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Maps/Drawing: Ptolemy's Map of the World
Along with ancient artists, and writers such as Homer, and Herodotus, Ptolemy was the equivalent in geography. His early map of the then known world was incredible if one thinks about it. It's a mammoth in art of maps, geography, and ancient history. The map itself is artistic in my opinion, and paints a time, a place, and a style that was unique, and bold. To see Ptolemy's real maps would be the same grandiose of seeing The Venus de Milo, or a Gutenberg Bible. -
1495
Tapestries: Unicorn Tapestries (1495-1505)
I see Tapestries at museums from time to time. I admit, I usually kind of graze through the works, but sometimes when you have the time to see the intricate detail, and colors that are actually weaved, some of them are fantastic. The Unicorn Tapestries are a popular, and beautiful examples of tapestries. They are also influential on many stories, and fairytales even dating to today. The mythical creature is created in a realm, and time where maybe they did possibly exist. -
1516
Painting: Christ Carrying the Cross - Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch was an extremely animated, and surrealist Dutch painter who predated the actual surrealists by a few hundred years. His paintings are full of bizarre, biblical, dark colors, and detail. This is one of my favorite paintings, but recently it has been given credit to a follower of Bosch. -
Painting: Judith Slaying Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi
A grand exhibit that shows the biblical tale. It's very gruesome, and one of the most graphic paintings I have seen, but this doesn't take away any of its beauty, and strong message. Female artist Artemisia Gentileschi was a master of Italian early Baroque painting. -
Painting: Witches' Flight - Francisco Goya
Witches' Flight painted during Goya's later, dark period. The artist was known for his royal portraits, and war scenes. But after sickness that left him deaf, his talents took a darker edge. Gloomy, metaphorical, haunting, a great example of his dark period filled with bad dreams, and too deep thinking. But that deep thinking was closest to reality or eternity than anything else. Goya in many ways was of another world in his late life, one that was dark but still aesthetically beautiful. -
Literature: The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame is my favorite book. It's a hard read has half the book is great description of the Church's architecture, and precise mapping of 15th century Paris. The story itself is one of the cruelest, + greatest of tragedies ever told. There still hasn't been a film that has captured, or come close to Hugo's expressionistic sad story. Beautiful within its tragedy still, writing like poetry, along with a history lesson of the church, and certain era Paris -
Painting: Le Moulin De La Galette (1876) by Auguste Renoir
Possibly my favorite expressionism artists. His colors were so fluid, light, and moving. It always makes my eyes comforted when I see one of his paintings. This is one of his best, and grandest. His son Jean Renoir would became a major artists in the same ranks as a filmmaker. -
Sculpture: SculpturThe Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin
I admit Rodin isn't always my favorite sculptor, but this particular piece has always been pleasing, and strong. It's story of who the men are from The Hundred Years War (1347) is also beautiful, yet tragic. The sensual, and sad faces, plus the figures motion is very emotional. -
Sculptor: Camille Claudel (1864-1943)
If there ever was a tragic figure of an artist, sculptor Camille Claudel was one of them. She was muse, lover, and model to the greater known sculptor Rodin. I find her work more sensual, pleading, and sad, but in a graceful way. She is one of my favorite sculptors. -
Animation: Gertie the Dinosaur
Winsor McCay was a pioneer of early animation. By today's standards the movement, and structure of Gertie the dinosaur has much less flair. But taken into the context of its time this animated short is as grand as Walt Disney, and other grand future of animation. The creature himself is also very poetic in simplicity, and cute too. -
Film: Greed (Erich Von Stroheim, 1925)
Greed is considered by many to be the Holy Grail of the cinema. German American director Erich Von Stroheim's original edit, and cut was over 9 hours long. Censorship, and more caused him to shrink his film down to an eventual 3 or so hours. Now what's survived is about a 4 1/2 hour version with a lot of still shots mixed in with the actual film. Just of what's left is phenomenal, and passionate. One of cinema's great expressionistic feats, and that's of what's left of the film. -
Literature: H.P. Lovecraft
The catalyst of 20th century weird tales, and literature was an everlasting influence on both colleagues, and future writers including Ashton Clark Smith, Richard Mathewson, and Steven King. His stories were gloomy, and usually of the Horror genre, but sometimes science fiction as well. His Cthulhu series are his most famous writings. From Rhode Island, he wrote a great dim picture of the state in his writing. -
Animation: Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse
The early animation of Walt Disney as of when he introduced Mickey mouse to the world in 1928 was a mile stone in animation history. Through the next decade himself, and his team would construct beautiful black, and white cartoons incorporating music into them too. At the end of the decade Disney would release the very first feature animated film, the beautiful Snow White, and the Seven Dwarves. He also started a huge success of film merchandise as anything Mickey was a huge seller. -
Painting: Gas (1940) by Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper has always been my favorite American painter. He captures a true American landscape of the 20s, 30s, and 40s capturing a countries rural areas, coastlines, major city life, and more. His painting Glass is a lonely painting, but it's also peaceful. The single figure in the middle of the work looks like a representation of either eastern rural America, or its traveling tourists. This painting along with his more famous Nighthawks is my favorite of Hopper's work. -
Film: Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson, 1951)
A film by the relentless French director Robert Bresson, who predated the French new wave by a decade, and was known for his solemn topics, and amazing character studies of people, or the world not doing so great. One of the grieves of performances by Claude Laydu is a perfect example of aesthetics being beautiful even under such restrictions, and hopelessness. The depressing fate is almost gorgeous. -
Photography: A Great Day in Harlem
Photographer Art Kane was able to get together a group of phenomenal jazz artists for an afternoon shoot. It's a Who's Who in jazz including neighborhood friends, and family. The fact that you can see all of these people in just a single photo is astonishing as the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Benny Golson, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Krupa, Charles Mingus, Art Farmer, Bud Freeman, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins just to name a few all pose for a great shot, and history. -
Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
Released in 1968, Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was a grand achievement in both art, and cinema. It was a huge influence on all space related sci-fi films thereafter. The combination of fantastic visuals, effects, and musical choices for the score are epic. Amazing sci-fi author, and scientist Arthur C. Clark wrote an original, classic tale of endless space, time, and story. -
Music: Abbey Road - The Beatles 1969
Almost all of the Beatles single albums are essential, and beyond influential. But Abbey Road might be one of the grander ones has it explores, and perfects the ideas of the music medley on almost all of side 2 of the LP. Classic, and beautiful songs include Here Comes The Sun, Oh! Darling, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, and She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. A grand true swan song by Paul, Ringo, George, and John! -
Architecture: John Hancock Center
I included the Hancock Building in my architecture discussion a couple weeks ago as well, but it's just one of my favorite buildings, and represents the whole beautiful Chicago skyline to me, even over the Sears Tower. Opened in 1969, it's a simple building yet is a marvel of modern architecture. It sits at 100 stories, and was once one of the tallest buildings in the world. It still is 2nd tallest in Chicago. -
FAnny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982)
One of my very favorites of films, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander is a grand long epic about family, ghosts, religion, faith, childhood, and much more. It's opening hour scene is a beautiful setting of a wealthy Swedish Christmas at the turn of the century (1900). The colors are among Bergman's, and always used cinematographer Sven Nykvist's greatest feats. Fanny is pure art, painting, philosophy, and beauty. -
Film: Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006)
Probably my favorite film of the still young 21st century, Pan's Labyrinth is a gorgeous, and dark fairy tale for adults set in the aftermath of the brutal Spanish Civil War. The Spanish language adds to its beautiful exterior, it wouldn't be the same film in any other language. It's up to the viewers to decide what's real or not.
