Eastwood Art Club

LATEST NEWS

UPDATE 26 September 2021

Quote for the week

Let`s go to Germany!

This month we're going to visit the Old National Gallery in Berlin. We can take a virtual tour of their international collection as well as the works of German artists. For those unfamiliar with German artists, there is a list of ten of the most famous artists alongside one their masterpieces. One of the artists, Anselm Kiefer creates large beautiful paintings using mixed media, including molten lead, straw, clay and ash. You can watch a short video where he explains the thinking behind his art work.

Old National Gallery, Berlin, Germany

(Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin)

Take a virtual tour of the Gallery and view the paintings on show there. You'll see the art works of international artists as well as those of German artists. There are three floors so plenty to see.

When you click on the link below, click on the little yellow figure on the screen to start the tour.

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/alte-nationalgalerie-staatliche-museen-zu-Berlin

10 Famous German Artists

Anselm Kiefer (1945- )

Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor who incorporates everyday materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead and shellac in his art works. Son of an art teacher, he later attended the University of Freiburg, studying law and languages then switched to art, where one of his teachers was Peter Dreher, a realist and figurative painter. Kiefer values a 'spiritual connection' with the materials he works with. He likes the balance between order and chaos and cares very deeply about the space his work is shown. In 2007 he was the first artist in 50 years to be commissioned to install a permanent work at the Louvre.

Anselm Kiefer explains his work

In this video, Anselm Kiefer explains the techniques and inspirations for his art work. His beautiful art work incorporates unusual elementsl. Growing up in a farm which had fields of cows, straw was a very familiar material to him. He adds straw to his painting and uses a machete to cut it to the required size. Another medium he enjoys using is molten lead. He applies this to the paintings and scrapes away until he gets the required effect. Listen to Anselm talking about his work.

https://youtu.be/HaWt0tuPErU

Art Work by Anselm Kiefer

The new film 'Lost Leonardo' featuring the painting 'Salvator Mundi'

Is the mystery now solved?

This is a fascinating account of the purchase of the painting, 'Salvator Mundi', which is now the subject of a documentary film, 'Lost Leonardo' on general release from September 10th 2021. There has been a great deal of controversy about the authenticity of this painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. The painting was unveiled about ten years ago and in 2017 was bought for £326m by Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, becoming the most expensive painting ever sold at public auction. Read the story about the background to the selling of the painting and the resulting film below.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/sep/09/lost-leonardo-da-vinci-film-solved-mystery-worlds-most-expensive-painting-salvator-mundi

Light and Shadow - a tutorial

If you need a refresher tutorial on light and shade, here is a very informal but helpful video that explains the use of light and shadow in your paintings.

https://youtu.be/xcCJ2CU-bFw

Stepping into the world of the Mona Lisa

The Louvre creates a virtual reality experience.

As the Mona Lisa is the most viewed painting in the Louvre, it can be difficult for the visitor to move in and look closely at the details in the painting. The curators at the Louvre have come up with the idea of creating a virtual reality experience where you step into painting and explore it further. Click on the link below to see how it is done.

https://youtu.be/Au_UpzhzHwk

Try this virtual reality experience for yourself!

The Paul Gaugin Journey

Enter a Gaugin painting and using your mouse or finger (if you have an iPad), move around the screen to get a 360 degree view. Watch as the painting develops and listen to Gauguin's words as he explains his thinking behind the painting.

https://youtu.be/BMxrYI_q6Bg

How good was your art when you were 9 years old?

Do you have any drawings or paintings from your childhood? Lucas Greenfield is a nine year old from Dorset who used his time in lockdown by drawing and painting portraits. One of his drawings of a homeless man has been selected to be exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts. Read this interesting article about Lucas and his art work.

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/19534656.lucas-greenfield-artwork-exhibited-royal-academy-arts/

Can you match the painting to the artist?

Try the quiz below