Klimt and Demitasse

Using the square template of my dear friend Richard St. Ofle I compiled a few images of things that inspired me this week.

1. Pierre Bonnard's Montmartre in the Rain was recently acquired by the Van Gogh Museum. I would very much like to see it as this is the first Bonnard I've seen that I really like. This painting is more atmospheric than his usual jarring indoor scenes.

2. This is embroidery from a garment that belonged to King Gustav III of Sweden.

3. I finished Balthus' memoirs this week. He may have been the very last artist to approach painting as a craft. He mixed paint according to Delacroix's formulas. There is more to be said about him later.

4. This is the Revolving Miniatures Faberge Egg, it's my favorite.

5. This was taken by Arthur Elgort. I have twins on both sides of the family. I used to think it would be really wonderful to have a twin, but now I see that it's just creepy.

6. This is a detail from a painting of King Louis XV, of France. It was painted by Justinat Augustin in 1717.

7. This is beautiful, I found it on a website that just had a list of antiques that are for sale. I couldn't figure out where it came from.

8. Another Balthus. Joan Miró et sa fille Dolorès, 1937-1938.

9. I love Demitasse cups, I am starting a collection. They're so delicate and detailed, each one is a little work of art.

10. A detail from Gustave Klimt's Beethoven Frieze. Recently another Klimt was returned to it's rightful owner. Another painting of his, the infamous Portrait of Adele Bloch-Blauer was auctioned off for 135 million dollars. The story of that painting is very interesting, complete with a surprise ending!

The painting was confiscated by Nazis. Somehow it fell into the hands of Austrain government. Adele's niece and nephew, who lived in the United States were the rightful inheritors of her estate. They waged courtroom battles in Austria and America, eventually they won. They displayed the painting for a short time before selling it to a gallery owner, who promptly returned it on the condition that he could hang it in his gallery whenever he wished. His gallery, Neue Galerie, houses recovered art that was seized during the Holocaust. They refer to this painting as their Mona Lisa, I like it much better than the Mona Lisa!

11. It's summer, the heat is horrible. It's time for escape; the ocean, hiking, aimless drives, swimming, and hopefully staying away from sun burns.