Europeans III

The Europeans take the stage in this collection. A couple of old masters to start things off then a selection of the incredible variety of 19th-century painting. The old masters show the continuity represented in these arts. Always changing and always connected - just like organic cultures. A vast tree, endlessly branching and renewing with the vital force of the trunk. The lifeblood of culture.

The scale of the arts of the West beggars the imagination. The aggregate creativity, beauty, and truth stands as one of man's greatest achievements. That we have been cut off from this is a crime against humanity in the moral if not legal sense of the word. And Europe was the heart of this. Look at the techne - the skill - and vision of of artists who lived centuries ago. This is the level that the arts of the West spring from. Each new generation bringing their own styles and concerns, but devoting lives to reaching and even surpassing the standards set by the founders.

Alexandre Calame, View of Lake Geneva, 1849

The fake timelines of Art! recognize the old masters, but as part of a History! that leads to Modernism. Things get iffy after the Romantics - narrowing to a certain kind of Realism then Impressionism then Post-Impressionism then the million -isms of Modernism. Ignoring all the beauty and techne that artists actually were creating for the secret knowledge of well-placed sociopaths.

We turn our attention to the 19th century because this is where the fork happens. This is when the surveys and timelines stop describing things of techne and logos. This is where we need to pick up the thread. Giving the whole post over to 19th-century Europe reveals how broad the tree had grown. There are Romantics to show how influential that movement was visually. Moving landscapes carry into the 20th century. Academic classicism reaches levels of breathtaking realism and beauty. Christian themes have appropriate gravitas. Prints made fine art affordable. And keep in mind - this is a small sliver of the possibilities. What the Band likes, then of that, what serves logos, then of that. what we think others will like. The reality defies description.

Michelangelo, Pietà, 1498-1499

Good Friday with one of the most magnificent statues of all time.

A perfect blend of ideal classical beauty & the beauty of holiness. The flawless forms are signs of spiritual perfection

Statues are hard to share because they look different from different angles.

Serene classical beauty in the faces & the small wounds show moral perfection rather than the historical realism of Mary’s age and Jesus’ suffering.

Matthias Grünewald, The Resurrection, from the Isenheim Altarpiece, 1512–1516

An unusual treatment of the Resurrection for Easter Sunday. It’s a personal favorite and like nothing else in the 16th century.

Gustave Doré, Christ Leaving the Praetorium, 1872

Good Friday picture where Jesus both stands alone & is the center of the composition.

Look at the perspective & his gaze - he is moving towards us. The light in the darkness.

Horatio McCulloch, Glencoe, 1864

The Scottish Highlands have a unique & rugged beauty of steep rocky hills and lakes.

The airy but uncertain atmosphere compliments the austere setting. Spring will bring some green.

Gustave Doré, Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem, 1866

Palm Sunday with Doré’s woodcut print of Matthew 21: 7-8 from his Grande Bible de Tours.

His set of illustrations is a masterpiece of printmaking.

Moonlit Ruin on the River, mid-19th century

The moon has been interesting lately.

Here’s a scene by an unknown painter with an enchanted silvery light. It draws your eye like a tunnel.

Call it a pre-morning picture.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Two Sisters, 1901

Academic master paints his daughters.

The girls are idealized but painted with photo-realistic precision. Their expressions are almost unbelievable. The younger one seems alive.

Peder Mørk Mønsted, A Spring Day in the Forest at Sæby, 19th century

Woodland scene from a Danish painter with an eye for lighting.

Small flowers & light through the greenery bring the feel of spring. The reflections are excellent.

Carl Bloch, The Resurrection, 1873

Here’s a more conventional painting of the Resurrection.

Bloch interprets Christian themes with a mixture of realism and classical grandeur that makes them accessible and noble.

Carl Gustav Carus, Clouds of Fog in Saxon Switzerland, 1821

German artist symbolizes the world that we find imposed on us. Hard to get a fix on the big picture.

But look to the top left - the light will burn the fog away.

Caspar David Friedrich, Morning on the Riesengebirge, 1810

Romantic pioneer links the glory Christian salvation to the beauty of his German landscape.

Only the cross breaks the horizon. It literally bridges earth & heaven.

Anders Monsen Askevold, A Village by a Fjord, 1892

Norwegian painters were often drawn to their rugged & distinct fjord settings.

Globalists denies unique beauty everywhere. Nationalists can appreciate it anywhere.

Alexandre Calame, View of Lake Geneva, 1849

Morning sun clears away the mountain mist in this Alpine scene.

Strong blue tones add a cool, peaceful calm to the dramatic scenery. You can almost smell the freshness in the air.

Johan Christian Dahl, Frederiksborg Castle, 1814

Nocturnal scene of a Danish castle.

Hiding the moon behind the tree lets him explore the subtle light effects on the clouds and glittering on the glass in the windows.

William McTaggart, Spring, 1864

Scottish painter combines the rebirth of springtime & the promise of renewal in childhood.

Organic cultures keep children connected to family & immediate community. The cure for globalism.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Solitude. Recollection of Vigen, Limousin, 1866

Good isolation picture by a French artist.

The scattering of light on the leaves unifies the scene & gives it a dreamlike quality. Like a reverie.

Carl Friedrich Lessing, Chapel on the Edge of the Wood, 1839

Sunday morning picture shows us the connections between people, place, and faith.

As the NWO crumbles, there’s no better time to start your organic community.

Peder Mørk Mønsted, Reflections of Spring, 1908

Danish painter with a sunny spring painting that seems real and like a memory at the same time.

Reconnecting with why so many look forward to the season of rebirth.

Mildred Anne Butler, The Garden at Kilmurry, 19th-20th century

Ready for spring, an Irish painter blends watercolors to make a blooming garden look like fireworks.

There’s just enough structure so the scene holds together.

William Didier-Pouget, Corrèze Highlands, 1902-1903

Misty morning in SW France with an artist who captures that faint quality of early light.

There’s a real history of 20th century art out there without “modern” trash.

Charles Kuwasseg, An Alpine Town in Spring, 19th century

Springtime with organic culture - the natural growth of people, place & way of life.

Clear houses next to misty mountains make it present & timeless at the same time.

Federico Del Campo, The Doge’s Palace and Santa Maria della Salute, 1896

Venice has always been popular with painters for the unique light & water.

This Peruvian painter’s clear architecture makes it all seem more realistic.

Gustave Doré, The just souls form the shape of an eagle, 1868

Sunday morning with Dante. Paradiso is hard to illustrate because of all the heavenly visions.

Doré’s black & white lets you fill in glory that can’t be shown.

Rene Charles Edmond His, A Woodland Stream, 20th century

And for something more colorful, here’s some morning light on a tranquil stream.

From an early 20th century French painter who actually wasn’t modernist & could paint.

Sophus Jacobsen, Moonlit Bay, 19th century

Mist & moonlight from a Norwegian painter. Night painting is its own skill, but get it right & it’s breathtaking.

Like the silvery light. But don’t miss the other lights’ glow.

Hans Dahl, With Good Wind, 19th century

Norwegian painter always fills traditional life with life & joy. You almost feel the fresh air.

Place is important to organic cultures. It’s the basis of shared experience.

René Charles Edmond His, A Cottage on the Riverside, 20th century

Something more modest from a 20th century French painter.

Portrait view is more intimate. Distant gold light creates depth. You could socially isolate here for a while.

Hermann Corrodi, Roman Aqueduct on the Appia Antica at Sunset, 19th century

The passing of time against ancient ruins is a reminder that the works of man are fleeting.

The blazing sunset is impressive on its own right.

William Adolphe Bouguereau, Picking Hazelnuts, 1883

Classical beauty by a technical master. Astonishing realism but flawless, with figures and setting in perfect harmony.

The Classical strives for reality perfected.

Henri Biva, The Woodland Pool, 19th century

There are different ways to draw you into a painting. Veils of spring green give you a glimpse at the bright clearing beyond the pool.

If you’re curious it gets more interesting.

Petrus van Schendel, Night Market in Amsterdam, 19th century

Belgian painter known for his night lighting shows us a world lit by gas & moonlight.

Light brings form & order to the dark. And organic communities are safer.

Emilio Sánchez-Perrier, An Afternoon on the River, Seville, 19th century

Spanish realist captures a simple riverbank with incredible clarity.

There’s beauty of logos even in ordinary things. Good art helps us see it.

Pierre-Louis Kühnen, Lonely Fisherman at Twilight, 1841

Landscape painters enhance the beauty of a place with things like sunset glow, still waters & mysterious shadows.

Looking real and making you want it to be real.