Farmhouses in Watercolor and Oil

Corman Farmhouse (1976), Corman

I'm inspired to write about buildings rendered in watercolor after my brother sent this painting of a farm where his wife's stepmother's family lived in the 1970s. The artist is Mereda Smith Corman, who was an art teacher at Kennett High School in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. She married John Wilson Corman in 1926 and died in 1993. What I love about this painting is the detail of the windows of the farmhouse, the warm shades of golden brown in the sky and grass, and the treatment of the snow in the trees. It feels like a scene that might have been depicted in a Currier and Ives hand-painted lithograph.

The Old Farmhouse

Here's The Old Farmhouse by Currier and Ives. Note how the color of the sky reflects in the snow in the foreground at the bottom, much like Corman's golden brown in the painting above. Even the composition is similar.

Farmhouse in Provence (1888), Van Gogh

While Van Gogh's colors are much more vibrant and brighter than the above farmhouse paintings, he has included a winding rock wall, which for me ties back to the wall in Corman's work. The person walking on the grassy hillside reminds me of Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth. I'm particularly attracted to the turbulent cyan sky! The angles of the twisting wall, the road, and the grassy border drawing my eye towards the welcoming gate.

Wyeth Tribute (2005), Thompson

I've blogged about the above Van Gogh and Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World in another post. I was impressed by this photograph by Alex Thompson of the (Christina) Olson house in South Cushing, Maine. The photo is more vibrant and the buildings much closer than in the Wyeth painting. Not nearly as dramatic as the painting!

Spring Blossom, Hogerwaard

Dutch impressionist, Frans Hogerwaard painted this beautiful farmhouse. His style is reminiscent of Van Gogh, Monet, and sometimes Edward Hopper when melancholy figures are included. The black outlines in Fin tragique remind me of the art of German Expressionist, Max Beckmann. Instead of black, the impressionists often used purple so as not to clash with the more muted or pastel colors.

A Farm in the Snow, Apol

I'm a sucker for wintry landscapes that include snow, like Louis Apol's A Farm in the Snow. This oil on panel paintings has almost a watercolor feel, and again the background color of the sky is mimicked in the water in the foreground. The white of the snow looks straight out of the tube against the rest of the muted colors.

Farmyard in the Snow, van Soest

Another Dutch Impressionist, Louis van Soest, also painted winter scenes. The trees are reminiscent of those painted by Andrew Wyeth. It's difficult to tell what the golden brown area is atop the snowbank below the trees. My impression is that it is a line of cows. Perhaps they're haybales? What do you think?

Farm Near Duivendrecht (1916), Mondrian

I found this somewhat rare landscape by Piet Mondrian with a farmhouse and its reflection. The scene takes place at twilight, so it is rather dark, with much of the lighter color in the sunsetting sky. The interwoven branches of the overlapping trees apply an unusually high focus, almost obscuring the house. The grey mound in the water is also weird!

This beautiful watercolor rendering of a farmhouse is by Canadian artist, Ben Babelowsky. The red brick building is complemented by the green painted trim. Again, I love the snow gently blanketing the scene.

Home in Manchester, Moses

Anna Mary Robertson "Grandma" Moses began painting later in life and was labeled a 'primitive' artist. Her paintings are characterized by shapes filled in with solid colors and her buildings lack proper perspective. Her designs could have been executed in needlepoint or quilting. Another primitive artist, Warren Kimble, painted Nellie's Barn, which I blogged about in June 2021 in my post entitled, Farms and Barns by Famous Artists.

Long Island Farmhouses (1862), Mount

American genre painter, William Sidney Mount painted from what he saw in Long Island New York observing his relatives' farm, and capturing this pastoral scene in Springtime. It seems like an early morning scene, though the turbulent sky may reflect the turmoil of the Civil War during which it was painted. Once again, the dark sky and shadowy foreground frame the picture.

The Farm (1920-22), Miró

I'm finishing with The Farm by Spanish Surrealist, Joan Miró, who painted this memory of his childhood home in Mont-Roig, Catalonia. With lots of symbolism and the precision of Cubism, Miró has created a dreamlike collage full of nearly every farm-related object he could cram into the painting. It's like Grandma Moses on Steroids! I would love to see this work in person and study each and every element.

Melancholy, Sadness, Grief, and Loneliness in Art

It's been almost one year since the passing of my wife of >40 years. Spring flowers, as discussed in my previous post, bring me joy and remind me of my lovely wife, whose birthday is in early April. On the flip side is the loneliness I'm experiencing, along with the sadness and grief of losing the love of my life.

The Honorable Mrs. Graham
(1777), Gainsborough

Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of The Honorable Mrs. Graham was commissioned by Mary's husband, Thomas, though she died a few years later of tuberculosis after he attentively cared for her throughout her illness. Sadly, he couldn't bring himself to look at her portrait after her death, and he lived for another 50 years. I may have seen this painting in the Scottish National Gallery when we visited Edinburgh in 2017.

Sorrowing Old Man (1890),
Van Gogh

Most of my favorite artists were Impressionists, with their soft, yet vibrant colors, peaceful landscapes, and portraits. Van Gogh's At Eternity's Gate (a.k.a. Sorrowing Old Man) shows a tired, worn-out man seated beside a warm hearth and possibly contemplating life after death in heaven. The chair resembles the one in the painting of Vincent's bedroom. I believe both men were residents of the asylum at St. Rémy, where Van Gogh spent the last two years of his life battling mental illness.

The Old Guitarist (1903), Picasso

In my post, Making Connections with Artists & Animals, I highlight Picasso's The Old Guitarist, which I like to use in my art lesson plans. It frequently appears in episodes of Bewitched, which I have watched repeatedly in reruns. It was hung rotated 90 degrees to the right to fit over the Stephens' fireplace. I like to ask my students which orientation is correct and which they like best. Picasso began to paint figures of the downtrodden (like this blind, poor guitarist) in response to the death of his close friend, Casagemas.

Christina's World (1948), Wyeth

Probably my favorite American Realist artist is Andrew Wyeth. In my post entitled, Farms and Barns by Famous Artists, he is described as "an actor being typecast for a specific role, who struggles to be recognized for his other works, and is forever remembered for a single character". Christina is a disabled young woman in a field of grass. You may recall his obsession with Helga, who was his most often painted model.

Nighthawks (1942), Hopper

In a repeated commercial for the Looney Tunes Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries series, the backgrounds that fly by remind me of the paintings of Edward Hopper. Nighthawks depicts a late-night diner with four lonely people. There's a takeoff painting with James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley as the soda jerk behind the counter. A Simpsons episode, "Homer and the 18th Amendment" also spoofs the famous painting.

Hotel Room (1931), Hopper

Automat (1927), Hopper

Many of Hopper's images are melancholic, especially Automat and the Hotel Room. In both paintings, a young woman is seated alone, one at a restaurant table at night, and the other in a small hotel room during the day. They share a similar color scheme, perspective, and strong contrast of light and dark.

The Scream (1895), Munch

Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch is often considered to be the melancholiest artist of all time. His paintings dealt primarily with death, as many of his family members suffered and died from lung disease such as tuberculosis and some of his subjects from polio and syphilis. He (like Van Gogh) also suffered from mental illness, probably from experiencing trauma early and throughout his life. The Scream is sometimes referred to as the Mona Lisa of its time and is clearly one of his most recognizable works. I didn't realize that it was pastel-on-board. Apparently, in 2012, it sold for $120M. It is also considered to be his self-portrait, that of a mad man, although he has painted the figure asexually and almost inhuman, like a space alien.

Pocket Poodles (1962), Keane

The final painting I want to share is by 'Big-Eye' artist Margaret Keane, whose second husband tried to take credit for her paintings (Can you believe that!?). Tim Burton's 2014 biopic, Big Eyes starred Amy Adams as the blonde artist. Pocket Poodles (1962) is a portrait of a sad young girl holding two small dogs. You may find such portraits cute, but I think they're a little creepy. In my grief journey, I am blessed to have the comfort of my own two Shih-Tzu fur babies, without whom I'd be lost!

Artists With July Birthdays

Still Life with Parrot and Fruit (1951), Kahlo

Many of my favorite visual artists were born in July. In fact, all of them have been featured in this blog. Most were born under the sign of Cancer (or the Crab). They are typically emotional, hypersensitive, competitive, and often isolated people. 

Frida Kahlo (1907-54), born  July 6th, is famous for her unusual and often creepy self-portraits. I much prefer her still life paintings. Do parrots like watermelon?

The Wolffish (2004), Jamie Wyeth

Jamie Wyeth (1946-), son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of N.C. Wyeth, was also born on July 6th. I chose this painting of a fierce wolffish preying on seagulls because it's unusual. Wyeth crowded the birds on the left side of the painting perhaps to balance the dark fish emerging from the right. His sense of humor reminds me of his father's Roadkill painting of a dead squirrel on a road alongside of a plantation house.

The Bridal Pair with The Eiffel Tower
(1939), Marc Chagall

Marc Chagall (1887-1985), born July 7th, is famous for his very large Surrealistic paintings. We visited his museum in Nice, France in May of 2011. Weddings are a popular theme for Chagall's works. As well as oversized farm animals! His dreamlike paintings are more like collages.

Still Life with a Coffeepot (1900), Pissarro

French Neo-Impressionist, Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), born July 10th, is most famous for his pastoral landscapes and harbor scenes. I had to include this still life, which happens to have bird wallpaper. The copper coffeepot and green ceramic mug are the stars of this painting, while the china teacup, bowl, and lemon are secondary in his composition.

Soaring (c. 1950), Andrew Wyeth

I seem to be including birds in my selections, so here is a magnificent scene of ravens soaring high above a small white farmhouse below. Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), born July 12th, and his son, Jamie used ravens as their subjects in several paintings. Andrew spent long hours, weeks, even months alone in a barn painting, and wouldn't show anyone his work until it was done.

Head of a Woman (1918),
Modigliani

Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920), also born July 12th, painted portraits of women with elongated faces and necks. His subjects appear stretched in subtle 'S' shapes much like those of Marc Chagall.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), also born July 12th, is most famous for his painting of his mother. His portraits, including his own self-portrait, have the subject facing in a left profile view. I feel like he was a one-hit wonder.

The Man With the Golden Helmet
(c. 1650-55), Rembrandt

Rembrandt (1606-69), famous for painting ~75 self-portraits in his lifetime, was born July 15th. In every museum I've visited, I've challenged myself to find at least one Rembrandt. My favorite is The Man With the Golden Helmet (1650). It has been attributed to Rembrandt, but may actually have been painted by a student of someone in his circle or artists. It has resided in Berlin's Kaiser Friedrich Museum, which we didn't get to visit during our Baltic cruise in June 2019.

Lady Caroline Howard (1778),
Reynolds

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92), born July 16th, was Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King from 1767–1784. Thomas Gainsborough, painter of Blue Boy (1770), was his rival for the position, never attaining the prominent title. Thomas Lawrence, who painted Pinky (1794), did eventually receive the coveted title.

In Front of the Mirror (1889), Degas

Edgar Degas (1834-1917), born July 19th, remained a bachelor all his life. He presented himself as a loner and his demeanor drove people away, something he desired as an artist. He was known to be a misogynist and was also anti-Semitic. No wonder nobody wanted to marry him (or vice versa)!

Like Modigliani, Degas signed this painting at the top righthand corner. Unusual! Especially since Modigliani was born a Sephardic Jew!!

Nighthawks (1942), Hopper

Edward Hopper (1882-1967), born July 22, is most famous for his melancholy painting, Nighthawks, of a sad group of people hanging out in a diner, very late at night or perhaps in the wee hours of the morning.

Nude Descending a Staircase,
No. 2 (1912), Duchamp

Our last artist was born under the sign of Leo (the Lion). Leos are ambitious and creative. Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), born July 28, is most famous for his Cubist painting of a Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2. In the 1970s, my own brother was inspired to paint a futuristic version of the Frazier-Ali fight on a large canvas.

As I was researching and writing this post. I realized that most of my selections have either birds or hats in them. I guess this last painting doesn't fit the bill (Ha!)!

Beach Scenes & Women with Parasols/Umbrellas

On the Beach (1873), Édouard Manet

Beach scenes were popular subjects in the paintings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As you can see here, Édouard Manet and his wife are fully dressed and seated on the beach to watch the big ships sail by. Both subjects are well-covered as if they needed protection from the sun, suspiciously absent from their surroundings. The gray and black figures stand out against the pale-yellow sand. Curiously, Madame Manet's bonnet and shoe get the most detail.

Woman with a Parasol (1875), Monet

Continuing with three paintings by Claude Monet, I must include Woman with a Parasol (1875) even though it may not be a beach scene like the other two paintings. I love the atmospheric effects that Monet has achieved in this painting of his wife and child. Monet reflected the green ground in the underside of Madame Monet's parasol. Her white dress is like a canvas reflecting the colors of her surroundings, making it seem like we're looking through and beyond her. I love this painting!

The Beach at Trouville (1870), Monet

Earlier, in 1870, Monet depicted this scene of The Beach at Trouville. It may have well been people walking on a city street instead of a boardwalk and sandy beach. This northernmost coastal city of France is over 700 miles from southernmost Nice, where we visited in May 2011, yet it looks quite similar. 

Beach in Pourville (1882), Monet

Monet painted a series of more impressionistic beach scenes in 1882. The shadows of the cliffs in the bottom corner distract me almost to the point of drawing a 'line of tension'. Fortunately, the sandy curved shoreline directs me eye toward the muted building in the background.

By the Seashore (1883), Renoir

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted lots of portraits of women, including this one where the subject is posing in a wicker chair in the artist's studio. He added the beach scene in the background based on studies he did en plein air (outside).

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of
La Grande Jatte (1884-6), Seurat

The classic A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte was painted by Georges Seurat and depicts Parisians relaxing in a park on an island in the Seine River. It's probably the most famous Pointillist work of Neo-Impressionism. And also a very large painting measuring 6.6 ft × 9.8 ft. I usually try to tell my students the size of the painting that inspired my art lesson.

Fishing Boats at Sainte-Marie (1888), Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh's beach scenes typically contain brightly colored fishing boats. This one resembles Renoir's By the Seashore in that the subject boats stand out vividly against the more pastel background. The distant sailboats on the water almost disappear at the horizon.

Idle Hours (1894), Chase

I'm less familiar with American Impressionists such as William Merritt Chase. When I saw this scene of his family relaxing on a grassy knoll, it instantly reminded me of Port Townsend, Washington (sans Pt. Wilson lighthouse). Chase was also an art teacher who taught two of my favorite painters: Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Hopper.

Lady with a Parasol (1900-1), Sargent

My favorite portrait painter has to be John Singer Sargent. His Capri Girl (my favorite) and other more formal portraits are unlike this one of a reclining Lady with a Parasol. Though in an awkward position, the shapes and swirling lines make for an almost abstract composition. I enjoy stumbling upon these gems whether I'm researching for my blog or visiting an art museum.

Women Walking on a Beach (1909), Sorolla

Our final artist is Spanish painter, Joaquín Sorolla. He has successfully captured his wife and eldest daughter taking a stroll along a beautiful beach. I love the movement and his ability to create a subtle value range using whites and grays. I'm assuming the daughter is on the right, carrying only her straw hat, while her mother is burdened with a coat and umbrella. Sorolla has cut off his wife's head and interrupts the wave crest with her hat and his daughter's hair.

Mothers of Famous Artists -- A New Dedication

The Artist's Mother: Head and Bust,
Three-Quarters Right (1628), Rembrandt

In May of 2021, I posted Mother's Day Dedication and Artist Inspirations. It included artists: Mary Cassatt, Vincent Van Gogh, and James Whistler. For 2023, let's explore several other famous artists who memorialized moms with portraits. Happy Mother's Day!

Rembrandt captured his mother, Neeltgen Willemsdochter van Zuytbrouck, in several early etchings and painted portraits, since he was unable to afford to pay models to sit for his paintings. The squiggly lines figure well in showing the woman's age softly and with a subtly pleasant expression.

Mother's Day Off (1916), Rockwell

James Abbott McNeill Whistler's portrait of his mother, Anna Whistler, is yet another Portrait of the Artist's Mother (1871) and is famously known simply as Whistler's Mother. Van Gogh's mother, Anna Carbentus van Gogh, and Norman Rockwell's mother, Anne Mary (Hill) Rockwell share similar first names. See the link above for the Van Gogh and Whistler portraits. Norman Rockwell's dedication to mothers appeared in one of his first publications of the Saturday Evening Post in 1916's Mother's Day Off.

Mrs. Robert S. Cassatt,
the Artist's Mother
(1889), Cassatt

Portrait of the Artist's Mother
(1889), Mary Cassatt

Henrietta Benson Homer, an artist in her own right, was mother to Winslow Homer. I included her work in my recent April Flowers in Art post. I've also featured the works of Mary Cassatt in my posts. Here are portraits of her mother, Mrs. Robertt S. Cassatt (nee Katherine Kelso Johnston). Perhaps the portrait on the left is the final version and much truer to her impressionist style. The one on the right must have been a study. The flowers seem to be floating about her head.

Mother and Child (1938), Picasso

Portrait of the Artist's Mother
(1896), Picasso

Pablo Picasso did this portrait of his mother, Maria Ruiz Picasso, and has represented motherhood in many of his works. The portrait on the left shows his ability to paint in a realistic style. He has captured the softness of his mother's blouse and the light caressing her face. Contrast it with his painting of lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter, and their child Maya, long after he became a Cubist painter.

The Dead Mother (1902),
Edvard Munch

Dead Mother (1889), Munch

Edvard Munch was only five years old when his mother, Laura Much, died of tuberculosis following the birth of his sister, Inger. Death was a common subject for Munch. The child's pose is reminiscent of that of The Scream.

Portrait of Artist's Mother (1902),
by Franz Marc

German Expressionist, Franz Marc, painted this portrait of his mother Sophie in 1902. Its muted colors and natural realism are unlike his later more colorful abstract paintings of animals. I wonder if the 'postage stamp' picture in the top right corner is meant to be Franz as a toddler. Without it, my eye may have focused on the book. Its subtle presence in the background suggests that the woman is a mother. Although Franz was married twice during his short life, he never gave his mother any grandchildren.

The Artist's Mother (1916), Hopper

Edward Hopper is most famous for his melancholy painting, Nighthawks, showing patrons hanging out in a diner late at night. He also painted this portrait of his mother, Elizabeth Griffiths Smith Hopper. You can see the resemblance between mother and son. The richness of her vibrant purple dress is complemented by details of her face and right hand and contrasted by the pastel yellows in the background.

Portrait of the Artist's Mother
(1918), Salvador Dali

Portrait of the Artist's Mother
(1920), Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali's portraits of his mother, Felipa Domenech Ferrés differ dramatically. His 1918 Portrait of the Artist's Mother is in a realistic style, while his later version more impressionistic. Later, in 1929, he made a surrealist version entitled, The Enigma Of Desire, My Mother, My Mother.

Woman with Plant (1929), Grant Wood

Hattie Weaver Wood (mother of Grant Wood) is represented in Woman with Plant (1929). In Wood's later more famous American Gothic (1930), he used likenesses of his sister, Nan Wood Graham, and their dentist Dr. Byron McKeeby. The clothing on the woman is very similar to that of the farmer's daughter. Wood put a lot of detail in the woman's face, while the rest of the subject and background are flatter, simpler and more cartoonish.

American folk artist, Grandma (Anna Mary Robinson) Moses, painted her simple landscapes beginning in 1938 at the age of 78. See Artists Born Under Virgo or Libra.

Maga's Daughter (1966), Andrew Wyeth

Betsy Wyeth, wife of painter Andrew Wyeth, had two sons, Nicholas and James (artist Jamie). She was the model for Wyeth's 1966 painting Maga's Daughter. She likened her role as director and Andrew's career as that of an actor. One might also consider her his agent, collaborator, and muse.

Camille Monet and a Child in the Artist’s Garden
in Argenteuil (1875), Claude Monet

I am a sucker for the Impressionists. Claude Monet painted this beautiful scene of his wife, Camille and their daughter relaxing in their garden at Argenteuil, where he lived from 1871-1878. While visiting Paris in 2011, my family and I drove to see Monet's garden in Giverny, where Monet lived from 1883-1926. The focus seems to be on his wife and the vivid blue and white brushstrokes in her dress. The child leaves more of an impression. I like how Monet has framed his composition with the path in the foreground and the flowers fading into the background.