Shown here are two reds used by contemporary artists. The color on the left is vermilion straight from the tube on the top, mixed with a little white on the bottom. The color on the right is a very modern pigment, cadmium red. As you can see, the vermilion has a slightly more subtle tone to it, whereas, the cadmium is very shockingly bright. To … [Read more...] about Modern vs. Historic
A Discriminating Palette
Greek painters, especially those from the 5th century BCE, were remarkably skilled and created many hundreds of vases and other paintings. The many varieties of surfaces include terracotta plaques, walls, ceilings, panels, wood, marble, ivory, leather, parchment, and ceramic slabs. They used some of the most beautiful natural and synthetic pigments … [Read more...] about A Discriminating Palette
The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus
About 470-460 BCE, the Wedding Painter painted this stunning vase. It measures 7 1/4" high by 5 1/4" wide. This one is actually quite small and many measured as much as 30" high or more. Many of the artists signed their pieces and historians can now identify the style characteristics of each artist. The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus, … [Read more...] about The Wedding of Thetis and Peleus
It’s All Greek
Quite unexpectedly and yet happily, a new pigment project has come my way. Some months ago, a client came to me with a request to paint a commission with the theme of 5th century BCE Greece. Specifically, he wants the focus to be black/red figure vase painting that was in its apogee at about 480-430 BCE. Again, I have delved head first … [Read more...] about It’s All Greek
The People’s Museum
A myriad of glitches during our recent aborted Romance of the Rhine river cruise resulted in an an unexpected side trip to Amsterdam. Not wanting to spend the day, yet again, on a long boring bus ride after the boat broke down, Dave and I threw up our hands in protest, got directions to the train station, and bought 2 tickets for the Fast Train to … [Read more...] about The People’s Museum
Hals vs. Rembrandt
The Company of Captain Reinier Reael and Lieutenant Cornelis Michielsz Blaeuw, Amsterdam. 82 inches by 168 inches, 1582, Frans Hals. Across the Rijksmuseum's gallery from The Night Watch is another huge militia style painting by Frans Hals, shown above, that, to my taste, is not nearly as captivating as Rembrandt's. Hals work does not … [Read more...] about Hals vs. Rembrandt