Painting

Famous Paintings by Famous Artists of the 20^th Century

Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) painted Nude Descending a Staircase #2 in 1912 and set the world on its ear.  The style of Duchamp’s work, a stylized facet-Cubism referred to at the time as Futurism, was shocking to the art-viewing public.  It’s oil on canvas, sized 57-7/8 x 35-1/8 inches, and owned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA.

Max Beckmann (1884-1950), German, painted Acrobats in 1938-1939. It is oil on canvas in triptych.  The center panel measures 78-1/2 x 67 inches and the side panels 78-1/2 x 35-1/2 inches each.  His style was Expressionism with dark line work and strong color.   The painting is part of the private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Morton May of St. Louis and on display at the Saint Louis Art Museum, MO.

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) painted Guernica, oil on canvas, in 1937 as the centerpiece for the Spanish Pavilion during the 1939 World’s Fair.  The painting is considered one of Picasso’s most famous and recognizable images and is a work of personal outrage against the destruction of Guernica, Spain, as part of bombing practice for Hitler’s planes.  The village and all inhabitants were obliterated. Always the patriot, although not interested in politics, Picasso used this painting to share his pain and sadness.  It is currently on display at Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

Edward Hopper (1882-1967) painted Early Sunday Morning, an oil on canvas, in 1930.  It measures 35 x 60 inches and is Realism in style.  His use of large planes of color and his stylized and realistic imagery is exceptional.  Hopper was equally talented as a watercolorist and printmaker (etching).  This painting is viewable at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY.

Jackson Pollock (1912–1956) painted Number 1 (Lavender Mist) in 1950.  His Abstract Expressionistic style was born in 1947 with the first of his drip style works that rocked the world.  Number 1 (Lavender Mist) is painted in oil on canvas and measures 87 x 118 inches – considered very large for this time, but future works would be even larger.  See this work at The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) painted Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue (see below) from 1937–42.  It’s oil on canvas and measures 28-1/2 x 27-1/8 inches.  Mondrian’s style is a hard-edged work described as “successive golden rectangles dividing a golden rectangle into squares.”  Go to www.gogeometry.com/wonder_world/piet_mondrian_composition_ii_golden_rectangle.html to see it in “action.”  The painting is currently seen at the Tate Gallery, London.

Jasper Johns (1930 - ) painted Target with Four Faces in 1955.  The work is done in encaustic on newspaper on cloth over canvas.  Encaustic is an art material in which beeswax and pigment are combined for a thick, almost sculptured look.  This work is part of a long-appearing image in John’s work – the target.  The painting measures 29-3/4  x 26 x  3-3/4 inches.  It and other “target” series works can be seen at MoMA, New York, NY.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) painted The Dance during 1909-1911.  There are actually two paintings, one a study for the second.  The study was done in muted tones in 1909.  Many say the 1909 painting is more joyous, while the final canvas work finished in 1910 has a dark and almost pagan look.  It is painted in a Fauvist fashion with strong, warm tones against a cool background.  One might wonder why Matisse changed moods before doing the second work.  See the first painting at MoMA, NYC; the large, more oil on canvas (102 x 153 inches) is exhibited at the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia.

We can only dream of seeing one of these masterpieces, but having the opportunity to view all of them would surely be paradise!

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 21, No. 11 — September 2011