A Swiss-born painter and graphic artist whose personal, often gently humorous works are replete with allusions to dreams, music, and poetry, Paul Klee, b. Dec. 18, 1879, d. June 29, 1940, is... Read more
Living beside the sea at Bandol in 1921, Gris had diverse reactions to the setting. It was “sinister,” “beautiful,” and “sad.” So moved was he that the th... Read more
Edgar (Hilaire-Germain-) Degas, (b. July 19, 1834, Paris, Fr.–d. Sept. 27, 1917, Paris): French artist, acknowledged as the master of drawing the human figure in motion, Degas worked... Read more
The work of the Austrian painter and illustrator Gustav Klimt, b. July 14, 1862, d. Feb. 6, 1918, founder of the school of painting known as the Vienna Sezession, embodies the high-keyed ero... Read more
Katsushika Hokusai, Japan’s best known artist, is ironically Japan’s least Japanese artist. Japan’s best known woodblock print, The Great Wave, is very un-Japanese. Welcome... Read more
The Tokugawa shogunate of the Edo period gained undisputed control of the government in 1603 with a commitment to bring peace and economic and political stability to the country; in large me... Read more
During the early 1900s in Paris, the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, b. July 12, 1884, d. Jan. 24, 1920, developed a unique style. Today his graceful portraits and lush nudes... Read more
Matisse, Henri (-Émile-Benoît) (b. Dec. 31, 1869, Le Cateau, Picardy, Fr.–d. Nov. 3, 1954, Nice), artist often regarded as the most important French painter of the 20th century. The le... Read more
Gauguin, (Eugène-Henri-) Paul (b. June 7, 1848, Paris, Fr.–d. May 8, 1903, Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia), one of the leading French painters of the Postimpressi... Read more
Rousseau, Henri, known as Le Douanier Rousseau (1844-1910). French painter, the most celebrated of naïve artists. His nickname refers to the job he held with the Paris Customs Office (1871-... Read more
Purposes of Art Art is created and enjoyed by many people for many reasons. However, one of the things that art does is extend and expand our shared common visual language. When new visual i... Read more
