To create new appearances . . .

Today is the birthday of Jean Hans Arp (September 16, 1886 – June 7, 1966), sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist. He was one of the founding members of the Dada movement or Dadaism in Zürich, Switzerland (1916) and is considered a pioneer of abstract art. Jean Hans Arp was a prominent experimentor of automatic drawing and developed this technique to create his sculptures.

Cloud Shepherd
Jean Hans Arp
Bronze Sculpture (1953)
Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
*Photo by Alejandro Bárcenas

"The important thing about Dada, it seems to me, is that the Dadaists despised what is commonly regarded as art, but put the whole universe on the lofty throne of art. We declared that everything that comes into being or is made by man is art. Art can be evil, boring, wild, sweet, dangerous, euphonious, ugly, or a feast to the eyes. The whole earth is art. To draw well is art . . . . The nightingale is a great artist. Michelangelo's Moses: Bravo! But at the sight of an inspired snow man, the Dadaist also cried bravo." - Jean Hans Arp

"Art is a fruit that grows in man, like a fruit on a plant, or a child in its mother's womb." - Jean Hans Arp

"I wanted to create new appearances, to extract new forms from man." - Jean Hans Arp

*Sculpture image source (1)

To keep busy . . .

Today is the birthday of Anna Mary Robertson Moses better known as "Grandma Moses" (September 7, 1860 – December 13, 1961), folk artist.

Grandma Moses began painting in her late seventies and by the time of her death in 1961 at the age of 101, she had created over 1500 works of art.

Early Skating

Anna Mary Robertson Moses

Oil and tempera on Masonite (1951)

45.6 x 61 cm

(17 15/16 x 24 in.)

Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn, New York

"What a strange thing is memory, and hope; one looks backward, the other forward; one is of today, the other of tomorrow. Memory is history recorded in our brain, memory is a painter, it paints pictures of the past and of the day." - Grandma Moses

"Painting's not important. The important thing is keeping busy." - Grandma Moses

To capture a minute part of reality . . .

Today is the birthday of Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004), photographer and artist. He was considered a master of candid photography and the father of modern photojournalism.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a Magnum founder and a full Member since 1947.


"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

"For the world is movement, and you cannot be stationary in your attitude toward something that is moving." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

"The photograph itself doesn't interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

To express our inner life . . .

Today is the birthday of Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967), realist painter and printmaker.

Nighthawks
Edward Hopper
Oil on canvas (1942)
84.1 cm × 152.4 cm
(33.1 in × 60 in)
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois (USA)

"If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint." - Edward Hopper

"Great art is the outward expression of an inner life in the artist, and this inner life will result in his personal vision of the world." - Edward Hopper


See the entire screening Edward Hopper at the National Gallery of Art.

Nighthawks image source (1)

To make others see . . .

Today is the birthday of Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas (July 19, 1834 – September 27, 1917), best known as the artist Edgar Degas, one of the founders of Impressionism.

• "Edgar Degas is usually classed with the impressionists, and he exhibited with them in seven of the eight impressionist exhibitions. However, his training in classical drafting and his dislike of painting directly from nature produced a style that represented a related alternative to impressionism." direct quote source (1)

Dance Class at the Opera on Le Peletier Str.

Edgar Degas

oil on canvas (1872)

33 × 46 cm

Musee d'Orsay

Paris, France

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do." - Edgar Degas

"Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things." - Edgar Degas

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." - Edgar Degas


Stamp image source (1)

To make clear what you do not know . . .

Today is the birthday of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669), painter and etcher, best known simply as Rembrandt. He was a popular portrait painter and is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history.

Self-Portrait

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

oil on canvas (1658)

133.7 × 103.8 cm

Frick Collection

New York, NY

"Painting is the grandchild of nature. It is related to God." - Rembrandt

"Choose only one master - Nature." - Rembrandt

"Practise what you know, and it will help to make clear what now you do not know." - Rembrandt

Stamp image source (1)

To find a kindred soul . . .

Today is the birthday of Camille Pissarro (July 10, 1830 - November 13, 1903), Impressionist painter. He was known as the Father of Impressionism, an inspiration to many young artists during his life and especially, as a mentor to Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin.

Boulevard Monmartre in Paris

Camille Pissarro

oil on canvas (1897)

29 1/8 x 36 1/2 in. (74 x 92.8 cm)

Hermitage Museum

St. Petersburg, Russia

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing." - Camille Pissarro

"Everything is beautiful, all that matters is to be able to interpret." - Camille Pissarro

"Painting, art in general, enchants me. It is my life. What else matters? When you put all your soul into a work, all that is noble in you, you cannot fail to find a kindred soul who understands you, and you do not need a host of such spirits. Is not that all an artist should wish for?" - Camille Pissarro