SAMPLE COLLECTIONS
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The following categories  of sample collections consist of works that  I have not sold or represented.  Rather,  these are  "stand-ins", using relatively well-known paintings, the most beautiful of their kind,  for the purposes of best demonstrating a high standard of thematic ideas.  Images sourced from Wikipedia Commons.

 
​FLORAL SPLENDOR: DUTCH & SPANISH BAROQUE:  I cannot imagine a more exquisite collection of nature's sensuality than floral works of the Dutch/Flemish, French and Spanish Baroque, mixing tones and colors ranging from the somber to the ecstatic, beautiful bursts of an intoxicating joy.  Here below, a model arrangement featuring the splendid Juan de Arellano (d. 1676) of Santocraz, near Madrid, and the Amsterdam-born Jan van Huysum (d.1741), perhaps the most renown of this genre.  De Arellano was a student of Juan de Solis and the Flemish Daniel Seghers; his son Jose de Arellano went on to become a painter of note.  Van Huysum hailed from a floral decorative-painter family dynasty, taking part in the outstanding--and vast--tradition of Dutch/Flemish still lifes, crowned by the Brueghel.  This selection flanks either end with darker, dramatic studies, moving into more light and jewel tones toward the center, where a cheerful de Arellano captures attention with its frenzied, floral bird concert.  The color scheme throughout is harmonious, while avoiding repetition.

Juan de Arellano, "Still Life With a Basket of Flowers"; oil on canvas, 1650. Bilbao Museum

Juan de Arellano, "Vase of Flowers", oil on canvas, 1664. Musee de Beaux Arts de Carcassonne

Juan de Arellano, "Concert of Birds", oil on canvas; 1650. Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Jan van Huysum, "Vase with Flowers", oil on panel, ca.1720-21; Getty Center, Los Angeles

Van Huysum, "Vase with Flowers", oil on panel, ca. 1720. Dulwich Picture Gallery

THE "BEAUTIFUL VIOLENCE":  MYTH, SYMBOL and ALLEGORY:  Nothing says  'Art'  like a sweeping canvas of emotional power expressed in the finest mastery of technique.  Works that are as spiritually transporting as they are intellectually challenging,  Old Masters occupy a category that I call "the beautiful violence" for their unique kind of disturbing allure that inspires contemplation and a loving investigation into the profound world of mythological and religious allegory.  These are paintings that simply captivate one's attention, lending a kind of moral shock value that few works of modern art can attain.  Let us not forget the medium that would make this possible: oil painting--the main innovation which coincided with and totally transformed Renaissance fine art painting, established in the 15th-century, mainly thanks to Northern Renaissance painters like Jan van Eyck as an alternative to tempera. The arrival of oil paint changed everything.  The use of oils permitted paintings to be used for a larger variety of situations and subject matter became more complex. Also, the Renaissance innovation of perspective and depth in the picture-plane stimulated a need for greater realism and the natural luminosity and plasticity of oil-based colors enabled Renaissance artists to achieve wholly new effects of realism.  In this series example, one begins at the far left with the legendary 'rape' that founded Rome, powerfully portrayed by Titian in one of his last works completed in his eighties for Phillip II of Spain.  This is followed by  Rafaello's confident, calm Archangel Michael destroying his fallen brother, Lucifer.  A half century's worth of stylistic development is clearly seen in the technical differences between the Raffaello (1518) and Titian (1571), yet  these harmonize beautifully given the light-dark emotional interplay of innocence and holiness in battle with evil.  Next is the poignant Batoni, so dreamily soft, almost tending to ethereality depicted in pastel tones so characteristic of this master. This work offers a moment of silence in contrast to the first two works; an invitation to contemplate the power of human love in this world of ceaseless struggle.   Titian's "Poesie" series of seven paintings on themes of Ovid for Philip II of Spain includes, at the far right, Diana and Callisto (1559-60).  In this story, Diana's nymphs were expected to be as chaste as the goddess herself. One of them, Callisto, was seduced by Jupiter who first disguised himself as Diana in order to gain the nymphs presence, here she is shown having her clothes removed by her companions at the command of the chaste goddess Diana to reveal her pregnancy. Banished for her shameful state, Callisto was transformed into a bear by Jupiter's jealous wife Juno,but was later immortalised by him as the constellation of the Great Bear. In Titian's painting, the warm, natural skin tones blended with the azure sky and just a hint of color in the dress Diana's assistant pick up from the color pattern of the Batoni, working in nicely with the salmon pink covering of the weeping Atalanta in the foreground.  The all-over presentation of strong, even harsh, psychological themes expressed in these muted tone-schemes that are punctuated by occasional, remarkable mirror works beautifully as an aesthetic interpretation of the complex human emotions depicted in these magnificent stories.

Tiziano Vecellio, "Tarquino e Lucretia", oil on canvasa, 1571. Fitzwiliam Museum, University of Cambridge.

Rafaello Sanzo da Urbino, "Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan", oil on canvas, 1518. Musee du Louvre

Pompeo Girolemo Batoni,"Atalata Crying Over the Body of Meleager", oil on canvas; ca. 1690.Private collection

Tiziano Vecellio, "Diana and Callisto"; oil on canvas, 1559-60. Private collection, England

HEALTH, WEALTH & HAPPINESS: THE ART of STILLEBEN:  The lush intimacy of rich, moody Stillleben is one of the most gratifying forms of aesthetic experience one can derive from painting.  Universally adored, such paintings, are a pure sensory delight, dazzling in their suggestive hedonism, the tones of nature and the communication of wealth and well-being.  Traditionally, Still life occupied the lowest rung of the hierarchy of genres, but has been extremely popular with buyers. Though most still lifes after 1600 were relatively small paintings, a crucial stage in the development of the genre was the tradition, mostly centered on Antwerp, of the "monumental still life".  The 16th century witnessed an explosion of interest in the natural world and the creation of lavish botanical encyclopedias recording the discoveries of the New World and Asia.  Natural objects began to be appreciated as individual objects of study apart from any religious or mythological associations.  Shells, insects, exotic fruits and flowers began to be collected and traded, and new plants such as the tulip (imported to Europe from Turkey), were celebrated in still-life paintings.   Artists such as Caravaggio and Annibale Carraci pioneered Italian still lifes, with some regions and courts  in Italy had particular interests-- the depiction of citrus, for example, was a particular passion of the Medici court in Florence, Italy.  In 16th and 17th century Spain, the  bodegon, as still lifes are known,  became a  stunning tradition,  pioneered by the  court painter Juan Sánchez Cotán, featured another context below, "with austerely tranquil paintings of vegetables",  and Francesco da Zurbaran creating works that would inspire still lifes well into the 20th century.  Featured below,  the Rotterdam-born Willem Kalf (1619-1693) took the genre to new heights emphasizing "pronk"still lifes--that is the "display" still life as a showcase for wealth.  In the two center paintings below, Chinese porcelain, rich tapestries and damask, Venetian glassware, etc are shown, intensifying the atmospheric splendor of his rustic interiors and semi-monochromatic tonalities.  Intimate and using the same elements in nearly all his magnificent painting , Kalf was influenced by the more exuberant still lifes of the Flemish Pieter Claesz.  Kalf,  in turn influenced, in turn, the development of French still lifes, as epitomized by the Le Nain brothers. At the far right, the Utrecht-born Melchior d'Hondecoeter(1636-1695) was another famous still life painter, whose works almost exclusively depicted hunting trophies, wild birds and game.  Beginning this series is a beautiful study done by a Follower of the school of Jan Huysum, estimated to have been done in the 19th century.   Such talent also shows the power of 'anonymous' artists to create truly first-tier works.

Follower of Jan Huysum, "Still Life of Grapes and a Peach on a Table Top"; oil on canvas, ca. 19th century (estimated). Private Collection.

Willem Kalf, "Still Life with a Silver Jug and Porcelain Bowl", oil on canvas, ca. 1656. Gallery of Honour, Rijksmuseum.

Willem Kalf, "Still Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar", oil on canvas, 1669. Indianapolis Museum of Art

Melchior d'Hondecoeter, "Still Life with a Hunting Trophy", oil on canvas, 1670. Royal Castle, Warsaw

THE COLOR-JEWELS OF CHRISTIANITY:  The vivid colors of the Northern Renaissance and of the Venetian Masters are rich in symbolism, and their history is fascinating as well.   In early Christian Western art, gold represented the light of God.  When material wealth was a sin, it represented the immaterial. Gold leaf adorned altarpieces in the Middle Ages and depicted religious figures, and the tradition carried on to the Renaissance.  "In Giotto di Bondone’s Ognissanti Madonna, the altarpiece literally gleams with gold", writes Sotheby's.    The Medieval period witnessed two significant developments in color technology, in the form of two new pigments - both from Asia--of the red and blue color families. In the 12th-century, there arrived in Venice a stunning, deep blue pigment, called Ultramarine ("from overseas") obtained from the precious stone lapis lazuli, and became the second most-expensive pigment after gold leaf.  However, it was known to be "a painter's dream" and, as an example, is seen below in a panel of the Wilton Diptych (far left). Developed by Persians in Afghanistan, it would play a huge role in the Renaissance color palette.  The Medieval period witnessed two significant developments in color technology, in the form of two new pigments - both from Asia:  the introduction of  Red Vermilion (the Roman Minium was also red, but cheaper and lead-derived), known as Chinese Red.  Obtained from the ore Cinnabar and highly toxic, it was the first of the modern bright, yet permanent hues. It was used extensively in gospel illuminations although it remained prohibitively expensive until the 1300s when a synthetic version was eventually produced. Below, Titian's Assumption of the Virign is an example of this Vermillion.  (Renaissance color-makers greatly extended the available reds, thanks largely to new finds of insect-pigment in the Americas and India. From the Americas came Carmine, derived from the dried bodies of insects; from India came "Lac", also obtained from insects. It was this pigment--incidentally, the third most expensive pigment of the Renaissance after gold and Ultramarine). For blue, in addition to the above-mentioned Ultramarine,  Renaissance artists relied on the same pigments as the Ancient Greeks and Romans, namely Azurite and Egyptian Blue.  A new yellow pigment, known as Gamboge, appeared during the late Renaissance era. This was a bright and transparent yellow which was to remain popular common until the 20th century. Derived from the word "Cambodia", Gamboge was a resin obtained from a South East Asian tree.   Also, new greens became hugely popular during the Renaissance, such as Verdigris--a bright, blue-green tone--Terra Verte--used as an underpaint in skin tones--and Malachite or Verdeazzuro, also bright. The painting selections below highlight these gorgeous colors, and their profound symbolism:  because Ultramarine was so costly it was usually reserved for depictions of the Virgin Mary or Peter.  The use of white, green and red together represented the three cardinal virtues of faith, hope and charity. Likewise, the use of yellow sometimes indicated choleric emotions while black symbolized melancholy and white represented peace or calmness. Red was often regarded as a cheerful, sanguine color during the Renaissance.  In the selections below, one sees the vibrancy of color in expressing the grandeur of Christianity through Renaissance biblical narrative

Anonymous, "The Wilton Diptych", right-hand panel, Baltic oak, ca. 1395–1399), National Gallery, England. The two-paneled work is an extremely rare survival of Medieval panel painting in England. Considered an outstanding example of the International Gothic style, it was painted for Richard II.

Carlo Crivelli, "Madonna and Child Enthroned with Presentation of the Keys to St. Peter, with Saints John of Capistrano, Emidius, Francis, Louis of Toulouse, James of the Marches, and an Unidentified Bishop", wood panel, 1488. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, Germany.

Jan van Eyck, "Lucca Madonna",oil on panel, 1473. Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie.

 THE SOUL OF SPAIN: CLASSIC & MODERN: Enigmatic Spain of the 16th century has an aura about it that defies translation.  Something very streamlined and intellectual, bordering on a modernist notion of the "abstract".  It is no surprise that Salvator Dali should have dedicated "Skull of  Zurbarán",  his famous 1956 Surrealist optical illusion altar work--a series of angled blocks above a tiled floor with priests forming the enlogated white of teeth--as an homage to the great 17th century enigma Francisco de Zurbarán, the Baroque master of  strangely abstract, deeply religious, austerity.  This style had its roots in the non-religious painting of Juan Sánchez Cotán  (1560-1627) whose still lifes have been the subject of innumerable modernist/contemporary renderings, shown below in the center column.  Such works could "easily" be considered 20th century masterpieces for their almost surreal ambiance.  Zurbarán's "St. Francis", introduced on an earlier page of this site, particularly captures this sense of otherworldiness in the tenebrist gaze of the Saint, a picture of ecstasy and obscurity that was entirely new to the times, and, infact--if I dare use this overwrought word--"revolutionary".  In the peculiar case of Cotan, he was a pioneer of the Spanish still life bodegón, a Spanish version of still lifes.   Some scholars maintain that he drew his inspiration from his own ascetic Carthusian piety.  As one historian notes, the fact that he was born in Orgaz, Spain, is almost ironic in that his art "developed in completely the opposite direction from El Greco," whose "profuse and luxurious" altarpiece of the Burial of Count Orgaz is located in the Cathedral of San Tomé, Toledo--where Cotán had a studio. His still lifes belong to the secular period of his career before he entered the monastery. For myself, no collection of art would be more spectacular than a careful, clever blending of "extremes" of centuries, such as the powerful selection below, with so many 
complementary tones and hues to furnish the harmonious interaction of the  individual subject matter as well.  

Francisco de Zurbarán , "St. Francis of Assisi in Meditation", oil on canvas, 1640. Museo del Prado, Madrid

Juan Sánchez Cotán, Quince, Cabbage, Melon, and Cucumber, oil on canvas, 1602, San Diego Museum of Art.

Juan Sánchez Cotán "Still Life with Game Fowl", oil oncanvas, ca. 1600. The Art Institute of Chicago.

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Salvador Dali, "Skull of Zurbarán", oil on canvas, 1956. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC,

THE SPORTING LIFE:  It was the view of John Ruskin that the attempt to copy nature was the goal of all art and the contemplaton of a great painting depicting scenes of the outdoors, sporting and animal life evoke sensations that occupy a particular category of aesthetic experience.  Nature is the hard facts of life and Nature is the beauty. It is cruel seas, bleak mountains and cold and soggy moors, but also majestic landscapes, pristine waters, and the noble challenge of man against the elements.  Taking the American artist Winslow Homer (d. 1910) as the quintessential example of this art, he early in his career demonstrated his intense love of nature and his intention of working directly from it, though not yet free from the earlier romantic techniques of the Hudson River School. His early seascapes, Sailing the Dory, Sailing the Catboat, Gloucester Harbor and Evening on the Beach--and his early landscapes--The Bridle Path, White Mountains, the Nooning, Boys in a Pasture--record nature as a beneficient force furnishing a resplendent world of woodland and meadow, orchard and stream, sea and mountains. Far from being a threatening force, Nature as it is reflected in the quiet moods of these paintings is beneficient and furnishes a pleasant scene for human activity.  But as he grew older, mankind appeared less frequently in his work and the changing effects of light, weather, season and time of day absorbed him more and more --Nature purely and uniquely on her terms.   While many  European artists of this genre, starting as far back as Paolo Uccello and Gaston Phoebus in the 15th century, depicted more aristocratic scenes of "la chasse" and other pastimes of landed gentry, the American  school appealed to a more 'common man' idiom: the sporting pictures of Benson, Ripley, Frost, Pleissner, Eakins, Homer and others celebrate this differnce over and over while extolling the land of plenty for this individual.  There is great freshness, sunlight, freedom to such paintings that add a great lightness--that is not without its own magnificence--to  a prestigious art collection. 

Johann Georg de Hamilton, "Flying Horse"; oil on canvas; 1790. The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

Albert Gleizes, "On a Sailboat" ca. 1914 oil on canvas; private collection.

Albert Gleizes. "La Chasse" , oil on canvas, ca. 1904-1907; Private collection

“The art of Winslow Homer is particularly difficult to describe to those who have not seen it, because it seems to be, although of course it is not, almost independent of technical methods and of technical accomplishment. He strikes one as a natural force rather than as a trained artist-as if he had only to see, not to worry over the use of his materials. His handling is forthright and almost brutal, yet in its ruggedness and lack of amenity there is a great subtlety of values. His draughtsmanship is the reverse of academic, but is, therefore, particularly at home in a great gallery."----Albert Ten Eyck Gardner, Homer Scholar

Winslow Homer, Right and Left, 1909, oil on canvas, 28 1/4 x 48 3/8 in. The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

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