" The Crown of Love " , 1875 By Artist John Everett Millais ( 1829 - 1896 ) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

" The Crown of Love " , By Artist John Everett Millais, 1875 

John Everett Millais (1829 - 1896) was a British artist who was a founding member of the revolutionary Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The Peak of Love was highly criticized when it was initially displayed to the public in 1875 at a Royal Academy exhibition. The artist's errors were pointed out to him. He was specifically criticized of making the feminine physique appear more like a mannequin.

This Painting depicts the poetry (ballad) "The Pinnacle of Love" by George Meredith, which was published in the British journal "Once a Week" in 1908. In turn, Meredith's ballad is a poetic version of Marie de France's narrative "The Lay of the Two Lovers".

Both works' plots revolve around the king of Normandy (a widower, haughty, and tyrannical) insisting on an unavoidable condition for his daughter's marriage. He asks that the pretender to her heart and hand carry the girl to the summit of a very tall mountain. At the same time, he can never let her go or take a vacation from her. Numerous knights from the kingdom attempt, but none succeed.
As the time comes, the king gathers his entire court in the valley to see the spectacle: cold-blooded knights place bets, sensitive women pray to heaven.

Simultaneously, one gorgeous courageous young guy has long been in love with the princess, and she returns his feelings. At the same time, he lacks physical power, thus the pair has no possibility of passing the proclaimed exam without resorting to deception. They do not, however, dare to flee the kingdom together for fear of upsetting the girl's father. As a result, the young man seeks a magical elixir that provides heroic power (similar to doping in current sports), while the girl fasts to lessen the weight of her beloved on the designated day.

Despite the fact that the young guy has the option to use cunning by swallowing the elixir he obtained, he refuses to do so in order to demonstrate the intensity of his affections to his sweetheart. As a result, he climbs the mountain with her in his arms, but he dies instantly - his heart could not endure the strain and burst. The girl dies of sadness after mourning the death of her beloved. Soon after, their bodies are discovered and buried together - as martyrs of love on the same mountain.

" The Crown of Love " , By Artist John Everett Millais, 1875 Canvas, oil. Size: 127.6 x 86.7 cm. Pérez Simon Collection, Mexico

"Portrait of Natasha Rambova" , By Artist Svetoslav Roerich | ArtLiveAndBeauty

"Portrait of Natasha Rambova" , Svyatoslav Roerich

  

 In the work of Svetoslav Roerich (1904-1993), female portraits occupy a special place. According to the artist: “... I am mainly interested in the character of a person. And I try to paint portraits of the people I know. Sometimes it’s quite easy to read a person’s character, but it’s better to get to know him, study him. ”
 
 It should be noted that almost always the artist Svetoslav Roerich chooses a model to his liking, and it is thanks to the feeling of sympathy that works of portraiture are born. The mutual understanding of the artist and the model, of course, was the basis of the creative process. The model is able to capture the mind of the master and turn him to the creation of a work of art.

 The best female portrait in Svetoslav Roerich's work, unsurpassed in mastery of execution, was "Portrait of Natasha Rambova". It was written in the spring of 1931, shortly before Svyatoslav Roerich moved to live in India. The painting depicts the American dancer Winifred Shaunnessy, who had the stage name Natasha Rambova in memory of her Russian teachers.
 
 Before the viewer appears a woman with a regal posture, in a golden brocade robe and turban. This is the appearance of a ruler equal to the Queen of Sheba. The oriental coloring of the portrait turns out to be like a prophecy of the author: he managed to make visible the actress's only nascent love for the East.
 
 It is known that after the end of her dancing career, she took up archeology, studied the Egyptian civilization of Luxor and became a brilliant star not only on stage, but also on the academic horizon.
 
 The solution is in bright colors, the drawing is concise, one can even talk about graphic, but without the slightest tendency to replace painting with dry schematics. Attracting attributions of bygone times and distant lands does not in the least push the model itself into the distant past. You have no doubt that this young, beautiful woman belongs to our twentieth century, and the East for her is still only a dream, and not an organically related life that has raised her.
 
 The portrait is executed in golden-pink tones with luminous tempera paints. The rich brocade of the dancer's clothes, with its golden heaviness, creates a contrast to the male figures moving in the dance in the background, which, as it were, hang in a pink, slightly purple fog, symbolizing the inner world of Natasha Rambova.

"Portrait of Natasha Rambova", Svyatoslav Roerich - 1931 Canvas, tempera. Size: 137.5 x 107 cm Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York

" Tide " , 1870 - By Artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky (1817–1900) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

" Tide " , By Artist Ivan Aivazovsky, 1870 

Ivan Aivazovsky's unique style was to work in the open air for a brief amount of time before finishing the painting in the studio, always leaving opportunity for improvisation.

Ivan Aivazovsky composed "Tide," like many of his works, from memory, barely a few hours after dinner and before the practically immediate southern dusk. The inspiration came from a theme discovered during a morning walk along the beach.

The composition is distinguished by its unfettered clarity. Sea water, air, and light are organic interpretations of dynamic textures. Exquisite and colorful, with tempered hues.

The painting is from the 1870s, a transitional phase in Ivan Aivazovsky's career. From the decoratively catchy, meticulously done works of the forties, fifties, and sixties, he evolved into a more restrained, but also more versatile, painting technique-rich style. During this time, the artist produced landscapes in blue tones.

Ivan Aivazovsky picked that point in the painting that stimulates the spirit, when the sea is reaching the observer, coming straight from the depths. The confluent mass of water near the horizon dissolves in a glittering variety of ridges, ridges, and drips, then abruptly freezes, as if separated from the coast by an unseen barrier.

Parallel shadows of a rapid sailboat on the waves and a tiny gig, leisurely rolling down the shore, form the idea of the boundary line between the sea surge and the earth's firmament in front of the observer.

Something similar may be seen in the landscape's depths, where an expressive horizon line divides a blue expanse of sea from swirling masses of pinkish clouds. The sight of the two-wheeled pleasure carriage portrays the everyday tranquil existence of old Feodosia. The ship flying the French flag represents the large globe, which is naturally linked by the sea to the author's modest nation. A distant picture of the Koktebel seashore with Camel Mountain in the background.

" Tide " , Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, 1870 Canvas, oil. Size: 81x106 cm. Serpukhov Museum of History and Art

" The Women of Amphisa " (1887) Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912)

" The Women of Amphisa " (1887) By Artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912)

Lawrence Alma-Tadema is a British artist of Dutch origin who painted mainly on historicalstories. One of the most famous and highly paid artists of the Victorian era .

" Amphisa " is a city in Greece that was founded in the 7th century BC and still exists today.

" The Women of Amphisa " (1887) By Artist Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912)

" Venus Rises from the sea " c.1822 by American Artist Raphael Peel ( 1774 - 1825 ) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

"Venus Rises from the sea" by Artist Raphael Peel

A painting by Raphael Peel stands out among the classics on display at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. "Venus emerging from the sea" - this trompe-l'oeil canvas on a mythical storyline is created using the trompe-l'oeil technique. This was the name given to the fraudulent paintings in which the artists produced the appearance of object realism. The white veil pictured on the artwork is authentic.

In this weird manner, the American Raphael Peel, who worked in the first half of the nineteenth century, attempted to fathom the old topic of the artist's abilities.

According to folklore, one creator (Zeukis) was able to design a bunch of grapes so realistically that the birds sat down to nibble at the fruit, mistaking it for a genuine one. Another (Parrhasius) misled Zeukis himself by depicting a curtain torn to rags ostensibly obscuring the painting. The romantic here also plays on the hypocrisy of his contemporaries, who desire to conceal a person's trembling naked body with a veil of morality (white color traditionally meant innocence).

Artist Raphael Peel (1774 - 1825 ) is regarded as America's first outstanding still-life painter. Charles Wilson Peel was the son of painter Charles Wilson Peel. Raphael is one of 16 children in a painter's family, all of whom were named after famous painters.

"Venus Rises from the sea" by Artist Raphael Peel, c.1822 Canvas, oil. Size: 74x61.3 cm. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas, USA

" Portrait of Henriette Sontag " - 1831 by Paul Delaroche (1797 - 1856)

 

"Portrait of Henriette Sontag" by Paul Delaroche

Here is one of the most beautiful female portraits in the history of painting. It is a portrait of Henriette Sontag (1806-1854), a German opera soprano who was regarded as one of the best voices of the nineteenth century. She performed beautifully in Leipzig, Berlin, Paris, and London, dazzling audiences everywhere with her vocal purity and ease. She performed outstanding coloratura and lyric roles in Mozart, Weber, Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti operas. Beethoven handed the solo parts of the Mass in D major and the Ninth Symphony to the twenty-year-old Sontag.

For ten years, beginning in 1830, she resided in St. Petersburg, where her husband, the King of Sardinia's ambassador, was assigned. Concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow were maybe the pinnacle of her creative career. The German singer's art was highly regarded by the Russian audience. Zhukovsky and Vyazemsky praised her, and many authors devoted poetry to her.

"Portrait of Henriette Sontag" (1831) - the painter represents a well-known opera singer from his day. A young woman with a lovely soulful face appears to be looking through the spectator. A dreamy grin gently touches her lips, and her eyes are sorrowful.

Sontag was dressed as Don Anna from Mozart's Don Giovanni by Delaroche. This part, which she first played in Paris in 1828, was one of the greatest in her repertory... The portrait's rigorous composition is eased by a little tilt of the singer's head against a dark backdrop, as well as her girlishly high and slender neck and frail shoulders.

Henrietta Sontag's lovely beauty and freshness (25 years old) were captured by the artist. Her huge and gorgeous eyes have a contemplative, dreamy air about them. Maybe she sees her entire tragically ended existence in the distance?

Delaroche's eyes revealed everything of a young woman's spirituality and refinement; her pure, gentle soul is clearly obvious in them!

Henrietta Rossi developed cholera while visiting a folk event in Mexico City. Typhus was added to it, and Henrietta Sontag died on June 17, 1855, at the age of 48. This is such a heartbreaking story...

 "Portrait of Henriette Sontag" by Paul Delaroche - 1831, Oil on canvas. Size: 73x60 cm State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

The Landing of the Queen of Sheba by Artist Claude Lorrain | ArtLiveAndBeauty

 

The Landing of the Queen of Sheba by Artist Claude Lorrain

The painting by Claude Lorrain (née Claude Guellet, traditionally known as Claude) was commissioned by the Duc de Bouillon. It depicts the departure of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem to visit King Solomon. The bright morning sun illuminates the city with classical buildings and the seaport where ships are loaded.

 The queen is dressed in a pink tunic, a royal blue cloak and a golden crown. She is about to board a waiting boat that will take her to a ship—perhaps the ship partially hidden by the pillars to the left, or the one further out to sea, above the vanishing point of the image.

 The painting was acquired by the National Gallery in 1824 from the collection of John Julius Angerstein.

The Landing of the Queen of Sheba by Claude Lorrain - 1648 Oil on canvas. Size: 149 x 196 cm. National Gallery, London 

" Time orders Old Age to destroy Beauty " By Artist Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787)

"Time orders Old Age to destroy Beauty", By Pompeo Batoni 

Bartolomeo Talenti, a Lucca nobleman who sponsored Batoni's early career in the 1740s, commissioned the painting.Time, Old Age, and Beauty are shown in the artwork.Time is a gray-haired old guy with white wings behind his back. He holds an hourglass in his hand as a metaphor of the transience of what he represents. Sand granules move inexorably from one part to another. Nothing is going to stop them. Nothing can stop the passage of time.The painting was completed in 1746. This is clearly revealed by the author's signature on the front of the painting. It is visible on the right side of the image. Hence the authorship and date of production are unquestionable. In 1798, the artwork was acquired by Russian prince Alexander Andreevich Bezborodko. His art collection was passed down to his great-grandchildren after his death. "Time commands old age to ruin beauty," it turned out, belonged to Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kushelev-Bezborodko, an avid collector. Upon his death, Kushelev's art collection was left to the Museum of the Academy of Arts, which established a separate Kushelev gallery (there were more than 500 paintings and sculptures in the gallery).

Regrettably, the artwork "Time commands old age to ruin beauty" is no longer available in Russia. It is now on display in the National Gallery in London. The museum purchased it in 1961.

Nothing has the ability to stop time. Even youth and attractiveness. A little girl represents Beauty in the painting. She is still stunning. Yet Time's harsh finger is already pointed at her. And nearby is an unattractive elderly woman who represents Old Age. And Old Age's hands are already reaching out to the young and budding face of Beauty. Because, no matter how much Beauty turns away, no matter how long it postpones the encounter with Old Age, it is unavoidable. Because the clock has struck twelve. Of course, this will not happen overnight. The tree behind the young maiden is still green and healthy. However, in time, only a dried twig of him will remain, which will be placed on the coffin, which is already visible behind the elderly woman. A painting that is both powerful and profound in its significance. Is she capable of making someone uninterested? It is, after all, about each of us. And it is up to us to determine what to do if old age, at the behest of time, destroys our beauty. And it certainly will be... Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787) was a prominent and sought-after 18th-century Italian painter. Batoni aimed for the mild classicism of the past masters in his painting. And this artwork is representative of the artist's tastes.

 "Time orders Old Age to destroy Beauty", By Pompeo Batoni ,c.1746. Canvas, oil. Size: 135 x 96cm. National Gallery, London

" Lisa with an umbrella " 1867 - By Artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir | ArtLiveAndBeauty

THE FIRST MASTERPIECE OF THE YOUNG RENOIR.
" Lisa with an umbrella " 1867 - By Artist Pierre Auguste Renoir

The Painting "Lisa with an umbrella" is widely regarded as Renoir's first masterpiece, mixing landscape and portraiture.

The next spring, it was shown at the Salon. His young girlfriend Lisa Treo is shown in this full-length photograph. Previously, this canvas size and composition were reserved for portraits of members of the royal family.

"Everything is so natural and so accurately observed that it will undoubtedly appear incorrect to us, because we are used to envisioning nature in terms of conventional hues," V. Burger Tore wrote.

From the time they met in 1865 until her marriage in 1872, Lisa Treo became the artist's favorite model.

They met when she was 18 and he was 24. Although he did not marry her, she became his lover, the most sought-after model (she posed for him in nearly 20 works), and his love. Lisa left Renoir after seven years of a love connection, married, and did not reappear in the artist's life.

Renoir depicts his sweetheart as a fashionable Parisian against the backdrop of a grove of trees in Fontainebleau's woodland. The white muslin dress adheres to the current dress code and is appropriate for outdoor outings.

The dress's high neck and long sleeves provided considerable protection from the sun's rays while also demonstrating the girl's morals. Renoir meticulously recreates the wardrobe's beautiful details: black ribbons on the neckline and sleeves, a little straw hat covered with a veil and scarlet ribbons that match the color of ornate earrings, and a black lace umbrella with an ivory handle and white lining.

As a kind gesture, the artist inscribed his initials on the massive tree trunk in the background. At the moment, Gustave Courbet's influence may still be seen in Renoir's technique, but the young artist is still developing his own manner of painting with filtered light, which he will return to in Swings and Ballet at the Moulin de la Galette.

Despite being closer to realism and plein air, the 1867 picture quickly became the principal work of early Impressionism. Critics Émile Zola and Zacharie Astruc compared her to Édouard Manet's Olympia and Claude Monet's Camille at the Salon de Paris in 1868.

" Lisa with an umbrella " 1867 - By Artist Pierre Auguste Renoir, oil painting on canvas. 184 x 115.5 cm. Folkwang Museum, Essen, 1867

" The Spirit of 76 " , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" The Spirit of '76 ",  By Artist Archibald Willard

Representatives from the 13 original colonies signed the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from British sovereignty. Willard created this patriotic landscape in remembrance of the momentous event over a century later. As he witnessed a joyous procession pass through the town square of his hometown in Ohio, he was inspired.

In the painting, three men of varied ages march over the battlefield, proclaiming their triumph. We can practically hear "Yankee Doodle" being played (the song was originally written in 1755 by British soldiers to poke fun at the disheveled American military, but by 1776 the Americans had adopted it and turned it into a source of patriotic pride). In the foreground, a wounded US soldier waves in what may be his dying act. Soldiers lift their bayonets in joy as the American flag appears through cannon smoke, alluding to the birth of a new nation.

"The Spirit of '76" (also known as "Yankee Doodle") became one of the most well-known paintings linked with the American Revolutionary War. It debuted in the 1876 World's Fair in Philadelphia. "The Spirit of 76" was a huge success, delighting everyone from regular spectators to President Ulysses Grant. The earliest version of the artwork, titled Yankee Doodle, debuted in 1876, on the 100th anniversary of the Revolutionary War. A. M. Willard then created numerous other variants. These are symbols of the energy that propelled the American Revolution to victory. The fabled 13-star banner flutters over the oncoming army's thirteen pitiful battalions. They continue on as local tales of liberation, images of inspirational courage, often imitated for the purpose of levity.

" The Spirit of 76 " 1875 , 7 Versions By Artist Archibald Willard 🇺🇸 ( 1836 - 1918 )

" Young Italian woman at the table " By Artist Paul Cezanne ( 1839 - 1906 )

 

"Young Italian woman at the table", Paul Cezanne

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) was a French painter who established and popularized Post-Impressionism. Cezanne's paintings were only recognized in the master's final years because they were half a century ahead of their time. The artist's method of conjugation of line, color, and stroke was outstanding for its astonishing logic and influenced more than one generation of painters.

A young woman is seated at a table draped with a gorgeous patterned linen in the picture. She stares to the side, her head resting on her bent arm. Sharpness and tension may be seen in this basic stance. The artist creates a sorrowful ambiance by juxtaposing a white blouse, yellow scarf, and colorful fabric with a black skirt and a neutral background.

Cezanne penned the piece in bold, sweeping strokes and moulded the face of his heroine like a sculptor. The master leaves no room for question regarding the girl's bodily presence in the conditional interior.

 "Young Italian woman at the table", Paul Cezanne 1895-1900 Canvas, oil. Size: 92.1x73.5 cm. J. Paul Getty Museum

" The Ghost of Clytemnestra Awakening the Furies " , By Artist John Downman (1750 - 1824)

" The Ghost of Clytemnestra Awakening the Furies " ,  John Downman

John Downman (1750 - 1824) - Welshportrait painter, who also painted genre paintings on historical themes. " The Ghost of Clytemnestra Awakening the Furies " is one such work.

In Greek mythology, Clytemnestra was the daughter of Tyndareus and Leda the Swan, the king and queen of Sparta, according to Greek mythology. She was half-sister of Helen. King of Mycenae Agamemnon and Clytemnestra had a son named Orestes as one of their offspring. Menelaus, who wed Helen, regarded as the most beautiful lady in the world, had an older brother named Agamemnon.

Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus travelled to Troy to battle for Helen's return after she was abducted and transported there. Aegisthus, the husband's cousin, was Clytemnestra's lover when she got home, and the two of them conspired to kill Agamemnon. Clytemnestra trapped Agamemnon in a net in the bathroom when he came back, and Aegisthus murdered him with a double-edged axe.

 " The Ghost of Clytemnestra Awakening the Furies " , John Downman, 1781 Oil on canvas. Size: 51×65 cm. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, New Haven

" Pope Confesses his Love to Lady Mary Montagu " , By Artist William Powell Frith

 

" Pope Confesses his Love to Lady Mary Montagu " by William Powell Frith

 

 This Painting was based on one of the most famous salon stories of the middle of the 18th century. The man in the picture is the famous poet, classic of British literature, Sir Alexander Pope, and the woman is the no less famous aristocrat, writer and poetess Lady Mary Montagu. The latter possessed remarkable charm and fell in love with Pope, but did not reciprocate. Moreover, as the legend says, she ridiculed the unfortunate.

 Lady Mary Montagu (1689-1762) was considered the smartest woman of her era. She was one of the first Europeans to travel to the Muslim East. In her book "Turkish Letters" she first spoke about the life of the eastern harem, and also described the smallpox vaccination technology used in the East.

 Mary Montague diligently built around herself the image of, as they would say today, a strong and independent woman, in no way inferior to men. She never denied herself the pleasure of arguing with the representatives of the stronger sex both within the then so popular intellectual salons and on the pages of newspapers. And Alexander Pope was unlucky to fall in love with this person. Pope for the English is like Pushkin for the Russians. A great poet, a classic during his lifetime, a reformer of the language and the most authoritative figure in the literature of the 18th century.

 The poet's love was so passionate that, seizing a moment, he confessed his feelings to Lady Mary, using the most magnificent and pompous vocabulary. He better not do it! The 18th-century feminist, not even listening to Pope's romantic speech to the end, rolled with laughter. It was an amazing scene! Pope felt like a peacock with its tail fluffed out and suddenly doused with cold water.

 The mocker received in the face of Pope an enemy for life. The vengeful poet vehemently criticized Miss Mary's work in the press, and did not disdain to go over her appearance and manners. But in the world they knew where the wind was blowing from!

 In 1852, British artist William Frith depicted a scene of tragic explanation. Moreover, he greatly embellished reality: Pope was in reality a hunchback, and the beautiful Montague had all her face covered with scars from smallpox.

 "Pope Confesses his Love to Lady Mary Montagu" by William Powell Frith

1852 Canvas, oil. Auckland, Toi-o-Tamaki Art Gallery

" Daddy's Coming! " 1873, By Artist Winslow Homer 🇺🇸 (1836-1910) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

 " Daddy's Coming! " Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer (1836-1910) is often regarded as the father of American realism. The majority of his paintings are realistic landscapes and genre themes, with a particular fondness for images of the water. In the picture "Dad is Coming!" a young woman and her son and daughter wait for her husband and father to return from fishing.

Homer was on vacation in Gloucester, Massachusetts, a storied and ancient New England fishing village. A violent storm struck in the summer of 1873, sinking nine ships and killing 128 persons. "Dad is coming!" was written in the artwork. Homer was undoubtedly impacted by this terrible incident, and while the title appears to be positive, the meaning of this painting was most likely the contrary.

 " Daddy's Coming! " Winslow Homer 1873 Oil on panel. Size: 22.9×34.9 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington

 

How a ruined portrait changed the fate of China's first beauty

 

 This whole story is very similar to a fairy tale, if not for historical facts and real historical characters. And although it is now difficult to separate the truth from the artistic exaggeration, nevertheless, the fate of Wang Chao-chun is striking in its incredible twists and turns.

 

 She was born into a noble family in one of the provinces of China, was the youngest and most beloved daughter of an elderly father. She possessed everything that a girl of those times needed: she was educated, played music, knew how to ride. Popular rumor says that she was so pretty that birds, blinded by her beauty, fell dead at her feet. In any case, one goose definitely fell off during her horse ride through the neighborhood, when she played some sad melody on the Chinese lute. In those days, becoming the emperor's concubines was a pretty good career. After all, lawful wives for the ruler were chosen from there. And Wang Chao-Chun all predicted just such a fate. And she really got into the harem. But there were so many concubines that the emperor was not able to see them all. Therefore, he ordered to present their portraits. All the girls tried to look their best and even paid bribes to artists to portray them more beautifully. And only Wang Chao-Chun did not do this. Either she was confident in her beauty, or she considered bribery dishonest, but the fact is that the artist disfigured her appearance.

And maybe she would have remained until the end of her life among the concubines, in fact, the maids of honor of the court, if a new abrupt twist of fate had not presented itself. The Xiongnu nomads, who had been at enmity with the powerful Chinese empire for centuries, concluded a truce and passed into the status of an external vassal. And as a strengthening of interstate ties, dynastic marriage was used. However, the emperor did not want to give the daughter of his concubine, in fact the princess, to marry wild nomads, but ordered to find the most unattractive maid of honor. According to the portraits, it turned out that this must be Wang Chao-chun.

And the beauty agreed to marry outside the homeland. However, when she was introduced to the emperor, it turned out that, contrary to the portrait, she was beautiful, and even well educated, educated and virtuous. The ruler bitterly regretted that such a girl would have to be given to savages, but the word of the emperor is precious, and it must not be violated. So the first beauty of China became the wife of the Hun ruler Huhanye. And the insidious artist who distorted the portrait of Wang Chao-chun was executed. The time of Wang Chao-chun's stay among the Huns became the heyday of culture, she, using her immense influence on the ruler, spread civilized traditions among the nomads. And when the ruler died, she wrote a letter to the emperor about returning to her homeland. However, according to custom, she was to become the wife of the next leader. In general, until the end of her life, Wang Chao-chun lived among nomads, she had two sons and two daughters, who became influential figures in Xiongnu politics.

 The amazing fate of Wang Chao-chun or Zhaojun in Chinese transcription formed the basis of many songs and legends. She is considered one of the four main beauties of China. Theatrical performances and operas, books and serials are dedicated to her.

" Northern Lights " by Artist Frederic Edwin Church, 1865 | ArtLiveAndBeauty

 

Northern Lights by Artist Frederic Edwin Church

Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), an American romantic landscape painter, was a notable exponent of the Hudson River School. The artist was not there at the time when his picture "Northern Lights" was created. Church utilized drawings by his friend Isaac Hayes, an Arctic explorer, and his comprehensive description of the spot and the aurora (from another location) that Hayes had observed in January 1861 to paint the landscape.

Church's painting shows a bleak arctic scene of ice and rock, with the aurora borealis casting a ghostly and whimsical light in the sky. The Hayes expedition's schooner United States may be seen in the left foreground. Dark rocky mountains surround it, and in the distance rises the triangular contour of Church Peak, called Hayes after the artist.

Eleanor Blodgett gave the Northern Lights painting to the Smithsonian Museum in 1911.

 Northern Lights by Artist Frederic Edwin Church, 1865 Oil on canvas. Size: 142.3 x 212.2 cm. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington 

" Lady's Toilet " - Circa 1660, Gerard Terborch ( 1617 - 1681 ) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

 

" Lady's Toilet " , by Artist Gerard Terborch ( 1617 - 1681 )

The second name is “Woman at the toilet”, the main character of the picture is an aloof-cold lady in a blue shower jacket and wrinkled silk dress, alabaster of open shoulders and unnaturally raised breasts. An ugly straight line of the chest and abdomen. A tall awkward figure, ugly and shapeless. Thin tows over the forehead. Purple shoulder line. Red hands and white elbows. There are paints and blush on the face, but it is difficult to say something in condemnation of the face. Compares the cold white lines of the cabinet columns and candles with the cold blue line of the lady's chest. The silk skirt bulges ugly. The ugliness of the lady is most expressive of all in the mirror: the drooping lower lip of the half-open stupid mouth, blind eyes with hanging eyelids, a terrible long nose, miserable strands of hair, a wide neck.

The lady is opposed by a boy, a maid and a slender dog. All three are in natural motion. There are warm elements in the clothes: the boy has reddish hair, red on the hips, on the knee pom-poms, bows on the shoes; the maid has warm colors on her dress, hands and face. And the face itself is of pleasant, natural proportions and naturally lit. Next to her, the lady seems like a long doll, which she dresses up. The boy, on the contrary, is very slender: a loose top and wide sleeves, close-fitting pelvic clothing, tight pants. He has thick hair and a pleasant face profile: looking up, a beautiful line of nose - lips - chin. The artist contrasts it with the repulsive profile of the lady in the mirror. In warm, brown-muted tones, the artist also gives a thick carpet on the table.

The base of the candlestick tells what the lady's waist line should look like. Ugliness adorns itself unskillfully; falseness, artificiality only emphasizes its unnaturalness and makes a repulsive impression.

Gerard Terborch or Gerard ter Borch (1617-1681) is one of the main masters of Dutch genre painting of the golden age. He was the first to discover the private world of city dwellers, capturing their daily activities at home [source not specified 749 days]. His realistic aesthetic was developed by the Delft masters Pieter de Hooch and Jan Vermeer .

"Lady's Toilet", by Artist Gerard Terborch, C. 1660 Canvas, oil. Size: 76.2 x 59.7 cm. Detroit Institute of the Arts

" Will You Join Us ? " by Antonio Casanova i Estorach

" Will You Join Us ? " by Artist Antonio Casanova Y Estorach. 1890  

 A master of genre and romantic scenes, the Spanish artist Antonio Casanova y Estorach (1847-1896) became famous for his series of paintings about cheerful monks who are not alien to worldly joys.  His heroes - clerics in cassocks enjoy a comfortable life, indulging in a hearty meal, with a glass of beer and a bottle of wine.  They also look at young women, as in the painting “Will you join us?”.

 Poverty and despair drove the sad and pale girl out into the street with plain wild flowers in the hope of earning money for food.  The eyes of the young flower girl are full of tears of hopelessness.  Two well-fed self-satisfied monks take advantage of the situation and in every possible way court the young lady, seduce her with wine and dishes that look out of the canvas bag of one and the wicker basket of the other.

This story is about the moral choice of the heroine and a kind of rebuke to the clergy, who, hiding behind holy robes and prayer books, act here as a snake-tempter, wanting to pluck and desecrate this delicate, barely blossoming flower at all costs.

"Will You Join Us?" by Antonio Casanova i Estorach. 1890  Canvas, oil.  Size: 26.9 x 35.2 cm. Private collection. 

" Catapult " , By Artist Edward John Poynter ( 1836 - 1919 ) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

" Catapult " , By Artist Edward John Poynter 

Edward John Poynter (1836-1919), British artist, member of the Arundel Society. Eno's works were distinguished by originality in composition, accuracy of drawing, brilliance of colors and delicacy of writing. He enjoyed resounding fame as an excellent historical and genre painter.

The Catapult depicts Roman soldiers driving a siege engine during an attack on the walls of Carthage in 146 BC during the Third Punic War. They are about to fire a red-hot bolt from under the structure's wooden canopy.

An inscription is visible on the catapult, which reads: "Delenda est Carthago (Carthage must be destroyed)". These were the famous words of Cato the Elder, Roman senator and historian.

 "Catapult", Edward John Poynter 1868-1872 Canvas, oil. Size: 155x184 cm. Lang Art Gallery, Newcastle 

Advice for Revenge , 1871 by Artist Francesco Hayez ( 1791 - 1882 )

 Advice for Revenge by Artist Francesco Hayez

 

The second name of the painting is " The Oath of Vengeance " . The place of action is most likely Venice, where its author was born. Apparently the women have just left the masquerade as they are wearing masks. And one lady is clearly saying some unpleasant things to her interlocutor. 

Pay attention to the note in the hand of the masked woman and the reaction of the second lady: she almost cries. Based on the name of the canvas, it can be assumed that the letter contains evidence of the betrayal of the groom or spouse, and the masked woman persuades the unfortunate woman to take revenge on the offender. However, the friend is not at all who she claims to be.

“Advice on Revenge” is part of a triptych that includes the paintings “Accused of Treason” and “Revenge of a Rival” (the canvas is also known as “Venetian Women”). And you need to consider the paintings in the context of the history of their creation. 

It is assumed that the painter took the plot of the triptych from the poems of his friend, the poet Andrea Maffei. According to the text of the verses, the following happens in the pictures: 

"Revenge Advice": Maria (the woman in green) receives a note from Rachelle (the masked lady) with proof that Maria's lover is cheating on her. Rachel invites her friend to report the unfaithful to the authorities as a traitor to his country. 

"Charge of treason": Maria wrote a denunciation of her lover.

"Revenge of the rival": the man in red took the letter and takes it to the authorities, and Maria repented and tries to catch up with him. And all this was started by Rachel, who offered herself to her beloved Mary, but he refused her.

 Such is the revenge of the rejected woman.

" Advice for Revenge " , 1871 by Francesco Hayez ( 1791 - 1882 )