Talented artists are able to suggest the subtle and nuanced beauty of a passing moment in an ordinary, everyday subject. While vastly different in style, all speak equally to the inherent beauty of the subject. Interpretations can be soft and graceful as in Georgia O’Keefe’s sensual works or soft, wispy, and ethereal pastels seen in Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s pieces.įloral depictions can also portray the ultra- realistic style of early Dutch masters like Jan van Huysum or be bold and dynamic as seen with southwestern artist Ed Mell. One of nature’s true joys, a flower when captured by an artist, creates a wondrous and lasting element of visual pleasure within the viewer’s mind. Others, like William Ritschel and Franz Bischoff, showcased the beauty of the California coast in their canvases depicting moody seas, turbulent waves, and cool, drifting coastal fog.Įd Mell, Desert Bloom, Private CollectionĪ familiar yet enduring representation of beauty is the image of a flower. More marvelous examples of the landscape genre include Jules Tavernier, who explored the eerie, ethereal fire of volcanoes and William Mallord Turner, who expressed the beauty of European fields as well as cities gloriously bathed in the brilliant luminescence of sunlight. Some outstanding early American artists such as Franz Bierstadt, Thomas Hill, and Thomas Moran enthralled their audiences with the beauty of the American West through landscape paintings, serving as inspiration to “Go West”. ![]() For centuries, artists have found a way to capture and present the essential beauty of the natural world around us. Bouguereau’s young peasants conveyed both the beauty and charm of youthful innocence and hope.Īn art genre exquisitely able to convey the beauty of our world is one the oldest forms of art: the landscape. Portraying a very different form of beauty are the earthy, yet graceful magnificence of Jean-Francois Millet’s hardworking peasants toiling in the fields of the French countryside or the fresh innocence of the youthful waifs that were popular subjects in the paintings of William Adolphe Bouguereau. The work of Southern California impressionist, Guy Rose, exemplifies a suppler characteristic of beauty: the casual, yet stylish outdoor portraits of women often draped in kimonos or soft-colored garb. These often- attractive wives of affluent patrons were composed in rich interior settings and featured lustrous fabrics as well as opulent clothing that conveyed a sense of style and wealth. When thinking of beauty in traditional Western art, one’s mind may quickly jump to the lush portraits of John Singer Sargent’s elite ladies of society. HISTORICALLY CAPTURING BEAUTY: FEMALE SUBJECT MATTER ![]() Guy Rose, The Blue Kimono, Private Collection Arguably, there is no more fertile field for beauty than in the world of art. It entices us to take another look, yet also compels us to linger for a moment longer, absorb what we are seeing and feeling, and enjoy the full experience. ![]() One commonality may be the idea that beauty impacts us in a manner that captivates, catches our eye, makes a connection, and intrigues us in profound ways, both emotionally and analytically. In 1878, Margaret Wolff Hungerford first penned this simple phrase in her book Molly Bawn and captured an incredibly complicated, deeply nuanced thought: the idea that beauty is subjective and open to multiple meanings and a variety of interpretations.
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