Welcome to the issue 22. This week’s post will be a little bit different.
One night last week, I was in a bad mood and started looking at some paintings, think of it as kind of an art therapy if you will. It is a quality comfort tactic, try it.
Then I realized that there are a bunch of masterpieces I have never seen or shared before. These paintings gave me awe, one of the most important happiness contributors according to modern science. You have to add some awe to your life science says. It can be environmental awe, experiential awe etc. You have to be amazed by the vastness, beauty or gorgeousness of something. If you do not have money or time what will you do? Open up some paintings and let yourself lose the track of time. If you need the scientific explanation go here, here or here. Power of three in persuading people :)
If you have any suggestions other than the paintings listed below, shoot me a DM via Instagram, link is at the end of this post.
I have added some details under the paintings describing the painting and giving the details you may have not heard before. Enjoy the ride !
Uh oh one last thing. Why 28 you ask? I have no idea what kept me from going to 29. However I find myself saying 28 a lot while I am trying to exaggerate something. Maybe, there is a mystery I need to look into.
1* Edward Hopper, Night Hawks - 1942
Let’s dive into the painting in 3-D:
2* Claude Monet, Impression Sunrise - 1874
Impression Sunrise is the hallmark of the Impressionists. Monet depicts the port of Le Havre which is his own hometown. Impressionists were opposed to the tradition of painting historical, religious and literary subjects. They mostly preferred painting scenes from the general flow of life, city life and views from the countryside.
3* Alexei Petrovich Bogoliubov, Moonlit Evening
While I was scrolling through Instagram, Reddit, Twitter and various other sites to find more paintings that will give me literal chills, I have met with Alexei. Glad I did. Take a look at below video.
4* Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog - 1818
I tried to know a little bit better the man who painted this, and many other masterpieces that depicts the loneliness of humans and silence and vastness of the universe. These two quotes are striking:
You call me a misanthrope because I avoid society. You err; I love society. Yet in order not to hate people, I must avoid their company.” - Caspar David Friedrich
“The feelings of another person should never be imposed upon us as a law.” - Caspar David Friedrich
I strongly suggest you to go through his complete paintings.
5* Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights - 1940 - 1950
This video is by far the most-needed art education we did not know we needed. I think if there was a lot more resources that can explain the art in simpler terms, life would be great.
6* Vasily Kandinsky, Dominant Curve - 1936
What does this painting try to depict us? To me, important thing from this kind of painting is the emotions aroused thanks to it. You cannot understand exactly the details if you are not familiar with the art history and techniques. I do not understand either. The important point is the uniqueness of it. You can tell a Kandinsky painting from 5 miles away.
“Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposively, to cause vibrations in the soul.” - Vasily Kandinsky
7* Van Gogh, Potato Eaters - 1885
“You see, I really have wanted to make it so that people get the idea that these folk, who are eating their potatoes by the light of their le lamp, have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labor and — that they have thus honestly earned their food. I wanted it to give the idea of a wholly different way of life from ours — civilized people. So I certainly don’t want everyone just to admire it or approve of it without knowing why.” - Van Gogh
8* Salvador Dali, The Persistence of Memory - 1931
This post will be incomplete if there was not any Dali included. Apart from what he is trying to telling us, I use this painting to rehearse : Nothing is permanent.
9* Auguste Renoir, Luncheon of the Boating Party - 1880
Who would not want to remember good old days when you are having chat with best of the best friends, drinking without thinking what the tomorrow will bring and just stay in the moment all night long. This post is a reminder of this scenario, has a strong soothing effect.
Take a look at original footage of some of the most important impressionists here:
10* Johannes Vermeer, Music Lesson - 1665
I have become obsessed with this painting after watching the documentary below. Although I think this amount of obsession is overwhelming, I believe every one of us needs some kind of this. People regularly searching for something are the ones that could not find the real obsession crafted for them, I think.
11* Caspar David Friedrich, The Monk by the Sea - 1810
“Nothing could be more sombre nor more disquieting than to be placed thus in the world: the one sign of life in the immensity of the kingdom of death, the lonely center of a lonely circle. With its two or three mysterious objects the picture seems somehow apocalyptic, like Young’s Night Thoughts, and since its monotony and boundlessness are only contained by the frame itself, contemplation of this picture gives one the sense that one’s eyelids have been cut away.” - Heinrich von Kleist on The Monk by the Sea
12* Edouard Manet, Folies Bergere Bar - 1882
Can you feel the loneliness of the woman? Can you hear the voices behind her? How does she play the role of being a waiter? Is it authentic? Does she lose her way? How can she be true to herself?
Great details here:
13* Evgeny Lushpin, Evening Journey - 2009
This is art meditation at its best:
14* Claude Monet, The Lunch - 1876
15* Pierre-Auguste Renoir, La Grenouillère - 1869
Take a journey here through the works of Renoir, splendid.
16* John Martin - Solitude - 1843
17* Kazimir Malevich - Red Cavalry - c. 1930
18* Office at Night, Phil Lockwood - 1941 - Homage to Edward Hopper
In this work 'Office At Night', Phil Lockwood reveals a kind of potpourri by compiling different works of Edward Hopper.
19* Rembrandt, Philosopher in Meditation - 1632
20* Petrus Van Schendel - A Market Stall by Moonlight - 1870
21* Salvador Dali - El Palacio Del Viento
22* Evgeny Lushpin- La Mason Rose Blue- 2022
23* Andrea Kowch, Reunion - 2018
24* Albrecht Dürer , Praying Hands - 1508
Do you want to replicate this, here is a great A-Z video:
Go here to review full archive. He is a master at drawing hands.
25* Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing - 1767
26* Carl Wilhemson , Fiskarflicka - 1894
27* Salvador Dali, Young Woman at a Window - 1925
Here is a good intro to surrealism:
28*John Atkinson Grimshaw, Autumn Gold
The last one had to be this but it may change as I change of course. It is an endless feeling just to look at this painting. For complete works of John, look here.