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: Giovanni Battista Langetti, “Sorrow.”
 
Although he was orphaned at a very young age, late Baroque painter Giovanni Battista Langetti (1635-1676) managed to achieve artistic success in 17th-century Italy. Likely raised by Giovan Battista Carlone and his family, Langetti began his artistic training at the Genoese parish of Santa Sabina, where the young painter was heavily influenced by the naturalistic style of local master Gioacchino Assereto. Assereto’s strong use of tenebrism found its way into Langetti’s pictures as well.
 
Specializing in paintings of biblical heroes, prophets, pagan characters, and philosophers, Langetti’s work was well received in Naples and, later, Venice. Scholars have attributed part of the painter’s success to the neo-Stoic culture popular during the mid-17th century. Langetti’s style, which includes strong tenebrism, a saturated palette, and dramatic compositions, is often closely associated with Baroque masters Jusepe de Ribera and, of course, Michelangelo Caravaggio.
 
Among a number of other notable works, Langetti’s “Sorrow” will appear during Auctionata’s Old Master & 19th Century Paintings sale on April 27 in Berlin, Germany. The beautiful canvas, dated 1663, displays a deceased Christ recently deposed from the cross. Christ lays reclined, still wearing his crown of thorns. A faint light glows just behind his head as a dramatic light illuminates the scene from the left, outside the frame. A strong diagonal structure dominates the composition, giving the somber scene a degree of tension and uneasiness, a feature appropriate for the picture’s subject. Significantly, neither Mary nor Saint John appears in the scene. Rather, Langetti has elected to include a number of mournful putti at Christ’s side. Across the upper right of the canvas, dramatically lit putti are displayed in various states of flight, frozen by the artist in twisting gestures. Barely discernible are two angels directly next to Christ. One gracefully holds Christ’s limp forearm and kisses it tenderly while another appears to hold a shroud in its hands, perhaps foreshadowing the martyr’s burial. All told, the painting is a magnificent piece of Italian history and a fine example of Baroque painting. Bidding will start at €40,000, though auction estimates are expected to exceed €80,000.
 
To view the full catalogue, visit Auctionata.
 
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.
 

“Blue Morning”
oil on linen
30 x 40 in.
 
http://www.donoughe.com/
 
About the artist:
A native of Loretto, Pennsylvania now living in Pittsburgh, Ron Donoughe is best known for his spirited realistic landscape paintings. He has a B.A. in Art Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California. Previous jobs include: landscaper, gravedigger, chicken catcher, art teacher, museum installer, graphic designer, and college instructor.  His work can be found in many corporate and private collections as well as the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, The Heinz History Center and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
His work has also been featured in the Pennsylvania Governor’s residence.
 
He has published three books of his work.
 
90 Pittsburgh Neighborhoods
Publisher: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 2015, 110 pages, full color
 
Paintings of Indiana County, Pennsylvania
Publisher: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2011, 79 pages, full color
 
Essence of Pittsburgh, The Paintings of Ron Donoughe in the Plein Air Style
Publisher: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 2006, 144 pages, full color
 
Artist Statement:
Painting from life has become a ritual for me. Everyday I go somewhere to make a painting without knowing exactly what will happen. I seek an intensity of feeling that comes from being in a particular place at a particular time. I’m creating a body of work that will serve as a time capsule for future generations.
 
Selected Collections:
 
Allegheny General Hospital
Allegheny Power
American Textile
Bayer Corporation, USA
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Western PA
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Del Monte Foods
Duquesne Club
Eat ‘n Park Restaurants
FreeMarkets
Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.
Grable Foundation
Heinz Endowments
Heinz History Center
Hillman Company
The University Museum at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Matthews International
Paramount Pictures
Penn State University/Earth & Mineral Sciences Museum
Pittsburgh High Technology Council
PNC Bank
PPG Industries
Renaissance Marriot
PA Governor Tom Corbett, (previous)
Office of the Surgeon General, State of PA
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art
South Side Hospital
University of Pittsburgh
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
 
Ron Donoughe
208 Main Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412.216.1914
http://www.donoughe.com/
 

The Grand Central Atelier in Queens, New York, continually produces some of the greatest classically trained artists. New works by nine resident artists are headed to the walls of this gallery in April. When and where?
 
Opening April 15 at Eleventh Street Arts, “RESIDENTS” is a compelling group exhibition of nine resident artists of the Grand Central Atelier. Together, their works will undeniably demonstrate the importance and influence of traditional academic training in the arts.
 

Anthony Baus, “Capriccio with Tiber God,” oil on canvas, (c) Eleventh Street Arts 2016

 
The artists featured in the exhibition include Liz Beard, Anthony Baus, Patrick Byrnes, Devin Cecil–Wishing, Sally Fama Cochrane, Zoe Dufour, Samuel Hung, Brendan Johnston, and Justin Wood. In addition to the opening reception on April 15, the gallery and atelier will host two evenings of artist talks, on April 20 and May 4 from 6-8 P.M.
 

Liz Beard, “Living Water,” oil on canvas, (c) Eleventh Street Arts 2016

Devin Cecil-Wishing, “Beginnings and Ends,” oil on canvas, (c) Eleventh Street Arts 2016

Via the exhibition webpage, the atelier writes, “From Liz Beard’s dreamlike narrative figure works, to Devin Cecil-Wishing’s enigmatic trompe l’oeil still lifes, to Sally Fama Cochrane’s elaborate medical allegories, exhibited works are marked by the marriage of highly refined technique with the incipient personal styles of nine developing visions. Two still life painters, Justin Wood and Samuel Hung, are exploring the genre in refreshingly unique ways — Wood’s elegant compositions invoke 17th century Dutch masters with a calm, even light, while Hung’s whimsical pictures are rendered with a dazzling precision. Anthony Baus’ part-observed, part-imagined compositions conjure past, present, and the ornate splendor of the ancient world. Patrick Byrnes, Zoe Dufour, and Brendan Johnston present sensitive new figure paintings and sculptures exploring the intimate relationship between model and artist in ways that evoke both strength and vulnerability. Having spent years carefully honing their painting, drawing, and sculpting skills, these young artistic voices are now emerging with an intriguing array of styles, sensibilities, and subject matter.”
 

Justin Wood, “Attributes of the Arts,” oil on canvas, (c) Eleventh Street Arts 2016

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.
 

On April 2, the Scottsdale Art Auction in Arizona offered up a wide selection of historically important and contemporary Western, wildlife, and sporting artworks — realizing nearly $9 million in total sales. The highlights?
 
Among the contemporary artists who experienced monumental sales at the April 2 Scottsdale Art Auction was Martin Grelle, whose sales totaled $1,020,825 for his selection of paintings. Records were also broken for artists Joe Beeler, George Giguere, and Logan Hagege.
 

Allan Houser (1914-1994), “Ready to Dance,” 1988, bronze, 76 in. (c) Scottsdale Art Auction 2016

 
The auction house reports, “Of special note was a collection of eight master works by Allan Houser, two of which set consecutive world auction records, ‘Smoke Signal’ and ‘Ready to Dance’ at $87,750 each. Other highlights included a set of eight oils, 9 inches by 12 inches each by Carl Rungius that were estimated at $150,000-$250,000 and sold for $315,900, two Kyle Polzin still life paintings, one (25 inches by 37 inches) estimated at $30,000-$50,000 that sold for $117,000 and another (48 inches by 48 inches) estimated at $50,000-$75,000 that sold for $152,100.
 

Clark Hulings (1922-2011), “Barcelona Produce Still Life,” 2005, oil on canvas, 25 x 27 in. (c) Scottsdale Art Auction 2016

Walter Ufer (1876-1936), “Trailing Homewards,” oil on canvas, 20 x 25 in. (c) Scottsdale Art Auction 2016

 
Historically important Taos Founders included Walter Ufer’s 20 inches by 25 inches oil, titled “Trailing Homewards”, that sold for $613,000 and Victor Higgins’ 20 inches by 24 inches oil, “The Red Door” (estimated at $200,000-$300,000), that sold for $304,200. Other Taos Founders offered included Oscar Berninghaus, Bert Phillips, E. I. Couse, and Joseph Henry Sharp. Other notable Western masters included Fredric Remington, W.R. Leigh, Charles M. Russell, Gerard Curtis Delano, Edward Borein, Olaf Wieghorst, Charles Schreyvogel, Olaf C. Seltzer, E. S. Paxson, and Henry Farny.
 

Victor Higgins (1884-1949), “The Red Door,” oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in. (c) Scottsdale Art Auction 2016

 
To learn more, visit the Scottsdale Art Auction.
 
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.
 

There has been an ongoing growth or revival of classicism in the art world, which often leads to the question: How does one explore the contemporary meaningfulness of the classical tradition? We think you will appreciate what artist John Woodrow Kelley is doing.
 
On view through April 29 at Eerdmans Fine Art in New York City, “Portraits in Stone” is a unique glimpse into the creative mind of painter John Woodrow Kelley as his affinity for and appreciation of traditional classicism continues to blossom. The show presents approximately 13 of Kelley’s newest oils; his pictures display ancient portrait busts from Imperial Rome and Classical Greece. In effect, they are portraits of portraits — and Kelley’s concept behind his representations is fascinating.
 

John Woodrow Kelley, “Massimo Hercules,” 2013, oil on canvas, (c) Eerdmans Fine Art 2016

 
The artist writes, “The Greek myths embody everything that is timeless about the human experience. They reveal truths and acknowledge mysteries. They survive in the subconscious of western man to the point that to learn about them is to experience a shock of recognition.” Bolstering the artist’s point, the gallery reports, “Kelley’s interpretations, at times full of pathos and at times surreal, are informed by the lens of today and question mimesis, beauty, and humanism.”
 

John Woodrow Kelley, “Farnese Hercules,” 2015, oil on canvas, (c) Eerdmans Fine Art 2016

 
“Portraits in Stone” will hang through April 29. To learn more, visit Eerdmans 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.
 

Race, gender, terrorism, and economics are all topics that find themselves at the forefront of America’s political climate today. As such, artists also continue to react and interpret their contemporary environment, including Charlotta Janssen and Phillip Thomas, during this April exhibition.
 
Through their unique techniques and individual styles, artists Charlotta Janssen and Phillip Thomas seek to explore and document “historical moments of struggle towards a post-racial atmosphere,” RJD Gallery reports. On view April 9 through the end of the month, “Barbed Wire & Picket Fences” features a number of multi-media figurative works that often reveal complex and multi-layered narratives.
 
Thomas, considered a realist by many, is an accomplished draftsman. According to the gallery, “He harnesses the classical approach of the European masters to clothe and critique his contemporary black subjects. The result is portraits that are appealing because of their conventions and familiarity but also repulsive because of their perverse contradictory content.”
 

Charlotta Janssen, “Intertwined Adam and Eve Leaning on Apple Tree,” iron oxide, acrylic, collage, oil, 60 x 36 in.
(c) RJD Gallery 2016

 
Speaking of her own work, Janssen writes, “My paintings are a ‘quilted’ Americana: through figurative, I discreetly bring in abstract shapes without interrupting the figurative work — taking place with patches of collage. From a distance they may reminisce of ‘crazy quilts’ or Gee’s Bend quilts, close up though they are clearly figurative.”
 
Located in Sag Harbor, New York, RJD Gallery will showcase 13 works from Janssen and 16 from Thomas. To learn more, visit RJD 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.
 

Throughout a career spanning four decades, Tom Browning has captured his love of the West with brush and paint. The artist is known for his trademark blankets of dust illuminated by the sun, and collectors will be thrilled to hear about the artist’s latest solo exhibition. Where?
 
On view now through April 22 at Insight Galleries in Fredericksburg, Texas, “The Lure of the West” is an outstanding solo exhibition of the latest paintings by acclaimed artist Tom Browning. Ten of the artist’s works are featured in the exhibition, with subjects ranging from charging buffalo, cowboys on horseback, and ranchers soaking in quintessential American Western vistas.
 

Tom Browning, “Buffalo Shuffle,” oil, 25 x 60 in. (c) Insight Galleries 2016

 
Several of the works on view display Browning’s trademark dust, which adds a beautiful sense of atmosphere and spatial context to his images. As mentioned above, the artist frequently depicts a soft glow of sunlight as it passes through the cloud of dirt, which also causes the subjects to separate from their surroundings, creating more three-dimensionality. Four of the paintings have already been claimed, so collectors shouldn’t hesitate to view the show.
 

Tom Browning, “Spring on the Diamond Trail,” oil, 30 x 40 in. (c) Insight Galleries 2016

 
To learn more, visit Insight Galleries.
 
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.
 

Visitors to Evergreen Fine Art Gallery in Colorado this month will be presented with three unique perspectives on their home state and the American West. Who and what can you expect?
 
Featuring Stephanie Hartshorn, Dave Santillanes, and Robert Spooner, Evergreen Fine Art Gallery is thrilled to be opening “Three Point Perspective” this month. The three artists represented are among Colorado’s best, each displaying a unique style and view on nature and man. Gallery director Doug Kacena remarked, “There’s going to be a really interesting visual dialogue between them. They focus on different themes, different subjects, different perspectives on Colorado and the West itself.”
 

Stephanie Hartshorn, “Rural Road Trip,” oil, 12 x 48 in. (c) Evergreen Fine Art 2016

 
“Three Point Perspective” opened on Saturday, April 2 with an Artist Reception and Gallery Talk. The artists offered their takes on the exhibition. Hartshorn explained, “I’m drawn to objects or scenes that tell a story. The physical history of the West is cultural, it’s dynamic, and it’s disappearing. When I paint something — from a rusty old sign to modern urban architecture — I approach it as a portrait.”
 

David Santillanes, “Interlude,” oil, 30 x 40 in. (c) Evergreen Fine Art 2016

 
Spooner said, “My paintings will be based on new historical themes I’ve been working on. Three Point Perspective offers three artistic vantage points. We all approach a work from different perspectives, and we all apply different solutions to a visual problem.”
 
To learn more, visit Evergreen Fine Art 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 many parts of the country, spring is here, and a number of exciting exhibition opportunities await the eager art collector and enthusiast, including this from Diablo Fine Art Gallery in California.
 
Known for his veristic artworks of wildlife and more, Andrew Denman is as skilled as any artist working now. On view now at Walnut Creek, California’s Diablo Fine Art Gallery, “Spring Exhibition” will feature a number of outstanding works from Denman, including “Sparrow Study” — a piece that was begun in 2010 as part of the artist’s “Birds of Nowhere” series. Among the artist’s naturalistic drawings are a number of Denman’s acrylic paintings as well, a few of which are figurative in subject while many display birds, flora, and equine subjects.
 

Andrew Denman, “Sparrow Study,” graphite on Strathmore paper, 23 x 17 in. (c) Diablo Fine Art Gallery 2016

Andrew Denman, “The Grey Scale,” acrylic on board, 10 1/4 x 15 3/4 in. (c) Diablo Fine Art Gallery 2016

Andrew Denman, “Cock and Hen,” acrylic on board, 27 x 17 1/4 in. (c) Diablo Fine Art Gallery 2016
 

Via the exhibition webpage, “Denman primarily paints wildlife and animal subjects in a unique, hallmark style combining hyper-realism with stylization and abstraction. His dynamic and original acrylic paintings and drawings can be found in museum collections on two continents and in numerous private collections in the USA and abroad. His clear voice, unique vision, and commitment to constant artistic experimentation have positioned him at the forefront of an artistic vanguard of the best contemporary wildlife and animal painters working today.”
 
To learn more, visit Diablo Fine Art 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.
 

You’re invited to enjoy an evening of hors d’oeuvres, champagne, music, and art during the Southern Atelier Gala and Benefit.
 
The Southern Atelier of Sarasota, Florida, has been supporting classically trained artists for many years, passing down the lessons of past masters. Each year, the atelier hosts a Gala and Benefit in conjunction with the Sarasota Art Collectors. This year’s event will include a silent auction, proceeds from which will help support the Southern Atelier for operational and educational program costs. Patrons will also have the opportunity to win a free painting, raffled during the event.
 
Tickets are $15 at the door and festivities begin at 6 P.M. on Saturday, April 9. To learn more, visit the Southern Atelier.
 
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.