I have had the pleasure to complete a dissertation on an artist called Fong Chung-Ray and will share some of his work here - he is a pioneer of abstract Chinese art and so if you have any interest in either abstract expressionism or Chinese art I would highly recommend you look into his work, and that will be my next post (though rest assured that I’ll cover a variety of artwork in my future posts if that’s not your cup of tea). It’s great to be back!

‘The Sea is Mine’ (2016) - Sliman Mansour

‘A woman, a girl, and a boy raise their hands high and march along a beach. They hold a pen, a paintbrush, a rifle, an olive branch, and the Key of Return, while a white dove soars above them. The backdrop captures a beach scene where people are engrossed in relaxation and leisure, seemingly oblivious to this determined small demonstration. Mansour ensures the inclusion of fundamental elements of the Palestinian struggle within the painting. While the pen and paintbrush symbolize creativity, the rifle signifies resistance, and the olive branch and white dove represent peace. The key stands as a symbol in the Palestinian struggle for the right of return for refugees. Through this painting, Mansour conveys a steadfast commitment to carry forward the Palestinian resistance in all its manifestations, even amidst the world's self-absorption and inattentiveness to the Palestinian plight.’

‘the hay wain’ - john constable (1821)

two prints from ‘the war’ series (1924) - otto dix

‘nudes playing under a tree’ (1910) & ‘moonrise; soldier and maiden’ (1905) - ernst ludwig kirchner

‘pot pourri’ - herbert james draper (1897)

‘adieu!’ - alfred guillou (1892)

with a title meaning ‘goodbye’, this piece depicts the final moments of a fisherman and his loved one before they are overwhelmed by the force of the sea. a strong sense of urgency is created due to the towering waves and already-sunken mast in the background of the piece. this is a contrast to the stillness of the foreground; in this we see the person slipping into the water, their body already limp as the fisherman desperately clings on.

‘ghismonda with the heart of guiscardo’ (detail) - bernardino mei (1655)