Art From The 20th Century

The market today is not what a trader would wish on a good day, so I decided to swap trading with creative projects and spending time on Hive and what better way to spend this time, than selecting some artworks to share with you.

Next week there are exhibition visits programmed, I bet there are three new ones available and it'd be a shame to miss them. The truth is, I need the distraction and it's a good source of inspiration too. Motivation to continue my creative work can come from many different areas and this is definitely one of them, the main one I'd say.

Art From The 20th Century.jpg

So let's see what I have selected for you today and let's have some fun.

Gábor Miklós - Self Portraits With Nudes (1973)

This is a really interesting auto portrait and I've never seen any similar ones. Auto portraits are usually about the person, but here you see the person in the mirror and the focus is on the two nudes. And we have the lower part of a skeleton as well :)

Albert Nagy - Sleeping Girl

When I saw this painting, my first reaction was, like a small shock. I am going to be brutally honest with you here. For me, this painting looks creepy. You don't see me saying this often about art and no offense to the artist, if you look at the execution exclusively, it's a nice one, but I can't put aside my feeling. For me, it looks like the man is not there to protect the little girl, but to prey on her and what makes me think that is the look on the man's face. Tell me I'm delusional and that's not what the painting looks like.

Hans Mattias Teutsch - Woman's Torso

Henri Nouveau - Composition - tempera on paper - (1971)

This painting may look strange, but for me, it's one of the winners, although at this point of my writing, I don't even know what comes next. I love this one for the choice of colors and the execution itself. It's quite exquisite.

Teodor Harsia

Unfortunately I can't read the title, but you can see what it is. I need to mention this was an exhibition with paintings from then 20th century, so seeing such a lake scene is lovely. It's true, nobles and those who could afford to spend all their days doing nothing, used to go boating on the lake, but as a sport, this activity was not so popular.

Valér Ferenczy - Romanian Peasant (1914)

It's not a drawing I would put on my wall, but I love it. From artistic perspective, it's a masterpiece. Simple and perfect.

Carl Hübner - Allegory Of Work (1945)

This is the other winner for me, although it's not exactly what I'd love on my wall. It features workers and it reminds me of communist propaganda, even though communism came after. However, I love the colors a lot and the lovely frame adds to its value.

Sándor Papp - Transylvanian Town (1928)

After almost 100 years, we'd call this place a village, but life was different back then. For me, this painting causes a bit of sadness, as the place looks deserted, but it's a nice work.

Last, but not least, another winner for me.

Heinrick Schümn - Landscape (1935)

It's a lovely watercolor. Thinking back, you don't see a lot of watercolors these days. I'm not sure when was the golden era of watercolors and it's not my first choice when it comes to art, but this painting is nice, I love the soft colors.

I asked AI to enlighten me and here is what I got:

The Golden Age of watercolor painting occurred roughly between 1750 and 1850. While watercolors have ancient roots, this specific century, centered primarily in Britain, saw the medium evolve from topographically tinted drawings into a celebrated fine art form known for its luminosity, atmospheric effects, and, with the later introduction of bodies of color, intense color.

Key Aspects of the Golden Age (1750–1850):

British Dominance: During this era, Britain was considered the center of watercolor painting, with artists utilizing the medium to capture the British countryside, coastal scenes, and romantic landscapes.

Leading Artists*: Key figures who defined this period included [J.M.W. Turner], [Thomas Girtin], [John Sell Cotman], [David Cox], [Peter de Wint], and [Paul Sandby], who is often referred to as the "father of the English watercolor".
Technological Advancements: The invention of portable paint cakes in 1781 allowed artists to work more easily outdoors (plein air).
Institutional Recognition: The founding of societies like the [Royal Watercolour Society] in 1804 (originally the Society of Painters in Water Colours) helped elevate the medium's reputation.

While 1750–1850 is the most widely cited "Golden Age," some sources also extend the appreciation of British watercolors, particularly those with high exhibition quality, up to 1910 or even 1914.

Interesting.

Anyway, this is it for today. I hope you can find one you like.

If you're a newbie, you may want to check out these guides: