THIS IS NOT MODERN ART

The Wave, 1896

William Adolphe Bouguereau

Oil on Canvas

I’ve never had the opportunity to study Bougereau, probably because the academic tradition was under attack by the impressionists by this time and art history teachers think that change and revolution in the art world is more important- well, yeah, maybe.

Whatever!

She looks cold and fleshy and as though she floats above her surroundings. The contrast between the calm and happy (if chilled) model and the threat of the wave that’s about to crash down on her creates a tension that makes the painting vibrate and come alive. As though you need to keep watching to see what happens next. It’s dynamic, dramatic and vibrant. The pinky-beige flesh tones and the bronze-y colour of the rock are complementary colours with the blues which adds to the vibrancy of the work. (perhaps he took the use of the theory of complementary colours from the impressionists in order to ‘get with it’ even as they were forcing him out of favour- oh how tragic)

Things I love about this painting:

the wrinkles in the sole of her foot

her tiny little mouth

that it looks like the artist had never seen anyone bathe in the sea. Not one part of her interacts with the water or is even a little wet. It’s like she’s sitting on a block of ice.

I love you W.A.B. You’ll never be unfashionable to me xx

fyeshistoryofart:

Birth of Venus, 1879

William Adolphe Bouguereau

A tad sensual and erotic. Oh well! It is art.  

You say that like it’s a bad thing! This is incredibly sensual and erotic and beautiful, and fluid, and amazing, and my new painting wife, and gorgeous, and I’m about to run out of adjectives…. 

Just how I like my art.

ornamentedbeing:

Right, sometimes I really get tired of the fashion world. I’m tired of their labels and brainwashing. Please forgive the rant and unfollow if you would like but I refuse to apologize for this post.

I was just going through a forum about Mata Hari and they were discussing the above photo. I read through their comments and just sat there staring at my screen wondering what on Earth was wrong with these people? Fat? Overweight? WHAT?

It makes me very sad that anyone could look at this photo and the only comment that she is overweight.

So, she’s ugly because she isn’t a size zero? Why? Is she considered ugly because she isn’t an emaciated stick? I’m one of those sticks and when I look at her I am jealous.

I look at this woman and I see so many things and nothing about her is overweight. When I see her I see something that I would like to be.  As for her body, I think she is beautiful and perfect.

Beautiful woman, beautiful photo, beautiful words.

La Cigale (The Grasshopper)

Jules-Joseph Lefebvre

1872

The National Gallery of Victoria had been trying to buy Chloé from Young and Jackson’s for years.The pub was being as coy as the lady herself and refused to come to the table. Every few years the NGV would make another clumsy advance and Young and Jackson would laugh, toss its hair and saunter away. This went on and on. The NGV got sadder and sadder as the years went by.

The Felton Bequest (FB) was one of the NGV’s besties and knew how much the they wanted Chloé.

One day the Felton Bequest sat down with a glass of wine and a bowl of thinking nachos. How could they cheer up their buddy, since getting this particular girl was obviously impossible? They considered chocolate, ponies, portable rainbows, torturing the the owner of the Young and Jackson, a make-over session, and a make-out session but nothing seemed good enough.

The NGV continued to mope.

The Felton Bequest started to get really irritated with NGV’s attitude, but, being besties, they still wanted the make the NGV feel better rather than snapping “Oh my god, will you just move on already!” So they decided that, being that there were always more fish in the sea, and paintings on the market, they would find a replacement.

They found Chloé’s sister in 2005. The sultry La Cigale was in a private collection (Mr A. Nonymous of Melbourne was moving to a smaller estate and no longer had room for a woman with such a big personality) The Felton Bequest decided to buy her and set her up with NGV.

It was lust at first sight and they’ve been together ever since! The best part is that now that they have Chloé’s sister there is a greater chance that Young and Jackson will lend their half of the duo to the gallery- they’ll get her in the end even if it is only for a temporary exhibition.

On a personal note- there is nothing I do not love about this painting. From her incredibly forthright expression down to her slightly splayed toes. I love the way she stands, her finger in her mouth, staring at the viewer, her arm squashing one of her breasts. I love the way the rag wrapped around her arm is flicked by the wind. I love the blank column behind her, the tall branches, the dancing leaves, and that little hint of wintery and cold blue sky.

I may even like her better than Chloé, except, well, they don’t serve beer in the nineteenth century gallery.
 

Chloé, 1875

Jules-Joseph Lefebvre

Oil on canvas

Melbourne is a city that loves three things: art, beer and women.  (I have, for the sake of my argument, not included all of Melbourne’s other loves: Football and sport of all kinds, beer, coffee, chicken parmagianas, beer, being self-referential, trivia nights, beer, itself, and feeling superior.) Here we’ve found ways to combine all three, art in pubs!

I’d like you to meet one of my favourite Melbournians. Chloé,  painted by Jules-Joseph Lefebvre.

The lovely and demure Cholé has been housed in one of the most famous pubs in Melbourne since 1909. Now it is up for debate whether Young & Jackson made Cholé famous or if the pub became famous thanks to Chloé. My guess is the later. But then I would say that. She is hung in her very own namesake bar and has been friend and companion to a wide range of drunks. Perhaps that’s why she looks away- she has seen TOO MUCH.