View allAll Photos Tagged URLs
The mythical Greek hero Heracles, known to the Romans as Hercules, was renowned for his great strength and the heroic deeds he performed, which were favorite subjects for painters and sculptors alike. Around 1580, Jean Boulogne (Flemish, 1529-1608), know as Giambologna, produced for Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici (1541-87) of Tuscany a set of bronze statuettes of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, deeds which King Eurystheus ordered him to carry out, assuming them to be impossible.
These groups are characterized by highly dramatic poses, with the limbs of the figures spiraling outwards from center. The smooth surface of the bronze enhances the muscles of Hercules's imposing physique. These figures were extremely popular all over Europe and were replicated in great numbers, beginning in the artist's lifetime and continuing for decades. Individual casts are difficult to date, but the bronzes exhibited here were surely made after the master's death. However, they preserve the character of Giambologna's originals and illustrate the refined taste of the Medici court towards the end of the 16th century.
The capture of a ferocious boar, a terrible beast that laid waste to the Erymanthian Mountains, was the 4th Labor of Hercules.
18 3/4 in. (47.7 cm)
medium: bronze
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Veyrassat painted with watercolor in a way that has become popular today. He applied transparent washes of color to the page in a looser style than many of his contemporaries. He may have seen early 19th-century watercolors by British artists who experimented with this technique. This scene of ferry horses recalls the compositions of the English romantic painter John Constable. British art was very influential, especially on French landscape painting, in the decades after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815.
H: 6 7/16 x W: 11 3/4 in. (16.3 x 29.9 cm)
medium: watercolor with graphite underdrawing on cream, moderately thick, slightly textured wove paper
by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Christ, seen in the pose of the Just Judge, holds a Gospel book open to John 7:24: "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement." Above and below are bright red seraphim, while at the sides are the venerating figures of Sts. Peter, Paul, and two archangels. Surrounding them is a rich, gilt silver revetment (cover), densely patterned with scrolls and leaves. This vividly colored icon forms the center of a Deesis, a composition in which the figure of Christ is flanked by panels of the Virgin on the left and John the Baptist on the right.
Russian
H: 12 1/16 × W: 9 5/16 × D: 1 9/16 in. (30.7 × 23.7 × 4 cm)
medium: tempera on wood panel with silver gilding
culture: Russian
by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1930.
Equestrian pursuits and hunting were particularly popular among the Khitan (also spelled “Qidan”) and Jurchen, ethnic groups who lived along China’s northeastern border. Their nomadic lifestyle intrigued the Chinese court and inspired Chinese artists to develop a painting genre of foreign people hunting.
China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
album leaf, ink and color on silk
Painting: 24.4 x 27.3 cm (9 5/8 x 10 3/4 in.); with mat: 33.3 x 40.5 cm (13 1/8 x 15 15/16 in.)
Did you know...
The rider at the left has a typical Qidan hairstyle: head shaved on top with thin braids below.
Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund
This type of cartouche-shaped signet ring with a very long bezel made of faience was popular from the late 20th to the 23rd Dynasties. A question exists as to whether these rings were ever actually used as signets or were for funerary purposes, religious souvenirs, or gifts for special occasions. It seems probable that rings with blank bezels were mass-made in molds and that, while the material was soft before firing, the inscription was added.
This small version is made of blue faience. Incrustations exist in the shallow crudely carved hieroglyphs which read "Men-ib-re, right of voice, the great god," a fictitious name which is attested elsewhere.
Egyptian
Overall W: 1 7/16 in. (3.73 cm)
Bezel L: 1 3/8 x W: 5/16 x D: 1/16 in. (3.53 x 0.74 x 0.1 cm)
Inner Diam.: 1/2 in. (1.31 cm)
Outer Diam.: 13/16 in. (2.02 cm)
medium: Egyptian faience with blue glaze
culture: Egyptian
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Ashley Dawn Duffield serves as Mariak Industries’ sales development manager for apparel printing. ashley-duffield.livejournal.com/
The second scene in the series depicts Pius VI celebrating mass in the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, one of the largest churches in Venice and the pope’s residence during his stay. The mass included a performance of the Te Deum, a prayer of thanksgiving set to music by the Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741). Traditionally, the Te Deum was recited in thanks to God for a special blessing, including a papal election or a royal coronation, and thus was appropriate for this historic papal visit.
Italy, 18th century
oil on canvas
Framed: 69.2 x 87 x 11.4 cm (27 1/4 x 34 1/4 x 4 1/2 in.); Unframed: 51.4 x 68.8 cm (20 1/4 x 27 1/16 in.)
Gift of the Hanna Fund
This composition is oriented vertically, with a stream at the bottom (away from the blade). A scholar sits in a hut. Behind the hut is a pine tree and a mountain landscape. A full moon can be seen behind clouds near the mountains. A scholar in the mountains is a common trope in Chinese painting that was adopted in Japanese painting, as well.
Japanese
3 3/4 in. (9.6 cm) (l.)
medium: shibuichi
culture: Japanese
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
This serene sketch shows animals grazing by a lake with a mountain in the background. The words "Swann Lake" are written at the bottom.
Alfred Jacob Miller was a prolific sketcher. He filled many journals with drawings and captions from the time he was studying in Paris and Rome (1833) until the 1870's. The varied interests of Miller are clearly reflected in these sketches: rural sites, studies after Old Master paintings, illustrations of literature, and comical scenes and characters.
This sketch comes from the family album of L. Vernon Miller, which contains works that have passed down through the Miller family directly from the artist.
H: 6 1/8 x W: 9 9/16 in. (15.5 x 24.3 cm)
medium: pencil, ink, and wash on brown paper
given to Walters Art Museum, 1994.
[1] passed directly from the artist down through his family.
Couthon was originally a supporter of a constitutional monarchy for France, but he became associated with Maximilien Robespierre and was named president of the Convention in 1793. Together with Robespierre he introduced the Reign of Terror. Couthon was guillotined in 1794. The inscription reads in translation, "Couthon: God and the law, virtue, and probity are the order of the day, [there can be] no Republic without morals, without patriotism, [and] without Virtue."
Approx. Diam: 5 1/2 in. (13.97 cm)
medium: bronze
Walters Art Museum, 2006, by gift.
The mosque of the Sultan El Ghoree was built by the Mamluk Sultan, Qansuh al-Ghuri (ruled 1501–16) according to sacred proportions. The lavish complex included an elegant fountain, a college, and the sultan’s own mausoleum, which was never used. Today, the mosque is still part of the historic urban fabric of modern Cairo. This print shows a view into its interior. <br><br>Artist David Roberts travelled in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly Egypt, from 1838 to 1839. During his journey, Roberts produced a great number of sketches. He developed these into watercolors, which were the basis for a series of 247 lithographs made by Louis Haghe, of which this is one.
England, 19th century
color lithograph
Gift of J. Byers Hays