To feel a sense of art . . .

Today is the birthday of Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844 – June 14, 1926), painter and printmaker. 

Mary Cassatt lived much of her adult life in France and she was the only American invited to exhibit with a group of independent artists later known as the Impressionists.

The Boating Party, 1893-94 

Oil on canvas 

35 7/16 x 46 1/8 in. (90 x 117.3 cm)

Mary Cassatt 

Chester Dale Collection

National Gallery of Art

Washington, D.C.

"If painting is no longer needed, it seems a pity that some of us are born into the world with such a passion for line and color." - Mary Cassatt

"Acceptence, under someone elses' terms, is worse than rejection." - Mary Cassatt

"I have touched with a sense of art some people – they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to that joy for an artist?" - Mary Cassatt

Cassatt images source (1)

To make what pleases you . . .

Happy Birthday to the artist, Jasper Johns, Jr.! He was born May 15, 1930 in Augusta, Georgia (USA). He is best known for his painting Flag (1954-55), which he painted after having a dream of the American flag.

"I make what it pleases me to make.. ..I have no ideas about what the paintings imply about the world. I don’t think that’s a painter’s business. He just paints paintings without a conscious reason. I intuitively paint flags." - Jasper Johns

"Sometimes I see it and then paint it. Other times I paint it and then see it. Both are impure situations, and I prefer neither. At every point in nature there is something to see. My work contains similar possibilities for the changing focus of the eye." - Jasper Johns

Flag 1954–55 

Jasper Johns

Encaustic, oil, and collage on fabric 

mounted on plywood (three panels)

42 1/4 x 60 5/8" (107.3 x 154 cm)

The Museum of Modern Art

New York, NY (USA)

Jasper Johns is represented by the Matthew Marks Gallery.

Flag image source (1)

Some ideas from the web . . .

Why Study Art?

Here are some ideas from the web.

Why Study Art?

"The arts have served to connect our imagination with the history of human existance. Studying civilization and creative expression throughout history and across cultures enables students to experience diversity and is multiculturalism in practice. The arts are a fundamental part of the cultural heritage of every student and as such, enhance the quality of life. They bring joy, enrichment, and fulfillment to every human being. Art allows students to acquire the tools and knowledge necessary to create individual responses to a variety of issues and is essential, not only in understanding life, but in living fully."

- direct quote source (1)

Why Study Art?

"To enjoy beautiful creations of artists who shape the world.

To learn about ourselves - our feelings, our ideas of what is beautiful and what values and beliefs we like to see in artworks.

To learn about other people - their feelings, their ideas of what is beautiful and what values and beliefs they liked to see in their art.

To learn about other cultures - the values and beliefs that shaped their visual arts."

- direct quote source (1)

Why Study Art?

"The arts have served to connect our imaginations with the history of human existence . . . Art is a basic component of a complete education. Art experience fosters aesthetic development; the ability to construct, create, decode, and describe. It provides avenues of communication, paves the way for reading, and motivates written expression. Art is a product, a process, and an essential element for creative thought and experience."

- direct quote source (1)

Dealing with monsters . . .

The Third of May
El Tres de Mayo

Francisco De Goya

1814

Oil on canvas
104 1/2 inches by 135 3/4 inches
266cm x 345cm
Prado Museum, Madrid

“Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.” Francisco De Goya

Perhaps we study art to reveal/tame the monsters of the world . . .

Image source (1)