Francisco Goya a painter and engraver of 19th century was a Spanish artist. He was a royal portraitist and an important chronicle of history. He was commissioned by King Carlos III to paint his portraits. From here he painted a number of paintings from the king, the noble people of the court to all the notable persons of the kingdom.

During the reign of Carlos IV (after the death of carlos III) is the period when Francisco Goya attained the peak of popularity through royalty. He went deaf after a serious illness in 1792 but continued producing his great art works. Isolated from others by his deafness, he was occupied with fantasy and imagination with critical observations of mankind. He painted many paintings focusing on human weakness and folly. Even though left so he painted his most famous figurine paintings nude majja and clothed majja (same woman in same pose clothed and naked) in this period only. He then was appointed as the Spanish royal painter in 1799 where he painted the entire royal members.

Francisco Goya in celebration to the escape from his death from a serious illness in 1819 decorated his villa with 14 black paintings which are supposed to be the most sickening paintings that he had ever drawn. His other famous artworks of Goya apart from nude majja are The Executions of the Third of May, Saturn devouring his son, fight with cudgels etc…

Arnold Bocklin a swiss painter of the 19th century is basically a landscape painter. Influenced on romanticism his paintings were symbolic and Noveau in style. His oil paintings created a phantasy world often associated with obsession of death. But his oil paintings were fantastic figures with a classical architecture constructuction.

One of the most famous oil paintings of Arnold Bocklin is “The Isle of death” which was given by the artist in five versions. Other famous artworks of� Arnold Bocklin were The Sacred Wood, Pan Amongst the Reeds, Elysian Fields etc…

Vermeer (Johannes Vermeer) is a Dutch painter who lived in delft. Vermeer also referred as Vermeer of Delft or Johannes van der Meer is a great painter of Dutch golden age as Rembrandt. His paintings had a great look and were admired for the brilliant use of colors, the lighting effects and above all for the transparency he brought about in colors.

Vermeer brought about this transparency in colors by a technique called pointillé (not pointillism) where the paint is added to the canvas in loosely granular layers to bring in such effects of transparency. His paintings had good compositions and it is believed that he might have used camera obscura (an optical device used in drawing and is one of the threads which lead to the invention of camera) for such careful compositions he brought about in his paintings.

Most of Vermeer art works are themed on domestic interior scenes, Landscapes, portraits and genre scenes. His famous oil paintings are The Milkmaid, A Woman Asleep at a Table, View of Delft etc…

Rembrandt (Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn) is one of the greatest painters of the Dutch history was not only a painter but was a print maker, draftsman, and an etcher. His contributions to art started at the Dutch golden period when the country was in peak in all the fields. Rembrandt produced various portraits of his wife Saskia van Uylenburgh, whom he married in 1634. He had also produced oil painting of his son Titus. When he had no other model to be painted he would paint his own images. His self portraits were nearly 100 including 20 of his etchings which give a clear picture of how he looks his personality, emotions etc…

Rembrandt was praised in Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary “No such artist ever combined more delicate skill with more energy and power. His famous paintings include Julius Civilis, Portrait of Jan Six, The Jewish Bride and many more. ”. Rembrandt has produced almost 600 paintings, 2000 drawings and 300 etchings.

Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio), the most revolutionary Italian painter interpreted reality and humanism scorning the traditional idealized figurative paintings of his predecessors.� Artists both upcoming and enlightened prelates were fascinated by the robust and bewildering art of Caravaggio that they started envying him. This ended up giving problems to Caravaggio that he faced lot of encounters with the law. Despite of violent criticism and problems, his reputation and income had always increased. His famous artworks include Madonna di Loreto, Supper at Emmaus, The Seven Works of Mercy and many more.

Caravaggio baroque painting were so much recognized that the followers of his style were called Caravaggisti. The influence of his painting style was remarkable that he had followers not only in italy but all through the world. Dutch painters like Dirck van Baburen,� Hendrick Terbrugghen, and Gerrit van Honthorst were followers of Caravaggio who filled up their city with caravaggism.

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot was a great french lanscape painter of 19th century. He was a wandering painter who always kept traveling but however completed his paintings in the studio. He first presented his art works with perfect outline and view, and then brought a poetic approach in his paintings. In this manner after some time his paintings were full of mystery and poetry.

Besides from landscape paintings he produced figurine pictures which were greatly praised. He was awarded the medal of the Légion d’Honneur in 1847 and in 1964 honoured as “Père Corot” of Parisian artistic circle.

Camille Corot was a man with great esteem who was noble, kind, generous to all his fellowmen. He gifted a house to his friend Daumier when he was bankrupt and sent a sum of money to Millet’s (his first painting teacher) family after the painter’s death.

John Constable a British artist of 19th century was a great landscape painter. Even though he entered the profession of painting at a later stage when he realized that he was not interested in business, he was graded equally to Turner. Turner, another Great Landscape painter of the 19th century started his carrier at a very young age (late teenage).

John Constable loved his country. He says “The sound of water escaping from mill dams, old rotten planks, slimy posts, willows and brickwork, I love such things. These scenes made me a painter”. His fine artworks always portrayed the places he knew and he loved.

Constable worked in the open air even though he returned to his studio to finish his paintings. His oil painting “The Hay Wain” is one of the greatest British paintings which is currently exhibited in National Gallery of London. His other famous oil paintings are Dedham Vale, Salisbury Cathedral, The Cornfield etc…The people of France were greatly influenced by his art works and the artists Delacroix and the Barbizon School followed his lead in out door sketching.

Caspar David Friedrich a 19th century German painter, the finest exemplar of romantic paintings. The premature death of his brother and the religious feeling brought out by his father (a candle maker) influenced Casper to the level that most of his artworks portray the untamed power of nature and were religious.

Friedrich started of with oil paints at the age of thirty after the development of water colors and sepia drawings. His paintings were modeled after been sketched as they were used for the study of scenic spots and landscapes. Karl Friedrich Schinkel was impressed by his painting “Mönch am Meer” that Karl gave up painting and took architecture. Karl change was a benefit to the world of architecture as he was one of the finest architects.

Some of Friedrich’s best known paintings are Tetschen altar, Cross on the mountain, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow, Winter landscape etc… He had many followers of his style namely Johann Christian Dahl(Norwegian painter) and Arnold Böcklin(American painter) were those who were much influenced by his style.

Joseph Mallord William Turner was a romantic landscape artist whose paintings were recognized in the early stage of his life. Turner received a rare honor at the age of 15 - was accepted in the Royal academy of art. He began his own studio when he was 18 years and before he reached 20 art sellers were eager to buy his paintings.

Turner was a genius in portraying nature and landscapes. He clearly portrays the coarse and dynamic power of nature towards mankind almost in all his paintings. Turner was called the painter of lights and was the founder of water color paintings in England apart from his renowned oil paintings which he usually used.

One of the most famous oil paintings of turner is “The fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up” which is currently hung in the National Gallery of London. Other great art works of turner were the The Golden Bough, Warkworth Castle, The Battle of Trafalgar etc…

Work, Rest & Play
July 26, 2007 - October 14, 2007
Venue: National Gallery, London, UK
More details - http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/