Missing Masterpieces.

Luxembourg Gardens

Luxembourg Gardens, 1904, Henri Matisse --- In February 2006 at the Chacara do Ceu Museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil security was forced to turn of the surveillance cameras. Using the cover of carnival celebrations four armed men made off with paintings by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Claude Monet during the robbery. The value of Luxembourg Gardens isnÍt estimated.

Madonna with the Yardwinder

Madonna with the Yarnwinder, 1501, Leonardo da Vinci  --- Disguised as tourists two men assaulted a tour guide and made off with the painting from Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries, Scotland, in 2003. Its current value is estimated at $65 million.

Pool in the Harem

Pool in the Harem, 1876, Jean-Leon Gerome  --- Displayed in the French wing of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia it was hanging near Manet, Picasso, Matisse, Monet and other priceless masterpieces. For some reason the thieves chose this particular work valued at only $1 million in 2001.

Beach at Pourville

Beach in Pourville, 1882, Claude Monet (Picture #4 shown) --- September 2000 the Polish National Museum was startled to realize that what they thought was the Monet painting was actually a forgery done on cardboard. Thieves had cut the original out and replaced it. The exact date of the crime is not known. It is valued at $7 million.

Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence

Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence, 1608, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio --- Two thieves entered the Oratory of the Church of San Lorenzo, Palmero, Italy in 1969 and cut this painting from its frame. At nearly 9 feet by 7 feet it is one of the largest paintings ever taken. It was suspected stolen by the Sicilian Mafia. Current value of the artwork is $20 million.

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A Short guide to Art Movements - 19th Century

Art Nouveau

 

Beginning in the 1890s and spread to all art forms including architecture, interior decoration and graphic arts characterised by  curved lines and asymmetrical organization.

Barbizon School

 

A group of 19th Century of French painters who rejected the traditional, idealized landscape and tried to achieve more realistic, natural portrailes of nature. They were greatly influenced by the Dutch landscape painters of old. Theodore Rousseau one of the fore figures in this movement.

Impressionism

 

A French school who was dedicated to capturing the transitory visual impressions painted directly from nature with the light and colour being of utmost importance. It was completely reliant on mood and setting that no place was ever the same on moment to the next. The fathers of this movement would be Monet and Pissarro.

Neoimpressionism 

 

Again started in France and pioneered by the likes of George Seurat who strived to make impressionism more formal and precise. They used juxtaposing the primary colours in order to make the secondary colours brighter and more radiant, with the mixture of the two colours left the the eye of the beholder - Pointillism. 

Post Impressionism

 

This applied to a group of artist living in France around 1885-1900. Post impressionism rejected the absence of form which became popular with the impressionists and stressed more formal qualities and the importance of the subject. This is more of an ideal as the artists who followed this movement have a great variation in style and technique. Such as Cezanne and Van Gogh.

Realism 

 

Lead by Gustave Courbet in France its principle aims were to capture the ideal, beliefs, customs and thoughts of their age though everyday scenes.

Romanticism

 

A Western movement in art that is in opposition to Neoclassicism. Romantic works have bold colours, soft outlines, interesting compositions and often depict a hero. 

Symbolism

 

In the late half of the 19th century symbolism was gain popularity through the ideals of painting no loner being about observation but turning objects into symbols of inner experience, Gauguin for example. 

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Art Movements - A short guide 500 A.D - 1800

Medieval Art

 

Classifies the art of the middle ages 500 A.D to the late 14th Century.

Romanesque

 

This style dominated Art and Architecture in Europe between the 9th and 12th centuries. This is based on the ideals of ancient Rome.  

Renaissance

Madonna and Child - Raphael.

Is the renewal of interest in the older classical art for the Greek etc. This begin in Italy in the 14th century and began to spread across Europe until the  16th Century. Its most famous leaders being Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.

Mannerism 

El Greco

 An Italian movement started around the mid-16th century. It mainly focused on the human figure with distortion and elongation - El Greco is a great example of this style.

Baroque

 

A European Movement during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its main characteristics are of opulence, drama and to overwhelm with spender - This was not only a movement in Art, with Artist such as Giovanni Bernini being a great example of this but also of Architecture, an example of this would be the Palace of Versailles.  

Rococo

The Swing - Jean Honore Fragonard

Predominately a French Style mainly used for interior decoration developed during Louis XV. Once again quite opulent, golds and silvers, with an interest in curves, prettiness and gaiety. This also transposed to Art.

Neoclassicicm

 

Is an 18th Century reaction to the flamboyance and excess of Baroque and Rococo, this tried to recapture the art of Greece and Rome by reinterpreting the ancient classics both in style and matter. 

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Boris O'Klein: Dirty Dogs of Paris Prints

Boris O'Klein was a French artist and cartoonist and is well known for his numerous prints and watercolours of dogs getting up to mischief.

The two main themes of O'Klein's work is public urination and male-female flirtation or desire. A very fun artist producing works in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

We currently have a pair of 'Dirty Dogs of Paris' prints signed by the artist for sale.

Sans Unique Print Signed by Boris O'Klein

Sex Appeal Print Signed by Boris O'Klein

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