A spectacular group of life-sized paintings by Spanish Golden Age master Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664) is headed to the United States for the first time. Which rarities might you see?
 
Currently housed at the Auckland Castle in the United Kingdom, a magnificent group of 13 paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán — depicting Jacob and his 12 sons — will soon travel to the States for the first time ever. For more than 250 years, the life-sized works have hung in the palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham as “a representation of the social, political, and religious consideration between the Christian and Jewish communities in the UK,” as Auckland Castle states.
 

Francisco de Zurbaran, “Asher,” circa 1640, oil (c) Auckland Castle 2016

The Long Dining Room at the Auckland Castle, where the paintings are housed, (c) Auckland Castle 2016

 
These paintings were the subjects of an intense study undertaken by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Following the study, the paintings will travel to the Meadows Museum in Dallas, where they will be on view from September 17, 2017 through January 7, 2018. Afterward the paintings will be shown at the Frick Collection in New York from January 31 through April 22, 2018.
 
To learn more, visit the Meadows 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.
 

Kudos to Seattle Pacific University for using the lovely art of Anelecia Hannah Brooks (SPU ’05) to celebrate the institution’s 125th anniversary during a magnetic solo exhibition.
 
Opened on October 7 and running through June 2017, “Heritage” is a celebratory solo exhibition at Seattle Pacific University. In commemoration of the institution’s 125th anniversary, alumna Anelecia Hannah Brooks — a 2005 graduate of the school — has mounted a lovely show that, among other things, “explores themes of nostalgia and loss, but also expansion and growth,” the university reports. “Her oeuvre demonstrates that loss and growth inevitably go hand-in-hand. In ‘Heritage,’ Anelecia combines the bittersweet imagery of young adulthood with imagery drawn from millennia of Christian and Native American history, suggesting that personal history and community history share similar dynamics of discovery, suffering, and triumph. A proud Seattle native, Anelecia has spent recent years travelling on the east coast painting with her husband, Charles Philip Brooks.”
 

Anelecia Hannah Brooks, “Longing,” oil (c) SPU 2016

 
The show will feature 20 oil paintings, including the monumental “School of Saint Georges.” To learn more, visit Anelecia Hannah Brooks.
 
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.
 

Vanessa Rothe Fine Art is proud to feature over 100 works of art by many of the world’s top artists with live demos, lectures, workshops, and more during a two-day event. When and where? Details here!
 
Opening November 5 with a captivating lecture and reception, Vanessa Rothe Fine Art will present “Realism without Borders” at Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, California. Rothe, who is Fine Art Connoisseur’s West Coast editor, will open the events with a lecture that delves into the evolution of French, Russian, and American Impressionism. Co-Curator Akhmed Salakhly will follow Rothe, and both will be available for a Q&A session.
 
November 5 will also witness a range of fine art workshops intended to give artists a chance to apply lessons and ideas learned from guest artists Scott Burdick and Jeremy Lipking. On Sunday, November 6, a four-artist demonstration will be hosted revolving around live discussions about realism and Impressionism.
 
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.
 

As we pointed out during our discussion of Thomas Gainsborough’s iconic “The Blue Boy” above, portraiture is much more than the visual construction of an individual’s identity. Studio Incamminati is hosting a special event during which six of its skillful artists show you how and why.
 
Featuring the works of Darren Kingsley, Peter Kelsey, Natalie Italiano, Katya Held, Rob Goodman, and Rachel Pierson, “Forever Fashion: Costumed Portraiture from the Italian Renaissance to the Present” is a fascinating exploration by Studio Incamminati artists into the creative use — and study of — fashion through portrait painting.
 

Darren Kingsley, “Self Portrait, Winter 2014,” 2014, oil on canvas, (c) Darren Kingsley 2016

 
Via the studio: “Their work brings to life a companion presentation by noted artist/scholar Patrick Connors who explains how, for centuries, artists have used clothing to tell the subject’s story. Visitors can discover the story behind Studio Incamminati artists’ skills with informal studio tours and conversations with alumni and students.”
 

Rob Goodman, “Ellen with Green Scarf,” 2011, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in. (c) Studio Incamminati 2016

 
“Forever Fashion: Costumed Portraiture from the Italian Renaissance to the Present” will take place on October 27 at Studio Incamminati, Philadelphia.
 
To learn more, visit Studio Incamminati.
 
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.
 

Collectors for Connoisseurship (C4C) can barely wait to kick off the 2016 edition of Windows to the Divine — a spectacular display and sale of contemporary representational painting. Who are the featured artists and the host?
 
Space Gallery in Denver, Colorado, will be the proud host of C4C’s annual Windows to the Divine exhibition and sale this November. Opening the evening of November 17 with a lovely gala, the event will feature a range of demonstrations, tours, and entertainment for patrons.
 

Albert Handell, “A Passing Moment,” pastel, 12 x 18 in. (c) Windows to the Divine 2016

 
Fifty-two artists will be featured in the sale with the exhibition titled “Abstraction & Representation: Finding Common Ground,” including Patricia Aaron, Monica Aiello, Tyler Aiello, Kathy Anderson, Mitch Baird, Kate Beck, Jim Beckner, Stephanie Birdsall, Greg Block, Lu Cong, Madeleine Dodge, Kim English, Michael Gadlin, Ann Gargotto, Jason Lee Gimbel, Ulrich Gleiter, David Gray, Jane Guthridge, Albert Handell, Ron Hicks, Quang Ho, William Hook, Susiehyer, Aleksey & Olga Ivanov, Carol Jenkins, Andrea Kemp, Nancy Koenigsberg, Emilio Lobato, Terrie Lombardi, Karol Mack, Nura Andi Mascarenas, David W. Mayer, Dan McCaw, Danny McCaw, John McCaw, Sherrie McGraw, C.W. Mundy, Desmond O’Hagan, Mike Rand, Ron Richmond, Don Sahli, David Santillanes, Jill Soukup, Robert Spooner, Cheryl St. John, William Stoehr, Nancy Switzer, Clive Tyler, Karen Vance, Teresa Vito, and Vincent Xeus.
 

Ivanov, Olga & Aleksey, “Denver Neo Art Deco,” egg tempera and 24K gold leaf, 11 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. (c) Windows to the Divine 2016

 
To learn more or purchase tickets, visit Windows to the Divine.
 
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 Eiteljorg Museum recently hosted its 11th annual Quest for the West show and sale, realizing nearly $1 million in sales and handing out a number of fantastic awards to deserving recipients.
 
The Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, experienced yet another exciting evening of sales, awards, music, and food during the 11th annual Quest for the West show on September 10. More than 250 collectors and art enthusiasts attended this year’s event, with sales totaling $894,720.
 

Josh Elliott, “Calving Season,” 2016, oil, 24 x 58 in. (c) Eiteljorg Museum 2016

 
The exhibition is currently on public view at the museum through October 9. Museum President and CEO John Vanausdall suggests, “The creativity of the Western artists who present their works at the Eiteljorg Museum and the passion and enthusiasm of the collectors who seek out their art are key to the success of ‘Quest for the West,’ the only Western art show and sale hosted by a major museum east of the Mississippi. Not only is it one of our institution’s signature fund-raising events each year, ‘Quest for the West^’ provides us an opportunity to support these inspired artists and thank loyal collectors who make it possible for the artists to pursue new creative heights.”
 

Greg Kelsey, “Momma’s Not Bluffin’,” 2016, bronze, 19 x 35 x 11 in. (c) Eiteljorg Museum 2016

 
Another highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony, which saw Josh Elliott take home the museum’s Purchase Award for his painting “Calving Season.” The Henry Farny Award for Best Painting was awarded to Adam Smith for “The Gathering Place,” and Greg Kelsey earned the Best Sculpture award for his “Momma’s Not Bluffin’.”
 
Peter Nisbet of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was also honored during the event, presented with the Artist of Distinction Award. This honor “was presented for the artist’s prominence in the field, the quality of his body of work and the regard in which he is held by patrons and artists” the museum concluded.
 
All told, the evening represented another outstanding event for the Eiteljorg. We congratulate the museum and the award winners!
 
To learn more, visit the Eiteljorg 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.
 

Contemporary master Daniel Sprick will soon showcase a number of recent works in New York City. Ranging from extraordinarily realistic portraits to haunting still lifes and beyond, there’s something here for every fine art connoisseur.
 
The artworks of Daniel Sprick represent some of the best contemporary realism and imaginative realism have to offer. Blending modern psychological and human experiences with traditional techniques, Sprick is on the cutting edge of fine art in the 21st century.
 

Daniel Sprick, “Wake from a Dream,” oil on board, 60 x 54 in. (c) Gerald Peters Gallery 2016

 
Featuring 16 stunning new works at Gerald Peters Gallery in New York City, the show offers a range of interesting subjects, including hyper-realistic portraiture, still life, and urban landscape. Via the gallery, “There is a tension at play in his work as he explores the dichotomy between realism and abstraction, beauty and grit, tradition and experiment, planned and improvised. He exhibits extraordinary attention to detail, but then by leaving an unfinished edge or a sweeping gestural brushstroke, he reminds us that these are, after all, still paintings.”
 

Daniel Sprick, “Nefertiti,” 2015, oil on board, 20 x 16 in. (c) Gerald Peters Gallery 2016

 
“Daniel Sprick: Recent Works” opens on October 13 and will be on view through November 5. To learn more, visit Gerald Peters 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.
 

Mike Wright Gallery in Colorado is hosting a groundbreaking group exhibition that will certainly move viewers to question the boundaries of creativity and the realm of art.
 
“There’s a big divide between contemporary conceptual abstract artists and traditional representational artists,” explains Denver artist Doug Kacena. “There’s friendship, and mutual respect, but not much understanding.”
 
This divide was — and is — the basis for a groundbreaking exhibition at Mike Wright Gallery in Denver. “Crossover” will featured works from many of Colorado’s master artists, but with a twist that many will enjoy but others may perhaps find controversial. “Crossover” will see abstract expressionist Kacena painting over completed works by 12 of Colorado’s most talented representational painters and, in turn, allowing them to do the same to his works.
 

Edward Aldrich, “Bison (unaltered view),” oil, 42 x 32 in. (c) Mike Wright Gallery 2016

 
Among the representational masters included in the show are Quang Ho, Jill Soukup, Ron Hicks, Don Stinson, Robert Spooner, Kevin Weckbach, David Santillanes, Edward Aldrich, Terrie Lombardi, Ed Kucera, Mikael Olson, and Jeff Legg.
 
The gallery writes, “With both schools content to approach the world in familiar perspective, the gulf between them has gone mostly unremarked. Kacena, however, occupies a singular middle ground, giving him a clear view of both the rift and its remedy. As a prominent abstract artist, Kacena’s affinity for conceptual art is bone-deep. As gallery director of Evergreen Fine Art, he’s intimately acquainted with many of Colorado’s finest representational painters and sculptors. As co-owner of Artuvus Studios, he’s immersed in media and genres spanning the creative map. And from his place at the crossroads of so many artistic avenues, Kacena has become aware of a professional division amongst his colleagues.”
 

 
To learn more, visit Mike Wright 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.
 

Gallery 1261 in Denver, Colorado, is overjoyed to be presenting recent works by renowned painter Mia Bergeron during a solo exhibition titled “Shared Solitude.” Penetrating all things humans experience — yet go through alone — this psychologically plumbing show will enliven the mind and eye.
 
In just over a month, Gallery 1261 in Denver, Colorado, will host a tantalizing solo exhibition of recent works by accomplished painter Mia Bergeron. Opening November 11 and on view through December 3, “Shared Solitude” is a visually stunning showcase of Bergeron’s exploration of human experience. The gallery writes, “This seemingly simple, yet deeply confounding truth of how we participate in our lives is what guided Bergeron as she worked on this grouping of paintings called ‘Shared Solitude.’”
 

Mia Bergeron, “Again and Again,” oil, 16 x 20 in. (c) Gallery 1261 2016

 
Bergeron says, “My hope is to have the work act as a mirror to the viewer. As with all art, the viewer will take away from the paintings what they give — their own experiences, feelings, longings, memories, fears, and introspections. Perhaps the paintings will poke and prod for the viewer to look deeper. Sometimes, the paintings may just sit quietly with the viewer, the experience washing over both.”
 
Continuing, the gallery reports, “In many ways, this exhibition acts as a testament to the growth and maturity of Bergeron’s painting practice. She says, ‘I believe I have become braver as an artist. Subjects that seemed out of reach to me in the past have become forerunners. Images that may be associated to my past work have been unpeeled, abandoned, or rethought. Many of the works in ‘Shared Solitude’ are a sacred act of hope for me — a way for me to walk blindly but with courage.’ We invite the viewer to step into and experience the incredible worlds that Bergeron has created in this new body of work.”
 
To learn more, visit Gallery 1261.
 
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.
 

Brilliant and beautiful, to be sure. On view now at the Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, is a can’t-miss display of mastery in watercolor from many of the state’s most celebrated and collected artists.
 
Featuring 56 paintings from the studios of 40 Wisconsin artists (all members of the Wisconsin Watercolor Society), the WWS is overjoyed to be hosting its annual fall exhibition. The exhibition “depicts a wide variety of styles of watercolor and includes artists from all corners of the state from Lac du Flambeau to Lake Geneva, and from Wausau to Racine” the organization states. “The artist community of Door County has a long history of working in watercolor” added Deborah Rosenthal – curator of exhibits at the Miller Art Museum – “We are pleased to have the opportunity to exhibit such excellent works varying widely in style from the abstract to highly realistic.”
 
To learn more, visit the Wisconsin Watercolor Society.
 
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.