Far Out

Love, 1968 by Peter Max. Poster reprinted in 1993.

This poster by Peter Max was so ground breaking and struck such a chord at the time that it changed the way art was viewed and help launch the Psychedelic movement of the 1960's.

Eros

Psyche et l'amour, 1817 by Baron Francois Gerard, Louvre, Paris.

A popular subject throughout the 19th century, Gerard version of the story of Cupid and Psyche almost portrays the figures as secondary to the outdoor temple and landscape setting. The vibrancy of the bright colors also serve to draw our attention from the couple.

Pretty Flowers

Two Sisters (On the Terrace), 1881 by Pierre Auguste Renoir, The Art Institute of Chicago.

Renoir began his career painting on porcelain and the pretty subjects he chose lend themselves well to that type of work. This painting is of the young woman who would become Mme. Renoir and her younger sister. She was a frequent model of his.

Across the Reflecting Pool

Abraham Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Memorial dedicated in 1922. Sculpture of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French.

Happy President's Day.

Controversy

The Peacock Room, 1877 by James McNeill Whistler, Freer Gallery, Smithsonian.

Whistler, in his usual flamboyant and arrogant manner, took his decoration of this London dining room to such an extreme, he angered and the patron and made their argument public.

Bored

Little Girl in a Blue Armchair by Mary Cassatt, National Gallery of Art

Paintings like this are why Cassatt is among the most popular of the group of late 19th and early 20th century artists known as the Impressionists. Her application of their loose and colorful style to depictions of the everyday lives of her family and friends she knew, endears her to women in particular.

For My Valentine

My Name is Jim Dine by Jim Dine, Pace Gallery, New York.

Dine is known for his pop art using bright colors and bold images. His "Heart" series was executed in the early 1980's.

What are Your Neighbors Up To?

The Little Bay, Port Vendres by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow.

In the last four years of his life Mackintosh left Scotland for France. Although he painted some beautiful watercolors of the area he is not well known there. Exhibitions of his work, including his architecture and furniture designs, have been organized to show the people of the area the work of the architect/artist/designer who lived in their town.

Floral Shapes

Tiffany Flower Form Vases, 1893-96, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This type of opalescent glass is known as Favrile.

Biting Cold

February, 1941 by Grant Wood, Dubuque Museum of Art.

Wood came to appreciate lithography as a medium late in his career. Many of his lithographic works were offered through the Associated American Artists project that offered the artistic names of the day through the mail for as little as $5.00.

Bathed in Fabric

The Bather of Valpincon by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Musee de Louve, Paris.

Ingres' skill at portraying drapery and textiles was the best of the 19th Century French Classical artists. He was inspired by the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael whose clear straightforward yet lush style made his influence third after the Renaissance giants Michangelo and Leonardo.

Form Following Function

Japanese Rabbit Netsuke, Late 18th early 19th century, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem MA.

The most popular pronunciation is "net-ski", while the actual Japanese is closer to "netskeh," they were used weigh down the end of the sash or obi of a kimono. In the 19th and 20th centuries they became highly collectable and remain so today.