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Turner was a Romantic English painter, who laid the foundations for Impressionism. He lived in the 19th century (1775-1851), and painted in both oils and watercolour. He especially liked painting seascapes and landscapes.

Here are some paintings by him:

The Fighting Temeraire

Norham Castle, Sunrise

Next artist: Jan Vermeer, a 17th century Dutch Baroque artist who painted in a very recognisable style, and “specialized in exquisite, domestic interior scenes of middle class life” (Wikipedia).

First up has to be the famous ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’. (I saw the film of the same name, and really enjoyed it.)

Girl Reading Her Letter At An Open Window:

The Allegory of Painting:

Lady Writing a Letter With Her Maid:

Wow! Just been looking at lots of paintings by Millais to get a feel for his style—what a difference between his early style and late!!

You’d never get that the painter of ‘Bubbles’ or ‘Cherry Ripe’ and that of ‘Mariana’ or ‘Ophelia’ were one and the same! I can’t believe it..

And I can’t help feeling that he sold out. Perhaps it’s just my conditioning, but I see later pictures such as Cherry Ripe as quintessentially sentimental and Victorian images, whereas his earlier works are almost timeless in their classicity (classic-ness?).

Anyway, here are my favourites of his so far:

Ophelia (yes, yes, yes!)

I should add that I have seen this for real in the Tate!

Mariana (another amazing painting and one of my favourites—just look at that stained glass!)

Dew-Drenched Furze

I love the mist in this one.

The Black Brunswicker

I like the Black Brunswicker for the beautiful crisp glowing satin of the lady’s skirt.

I also like Persephone:

—although it’s a very different treatment from Rossetti’s version of Persephone (Proserpine).

For the next week or so, I’m going to explore the works of John Everett Millais (same genre, one of the Preraphaelite brotherhood of painters).

The Preraphaelites painted in and around the 1850’s. Their founding members in 1958 were Millais, Hunt and Rossetti, although these were soon joined by others.

I’ve learned quite a lot about Rossetti’s art over the last week or so. I think my favourites are:

• Proserpine
• Lady Lilith
• Astarte Syriaca

although there are lots of other good ones as well, like Bella Mano, A Sea Spell, and Monna Vanna.

Rossetti’s two main models were Lizzie Siddall (who later became his wife, and who also posed for John Everett Millais’ ‘Ophelia’), and Jane Morris, the wife of Rossetti’s friend William Morris.

Lady Lilith:

Astarte Syriaca:

Every week, I’m going to pick one artist, and learn about them and their paintings.

This week: Dante Gabriel Rossetti.