Hieronymus Bosch and workshop - The Conjurer

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Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch and workshop - The Conjurer

There are five known versions of this painting and one engraving, but most experts believe this one is the most reliable copy. It is kept locked in a safe and loaned out on a limited basis for special exhibitions. It’s been under lock and key, since it was stolen in 1978, but luckily returned a few months later.

Like many Flemish paintings it conveys a moral message. The owl in the basket at the conjurer's waist signifies the dark arts. The frog jumping from the mouth of the dupe represents reason having given in to bestial impulses. The child, watching the victim being robbed of his money purse exemplifies the Flemish proverb: "He who lets himself be fooled by conjuring tricks loses his money and becomes the laughing stock of children."

The conjurer enthralls his audience with a game of “cups and balls”, an ancient gambling game. It is based on deception and sleight of hand, thus the conjurer. The routine includes many of the fundamental effects of magic: the balls vanish, appear, transpose and reappear. An illustration of this game can be found on the 2500BC wall of an Egyptian burial chamber.

To see original: bit.ly/3MYwqtD

Sandro Botticelli - Primavera

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Inspired by: Sandro Botticelli , Primavera

Many believe this painting was commissioned by Medicis as a gift on the occasion of a family wedding. Though the ceremony took place in July, the nuptial was originally scheduled for May, making spring an appropriate subject matter. In the painting, nine mythological figures appear in an orange grove (a reference to the Medicis). All around them, sprout hundreds of flowers in bloom. There are almost 500 blossoms, representing about 200 different species of which 130 have been specifically identified. The characters in the painting are intended to be identified in order from right to left to suggest the progression of the Spring season. Zephyrus god of March, followed by Venus, the goddess of April, and Mercury, the god of May. Mercury uses his caduceus to disperse the wisps of clouds in preparation for the oncoming summer. The caduceus is Mercury’s magic wand entwined by two serpents. It became a symbol of the medical profession. To see original: https://bit.ly/2FC6z83

Edgar Degas - Waiting

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Inspired by Edgar Degas - Waiting

Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas affected disdain toward the improvised outdoor landscape studies for which many of the Impressionists became known. He clung to the habit of drawing on location in preparation for his pictures and insisted on finishing in the studio routinely with models. Degas considered himself a Realist painter. He attempted to paint things as they were, versus how he perceived them to be. Still, the art world considers him an Impressionist artist as he adopted their loose strokes and play on light.
Degas and the ballet are virtually synonymous. Dancers, shown in every phase of their complex and demanding art form, make up more than fifty percent of his abundant output. He created approximately 1,500 paintings, monotypes and drawings.
He was aware, from an early point in his studies, of the exhaustion of the ballerinas, and the extent to which they pushed the limits of their bodies. He was further conscious of the brevity of a dancer’s career. Here the chaperone’s face still displays youthful features, yet she is more than likely an ex-dancer. The younger woman represents what her forlorn looking companion once was.

To see original: bit.ly/3o4o32n