Many of the nation’s top museums have permanent collections so eclectic and robust that rediscovering their old masterpieces can lead to something extraordinary. That was — and is — the case at the NCMA.
 
History, mystery, and discovery are appropriate words for a remarkable exhibition recently opened at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. “History and Mystery: Discoveries in the NCMA British Collection” has blossomed into so much more than an exhibition showcasing the institution’s best Old Master British paintings and sculpture from 1580 to 1850. In concert with students and faculty from UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, the museum has launched a series of tantalizing seminars, lectures, and presentations that will “reexamine familiar favorites in the collection from new perspectives and … display a few ‘hidden treasures’ that have rarely — or never before — been on public view.”
 
The museum’s related events with the exhibition will commence on September 10 at 10 a.m. with an exciting seminar that “offers participants a chance to hear experts on the Tudor era discuss changing conceptions of aristocracy and power on display in the Tudor and Jacobean portraits that are the focus of the ‘History and Mystery’ exhibition,” the museum writes. “They will also learn how art conservators use technology and artistic skill to preserve the paintings and reveal secrets of their creation and history.”
 
Lectures and events will continue on September 11, 18, and 23; October 7, 21, and 28; and November 15. Descriptions of the topics covered — which range from drawing workshops, fashion, social circles, and, of course, history and mystery — can be found here.
 
“History and Mystery: Discoveries in the NCMA British Collection” opened on August 6 and will run through March 19, 2017. To learn more and purchase tickets for related events, visit the North Carolina Museum of Art.
 
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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: Eugène Alexis Girardet, “The Attack.”
 
A founding member of the French Orientalist movement in the late 19th century, Eugène Alexis Girardet(1853-1907) spent most of his career capturing the exotic lands of Algeria, Biskra, and Egypt. Often composed with an immense amount of detail and vivid color, Girardet’s most common subjects involved the lives of desert nomads — their culture, homes, journeys, and more.
 
Girardet’s fascination with the Orient began under the subject’s greatest champion, Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), during the artist’s studies at the School of Fine Arts in Paris. Girardet’s original interest in art must have come from his family, which had a storied history in engraving and lithography. However, while the artist’s uncles, cousins, and brothers followed the family tradition in printmaking, Eugène found himself continually drawn to the brush.
 
Following Gérôme’s footsteps, Girardet left for Spain and Morocco in 1874 as an academically trained artist — full of energy, wonder, and imagination. The artist’s search for exotic lands introduced him to strange cultures and customs, which he delighted in capturing with his discerning eye. Scholar Janet Whitmore noted the monochromatic palette of the artist’s pictures during these early years, “very like the Realist palettes of Girardet’s Paris colleagues; and the subject matter is clearly in line with Realist ideals of depicting ordinary people going about their daily life.” However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the vivid colors and textures of Spanish and North African fabrics would cast an emotional and artistic spell on Girardet.
 
It was back in Paris, around 1877, when the artist — along with his mentor and other like-minded artists — created the Society of French Orientalist Painters. Along with Gérôme and Girardet, other members were Paul Leroy, Benjamin-Constant, and Léonce Bénédite (curator at the Musée du Luxembourg). Girardet and his fellow Orientalists would frequently exhibit at the Paris Salon and at their own hosted events. In 1900, Girardet had majors shows at the Exposition Universelle and the Coloniale de Marseille of 1906.
 
Collectors’ chance to own a brilliant piece by Girardet is upon us via Christie’s London, on September 8. A highlight of the house’s “19th Century European Art” sale, “The Attack” is a masterful, rushing, and dramatic image. The viewer is thrust along the flanks of an oriental cavalry, shown from the side, their swords raised as dust from the camel stampede billows from behind. Dated to 1894, the painting is a beautiful synthesis of the artist’s aesthetic evolution, displaying his favorite subjects and brightened palette. In addition, the light and details in texture are truly extraordinary.
 
“The Attack” will feature as Lot 115 during Christie’s “19th Century European Art” sale on September 8, 2016. Auction estimates are between GBP 20,000 and GBP 30,000 ($26,260–$39,390)
 
To view the full catalogue, visit Christie’s
 
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.
 

This past weekend, the Hockaday Museum of Art hosted over 300 attendees for the splendid event “A Timeless Legacy — Women Artists of Glacier National Park” — which celebrates women painting in the park. The results are worth a look!

August 12 and 13 were dates to watch at the Hockaday Museum of Art as over 300 guests descended upon the institution to celebrate Women Artists of Glacier National Park with a major art exhibition and sale. Featuring an eclectic range of landscape, wildlife, Native American, and National Park subjects, the exhibition included 27 remarkably talented female artists. 
 

Lisa Danielle is shown here with her winning piece “Blackfeet Beauties.”
(c) Image Courtesy the Hockaday Museum of Art 2016

Roe Hatlen — Timeless Legacy’s co-chair — reports that the event was a major success, with 36 percent of the art selling to eager collectors and revenue topping $100,000. “A portion of every sale directly benefits the museum, building its art acquisition fund and continuing the Hockaday tradition of bringing world-class art and cultural exhibitions to Northwest Montana,” Hatlen noted. “Expanding to 27 artists this year, we had the luxury to ‘hand pick’ the artists we felt would best depict the majestic array of subject matters in Glacier National Park.”

Also worthy of mention were five awards presented to participating artists. Kathryn Stats received the Dr. Van Kirke Nelson Hockaday Purchase Award for her brilliant piece “Runoff.” Heide Presse doubled up on her awards, taking home the Lucile Van Slyck Display Award — an honor sponsored by Fine Art Connoisseur — and the Hilda Lee Hatlen Purchase Award for “Indian Summer.”
 

Heide Presse with her work “Indian Summer” and “Picnic at McDonald Creek”
(c) Image Courtesy the Hockaday Museum of Art 2016

Julie Jeppsen received the Nellie Augusta Knopf Patron’s Choice Award, and Lisa Danielle took home the Elizabeth Davey Lochrie Best Miniature Award.
 

The exhibition will be on view through September 10 at the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, and all remaining works are available for purchase. Organizers anticipate the event will become a major annual fundraising event, so make your 2017 summer plans now!

To learn more, visit the Hockaday Museum 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.
 

One can celebrate the beauty and liveliness of the work of 15th-century sculptor Luca Della Robbia during a major exhibition. Treat yourself to details here!
 
Known for his top-secret, pioneering glazing techniques, Luca Della Robbia (1400-1482) — and his family of sculptors — produced a wealth of colorful artworks that even today remain some of the most familiar images of Renaissance Italy. From a number of loans around the United States and abroad, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, recently opened a monumental exhibition featuring around 50 objects. Likely derived from the traditional maiolica technique, the brilliant cerulean blues and opaque whites are as vibrant today on the works as they were during their production some 600 years ago.
 

Luca Della Robbia, “The Visitation,” circa 1445, glazed terracotta, (c) Church of San Giovanni Fuorcivitas 2016

 
Maiolica technique was developed during Renaissance Italy and uses tin as a prominent ingredient in the ceramic glaze. Colorants are applied to bisque wares as metallic oxides and absorb into the surface. Although the absorption makes reworking impossible, the technique preserves the brilliant color.
 
Among the outstanding works on view during “Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence” are the recently restored “Resurrection of Christ,” circa 1520, and “The Visitation,” circa 1445. Via the museum, “The Della Robbia family workshop flourished in Florence for about a century, producing expressive artworks for all spheres of life. Portraying both sacred and secular themes, it gained a strong presence in public spaces—from street corners to churches—and private homes. Production of sculpture using this technique lasted only about a century before its secrets were lost. Some of the most familiar images today of Renaissance Italy, Della Robbia sculptures have retained their original color and shine over the centuries.
 

Giovanni Della Robbia, “Resurrection of Christ,” circa 1520, glazed terracotta, (c) Brooklyn Museum 2016

 
“The exhibition of glazed terracotta Renaissance works by the Della Robbia and rival workshops spans a variety of formats—Madonna and Child reliefs, small- and large-scale figures, narrative reliefs, coats-of-arms, and still-life compositions—that demonstrate the range and visual impact of the groundbreaking Della Robbia glazing technique.”
 
“Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence” opened on August 9 and will be on view through December 4. To learn more, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
 
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With a title like that and names such as Lamb, Levin, and Russo — what more could you need?
 
From August 27 through September 9, Tree’s Place Gallery in Orleans, Massachusetts, will host a gorgeous exhibition of still life paintings from some of the genre’s most celebrated artists, featuring new works from Sarah Lamb, Dana Levin, Carlo Russo, and Steven J. Levin. Any connoisseur who appreciates the skillful rendering of texture, light, detail, and shadow should consider this group show a must-see.
 

Steven Levin, “Books and Butterflies,” oil on canvas, 28 x 22 in. (c) Tree’s Place Gallery 2016

Dana Levin, “Orchids and Apples,” oil on linen, 18 x 24 in. (c) Tree’s Place Gallery 2016

Carlo Russo, “The Visitor (Hollyhock and Delphinium),” oil on linen, 20 1/2 x 13 1/2 in.
(c) Tree’s Place Gallery 2016

 
In the hands of the right painter, the genre of still life can be utterly magical. Although it has been traditionally considered to be a “lesser” genre, these contemporary painters continue to explore the range, power, and depth of still life. The still life genre has undergone many changes — through celebration, ridicule, and experimentation — throughout art history, and this vacillating dynamic continues today through exhibitions such as “Still Life that Moves You.”
 
“Still Life that Moves You” opens on August 27 with a reception from 5-7 P.M. To learn more, visit Tree’s Place 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.
 

A fantastic pairing of landscape, still life, and figurative works from two adroit painters will embellish the walls of Grenning Gallery this month. Who are the artists and where? Find out here!
 
Softly rendered figures, expressive interiors, tight still lifes, and much more are on the slate at Grenning Gallery’s Wellington, Florida, location this month. Featuring the recent works of Ramiro and Melissa Franklin Sanchez, “Ramiro | Sanchez” will showcase approximately 20 outstanding new works from the two painters.
 

Ramiro, “Allegory of Chopin (Nocturne),” 2016, oil on canvas, 29 1/2 x 41 1/2 in. (c) Grenning Gallery 2016

 
Among the highlights of the show are lovely figurative works by Ramiro — whose soft forms, feathery brushwork, and warm palette will enliven viewers. In addition to the figurative, Ramiro will also display a number of beach landscapes, populated with umbrellas, chairs, and relaxing vacationers. Melissa Franklin Sanchez will showcase her recent interiors and still life compositions next to Ramiro’s works. The juxtaposition is lovely, as Sanchez’s aesthetic is slightly tighter, but lies between the photorealistic and expressive.
 
“Ramiro | Sanchez” will open on August 27 and remain on view through September 25. To learn more, visit Grenning Gallery.
 
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An originator of the Western pop art movement, Billy Schenck ranks among the top working artists today. Using a range of photorealism techniques with a simplified “pop” aesthetic, Schenck’s latest works are sure to delight during a solo exhibition.
 
Artist Billy Schenck is currently featuring 10 new works at El Prado, New Mexico’s renowned Blue Rain Gallery. Known for a pop art aesthetic, Schenck’s works often present the viewer with Native American and Western subjects through the lens of a flattened, reductivist style with no blending or shading.
 

Billy Schenck, “13 Minutes from Eternity,” oil on canvas, 50 x 50 in. (c) Jackson Hole Falls Arts Festival 2015

 
The resulting works have entranced viewers and institutions for nearly 50 years, with Schenck’s works owned by the Smithsonian Institution, Denver Art Museum, the Autry Museum, Booth Western Art Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, and several others. Schenck’s art was also employed by the Jackson Hole Art Auction in 2015, which used his “13 Minutes from Eternity” for the festival’s poster.
 
“New Paintings: Billy Schenck” opened on August 5 and will be on view through August 20. To learn more, visit Blue Rain 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.
 

Nearly every artist who’s ever lived has sworn by drawing. It is a fundamental skill that Australian master Rick Amor has suggested is “the most direct and intimate expression of an artist’s sensibility.” To help promote drawing, the Rick Amor Drawing Prize is awarded biannually to a range of worthy entries.
 
The Rick Amor Drawing Prize for small drawings is an exciting award given to the best professional artists in Australia biannually. With a grand prize of $12,000, the contest continually receives outstanding works produced in this fundamental medium, and the tradition has continued with the 2016 edition.
 
“This year’s prize exhibition embraces landscape and figurative drawing; narrative imagery and abstracts,” the Art Gallery of Ballarat, host of this year’s exhibition, reports. “Some works are highly finished, while others show the artist in the spontaneous act of creation, where the hand is rendering what the eye is seeing at a given moment.”
 
This year’s top honor was awarded to Melbourne artist Peter Wegner for his outstanding triptych “Three Days with EM.” The work uses pencil and beeswax on rag paper. Reflecting on the work, Wegner suggests, “Drawn after E.M. entered palliative care, these three drawings are a way of saying goodbye and, at the same time, reflecting on the fragility of life.” Among many other artists, finalists exhibited in the show include Tracey Choyce, Janis Clarke, Richard Collins, William Collins, Samuel Rush Condon, Tony Costa, Pilar De la Torre, Mark Dober, Shay Downer, Adele Dubarry, Corrigan Fairbairn, and David Fairbairn.
 
The “Rick Amor Drawing Prize 2016” exhibition opened on July 9 at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in Australia and will continue through October 2. To learn more, visit the Art Gallery of Ballarat.
 
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.
 

David was — and remains — one of the monumental art historical figures and the dominant French painter of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, an artist who responded brilliantly to his unique times. A major work by the master just landed in Chicago.
 
Jacques-Louis David is perhaps best known for his lavish portraits of the Emperor Napoleon, so it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that a recent loan of one of those portraits is turning heads in Chicago. Loaned to the Art Institute of Chicago by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., “The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries” is an iconic royal portrait of France’s revolutionary leader. As a result of the loan, the Art Institute thought it a great opportunity to showcase their own collection of related paintings, works on paper, and sculpture.
 
Via the museum, “Featured objects include a rarely exhibited sketchbook of studies for another renowned Napoleonic painting by David, ‘The Distribution of the Eagle Standards,’ which records the ceremonial oath-taking of the generals and officers of the imperial army following Napoleon’s coronation in 1804. This original sketchbook is displayed near an interactive digital reconstruction that allows visitors to turn the book’s pages.”
 
The centerpiece of the exhibition is without a doubt the loan portrait, which displays the imperial leader in full length. Napoleon stands confidently and is projected as an extraordinary figure of wealth, power, deliberation, and action. The museum continues, “at the time, Napoleon’s empire was at its height — he had not yet led his army on the disastrous invasion of Russia — and David himself had referred to Napoleon as ‘the man of the century.’”
 
“Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon” will be on view through October 9. To learn more, visit the Art Institute of Chicago.

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.