Three Musicians

 

This is Three Musicians by Pablo Picasso.  It was completed in 1921. The 3 figures are a harlequin, a pierrot, and a monk, who are believed to represent Picasso and two of his close friends; Guillaume Apollinaire, and Max Jacob. This piece is an example of synthetic cubism and, like all cubist pieces, resembles the inside of a kaleidoscope, which is sommething I love about this style.  

Hokusai

This is The Dragon of Smoke Escaping from Mt. Fuji, by Katsushika Hokusai. In the billowing smoke near the mountain top, there is the silhouette of a dancing dragon flying towards the heavens.  The warm yellow glow of the landscape reminds me of the sun. This piece has a fierce elegance that sets my soul on fire. Once again, Hokusai has managed to wow me.

Artemisia Gentileschi

This is Allegory of Inclination by Artemisia Gentileschi. It was painted in 1615. The maiden in this piece has a certain girlish innocence in her face that reminds me of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. Perhaps this maiden is Artemis, The Greek goddess of  the Moon, and possible namesake of this artist.

Venus & Mars

This is Venus & Mars by Sandro Botticelli. It was painted in 1483. The story behind this piece is that Venus, the goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war were lovers. Supposedly, Cupid was the product of this affair.

Hello!

Hello. This is Shannon Ryl. The name of this blog is a play on "Through the Looking Glass".