Artwork of the month: The Death of Germanicus.

There are parts of human history that I obsess one simply because they reveal a portion of truth about the nature of mankind, as to what we are capable of.  I like to paint these important events in history, repurpose them and link them compositionally to a historical work of art about the same event.  Nicolas poussin did the same thing here.  

Poussin took the history of Germanicus's murder and used as a compositional model a sarcophagus from Rome.  Brilliant conceptual, compositional oil painting; Albeit there are so few that can and will connect the dots to read this painting as it was intended to be read by Poussin.  

This oil painting is a Masterwork example of compositional oil painting.  Go spend some time reading its imagery at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Nicolas Poussin

French, 1594-1655

"The death of Germanicus"

1627, oil on canvas

Germanicus was murdered out of envy and fear...

...fear always has and always will destroy mankind's future.

Artwork of the month: Temptation.

I am not the kind of man to fall for religious oil paintings, albeit this painting is a masterwork.  In fact almost everything Bouguereau painted was a masterwork.  The subject, well just make up your own mind.  I like to think mom is giving her "knowledge" not temptation.  

Go to my temple and see this painting anytime you want.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

French, 1825-1905

"Temptation"

1880, oil on canvas

A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion.
-Mahatma Gandhi

Artwork of the month: Kandinsky's Compositions.

Kandinsky painted ten compositions, as he saw everything else as a study leading up to these ten pure works.  Unfortunately the first three compositions were destroyed in World War II.  Fuck you Hitler.  You want a reason to stop war, be outraged at the destruction of these masterworks.  

Kandinsky has always been my largest influence.  These works were planned out as complete statements, pure works of emotion, philosophy, spirituality.  Each one of theses were for Kandinsky the peaks of his work in the moment he created them.

I have had the luck to be able to view most of them.

"Composition IV"

1911, oil on canvas

Dusseldorf, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

"Composition V"

1911, oil on canvas

Private collection

"Composition VI"

1913, oil on canvas

State Hermitage museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

"Composition VII"

1913, oil on canvas

The Tretyakov State Gallery, Moscow Russia.

I have traveled to the Guggenheim New York many times only to spend time with this work.  Composition 8 is where I feel Kandinsky reached his top.  This painting speaks to me retrospectively, and reminds me of where I am going.  I will travel to see it again many times.

"Composition VII"

1923, oil on canvas

Guggenheim, New York

"Composition IX"

1936, oil on canvas

The Center Pompidou, Paris France.

"Composition X"

1939, oil on canvas

Dusseldorf, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

These masterworks have been a major part of my education as an artist.  I have always felt that i can not only relate to these works, but that I can see their truths and where Kandinsky was headed philosophically.  

"Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for color, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential."

-Wassily Kandinsky