Art Reflection -De Pareja Juan de Pareja (1606-1670) was an Afro-Hispanic painter of the Baroque period. He was born into slavery in Southern Spain and painted as a slave in the studio of the famous Diego Velazquez for two decades. Velazquez freed him from slavery in 1650. This work is filled with the lush detail of Baroque art. The fabric, …

Art Reflection – Monet Claude Monet painted this scene in one sitting while looking out a window at the harbor in his hometown of Le Harve in northern France. This seems a very humble story for a piece of such great import in the history of art. Monet captured this view of the sunrise by painting beyond traditional techniques and …

Art Reflection – Rubens Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a Flemish artist of the Baroque Period and considered a leader of this movement that is rich in color, vibrance, and elegant interpretation. This painting was commissioned as an altar piece for the Church of St. Rombout in Mechelen, Belguim. It can now be seen at Pinacoteca de Brera in Milan. …

Art Reflection – Dore Gustave Dore (1832-1883) is known for his paintings, etchings and illustrations. Dore was a successful illustrator of many books including the Bible. He worked in the Romanticism Movement which is very evident in this Palm Sunday scene. His French and 19th century interpretation of the setting and figures fills the details of this work. His positioning …

Art Reflection – Tissot James Tissot (1836-1902) was a French painter and illustrator. His work was of the Realism and Impressionism Schools for much of his career. He worked as a fashion illustrator and painted French culture until he had a conversion experience and returned to his Catholic faith in 1885. He spent the rest of his life painting scenes …

Art Reflection – El Greco El Greco is a nickname of Domenikos Theotokopoulos (1541-1614). He was a Greek painter, sculpture and architect who is known for his dramatic expressionistic works and elongated figures. He studied and painted in many European locations. He was part of the Spanish Renaissance and seemed to paint prophecies of art movements to come. President Jimmy …

Art Reflection – Wyeth Andrew Wyeth (1917 – 2000) is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century. He painted the people and land of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and the Maine coast. His realism in watercolor gives us detailed snapshots of scenes that are both simple and haunting. In Race Bridge, with a muted, neutral palette, Wyeth seems to …

Art Reflection – Buchanan Beverly Buchanan (1940-2015) was a Black artist. She grew up in South Carolina often going with her father on trips to the countryside for his work as Dean of the School of Agriculture at South Carolina State College. Beverly never forgot her views of the sharecropper’s shacks on these trips. She was later trained in medical …

Art Reflection – De Koonig Elaine de Koonig (1918-1989) was an American artist of the Abstract Expressionism movement. She was married to Willem de Koonig, also a famous artist. Elaine painted many portraits including this one of President John F. Kennedy. She received this commission in 1962. She spent several sessions with him crafting a unique contemporary likeness far from …

Art Reflection – Arp Hans Arp (1886-1966) was an abstract painter and sculpture of French and German descent. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Dadaism Movement between 1916 and 1920. Dadaism is often called the art of the happy accident but it dates to a time that was far from happy. This was an anti-war and anti-culture movement …