Rouen Cathedral: The Portal (Sunlight), 1894
Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)
Oil on canvas

39 1/4 x 25 7/8 in. (99.7 x 65.7 cm)

I went to the MET last friday and took a closer look at this painting because I have always hated it.  Photos online make it appear to be reminiscent of a badly exposed photo but closer in person inspection reveals.... disappointment.. seems lifeless. The Museum said this is more about documenting the appearance of the Cathedral at certain times of the day...Of  course I could do nothing like it so props to him.- Jeffrey Torres

Picasso "The Weeping Women"

Pablo Picasso
1937
Oil on Canvas
I chose this painting done by Picasso in 1937 because I like how everything is so abstract. This women in this painting does not have the dimensions of a real women, and I like the creativity. The shapes used make you really have to look at the picture to figure out what is going on, and the meaning. I also like the use of colors, there is a variety of colors used, it is extremely vibrant and far from a boring painting.

Albert Edelfelt "Queen Bianca"

Albert Edelfelt
1877
Oil on canvas
       I chose this painting done by Albert Edelfelt because I like how the characters in this painting are so vibrant and draw so much attention to themselves. Although the background is dark, there is still a lot of pattern within the background and the color contrast is great.

Picasso "Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon"

This picture, created in 1907, breaks tradition by encompassing people in a different form. This painting, significant for the daring new perspective of human form in art, does nothing for my interest. The bright colors are to add curve to the bodies and exaggerate the body. I tend to like the more realistic versions of human, focusing on elegance and beauty. although he is a master of art I feel like this looks almost mediocre. the colors are weird and the posture of the people are awkward. I know that some sort of message was intended, I'm just not sure what that is or if I would necessarily agree with it.

Kollwitz, "Infant Mortality," 1925, Wood Panel Carving

This expressionistic piece presents a mother holding a baby's coffin, one of her child. A black background occupies majority of the frame, revealing only the coffin, a bouquet of flowers atop it, the woman's face, and her bony hands. Harsh lines mark the objects of the piece--the women's face and hands identified by vertical lines and the coffin by horizontal lines.

It is as if the woman has embodied death after the passing of her child, appearing more of a skeleton than a human. Her face is sunken in, her hands bony, and her expression nonexistent. Kollowitz was known for focusing on pacifistic subjects, such as the poor. Social matters, such as infant mortality, remained her central theme of artwork. The harsh lines and dark forms reflect the era of loss following WWI. This expressionism of the piece and Kollowitz work as a whole allows for the skeleton woman to find place in the work as she epitomizes her emotional wavelength.

Early Sunday Morning

I chose the painting Early Sunday Morning by Edward Hopper.  It was painted in 1930.  The medium is oil on canvas.  The painting is 35 by 60 inches.  It is located at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.  I chose this painting because I like its American vibe.  I also like the calmness that is reflected in this early morning scene.  The complementary red and green colors in the painting make it visually appealing. 

Gustave Caillebotte The Parquet Planers  Caillebotte presented his painting at the 1875 Salon. I liked the perspective he drew the painting in, makes you look at the whole landscape of this painting because the three men in the picture are scattered and the line are long. He drew the men topless maybe to should there muscles or to show they were working hard. I also like the value of colors he used. The dull colors make the men appear ti be working hard to scape the floor. He also added a lot of detail throughout this painting from the men, to the walls and even the floor. I also think its interesting how he made all the men look similar, dark hair and similar physic. I think this photo displays hard work and labor of the late 19th century.

Sunflowers by Van Gogh

Sunflowers

Vincent Van Gogh

1888

Oil on canvas

This is a picture of flowers in a vase. It is a stand-still picture. I really like the yellow colors incorporated in this painting. I like the different strokes used in this painting. The colors are very neutral. The painting was in his yellow house, they say.

Jackson Pollock (b. 1912, Cody, Wyoming; d. 1956, Springs, New York)
Number 1, 1949, 1949
Enamel and aluminum paint on canvas
63 x 104 in.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

I picked Jackson Pollock because I liked the way his paintings seem to be about nothing but if you cross your eyes and let your mind wander the painting becomes any number of things, woods, people.... etc

Daumier, "The Third-Class Carriage"

This painting reminds me of the story of the Irish famine and the people are on ships to America trying to get a better life. To me this shows immigration, hardships, and hope. The dark colors remind me of the western atmosphere of dirty and grime. The little hint of green is the reason why I thought about Ireland in the first place.

"A Pair of Shoes" - Vincent van Gogh

      "A Pair of Shoes" was painted by Vincent van Gogh during his Paris Period (1886). It is oil on canvas.  This picture interested me after I painted in watercolor a pair of old boots in class.  I was told my shoe inspiration was similar to a painting by Van Gogh so I looked it up. This picture has a similar character to what I like, a story. The shoes are worn out, folded over  and old but they are much more appealing than new ones.  The background is faded and full of texture.  I like the contrast of  the light behind the dark boots, then turns darker, it has depth.  It makes me wonder more where these shoes had been and the mystery of whose they had been. He really knew how to make simple things captivating. This painting resides in the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.

Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890) "Olive Trees"

Vincent Van Gogh painted this picture using oil on canvas. Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorite painters because life that he brings to his paintings by giving it motion. all the curves in this painting and the colors that he decided to use, serve to further compliment the painting.  

"Paris Street; Rainy Day" Gustave Caillebotte

This painting is called "Paris Street; Rainy Day", By Gustave Caillebotte. This painting is from the impressionism period, and has many details entailed. The rain on the cobble stone is very realistic, as well as the rain on the umbrellas. His ability to give a depth of field in this painting is done very well, and the entire canvas is filled. This makes your eyes wander throughout the entire painting, but still leaves you focused on the couple in the front. The colors are dull and not very vibrant, which gives it an eerie feel.

Homer "Sloop, Nassau" 1899

This is a watercolor painting created by Winslow Homer in 1899. The painting depicts a boat in a dark and turbulent ocean. Homer was known for his paintings of raging seas and shipwrecks. It has been said that Homer would wait days just for the right light and go off at midnight just to get the moonlight on the ocean. In this particular panting Homer uses a dark grey sky to indicate that a storm is about to come. This painting leaves me with an eerie feeling like something is just about to happen. His use of dark blues and greens in the ocean give it a stormy effect and allow the water to look like it is in motion. I very much enjoyed this painting because it made me wonder what was going to happen next, and also made me feel bad for the people on the ship. 

The Olive Trees by Vincent Van Gogh

The Olive Trees by Vincent Van Gogh

   This painting is an oil on canvas done in 1889, Van Gogh painted not just one version of this painting, but 18 different ones all done in Saint-Remy. Van Gogh was living in an asylum where he painted pictures of the gardens and when he was able to rome freely he went to paint the near by olive trees. What i liked most about this picture is the movement within the picture, its as if a strong wind is blowing everything to the right of the painting. I also like the combination of the blues and greens and the small portions of yellow that is also thrown into certain parts of the painting.

The Church of Moret

Alfred Sisley was an early impressionist painter whose name may not come immediately to mind as one of the leading Impressionists. However his beautiful landscapes make his work easily identifiable as part of the movement. Sisley's paintings always demonstrated an orthodox approach to early Impressionism. This painting stuck out to me because in my opinion, one of the most difficult subjects to paint, is the architecture of buildings. This oil on canvas painting displays a beautiful depiction of the Church of Moret, a church down the street from where he grew up. He actually painted several versions of this at different types of the day but I found this one to be the most attractive.

"Les Betes de la Mer"

Matisse

1950

Collage 

I enjoy this painting because I really appreciate the simplicity of it, yet it is still intriguing. Matisse uses symbolic shapes to imply coral, surf, sea plants and animals. The colors are very enticing and portray a vibrant environment. These types of collages were done when Matisse was in his old age and lost his ability to continue painting. I think that it is amazing how he created such beautiful works of art. 

Monet, "Waterlillies"

This is "Waterlillies" by Monet. (French, Paris 1840–1926 Giverny) This is an oil on canvas painted in 1919. Waterlillies is part of a series of 250 pieces. I found this one to be more interesting than the others. I enjoyed the uses of greens with the blues. There are many shades of both colors in the work. I also enjoy Monet's paintings. I find it interesting that he had cataracts, which is an eye disfunction. So what we see is how he is seeing the waterlillies. Everything does not have to be clear in his works to fully notice everything. 

"Basket of Fruit"

This "Basket of Fruit" was a work of art by Michelangelo Caravaggio. Caravaggio painted this in Rome 1596. It is oil on canvas.  The fruit basket has grapes some under ripe, some over ripe and almost brown, apples some greenish some red. One has a distinct brown spot to show its age. The leaves also are browning, shriveling and dropping. Even the wall in the background has cracks and chips. This painting is simply of a basket of fruit but, I like how the artist showed all the imperfections and how at first glance it seems like the fruit is fresh.  Caravaggio was known during his time for differing from other artists in that he brought out the more realistic and ugly side of what he was painting than the other artists did in this era . Even the title of his painting seems matter of fact to me.

Jacques-Louis David, "Death of Marat"

Jacques-Louis David, "Death of Marat," 1793, oil on canvas

This image depicts the murder of Jean-Paul Marat, a French-revolutionary leader. Charlotte Corday, a political member of the opposing family to Marat, entered his home and stabbed him. She entered his home upon present a letter promising details of a counter-revolutionary ring. Marat also suffered from a skin condition and spent much time in the bathtub. David's painting highlights many of these facts and provides a vivid image of the event.

What appears most striking about this image are the colors used. Placed upon a back background, the subtle earthy tones emit a warm and calming atmosphere. However, these colors juxtapose the eery background and dark nature of the image. The composition and lighting also drew me into this piece. In the text, the image appears black and white, greatly emphasizing the lighting of the image. Lastly, David's obsession with the Greek figure dictated his depiction of Marat through its composition and characterization, and further attracted me to the piece. This painting truly blends the old with the new (of his time) and warm with darkness.

Corner of the Garden at Montgeron

This landscape was painted by Claude Monet in 1877. Its style is impressionism and it was painted with oil on canvas. I like how each brush stroke is its own color and nothing blends until you look at it from far away. Even though it looks sloppy up close, when you step back farther it oddly looks very detailed. It amazes me how someone could paint in this style by just layering colors on top of another. I think this is a beautiful peice of art.

Camille Monet and a Child in the Artist’s Garden in Argenteuil

 This photo is of Camille, Monet's first wife with a child in the garden of their house in Argenteuil, near Paris, where they lived between 1872 and 1877. I love how this photo appears blurry and has no defined lines or dark structures painted. I think his choice of colors is interesting to use the flowers in the background such a reddish orange that it could almost appear to be blood and gave the wife red checks. I also like the brush stokes used, they all come together to form this painting. Its hard to tell what the woman is knitting or if shes sitting on the grass or a chair but I love that the child is copying her mother like most children do. You wouldn't know this painting is suppose to be dome in Paris but of course the clothes painting can give some insight to the time era this was painting in. I enjoy Monets work and how most of the paintings I've seen include the beauty of nature. 

A Wheatfield with Cypresses

A Wheatfield with Cypresses

Painted by Vncent Vangouh in 1889, while he spent some time at a mental asylum. I choose this painting because of colors compliment each other and how every image in this picture seems to be flowing. 

Ueslmann- "Navigation without Numbers"

When I first saw this picture I thought that maybe it was a painting. But then when I went on to read about it I realized that it wasn't. The work is called "Navigation without Numbers." To create this, Uelsmann put together negatives of a bunch of pictures to make one complete print. He makes an "unreal scene out of real objects." I think that the work came out really cool and it really caught my eye because it is very different. I feel like one doesn't see a lot of images like this. It is very mysterious. 

Wheatfield with Crows

I chose the painting titled “Wheatfield with Crows” by Vincent Van Gogh.  The Painting was done in 1890.  The size is 50.5 cm by 103 cm and the medium is oil on canvas.  The painting is located at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam.  I selected this painting because it tells a very important story and we are trying to tell stories with the projects we are working on in class.  Some people claim that this painting is Van Gogh’s suicide note.  He shot himself in the middle of a field.  This painting portrays what the landscape would have looked like after her pulled the trigger.  All of the crows would have taken off because they were startled by the gunshot.  The colors seem dark and ominous to show that he was going through a difficult time in his life.

"The Iris Garden at Giverny" Claude Monet

     This is a painting done by Claude Monet, it is an oil on canvas painting. It was completed in1900. I chose this paining because the colors really caught my eye when I was looking at his artwork. He seemed to do a lot of garden paintings. He believed that his garden was one of his most beautiful masterpieces and by the looks of this painting his garden truly did seem beautiful. Besides the colors that were used in this painting I like the use of the large brush strokes throughout the painting. Theres a lot going on in this painting with all of the different shapes and patterns of flowers.

"Das Holzhaus"

"Das Holzhaus" by Aris Kalaizis. Size? Medium? Why this painting? I see a guy how might be doing a few things. Is he a gas buffer? Suicidal? Thief? I don't care I liked the realism in the painting especially the way the light from the sky is painted to "reflect" in the windscreen.

Bouquet of Sunflowers by Claude Monet

Bouquet of Sunflowers by Claude Monet is an impressionist painting done in 1880. What i found attractive about this painting is the brush strokes, i like have you can basically see every brush stroke in the leaves, flowers and background. This painting is so simple but the detail is so beautiful. I really like the shadowing that was done in the background as well.

Turner "Rain, Steam, and Speed- The Great Western Railway"

This is an oil on canvas painting done by J.M.W. Turner in 1844. The painting depicts a steam locomotive making its way across a bridge. Turner chose to eliminate the detail in order to concentrate on the locomotive speeding over the bridge towards the viewer. Turner's goal of the painting was to illustrate the idea of speed, air, and mist through his use of blue and gold pigments. I chose this painting because I love how the train looks like it is in motion and has almost a 3-D effect as if the train were going to come out of the painting once it reaches the edge of the paper. 

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle)

Kandinsky
Improvisation 31
1913
Kandinsky was the first to abandon any reference to recognizably reality in his work. Kandinsky believed that color could convey emotion irrespective of content. He used rainbow bright colors and loose brushwork to create his art. He titled them with titles such as "Composition 2", because he wanted to keep them non-objective.
I chose this painting because I love color, and this particular painting stood out to me. Although it is objective, I can see ships and their sails in the work. I think that the contrasting and complimentary colors really make the painting pop and allow you to make your own conclusions about the artwork.

Matisse, Les Betes de la Mer

Matisse used collage paper cutouts to create this image. I like this image because it reminds me of parts of the face. For instance on the very left starting from the top I can see an eye, lips, an eyelash, mustache, and lips. On the opposite side I also see an eyelash and mustaches. The colors are really vivid.

Sunset at Montmajour, Van Gogh

This is the newly discovered painting by Vincent Van Gogh called 'Sunset at Montmajour'. It is from the sunflower period of his artwork, and depicts a landscape. I chose this painting because i found out about the newly discovered painting the day it happened, and  appreciate his work. The colors used in this painting are warm, and mostly green and yellow tones. In the places where he used blue, you can tell right away and the eye moves towards those places, because blue and yellow are complimentary colors. He uses large brush strokes throughout the painting, which gives the illusion of movement as well.

Young Hare

A Young Hare
Albrecht Durer
Watercolor
1502

This painting has an amazing amount of detail on the rabbit's fur. The strokes are all so unique that it gives the fur an appearance of softness. If you have ever touched a rabbit's ears before, you may know how especially soft they are. The way Durer used a combination of specks and strokes on the ears makes it appear to have the same texture as a rabbit's actual ears.

Jasper Johns, "Three Flags"

This is Three Flags by Jasper Johns painted in 1958. It is encaustic on canvas and can be seen in the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. It has been said that this was the transition into Pop Art. There is more depth to this picture than just a flag. Johns served for two years in the Korean War and believe he was trying to paint something that people would notice rather than an ordinary flag.  I consider myself to be patriotic so when I was looking up art work Johns flag struck my eye. 

Vincent Van Gogh

     I chose this Van Gogh painting because the coloring caught my eye and I just really like the way that Van Gogh makes the water and trees look like they are actually in motion just by the ways he uses his brush strokes.

Profile of knight in armour: Leonardo Da Vinci

I chose this drawing of Leonardo Da Vinci because the amount of detail done in pencil to the armor and helmet is simply amazing and difficult to do and I have always thought that Leonardo was one the best drawers in pencil.

Heda "Still Life"

The artist was apparently dutch and the dutch had a profound interest in how light hit objects. This was made in 1636. This picture has a lot of bright colors. There are darker colors to resemble shadows. The table is set as if some one had just finished eating. The tableware shows the era of which this painting was done. I this the colors add a lot of depth. I like that looking at the picture a viewer can tell the era. I think this picture resembles class and fortune. The pie and fine china may resemble indulgence and an upper class lifestyle. Although everything on the table appears messy, the actual picture seems so clean and calm. The artist did a great job with the contrast of colors representing light hitting the objects. Overall, beautiful piece of work.

The False Mirror by Rene Magritte

René Magritte’s “The False Mirror” painting has truly captured the attention of many. The viewer expects to see a human eye, one with a pupil, iris, cornea and all the other anatomical stuff, but surprising in its place is a picture of a bright blue sky. Although the painting is mysterious, the bright blue skies and fluffy clouds generate an optimistic feeling. This oil painting was completed in 1928 and its style is surrealism. It is currently being displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa).

Henri Rousseau

“The Sleeping Gypsy”

1897

Oil on canvas

51" x 6' 7" (129.5 x 200.7 cm)

There is a gypsy sleeping in the dessert, along side are his personal belongings. There is a bright moon in the upper right corner, giving light. I really like the way Rousseau used sharp lines to make the design of the gypsy’s attire. The story is that there was a lion that strolled around the sleeping gypsy, and instead of having a delicious meal , he let the gypsy live.

personal belongings. There is a bright moon in the upper right corner, giving
light. I really like the way Rousseau used sharp lines to make the design of
the gypsy’s attire. The story is that there was a lion that strolled around the
sleeping gypsy, and instead of having a delicious meal , he let the gypsy live.

There is a gypsy sleeping in the dessert, along side are his