The Annunciation portrays a critical event for Christianity. Keeping that in
mind, painter Fra Angelico uses a golden laser beam to direct viewers’ eyes. He wants us to see this scene in a super specific way. Angelico also uses rich colors, details, and lots of glorious gold.
The painting Paris Street; Rainy Day snapshots a beautiful moment on a typical, even dull, day. French painter, Gustave Caillebotte titled this Rue de Paris Wet Weather – a simple name. Its plainness points to the piece’s subject. He gives us a slice of life.
Clarity and purpose shine through Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel. Its sharp cold bite make this more than a landscape. But on the most basic level it’s one of the best landscapes ever. More than technique, Bruegel creates suspense and drama.
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.
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.