London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery is currently playing host to an outstanding exhibition that examines the works and processes of some of history’s greatest painters. Discover more with this tantalizing video.
 

 
To learn more, visit Dulwich Picture Gallery.
 
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You’ve spoken! In this occasional series we highlight one of most popular articles among Fine Art Today readers. This week we revisit a monumental exhibition from the Complesso del Vittoriano in Rome, Italy.
 
Nearly 100 years after he visited Rome with his wife, Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) will have his first retrospective. The Complesso del Vittoriano in Rome, Italy, is overjoyed to be presenting over 250 works from the Czech icon. Over his illustrious career, Mucha became one of the most renowned artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries with his distinctive French Art Nouveau style. Characterized by soft, organic lines, seductive female subjects, and pastel colors, Mucha’s illustrations and original poster designs were readily commissioned and bought by Parisian and, later, other European patrons.
 

Alphonse Mucha, “Self-Portrait,” 1899, color lithograph, 85 x 29 1/4 in. (c) Mucha Foundation 2016

 
The exhibition will run in Rome through September 11 and traces the artist’s entire career trajectory through six themes: The Bohemian in Paris, The Creator of Images for the General Public, The Cosmopolitan, The Mystic, The Patriot, and The Artist-Philosopher.
 
To learn more, visit the Complesso del Vittoriano.
 
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.
 

Indications from a recent Old Master art sale at a major auction house suggest the world’s appetite for historical masterpieces is hotter than the July sun.
 
From July 5 through 6, Sotheby’s in London hosted a rather successful sale of Old Master paintings, sculpture, works of art and drawings — with buyers hailing from all corners of the globe. Eight auction records were set and over $21 million was realized during the July 6 Old Masters Evening sale. However, the story of the night was the fact that buyers were representing some 27 countries, an increase from the numbers last year. All told, over 50 countries were represented during the sale and 40 percent more people participated in the auction.
 
Nearly half the lots sold were above estimates. Highlights included Jean-Etienne Liotard’s “A Dutch Girl at Breakfast” — which sold for $5,694,784 — and Jan Brueghel the Elder’s “Still Life of Flowers in a Stoneware Vase,” which realized $4,970,816. An outstanding oil sketch by Peter Paul Rubens, “The Chariot of Apollo,” was had for $1,480,256. To learn more, visit Art Daily.
 
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.
 

Thirty-seven of the nation’s top artists — along with nine special guests — headline a can’t-miss art sale and celebration this August. Details are just one click away!
 
The Northwest Rendezvous Group of Artists is heading to the Brinton Museum in Bighorn, Wyoming, this summer — and you should, too. Featuring nearly 50 of the nation’s most accomplished painters and sculptors, the “Bighorn Rendezvous Art Show & Sale” will host a major reception, quick-draw competition, banquet, and sale the weekend of August 5 & 6. Exhibition of available works will show from August 5 through September 5.
 
Available artworks by these extremely gifted artists are all inspired by the snow-capped peaks, vast plains, and diverse wildlife encountered at Wyoming’s Quarter Circle A Ranch at the Brinton Museum. Tickets for the events are still on sale at $160 for access to all events. Act quickly, however, as the price jumps to $180 after tomorrow, July 15.
 
Among many others, included artists are Carolyn Anderson, Greg Beecham, Quang Ho, Joan Larue, Ned Mueller, Jan Rosetta, Sandy Scott, and Jim Wilcox. To learn more, visit the Brinton 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.
 

Two of the nation’s preeminent Latin American artists headline a charged exhibition this summer. Discover what contemporary issues are explored and which gallery is the proud host.
 
In celebration and conjunction with Spanish Market and “Low Rider Summer” in Santa Fe, New Mexico, EVOKE Contemporary is excited to be presenting incredibly charged and beautifully rendered artworks by Nicholas Herrera and Patrick McGrath Muñiz. Opening July 29 and on view through August 20, “Vívido” features paintings, folk art, and sculpture by the two Latin American artists.
 
Via the gallery, “This event is significant as it is the gallery’s first exhibition featuring the masterful art of Patrick McGrath Muñiz. His politically charged allegorical paintings are glorious in their renaissance-style beauty and highly captivating with the artist’s clever wit and insightful observation of our culture and contemporary issues. Each of Patrick’s intricate paintings includes a special narrative composed by the artist, which will be provided to explain the symbolism to those who are curious.
 

Nicholas Herrera, “Infierno,” 2016, wood and natural pigments, 39 x 31 x 13 in. (c) EVOKE Contemporary 2016

 
“The paintings of Patrick McGrath Muñiz respond to our consumerist society and its indifference to global, ecological, and social injustice. As a painter coming from a Roman Catholic background and growing up during the 1980’s and 90’s in the island of Puerto Rico (the oldest colony in the Western hemisphere) Patrick was greatly inspired by pop culture icons, Christian Iconography and mythological imagery present in Art History, Tarot and Astrology. These sources provide a set of universal archetypes that allow him to re-interpret our current socio-economic and cultural conditions holistically, viewing world history as cyclical and interconnected from an archetypal perspective.”
 
Continuing, EVOKE reports, “Nicholas Herrera is being honored with the 2016 Governor’s Award of Excellence in the Arts [as he] presents his newest body of work. Nicholas is a 15th generation New Mexican and a legendary contemporary Santero who has made a remarkable contribution to the arts and is an inspiration to us all. His early years were filled with drugs, alcohol and trouble with the police which led to a head-on crash and several weeks in a coma. He miraculously survived and since that accident has dedicated his life to his art. In his words, ‘El arte me salvo la vida.’ Art saved his life.
 
“Nicholas Herrera’s work includes carvings, paintings and large-scale sculptures made from wood and found objects, with his varied and sometimes controversial subjects reflecting his eventful and tempestuous life. Nicholas is a modern ‘Vato Santero’ whose art engages the complex dialectical traditions of the Indian and Hispanic, as well as the traditional and the contemporary Hispanic. Today Nicholas Herrera is one of the best-known American folk artists, and his work is in the permanent collections of more than 30 museums including the Smithsonian American Art Museum.”
 
To learn more, visit EVOKE Contemporary.
 
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This magnetic sculpture was recently honored as the best of 2015-2016 by one of the world’s most prestigious art academies.
 
As one of the most renowned academies in the world, the Florence Academy of Art is constantly producing top artistic talent, year in and year out. Each year, the institution selects a student work as the year’s best; for 2015-2016, Mathias Bader has earned top honors for his compelling life-sized sculpture “Fulco.” Sculpted from clay, upon first glance it’s hard to believe the figure isn’t alive. Bader clearly has an eye for detail as each fold of skin, vein, and wrinkle is captured with mastery.
 
Originally from Zürich, Switzerland, Bader is currently a third-year student in the sculpture program. To view more exceptional student works from 2015-2016, visit The Florence Academy.
 
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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: John William Godward, “A Cool Retreat.”
 
Works by the supremely talented Victorian Neo-Classicist painter John William Godward (1861-1922) headline a major sale at Sotheby’s this week in London. The artist was born in Wilton Grove, Wimbledon, but his family disapproved of his chosen profession, eventually cutting off all contact. A follower of Frederic Leighton, Godward established a reputation for his images featuring women in classical dress — often posed within marble interiors or lush pastoral landscapes.
 
Godward’s paintings are remarkable for their attention to detail, both historical and aesthetic. Often displaying exotic furs, animals, plant life, and a wide variety of textiles, many of the artist’s works are a tour de force of vibrant color, texture, anatomy, and composition.
 
Headlining Sotheby’s July 14 “Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist” sale are two remarkable originals from Godward, including “A Cool Retreat.” Typical of the artist’s oeuvre, the viewer is presented with a beautifully rendered female figure who reclines next to an outdoor fountain. Classically clad, the figure rests on a black fur while a few pigeons waddle about the scene. A serene calm overcomes the subject’s face, which is also blushing. Every fold and detail of the fabrics and textiles are included in the work. At distance we find a faint landscape beyond the doorway. Auction estimates for this beautiful painting are between $500,000 and $650,000.
 
To view the full catalogue, visit Sotheby’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.
 

Honoring the New Mexico landscape are fellow artists and friends Ken Dagget and Damien Gonzales, this month at Total Arts Gallery. Details here!
 
Water, sky, earth, color, and texture are just a few of the natural elements that have inspired Southwestern artists for generations. Among them today are Ken Daggett and Damien Gonzales — two extremely accomplished and talented painters from Taos and Albuquerque (respectively), New Mexico.
 
In an exhibition opening on July 8 at the renowned Total Arts Gallery, Daggett and Gonzales will showcase a number of their newest works, each displaying a unique view of the natural wonders of the Land of Enchantment. The gallery writes, “Local Taos artist Ken Daggett creates dramatic vistas of northern New Mexico on canvas with unpredictable color combinations & energetic bold thick paints, he is able to communicate his unique and textural appreciation of the land.
 

Damien Gonzales, “Navajo Sandstone,” oil, 8 x 16 in. (c) Total Arts Gallery 2016

“Albuquerque artist Damien Gonzales peacefully approaches his work with a quiet reverence of the land capturing the drama, while respecting the atmosphere of a moment in time. Working in oils and often plein air these two New Mexican artists are ambassadors to our wondrous landscapes presenting two distinct personalities that are just part of the awe inspiring beauty of our vast landscape.”
 
“Honoring the New Mexico Landscape” opens on July 8 and will be on view through July 30. To learn more, visit Total Arts 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.
 

For nearly 100 years, Santa Barbara, California, has organized a summer celebration of the area’s cultural legacy and history known as the “Old Spanish Days Fiesta.” One gallery has joined the festivities to showcase the impact that art has had on this identity. Details here!
 
For eight days beginning August 3, Santa Barbara, California, will be an incredibly fun place to be. Entering into its 93rd year, the “Old Spanish Days Fiesta” is a celebration of historical proportions that recognizes the area’s Latin American history and heritage.
 
Sullivan Goss is one gallery that has joined the fray with a magnetic exhibition to showcase mission paintings created from the 1890s to the 1920s. “Picturing Old Spanish Days” is a fascinating exploration of how art has shaped not only the local culture, but the identity of the century-old festival as well.
 
The gallery suggests, “Since the eighteenth century Santa Barbara’s had a hybrid culture. Colonized by Spanish soldiers who were often born in present day Mexico, built by the Chumash, and later with the labor of others including Americans from the east coast and the midwest and even a substantial Chinese population, Santa Barbara’s authentic story has had many authors and its visual history has many images.
 
“The Sullivan Goss exhibition takes each in their turn and all in a Fiesta spirit of fun. There are paintings and photographs of Mission San Carlos Borromeo from the nineteenth century, when it was still a ruin. There are later romanticized images of the missions — as seductive nocturnes and as garden dreams. There are Spanish dancers, musicians, and revelers by American artists like W.H.D. Koerner, Dan Lutz, Richmond Kelsey, Mary deNeale Morgan, Jean Swiggett, and Theodore Jackman; Mexican dancers by the Spanish-born Mexican painter Jesus Helguera; and even a contemporary painting of a pre-Colonial Mexican past reimagined through a Modernist lens by Angela Perko.”
 
“Picturing Old Spanish Days” opened on July 7 and will remain on view through August 28. To learn more, visit Sullivan Goss.
 
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.