ALFRED SISLEY

 

ALFRED SISLEY

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SUNDAY feature on ART of Architecture -by Gautam Shah

Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) is typical of Impressionist painters. He preferred to paint outdoors allowing him to capture the essence of natural light and atmosphere. He was in close contact with impressionists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Alfred Sisley was born in Paris to British parents, remained most of his life in France, but could not get the French citizenship. Sisley visited the UK several times between 1880 and 1900, where he painted scenes of the British coastline, a topic, which he rarely dealt with while in France.

His early works were darker in tone, but from 1870 he lightened his palette and began to use broken touches and strokes of opposite colours. He liked to draw big, expressive skies and fill up substantial space in the painting. He once said ‘I start my work with skies’. His scenes are of serene landscapes without any type of turbulence.

He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedication to painting landscape en plein air (i.e., outdoors).

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VIVIANO CODAZZI -New

 

VIVIANO CODAZZI -New

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SUNDAY Feature on ART of Architecture -by Gautam Shah

Viviano Codazzi (1604-1670) was a Baroque period Italian architectural painter. He is known for compositions of ruins, in Capricci¹ and some in Vedute² style. He worked during 17^th with naturalism, for scenes of villages or ancient ruins, but allowed others (Domenico Gargiulo) to fill in figures.

1 > Capricci = In painting, a Capriccio means presentation of archaeological ruins, other architectural elements and landscapes in fictional and often in a fantastical manner, and may include human figures.

2 > Vedute = A veduta is a highly detailed and accurate depiction, usually large-scale painting of a city-scape or some vista. Venice was popular with artists for such works.

In later periods, the Vedute morphed into the scenes partly or completely of imaginary elements, known as ‘capricci and vedute ideate or veduta di fantasia’. In 19^th C the Vedute became more impression-based, and used perspective and photographic tools.

The predecessors of Capricci and Vedute styles were decorative architectural scenes of 16^th C included in large-scale frescoes and ceilings called Quadratture. Capricci style was practised besides Viviano Codazzi, by Domenico Gargiulo, Marco Ricci, and Alessandro Salucci.

Viviano Codazzi collaborated with Dutch and Flemish painters, then active in Rome like, Michelangelo Cerquozzi, Jan Miel, Filippo Lauri, Adriaen van der Cabel and Vicente Giner. Painter Artemisia Gentileschi asked Viviano Codazzi to paint architectural backgrounds in a number of her paintings.

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EDOUARD LÉON CORTÈS

 

EDOUARD LÉON CORTÈS

SUNDAY Feature on ART of Architecture -by Gautam Shah

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Edouard Léon Cortès (1882-1969) was a French post-impressionist artist. He painted ‘the beauty of Paris’ in many exquisite variations in different types of weather and night settings, with oil, gouache, watercolour and pastel. He was called ‘the Parisian Poet of Painting’.

‘I was born from and for painting, and (I am) a student of myself only’. ‘I do nothing but paint. I stand in front of my easel at around eight in the morning; from twelve to two I eat lunch and rest, and I paint in the afternoon till dusk, because I don’t like artificial light. That gives me eight to ten hours a day to paint’.

Edouard Cortès sought to express special atmospheric qualities like mist in the air, afternoon sun, evening shadows, twilight hours, and shimmering wet surfaces. His illuminated windows shone warmly against the fading twilight. His variations of a theme contrasted the seasons, winter versus summer, morning versus noon and evenings. In spite of subdued cheer and exhilaration in his works, he lived in serenity and simplicity. He loved drawing Paris of 1930s, with horse-drawn carriages, omnibuses and fashions. 

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