In England, Watts Gallery will soon be the first gallery to publicly exhibit important works from the oeuvre of Helen Allingham — the first woman to be admitted to full membership in the Royal Watercolor Society in 1890.

Hard to believe that Helen Allingham has yet to receive a major public art gallery exhibition, but that’s all about to change on November 21, when Watts Gallery will present just that. On view through February 18, 2018, the exhibition will “seek to reassert the reputation of Helen Allingham as a leading woman artist and as a key figure in Victorian art,” the gallery writes. “Bringing … rarely seen works from private collections together with important paintings from public collections, the exhibition will demonstrate Allingham’s extraordinary talent as a watercolorist and will examine how she became one of the most successful creative women of the nineteenth century.

“Having moved to London aged just seventeen, Allingham trained at the Royal Female School of Art and the prestigious Royal Academy Schools. By 1870, she was pursuing a professional career as a graphic artist and children’s book illustrator, becoming the only female founding member of The Graphic, a new illustrated weekly magazine. Illuminating Allingham’s early career, the exhibition will display an array of graphic works, including the illustrations to Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd when first published as a serial in the Cornhill Magazine.

“Following her marriage to the renowned Irish poet William Allingham in 1874, Allingham began to focus on working in watercolor, producing vivid depictions of rural England. As the boom of industrial development continued to threaten traditional rural life, Allingham’s art captured unspoiled landscapes and historic cottage architecture in exquisite detail; she was passionately concerned for the preservation of the English countryside. In 1886, she became the first woman artist to be awarded a solo exhibition at the Fine Art Society, entitled Surrey Cottages. Her depictions of Shere, Witley, Haslemere, and other villages across the region will be included in the show. Many of these picturesque timber-framed cottages can still be identified today.

“While living in Surrey, Allingham became friends with the leading Arts and Crafts gardener, Gertrude Jekyll, painting vibrant images of Jekyll’s experimental planting at Munstead Wood. Preparatory studies of plants and flowers will be exhibited alongside a depiction of Jekyll’s famous South Border in full bloom.

“Widowed at the age of 41, Allingham took on the sole responsibility of bringing up her three young children, pursuing a professional career right up until her death in 1926 age 78.

“The exhibition continues Watts Gallery Trust’s program of exhibitions devoted to pioneering women artists. Guest curated by the pre-eminent Allingham scholar Annabel Watts, it offers an unprecedented overview of the artist’s work. It will be accompanied by the publication of a new edition of Annabel’s book on Allingham. Drawing on extensive research, this publication seeks out the actual cottages painted by Helen Allingham a century ago, comparing how they look today with the original watercolors.”

To learn more, visit Watts 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.

Hundreds of figure and portrait painters gathered this past week in Miami at the historic Biltmore Hotel for the first ever Figurative Art Convention & Expo (FACE). The event, designed to provide painters with an experience to develop their techniques, skills, philosophy, and marketing, was met with rave reviews by attendees.

Hundreds of figure and portrait painters gathered this past week in Miami, Florida, at the historic Biltmore Hotel for the first ever Figurative Art Convention & Expo (FACE). The event, created by Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, was designed to provide painters with an experience to develop their techniques, skills, philosophy, and marketing. It was met with rave reviews by attendees. Included with the event and held simultaneously was TRAC (The Representational Art Conference) for academics in the art world.

The week started with three pre-convention workshops: Jordan Sokol of the Florence Academy taught a two-day course on drawing the figure, Daniel Gerhartz offered a two-day workshop on painting the figure, and Graydon Parrish provided a one-day workshop on color, highlighting the Munsell color system.

The event opened with Fine Art Connoisseur Publisher Eric Rhoads offering comments about his dream of creating an event just for museum-quality realists where they can gather as a community, sharing processes and ideas. Rhoads said, “If we gather and work together toward a common goal, there will come a day when you, the artists in this room, will receive the recognition you deserve and your works will be selling for tens of millions of dollars. This event is not only about developing or improving your technique, it’s about the heart of your art, your purpose, and how you can soar as an artist.”

Rhoads then introduced Fine Art Connoisseur Editor-in-Chief Peter Trippi, who welcomed attendees and reinforced Rhoads’s message. Trippi then introduced Michael Pearce, associate professor at California Lutheran University, who ran the TRAC portion of the event.

After introducing those who were awarded FACE scholarships, which included registration, hotel room, and spending money, Rhoads introduced 13-year-old student Fina Mooney, who received a standing ovation for her essay about how artists can embrace and train younger students at a more sophisticated level, without assuming they are not up to the task.

The opening also included a lecture by Donald Kuspit, as well as a panel with Graydon Parrish, Jacob Collins, and Patricia Watwood, moderated by Peter Trippi. This was followed by a demo by artist Max Ginsburg.

Headlining the event were faculty including the world’s finest figurative and portrait painters, among them Jacob Collins, Juliette Aristides, Daniel Graves, Max Ginsburg, Steven Assael, Ryan S. Brown, Daniel Gerhartz, Graydon Parrish, Jordan Sokol, John Coleman, Michael Mentler, Patricia Watwood, Gregory Mortenson, David A Leffel, Linda Comas, Michel Langlais, Lee Hutt, and Sherrie A. McGraw.

TRAC speakers included Donald Kuspit, Stephen Hicks, Elliot Bostwick Davis, Shannon Robinson, Joseph Bravo, Michael Pearce, and others with a focus on information for academics in college art programs.

The convention also included a hands-on opportunity for artists to practice what they learned each day in a studio with live models and mentors to work with artists. One of three ballrooms was used as an artist studio, with nine models and 125 painters. It was an incredible sight.

Another ballroom was filled with art materials vendors offering paint, panels, frames, and training, as well as a store with art books and videos.

At the closing, Rhoads reinforced the importance of the mission of this event, which is to offer museum-quality artists a home that is focused on their specific issues and their community.

FACE 2018 is now accepting registrations.

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.

Dacia Gallery is the proud host of Erin Anderson’s latest solo exhibition, titled “Object.” Exploring modern paradigms of human relationships to one another and to the environment, there’s a lot here to see and ponder.

Opened on November 2 and continuing through December 8, “Object” is once again a remarkable display of artistic and conceptual talent from painter Erin Anderson. Hosted by Dacia Gallery, “Object” will present Anderson’s familiar female nudes against biomorphic copper abstractions.

As suggested in the press release, “Her work explores modern paradigms of human relationships to one another and the environment. Secondary themes in her work explore modern issues of gender, identity, and body image. Women have long been the focus of figurative artists throughout history. Often stripped of their natural identity they are expected to embody societal ideals and abstract philosophies. This exhibition seeks to address that thinking by showcasing the individual portraits of women, including a self-portrait of the artist, who are not meant to represent anything other than themselves. This show examines our inherent struggles with female objectification and offers a presentation of the female nude, as she is, representing only what she wants, and asking the viewer to be accepting.”

Discussing her work, Anderson added, “I am inspired by complex dynamics and relationships within individuals and groups. Working on copper sheet, my compositions remain anchored in representational figure painting juxtaposed by abstraction. The metal substrate and paint work in concert to communicate layers or levels of reality: one that is easily perceived and directly in front of us and one that can be felt and is dynamic or changing. To explore the connective nature of our experience, I make visual comparisons between the figure and systems in nature. I find that studying the ways in which nature is connected informs the ways I create atmosphere within and around my subjects. The ensuing work is an exploration of our relationships to one another and our fundamental connection with the environment.”

To learn more, visit Dacia 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.

Bonner David Galleries is celebrating its 15th anniversary this fall. To commemorate the landmark, the gallery will mount a “best of” group exhibition that features a single artwork by each of its 40 world-class artists.

For 15 years, Bonner David Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona, has established a rock-solid reputation for representing many of the most successful contemporary artists. On view from November 11-29 will be “The Best of Bonner David,” featuring artworks by each of its 40 artists. The gallery will host a special celebratory gala reception from 6-9 pm on Friday, November 10.

Among others, represented artists include Brad Aldridge, Lovemore Bonjisi, Rich Bowman, Nocona Burgess, John Burton, Cary Ennis, Danny Galieote, Luigi Gatti, Peter Gwisa, Claudia Hartley, Peregrine Heathcote, Victoria Herrera, Dyana Hesson, Jane Jones, Robert LaDuke, Francis Livingston, Joseph Lorusso, Tawanda Makore, Richard Mteki, Perlagia Mutyavaviri, Wellington Nyanhongo, Agnes Nyanhongo, Collen Nyanhongo, Moses Nyanhongo, Eve Plumb, Norbert Shamuyarira, Lane Timothy, Kathrine Lemke Waste, Richard Williams, and Romona Youngquist.

To learn more, visit Bonner David Galleries.

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.

Arcadia Contemporary will soon be presenting Jordan Sokol’s debut solo exhibition in Culver City, California. When?

Save the date: November 18! That’s when the renowned Arcadia Contemporary will present its first solo exhibition of original oils by the renowned painter Jordan Sokol. Originally from Queens, New York, Sokol studied and then taught at the prestigious Florence Academy of Art in Italy for more than a decade before branching off to teach in his private studio in Madrid, Spain. In 2014, Sokol was sought out to become the academic director of the Florence Academy’s first U.S. branch, at the Mana Contemporary Art Center in Jersey City, and he continues to hold that position today. Painting exclusively from life, Sokol says, “I like to use portraiture as a way of exploring the psychology behind the human experience.”

To learn more, visit Arcadia Contemporary.

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.

In partnership with the Royal Scottish Academy, the National Galleries of Scotland have recently mounted the largest collections-based exhibition to date, building on the moment in 1910 when the RSA transferred significant works to the National Collection, securing exhibiting rights within what is now called the RSA building.

“Ages of Wonder” is a truly magnificent display of both artistic achievement and Scottish culture and heritage. Opened on November 4 and continuing through January 7, “Ages of Wonder” was organized in partnership with the Royal Scottish Academy, which was established in 1826 and remains Scotland’s longest established artist-run society.

“The story of the collections will be told through work from all disciplines and in a variety of media from marble to film,” the NGS suggests. “Individual gallery rooms will be curated to focus on particular subjects, including the teaching role of the Academy, architecture, 19th-century print and photography collections, artist printmaking, sculpture, portraiture, and the future of collecting. Three galleries will explore changing conventions of exhibiting in the Victorian, Modern and Contemporary periods, with a recreated Victorian ‘salon-style’ hang of works exhibited from dado to ceiling.

“Throughout the rest of the exhibition there will be a mix of historic and contemporary works, including work by emerging artists. Contemporary commissions and exhibition events will bring the exhibition right up to the present day. The renowned photographer Calum Colin will be bringing his studio into the gallery to create a brand new work during the exhibition. Award-winning architect Richard Murphy has designed a new ‘Wunderkammer’ to house and display selected exhibition items from the RSA Collection. These new works, in addition to the aforementioned Kenny Hunter sculpture, will be accessioned into the RSA Collection after the exhibition ends.”

To learn more, visit the National Galleries of Scotland.

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.

2017 marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of one of the most celebrated painters of the Spanish Golden Age, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1671-1682). A number of international exhibitions are planned to pay tribute to the artist’s achievements, and the first just opened at the Frick Collection in New York City.

On view November 1 through February 4, 2018, “Murillo: The Self-Portraits” is an important display of Spanish Golden Age work by Bartolomé Murillo at the Frick Collection in New York City. Following its run there, the works will travel to London’s National Gallery from February 28 through May 21, 2018.

According to the Frick Collection, “Murillo’s career was a successful one, and he painted canvases for the most important patrons and churches in Seville. While the majority of his artistic production was for religious institutions, he also created allegorical and genre scenes. Murillo’s paintings of urchins in the streets of Seville are particularly well known and, together with his Immaculates and other religious images, they remain the artist’s signature works. Less familiar are a number of portraits, both full- and half-length, that Murillo painted of his patrons and friends. Biographers and scholars have paid little attention to this aspect of the artist’s career, and this is the first exhibition dedicated exclusively to the subject. Murillo’s first biographer, Antonio Palomino, described the artist in 1724 as ‘an eminent portrait painter,’ although only about fifteen portraits by or attributed to him (including two self-portraits) have survived. Five of these are included in the exhibition.

“Significantly, the painter’s only known self-portraits will be shown together for the first time since they were documented in the 1709 inventory of his son Gaspar’s art collection. These two self-portraits — one recently given to The Frick Collection and the other from the National Gallery in London — will be shown with a group of other works by Murillo that will provide a larger context for these rare canvases. At the Frick, seventeen works, paintings as well as works on paper, will be presented in the intimate lower-level galleries.”

To learn more, visit The Frick Collection.

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.

Portraits by notable artists such as Charles Wilson Peale, Charles Peale Polk, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, and Cephas Thompson feature during a significant exhibition at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia.

“Painters and Patrons in the New Nation” is a fascinating exhibition on view at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Virginia through December 2019. The show features portraits made between 1780 and 1840 by notable artists including Charles Wilson Peale, Charles Peale Polk, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, and Cephas Thompson as well as lesser-known folk artists.

The exhibition will also focus on works from the Chesapeake region of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., also with examples from Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Nearly three quarters of the portraits on view will be new to visitors; many of the artworks were either recently acquired by the DeWitt Museum or were newly conserved.

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.

Anderson Fine Art Gallery in Saint Simons Island, Georgia, is proud to soon be hosting the Eastern Regional Exhibition for the Oil Painters of America. When do festivities kick off and who’s represented? Find out here.

On November 17, Anderson Fine Art Gallery will officially host the Eastern Regional Exhibition for the Oil Painters of America (OPA). On view through December 16, artworks are being judged by Howard Friedland. There will also be a number of painting demonstrations by esteemed artists, including John Michael Carter, Marc Hanson, Katie Cundiff, and Howard Friedland. Oil Painters of America Master artists will be submitting paintings as well, among them Daniel Greene, Daud Akriev, Charles Cox, and Albert Handell, to name a few. The focus in the jurying process was to select paintings that show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color, and composition, emplacing diversity in representational style and subject matter.

A reception will be hosted at the gallery from 6-9 p.m. Represented artists include — among many others — Christopher Zhang, Warren Chang, Anne Blair Brown, Lon Brauer, Susan Budash, Diana T. Cutrone, Sue Foell, Daniel E. Greene, Marjorie A. Grinnell, and Charles Cox.

To learn more, visit Anderson Fine Art 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.