You would be disappointed if I did not include this iconic Thanksgiving feast by Norman Rockwell! The setting is something for us to reflect on this year as we have been forced to define for ourselves: wants vs. needs.
Category Archives: Famous Art
Life (& Art) in Perpetual Motion (Escher)
Life today seems to be in perpetual motion, continuous, unceasing: the election, the pandemic, social distancing, wearing masks, the weather . . . life just seems to flow along with no real beginning and no real end . . . with a waterfall plunked in here and there, only to start the same flow over again.
Michelangelo Alert! (MOA Exhibit; Mpls, MN)
Michelangelo Alert! Rome comes to Minneapolis! The Sistine Chapel art exhibit at the MOA (Mall of America) is a phenomenal close up of one of Michelangelo’s masterpieces. It can be touched, photographed, and seen up close as never before!
Art for Halloween – or All-Hallow’s-Eve? (Luther & Cranach)
October 31st is Halloween, right? So why would I post a famous painting of a famous German theologian by a famous German artist–on Halloween? October 31st has dueling holidays, and it is more than just proximity on the calendar. Click on the painting of Luther for more information as I attempt to make the complex simple!
Let it Snow…Let it Snow…but not quite yet! Snow in Art (Bruegel)
First snow of the season! How is snow portrayed in art? “Hunters in the Snow” by Bruegel is the all time winner in the art world! The painting has always made me feel COLD, as I do in right now in our unseasonably cold and snowy autumn. Maybe that is the reason for the success of the painting; how the artist wanted us to feel! If so, he was successful. For more about this artist, this painting, and where you can see it–click on the picture for insights and information!
No Masks Required! No Social Distancing in Art! Le Moulin de la Galette (Renoir)
No social distancing; no masks required! Except for the fashions, this could be a modern club scene today–much to the chagrin of the CDC! Renoir was one Impressionist who often turned to Paris nightlife for his subjects, such as this one in the Montmartre District: La Moulin de la Galette. Travel Tip: The Montmartre area of Paris has much to offer–Food, art, architecture, entertainment, ambiance–but be wary of the time of day/night that you visit!
Golden Autumn! Golden Art! (Klimt)
Golden Autumn! Golden Art! Much like the golden colors carpeting our Minnesota lawns and landscapes this time of year, Gustaf Klimt shares the blazing reds, ambers and golds to remind us of autumn. His “Birch Trees,” though void of people, share the luminous golds present in his more famous oil paintings: “The Kiss” and “Woman in Gold” with its colorful history, having been stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and on which the 2015 film was based
Autumn Harvest in Art (Millet & Van Gogh)
Autumn equates harvest. Millet, with peasant origins, identified with the hard work of the country poor. Van Gogh paraphrased it in his work. These oil paintings depict 3 peasant women tediously gleaning a field of stray stalks of wheat left over after the harvest. Both are at the Musee d’Orsay, Paris.
Sunflowers – in Art & Life (Van Gogh & O’Keeffe)
Sunflowers seem to be exceptionally huge this year, at least in Minnesota and Wisconsin! Sunflowers are not really a subject worth of deep thoughts–they are just bright and make us smile! Van Gogh and O’Keeffe both have great renditions of sunflowers!
Colors of Autumn–& Cataracts – in Art & Life! (Monet & My Grandma)
Famous Art for the Pandemic – & Life Update 03 July 2025: This post was initially published during the 2020/2021 COVID pandemic. As an art history professor, world traveler and lover of great art and art museums, I set out to connect famous art with what was going on in the world around us. FirstContinue reading “Colors of Autumn–& Cataracts – in Art & Life! (Monet & My Grandma)”
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