artists
Master Crewe as Henry VIII
A recent rabbit hole in the peculiar world of “Cute Studies” led me to this unlikely and delightful eighteenth century painting by Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792),[1] which was inspired by Hans Holbein’s sixteenth century portrait of Henry VIII. I was temped to share the two images with no commentary, but one rabbit hole led to another.…
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Cecilia Beaux, Portrait Painter
During her lifetime, Cecelia Beaux (1855-1942) was well-known in the social circles who had their portraits painted. She was often compared to John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), whose career overlapped with Beaux’s— both for her style and for her place as one of the leading society portrait painters of her day.[1] Both blended academic realism with…
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Neysa McMein: Illustrator and Jazz Age Icon
Illustrator Neysa McMein (1888-1949) was born Marjorie McMein in Quincy, Illinois in 1888. She left Quincy and the name Marjorie behind as soon as she could. After high school, Marjorie left Quincy for Chicago where she studied commercial art at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1913, she moved to New York, where she changed…
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