Tag: Things of beauty

As a rule, I tend to prefer Impressionist landscape paintings, such as Monet’s Morning:

That doesn’t mean I’m completely averse to the more realistic style, though, and I also think that 19th-century American painters are quite noteworthy, especially those of the Hudson Valley School.  Here are a few from John William Casilear, for example, that are quite lovely:

Hudson View
(One might think that this is an Impressionist painting, unless one has actually seen the Upper Hudson Valley at this time of day…)

Lake George (early)

Lake George (later)

Saratoga Springs

New Hampshire Beach

Sea Scene

Sunset

My favorite Casilear, though, is a moodier piece:

Moon Rise

Landscape art, I think, is supposed to calm the viewer and make them wonder at the beauty of Nature.  Casilear’s work does that, in spades.

Sotheby’s had an auction a while back, and these particular pieces caught my eye:

First, from my favorite modern Impressionist, Leonid Afremov:

Then, two pieces from my favorite Academy artist, Eugenio (Eugene) De Blaas:

I like this one, simply because I love rainy Paris street scenes:

And this, from a painter whom I don’t know (but intend to rectify the situation):

Finally, another artist unknown to me, on another favorite topic (gloomy 19th century street scenes):

My only regret is that I don’t have enough walls to hang all the art I’d love to own.