12 Flag Designers in Honor of Our Independence Day

Since July is the month when we celebrate our country’s independence, and the Summer Olympics have started in Japan, I thought the subject of flags and their designers would be interesting. Recall my inclusion of the 5-ring design of the Olympics that symbolizes the continents. See my October 2020 post entitled, What's in a Logo? Recognizable and Memorable Company Logos.

While Betsy Ross (1752-1836) is often credited for making the first American flag, it is actually Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) who designed its two earliest versions (above). You just can’t trust the History you learn in school (or can you?). This proposed design for the Arkansas state flag was created by state historian, teacher, principal, and poet Willie Kavanaugh Hocker (1862-1944) in 1912. According to Wikipedia, a fourth star and the state name were added later in the final version.

The current American flag made #4 on The Ringer’s Which Country Has the Best Flag? list. However, the author apparently prefers the simplicity of the Japanese flag, ranking it 2nd; he believes that the Canadian flag is the worst (205th). Both flags use red and white, where white is considered to be solely a background color. I actually like the maple leaf on Canada's flag!

Let’s study the various types of flags from countries around the world based on aspects such as color scheme, contrast, patterns, and themes. Wikipedia does a nice job of listing Flags by Design.

I appreciate how effectively the Scandinavian countries divide the rectangular space into sections creating a cross pattern, often with white costarring with another color.

Some countries prefer to go the simple route and fly flags of a single color, like green for Libya (1977-2011), red for North Yemen (1918-1923), and black for Afghanistan (1709-1738 and 1880-1901). In Robert Rauschenberg’s White Painting (1951), he went so far as to create six variations, each with a different number of panels. Purely white flags are typically used for signifying surrender or symbolizing peace or calling for a truce.

Then there are the countries that choose to venture out into two colors (bicolor or duotone), the really wild ones choosing high-contrast or adding some sort of small symbol. My favorites are the simple vertical tricolor stripes of European flags observing the rule of thirds. These are often the most recognizable and memorable in my opinion. 

World’s Ugliest Flags: British Columbia, Belize, Virginia, Turkmenistan, and Morocco, according to one author. As with paintings and other artwork, it is really up to the viewer to decide what appeals to their own artistic senses.

A vexillologist is someone who designs flags. A vexillographer is someone who studies flags. Here is a list of 10 countries, their flags, and the vexillologists credited for designing them:

1. Argentina – Manual Belgrano (1770-1820). The Sun is a common theme on many countries' flags.

2. Brazil – Raimundo Teixeira Mendez (1855-1927). This flag includes the diamond shape, while the circle is much more commonly used. Inscriptions often include the National Motto; Brazil's reads:

"Ordem E Progresso" (Portuguese for "Order and Progress"). The stars represent Brazil's 26 states and the federal district.

3. Canada – George Stanley (1907-2002). While Canada's flag now sports a maple leaf on its flag, I find it funny that Ireland doesn't have a shamrock on its flag.

4. China – Zeng Liansong (1917-1999). Stars are the most common symbols found on many of the world's flags. At one point there was a hammer and sickle inscribed in the larger star, but it was removed because it was too similar to that of the Soviet Union.

5. Cyprus – Ismet Güney (1932-2009). This flag uses the shape of its island and an olive branch to symbolize peace and the unity between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on a white background (also for peace).

6. India – Pingali Venkayya (1876-1963). Although many may mistake the central symbol for a sun or flower, it is actually the Ashoka Chakra, and signifies signifies peaceful change (for there is "life in movement and death in stagnation").

7. Nigeria – Michael Taiwo AkinKummi (1936-present). As usual, white means peace and unity, and in this case green represents natural wealth.

8. Norway – Fredrik Meltzer (1779-1855). Used throughout Scandinavia, the cross symbolizes Christianity. The other colors, found on the American and French flags, represent freedom.

9. Pakistan – Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii (1901-1973). Just as Scandinavian flags use a cross to symbolize their religion, Pakistan uses a crescent and star to represent theirs -- Islam.

10. Uruguay – Joaquin Suárez (1781-1868). It's hard to tell in the picture but there are actually nine stripes representing Uruguay's departments. It's common to represent established (original) divisions within a country by repeating stripes or stars. The upper left 'canton' once again includes the sun.

Other less often used symbols add uniqueness and interest to a flag but can make such detail difficult to interpret from far away. They are: animals, boats (anchor or ship), books, buildings, headgear, hills (mountains or rocks), a map, machine (tool or instrument), person (body part), shield (or weapon), spirals, square, or triangle. Hopefully the citizens of each country have learned what the elements symbolize.

Which country's flag is your favorite?

Flags Depicted in Famous Paintings

Declaration of Independence (1817), Trumbull

Many artists have depicted flags in their artwork (Jasper Johns (1930-), Howard Pyle (1853-1911), and John Trumbull (1756-1843)). Around 1817, Trumbull used this painting to create the etching that appeared on the back of the $2 bill. The captured British flags in the background served as trophies hung during the presentation of the document to the Second Continental Congress 28 June 1776. It was later adopted July 4th and eventually signed August 2nd. His portrait of Alexander Hamilton appears on the $10 bill. 

Nation Makers (1903), Pyle

American Illustrator, Howard Pyle, famous for teaching composition to N.C. Wyeth, created The Nation Makers in 1903 to depict the recently declared national flag carried during the Battle of Brandywine (1777).

Liberty Leading the People (1830), Delacroix

French artist, Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, commemorates the July Revolution in Paris that removed Charles X and created a constitutional monarchy. In May 2011, I was lucky enough to see this huge painting in-person at the Louvre Museum. The one I show here has been somewhat modestly truncated.

Terrace at the Seaside, Sainte-Adresse (1867), Monet

Probably my favorite painting with flags is Claude Monet's (1840-1926) Terrace at the Seaside, Sainte-Adresse. It's a relaxed portrait of his family. The red and yellow flag may have been used as a ship-to-shore signaling device, although its colors are also present in the flag of the Sainte-Adresse municipality.

Egyptian Art, Sculpture, and Tombs

The way my mind works, visuals like the one in this ad often jar memories for me. For example, the positive space reminds me of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti (bust shown below in painted limestone), but I can't tell you what's being advertised! I know it's a stretch, but the ad sparked a memory and inspired this post about Egyptian art.

Nefertiti Sculpture (1350 BC),
Thutmose

It amazes me what I can remember from my childhood and what we studied in grade school. When I was in 6th grade, we had to give a presentation and report in Social Studies and I chose the topic of Egyptian Culture. Back then we didn't have MS-PowerPoint as a visual aid. I was, however, able to use a photocopier and was pretty good at drawing.

I also remember The Mummy movie (1999) starring Brendan Frasier, with Rachel Weisz as the reincarnation of a young Nefertiti.

The Mummy (1932), Grosz

The original 1932 film, The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff, was advertised on this poster by artist Karoly Grosz. It was expected to fetch $1M-1.5M at auction in 2018.

One of my wife's favorite movies is the epic 1963's Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor as the Queen of the Nile. Check out this list of 11 movies filmed in Egypt as compiled by Trafalgar's The Real World. I bet you didn't know that Bond Movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, was filmed in Egypt in 1977. Can you guess which other Bond movie was partially filmed in Cairo? Hints: Connery, casino.

William (c. 1961 BC – c. 1878 BC)

So, what else do I remember about Egyptian art? I recall an Egyptian blue (turquoise) hippo that is now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Frankly, I didn't know him as William the Faience Hippopotamus. Faience refers to the sintered-quartz ceramic material from Ancient Egypt. The black lotus flower designs resemble Zentangles (organized doodling). I think I just came up with another art project for studying Line. It would be fun to decorate animal shapes cut out from brightly colored neon oaktag using black Sharpies.

The lotus flower represents reincarnation; after it closes at night, and disappears below the water surface, it emerges again in the morning. See the Top Important 35 Ancient Egyptian Symbols.

Tutankhamun & Ankhsenamun
(c. 1336-c.1327 BCE)

Much of Egyptian art was never meant to be viewed by the living but was created to be enjoyed by the entombed in the afterlife. Statuettes were placed in the tomb as eventual servants of its noble occupants. Its walls were painted with scenes of life activities and to show the path to the afterlife. This relief painting is from the golden throne of King Tutankhamun. The primary colors of yellow, red, and blue make the figures stand out against the golden background.

Sarcophagus Interior

San Jose, California houses one of the largest museums of Egyptian artifacts -- The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum -- including this sarcophagus of the Chantress of Amun-Re Dynasty 22. I am impressed by the artisan's ability to paint the interior surface of this wooden coffin with so many colorful details that have survived millenniums.

Death Mask of Tutankhamun

Probably the most recognizable work of ancient Egyptian art is the death mask of Tutankhamun. Housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, this golden treasure has traveled the world's museums. Such items are collectively known as Pharaonic antiquities.

Bastet (664–30 BC)

Many of the Egyptian deities were depicted with the head of a cat. The goddess Bastet had the power to transform herself into a cat. So respected and valued were cats that they were treated like royalty and even mummified when they died. The Sphinx has a human head and a lion's body.

Artists

Sphinx, Night (1925), Hiroshi Yoshida

Japanese artist, Yoshida Hiroshi, painted the Sphinx in watercolor in both daytime and night. The Great Sphinx of Giza is located on the west bank of the Nile River. Long ago, the limestone carving lost its nose and beard. Archaeologists have claimed that its likeness is of a Middle Kingdom pharaoh, Amenemhet II. From this angle, I see a profile of George Washington!

The Egyptians (c. 1893), Bernard

French Post-Impressionist, Émile Bernard (1868-1941), developer of Cloisonnism, painted The Egyptians during the decade when he lived in the Middle East beginning in 1893. He was friends with fellow artists Van Gogh and Gauguin. Gauguin's paintings of Tahitian women were much more colorful. This particular image reminds me of the work of German Expressionist, Max Beckmann. Both expressionists used simplified forms and flat areas of 'unnatural' colors separated by dark outlines.

Self-Portrait with a
Cigarette (1947),
Beckmann

Self-Portrait with a Cigarette
(1923), Beckmann

Somehow these three self-portraits of Beckmann resemble the figures in the above portrait of the three Egyptian women. The colors that Bernard chose and the highlighting of the faces, arms, and hands against the darker tones clinches it for me. Perhaps I'm simply recalling the hand next to the face. Or the torch burning (incense) like Beckmann's cigarette.

 

Self-Portrait in Tuxedo (1927),
Max Beckmann

Ta Matete (1892), Paul Gauguin

Finally, I'd like to finish with a painting by Paul Gauguin that shows five Tahitian women seated on a park bench. It is reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian two-dimensional paintings seen on the walls of tombs. Most of the figures are also shown in profile view, much like those painted in ancient times.

The Color Purple, Violet, or Lilac in Art

In this post, we will explore the colors of purple (blue and red), violet (short end of the spectrum), and lilac (pastel). Technically, violet is closer to blue and purple is closer to red. Purple is not typically found in nature. The color violet was used early on in cave paintings by mixing manganese and hematite powder. Much later, the color was used in paintings of royalty and also to symbolize magic, mystery, and piety (e.g. of the Virgin Mary). Today, we see purple used for a beautiful summer sky. 

Haystack in the Evening Sun (1891), Monet

Claude Monet

Impressionists like Monet used such colors for darkness and shadows in their paintings, never wanting to use black. Monet experimented with purple in his studies of light effects using haystacks as his subject. 

The Four Trees (1891), Claude Monet

Also painted in 1891, Monet's The Four Trees uses the color purple, although the versions I've seen on the Internet look more blue to me. It reminds me of a painting by Abstract Expressionist, Jackson Pollock.

Blue Poles (No. 11) (1952), Jackson Pollock

Pollock's Blue Poles (No. 11) may not have been inspired by Monet's trees, but the eight poles appear to have something resembling leaves coming out of them. The blue reads almost like indigo or violet. It is difficult for the human eye to detect the difference between indigo and violet due to the short wavelength of light at that end of the spectrum.

The Grand Canal of Venice
(1874), Édouard Manet

The Grand Canal, Venice (1908),
Claude Monet

The Impressionists soon began to use excessive amounts of manganese violet, blues, and pinks in their paintings for creating expressive sunsets and sunrises. This was termed violetomania. The Grand Canal of Venice was a subject for both Monet and Manet (Sorry, no purple!)

Camille Pissarro

Snow Scene at Éragny (View of Bazincourt)
(1884), Camille Pissarro

I also appreciate this snow scene by French Neo-Impressionist, Camille Pissarro. It's like a value study in purple. I appreciate the hints of pink and cyan and the subtlety of the colors in the sky. Purple works for snow when there is more blue than red in the mixture. I should have used this Pissarro work in my post, Snow Scenes in Painting and Photography.

Vincent Van Gogh

Irises (1889), Vincent Van Gogh

It is difficult to find the color purple in paintings prior to the 1860s. Often, the red pigment fades leaving behind only the blue color. This is apparent in Van Gogh's paintings of irises and the versions of the artist's bedroom. However, his two Starry Night paintings clearly use blue and yellow (or do they?).

Online versions are presented in a variety of tones, making it difficult to discern the real color saturation. MS-PowerPoint presentations also exhibit such effects, so I always remind my students to view art in person to appreciate the true colors. 

Henri Matisse

Woman in a Purple Coat (1937), Matisse

Henri Matisse's decorative paintings are often dominated by reds and other bold colors and patterns. Here is a portrait of a woman dressed in a red-violet Moroccan costume. While the areas of color are compartmentalized and outlined in black, I appreciate all the different color contrasts, patterns, and lines. He left white space around the woman's head, but her left hand gets lost in the yellow sofa.

Le filigrane violet (1945), Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall

I also recall Marc Chagall using red-violet and blue-violet in his surreal, dreamlike paintings of floating figures. He was definitely channeling the magic and the mystery and wasn't afraid of color.

Georgia O'Keeffe

Purple Petunias (1925),
Georgia O'Keeffe

Purple Leaves (1922),
Georgia O'Keeffe

The last of our purple paintings are by Georgia O'Keeffe. Much of her floral abstractions are bold closeups showing the interiors of flowers. I think I enjoy her softer Purple Leaves. My colleague from the Black Diamond Arts Alliance was inspired by the New Mexico artist and also Monet.

Hope Highlands Middle School, in Cranston, RI, has a wonderful site asking the question, "Why Purple?" Check it out!