysdale lost two important people in his life. His son Tim took his own life at the age of 21. In the year that followed his wife also took his own life.

Drysdale was great at capturing the emotions and different physical traits of people.

D

 

Artist of the moment…….Lyonel Feininger

Lyonel Feininger was an American born painter renown for his modernist work with the figure. Lyonel Feininger was born in New York City in the year 1871. When he was 16 he left for Germany and studied art abroad. His father was a German violinist and his mother an American singer.

Feininger was a prolific printmaker and painter.

Below a montage of works by Feininger:

The artist was living in Germany when the Nazi’s came to power. The Nazi party called his work degenerate and this caused Feininger to eventually move back to the United States.

Feininger began his art career working with caricatures and comic strips in national magazines. He made the switch from commercial art to fine art in 1907, Feininger was 36 years old at the time.

From my favorite television show, the Antiques Roadshow, we visit an appraisal for Feininger’s most recurring subject, churches and cathedrals:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200905A29.html

The artist taught at the collegiate level joining the faculty at Mills College located in San Francisco, California.

Feininger was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Churches were a recurring theme in the artist’s work.

Lyonel Feininger passed away in 1956.

Price range information:  Sorry none available.

The artist had a great sense of design which is apparent in this works celebrating churches and cathedrals. Buildings are seen from multiple angles in a cubist style that also shows the vastness of the buildings.

D