Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) Rembrandt was born in 1606 in the Dutch Republic (no the Netherlands) to a miller and a baker's daughter. Since much of his artwork has had such religious influence, Rembrandt's mother was a Roman Catholic and his father was a member of the Dutch Reform Church. Rembrandt grew up in Leidin, … Continue reading Notes on the Life and Works of Rembrandt van Rijn

The story of Impressionism is broad and varied, like the Impressionist style. Was Matisse a true Impressionist in the same way Monet was? Perhaps not. However, his work is certainly a descendant of Impressionism. Less like van Gogh, and more like Picasso, Matisse is one of the great founders of modern art. Matisse was an … Continue reading After Impressionism: Henri Matisse

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) (pronounced either: "go" or "goff" or "gah") was actually a Dutch artist, though he was certainly part of the extent group of French Post-Impressionists. Self-Portrait (1887) -one of many self-portraits he completed in his lifetime. He was an incredibly prolific artist, creating around 2,100 paintings (or something like 4 paintings every … Continue reading The Story of French Impressionism, Part XIII: Vincent van Gogh

Armand Guillaumin (1841-1927) (pronounced: "ar-mone Gee-yoman") was born in Paris. He worked in his uncle's lingerie shop, and he also worked for the French government for a spell. While studying, he met Camille Pissarro and Paul Cézanne, though he never met their popularity nor critical reception. Guillaumin won the lottery which allowed him to quit … Continue reading The Story of French Impressionism, Part XII: Armand Guillaumin