25th April 2016

Tagore the painter

Tagore started painting in 1924, at the age of 63. He was surrounded by exponents of visual arts, and so he always wanted to be a painter. The doodles in his various manuscripts and corrections made in an artistic way bear testimony to his intention and efforts. His first exhibition of paintings in Paris was organized by the Argentine writer Victoria Ocampo. Later the exhibition moved to Birmingham, London, Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Copenhagen, Geneva, Moscow, Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

∼ Continue Reading ∼

• • •

18th April 2016

Van Gogh created these masterpieces in an asylum

Vincent Willem van Gogh was a celebrated Dutch artist. In 1889, when he was 35 years old, he suffered bouts of depression, and got himself admitted to an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. There he created some of his famous paintings, such as Starry Night, Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background and Cypresses.

∼ Continue Reading ∼

• • •

6th April 2016

The making of Michelangelo

Michelangelo’s mother had died when he was still a child, and so he was sent to live with his nurse and her quarryman husband. Michelangelo used to run around in the quarry and sketch figures of charcoal on the whole pieces of marble, which he then carved. His father remarried and he was called back. But he used to escape to the quarry. Francesco Granacci, one of the apprentices of the prominent Florentine painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, saw the potential of Michelangelo and strongly urged him to join Ghirlandaio, which Michelangelo did. ‘Head of Brutus’ happens to be one of the most phenomenal creations of Michelangelo. When the structure was carved out, it was unanimously felt by Michelangelo and his fellow quarryman that it was already there. Michelangelo had only perfected it.

∼ Continue Reading ∼

• • •