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Velazquez’s Adoration of the Magi

by Darren on December 22, 2011 · 0 Comments · in Old Masters

The Adoration of the Magi, Velazquez (1619), Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
-Matthew 2:1-12 NKJV

Last year’s Christmas post is here. God bless us, everyone!

Darren R. Rousar studied privately with Richard Lack and attended Atelier LeSueur, both in Minnesota, as well as Studio Cecil-Graves in Florence, Italy. He was the assistant director and an instructor at Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, after which he became vice president of The Minnesota River School of Fine Art in Burnsville. He has been a professional artist for more than 20 years, focusing mainly on Christian themes. Darren is currently an art teacher, technology coordinator and the eLearning coordinator at Providence Academy in Plymouth, MN. He is the author of two books, Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach and Cast Painting Using the Sight-Size Approach. He also produced a companion DVD, Sight-Size and the Art of Seeing.

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Head on a Platter

by Darren on October 30, 2011 · 0 Comments · in Focus, Old Masters

The painting shown above is van Dyck’s Portrait of Cornelis van der Geest, now in London’s National Gallery. He was around 20 years old when he painted it. After you’ve caught your breath, read on. The painting is just under life-size and I recall reading somewhere that van Dyck carted it around on his travels [...]

Carolus-Duran’s Methods

by Darren on March 21, 2011 · 0 Comments · in Instruction, Old Masters

This is my third post regarding the various nineteenth century French atelier instructors who were said to have influenced Gammell’s way of teaching (the other two were Bonnat and Gleyre). Carolus-Duran (1837–1917) is best known in art circles as the teacher of John Singer Sargent. Although he was well versed in other genres, during his [...]

Charles Gleyre’s Teaching Methods

by Darren on March 6, 2011 · 0 Comments · in Instruction, Old Masters

Charles Gleyre (1806-1874) is the second of three nineteenth-century French artists I am writing about who’s teaching methods may have influenced those in Gammell’s lineage. Gleyre was a Swiss artist who took over Paul Delaroche’s Paris atelier in 1843. He is now largely unheard of outside of France and Switzerland, perhaps because his influence on [...]

Léon Bonnat’s Methods

by Darren on February 20, 2011 · 2 Comments · in Instruction, Old Masters

During my time studying under and teaching for Charles Cecil, three names popped up every so often.* Léon Bonnat (1833-1922) was one of them. This is curious as our artistic lineage, through Gammell and Paxton, goes back to Gerome but not Bonnat. We do know that Sargent studied with Bonnat for a time, as did [...]

Caravaggio’s Adoration of the Shepherds

by Darren on December 24, 2010 · 0 Comments · in Focus, Old Masters

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for [...]

Paxton’s Eyes

by Darren on December 12, 2010 · 0 Comments · in Old Masters, Sight

In this, the latest installment of my artist’s eyes series, I want to take a look at William McGregor Paxton (1869–1941). As one of his many artistic descendants I can’t help but be fascinated by him and his work but for the moment I am staying away from his biography. Instead I want to focus [...]

Rembrandt’s Eye

by Darren on December 5, 2010 · 0 Comments · in Old Masters, Sight

Was Rembrandt Stereoblind? Margaret S. Livingstone, Ph.D., author of the fascinating book, Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing has concluded that we was. Dr. Livingstone’s contention is based upon measurements she and a colleague, Bevil R. Conway, Ph.D., made of the positions of Rembrandt’s eyes in all 36 of his self portraits. Apparently the [...]

Guercino’s Eye

by Darren on November 30, 2010 · 0 Comments · in Old Masters, Sight

The seventeenth-century was an age of art superstars, no less so than the Renaissance which preceded it. Rubens, van Dyck, Caravaggio, Velazquez and the Carracci are just a few of the master artists of the Baroque period. Guercino deserves to be on that list. Giovanni Francesco Barbieri is more well known as Guercino, which is [...]

Velazquez’s Innocent X

by Darren on November 25, 2010 · 1 Comments · in Focus, Old Masters

A Personal Encounter This painting changed my life, artistically speaking. In the Fall of 1988 I was traveling through Europe for the first time. I had spent a week in Madrid (where I was sick as a dog) and was not that enamored with the Velazquez paintings in the Prado. Chalk it up to my [...]