Posts for October, 2007

10/27/2007: Added Ernest Hebert [9]; 10/27/2007: Added George Owen Wynne Apperley [1];

Ernest Hebert Louise Lefuel, Epouse Hochon Oil on Canvas (24 x 19 cm cm) Musee Ernest Hebert. Paris

   A GoodArt post by Fred Ross:

I do not dismiss Impressionism.

Impressionism is a valid technique for making works of art. But it is only one of a number of possible techniques.

Depending on the subject matter and what the artist wants to communicate, it may be suitable as an alternative to academic art.

However, I’ve for a long time believed that the best Impressionism is blended with important aspects of academic realism.

John William Waterhouse is a great example of this, in which powerful human themes are expressed using strong compositions, refined drawing and modeling but with overall impressionist paint handling.

John Singer Sargent is another fine example.

The artists you name all have some qualities that are worthwhile, especially in their best work, but generally we feel they are over valued and in large part because of the story told about how they were not permitted to show in the Paris Salons.

We know now that story is largely a myth, as Impressionist paintings were permitted in every Salon from 1873 forward.

And if not many were in the first years it was due to so few artists using that technique until later towards the end of the century.

The elevation of those specific artists has actually been far more political than most people (including most art historians) realize.

That is most readily demonstrated by the fact that Leon Augustin L'hermitte, was asked to join Renoir, Monet and Degas and be one of the leaders of their group.

However L'hermitte was already very popular and more successful than any of them at that time.

He declined!

If you review the published letter of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo, you’ll see that Van Gogh considered L'hermitte perhaps the greatest living artist, far better than himself. But since he did not choose to join their Impressionist band, Lhermitte was mostly lost from the Modernist view of art history….even though he’s clearly the greatest of them all in his deft masterly use of Impressionist technique in capturing some of the most exquisite lighting effects ever achieved with their alla prima method.

The Modernist story vilifies all the academics, but it’s completely false, as not only were most of the artists of this period not acting in a biased way against the Impressionists, it’s also intellectually dishonest to denigrate any artists work based on whether or not they supported the tenets of any one group.

In fact, there was an explosion of new techniques and subject matter during the late 19th Century, the likes of which had never before been seen in all of art history, and there are scores of truly great artists some of whom are finally being rediscovered after a century of near oblivion.

The Impressionists were one of many groups, and in our view not the greatest at all.

Rather than trying to repeat what I’ve said before in a number of places, please read the most popular essay on ARC today, now used in countless classrooms as required reading for thousands of students each year.
http://artrenewal.org/articles/Philosophy/OPAKeynote/opakeynote.php

Suffice it to say that most of all, the rejection of Storytelling, has been one of the most destructive elements of Modern art, as it has always been through stories that we find and express our shared humanity, and it is through stories about life that the greatest art has been has been created, whether in paintings, sculpture, literature, theater, dance or poetry. Without stories none of the greatest masterpieces throughout history would ever have been able to exist.

MAJOR SALE OF 19TH CENTURY PAINTINGS For more information contact the 19th Century European Art Department at 212-606-7140 8 Paintings by William Bouguereau, some of them major works and including L'Amour au Papillon (Cupid with a Butterfly) are coming to auction at Sotheby's on October 23rd. Here is an opportunity to acquire a Bouguereau masterpiece for those who have found the choices in the available market lacking. Bouguereau's popularity has been growing faster than almost any 19th Century artist. The value of his paintings has appreciated 200-300% every five years for the last 30 years with sizeable increases at recent auctions. While this selection includes some major works, the prices are surprisingly low.

L'Amour au Papillon by William Bouguereau Estimate: $900,000-1,200,000 Lot 37 A major contribution to ARC will come from the sale of this masterpiece.

In addition, the following great works are in the sale: Jeunesse (shown), Lot 32 Le Voile, Lot 34 L'Amour A L'Epine, Lot 39 Glaneuse, Lot 41

Jeunesse by William Bouguereau Estimate: $2,000,000-3,000,000" Lot32

Three Great Paintings by ARC Living Masters All Sold at Sotheby’s Mid-Season Event for American Paintings, October 10, 2007

All Three Painting Sold Above the High Estimates

Emerald and Rose by Allan Banks: went for $34,000 (estimate $14,000 - $18,000)
Father's Day by Steve Gjertson sold for $34,000 (estimate $10,000 - $15,000)
Dawn of Hope by Dan Gerhartz sold for $45,000 (estimate $20,000 - $30,000
[prices include buyers premium]

One expert on American painting at the event said:

“This was nothing short of a Watershed event in art history. Not only is this likely to lead the way to a growing dynamic market for these Three artists, but may prove to have ushered in a whole new marketing category in American Painting sales.
Academic and Impressionist Living Master Realist artists. I’m not sure exactly what we’ll call it yet, and it may prove to be best to continue combining them with American paintings from the last 200 years as we did today.”

ARC is extremely pleased to announce that ARC’s Chariman and other administrators have met with the leaders of the International Guild of Realism (http://www.realismguild.com/), Don Clapper and Vala Ola, and both parties have agreed to explore avenues for working together, and recognize a general consensus as to philosophy, mission and goals. Please look for more announcements in the near future as cooperation on various projects of mutual interest are developed.

Unprecedented Realist Auctions Coming to Sotheby's Allan Banks, Stephen Gjertson, and Daniel Gerhartz have all been accepted into the very narrow club of living artists whose works are of sufficient market value and having a wide enough collector base to be sold into the auction "secondary" market. It is always the auction market that drives the prices of art into the stratosphere, so this may prove to be a date to go down in history, when living, life affirming, humanist, classical, academically trained, realist artists (all ARC Living Masters) were permitted back into the auction market. When it comes to fine art that is headed to become an important part of art history, the secondary market is where that change happens. The auction will be held at: Sotheby's New York General Fine Art 1334 York Avenue at 72nd St New York 10021 Tel: (212) 606-7000 Fax: (212) 606-7107 The Auction will be held in two sessions: Session 1: Wed, 10 Oct 07, 10:00 AM Session 2: Wed, 10 Oct 07, 2:00 PM The works for sale will be on exhibit: Thu, 4 Oct 07, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Fri, 5 Oct 07, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sat, 6 Oct 07, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sun, 7 Oct 07, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Mon, 8 Oct 07, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Tue, 9 Oct 07, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Steven Gjertson Father's Day (Lot 271) Oil on Canvas Daniel Gerhartz Dawn of Hope (Lot 272) Oil on Canvas M. Allan Banks Emerald and Rose (Lot 274) Oil on Canvas

Drawing the Human Body Six Week Residency Program With ARC Master Ted Seth Jacobs November 5 - December 14, 2007 Click here for more information.

Students Receive $20,000 in Scholarships and Seven Purchase Awards The Art Renewal Center is very pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Annual Scholarship Competition. Now in its seventh year, the ARC Scholarship program has helped students from all over the world continue their studies at ARC Approved Ateliers and Schools. With this year's scholarships of $20,000 and over $90,000 awarded to date, the Art Renewal Center strives to ensure that current and future generations of artists receive proper instruction in the traditional and classical methods of representational art. Click here to read the details and see sample drawings and paintings...

Katherine Stone Tonda Oil on Canvas"

Mario Robinson, an ARC Living Master has been added to the list of "Artists Making Their Mark" by Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine. The feature article will appear in their November/December issue.

by Mario Robinson

Dear Fred and Paul,

It is with enormous gratitude that I am writing to you to - not only
thank you for your wonderful support of our students, Teresa Oaxaca
and Shane Wolf in awarding them second and third place respectively
in the ARC Scholarship Competition but to say that the assistance
that you are giving to students worldwide is remarkable and very much
appreciated.

Thank you again from all of us here at the Angel Academy of Art.

Sincerely
Lynne Barton

Letter of September 26, 2007 from Lynn Barton, Co-Founder of the ARC Approved™ Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy to Fred Ross,ARC Chairman and Paul McCormack,ARC Director of Programs.