The Keen Edge

Hi all,
Do you guys have a favorite painting from the past? If so, why not share I'm mostly asking about stuff before 1800, but if you have a post-1800 painting that you need to show go ahead.

Also don't worry about limiting it to one painting. As you will see, I myself can't only choose one.



This one is a classic for me.

Catching a Catfish with a Gourd by Taiko Josetsu




I also like Waves at Matsushima by Ogata Korin


Bamboo Branches by Ni Zan



As you can see, I primarily focus on East Asia, but I can enjoy other art as well.

Like the pages of the Morgan Bible

augustus123

Raphael : The School of Athenes
Michelangelo : Creation of Adam
Velasquez : Las Meninas
Bellini : Baptism of Christ
Titian :Sacred and profane love
Salvador Dalì : Christ of Saint John of the Cross

Commodus

It probably never happened, but this painting of Oliver Cromwell and Charles I springs to mind. It's based on an old story that Cromwell came the visit the dead King in his coffin under a disguise, sadly muttered the words Cruel necessity and slunk away in shame.

Another painting I adore shows the Emperor Vitellius being dragged through the streets by the mob. The colours are Hellish and decadent, it's full of such wild hedonistic bloodlust and is just so...Roman.

Religious art is often very evocative too. Here is one of my favourites, a painting of Saint Bartholomew, who was flayed alive.

I am also a huge admirer of the Danse Macabre, an artistic movement which sprung up in Europe in the wake of the Black Death. It aimed to show the universality of mortality, and Death as the great leveller. We in England were no exception, and artist Thomas Rowlandson illustrated many pieces showing Death preying on the plump, pampered English aristocracy.

Todd Feinman

Much better than Mona Lisa:


Meissonier:


Ralph Goings:

Ernst:


Van Eyck:


Gerome:


Tadema

Todd Feinman

La Tour:

Bouguereau for godlike technique:

Burne-Jones:

macon

Della Francesca

Bosch

El Greco

Goya

Repin

Vereschagin

Malevich

Klee

Chagall

Dix

Bacon

Richter



I have more, all painting are not necessary favorites but I like those artists a lot...

Andronikos

It is always difficult to assign favorites to beautiful and fine pieces of art, but these following are among the favorites that I can remember.

Manfredi (Apollo skinning Marsyas)




Bronzino (Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time)



Louis David (Oath of the Horatii Brothers)



Tadema (Sappho and Alcaeus)

sailorsam

I can't find title or painter. saw in an old textbook.

I think it was black/white. on the right an old man is in a farmhouse telling stories to two small children; on the left is a cornfield full of shocks, and there are Indians stalking the house (ghostly ones).
if this sounds familiar to anyone pls let me know title/painter! I'd love to have a copy.

Todd Feinman

LOVE this Monsted painting:

I think he is my favorite landscape painter if I had to choose.. Probably my favorite, period. His brushwork is actually very painterly:
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/20...f-foliage.html
Burne-Jones brushwork is also very painterly, though appears tight from a distance.

Isleifson