Blossoming Almond Branch in a Glass (1888)

Blossoming Almond Branch in a Glass (1888)
One of my favorite still life subjects of Van Gogh, the cut branch in a glass, I ran across this one with the book behind creating a complicated compositional element. Note also the use of complementary colors, red and green, creating a vibration in the painting.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Sir Christopher Wren

Happy Birthday Christopher Wren!! The English architect was born in 1632 and knighted in 1673. He earned his degree from Wadham College, Oxford and there helped form an intellectual group: The Royal Society. He initially studied astronomy, but when an uncle requested he design a chapel for pembroke College, Cambridge, he began his work in architecture. He completed seveal commissions and even designed an utopian vision for London after the great fire, which was only partially realized. Today I am including St. Paul's Cathedral (1675-1710), London, a design in the Late Renaissance style. The peak of the dome stands 366 feet above the pavement.

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