Gustav Klimt, the Kiss, 1907, 180 x 180
Before creating this piece, Klimt had received scathing scorn in the first decade of the 20th century for his three-part University of Vienna Ceiling Paintings. Because of the nudity in these works, his interpretation of this work were seen as as “pornography” and “perverted excess,”. Klimt painted this work in a time of creative panic.
In 1907, perhaps reeling from the poor reception of the Vienna Ceiling Paintings, Klimt was sketching furiously, but he doubted his work. He wrote in a letter, “Either I am too old, or too nervous, or too stupid—there must be something wrong.” But before long, he would begin this painting that would be his most popular.
Harmen ter Borch,List of Color Symbols, paper, watercolor, deck paint, 302X2020 mm c. 1659 Rijksmuseum,
This page is part of Gesina ter Borch’s 17th century poetry album. I share it here, because… wel isn’t is gorgeous and it’s a Idea Journal avant la letter. I will undoubtedly share more from this lovely book. It’s not hard to imagine Gesina with her precious book.
Pieter de Hooch, A Mother’s Duty, C. 1658 – 1660, oil on canvas, 52,5X 61 cm
A mother thoroughly inspects her child’s head for lice. She pursues her task in a sober Dutch interior, with Delft blue tiles and a box bed. In the right foreground is a ‘kakstoel’, or potty chair. Through the doorway is a glimpse of a sunny back room and a garden. De Hooch specialised in such ‘through-views’. Pieter de Hooch was well know for his ‘see through scenes’ where you can see through open windows and doors what’s happening outside (or inside).
Golden Ring, Offering Love, France, c. 1785 – c. 1800, gold, metal, mother of pearl, d 2.0 cm × d 2.5 cm × l 3.3 cm, Rijksmuseum
Golden ring with a woman who offers on the altar of love with the French text: “l’amitié vous la donne”.
Pieter Breughel (printmaker Philips Galle), Love, 1559 – 1560, engraving on paper, 223 mm × w 291 mm, Rijksmusuem
This is the female personification of Love, or Charity (Charitas) who stands in the middle of a square within several scenes that illustrate the 7 works of Charity like: Feeding the hungry, burry the dead, visit prisoners. Breughel clearly appeals to our compassion. When you really ‘walk a mile in someones foot reps you will be prepared to experience real compassion (instead of feeling sorry)
In latin it states:
“Hope you have to endure what others endure, project yourself in the situation of those in need and to share his difficult faith because this causes you to offer your help”.
Toril Johannessen, Words and Years, 2009, Mixed Media on paper
“Words and Years”is a series of graphs made by Toril Johannessen based on a research in different kinds of magazines and journals. What he is trying to do is to point out the frequency of the use of certain words according to the selected subject. Here it is how the words love and logic are pointed out when it comes to art.
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, Portrait of a Couple as Isaac and Rebecca, known as ‘The Jewish Bride’, , c. 1665 – c. 1669, oil on canvas, 121,5 x 166,5 cm
Two contemporaries had themselves portrayed by Rembrandt in historicizing costumes as characters from the Bible. The couple’s tender embrace is at the centre of this poignant painting: the man’s loving gesture is returned with a gentle caress.
This is the painting that made it very clear to me I was not the average Art Historian. When as a young city girl with a head full of books and knowledge, I stood in fort for the Jewish bride. all knowledge and scientific distance seems to fade. There was just them and me. They were together, I was alone. Still, they were kind enough to let me enter close enough to feel the love, skill and intensity that vibrates from the painting. You can feel the hand of the master.