Oil paintings of the 1700 and 1800’s
1660-1719
CrescenzioOnofri
Landscape with figures
Oil on canvas
The National Gallery, London
A wide landscape is depicted in this painting. It appears to be in the impressionist
style, though it is not of that era. The artist has created a sense of great depth and
has done so without leaving brush strokes. The sky is a quite vibrant color of blue
behind developing clouds. The trees are very natural and ungainly in their habit.
Figures are present in the landscape, adding interest to the scene. The entire
palette is made up of natural colors. I like gazing into the painting and getting lost
there.
Figure 2
1785
Captain John Gell
Gilbert Stuart
Oil on Canvas
Metropolitan Museum of Art
This portrait shows an officer. This piece represents an ideal oil painting, showing
the sitter in a life like pose with excellent realistic skin tones and fabric. The
concepts that Sir Joshua Reynolds detailed are shown here. It shows both the true
characteristics of the individual and the ideal of the officer’s status as a hero. The brush strokes and Bravura sweeps are quite evident in this work. It shows that oil
painting has developed quite a bit from earlier eras.
Figure 3
1836The Queen of Sheba
Edward John Poynter
Watercolor
The Art Gallery of New South Wales
This piece depicts a scene with the Queen of Sheba and Solomon as imagined by
the artist. The figures face each other across the approach to the king’s throne.
The luxurious palace setting is based purely on the artist’s conception of the scene.
The brush strokes in this work are so refined that they are invisible in this
reproduction. This painting was conceived with great attention to historical
archaeological research on the behalf of the artist. The style reflects the realism
that he worked to achieve. The longer you view this piece, the more the details
become apparent. It is very rich in its composition and execution
Figure 4
1873
Coquelicots
Oil on canvas
Claude Monet
Web museum, Paris
This is clearly an impressionist piece. It beautifully depicts the different angles of
light seen at this time of day. This is one of Monet’s showcase pieces painted at a
turning point in his career. It shows figures enjoying a wide meadow that is filled
with lilies and poppies. They colors and textures used in this piece are quite
vibrant. A manor house shows in the distance. The trees frame the composition.
Even the tones applied to achieve the sense of wind blowing through the high grass
are a part of the impressionist use of the medium.
Figure 5
1877
Dancers Practicing at the Bar
Edgar Degas
Mixed Media on Canvas
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
This artist clearly has a good feel for the movements of the dancers he shows here.
He has attended many performances and become quite familiar with their work. He
shows the attention to detail that must be applied for the dancer to create a
beautiful performance. The emotion of those practicing here comes through in the
sketches. Degas often drew from memory. He was quite willing to experiment with
the medium and figures. In doing so, he developed his own unique technique,
calledpeinte a l’essence.