It would be just our luck to travel all the way to DC to find out what we wanted to see was back home all along.
Another one of my very favorite marine paintings is the famous The Fighting Temeraire (1838) by Joseph Mallord William Turner, which hangs in the National Gallery in London. With its astonishing symbolism - the beauty of the old, ghostlike white ship (the past) in contrast to the ugly, blackened tugboat (the modern times) - it is right in my top ten ever. Well, sorry, delete this: it is right in my top five ever. And we also seen it in the last James Bond movie, Skyfall.
Regarding marine art, I'm not an artist....but it always looks like rough seas are difficult to do. Here's a guy who did a decent job, Montague Dawson....
No way can I pick one favorite. But I'll drop this one on ya, lest he goes unmentioned. Maxfield Parrish's The Pied Piper is seldom seen because its permanent residence* is Maxfields, a hotel bar in San Francisco. It's one of those little-known treasures that makes living here worthwhile. Not so little, really; it's easily 15 feet wide. It's hard to describe the pleasure of sitting in the presence of this original oil, accompanied by good friends and a dirty martini. *Don't come looking for it now; it's out for restoration. Parrish isn't my favorite artist, but there isn't one painting of his I don't revere. Look familiar?
Thank you for posting "A Coign Of Vantage"(first pic). I always liked the way Alma Tadema painted such scenes. Sea, sky, and marble, but with people(admittedly young, beautiful ones). I also like "Silver Favourites" and "Expectations". By the way, in an earlier post I named him Frederick. Error. It was Lawrence-or 'Sir Lawrence'.
I know that it's a little off cue but it reminds me of the scene in Blade Runner where Deckard uses a photo to see around a corner. (I told you it was off cue). It's also one of those that says to me, 'look closer, think about it, there's something else, something you're missing'...
Rembrandt Van Rijn:Self Portrait with a Beret and Collar Turned Up (1659) The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. When I saw this self portrait by Rembrandt in Washington DC it stopped me in my tracks. No print or Internet picture can do it justice. He applied the paint so thick on the face it gives the image a sculpture like quality. This is a prime example of a painting that must be seen in person. I thought about it. I've seen a lot of really famous paintings. Mona Lisa, Starry Night, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Sunflowers, Luncheon of the Boating Party. To name a few. Heck We just saw Girl With A Pearl Earring. I decided to go with this as my favorite.
Salvador Dali-Christ of St. John of the Cross Took my breath away when I saw it in person Painted in 1951; I don't know how Scotland got a hold of it but it's in Glasgow
