Julius Granström

Berlinde De Bruyckere (Belgian, 1964)

Giorgione never finished “The Sleeping Venus”. After his death around 1510, Titian completed the painting, and scholars still debate which parts belong to each artist.

What is certain is its influence. The relaxed, reclining pose became one of the most famous in Western art, inspiring artists from Titian to Velázquez, Goya and Manet. More than 500 years later, the painting still feels remarkably calm and modern. Today, “The Sleeping Venus” is in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden.

Two women. Blue silence. In “The Sacred Hour”, Ferdinand Hodler places two almost identical figures side by side, dressed in deep blue robes. Their calm poses and quiet symmetry create a feeling of stillness that seems to exist outside of time.

The small red flowers around them are easy to miss, but they add a gentle contrast that makes the peaceful scene feel quietly extraordinary.

leda, the swan and the goose, ivar arosenius

The Factory

Artist: Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890)

Date: 1887

Medium: Oil on canvas

New York Street

Artist: Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935)

Date: 1902

Medium: Oil on canvas