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Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema(1836-1912) was a highly successful 19th century painter who for over 60
years portrayed beautiful, elegant people in classical settings. This painting is named "Ask Me No More", and it is dated 1906. I am quite fond of this piece, simply because..well it's romantic and it's pretty..But would you honestly like a guy in a toga kissing your hand?
'The Favourite Poet' is another one of his paintings that I love, dated 1888. He was just a young fella then! His works make me want to curl up on a veranda somewhere and fall asleep :-)
Edmund Blair-Leighton (1853-1922) was the son of Charles Blair Leighton, a portrait and historical painter. I guess it ran in the family. Edmund's works are extremely popular in print stores today, the romance of Camelot still attracts many people (including me). I love men in shiny armor..I can check my lipstick in their breastplates! This work is named 'The Accolade', done in 1901. How nice it is to see the woman with the sharp sword for once.
'Godspeed' was painted in 1900. Here we see a lovely maiden wishing her man off to war. Probably thinking "oh great, some guy is going to knock his head clean off and I will be left with all the bills and the children." It wasn't all garlands and romance back then!
This is another "reality calls" painting of his. 'Call to Arms' was an earlier piece from 1888. Here we see a newlywed couple and even before they go on their honeymoon, her husband is being whisked off to war. If I was her, I would get my honeymoon trip to the sunny Island of Avalon first!
Trouble lurks in the background in this depiction of 'Tristan and Isolde.' That man in the background has no business peeping in on them like that! One thing I thought was cool about this painting was the detail on the harp and also Tristan's laces going up his pants. Wasn't he a snazzy dresser?
Adolphe William Bouguereau (1825-1905) had a long, successful career as an academic painter, exhibiting in the annual Paris Salons for more than 50 years. His paintings of religious, mythological, and genre subjects were carefully composed and painstakingly finished. His favorite subjects were pretty girls lounging around barefoot and lying on their backs, as seen here. I think many male artists are fond of that subject ;-) This is 'Rest at Harvest', 1865
I think this painting is absolutely adorable! It is appropriately named 'The Shell', done in 1871. He did a really wonderful job capturing the awe-struck expression of the little girl listening to the shell, and also the doting mother.
Two Girls (or Childhood Idyll) is dated 1900. A good friend of mine really likes this one, so do I! She says it makes a great desktop pic on the comp. I would try it but I love looking at my millias' dead Ophelia..which you will see up ahead when we get to the 'M' artists. Why couldn't any of his models afford shoes? Didn't he pay them for posing?
I'm also going to add more of Bouguereau's paintings that I like but weren't large enough in the 'closeups' to be put up on this page.
Edward Frederick Bretnall 1846-1902) was a London painter, in oil and watercolour of genre, landscape and figure subjects. This painting 'Sleeping Beauty' was not dated but I thought it was one of the most lovely interpretations of the story. However graceful and radiant, sleeping like that can't be good for her neck.
Of all the pieces presented here, this one is one of my absolute FAVES!! It has the adventuresome title 'Where Next?', also undated. It's a charming scene captured of..hopefully a husband and wife (since this was in Victorian times..), charting out new places to visit on their map. It looks like they also live in a nice beach-house too! Wish I could move in..with some cute guy that would look at a map and have his arm around me..*starts daydreaming*..oh..heeh sorry, moving on :-)
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