Hamish Blakely, 1968 | Flamenco Dancers

The British painter Hamish Blakely explains: "Art in any form, in any media, can be so many things that it can be in danger of being too many.

It can be intellectual, conceptual and political, but I am steadfast in believing that Art is at its best when simply emotional. You see something and you are moved.

Before analysis or a full understanding, the viewer can just enjoy the emotional sensation".

Henri Fantin-Latour | Still lifes

Alongside his work as a portrait painter, Ignace Henri Jean Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) produced a large number of still lifes.

In the 1860s, these even played a major role in his career.

It was in fact in England, which he visited regularly, that Fantin-Latour found many enthusiasts for his paintings of flowers and fruit.

Purchases and commissions then followed, ensuring commercial success for the painter, which, until then, his other work had not provided.

Hamish Blakely, 1968 | Figurative painter

British painter Hamish Blakely was born in Canterbury and developed an interest in art from an early age.

He recalls: "I was approximately seventeen and seeing the paintings up close, noticing the luxuriant, sometimes messy concoction of paint, the washes, the texture and nuance, spoke to me in a way that I found sacred and spellbinding. I just wanted to use paint and see where it would take me".

Anton Dieffenbach (1831-1914) | Genre painter

Anton Heinrich Dieffenbach was a German🎨 genre and landscape painter, noted for his portrayals of cute children.

He moved to Straßburg with his parents in 1840 and took lessons from a local artist named Charles Duhamel.

With Duhamel's recommendation, he was able to go to Paris and study with the sculptor James Pradier🎨.

Hamish Blakely, 1968 | Love letters to my wife

Like many great artists, British painter Hamish Blakely has a muse. And it is none other than his wife Gail!

The artist explains: "We men folk have a lot to learn, and I have learned a great deal from her since we met. My art celebrates that mystifying blend of feminine beauty and strength.

While loyal to that enduring genre of the celebrated figure and venerated goddess in art, I also explore the majesty of a woman's presence".