Art Information Arty Facts

Handicapped Artists - The less fortunate artists and their paintings that are worth a fortune
Handicapped artists are symbolic of the age old adage, where there is a will, there is a way. There are hundreds of disabled artists around the world, who are astounding people with their artistic talent. A large number of art galleries are known to display paintings of handicapped painters. Many of these paintings are known to be worth a fortune and therefore much sought after these days.

We can find instances of handicapped painters, if were to go back in history. There is the example of an English painter, Richard Dadd, who was popular during the 19th century and was considered ‘mad’ by people around him. The work that he churned out though was considered a work of a genius. Even other renowned artists including Vincent van Gogh and William Blake too are known to have been considered mad at certain points of time in their life by their contemporaries.

Many disabled painters who have difficulty painting with their hands often paint with their foot or mouth and come out with astounding creations. The Association of Mouth and Foot Paintings Artists of the World is the body that organizes exhibitions of the works of such artists in different parts of the world. There are many non –profit organizations too that organize painting exhibitions of leading handicapped artists from time to time. In fact art exhibitions where the work of disabled artists is solely exhibited often draw huge crowds. Their work is also known to fetch a good price in the international art markets.

Indian Arts History and Paintings.

Painting has a long cherished history in India. In fact painting has been in existence in India since pre-historic times. Along the way Indian painting has adopted many different techniques which have made their way into the world of arts. Today one can find many internationally renowned Indian artists. Early instances of Indian painting can be found in ancient rocks and caves where war and hunting scenes were painted by ancient tribal people.
Some of the cave paintings found in India, such as the one in Bhimketa is believed to date back to 5000 B.C. The rock and cave paintings of Ajanta and Ellora also date back a long time in history and are world famous. Some of these paintings are actually a combination of frescos and murals. They are known for their meticulous workmanship.

The description of early forms of Indian painting can be found in many historical texts such as ‘Vinyapitaka’ and ‘Mudraskshaka’. Various different types of painting styles form Indian painting. Among the most popular of them include miniature paintings. One can find a whole lot of beautiful miniature paintings depicting mythological scenes as part of Indian painting. Thangka Paintings which have a strong Buddhist influence are another popular painting style found in India. The specialty of Thangka paintings is that they can be actually folded in and rolled out, whenever necessary. This is possible since these paintings are created on cotton and silk fabric. Similarly, glass paintings are also part of the rich painting legacy of India. Madhubani and Tanjore are other famous styles of Indian painting.

Infamously famous Artists

Painting and controversy seem to go hand in hand, or so history has proven. There have been innumerable instances when painters have become famous for infamous reasons. In fact the list of infamously famous painters is quite long. There have also been cases when the creative art work of painters has been deemed controversial by the general public. In such instances the artists are not always to blame since for them painting is just an expression of their innermost feelings and they do not create any art work solely for hurting someone’s sentiments.

Even in days gone by painters had faced the wrath of people for some of their works. Many of Vincent van Gogh’s works were considered controversial when he was alive. Similarly Leonardo da Vinci too faced the wrath of many people for some of his work. Michelangelo too had courted controversy with some of his famous art works. In recent times Andy Warhol, whose painting ‘The Marx Brothers’ made him a famous name in 1980 had been in the news, for all the wrong reasons. He has been accused of exploiting the Jewish community for money. Adam Cullen from Australia is another name that instantly springs to mind. One of his controversial paintings was reported to have hurt religious sentiments and had to be withdrawn from art exhibitions.  Another Australian’s, Corey Worthington, paintings too had to be removed from art exhibitions since they were found to be offending to members of a particular religion. There have been several such instances during different points of time in the history of painting.

 
Paintings that made news - Famous Paintings

Man has been painting since time immemorial. From cave and rock paintings during ancient times, painting has now evolved into a complete art form by itself. The gradual evolution of paintings has been fascinating to say the least. Different periods of time saw different types of paintings dominate the scene. Although the themes may have changed with times, one thing though remained same. Masterpieces continued to be created by leading artists throughout the history of painting.

‘Monalisa’ by Leonardo da Vinci is a good example of a famous painting, whose popularity has endured the test of time. His other classic ‘The Last Supper’ is also counted among the all time great works of art. The mysterious smile of Monalisa has intrigued millions of art lovers around the world. Another famous work that evokes the same kind of awe is ‘The Melting Watches’ from world famous painter, Salvador Dali. This master artist has over 1,500 paintings to his credit. Even replicas of these masterpieces are much sought after these days. Such is the popularity that these paintings enjoy.

Vincent van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ is another painting that became famous the world over. In fact there are a whole lot of Vincent van Gogh paintings that have become famous. So too is the case with the works of Michelangelo, some of which like ‘The Last Judgment’, continue to be popular. The list cannot be complete without some of the world famous works of Pablo Picasso like ‘The Old Guitarist’ which is considered an all time great work of art. Likewise there are hundreds of paintings from leading artists that are held in high esteem by art lovers around the world.

 Art Scandals - Controversial Art

Art and scandal have shared a close relationship for a very long time now. Contrary to popular perception ‘arty scandals’ are not a recent phenomenon. They were existent even during the Renaissance period. In fact many leading artists had to face the ire of either the general public or the rulers for their works of art. There have been also instances when artists had been declared insane or being mad, just because of the controversial subjects on which they created their paintings.

There have also been instances when later day artists have interpreted certain earlier paintings in a different way thereby generating considerable argument and controversy. Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ is a good example for such an art work. Another painting, ‘Luncheon on the Grass’ by famous French painter Edouard Manet, which was painted way back in 1863, was in news recently for depicting a naked lady along with two fully dressed men. In recent times many leading artists had to face the anger of people for controversial depictions of religious themes. These instances have happened in almost all countries where paintings are big time business.

Many scandals also break out in the field of fine arts because of the innumerable fakes that masquerade as originals. In fact there is a huge market that is thriving on fake paintings of past masters. Many a times these fakes are found out, creating scandals along the way. Almost every day we come across news reports about the genuineness of particular paintings. Since high stakes are involved and awareness about the value of paintings is ever increasing, art scandals have become quite inevitable in these modern times.

 
Art as our ancestors knew it - Prehistoric art and cave paintings

Paintings are perhaps the first form of art work as well as imagery. Prehistoric cave paintings have been found in various different parts of the world, including, India, Mexico and France. Some of the sketches are still very clear, with even the colors being lively to a large extent today.

Some of the prehistoric paintings which are believed to be produced somewhere in the 4th century B.C have been found in Europe and Mediterranean by archeologists during excavations. Historians along with archaeologists have carried out extensive research on these paintings and have identified the different styles that were associated with different cultures in the region.

Among all the prehistoric cave and rock paintings found, perhaps the ones that belong to the ancient Egyptian civilization were first to demonstrate a consistent style. Most of these paintings can still be found on the walls of the ruins of ancient tombs and temples in Egypt.
Lively wall paintings, also known as ‘frescoes’ were first developed in ancient Greece. They can be found in the remains of the homes and palaces belonging to the ancient Greek civilization. While the emphasis is on rigid figures in the Egyptian paintings, the paintings found in Greek are known for their focus on the living world.

Ancient Greek art is known to have inspired Roman art and paintings. Painting as an art form flourished under the Roman Empire and its spread reached far and wide during the rule of the Romans. Painting as an art form then spread throughout Europe during this period.

Contemporary art.

Paintings have been in existence since prehistoric times. They have been just about the perfect outlet for expression of creativity. Although painting trends and themes have changed over the years, one thing though remains the same which is their rising popularity. The contemporary art scene is thriving and throwing up new artists almost each passing day.

The art scene around the world is literally exploding. One of the reasons for this is the rapid strides made by mankind when it comes to communication which has enabled sharing of ideas among artists, quite easy. With the advent of the internet, an artist living in one part of the world can easily get to know what is happening in the art scene in the other part of the world.

Another reason for the robust art scenario is because of the increase in the number of artists. More and more artists these days are coming from countries, other than those which were considered the hub of the painting scene.

The prices that some of the paintings these days fetch are also mind –boggling. This too has been a reason for the increasing popularity of contemporary art. Gone are the days when painters had to struggle to make a living out of painting. These days some of the paintings are known to fetch millions of dollars and it is no wonder that an increasing number of artists have taken up painting as a full-time vocation. With newer themes being tried out by painters these days, the future looks bright for both art as well as artists.

Temples of art (galleries and museums that house the best of history and the present)

Art galleries and museums have been playing an important role in popularizing paintings from both known and unknown artists. The Tate galleries, numbering four, in London are good examples for large art museums. They have a huge database of works from leading artists around the world. Art lovers can use the database and search for specific artists and their famous works. Another famous art museum in London is The British Museum, which has some of the richest collection of historically significant paintings.

One can find many leading art galleries and museums in the United States of America too. Take the Museum of Modern Art, New York for example which showcases a vast collection of classic paintings from renowned artists. Yet another famous art gallery in the United States of America is the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. This world famous art gallery is known for its vast collection of works from leading artists around the world. The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is yet another famous art museum in the United States of America.

Paris also has its share of world famous art galleries and museums. Prominent among them are the Musee d’Orsay and the Painting Galleries at the Louvre, Paris. Among other European cities, Amsterdam has the famous Van Gogh Museum, which attracts art lovers from across the globe. The Prado Museum in Spain contains some of the best collections of European paintings anywhere in the world. Vatican City, along with Rome too has a large number of famed art museums and art galleries which are popular with connoisseurs of art.

Styles you would prefer. (Most popular styles of painting)

One of the reasons for the everlasting popularity of paintings as an art form is because of the constant addition of new themes which keeps people interested. Newer themes have evolved over several centuries and contributed to the different styles of paintings.

One of the most popular styles of art which has been lapped up by art lovers during different periods of time are abstract paintings. These paintings literally let the artist’s imagination run riot as they depict objects in a different way from which they exist in the real world.

There have been many painters who have used their works to express their innermost feelings. Their work is known as expressionist art and this style was particularly popular in the 19th century. The 19th and 20th century also saw the rise of another popular style of painting which has come to be known as ‘impressionism’. This style was first developed in France, before it gradually spread around different parts of Europe. These paintings are known for their attention to detail and mostly depict outdoor scenes.

Postimpressionism is another popular style of paintings that came into being sometime in the late 19th century. The paintings belonging to this style use a lot of shadows, cleverly done by mixing different shades of colors. Realism, yet another popular style of paintings, also made its appearance during the same time in France. These paintings show things in the exact manner as they appear in real life and hence the name. With constantly emerging themes, the entire art scenario looks robust with newer styles predicted to emerge in the near future.

 What the future holds for art. (Modern styles of painting)

With the passage of time constant additions to the styles of paintings have been made. Take ‘cubism’, for example. This modern style of painting involves drawing objects that do not look real. Artists using this style of painting usually use geometric shapes. The colors used in cubism are predominantly shades of greens, yellows and browns. Some artists these days are also trying to use brighter colors as part of cubism. This style of painting is supposed to have emerged from another style of painting, abstract painting, which is equally popular with artists.

Many leading artists these days are known for their abstract paintings. Abstract art is also known as non-objective art since the objects that are painted are not supposed to look like the object itself. Abstract painting style is perhaps among the most popular of all modern styles. Abstract paintings are also among the most complex when it comes to different painting styles. The complexity of these paintings is because of the absence of any depiction of a recognizable object and yet the ability of the paintings to communicate moods and feelings. Artists such as Barnett Newman, Pier Mondrian and Jackson Pollock have taken abstract paintings to greater heights and contributed to their immense popularity.

Surrealism is another style that has been adopted by an increasing number of modern painters. This style of painting involves making familiar objects look mysterious or strange. With constant innovations taking place in the field of arts, newer art styles are expected to evolve in the near future too.

 The Black and white of painting.  (Charcoal painting)

An increasing number of artists are taking to charcoal painting these days. Many leading artists use charcoal, which is actually a residue consisting of impure carbon for drawing rough sketches. The art work that is done using charcoal is then preserved usually with the help of a fixative.

Vine charcoal is among the most extensively used type of charcoal for painting. Compressed charcoal is also used by a number of artists. While vine charcoal is obtained by burning sticks of willow wood, compressed charcoal is produced by mixing charcoal powder with gum binder which is then compressed into square or round sticks. Japanese artists are known to use bamboo charcoal for their charcoal paintings.

 
Finely powdered charcoal is also used by a number of artists. It is usually used to darken certain areas of a painting. A skilled artist can also create lighter tones using finely powdered charcoal. It is also used in combination with other mediums of painting such as oil and water color paintings.

There are many advantages that charcoal offers over pencil, one of the reasons for its popularity. While charcoal would leave a track that is on the darker side it is not so in the case of pencils. The track that is left by charcoal is also more velvety when compared to one left by a pencil. Moreover the track done using charcoal can also be spread fiber in an easy manner, something that is not always possible with pencil. It is no wonder that with all these advantages an increasing number of artists are trying their hands at charcoal painting.
 

 The most expensive paintings in the world 

 
World famous paintings are often sold for millions of dollars. Most of the paintings, especially those belonging to the times before 1800, are owned by leading art galleries and museums and are rarely sold. Although this is the case, there are several such paintings that are sold through auctions.

One of Jackson Pollock’s works ‘No 5, 1948’ was sold for more than $140 millions in a private sale in 2006. Another famous artist, Pablo Picasso’s creation was sold for a similar price in an auction in Sotheby, New York. The painting named ‘Garcon a la Pipe’ is unique in the sense that it is done in a painting style that is not usually associated with Pablo Picasso. Yet another of his creations, ‘Dora Maar with Cat’, fetched over $100 million dollars in 2006. The painting, which depicts Picasso’s mistress, Dora Maar, is one of the last one’s done by Picasso during the 1940s.

Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Portrait of Dr. Gachet’ was sold for over $80 millions at an auction at Christie’s in New York. It was bought by a rich Japanese businessman Ryoei Saito. ‘Le Bassin Aux Nympheas’ which is a work of famous painter, Claude Monet fetched over $80 millions in 2008.  French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s ‘Bal Au Moulin de la Galette’ was sold for over $75 millions and was also bought by Ryoei Saito. Another painting by Peter Paul Rubens which he created way back in 1611 was bought for over $75 million dollars at a Sotheby’s auction held in 2002. With the popularity of paintings increasing by the day, it won’t come as a surprise, if art connoisseurs were to pay more for buying paintings in the near future.

 Breaking new ground with glass!! (Glass paintings)

Glass paintings, which make for marvelous pieces of art, are among the most sought after paintings. Glass paintings were at their peak as a Gothic art form in Medieval Europe. The Renaissance movement in parts of Europe, especially in Italy, also helped in popularizing glass paintings as an art form. It was during this period in time in history that they made their way into other parts of the world.

Glass paintings were used in great cathedrals and churches for adding a touch of elegance to these buildings. They were carefully used to fill up window openings, which were usually large in such buildings during those times. In many instances several pieces of stained glass windows were pieced together in order to create one single large pattern. Most of the glass paintings created during the times of the Renaissance movement depicts Biblical stories. In many places they also tell stories from the lives of great saints.

The process of painting on glass begins with engraving the design at the back of the sheet of glass on which you want to paint. Once the outlining of the design is over, you will then need to apply colors. This can be done either with a brush or even with hand. You should however make sure that you do not allow the paint to spill over the outline markings. It is always preferable to use gum based colors for glass paintings, since they are more durable when compared to other types of paints. Carefully adhering to all these tips will help you create your own glass paintings with relative ease.

 Recent discoveries of the oldest oil paintings (found by Nat geo—related stories)

Recent discoveries of Buddhist murals from the Bamian caves in Afghanistan point out to the existence of oil paintings centuries ago. These paintings which date back to around 7th century A.D is now being considered the world’s oldest oil paintings, after chemical analysis was done on them.

The discovery of these paintings in Afghanistan points out to the extent of cultural exchange that took place between different countries along the famous ‘Silk Road’ that connected the eastern parts of Asia with the west Asia during those times. The discoveries were made in the Bamian Valley which is a UN World Heritage site. The valley lies about 140 miles to the northwest of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul.

 
The murals depicting Buddhist imagery adorn most of the caves that were found in the region. Mythological creatures and ornate swirling patterns are found predominantly in the murals. Techniques such as mass spectrometry and chromatography were used by scientists to find the samples from around 12 caves in the excavation site. The paintings that have been found contained both resin as well as oil based paints. The research work was carried out as part of a project funded by the UNESCO.

 
Close analysis of the murals by researchers pointed out to the use of multilayered painting technique which is similar to that of early European paintings.  The white base layer of the murals consisted of a lead compound, while the upper layers consisted of artificial pigments which were mixed with poppy seed or walnut drying oils. The findings point out to the fact that knowledge about the chemical properties of oil paints dates back to several centuries.

Abstract oil paintings

You can’t be further from the truth if you think that abstract oil paintings are a recent phenomenon. Historically they have existed for quite some time now though they became popular only during the 20th century. It is believed that since Jewish and Islamic religions prohibited depiction of human forms as part of art it led to the discovery and development of abstract oil paintings.

One of the leading artists who firmly established the presence of abstract oil paintings was Pablo Picasso. His style of painting, popularly known as cubism, which involves the use of geometrical patterns, set the tone for the rising popularity of abstract paintings in general. Georges Braque was another artist who was popular for his abstract paintings such as ‘Violin and Pitcher’ and ‘The Fruit Dish’.

The combination of abstract art and oil paints can give marvelous results. This has been proven again and again by artists around the world during different points in time. Rich oil paints give themselves very well to the vertical and horizontal lines, which are used for expressing all the absolutes of life as part of abstract painting.

Some of the abstract oil paintings also tend to focus on realism, although only a little bit. Artists use abstract oil paintings to communicate a certain feeling or mode by creating an aesthetic balance between different colors and geometrical shapes. The key to success in abstract oil paining lies in balancing this match between colors and all the geometrical patterns. Contemporary artists are forever coming out with innovative patterns these days taking the popularity of abstract oil paintings to greater heights.