Wrap yourself up in a soul-warming exhibition next month at the renowned Eleventh Street Arts in Long Island City, New York, featuring small works by big-name artists.
 
Opening November 17 at Long Island City’s Eleventh Street Arts is an outstanding group exhibition featuring small works. Presenting the works of 40 contemporary artists from the prestigious Water Street and Grand Central Ateliers, “Wrap Me Up” will showcase a diverse range of paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
 
All of the exhibited works measure under 12 inches in size. Among the artists included are Thomas Kegler, Edward Minoff, Emilie Lee, Mary Jane Ward, Lauren Sansaricq, and many others.
 
“Wrap me Up: Winter Small Works Show” will be keeping visitors cozy for some time, as the exhibition runs through January 20. To learn more, visit Eleventh Street Arts.
 
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.
 

These three words encapsulate the life, times, and reign of the powerful French leader Napoléon Bonaparte. Though he is best known for his military exploits, Napoléon was also a great patron and connoisseur of the arts, ushering in a new age of decorative and fine arts.

Although his love and adoration for art led to massive illegal appropriation on the part of the French, Napoléon Bonaparte was also a great patron of the arts in his home country, commissioning artists, designers, and architects as a method for promoting his claim to the throne.

A stunning array of objects from Napoléon’s reign are the subjects of an extraordinary exhibition in New Orleans at M.S. Rau Antiques. Opening November 5 and running through January 7, “Napoléon: General. Emperor. Legend” is a beautiful journey into art as political propaganda. Via the event webpage, “From a monumental masterwork of Napoléon before the Battle of Moscow by Joseph Franque and an original bronze death mask of Napoléon to one-of-a-kind Empire furniture and décor, the exhibition offers an intriguing glimpse into the intimate life and ultimate legacy of the soldier, statesman and ruler.”

To learn more, visit M.S. Rau Antiques.

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.

Only days remain before New York City plays host to a monumental fine art and antiques fair, featuring hundreds of exhibitors and delicious treasures that could be your next favorite acquisition.
 
Opening Wednesday, November 9 at New York City’s Pier 94 with a preview party is the New York Art, Antique & Jewelry Show. Held over a four-day period through November 13, the fair is part of an expansion by the Palm Beach Show Group. Taking place in the 100,000-plus-square-foot Pier 94, this year’s event will feature more than a billion dollars in treasures from over 100 national and international exhibitors.
 

 
Paintings line the walls of one gallery’s booth during the 2014 edition of the
New York Art, Antique & Jewelry Show, (c) 2016

Via the event website, “Boasting an enviable selection of more than 30,000 items, the show promises to draw tens of thousands of private collectors, museum curators, art advisors and interior designers who are eager to view and purchase the unique, the rare and the one-of-a-kind. Guests will have the opportunity to view and purchase fine art from across a broad spectrum of Old Masters, German Expressionist, 18th and 19th century European, American Regionalist, Modern and Contemporary artists.”
 
Many of the nation’s top galleries will be on hand during the event, showcasing the full spectrum of mediums, styles, techniques, and — of course — the infinite variety of creative expression. Tickets for all of the events are still available, including exclusive VIP options, which can be purchased here.
 
To learn more, visit the New York Art, Antique & Jewelry Show.
 
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.
 

Some critics have called Dulwich Picture Gallery’s current exhibition of landscapes by Andriaen van de Velde a “quiet and delightful rediscovery.” See what has the UK art world buzzing in this featured video.
 

 
To learn more, visit Dulwich Picture 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 Rice Gallery of Fine Art is proud to play host to a magnetic solo exhibition of recent paintings by Aaron Norris, whose works emphasize the importance of taking a second look at and finding beauty in Midwest scenery.
 
He was raised outside of Garden City, Missouri, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that painter Aaron Norris has a highly developed appreciation for Midwestern landscape. To the untrained eye, many of the scenes around Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, and the Dakotas might at first appear mundane, but a slight shift in perspective reveals uncanny beauty. Part of Norris’ artistic mission is to help illuminate the beauty through is splendid landscapes. And to be sure, Norris does this incredibly well.
 

Aaron Norris, “Lighted Stage,” oil, 24 x 48 in. (c) The Rice Gallery of Fine Art 2016

 
He writes, “I’ve always loved the look, smell, and sound of an unrestrained thunderstorm or the way a snow-front moves in and blocks out the horizon. I want my work to reflect the ambivalence of nature and the idea that, at any moment, a serene sky can turn violent if it wants to. I want to feel that energy when I’m painting. I want to feel exhausted after completing a piece of art. I want to create thoughtful, transcendent landscapes that are tangible and compelling to the viewer.”
 

Aaron Norris, “Dirt Road Oil Co.,” oil 38 x 26 in. (c) The Rice Gallery of Fine Art 2016

 
Norris’ recent works — now on display at the Rice Gallery of Fine Art in Overland Park, Kansas — achieve all this and more in a solo exhibition. On view through the end of November, Norris presents a number of stunning Midwestern vistas sure to evoke nostalgia, awe, and more in viewers.
 
To learn more, visit The Rice Gallery of 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.
 

Portrait artist Katherine Galbraith has taken advantage of an outstanding opportunity at the National Gallery of Art and others should, too.
 
Established in 1941, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has hosted a tantalizing program for artists that allows them the opportunity to sketch and paint directly from the gallery walls. The Copyist Program “offers a unique opportunity for artists to study the techniques of old masters through intimate study in the galleries,” its website reports. “The museum’s trustees decided that a program should be established to allow artists to copy the museum’s masterpieces, not only for their own benefit but to help make these works available beyond the museum’s walls. Since the program’s inception, more than 8,000 permits have been issued to copy paintings in the Gallery.”
 
Artist Katherine Galbraith has been one of the artists to pass the test, and has greatly enjoyed her experiences with the art — and museum-goers. After passing an FBI background check and receiving her permit, Galbraith is allowed exclusive access to the gallery’s works — an invaluable experience for an artist.
 
To learn more about this program, visit the National Gallery of 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.
 

The complete roster of artists at this stunning gallery are proud to showcase their passion for California. Sixteen talented painters headline this can’t-miss group exhibition. When and where?

The Holton Studio Gallery is overjoyed to be presenting the works of its entire roster of 16 brilliant painters. “Beloved California: Sixteen Painters with a Passion for Place” will be the inaugural show at the gallery’s new location in Berkeley, California.

Opening November 12 and on view through December 30, “Beloved California” will showcase an eclectic range of West Coast views, including rolling vineyards, rocky coasts, and the towering Sierra Mountains. The artists included in the show are Kevin Brown, Sharon Calahan, Bill Cone, Kevin Courter, Christin Coy, Mark Farina, Robert Flanary, Paul Kratter, Richard Lindenberg, James McGrew, Terry Miura, Robin Moore, Ernesto Nemesio, Carol Peek, Paul Roehl, and Erik Tiemens.

To learn more, visit The Holton Studio 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.

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: Michael Gaskell, “Harry.”
 
The mark of a skilled portraitist is the ability to capture a sitter’s presence to the degree that they seem to occupy the room. Significantly, this quality is much more than the sum of pigment, binder, and — in this week’s case — a wooden panel. Indeed, it seems impossible to adequately describe the ways in which a talented artist captures an individual’s essence, personality, or soul — all elements seemingly invisible. Michael Gaskell’s 2010 portrait titled “Harry” is one such example, the striking visage of a young man that grips the viewer with intensity. The picture’s story is noteworthy as well.
 
The tale of Gaskell’s 2010 portrait “Harry” is a fascinating one, not typically encountered in portraiture — but the result is unmistakably profound and extraordinary. Emerging from a completely darkened background is the black youth “Harry,” who gazes towards the viewer’s left with an expression of stern confidence and determined vision. Amazingly, Gaskell became acquainted with his subject through the portraiture process, not having known “Harry” before its execution. Gaskell recalls having seen the young man in a grocery store and — compelled by unknown forces — was struck by his visage and presence. Through the picture’s process, Gaskell came to intimately know Harry’s visage and personality, and the resulting portrait is compelling.
 
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 this ongoing series for Fine Art Today, we take a longer look at the history and features of a soon-to-be-available artwork of note. This week: Eustache le Sueur, “The Deposition.”
 
Primarily known for his religious paintings, Eustache le Sueur (1617-1655) was also an important founder of the French Academy of Painting. Born in Paris in 1617, Sueur was raised in an artistic family. His father, Cathelin, was a popular wood turner and sculptor. Sueur’s talent was immediately recognizable at a young age, and he was accepted into the guild of master painters.
 
Often executed with precision and brilliant color, Sueur’s religious subjects were copied frequently by engravers. A student under Simon Vouet during his formative years, Sueur would later adopt the style of Nicolas Poussin. The Getty Museum suggests, “Sueur became interested in the psychological aspect of his subjects and developed a new classicism of composition and modeling while retaining his characteristic delicate, refined colors and tenderness.” Delacroix once remarked, “A single figure by him is a perfect harmony of line and effect, and when many figures are assembled in one picture, everything is brought into harmony.”
 
Heading to auction via Bonhams’ Old Master Paintings sale on November 2 is a gorgeous canonical Biblical scene by Sueur. In his typical style, Sueur’s “Deposition” has a tenderness, softness, and elegance despite the grave subject. A deceased Christ is presented to the viewer just after his removal from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea supports Christ’s torso as the Virgin — located at center and in blue — tearfully gazes at her son. The youthful John, shown in his canonical red and green robes, consoles the mournful mother. Kneeling and kissing Christ’s feet is not Nicodemus, however, but a female figure presumed here to be Mary Magdalene.
 
Auction estimates are between $18,000 and $24,000. To learn more, visit Bonhams.
 
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.