Cupid’s off to the side in Alma Tadema’s painting Unconscious Rivals. That’s because love plays a mere supporting role in this portrait. But pay no attention to the title, it’s not about rivalry either. This painting celebrates friendship.
Marc Gibian’s Serpentine Sculptures bring whorling steel tendrils to the Hudson River Esplanade. These three structures are Twister, Offshoot, and Torque.
Winslow Homer’s Snap the Whip delights in joyful nostalgia. No matter the life we’ve led, at some point we all had a moment like this. These scampering bare feet sing to us of freedom. After all, nothing feels like liberty as much as grass between the toes.
Birth of Venus serves up instant recognition. We’re all familiar with Sandro Botticelli’s masterpiece. Still, have we really looked at it? It’s a birth. That’s messy, baby-centric, business. But this portrait shows neither mess nor baby – only beauty.
us that romanticism comes in many forms. This painting dwells in one of my lifelong pet peeves. The romanticisation of hard work, especially physical labor bugs me. This irritating practice shows up in all aspects of life – even art.
Nature versus Man whips like wind through the painting Approaching Storm. Eugène Boudin often painted the moneyed and middle class. Their fancy finery struck a wry contrast with Mother Nature.