The Art of Kees Van Dongen

Kees Van Dongen (1877 – 1968) was a Dutch painter. He was born in Delfshaven and trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. In 1897 he moved to Paris where he spent much of the rest of his life. He first worked in a somewhat Impressionist manner, but over time his paintings became increasingly colored and bold. By 1906 he had joined a group of artists called Les Fauves, or “the wild beasts.”

 
(Van Dongen, Kees. Le Coquelicot "The Corn Poppy,"
c. 1919. oil on canvas.)

Les Fauves, was a short-lived and loose grouping of early 20th century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism. This group was lead by the famous Henri Matisse and was later known as Fauvism.

 
(Van Dongen, Kees. Portrait of a Woman. oil on canvas.)

Two years later Van Dongen briefly joined the German Expressionist group, Die Brüke, or “The Bridge,” whose paintings were also brightly colored and often wrought with emotional intensity.

 
(Van Dongen, Kees. Woman in Black Hat c. 1908. oil on canvas.)

Woman in Black Hat was one of several paintings he made of women in hats that are minimal in composition but are charged with a sensuous undertone. The restricted palette of green, red and black and the simple forms with sparing use of lines make the image intensely focused.

 
(Van Dongen, Kees. Portrait of a Woman with Long Hair,
c. 1897. oil on canvas.)

Van Dongen painted a number of society portraits and supplemented his income by providing humorous illustrations for the French newspaper Revue Blanche, but the quality of his later works never matched that from his earliest career. He spent many years shifting from one style to the next trying to figure out his true identity. Because of this, there is a great deal of variety in his artwork over the course of his life, and his work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: Farthing, S. 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die. New York: Universe Publishing, 2006.

The Art of Thomas Fedro

Chicago artist Tom Fedro creates art that makes you smile out loud. A combination of urban landscapes and pop art faces that focus on composition and color.

 
(Fedro, Thomas. Stare Down F736. c. 2009. Acrylic.)

Tom's bright-colored, bold whimsical art warms the heart and celebrates the joy brought to our lives by the diverse nature of our species.

 
(Fedro, Thomas. Sleep Walkers. c. 2009. Acrylic.)

Tom lives and works in Mt. Prospect, IL just outside of Chicago with his wife Alicia and son Jordan. He attended Valparaiso University and The Illinois Institute of Art.

 
(Fedro, Thomas. Watch Yourself. c. 2009. Acrylic.)

He and his wife owned a gallery for many years in Chicago. Currently, he is represented by galleries in the US and Europe and recent special projects include pieces commissioned for the Broadway show "Rent", the 40th anniversary of "The Second City", Toodgood Wineries, Sweet Riot Candy Co., and Chicago's "Cow's on Parade". Corporate commissions include pieces for IBM, Hotel Allegro in Chicago, historic Navy Pier, and Washburn Guitars.

 
(Fedro, Thomas. Hot-Headed F655. c. 2008.
Acrylic, oil & chalk.)

There's just something about these simple abstract faces, I love the bright colors and the compositions. His work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: Thomas Fedro, Self Representing Artists

The Art of Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954) was a French painter, who teamed up with Andre Derain to form the Fauvists, a group of artists who were often ridiculed and discredited by the public for their emphasis on color over the structure and perspective of a painting.

 
(Matisse, Henri. La Raie Verte "The Green Line." c. 1905.
Oil & tempera on canvas. Statens Musseum for Kunst, Copenhagen.)

Matisse once reflected on the significance of the years 1905 - 1907 by saying, "Fauvism is not everything, but it is the foundation of everything." Yet, in the years leading up to this breakthrough, he had despaired of ever making a living from his art.

 
(Matisse, Henri. Open, Window, Collioure. c. 1905.
Oil on canvas. Private Collection.)

While completing his law studies, Matisse enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and joined the studio of Gustave Moreau. In 1898, he traveled to Corsica, where he produced small, colorful work, the precursors of Fauvism before returning to a darker palette.

 
(Matisse, Henri. La Dance "The Dance." c. 1910.
Oil on canvas. The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.)

Matisse worked alongside the Divisionist painter Paul Signac in St. Tropez in 1904, where he produced sketches for his seminal painting Luxe, Calme, et Volupte (Luxury, Serenity, and Pleasure), and with Andre Derain in Collioure during the "Fauve Summer" of 1905.

 
(Matisse, Henri. The Goldfish. c. 1912.
Oil on canvas. Pushkin Museum of Art, Moscow.)

Between 1906 and 1910, he created some of his most important pieces, affirming his belief in the importance of harmonious, brightly colored composition. Matisse frequently combined portraiture, still life, and landscape, in a way not seen before. These elements occur together in his many interior scenes in which an open window looks out onto the sea or a landscape.

 
(Matisse, Henri. The Dessert: Harmony in Red "The Red Room."
c. 1908. Oil on canvas. Royal Academy, London.)

Matisse was quoted as, "A work of art must carry itself in complete significance and impose it upon the beholder, even before they can identify the subject matter." I think that sums it up, his life was a continual search for balance between color and form and his work is much appreciated here! 

Enjoy :) 

Reference: King, R. Art. New York: DK Publishing, 2008.