ArtCorner

Between the years 1935 and 1945 Pablo Picasso and his lover and muse of those years, Dora Maar had an amazing love affair that was documented in both oil paint and photography.

The relationship started shortly before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and lasted throughout the Second World War. Dora Maar was a talented photographer and was at the center of bohemian life in Paris.

The two lovers inspired one another intellectually and artistically throughout their time together. As their connection carried on, Picasso celebrated his love for Dora Maar in sensuous oil paintings. In turn, Dora Maar commemorated the relationship in a series of photographs.

Greetings friends! It’s hard to believe another year has passed, but we know what that means. Every New Year brings new design trends and 2007 is bursting at the seams with them! Innovative ideas, retro styles, and effervescent colors are arriving on the scene as we speak (or read). Whether you are ready for an updated look, or even if you just completed your project, there is something for everyone in the coming year.

Every week I will publish one of my top five favorite emerging trends in the design and décor world for 2007, I hope you find it helpful and inspiring. So lets start shall we…

DIY- Do It Yourselves, girls and boys! Now, you’re thinking, “why would any designer exploit this idea?!” Well, let me just say that everyone is worthy of beautiful surroundings. Truth be told though, personal designers can be pricey! Now there are a lot of situations where we should leave it to the professionals, but not in every case. With numerous programs, blogs, and publications sharing great ideas with the general public, there is no reason not to be taking advantage! I was just at Lowe’s the other day and I picked up a great book called 1001 Paint & Color Ideas. I have only done a minor amount of faux finishing in my lifetime, but in about 2 hours the backsplash of my new kitchen had a mosaic finish! I think the whole project probably cost me $10! Faux finishing is one of the many DIY projects available! Just keep your eyes and mind open to new ideas, and let your creative side free!

A new film called “Dali & I: The Surreal Story” is in the making.
The story is based on a novel written by Stan Lauryssens who had a special mentor-protege relationship with Salvador Dali during the 1960’s through the 1980’s.

The leading role will be played by Al Pacino, the brilliant film star will have his chance to depict one of the most creative, flamboyant characters of the 20th century.

The life and works of Salvador Dali have been a source of great intrigue and controversy. It should be interesting to see how Hollywood will embrace Dali, hopefully they will reflect on his artistic genius just as much as his extreme behavior.

An expert on the Mona Lisa has ascertained that the symbol of feminine mystique died on July 15, 1542, and was buried at a convent in central Florence.

The Italian press reported that a death notice was found in the archives of a church in Florence that referred to “the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, deceased July 15, 1542, and buried at Sant’Orsola.”

While intrigue has surrounded the identity of the woman in the famous unsigned, undated Leonardo da Vinci painting, Lisa Gherardini is widely accepted to have been the subject.

Born in May 1479, Lisa Gherardini is thought to have been the second wife of Del Giocondo, a wealthy silk merchant, with whom she had five children. The Mona Lisa died at the age of 63.

Someone asked me recently about a Salvador Dali masterpiece “Galatea of the Spheres”. They were wondering who or what is Galatea?

Galatea is both a nymph in Greek myth and Dali’s Wife.

Gala’s name was Helena Diakanoff Devulina and she is depicted in many of Dali’s works.

Galatea (“she who is milk-white”) was the name of a figure in Greek mythology.
Galatea was a Nereid sea nymph who was yearned for by the Sicilian Cyclops Polyphemus. She, however, loved a Sicilian youth named Acis, whom the giant Polyphemus killed with a boulder in a jealous rage. Distraught, Galatea turned his blood into the River Acis in Sicily.

Almost no one ever knows what Dali means, but if you would have asked him he ould have told you. And you may not have been any better informed than before…

Steven Wynn is suing the London Insurance Agency, Lloyds on account that they allegedly failed to act properly on his demands to pay him $54 million dollars in lost value for the famous Dream painting.

The Dream oil painting that is owned by Wynn was damaged when Wynn accidentally poked a hole in it with his elbow.

Wynn is seeking to expedite his claim for reimbursement and restoration costs for the 1932 painting. $54 million is the estimated amount the value of the painting dropped due to the accident. A number that many feel is incorrect; the fame of the painting from the last 4 months has been world wide due to the bizarre accident.

Wynn’s representatives told Lloyd’s in November that the painting was worth 139 million dollars the day before Wynn damaged it in his Las Vegas office. They said it was worth just 85 million afterward…

Wynn himself described the damage to the canvas as a thumb-sized flap and said it was “the world’s clumsiest and goofiest thing to do.”

The painting is called “Le Reve,” or “The Dream.” It shows Picasso’s mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, as she is enjoying a very tantalizing moment.

This is one of my favorite paintings; I actually got this as a 24” x 36” oil painting reproduction for my parents three months before the incident! It broke my heart to hear of what happened to the original, I think Steven Wynn should donate any money he gets from this law suit and give it to some art school or some noble cause, after all he did damage a true work of art.

A few decades ago the art establishment ignored Gustav Klimt’s oil paintings, now his paintings are among the most expensive ever sold surpassing Picasso and Van Gogh.

Last year, Ronald S. Lauder the cosmetics tycoon, bought “Portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer I” for a record breaking $135 million dollars. The painting is a testament of the style and passion of Klimt. Lauder hopes that Adele will propel his Neue Gallery to greatness and calls Adele “his Mona Lisa” hoping that Adele will draw the same crowds as the Mona Lisa does for the Louvre.

I found it fascinating to read how Lauder described his first encounter with Gustav Klimt oil paintings in Vienna as a young boy. He is quoted as saying: “It was like finding the Holy Grail… I was actually blown away by it. I had never seen such powerful images as The Kiss and Adele I.”

The gold-ground portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer is considered one of Klimt’s best works. The elaborate portrait of a seated Adele, executed over the course of three years, features a dazzling array of gold patterns and layered shapes, with the fabric of her gown seeming to meld with the furniture and walls surrounding her.

I guess the Klimt paintings price tag caught up with the passion the paintings emit, the magnetic force of his art has made him the most luxurious artist of our generation.

Leonardo’s portrait of the young wife of a Florentine silk merchant, painted between 1503 and 1506, is so famous and popular that the Louvre has given it its own gallery and keeps it in a special humidity- and temperature-controlled box, protected from harm, and admirers by a double layer of fireproof, and bulletproof glass.

A research conducted last September on the most prized possession of the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Mona Lisa, has revealed some very interesting facts.

The team of researchers who examined Leonardo’s masterpiece concluded that the Mona Lisa was pregnant. They came to this conclusion by exploring her garments that were hidden underneath a thick layer of dirt. The researchers said that the Mona Lisa is wearing fine, gauzy veil attached to a white bonnet. Such garments were typically worn by Italian Renaissance women when they were pregnant.

The Mona Lisa painting is so old and it has been through quiet a lot. It is not only a very beautiful painting, but also a very dirty one as the actual work is full of dirt. It is hard to follow the traitorous rode of the Mona Lisa, we do know that it was housed in the steamy atmosphere of a French king’s bathroom for some time. In addition, the painting was even reported stolen.

I was going to write about the life of Claude Monet in an essay form when I stumbled upon a great way to show the artist’s life in a cool timeline following his road from birth at 1840 to his death in 1926. Monet lived for 86 years and spent the majority of his life in the various suburbs north of Paris, mostly Argenteuil and Giverny.

This timeline will help you follow along the path of his creation, I hope you like it…

This is a short list of the greatest moments in the art world that occurred in 2006, thank you for being involved in Art!

• Gustav Klimt’s Adelle Bloch Bauer painting sold for 135 million
• Edvard Munch Masterpiece – The Scream Returned!
• Pablo Picasso – The Dream got the elbow…
• A Jackson Pollock painting sold for 140 Million
• The Van Gogh Portrait Madame Ginoux Sold for $40.3 million
  
• Starry Night by Van Gogh most popular painting in the US
• Francisco De’Goya Oil Painting Recovered
• Impressionist Paintings are back in vogue
• Pablo Picasso Portrait Dora Maar with Black Cat Sold for 95.2 million

2006 was a very special year for me. First and foremost it is the year that I started ArtCorner which I hope will become a great resource for art and decor lovers.

I have learned a tremendous amount just from conversations I had with other art connoisseurs, I spent many hours in the public library catching up on art history issues and reading up on new trends in décor.

If you feel there are other events that occurred that should be on the list just let me know… Thanks again…