Chen Yongle / 陳永樂, 1944

Chinese painter🎨 Chen Yongle is a leading artist of what is today called the Yunnan Art School. He is among the few contemporary Chinese printmakers who can claim a series of international exhibitions.
The artist works in the technique of reduction woodblock prints - printed with thick oil-based colors.
Chen Yongle's works remind in technique and style of Hao Ping, another Yunnan Art School representative.

Zoey Frank, 1987 | Figurative painter

American painter Zoey Frank was born in Boulder, Colorado. Her early inclination to create was developed by a primary and secondary education in the Waldorf school system.

After studying Renaissance art at the age of thirteen she knew she wanted to pursue a career as an artist, and began to daydream about being an apprentice in Raphael’s🎨 studio in the 1500s.

Zinaida Serebriakova | Realist painter

Зинаида Евгеньевна Серебрякова 1884-1967, was the first female Russian painter of distinction, as a master of portrait, genre scenes from the life of peasantry.

She was born near Kharkov into one of Russia's most refined and artistic families.

In 1900 she entered the art school founded by Princess M. K. Tenisheva.

She studied under Repin in 1901, and Braz between 1903-1905.

Between 1902-1903 she spent time in Italy, and from 1905-1906 she studied in Paris.

At the outbreak of the October Revolution in 1917 Serebriakova's life suddenly changed.

Zinaida Serebriakova | Self-Portrait in a Scarf, 1911

Hugo Urlacher, 1958 | Portrait / Figurative painter

Hugo Urlacher was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

He is considered a very accomplished portrait painter.

During his career as a plastic artist, instead of focusing on art shows and exhibitions and depending on a middle person, he concentrated on commissioned works, while developing his own personal art.

Douglas Hofmann, 1945 | Ballet dancers

Douglas Hofmann🎨 is an American🎨 award winning🎨 painter, known for work in the Figurative realist style.

The paintings of Douglas Hofmann are critically acclaimed for glowing surfaces, detail and softly lighted forms.

Hofmann was born in Baltimore.

For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Hofmann see:

Douglas Hofmann, 1945 | Figurative painter➥

Douglas Hofmann, 1945 | Figurative painter

Douglas Hofmann🎨 was born in Baltimore. Hofmann originally attended business school but only lasted a few short months, realizing it wasn’t for him.

He began working in a department store as a window trimmer, learning about design and color theory, which inspired him to try his talent at fine art.

He enrolled at MICA (the Maryland College Institute of Art) which, at the time, was his local art school. He received his BFA from MICA and moved to the International Fine Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Gary Benfield, 1965 | Figurative / Wildlife painter

Gary Benfield, British painter🎨, studied art at Stourbridge College of art and at Wrexham College of Art. In 1986 Benfield became a professional freelance illustrator. After leaving the academic world he set up his own studio near London and concentrated on drawing and painting figures.

Within a few years his work was collected throughout Europe and his reputation firmly established. Benfield has a natural talent for depicting things as seen. His work is spontaneous and is reflected by his drawn lines and dashes of color.

Sandro Botticelli | Al servizio dei Medici

Le frequentazioni di Botticelli nella cerchia della famiglia dei Medici furono indubbiamente utili per garantirgli protezione e le numerose commissioni eseguite nell'arco di circa vent'anni.

Nel 1475 dipinse il gonfalone per la giostra tenutasi in piazza Santa Croce raffigurante Simonetta Vespucci, musa dalla bellezza epica per tutta la carriera dell'artista, che fu vinto da Giuliano de' Medici.

Nel 1478, dopo la congiura dei Pazzi in cui morì lo stesso Giuliano, a Botticelli fu chiesto di effigiare come appesi i condannati in contumacia su cartelloni da attaccare sul Palazzo della Signoria, lato Porta della Dogana, come anni prima aveva fatto Andrea del Castagno nel 1440 per il complotto antimediceo degli Albizi, che aveva valso all'artista in soprannome di "Andrea degli Impiccati".

Chiaro è come Sandro avesse pienamente abbracciato la causa dei Medici, che lo accolsero sotto la loro ala dandogli la possibilità di creare opere di grandissimo prestigio.