Vanessa Rothe Fine Art is proudly presenting again Realism Without Borders — a 60-piece fine art exhibition and sale that will be held at two esteemed locations, one on the East Coast and one of the West Coast. Featuring Soviet and historic works alongside contemporary works by Russian, Ukrainian, American, French, Swedish, Italian, and English painters, the event aims to connect two centuries and two continents through a shared commitment to realist painting traditions. Details and locations here!

Realism Without Borders started as a group of artists and art historians with a common vision for art. That partnership has grown into a prestigious collection shown through international traveling exhibitions. Curated by Vanessa Rothe with imported works by art historian Akhmed Salakhly, the Realism Without Borders collection can be found year-round at Vanessa Rothe Fine Art in California. Containing about 100 works at any given time, the collection is always changing as works are sold and new works created.

This year’s Realism Without Borders exhibition brings that collection to New York City and will unite an international roster of top artists working in complementary styles. The show will be hosted by the famed Salmagundi Club (New York City) from December 5-December 10, 2017, during the club’s ongoing celebration of 100 years on Fifth Avenue.

From Lomakin to Gladchenko, Suvorov to Kovalenko, Westerberg to Lipking, Dunaway to Krimon, the artists in this exhibition give collectors a rare opportunity to view and compare works from America, Europe, and Russia and to purchase these one-of-a-kind finds for their own fine art collections or as gifts. Paintings will range from small affordable gems to large-scale, highly finished works.

Realism Without Borders also celebrates the new opportunities that contemporary culture affords. Artists from all over the globe can now share images of their work through social media and are influencing one another across borders. This exhibition celebrates the blurring of those boundaries and borders, in both the literal sense and the stylistic execution of the works.

“We share an admiration of both realist and impressionist art, and many of our artists in fact combine these styles in order to make strong, visually appealing works,” says Rothe. “The viewers will see similar works and styles being created from opposite ends of the world, finding unity and likeness in both subject and stroke. Some follow the strong realist techniques of Russia’s Levitan landscapes, other styles are reminiscent of the loose and layered brushwork of California Impressionist Edgar Payne, while others are more academic in nature.”

The 2017 show and sale features newest French artist-member Nicolas Martin, as well as contemporary artists Nick Alm, Grigory Ananiev, Mia Bergeron, John Burton, Michelle Dunaway, Michael Klein, Alexander Kremer, Sergey Kovalenko, Olga Krimon, Joshua LaRock, Jeremy Mann, Nicolas Martin, Dimitri Motov, C.W. Mundy, Robert Pillsbury, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, Ray Roberts, Vanessa Rothe, Valery Shmatko, Vadim Suvorov, Daniil Volkov, and Aaron Westerberg. Historic artists include Alexi Borodin, Boris Gladchenko, Boris Grachev, Oleg Lomakin, Edgar Payne, Yuri Podlaski, Erik Rebane, and Vladimir Telegin.

Artwork on Resale From the Marano Collection include Juliette Aristides, Casey Baugh, Marc Dalessio, Daniel Graves, Jeremy Lipking, Jeremy Mann, Edward Minoff, Julio Reyes, Aaron Westerberg, and Vincent Xeus.

To learn more, visit Vanessa Rothe Fine Art.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Alexandra Klimas has had a lifelong fascination with cows, and follows their decline in the Netherlands with dismay — like pugs, they are now mainly kept inside, in mega farms. Her reflection of their disappearance from the fields leads her to create idealized pastoral landscapes with an ethereal quality that draws the viewer in. Where can you see those paintings now?

On view now through November 27, John Davies Gallery in England is presenting the magnetic works of Dutch painter Alexandra Klimas. Klimas paints oil portraits of farm animals created on location, with the named animals as sitters. Although animals have been painted for millennia, Klimas’ paintings are unique as the cows, sheep, farm cats, and poultry are the lead subjects in the works and given the artistic attention usually applied only to human subjects.

To learn more, visit John Davies Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The Minneapolis Club is “thrilled and honored” to be hosting a solo exhibition of works by important painter Mary Pettis. Details here.

Now through November 30, Minneapolis, Minnesota, has a new attraction: a solo exhibition of gorgeous landscapes by accomplished painter Mary Pettis. Hosted by the Minneapolis Club, the exhibition consists of a handful of Pettis’ recent works, including several from her recent project with the Minnesota Orchestra in which the artist created a series of special paintings in connection with the performance of Claude Debussy’s “Images for Orchestra.”

“When I paint I truly feel, in the present moment, the great relations among all things,” remarked Pettis. “Every subject becomes a metaphor for something deeper and more intangible. I hope that those who view my work, whether briefly or for decades, will feel these sentiments. My inspiration is the hope I hold that my work will help spread peace, contemplation, tranquility, and joy.”

Recently, Pettis was designated as an ARC Living Master by the Art Renewal Center. In September 2017, Mary travelled to Barcelona, Spain to receive multiple awards in Art Renewal Center’s 12th Annual International ARC Salon. Her 3rd place winner, “Minnehaha Falls in Winter,” will be exhibited with other award winners in the live exhibition at the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) through the end of November.

To learn more, visit The Minneapolis Club.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Although they aren’t credited with having developed the first airplane, Magnus, Wilhelm, and Ferdinand von Wright were accomplished in their own right, each known as a great painter of portraits, landscapes, and nature subjects. A major exhibition of their creative accomplishments is currently on view here.

Growing up in North Carolina, I became very familiar with the Wright Brothers — Orville and Wilbur, that is — at a young age. After all, their famous flying machine can be seen on most NC license plates. However, I had no idea that there were other famous Wright Brothers, until now. That’s because the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland, is currently celebrating the career and works of three native sons —brothers — who are considered among the country’s most beloved 19th-century artists.

Magnus, Wilhelm, and Ferdinand von Wright were well known in their time as great painters of portraits, landscapes, and nature subjects, especially birds, and as creators of scientific illustrations of flora and fauna. More than 200 works from the Atheneum collection, and from Finnish and Swedish public and private collections, compose “The Von Wright Brothers,” which opened at the museum on October 27 and continues through February 25, 2018.

According to the museum, “The exhibition introduces new perspectives, as it explores the historical significance of the von Wright brothers for Finnish art, culture, and science. The exhibition, occupying the entire third floor of the museum, features oil paintings, watercolors, prints, and sketches. Exhibits also include birds stuffed by Magnus von Wright, courtesy of the Finnish Museum of Natural History.

“The von Wright brothers grew up in a manor in Haminalahti, Kuopio. The brothers’ interest in nature originated in the hobby of hunting, as practiced by their father, Major Henrik Magnus von Wright. Skilled hunters, the brothers began to document the birds they caught.

“Through watching and painting birds over a long period of time, the brothers gained a wide knowledge of nature. Their works are characterized by detailed scientific accuracy. At the same time, their art conveys a special love of nature. The works reflect the aesthetic values of their time, the 19th century.

“The eldest of the brothers, Magnus von Wright (1805–1868), known especially for his landscape paintings, was an influential cultural figure in Helsinki. He worked as a teacher at the University of Helsinki drawing school and as an expert at the Finnish Art Society, in which capacity he contributed to the establishment of the Ateneum collection. In his paintings of Helsinki, such as ‘View from Katajanokka’ (1868) and ‘Annankatu on a Cold Winter Morning’ (1868), he documented the changes taking place in the city.

“Wilhelm von Wright (1810–1887) was active especially in Stockholm and on the island of Orust on the west coast of Sweden. He worked as a scientific illustrator for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Wilhelm assisted his brother Magnus in illustrating the book Svenska foglar, presenting Swedish birdlife: the work contains 182 colored drawings, illustrating birds with scientific precision. According to today’s ornithologists, the illustrations created by the brothers are still accurate. Wilhelm suffered paralysis, which cut his career shorter than that of the other brothers.

“The most famous, and youngest, of the brothers is Ferdinand von Wright (1822–1906). Ferdinand is known especially for his paintings of birds, such as ‘The Fighting Capercaillies’ (1886) and ‘An Eagle-Owl Seizes a Hare’ (1860). Ferdinand was one of the first visual artists in Finland to make a living from art. He enjoyed the longest career of the brothers, and later attained the status of an old master and earned respect from young artists.”

After being on display at the Ateneum, the exhibition will, in 2018, travel to the Kuopio Art Museum and the Tikanoja Art Museum in Vaasa. To learn more, visit the Ateneum Art Museum.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The Oil Painters of America are currently exhibiting an amazing selection of paintings in Saint George, Utah, for their 2017 Western Regional Exhibition. The organization also recently revealed who Juror William A. Schneider chose for several coveted awards.

The picturesque community that is Saint George, Utah, is the beautiful setting for this year’s Oil Painters of America (OPA) Western Regional Exhibition. Now through December 9, selected paintings are on view at Illume Gallery of Fine Art, Authentique Gallery of Art & Design, and The Mission Gallery.

This year, the Juror of Awards was the nationally known master William A. Schneider, whose works have received numerous honors and been featured in publications and national and regional exhibitions, including the OPA regional exhibitions.

Schneider had the pleasure of awarding two Gold Medals in the Master Signature and Associate Divisions. Artist Anna R. Bain received the Gold Medal in the Associate category for her gorgeous painting “Silent Snowfall,” while the well known Marc Hanson took Gold Medal Honors in the Master Signature Division for “Them Winter Blues.” Steve G. Atkinson’s “Dirty Work” was the Silver Medal winner in the Associate/Signature Division while “Game Trail” by Mary Ann Cherry was the Bronze Medal winner.

Two Awards of Excellence were awarded in the Masters Division, earned by Robert Johnson’s “Taos Trapper” and Nikolo Balkanski’s “Nathalia.” Other Awards of Excellence included Suzie G. Baker’s “Orient/Santa Fe Line,” James E. Tennison’s “Spanish Walk,” Derek W. Penix’s “Koi Pond,” Rachel Pettit’s “Edge of Dawn,” Beverly C. Boren’s “Tea and Oranges,” Lyn Boyer’s “Last One Up,” “Just after Sundown — Monterey” by Patricia Clayton, “September Light” by David A. Vollbracht, and Kurt Anderson’s “Co-op Studio Recchio.”

To learn more, visit the Oil Painters of America.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

Jason Patrick Voegele has curated a fantastic exhibition at the Lodge Gallery in New York City this fall featuring top realist painters Derek Buckner, Todd Gordon, Valeri Larko, and Tun Myaing, among others. What’s their unifying theme?

The Lodge Gallery in New York City will be opening “The Outer Boroughs” tomorrow, November 17, with a reception from 7-10 p.m. Curated by Jason Patrick Voegele and running through December 17, “The Outer Boroughs” explores the transformative cultural history of New York through contemporary urban landscape painting. Works by artists Derek Buckner, Todd Gordon, Valeri Larko, Tun Myaing, Laura Shechter, Pamela Talese, and John Wellington will compose the show.

According to the gallery, “Paris has its arrondissements, Shanghai has its municipal districts, and New York has Manhattan and its outer boroughs. Beyond the historically Manhattan-centric perception of New York as the epicenter of the art world, this exhibition focuses on the cultural history, transformative energy, and transgressive aesthetic of select creative communities within Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. Although each borough represents a unique and differentiated pride and history, all the neighborhoods represented in this exhibition follow a similar and repeating cycle of discovery, overdevelopment and decline. Both the blights of urban decline and the variant results of urban renewal are on display. In some works, we observe the kind of redevelopment that often creates booms in commercial value, safety, and convenience while in others we witness the heavy loss of cultural integrity and the sacrifice of traditional creative output in favor of more subversive and territorial markings.

“The works in this exhibition are formidable testaments to the only unchanging constant in New York, which is change itself. Here, through the beauty of each urban landscape we witness the ongoing dynamic between nostalgia and growth. We witness the skin of the city shifting. Waves of residents once abundant are now gone or replaced; meanings vanish and new meanings are culled out of the transformation. As the familiar expires and generations of culturally grounded communities lose grip on their homes to the tune of post-industrial triumph and gentrification, this is perhaps a perfect moment to pause and take account of the greater contributions to the legacy of our great city and the great creative energies that are born of the outer boroughs in transition.”

To learn more, visit The Lodge Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The first film adaptation detailing the life and work of Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) — one of the most famous artists to ever live — will be screening nationwide this November.

To learn more, visit here.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The Florence Academy of Art U.S. (Jersey City) is proud to present a new panel-discussion series beginning this fall in New York City titled “FAA Dialogues.” Florence Academy of Art U.S.’s Academic Director Jordan Sokol and his faculty are partnering with the historic Salmagundi Club — which this year celebrates 100 years on Fifth Avenue — to offer this free educational series to the public.

The first discussion will be held on Thursday, November 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. and will be moderated by Fine Art Connoisseur Editor-in-Chief Peter Trippi, with panelists Jacob Collins, Alex Kanevsky, Donald Kuspit, and Alyssa Monks. The topic is “Traditional vs. Contemporary Perspectives in the Art World,” and the panelists will look at this theme from the angles of contemporary-art-world definitions, art production, the art market, the infrastructure of the traditional art world vs. the infrastructure of the contemporary art world, and more. There will be an open Q+A with the audience at the end of the panel.

Those who are interested in attending can RSVP at [email protected]. To learn more, visit the Salmagundi Club.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.

The Reynolda House Museum of American Art recently announced its plans to mount a significant 2018 exhibition surrounding the travels of iconic painter Frederic Church.

On view February 8 through May 13, 2018, “A Painter’s Pilgrimage” is sure to be a fabulous opportunity for any lover of fine art and, specifically, exquisite 19th-century landscape painting. Mounted by the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, the exhibition seeks to illuminate important paintings by Frederic Edwin Church (1828-1900) that were inspired by his travels to ancient sites in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. More than 50 paintings, oil studies, and drawings from the late 1860s through the early 1880s will compose the show.

Via the museum, “The most popular artist in mid-19th-century America, Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900) took landscape painting to new heights of grandeur and was best known for his large, visually stunning paintings of American scenes as well as views of South America, the North Atlantic, and the Caribbean. But from 1867 until the end of his life, many of Church’s most important paintings represented ancient cities or buildings that he saw during his 1867–69 trip to the Middle East, Rome, and Athens. While Church’s paintings of the New World focused on the natural world, his works from the Old World explored human history. The exhibition brings together nearly all of Church’s most important paintings of the Mediterranean region and Holy Land in order to explore this major shift in his artistic practice.”

Allison Perkins, director of the Reynolda House Museum, added, “[The exhibition] provides a remarkable opportunity to see the work of one of the most honored Hudson River School artists whose painting ’The Andes of Ecuador’ is one of the most important works in the Reynolda House collection. All of the work in the exhibition was created after Church observed firsthand some of antiquity’s most extraordinary cities, buildings, temples, and ruins. The exhibition juxtaposes pencil drawings and oil studies that Church completed during his trip with paintings he completed back in his studio.”

To learn more, visit the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.