Auguste Rodin was born in 1840, the second child and only son of Jean-Baptiste Rodin and Marie Cheffer, first-generation Parisians of modest means. Nothing in his family background or situation suggested that he might become an artist.
school with the mission to educate the designers and the artisans of the French nation
Mellon not only donated his European and American masterpieces to the nation but
Most notably, Alison Luchs, "The Degas Waxes, c. 1878–c. 1911," in Art for the Nation
Carpaccio reimagined the Madonna and Child theme when he made this painting. Instead of wearing a traditional blue cloak, the Virgin Mary, or Madonna, is clothed in fashionable Venetian dress.
Art for the Nation no. 66 (Fall 2022): 48, repro.
Cole’s renowned four-part series traces the journey of an archetypal hero along the „River of Life.“ Confidently assuming control of his destiny and oblivious to the dangers that await him, the voyager boldly strives to reach an aerial castle, emblematic of the daydreams of „Youth“ and its aspirations for glory and fame. As the traveler approaches his goal, the ever-more-turbulent stream deviates from its course and relentlessly carries him toward the next picture in the series, where nature’s fury, evil demons, and self-doubt will threaten his very existence.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
Like Jacques Onésime de Bergeret, Lalive de Jully (1725-79) was an influential collector, amateur, and painter in the Parisian art world of the 1750s and 1760s. One of Jean-Baptiste Greuze’s first patrons, Lalive is depicted seated on a chair he had commissioned as part of a suite of furniture à la grecque.
1944: 78, repro. no. 79 "Kress Makes Important Donation of French Painting to the Nation
In the tradition of his Flemish predecessors, Memling’s painting contains a wealth of religious meaning; it is filled with symbols which explain the importance of Christ’s mission on earth.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
Right and Left refers to the shooting of two birds, one just after the other, with a double barreled shotgun. Winslow Homer may have seen hunters perform this feat at sea near his studio overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Prouts Neck, Maine.
Art for the Nation no. 64 (Fall 2021): 2-3, repro.
Manet came from a well–to–do family, and this painting provides a glimpse of the sophisticated Parisian world he loved. He was uncomfortable in the countryside, preferring instead the finery of the city.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
We don’t know who this family is, but the inscription on the lid of the box on the floor tells us the date: April 1, 1756.
"Kress Makes Important Donation of French Painting to the Nation."
