#bestartillustration

John Godward - Reverie - 1904. I am lucky to be in London today and viewing many great works in person! Feeling some love for the Victorians today. Forward always inspires. I live the gorgeous leopard skin! #Art #painting #skill #craft #beauty #beautiful #skillmatters #beautymatters #bestartillustration

Rudolf Ernst "The Fortune Teller". I love Ernst's work. They are always so beautifully rendered. The surface, and this doesn't show up well in photos, is usually full of texture. Some impasto, some carved into the paint. Thick and thin, brushed and knifed on, his work has it all and with great mastery. What do you think the woman's fortune is? She has her hands on a mound of sand while the fortune teller begins telling her her future. I wonder if he reads the impression she leaves in the sand? I am intrigued. I also like his clothes. They are rich looking but when you look closer you see they are a bit worn and tattered. The last detail I like is the woman's cool veil, tucked into her robes. One thing that I like about this movement is the glimpse into history it gives. Sometimes heavily edited or idealized, but the details are from observation and have integrity. . . #Art #painting #skillmatters #beautymatters #bestartillustration

Jean-Baptiste Greuze - The Laundress (La Blanchisseuse) - 1761 - This painting is in the Getty museum in California. I almost hesitate to post it here, because even though these are great scans, they don’t do the painting justice at all. It’s a remarkable little painting in person. The way Greuze used hard and soft edges, subtle changes and saturation and color temperature are truly masterful. I also love the way that Greuze paints flesh tones. They’re so clean and vibrant. . . #Art #painting #skill #bestartillustration

Thomas Wilmer Dewing "Lady in Yellow" 1888. Another beautiful one from a new favorite artists. His work glows in person and the edges dance in and out of focus as you work around the image. I love the profile here as well as the strong but delicate changes in temperature and saturation in her flesh. . . #Art #painting #skill #craft #beauty #beautiful #skillmatters #beautymatters #bestartillustration

Pompeo Batoni "Return of the Prodigal Son" 1773. What a gorgeous palette and light. I love the warm shadows and rich textures and the symbolic way the father's robe is enveloping the son. The glow off the back is so luminous too. Amazing display of painting skill. #art #beauty #beautiful #skills #craft #painting #bestartillustration

Jean-Léon Gérôme - Réception du Grand Condé à Versailles - 1878. This is a detail I took while at the d'Orsay. I love the detail in Gerome's work but I also love how he simplifies forms and shapes. This detail shows both amazing attention to detail but also a beautiful reduction of information. It is helpful in these close up images to see some of Gerome's brush work. You can also see how Gerome's used hard and soft edges to turn forms and convey texture. Drome had an exceptional understanding of light and how it affected different materials. Look on the right sleeve on the top, how the pink ribbons become very intense in the shadow side. The light appears to be both bouncing into the shadows and passing through the material creating a very saturated color. #art #painting #beautiful #skills #craft #bestartillustration

John William Waterhouse "Juliet" 1898 - I love this painting for several reasons. The contrast of detail and brushwork really draws your focus. He really tightens up around the beautiful profile. The nose and lips are perfect. They are essential to Waterhouse. I also love how the hair is painted. Simplified down to two values with just a slight difference but it has great form. The blue of the eyes is paired so well with the turquoise necklace. A lovely, simple composition that lets you focus on the beauty portrayed. #art #painting #shakespeare #craft #skills #beautiful #bestartillustration

Detail from Jean-Paul Laurens, "L'excommunication de Robert le Pieux", 1875, Musee d'Orsay. You don't get a feel of the texture in this painting from most of the captures of it I have seen. Beautiful rich surface! #art #painting #craft #skills #beautiful #beauty #bestartillustration