New York City’s AFA Gallery of SoHo recently opened “Pandora’s Box” — a group exhibition featuring a lineup of international artists known for fantastical and surrealist imagery.
 
Fantasy and surrealism get the spotlight in New York at AFA Gallery of SoHo. Featuring both 2D and 3D works created by a number of international artists, “Pandora’s Box” is sure to turn heads and seduce. The exhibition, which opened on December 3, will host an opening reception on December 12. All of the works included in the show will be available for purchase and on view through December 20. Unsold items will remain on display through January 31.
 
“Pandora’s Box” was spawned from a major exhibition in 2011 entitled “Monsters and Misfits” that debuted in Takayawa, Japan. The gallery writes that “each artist participating in ‘Pandora’s Box’ shapes their own unique and often macabre universe. Female power figures, likely skeletal beings, psychedelic cephalopods, genteel monsters, and apocalyptic babies are just a few of the denizens teetering between light and dark in their collection of work. The representation of this struggle is extreme, yet perfectly analogous with real-life conflicts. Seductive fantastical imagery is unexpectedly met with unnerving self-reflection.
 
“Innocence and maturity and pure and evil are rarely two separate things, but rather an intertwined force that tirelessly searches for perfect balance — which of course, can never be met. This inability to maintain moral equilibrium promises free agency — the ability to choose. Whether influenced by inherited traits, environmental circumstance, or crippling self-doubt, the players of ‘Pandora’s Box’ embody various shades of good and bad.”
 
The narrative of the exhibition is undoubtedly tantalizing, and there is little question that the works live up to the challenge. Artists featured in the show include Jean Pierre Arboleda, Anne Bachelier, Bill Carman, Colin and Sas Christian, Dorian Vallejo, Jennybird Alcantara, Jessica Joslin, Kirk Reinert, Lin Esser, Marie Larkin, Nicoletta Ceccoli, Ray Caesar, Rebecca Dautremer, Stan Manoukian, William Basso, Kathie Olivas, and Yoko d’Holbachie.
 
To learn more, visit AFA Gallery of SoHo.
 
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Madrid’s Museo del Prado has long been recognized as one of the world’s premier museums for its outstanding collections and frequent blockbuster exhibitions. Art lovers from all across the globe can now experience the museum in a new way. How?
 
Experiencing the Museo del Prado’s world-renowned collection can now be as simple as the click of a mouse. Just a few days ago, the museum unveiled a new website that “positions [it] in the vanguard of the museums on the net,” the museum writes. With technology changing rapidly from day to day and week to week, institutions around the world are increasingly moving toward digitization, making their masterpieces available to a nearly unlimited audience.
 

The collections webpage (c) Museo del Prado 2015

 
Continuing, the museum states that “the new website is provided with a complex technological development and has been designed to absolutely focus on the image and documentation of the artwork. This new way of featuring the Prado collection in the digital world allows users to enjoy the full scope of the museum and delve into its collection in a quick user-friendly interface.”
 
On the homepage, users are presented with a selection of currently on-view exhibitions with marvelous high-resolution images. Crisp and elegant tabs populate the top, where users can choose between the museum’s collection, visitor information, exhibitions, and more. Navigating from the homepage and into the collections, one is immediately enticed by the pieces dubbed “masterpieces” from the museum’s permanent collection. When one of those works is selected, an interactive interface appears that allows one to explore the artwork in vivid detail and stunning clarity. Below are navigable features that allow one to search the collection.
 
From our experience here at Fine Art Today, the new website is crisp, clean, fluid, and populated with stunning images that are almost as good as the works themselves … almost.
 
To explore the outstanding website for yourself, visit Museo del Prado.
 
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.
 

Presenting 15 international artists showcasing their own visages and more, Gallery 25N in New York is a must-visit during December.

Although it opened on December 10, there’s still plenty of time to view “Portraits” at New York City’s Gallery 25N, which features 15 international artists carefully selected and juried into the exhibition. Artists featured in the exhibition include Sabin Chintoan, Garry Cruz, Errol Daniels, Brian DiNicola, Barbara Goodwin, Ailey Greig, Karol Kedzierski, Jeff Klena, Thomas McKee, Jonathan Murrill, Catalina Oproiu, Holly Siniscal, Sebastian Springall, Cristian Strittmatter, and Wan Tun–Ping.
 

To learn more, visit Gallery 25N.
 
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A full spectrum of outstanding works by three accomplished artists opens soon at Sirona Fine Art in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
 
Featuring Ali Cavanaugh, Nadine Robbins, and Gary Weisman, “Oil Water Bronze” is a must-see exhibition at Sirona Fine Art. Boasting three outstanding artists who work in three different media, the show will display a diverse range of creative output.
 
Via the gallery, “Nadine Robbins renders perfectly realized portraiture in meticulous, richly layered oils. Rejecting the traditionally ‘staged’ portrait, Robbins prefers to convey life, emotion, authenticity, and often humor in her subjects. Her portraits garner attention from both critics and collectors — Huffington Post art critic, John Seed, chose ‘Mrs. McDonald ‘as one of his ‘Ten Memorable Paintings for 2013’, praising the ‘sultry mood and unique beauty’ of the image. Several of Robbins’ portraits are part of the prestigious Tullman Collection in Chicago, including Double Gulp, a recent portrait of renowned collector Howard Tullman.
 
“Ali Cavanaugh, painting on panels rather than paper, has long pushed the medium of watercolor to emulate finely detailed oil paintings. Her new works utilize the inherent spontaneity of that medium to inject new, flowing life into her sensitive figures. Cavanaugh’s work is extolled in the Huffington Post, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose and in numerous print publications including The New York Times Magazine, American Art Collector, American Artist Watercolor. She has painted portraits for TIME magazine and The New York Times. Her work is featured in more than 400 private and corporate collections throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
 
“Gary Weisman is one of the finest figurative sculptors in the world, combining the consummate mastery of his predecessors from the classic Greek to Rodin into a wholly contemporary presentation of the body captured in bronze. This exhibit displays over 30 works of profound strength and absolute grace. Weisman has participated in group exhibitions since 1987, and from 1989 has had countless solo exhibitions. He is the recipient of various awards and commissions, represented in collections across the United States with works included in a wide array of prestigious public and private collections.”
 
To learn more, visit Sirona 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.
 

Representation, skill, and fantasy all come together in the works of L.A.-based artist Mark Ryden, who recently unveiled his newest paintings — and sculpture — in a thought-provoking exhibition. Where can you find it?
 
Relying upon a variety of historical traditions, artist Mark Ryden has established a career through his eclectic imagery. “Dodecahedron” — Ryden’s latest solo exhibition — opened on December 10 at Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York City. Via the exhibition press release, Ryden “combines the grandeur of Spanish and Italian religious painting with the decorative richness of Old Master compositions and the lush textures of French Neo-Classicism. Expanding on these concepts, the artist’s paintings focus on ‘the soul confronting its physical form’ as represented by his reoccurring feminine child figure, he calls ‘anima’ or ‘soul’ figure. These anima figures appear under different guises, such as in ‘Anatomia,’ 2015 and ‘Aurora,’ 2015. For the artist, they represent the part of us that wonders at the elegant mathematics that exists underneath everything and the sacred geometry that constructs our physical world.”
 

Mark Ryden, “Dymaxion Principle,” 2015, oil on canvas, 18 x 44 in. (c) Paul Kasmin Gallery 2015

 Mark Ryden, “Anatomia,” 2014, oil on canvas, 54 x 30 in. (c) Paul Kasmin Gallery 2015

 
The show will also feature Ryden’s first ever sculpture, a 12-sided dodecahedron cast in bronze. “Each panel is individually cast and features images and motifs that have been prevalent throughout the artist’s oeuvre such as; the tree, the eye, the fetus, the bee, the ammonite, and Abraham Lincoln,” as the gallery states. Whether it Ryden’s existential concept, his immense talent, or both, the exhibition is sure to be a fascinating and entertaining visit.
 

 Mark Ryden, “Anatomia,” 2014, oil on canvas, 54 x 30 in. (c) Paul Kasmin Gallery 2015

 
“Dodecahedron” opened on December 10 and will be on view through January 23.
 
To learn more, visit Paul Kasmin 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.
 

Coming soon to the Dallas Museum of Art is a lovely exhibition of 17th-century Dutch paintings with music in mind.
 
If anyone doesn’t get excited about the prospect of viewing 17th-century Dutch masterpieces, they might want to check their pulse. Opening on January 17 at the Dallas Museum of Art is an exhibition that focuses on the Dutch portrayal of musicians — a popular theme during a time when genre  paintings reigned as the most fashionable subjects.
 

Attrib. Dirck van Santvoort, “A Boy Playing the Flute,” oil, (c) Image via Dallas Museum of Art 2015
 

Centering around  a work by the master of Dutch genre  painting himself, Johannes Vermeer’s “Young Woman Seated at a Virginal” from about 1670-1672, the exhibition offers an outstanding assortment of pictures from Vermeer’s contemporaries as well. In addition to Vermeer, other artists include Jan Steen, Gerard ter Borch, Jacob Adriaensz Ochtervelt, Eglon van der Neer, Gerard Dou, and Frans van Mieris.
 

Gerard ter Borch, “A Musical Company,” oil, (c) Image via Dallas Museum of Art 2015
 

Executed late in the artist’s career, “Young Woman Seated at a Virginal” is a quintessential piece from Vermeer’s oeuvre. Brilliantly illuminated by an out-of-view light source in the upper left, a young woman pauses her concert to turn and glance at the viewer with a pensive — but warm — smile. As one would expect from Vermeer, the picture displays a slight blur and softness, but does not lack in its photographic realism. Upon initial view, the figure’s bright yellow shawl invites the viewer into the scene. If the viewer doesn’t grant that point of entry, the gaze captivates. A beautiful flash of red from the ribbon in her hair tickles the eye and adds visual interest. Finally, the satin dress, illuminated by the light, along with its reflection in the sides of the virginal, is simply breathtaking. If the exhibition featured this painting alone, it would be well worth a visit.
 
“Vermeer Suite: Music in 17th-Century Dutch Painting” opens on January 17 and will be on view through August 21.
 
To learn more, visit the Dallas 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.
 
 

Although this exhibition features only one painting, it is sure to evoke contemplation fit for a retrospective. Discover the “what” and “where” here.
 
As part of its occasional “In Dialogue” series, the Snite Museum on the campus of Notre Dame University will feature one of the masterpieces held in its permanent collection. Beginning January 10 and on view through March 13, Henry Mosler’s (1841-1920) “Forging the Cross” will surely offer viewers “many interpretive possibilities,” the museum states. “The installation brings together diverse voices from across campus to create an open and ongoing understanding of Mosler’s turn-of-the-century synthesis of art, history, religion, and gender roles.”
 
Despite myriad possible interpretations, the picture is absolutely captivating from a formal perspective. Within a dark and drab blacksmith’s forge, three young men work in unison to fabricate a cross. An older man, facing away from the viewer and in the background, is presumably the master blacksmith and feeds the flowing fire. At center of the composition — between two of the three young men — is an intimidating matriarch who glares out upon the viewer. Along the right edge of the picture we find an open doorway leading outside. However, our view of the landscape beyond is largely obscured by a gathering of girls and young women, who gaze into the studio with eager anticipation.
 
Indeed the image appears to be oozing with narrative and interpretive potential. Each figure represented likely belongs to the same family, displaying the family’s trade and gender roles. The males in the picture are completely focused on the task at hand, each shown with worn clothing and dirty hands. The matriarch at center dominates with her confident pose and energy. Perhaps the sparking fire that glows just behind her figure implies her fiery personality.
 
To learn more, visit the Snite 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.
 

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” as they say, and there’s no doubt that sculptor Eric Wilcox has inherited his acclaimed father’s artistic touch — even if it took some time.
 
The son of well known and successful landscape artist Jim Wilcox, sculptor Eric Wilcox has been no stranger to exquisite Western fine art since his birth in 1983. Since 1969, Jim and his wife, Narda, have owned and operated the Wilcox Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming — just one of the many world-class galleries in the area.
 
Being born into a successful art family doesn’t always spawn immediate love for the creative process, but “somewhere around the age of 7,” as Eric’s biography states, “he was with his parents at an art show where artist Joe Halko was demonstrating. Eric, not being the shy type, asked Joe if he would sculpt something for him. Joe was kind enough to take time out of his demonstration and sculpt a bunny out of clay that he let Eric take home. At this point, art started to make a home in his heart.”
 

Eric Wilcox working at the Wilcox Gallery II (c) Mark Wilcox 2015

 
Forging his own aesthetic path, years of dabbling in a variety of media led Wilcox to sculpting, where he discovered a natural skill. Through the generous help of sculptors Rip Caswell and Tim Whitworth, the rest is history. Today, Wilcox is quickly establishing his career as both the Wilcox Gallery manager and as a sculptor of miniatures. His biography states, “Eric is currently working on a series of small bronzes that showcase the variety of wildlife found in the Teton area. He is grateful to have had such formative influences and understands that he would not be doing what he loves without the help of many amazing people.”
 

Eric Wilcox, “Christmas Set,” (c) Eric Wilcox 2015

 
Eric writes, “The best thing about being an artist for me is the feeling I get knowing that something I created is something that others admire enough to have in their home. The first sale I ever had I was shaking and could hardly keep my emotions in check. I don’t think the shaking stopped until several hours later. When the clients left the gallery I was jumping up and down yelling out of excitement. Then I called everyone I could think of to share the great news. I still get that same feeling today with every sale but I spare most people the call. I am also excited to know that my children and eventual grandchildren and so on will have something that is long-lasting that they can remember me by.”
 
To learn more, visit Eric Wilcox.
 
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 53 years, the Alamo Kiwanis Club has sponsored a major art show and sale to benefit local children’s charities in the San Antonio, Texas, region. To date, over $2.75 million has been donated via the Alamo Kiwanis Club. What’s on the slate for 2016?
 
There’s nothing quite like purchasing great art for a great cause, and for 53 years, the Western and Heritage Art Show has represented both. The impetus for the event was in 1963, with then-president of the Alamo Kiwanis Club Charities Harry Halff, who wanted to offer outstanding art to benefit his charity. On the grounds of the 1964 Livestock Exposition, the first ever Western and Heritage Art Show was held, featuring 272 paintings from nearly 100 artists.
 
The 2016 Western and Heritage Art Show will feature 40 acclaimed artists and will take place on Friday, January 22. Via the show’s press release: “The event includes catering, a casino party and raffle, full bar selection and live music. Artwork styles include oil paintings, watercolors, etchings and other styles of original works.”
 
In addition to the regularly scheduled events, the 2016 show will feature a new “Student Art Competition” to help raise extra funds. Organizers suggest that “the competition encourages students to create visual art inspired by their heritage. The winner will have the opportunity to feature and sell their artwork at the fundraising event.”
 
To learn more, visit the Western and Heritage Art Show.
 
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 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: Francesco Antonio Simonini, “The Expulsion of the Turks from Austria.”

A court painter who displayed his artistic talent early, Francesco Antonio Simonini (1686–1753) found himself in the good graces of the Grand Duke of Parma in his teens. At the Duke’s expense, Simonini was sent to study his craft in Florence. During his journey, some scholars believe the young artist may have come into contact with the outstanding battle scenes painted by Jacques Courtois and may even have met the artist himself. Whether or not this is true, Simonini became renowned for his dramatic depictions of violent conflict.
 
Working mostly for the Grand Duke of Parma, Simonini was later lent to the Papal Court in Rome, where he continued to build his reputation as a skilled painter of landscape and battle.
 
Heading to auction on December 19 via the Sarasota Estate Auction is a chaotic battle scene by Simonini that documents the expulsion of the Turks from Austria. Simonini’s characteristic brushwork and color are marvelous and add yet another captivating element to an already magnetic image.
 
A swarming group of cavalry with swords in hand pounces on the fleeing Turks in a sweep of violent movement across the foreground. Dancing from left to right, horses rear on their hind legs, sprint, and topple over one another. Smoke rises from the middle ground before another distant group of cavalrymen advances toward a barely visible town. At close inspection, the surface of the painting is vivid with expressive, painterly strokes. Further, the juxtaposition of the light pastel skies and the dark battle below provides balance between light and shadow. Finally, points of saturated red, blue, and yellow found within the Turks’ dress dart around the piece, asking the viewer to continuously move across the picture and revealing the narrative.
 
Those seeking to stake a claim on the piece will need to act quickly. As Lot 9, the painting will be available early during the December 19 auction, which begins in earnest at 9 a.m. Auction estimates are between $40,000 and $60,000.
 
To view the full catalogue, visit Live Auctioneers.
 
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.