Ante Karlsson-Stig

Mountain View from Hålland, Åre by Swedish Artist Ante Karlsson-Stig, From 1932

1932

Herman Österlund (1873-1964) Sweden Ocean View from the West Coast, 1916 oil on canvas signed and dated Herman Österlund 1916 canvas dimensions 14.37 x 16.73 inches (36.5 x 42.5 cm...

Hjalmar Sandberg (1847-1888) Sweden Harvest Time, 1876 oil on canvas canvas size 14.96 x 18.11 inches (38 x 46 cm) frame 18.70 x 25.59 inches (47.5 ...

This evocative winter scene by Bengt Nordenberg captures a quiet moment of everyday life: two children stand on the frozen edge of a river or lake, watching as their mother washes cl...

Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...

This beautiful oil-on-panel painting of a tranquil waterfront farm that is over 120 years old is by the Belgian painter Louis Dubois (1830–1880). Dubois...

Channel. 1970, cardboard, oil, 108x73 cm Jadviga Žilvinska (1918-2010) was born in Tallinn. She grew up in Liepāja, where her great interest in art began and strengthened, which led the young artist to study at the Art Academy of Latvia. During her studies at the Academy, she studied with K. Ubāns, V. Tone and J. Liepiņš, and defended her diploma thesis under the guidance of L. Liberts. Later on, she devoted her entire life to art, working at the Liepāja School of Fine Arts and as a portraitist at the "Māksla" combine. She had four favourite themes: landscapes, portraits, flowers and sacred painting. Her works have lyricism and inner harmony. In the portraits, we see not only the outer form of a person, but the artist allows us to look into the very essence of a person - it is likely that the models themselves often saw something new and bright in themselves through the artist's vision. The works are executed in various techniques - tempera, oil, pastel and watercolour. CV: 1938 - Graduated from the Liepaja Secondary School of Applied Arts, Department of Decorative Painting. 1943 - Latvian Academy of Art, L. Liberts Figurative Painting Workshop with her diploma work "At the Artist's" 1946-1948 - teacher of painting and drawing at Liepāja Fine Arts High School. 1948-1966 - portraitist at the "Māksla" combine Participated in exhibitions since 1948. Member of the Artists' Union since 1966. Solo exhibitions in Riga, Jelgava, Sigulda (1972); Riga (1975; 1978; two in 1981; 1986; 1994), Jurmala (1979). Works exhibited in Latvia as well as abroad (Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, Finland, Venezuela, Germany, Hungary). The works are located in: "Portrait of Cardinal Julian Vaivoda", 1983, in the Vatican Museum in Rome "Portrait of Pope John Paul II, 1982, in the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Curia of Riga The altarpieces "The Heart of Jesus" and "Our Lady of Fatima", the paintings "John the Baptist" and "The Holy Family" , all from the late 1960s, in the Church of St Mary Magdalene...

Venetian painter (19th century) - Padua, Porta Liviana. 37.5 x 48.5 cm without frame, 50.5 x 60 cm with frame. Oil on canvas, in carved wooden frame. Condition report: Good state ...

The Procession is an oil painting depicting the act of veneration of the forces of nature. The painting depicts three women walking through the mist in a paradisiacal forest. The sce...