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Death and Life

Gustav Klimt

1910-1915 Vienna, Austria

Oil on canvas

I think what I find most striking about this painting is how amalgamated and amorphous the life side of this painting is. The mixture of the figures with all of their different ages and expressions makes life look almost a little monstrous, but in a way that doesn't necessarily detract from its beauty. Then, we have death off to the side, watching over life with that indiscernible expression that could be affectionate or envious or even predatory.

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Le verre de porto (A Dinner Table at Night)

John Singer Sargent

1884 Sussex, England, UK

Oil on canvas

What can I say? I love the red glows.╮⁠(⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)⁠╭

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Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose

John Singer Sargent

“Around 1885” (as according to Google A&C) London, England, UK

Oil on canvas

Ahhhhhhh, this is probably one of my favorite paintings of all time and I only found out about it recently. First off, the skill of the painter being able to create a totally realistic image from very unstructured brush strokes is mega impressive. More than that tho, I’m blown away by the way Sargent captures the exact shade of color that you only get on some random Thursday while you’re biking home and you just have to stop for a second because it’s a rare moment where everything is peaceful and filled with a warm glow.

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Still Life with Golden Bream

Francisco Goya

1808-1812

Oil on canvas

MMMMM yes Goya, I am this pile of dead fish. I see my slimy little soul in them.

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Abstract Painting 849-2

Gerhard Richter

1997

Oil on canvas

As far as I can tell from the GA&C bio, Richter’s whole thing with his work is that it only works because he gives a distorted version of what he originally intended. I’m down. It’s cool. Its funky.

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So I recently got to see this work in person at the Detroit Institute of Arts over the weekend! I didn’t even realize that I’d have the opportunity to see it and then it was suddenly in front of me. Also got to see Diego Rivera’s huge mural for the Ford company but unfortunately did not get any pictures.

Nocturne in Black and Gold - The Falling Rocket

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

1872-1877 Detroit, Michigan USA

Oil on canvas

My favorite fun fact that I've heard about this painting is that when the commissioner of the work complained about the painting being "too simple" for how much time and money was spent on it, the artist explained that he was paying for the years of work and effort that he had already put into becoming a great artist.

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She Who Leads

Nicholas Roerich

1924

Tempera on canvas (probably)

So I recently found out that Roerich is actually the leader of his own religious movement, described to me as "somewhere between orthodox Christianity and Eastern Religions like Buddhism". So, that's cool. After a bit minimum effort research on this piece as well, the figures in this painting also seem to be inspired by a "16th-century illuminated manuscript miniature of the Herat school done in Bukhara", where the original message was about a persistent lover that didn't want to let go of a beautiful woman. However, as we can tell by the title, Roerich changed the meaning of these figures by showing the woman as someone who is leading the man into "a more hopeful future for humanity". Past all the neat historical stuff though, the beauty of this painting is absolutely breathtaking. Roerich really has a way with creating impeccable landscapes that look realistic to the feeling of looking out into the unknown but is simultaneously too beautiful to be real.

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Setting Sun

Egon Schiele

1913 Vienna, Austria

Oil on canvas

I've mentioned before that Schiele is known for his funky forms in portraits, but his ability to make a gorgeous landscape like this expresses just how much talent he had to offer overall. The colors are perfect for that moment right before the sun dips under the horizon and leaves us to sink into the night.

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The Great Wave Off of Kanagawa

Katsushika Hokusai

1831 Japan

Ukiyo-e woodblock print

I mean, what can I say about this print that hasn't already been said? I just really love everything about the careful woodblock crafting and the use of a revolutionary-for-the-time blue. The image is also swirling and striking, really emphasizing the immense power of the Japanese sea. A true classic for good reason, god bless Hokusai.

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Nighthawks

Edward Hopper

1942 Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.

Oil on canvas

WHERE IS THE EXIT DOOR??

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The Imbroglio Tropical Paradise

Zico Albaiquni

2018 Indonesia

Oil, synthetic polymer paint and glicee on canvas

The intense colors of this work just go to further intensify all the action going on. I really like the world that Albaiquni is putting us in here.

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The Lyricist

Egon Schiele

1911 Vienna, Austria

Oil on canvas

Schiele is known for the funky ways he draws the human body, utilizing lots of colors and often contorting the forms in interesting ways. The ways he accentuates details on faces really fascinates me. Love this artist even if I don't know too much about him.

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Outpost (#1, #2, & #3)

Adam Ekberg

2011 & 2017 Rochester, New York, U.S.A.

Photography

Recently got obsessed with this guy who is showing at a museum in my area. His work is mostly very playful and whimsical, but I've decided to feature his Outposts which to me feels more melancholy and conveys more sentimentality.

More on adamekberg.com

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Ready for the Campaign (The Varangian Sea)

Nicholas Roerich

1910 St. Petersburg, Russia

Oil on canvas (I'm pretty sure)

Can't remember if I've already included this guy in the past, but his work is so grand and has a really strong sense of color. The water in particular for this work has such amazing depth.

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Circe Indiviosa

John William Waterhouse

1892 Adelaide, South Australia

Oil on canvas

A depiction of Circe turning Scylla into a sea monster because of scorned love and jealousy. The richness of the colors and beauty of the water are really contrasting to the ugly act.

Also. I know it'd totally turn me into an abomination. But I would like to drink the green juice.

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Ophelia

John Everett Millais

1851-1852 Tate Britain, London

Oil on canvas

You ever just?

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Cymon and Iphigenia

Frederic Leighton

1884 Sydney, Australia

Oil on canvas

The story behind this one is that Cymon finds Iphigenia sleeping in the woods and her beauty is enough to change him from a savage brute to a scholar. The warmth in the lighting makes this feel more than romantic; it's inspirational.