Julian, I have immediately thought of Corot's canvas " The Colosseum seen through arches of the basilica of Constantine" which is... in the "musée du Louvre"! (35 cm x 23 cm) (Aile Sully second floor section 69, Moreau-Nelaton collection)
What a subtle study of shades.
Wonderful dashes of red like keynotes.
Majestic front view.
This is REALLY nice. I'm just wondering, did you get harassed by security while you were painting? A couple of winters ago a friend and I were working on oil sketches under the archway depicted in your painting, and were kicked out by museum security!
Hi Julian This is such a wonderful painting. I could not figure out where this was done until I saw the faint outline of the pyramid behind. We were in Paris in the SECOND week of June when the weather was just like this rainy and COLD, much to the shock of Parisians and us for that matter. Some people even had winter coats on. I hope you have a wonderful time in Paris and at the Louvre. What I like about this painting is the dark colours with the touch of red. This has to be the best of your spring paintings of Paris. Have fun and enjoy Paris and Ruth's concert.
About painting a landscape outdoors or not.
For instance, Cezanne always painted his landscapes outdoors, whereas Bonnard made a quick drawing outdoors with some comments written all around( colours, first impressions, feelings) then came back home and with the help of his memento he painted the whole in his studio. In fact, the impressionnists were the first ones to decide to paint consistently outside, trying to translate their "atmospheric" feelings. But in fact there is no rule, it only depends on the ideas; what is really important it's the result, isn' it ?
Goya or... Velasquez ? If you search on "Web gallery of art " ( www.wga.hu/index1.html)
you will see two "landscapes" of Velasquez:
"Villa medici, Grotto-Loggia Façade " and
" Villa Medici, Pavillion of Ariadné "
Don't you think they are both in the spirit of Julian's painting ?
Alain, MERCI INFINIMENT for the incredibly useful URL: www.wga.hu/index1.html!!!!!!!!!!I didn't know it, and you are absolutely right! It IS Velazquez that I had in mind, but my fingers typed Goya because I have been working in that area. There is no QUESTION that the Villa Medicis and the Pavillon d'Ariadne are in the spirit of Julian's painting. See what you do for us all, Julian -- and Alain? You teach as well as delight us. Mille thanks, Alain -- AND Julian!
other than the self portraits, isn't this the first time we have people in one of your postcards? incredibly well done with the pyramid captured so subtly but so perfectly.
16 Comments