Favorite Paintings

Horsa

Equine-loving rhyme-artist
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
Messages
4,865
Reactions
1,308
Points
113
Location
Britain
I wanted to add a couple of George Stubbs paintings here but couldn't, unfortunately. My favourite artist is George Stubbs because his favourite subject matter is my favourite animal & I've got horses on the brain. He also wrote a book on horses & knew equine anatomy very well & drew & painted horses anatomically correct.
 

monfed

Major Winner
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
2,112
Reactions
506
Points
113
Any of those renaissance times paintings. Not sure what the fuss is about Mona Lisa. I mean sure I like a smiling lady but not sure how it's the GOAT painting.
 

britbox

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
27,422
Reactions
6,244
Points
113
Location
Gold Coast, Australia
Any of those renaissance times paintings. Not sure what the fuss is about Mona Lisa. I mean sure I like a smiling lady but not sure how it's the GOAT painting.

There's a school of thought that Mona Lisa is actually a feminized self-portrait by Da Vinci.
 

Moxie

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
43,680
Reactions
14,857
Points
113
There's a school of thought that Mona Lisa is actually a feminized self-portrait by Da Vinci.
I'm not sure what "school" that is, but it's surely Pre-K. It's fairly well-documented who she is.
 

britbox

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
27,422
Reactions
6,244
Points
113
Location
Gold Coast, Australia
I'm not sure what "school" that is, but it's surely Pre-K. It's fairly well-documented who she is.
It was in the news a few years ago. Some Italians were going to try and exhume Da Vinci's grave to do some DNA tests and check out his skeleton to check the theory. No shit!
 

Moxie

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
43,680
Reactions
14,857
Points
113
It was in the news a few years ago. Some Italians were going to try and exhume Da Vinci's grave to do some DNA tests and check out his skeleton to check the theory. No shit!
That is kind of hilarious. I did look it up and I see what you mean. I have to say I'm inclined to think that it's Renaissance graduate students running out of things to write theses on. For the record, I also happen to be one of those people that thinks it was actually Shakespeare that wrote Shakespeare. :D
 

Moxie

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
43,680
Reactions
14,857
Points
113
Any of those renaissance times paintings. Not sure what the fuss is about Mona Lisa. I mean sure I like a smiling lady but not sure how it's the GOAT painting.
Paintings aren't like sports. There's no GOAT. And even in sports, it's debatable. That painting is famous, largely, because it is one of the first naturalistic portraits in history. And of the those, the most beautiful. It was painted by Da Vinci, after all, and he took painting to a new level, and he changed portraiture with this painting. Also, for the enigmatic smile, and for the history of it, including being stolen, and recovered. The Italian Renaissance created for us in the West, by a huge measure, what we understand as beauty. Rightly or wrongly. But between history, reality and lore, it is considered the most valuable painting in the world. That doesn't make it the greatest. But if we made a Top-20 of important ones, or even likely Top 5, it would be there.
 

monfed

Major Winner
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
2,112
Reactions
506
Points
113
Paintings aren't like sports. There's no GOAT. And even in sports, it's debatable. That painting is famous, largely, because it is one of the first naturalistic portraits in history. And of the those, the most beautiful. It was painted by Da Vinci, after all, and he took painting to a new level, and he changed portraiture with this painting. Also, for the enigmatic smile, and for the history of it, including being stolen, and recovered. The Italian Renaissance created for us in the West, by a huge measure, what we understand as beauty. Rightly or wrongly. But between history, reality and lore, it is considered the most valuable painting in the world. That doesn't make it the greatest. But if we made a Top-20 of important ones, or even likely Top 5, it would be there.


mona-lisa-joint_a-G-371424-0.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Moxie

tented

Administrator
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
21,703
Reactions
10,578
Points
113
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
I have a few that range from Joan Miro to the ethereal works of El Greco. My two favorites, though, are Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez and Guernica by Pablo Picasso. The former because of all the different viewpoints depicted of the Spanish royal court and the painting of Velazquez himself into the photo, all while the king and queen enter from behind--as reflected in a mirror--is one of the heights of artistic creative genius. The latter due to the sheer power of the political statement Picasso was making against Generalisimo Franco--who was a galician who spoke gallego growing up, yet was adamant about centralizing the power of Madrid and Castililan over all others because of the fear of all things Red. He therefore permitted the sacrifice of the Basque town in the buildup to the Second World War. The piece has great drama and symbolism.
I thought of this thread after discovering Edvard Munch’s painting “Jealousy”

IMG_3818.jpeg
 

shawnbm

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 15, 2013
Messages
3,584
Reactions
1,275
Points
113
Can someone post one of their favorites of Jackson Pollack and tell us why you like the painting? Some folks don't "get" him so it could be an interesting chat.
 

tented

Administrator
Joined
Apr 14, 2013
Messages
21,703
Reactions
10,578
Points
113
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
The last two "paintings" were generated using Midjourney AI.
Did you provide the AI with the Munch picture, then basically say, Show me this in the style of Vettriano? Or did the AI already “know” the painting?
 

shawnbm

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 15, 2013
Messages
3,584
Reactions
1,275
Points
113
AI in the world of art. I thought the two paintings looked vaguely sterile and lacking in human touch.
 

MargaretMcAleer

The GOAT
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Messages
46,593
Reactions
30,701
Points
113
I am also a big fan of Jackson Pollock,
Our National Art Gallery in Canberra brought 'Blue Poles' in 1973, people were outraged the amount of money it was back then, of course it has tripled in price over the years and has become the 'most visited' piece of art in the gallery
Every time I visit the gallery over the years I love to sit and gaze at it.It is an abstract painting
It embodies Pollock's idea's about pure painting and unconscious.It is a painting of a complex experience of life, between darkness and light,also turmoil and elation.
 
Last edited:

shawnbm

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 15, 2013
Messages
3,584
Reactions
1,275
Points
113
I guess it can't be shown here so I shall look at it on the internet.
 

shawnbm

Multiple Major Winner
Joined
Apr 15, 2013
Messages
3,584
Reactions
1,275
Points
113
Ah yes ^^^ I recall Blue Poles. Something tells me it is one of those works you can't really appreciate without seeing it in all its glory. I know Guernica did that for me, as did Las Meninas and the two Majas