Henri Matisse's 148th Birthday

Today, Dec. 31, is the 148th anniversary of the birth of French painter🎨, printmaker and sculptor, Henri Matisse🎨, in full Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse, (born December 31, 1869, Le Cateau, Picardy, France - died November 3, 1954, Nice), artist often regarded as the most important French painter🎨 of the 20th century.

Joachim Patinir | Northern Renaissance painter

Joachim Patinir, in full Joachim de Patinir, Patinir also spelled Patinier or Patenier, (born c. 1485, Bouvignes or Dinan, Namur, Belgium - died October 5, 1524, Antwerp), Flemish painter**, the first Western artist known to have specialized in landscape painting.

Little is known of his early life, but his work reflects an early knowledge of the painting of Gerard David**, the last of the Early Netherlandish painters. He may have studied under Hiëronymus Bosch**, the painter of fantastic allegories and landscapes.

Van Gogh in Paris, 1886-1888 | Still Lifes

The two years that Van Gogh spent in Paris were of crucial importance for his development from painter in the Dutch Realist tradition to modern artist.

His encounter with the latest movement there had a profound impact on his work, although it was a gradual process rather than a abrupt break with what had gone before.

Vincent began experimenting with new styles like impressionism, Pointillism and Japonism.

As he gradually abandoned what he later called his Dutch palette of grey tones his paintings became increasingly luminous and colorful.

Francisco De Zurbarán | Il Caravaggio spagnolo

Zurbarán, Francisco- Pittore (Fuente de Cantos, Badajoz, 1598 - Madrid 1664). Fu l'artista che meglio seppe rappresentare la religiosità controriformista della Chiesa spagnola del 17° secolo.

Profondamente religioso, Z. rimase personalità singolare e appartata. Nella sua vasta produzione di soggetti sacri, le figure assurgono a simboli di intensa spiritualità (dipinti per il convento di S. Pablo el Real di Siviglia, commissionatigli nel 1626, ora sparsi in chiese e musei della città; serie delle sante, 1639-45, in vari musei europei). Nella fase finale della sua attività si dedicò alla natura morta, che rese in modi estremamente moderni.

Van Gogh in Paris, 1886-1888

Vincent made his first visit to Paris in May 1873.

He spent a few days in the city, visiting museums and the headquarters of his employers, the international art dealers Goupil and Cie.

He then left for England to work in the firm’s London branch.

In autumn 1874, Goupil transferred him from London to Paris for two months.

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510)

Alonso Cano (1601-1667)

Alonzo Cano or Alonso Cano (19 March 1601 - 3 September 1667) was a Spanish painter**, architect and sculptor born in Granada.
He learned architecture from his father, Miguel Cano; painting in the academy of Juan del Castillo, and from Francisco Pacheco the teacher of Velázquez**; and sculpture from Juan Martínez Montañés.

As a sculptor, his most famous works are the Madonna and Child in the church of Lebrija (also called Nebrija), and the colossal figures of San Pedro and San Pablo.
He was made first royal architect, painter to Philip IV, and instructor to the prince, Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias. The King gave him the church preferment of a canon of the Granada Cathedral (1652), in order to take up a position as chief architect of the cathedral, where his main achievement in architecture was the façade, designed at the end of his life and erected to his design after his death.
He was notorious for his ungovernable temper; and it is said that once he risked his life by committing the then capital offence of dashing to pieces the statue of a saint, when in a rage with the purchaser who begrudged the price he demanded. According to another story, he found his house robbed after coming home one evening, his wife murdered, and his Italian servant fled.

Notwithstanding the presumption against the fugitive, the magistrates condemned Cano, because he was of a jealous temper. Upon this he fled to Valencia, but afterwards returned to Madrid, where he was put to the torture, which he endured without incriminating himself, and the king received him into favour.
After the death of his wife he took Holy Orders as a protection from farther prosecution, but still continued his professional pursuits.

He died in 1667.

In his last moments, when the priest held to him a crucifix, he told him to take it away; according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, this was because the priest gave the Sacrament to conversos. Probably this version is spurious as many others about his life and temperament. | © Wikipedia

Alonso Cano (Granada, 19 marzo 1601 - Granada, ottobre 1667) è stato uno scultore, architetto e pittore Spagnolo**, tra i maggiori artisti spagnoli del XVII secolo.
Si formò come scultore e architetto nella bottega del padre, Miguel Cano, costruttore di grandi pale d'altare, e in quella di Juan Martínez Montañés; dal 1616 lavorò nella bottega di Francisco Pacheco a Siviglia, dove apprese l'arte della pittura e fu coallievo di Diego Velázquez**.
Lasciò Siviglia nel 1638 e, segnalato da Velázquez, venne chiamato alla corte di Madrid, dove fu attivo nella decorazione pittorica delle fabbriche reali.
La sua maniera pittorica risentì fortemente, oltre che del classicismo del maestro Pacheco, anche dell'opera dei veneti Tiziano Vecellio** e Paolo Veronese**, di cui vide i lavori nella capitale spagnola, che ebbe anche modo di restaurare dopo l'incendio del 1640. In una sua seconda fase pittorica, spinto dal gusto naturalistico del Velázquez** affrontò temi sacri impreziositi da elementi terreni. La sua produzione tarda rivelò un ritorno al primitivo plasticismo.
Accusato, nel 1644, di aver ucciso la propria moglie, si rifugiò a Valencia e si fece frate.
Dopo aver ottenuto la protezione di Filippo IV, rientrò a Madrid e assunse l'incarico di sopraintendente della cattedrale di Granada.

Progettò l'arco di trionfo per celebrare l'ingresso a Madrid di Maria Anna d'Austria, moglie di Filippo IV, e dal 1650 fu architetto della cattedrale di Toledo.
Come architetto introdusse in Spagna lo stile esuberante di derivazione portoghese denominato churrigueresco e diversamente da molti suoi contemporanei, non seguì ciecamente i dettami del Barocco, ma rispettò, in molti casi, gli schemi rinascimentali italiani.
Più originale fu la sua attività di scultore, soprattutto di opere lignee policrome destinate alla devozione. Venne influenzato inizialmente dall'italianeggiante Juan Martinez Montañés ed in un secondo tempo dal Bernini**.
Nel 1652, grazie a Filippo IV, ottenne la nomina a canonico della cattedrale di Granada, la sua città natale, dove trascorse gli ultimi anni della sua vita: morì tra il 3 e il 5 ottobre del 1667. | © Wikipedia