Sometimes the best and most gripping works of art aim to shatter the “picture plane” barrier with the artist. A fascinating group exhibition — featuring some of the biggest names working today and exploring this exciting theme — recently opened. Details here!
 
“The Fourth Wall” is a compelling group exhibition that recently opened at Paul Booth Gallery in New York City aiming to destroy the barriers between audience and art through attention-grabbing composition, awkward narrative, and raw, powerful emotion. Featuring some of the biggest artists working today — including Mike Cockrill, Christopher Gullander, Mercedes Helnwein, Aaron Johnson, Will Kurtz, Adam Miller, David Molesky, Sophia Narrett, Odd Nerdrum, Ekaterina Panikanova, Lou Ros, Richard Scott, Levan Songulashvili, Ben Tolman, and Barnaby Whitfield — “the artists have created scenes of violence or distressing awkwardness to highlight the fact that you, as the onlooker, have no power to change the events.
 
“The figures in the works are either set apart and looking directly at the audience or daring you to take a step into their world and participate,” the gallery writes. “With this exhibition, the artists are attempting to reveal the truth about the roots of humanity’s history and recurrent behaviors in the light of current cultural dynamics and the psychology of modern society.”
 
“The Fourth Wall” opened on August 13 and will continue through September 10. To learn more, visit Paul Booth Gallery.
 
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For millennia Rome has existed as a remarkable physical place with countless historical monuments, art, performance, culture, and so much more. The Eternal City has also manifested as a romantic idea that has captured the imaginations of poets, artists, and many more.
 
The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City recently opened an intriguing exhibition that explores  — among many other details — the “evolving image of Rome in art and literature.” Featuring a number of rare books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, and even photographs, the exhibition is a magnificent display of the diverse ways in which the ancient metropolis has occupied creative minds for millennia.
 
The institution continues, “This groundbreaking exhibition considers the ever-evolving identities of Rome during a pivotal period in the city’s history, 1770–1870, when it was transformed from a papal state to the capital of a unified, modern nation. Venerable monuments were demolished to make way for government ministries and arteries of commerce. Building projects and improvements in archaeological techniques revealed long forgotten remnants of the ancient metropolis. A tourist’s itinerary could include magnificent ruins, ecclesiastical edifices, scenic vistas, picturesque locales, fountains, gardens, and side trips to the surrounding countryside.”
 
Among the notable artworks included in the exhibition are several prints by masters such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi and paintings by Romantic icon J.M.W. Turner. “City of the Soul: Rome and the Romantics” opened on June 17 and will be on view through September 11. To learn more, visit The Morgan Library & Museum.
 
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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: Nelson Shanks, “Diana, Princess of Wales.”
 
It was just about one year ago, on August 28, 2015, that the world said goodbye to celebrated portraitist Nelson Shanks (1937-2015). Shanks was — in addition to his artistry — a recognized art historian, teacher, connoisseur, and collector of fine arts. A pioneer of traditional academic practice and a genius with the brush, Shanks was sought out by many of the most famous, wealthy, and powerful individuals in the world.
 
Among Shanks’ esteemed clientele was the delightful Diana, Princess of Wales, and his remarkable and tender portrait of the late princess earns the spotlight for this edition of “Portrait of the Week.”
 
Imaged in three-quarter view, Diana is shown gracefully looking left with a serene expression. Her dress is absolutely brilliant. Shanks has masterfully captured the satin texture. The deep turquoise color matches the sitter’s jewelry and highlights Diana’s eyes. The Princess’s white blouse is equally stunning, with a plumed collar and slight transparency in the sleeves. Although Diana was tragically and senselessly lost in Paris in 1997, the young mother’s royal grace and tender heart are forever captured and memorialized by this extraordinary work 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: Albert Bierstadt, “Sunrise.”
 
Although he was born in Germany and would eventually study his craft there for several years, Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) is widely recognized as one of America’s greatest artistic products and a founding member of the famed Hudson River School. Bierstadt’s parents moved to Massachusetts when Albert was just one year old, in 1831. From childhood, Bierstadt displayed a keen interest in and notable talent for art.
 
Bierstadt’s artistic career was officially launched around 1858, when an exhibited landscape at the National Academy of Design found instant appeal to critics. It was around this time that the artist came into contact with other like-minded artists who adored landscape painting with romantic, almost glowing light. Among them were Thomas Moran, Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, John Frederick Kensett, and Asher Durand. This group of painters would eventually be categorized as members of the Hudson River School.
 
Along with several other artists, Bierstadt began to travel with various companies and journeymen of the Westward Expansion. Bierstadt’s lavish views of the American West — including many areas that became national parks — enlivened the imaginations of his viewers and helped cultivate a desire to preserve these lands among the public.
 
Bierstadt’s financial success is noteworthy as well. In 1865, the artist’s magnificent work “The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak” sold for an astronomical $25,000, the equivalent of around $350,000 in today’s market.
 
It seems collectors have eagerly bought up Bierstadt’s original works since their production, and the trend continues to this day. Opportunities to purchase an original work from this iconic figure are few and far between, which makes Thomaston Place Auction Galleries the place to be on August 27. Among a number of outstanding lots is Bierstadt’s magnificent “Sunrise” — which headlines the gallery’s “Summer Feature Auction.” This medium-sized work is without a doubt one of the artist’s masterful works and a rare scene that has a relatively shallow sense of space — a far cry from the expansive vistas the artist is known for. A warm golden light lifts over the still waters of a pond or river in mid-fall. The season is noted through the brilliant vermillion reds, oranges, and yellows in the waning leaves of the trees. The scene appears completely untouched, unblemished by the alteration of man’s hand.
 
“Sunrise” will be available on August 27 with an estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. To view the full catalogue, visit live auctioneers.
 
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Perhaps you’ve heard, but an amazing film chronicling the life and times of Vincent Van Gogh is revolutionizing the definition of cinematography — the art of filmmaking. When can you catch a view of this historic film?
 
Breakthru Productions is making major waves throughout the art and film worlds with a monumental cinema project that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. “Loving Vincent” is “an investigation delving into the life and controversial death of Vincent Van Gogh” the production company suggested. “The intrigue unfolds through interviews with the characters closest to Vincent and through dramatic reconstructions of the events leading up to his death.”
 
So far the film might sound like your typical documentary on one of the most studied individuals in art history. However, the revolutionary catch is how the film is being produced. “Loving Vincent” is the world’s first feature-length film made entirely through painted animation. In other words, every frame in the film is an oil painting on canvas, using the same techniques that Van Gogh used himself.
 
Hundreds of painters have worked tirelessly for years to construct the film, which will also include detailed views of Van Gogh’s original works. Here’s a tantalizing taste of what’s to come. Stay tuned!
 

 
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Minnesota is where all things watercolor will be celebrated August through October with a series of exhibitions, workshops, and more. Details here!
 
August 26 marks the date when the Bloomington Center for the Arts in Bloomington, Minnesota, will host a major series of events titled “Artistry Awash Watercolor Exhibition and Festival.” Featuring a number of nationally and internationally recognized Minnesota watercolorists, the festival will play host to a number of tantalizing watercolor exhibitions, master classes, hands-on workshops, artist demonstrations, a “wash-off” competition, and a panel discussion led by exhibiting artists.
 
Among the artists included in this year’s festival are Cheng-Khee Chee, Andy Evansen, Stan Fellows, Jane Freeman, Terry Genesen-Becker, Sandra Muzzy, John Salimen, and Nanci Yermakoff. Registration and tickets for all events have been scheduled and are open now.
 
The festival opens on August 26 and will continue through October 14. To view the full schedule of events, classes, and associated costs, visit the Bloomington Center for the Arts.
 
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Entering its 11th year, the International Guild of Realism’s Juried Exhibition is just one opportunity the organization hosts to showcase the best realist artists working today. Masterful artist Quang Ho had the difficult task of juror this year. Details are just a click away!
 
Some of the best representational painters working today will be featured during the International Guild of Realism’s 11 Annual Juried Exhibition at Denver, Colorado’s Gallery 1261. Both the Guild and its Rocky Mountain host are recognized today as premier organizations for the support and advancement of realism and traditional arts.
 
Opening on August 26 and running through September 17, the exhibition was curated this year by the renowned painter Quang Ho, who had the following comments on his difficult task:

“It will be a tough task to be the judge for such a show, as I know there will be many exceptional entries to look through. The term ‘realism’ can mean many things to many different people. On the surface, it seems to mean work that looks ‘real’ as in ‘tight’ realism — work that is rendered to look like life as we assume it should look. To merely render something tightly doesn’t necessarily carry with it an understanding of what is real. I would like to challenge the artists to explore what ‘real’ might actually mean to them. As a judge of paintings, I will not look at ideology or the artists’ personal beliefs about a subject matter, but at how the painting is put together and executed overall, and then how that might unify within the theme of the painting.”
 
Among many others, some of the featured artists include Alex Manzaranes, Barbara Walker, Ed Copley, Erwin Lewandowski, Terry Miller, Thane Gorek, and Grace Kim.
 
To learn more, visit Gallery 1261.
 
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There always seems to be something great happening artistically in Santa Fe, no matter the time of year. Manitou Galleries is proud to host the enchanting art of this renowned Western painter, beginning August 19.
 
Layered with heavy impasto, vivid color, and warm textures, the art of Kim Douglas Wiggins is truly a sight to behold. A native of New Mexico, Wiggins was raised in a part of the country that has enchanted the imaginations of artists for generations. Today, New Mexico is deeply embedded into his soul, which surfaces with profound beauty in his paintings.
 

Kim Wiggins, “One Night in New Mexico,” oil, 24 x 30 in. (c) Manitou Galleries 2016

 
Opening August 19 at Santa Fe’s Manitou Galleries, “Kim Wiggins: The Art of Enchantment” will showcase a number of recent oils by the painter as he continues to produce a diverse range of pictures that have collectors and connoisseurs eager for more.
 

 
“Kim Wiggins: The Art of Enchantment” opens on August 19 and will be on view through September 2. To learn more, visit Manitou Galleries.
 
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Now in its fourth year, this Virginia gallery can barely wait to kick off an outstanding exhibition and live painting demonstration. This is a challenge surely worth noting.
 
Featuring three superb female painters — Mia Bergeron, Elizabeth Floyd, and Cindy Procious — Principle Gallery is overjoyed to host its fourth annual “Face Off & Exhibition” opening August 27 in Alexandria, Virginia. Each of the artists will showcase a number of exciting new works in addition to participating in a live painting demonstration during the opening reception.
 
The structure of the painting demonstration is quite exciting, as each artist is asked to paint a portrait of the same sitter of the course of one sitting. Attendees to the event will delight in viewing firsthand how each accomplished painter addresses the same subject with her own unique artistic vision. The sitting will last three hours before the painters are asked to lay down their brushes.
 
The event is free and open to the public. To learn more, visit Principle 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.