In this occasional series, Fine Art Today delves into the world of portraiture, highlighting historical and contemporary examples of superb quality and skill. This week: Rembrandt van Rijn, “Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar.”

Last week Fine Art Today debuted our new Portrait of the Week series with a remarkable contemporary work by Elena Vladimir Baranoff. Her official portrait of the Lord Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, was a stunning example recently selected for — and on view at — the BP Portrait Awards in London.

There seemed no better way to showcase the diversity of this new series than to follow a contemporary masterpiece with a historical one. Universally considered one of the greatest — if not the greatest — portraitists who ever lived, Rembrandt van Rijn is a monumental painter and person who continues to captivate scholars to this day. It could be argued that, perhaps more than anyone else who ever lived, Rembrandt possessed a genius that allowed him to capture with amazing sensitivity an individual’s spirit and character — including his own.

Painted in 1659, about 10 years before the artist’s death, “Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar” is visual evidence of a gripping process of self-exploration. Of all the artist’s self-portraits (scholars estimate Rembrandt produced nearly 100 self-portraits in various media throughout his life), the example here is frequently cited in scholarly attempts to understand the master’s state of mind and professional condition during his later years.

Detail showing the brushwork and diverse palette found within the self-portrait’s upper cheekbone.

Around the time of this self-portrait’s production, Rembrandt was embroiled in a battle to avoid bankruptcy and the sale of his home and vast collection of art and antiquities. Rembrandt displays himself seated and facing toward the viewer’s left, modestly dressed and hands clasped before him. A single source of light drapes over his face from the upper right of the canvas. Considering the face that peers longingly at the viewer, author Clifford Ackley suggested it reveals “the stresses and strains of a life compounded of creative triumphs and personal and financial reverses.” Indeed, close inspection of the artist’s face exposes the exhausted, melancholic, yet proud spirit of a man who — by this time — had witnessed the death of a son, two daughters, and his beloved wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh.

From a technical perspective, the portrait also highlights the increasing expressiveness and looseness of Rembrandt’s brush as his life and career waned. Scholars are quick to note the thickness of the paint in the artist’s face in addition to the higher diversity of pigments found within his skin.

“Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar” is part of the Andrew W. Mellon Collection and has called the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., home since 1937.

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In this occasional series, Fine Art Today delves into the world of portraiture, highlighting historical and contemporary examples of superb quality and skill. This week we consider one of the most important self-portraits ever created.

Albrecht Dürer was undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and accomplished artists of the Renaissance. Indeed, his iconic “Self-Portrait” from the year 1500 is one of the most significant self-images ever produced.

It is often suggested by scholars that Durer’s 1500 self-portrait depicts the artist in the guise of Christ Pantocrator, and it has come to represent one of the first explicit visualizations of how artists viewed themselves as craftsmen inspired by God. As foremost German Renaissance scholar Joseph Leo Koerner writes, the painting is “formalized so as to display its underlying construction almost in the manner of an architectural front elevation.” He adds, “[S]et off against a neutral ground, the 1500 likeness is less a body in a setting than a principle of pictorial order consubstantial with the visual image itself.”¹

The deep symbolism, semiology, proportions, and ratios Dürer manipulated in the self-portrait were extraordinarily original and radical for the time. The picture is not just a visual representation, but something beyond appearance and status, something that gave the viewer “access to an interior self and reflected the underlying idea of painting itself: art is the image of its maker.”²

Today, the brilliant oil is located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany. To learn more about this extraordinary portrait, visit Alte Pinakothek.

¹ Joseph Leo Koerner, The Moment of Self-Portraiture in German Renaissance Art, (Chicago UP, 1993): 63.

² Omar Calabrese, Artists’ Self-Portraits, 1st ed. (New York: Abbeville Press, 2006): 18.

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The United Kingdom’s largest and most established art and antiques fair is about to kick off, June 26 at London’s iconic Kensington Olympia Exhibition Center. What could be better? How about getting two tickets for the price of one?

One hundred and sixty of the world’s finest specialist dealers will soon converge in London for the 45th Annual Art & Antiques Fair Olympia. With prices ranging from $100 to over $1 million, collectors and enthusiasts always find an eclectic range of high-quality fine art and antiques each year.

All items exhibited at the fair undergo a rigorous vetting process that involves authentication, date, and condition. Thirty-two committees composed of museum curators, auction house specialists, restorers, and dealers make sure only the highest-quality antiques are featured.

The pot is sweetened this year as attendees have an opportunity to purchase two tickets for the price of one using the promotion code FINEAC17; click the link here. The offer is available only for standard tickets purchased in advance. The box office closes at midnight on June 25, so don’t drag your feet!

To learn more, visit The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia.

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.

Thoughtful questions abound during a three-night-only exhibition featuring incredible oils by a Toronto-based painter. It’s centered on themes of farming and labor — but will you discover an opportunity for personal growth?

#Hashtag Gallery in Toronto, Canada, will be presenting several breathtaking oils by local painter Steve Chmilar this week. On view only from June 23 through June 25, “The Wrong Century” is a brilliant journey into Chmilar’s childhood as a staunch farmhand and seeks to encourage a number of thoughtful questions.

As the gallery writes, “Is this the wrong time period to produce this kind of art? Does labour in itself make an object more valuable? What knowledge should we keep from the past while moving into the Future? Each stunningly ambitious painting begins with dozens of sketches, followed by the careful construction of small-scale scenes made from wood, paper, clay and miscellaneous detritus. Chmilar then photographs the tiny set, like a high-budget film studio in miniature, to use as a reference for the painting, before redrawing the composition from scratch onto a wood panel and painting over it.

“Chmilar’s paintings are the result of an earnest practice and unbound invention. His work is inspired by the brushwork and detail of 18th-Century European paintings and brings characters to life who are locked in a unique bizarre struggle. Sometimes absurd and intentionally out of fashion, he uses earth-tone pigments to bring new light to the antiquated look of tattered edges and unflattering forms. The human figure acts as a vehicle to portray self-imposed hardship, human folly, self-awareness and personal growth.”

To learn more, visit Steve Chmilar or #Hashtag Gallery.

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A major art gallery has itself a new owner, who has pledged to follow the established traditions of the space’s two former owners. Details here!

South Street Art Gallery in Easton, Maryland, is now the property of artist and collector Alan Brock. An avid collector since 1986, Brock has amassed a robust collection of well over 200 original paintings by living artists whose work he admires. Fine Art Connoisseur profiled Brock in its February 2017 issue, highlighting his importance as a nationally recognized art collector.

Via the gallery’s press release: “Brock’s plan is to exhibit selected pieces from his personal collection while continuing to showcase the work of artists from the mid-Atlantic region. Eminent artists who continue to be represented by the gallery include Sue deLearie Adair, Jill Basham, Tim Bell, Lani Browning, Ed Cooper, Lisa Egeli, Hai-Ou Hou, Debra Howard, Sara Poly, and Nancy Tankersley. Recently he has added painter Christopher Best and will be introducing new and emerging artists from time to time. He also has bronze, steel, and wood works by sculptors Will Hemsley, Cheryl Langlais, Ted Morlock, Paul Rhymer, Mark Schwenk, David Stevens and Eric Tardiff.

“Still a working architect, Brock spends his three days a week at the gallery since January this year learning the business and making plans to offer interesting shows. In July he is offering all juried Plein Air Easton artists (plus some invited others) the opportunity to compete in a People’s Choice Exhibit at the gallery. The public will be offered the chance to vote for their favorite artist and the winner will be announced during the Plein Air Easton event, Saturday July 22, at a festive reception at the gallery. Brock states that he observed the public has limited opportunity to show appreciation for a favorite painting or artist during the festival other than by purchase, and he thought this opportunity would be a fun addition to the event.

“In August, South Street Art Gallery will premiere the first in an ongoing series of shows called ‘Introducing!’ These shows will feature new and emerging talent from the Mid-Atlantic region. In September, Stevensville artist Hai-Ou Hou will be featured in a show titled ‘Seeing the West through Eastern Eyes.’ Hou, who paints often in the Southwest, will exhibit plein air and studio paintings from her travels to the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Zion National Park.

“In October, an artist from Texas, whom Alan met at a show at a gallery in Annapolis that featured works from a plein air trip to Cuba, will be featured. Bruce Bingham will be exhibiting new figurative works ‘with an edge’ as she explores our changing perceptions of the human figure.”

To learn more, visit South Street Art Gallery.

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Freeman’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has sadly announced the passing of the auction house’s chairman, Samuel “Beau” M. Freeman II.

Via Freeman’s: “It is with great sadness that Freeman’s announces the passing of our Chairman, friend, and fearless leader Samuel ‘Beau’ M. Freeman II (1936-2017).

“Representing the sixth generation of the Freeman’s family, Beau has been a staple at Freeman’s since 1958; throughout his career, he was involved in all aspects of the business — from sweeping floors, to appraising Philadelphia clocks and furniture, to carrying his family’s company into the 21st century.

“Perhaps most comfortable behind the auctioneer’s podium with gavel in hand, Beau called an auction at Freeman’s as recently as this past Monday. Donning his trademark bow tie, he was a dynamic figurehead for the company and a true Chestnut Hill gentleman with a steadfast passion for the auction business. Known for his gracious humility, courtesy, effusive charm, and dry wit, Beau was loved by his employees, friends, and family alike. His office was a place where people often stopped for advice, friendly conversation, or simply to hear a lively anecdote from Freeman’s past.

“A native of Philadelphia, Beau attended Germantown Friends School and graduated from Wesleyan University in 1958. Beau enjoyed spending his free time with his beloved wife, Peggy, his four children, and eight grandchildren. He will be deeply missed and ever remembered by those who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”

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.

A stunning marble sculpture of an enthroned Zeus circa 100 BCE is — after 25 years — heading to a new home after this world-renowned institution reached an agreement with Italian officials.

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, has amicably decided to return a first-century BCE sculpture of Zeus to Italy. Acquired in 1992, the marble sculpture is about 29 inches tall and displays the Greek Olympian deity Zeus enthroned. The god, wearing a toga, is depicted bearded and with arm raised on the encrusted statue, which likely spent hundreds of years beneath the surface of the sea before discovery.

Recently, Italian officials contacted the museum with new information about the sculpture, including a recently discovered fragment of the statue. “The Getty values greatly its relationships with Italian colleagues in museums and other cultural sectors,” said museum director Timothy Potts. “The decision to return this object continues our practice of working with the Ministry [of Cultural Heritage] to resolve issues of provenance and ownership of works in our collection in a way that responds to new information as it emerges, and respects the good faith and cultural missions of both parties.”

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.

After a long delay, IX Gallery has finally opened its doors with a spectacular display of more than 100 works of art representing 50 talented artists. It’s a space dedicated to imaginative realism; find out here who’s featured and where.

On view from June 15 through August 14, the IX Gallery Inaugural Show is now open — and it’s all online. IX Gallery is the first virtual art gallery dedicated to contemporary imaginative realism, and its first exhibition features over 100 works representing 50 incredible artists. The gallery writes, “Structured like a brick-and-mortar gallery, IX Gallery will feature an ongoing series of group and solo exhibitions. Following our Inaugural Show, we will present solo shows with David Palumbo and Richard Bober before the annual IX show takes over through the end of the year with our IX 10 Encore exhibition.”

Artists represented in the current show include Linda Adair, Samuel Araya, Julie Bell, Shaun Berke, Brom, Armand Cabrera, Jeremy Caniglia, Dan Chudzinski, Kinuko Y. Craft, Felipe Echevarria, Bob Eggleton, Craig Elliott, Jody Fallon, Scott Fischer, Teresa N. Fischer, Marc Fishman, Annie Stegg Gerard, Justin Gerard, Donato Giancola, Lars Grant-West, Rebecca Guay, John Harris, Michael C. Hayes, James Herrmann, Richard Hescox, Stephen Hickman, Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, Luke Hillestad, Patrick Jones, Rich Klink, J. Anthony Kosar, Vanessa Lemen, Don Maitz, Gina Matarazzo, Matt Mrowka, Aaron Nagel, Tran Nguyen, Ryan Pancoast, Lucio Parrillo, Colin & Kristine Poole, Mark Poole, Rob Rey, Forest Rogers, Larry Schwinger, Dave Seeley, Hajime Sorayama, Matthew Stewart, Bryan Mark Taylor, Vince Villafranca, and Chet Zar.

To learn more, visit IX 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.