Remember the ancient Greek legend of a contest between two great painters to decide which one of them was the better one? Zeuxis painted a still life that was so real that even birds knocked against the painting, hoping to get a bite of the grapes. The King was impressed. He then asked Parrhasius to draw the curtain and reveal what he had painted. Parrhasius smiled, for he knew that he had won the content. The curtains themselves were his painting.
From the earliest cave paintings, which date back to around 13,000 BC, to modern graffiti, the one thing that stands the test of time in these paintings is their ability to appeal to the human sensibility over centuries and nations. The very fact that you smiled at the end of reading the story above indicates that each human being forms a distinct relationship with a painting, whatever his personal reason might be. While the cave paintings might have an aura of mystery and thus appeal to us even today, modern art appeals to us due to its simplicity or the fact that color is given so much prominence.
All the famous painters, from Eyke to Picasso, painted not for money, but as a result of deep emotion, either towards a theme or a medium. Leonardo da Vinci left only 30-odd works complete. He constantly shifted between sculpting, painting and procrastinating. Vincent Van Gogh committed suicide out of frustration that no one understood his work. Picasso dabbled in styles and invested cubism, or the art of painting in geometric shapes. It is these sentiments that eventually reflect in their paintings. And this is why they appeal to us even today.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Oil Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Oil paintings come in all shapes and sizes, and may be based on a variety of themes to appeal to all tastes. They may be painted on different types of material, such as canvas or cardboard. Original classic oil paintings are among the most valuable...
-
Flower Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Painting is an expression of an artist’s imagination and reflects his perception of the world around him. Painters are usually inspired by scenery, landscapes, and other elements of nature. Most painters are captivated by the beauty and aesthetic appeal of various types of flowers. It...
-
Landscape Painting
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Many of us will be tempted to think that landscape painting is an exact replication of the landscape an artist sees right before him. The exact numbers of physical features such as hills, the exact number of living features such as plants or humans, and...
-
Oil Painting Portraits
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Before the advent of photography, portrait paintings and sketches were the only way images of loved ones could be preserved for posterity. Perhaps the most famous oil painting portrait in the world is the Mona Lisa, painted by Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci...
-
Impressionist Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
‘Impressionism’ was one of the most important art movements in the 19th century that began when a certain section of artists from Paris began a public display of their art. This name was coined after the famous painting of Claude Monet. In the late mid-19th...
-
Famous Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Even if you have little interest in art, you have probably heard names such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. These were, after all, the greatest painters that ever lived. Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci’s...
-
Abstract Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
If you think abstract paintings are a phenomenon of the 20th century, you can’t be further from the truth. Islamic and Jewish religions have from their very beginnings prohibited the depiction of human forms. As a result, these religions developed a high skill in decorative...
-
Japanese Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Painting is one of the most popular forms of art in Japan. Japanese paintings, which were highly influenced by Chinese style of painting, are exquisite and at times can be very intricate. In the Muromachi period (1338-1573), Chinese paintings were introduced in Japan, owing to...
-
Native American Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Native American paintings painted by American Indians are highly popular in the United States and other countries. Many tourists purchase them as a souvenir or a gift for their loved ones. Native American paintings are contemporary and unique. Traditional native paintings were less prominent and...
-
What You Need To Know About Paintings
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Some paintings make us smile, some make us sad. Some make us anxious, some make us curious. Some, despite their stillness, unleash a flurry of thoughts in our heads that leave us utterly exhausted. Some stay in our mind’s eye even several years later. The...