There is always something engaging, mysterious, and captivating when gazing into the eyes of an artist through a self-portrait. Self-images are intimate and often leave the viewer with a sense that we are somehow closer to their makers. One of history’s greatest self-portraits has evoked similar feelings for centuries and is on view now during a first ever retrospective.
 
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) is considered by many to have been one of history’s most successful women painters, especially with regard to the turbulent times in which she worked. Spanning the reign of Louis XV to that of Louis-Philippe, Vigée Le Brun witnessed first-hand the violence and chaos of the French Revolution.
 

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, “Self-Portrait with Daughter Julie,” 1786, oil on panel, 106 x 84 cm.
(c) Musée du Louvre, Paris 2015

 
A woman of high social status, Vigée Le Brun produced a wealth of self-portraiture that not only revealed that status, but served to showcase the professional she had become in the face of gender inequality in the arts — a masterful portraitist and painter. A number of Vigée Le Brun works will feature during the artist’s first ever retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris.
 

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, “Marie-Antoinette with Children,” 1787, oil on canvas, 76.8 x 106.7 cm.
(c) Google Cultural Institute 2015

 
Via the exhibition webpage, “Vigée Le Brun used self-portraits to assert her status, circulate her image, and show people the mother she had become despite the constraints of a career. In this respect, she made her greatest coup de force at the 1787 Exhibition, where she presented two paintings that cannot be dissociated. First, a portrait of Queen Marie-Antoinette posing for a portrait surrounded by her children in an attempt to rectify the image of an extravagant libertine; secondly, the portrait of a female artist hugging her daughter Julie to her chest in an effusive Raphael-like manner. The latter is one of the finest and most popular of the many works by this painter owned by the Louvre and has remained the emblem of maternal tenderness since it was first exhibited to the public. The culture of the Enlightenment and the influence of Rousseau obliged the artist to take on this role, which she did happily and with resounding success. As a counterpoint, she painted the ‘Portrait of Hubert Robert.’ These paintings are absolute icons illustrating the joy of life and creative genius, complementing and communicating with each other.”
 
“Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun” opened on September 23 and will be on view through January 11.
 
To learn more, visit the Grand Palais.
 
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.
 

Dedicated to the inspiration, encouragement, and recognition of women in fine arts, American Women Artists is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a “Members Show & National Juried Exhibition” in Scottsdale, Arizona.
 
Although events began on November 9, the non-profit American Women Artists (AWA) has planned a number of exciting opportunities throughout this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. Celebrating 25 years of excellence and hosted by the Scottsdale Artists’ School, festivities kicked off with a number of AWA workshops during which several of the organization’s members shared their artistic techniques and creative processes.
 

Georgene McGonagle, “What’s Up?,” bronze, 16 x 7 x 4 in. (c) Bonner David Galleries 2015

 
Along with a meet-and-greet yesterday, the week heated up today with an awards ceremony at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, followed by the opening reception of the “2015 Members Show & National Juried Exhibition” at the esteemed Bonner David Galleries. Things simmer on Friday in preparation for a full weekend. Saturday, November 14, will feature “Voices and Visions from the New Frontier: A Symposium on Women and Art in the 21st Century,” which will take place at the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts. The symposium boasts a star-studded slate of speakers from around the country who will discuss the current state of the art world from the perspective of female artists.
 

Cecy Turner, “Tucked in for the Winter,” oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in. (c) Bonner David Galleries 2015

 
As detailed in last week’s edition of “Fine Art Today,” Sunday will witness the Beaux Arts Fundraiser hosted by the Scottsdale Artists’ School. View the full article here.
 

Carol Swinney, “Valley of the Navajo,” oil on canvas, 20 x 40 in. (c) Bonner David Galleries 2015

 
To learn more about AWA and the schedule of this week’s events, visit American Women Artists.
 
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.
 

text – here is where the artist answers the questions; it can be several paragraphs, 500-600 words

Then a few images; the following are samples for visual only:

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This artist spotlight is sponsored by WHO. For more information, please visit THEIRWEBSITE.

Haralambos Papadopoulos
“Mediterranean Calm”
Oil
40 x 32 in.
 
www.rouxandcyrgallery.com
 
Slip away to the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea through the works of Haralambos Papadopoulos. Wave-polished stones of every size and color adorn the coastline. Imagine the warm sunshine and the gentle lapping of the moving sea. One can almost hear the sound of the water as it embraces the multitude of pebbles and rocks. This Greek artist brings us the Mediterranean like no other. By playing warm against cool and concentrating detail on selected stones, he dances the eye around his rocky beaches instilling the desire to start picking up smooth stones to rub between your fingers. Which stone will you pick up first?
 
Haralambos Papadopoulos is a collected artist by both collectors and museums in Europe and the US.
 
Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery, located in Portland Maine, is proud to display his serene oil paintings along with works of 25 accomplished artists. The gallery’s collection is realism at it’s finest. Come stroll in their 3000 sq ft sunlit space in the heart of the Arts District as you view amazing works from ten different countries. The gallery is open year round, Tuesday through Saturday to accommodate your artful needs.

www.rouxandcyrgallery.com
 

After $2.2 million worth of restoration, the famed Trevi fountain was reopened to the public just days ago.
 
It’s a familiar scene: Scores of tourists stand along the edges of emerald waters flowing from dramatic Baroque sculptures and toss coins over their shoulders to guarantee a return trip to the Eternal City. Unfortunately, the scene has been very different for the past 16 months as the Trevi fountain was closed for restoration and cleaning. The wait — and cost — were worth it. The entire monument, now nearly 300 years old, was meticulously cleaned and more than 100 new LED lights were installed to illuminate it like never before.
 
On November 3, the fountain was reopened with an emotional ceremony complete with cheers, tears, and hundreds of delighted tourists. Funded by the Italian fashion house Fendi, the all-told price tag of the restoration exceeded €2 million (approx. $2.2 million). Silvia Venturini Fendi said, “It’s very emotional, especially for us Romans.”
 
To learn more, visit ArtDaily.
 
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: Sir Alfred James Munnings, “Mon Talisman, Chantilly.”
 
An outspoken critic of Modernism, painter Sir Alfred James Munnings established financial success through his wartime representations, but he is perhaps best known for his fantastic paintings of horses. On par with George Stubbs, Munnings spent years studying champion racehorses at Chantilly, a commune in France, and he found himself greatly in demand in places beyond England and France, including Canada and the United States.
 
Born in 1878 in Suffolk, England, Munnings studied as an apprentice at the Norwich School of Art, after which he became a full-time painter. Munnings completed his first painting of a racehorse, Poethyn, in 1919. In less than 10 years, his portraits of thoroughbreds were in high demand. On November 18, an outstanding portrait of the racehorse Mon Talisman heads to auction via The Sporting Art Auction in Lexington, Kentucky. The auctioneer reports, “Though this painting of Mon Talisman is what Munnings himself would have called a cut and dry horse portrait, there are several compositional aspects that make this painting an exceptional work. Consider the groom, for instance. He is in profile, the perspective that reveals the fewest characteristics while Mon Talisman gazes slightly out of the frame and towards the viewer. As this was a commissioned portrait, the patron, whether knowingly or not, would have appreciated that Mon Talisman, and not his groom, is looking out from the canvas out of the corner of his eye. Mon Talisman is seen in profile, displaying his athleticism and conformation. He is sculpted with highlights made by the early morning sunshine during exercise on the gallops at Chantilly. Munnings was the first artist to use pastel tones to create highlights and shadows on horses’ coats.”
 
Auction estimates are between $300,000 and $400,000.
 
To view the full catalogue, visit The Sporting 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.
 

The response to and influence of 19th-century French Impressionism in America is a tantalizing story, the details of which are told with stunning beauty in a current exhibition in Georgia.
 
Featuring the works of more than 20 American artists, including Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, Theodore Robinson, John Henry Twachtman, and J. Alden Weir, “Monet and American Impressionism” is sure to delight through January 24 at the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia.
 
“These artists adapted the innovation of French Impressionism and ultimately paved the way to a uniquely American style of painting in the late 19th century,” the museum writes. “The exhibition includes landscapes, portraits, intimate depictions of women and children, and images of modern life in American cities, which together generate dialogues about techniques, composition, and subject matter.”
 

Gari Melchers, “Unpretentious Garden,” ca. 1903-1909, oil on canvas, 33 3/4 x 40 1/4 in.
(c) Telfair Museum of Art 2015

 
In particular, the exhibition focuses on how American painters responded to the works of Claude Monet. Four paintings by Monet, alongside around 50 paintings and 20 prints, compose the show. In addition to exploring the elements of Monet’s painting that other artists embraced and rejected, the exhibition calls attention to contemporary 19th-century issues that were relevant to American Impressionists. Whether it be industrialization, exercise, the changing roles of women in American society, or consumer culture, a wide variety of topics are touched, making the exhibition an outstanding experience both visually and intellectually.
 
The museum continues, “In addition to featuring the leading painters of the day, the exhibition includes works by such lesser-known figures as John Leslie Breck, Richard Emil Miller, Lilla Cabot Perry, and Guy Wiggins, among others. Artists representing a later generation of painters who merged Impressionism with realist concerns, such as Maurice Prendergast, William Glackens, Ernest Lawson, and Jonas Lie, are also included. The installation is organized along five thematic groupings: “The Allure of Giverny,” “A Country Retreat,” “The Vibrance of Urbanism,” “The Comfort of Home,” and “A Graphic Legacy’.”
 
“Monet and American Impressionism” opened on October 16 and will hang through January 24.
 
To learn more, visit the Telfair 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.
 

On view now at the splendid Basildon Park in West Berkshire, United Kingdom, is an impressive exhibition featuring Old Masters, 20th-century engravings, and paintings of the Grand Tour.
 
Selected works from the outstanding collection of Sir Brinsley Ford are on view at West Berkshire’s Basildon Park this fall from November 2. Patrons will have plenty of time to schedule their visits, as Augustine Ford has offered the collection to the National Trust on long-term loan. Via the venue’s website: “[The loan] is his share of his father, Sir Brinsley Ford’s considerable and highly respected collection and includes important works of art from Tiepolo to Augustus John. The collection complements the existing works of art at Basildon Park collected by Lord and Lady Iliffe.

“The Iliffes rescued the country estate from ruin in the 1950s and restored the 18th-century house, filling it with fine furniture, paintings, and fabrics. Visitors have long enjoyed gazing on the rich and varied collection of baroque and rococo pictures at Basildon Park, including a portrait by Batoni and a major work by Madam Valleyer-Coster.

The site continues, “Sir Brinsley’s collection adds an extra dimension along similar themes. He was collecting art at the same time as the Iliffes. They shared a taste for Old Master paintings, paintings of the Grand Tour, and the 20th century post-war period. They even used the same auction houses and art dealers such as Colnaghi’s and Agnew’s.

“Like the Iliffes, Sir Brinsley was generous in sharing his works of art with the public. He once said: ‘The pleasure of owning a collection, and sharing it with others, fully compensates for the burdens that it entails.’”

“At Home with Art: Treasures of the Ford Collection” opened on November 2.

To learn more, visit Basildon Park.

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.
 

Matthew Bober is one of those painters who take trompe l’oeil to a new level in his magnetic, contemporary still life images. Bober’s recent works head to Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, South Carolina, for a solo exhibition this month.
 
For the past eight years, painter Matthew Bober has been working under the tutelage of renowned artist Jeff Koons, honing his individual style and building a body of work to be featured during a solo exhibition at Robert Lange Studios in South Carolina this month. Titled “Serenade,” the exhibition showcases Bober’s outstanding talent for realism, which some might call hyperrealism.
 

Matthew Bober, “Yellow Cat Bird,” oil on panel, 10 x 10 in. (c) Robert Lange Studios 2015

 
The gallery suggests, “Bober’s realist, bordering on hyperrealist, style gives his still lives a strong vibrancy, but it is not the technique, as much as the subject matter, that sets Bober apart. Each painting depicts found objects including skulls and mechanical parts, which Bober has carefully arranged before painting.”
 

Matthew Bober, “Clockworks,” oil on panel, 16 x 16 in. (c) Robert Lange Studios 2015

 
Bober himself recalls, “When I design a painting it’s always conceived first in my mind. The colors, the textures and objects are all actors cast to tell a visual story. I like using the same objects weaving in and out of paintings, creating a personal iconography and giving them a world to exist in. Nothing I paint would ever just happen to be come upon. I don’t paint nature, I reimagine it.”
 

Matthew Bober, “Caracal and Three Shells,” oil on panel, 9 x 18 in. (c) Robert Lange Studios 2015

 
“Serenade” opens tomorrow, November 6 and will hang through November 27.
 
To learn more, visit Robert Lange Studios.
 
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 Guild of Boston Artists recently announced its upcoming exhibition and event schedule through December, including a tantalizing exhibition of new landscapes by acclaimed painter Dennis Sheehan.
 
Drawing largely from the 19th-century Barbizon School, painter Dennis Sheehan is known for creating poetic landscapes that are widely in demand. His paintings can be found all across the United States and abroad in both public and private collections, including in the White House.
 

Dennis Sheehan, “Blue Nocturne,” oil, 16 x 23 in. (c) Susan Powell Fine Art 2015

 
Opening on November 7 at the Guild of Boston Artists is a solo exhibition of the most recent landscapes by Sheehan, an event in which attendees can meet the artist himself and, for the right price, add an original to their own collection. Moreover, the “engaging speaker” — as the guild asserts — will offer a demonstration and discussion on November 21.
 

Dennis Sheehan, “Distant Meadows,” oil, 30 x 40 in. (c) Susan Powell Fine Art 2015

 
Sheehan’s landscapes often display a bygone and rural America untouched by development and industry. Pastoral in their subject matter, his paintings also display an expressiveness of touch that engages the surface and actively pulls audiences in.
 

Dennis Sheehan, “October Gold,” oil, 20 x 32 in. (c) Susan Powell Fine Art 2015

 
“Dennis Sheehan” opens on November 7 and will be on view through November 28.
 
To learn more, visit The Guild of Boston Artists.
 
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.