Vincent Van Gogh Coffee Mugs

Vincent Van Gogh's paintings are worth millions. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the Up Close exhibition when it was in Ottawa and to visit the museum in Amsterdam. More recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Though I love many of Van Gogh's images, including Wheatfield with Crows, The Starry Night and Cafe Terrace at Night, I will settle for a coffee mug.

Shown here is the beautiful fine china mug set by McIntosh that includes four images of Van Gogh paintings nicely packaged in a gift box. Give this set to anyone who enjoys fine art or Vincent Van Gogh's works in particular. You can find it on Amazon by clicking here.

Brenda

Canadian Artist Claude Le Sauteur (1926-2007)

This year I discovered or rather expanded on my interest in art. While I have always been generally interested and have had the opportunity to visit art galleries around the world, my focus spilled over into my eBay store when I had the opportunity to buy and resell a few interesting pieces of Canadian art. I subsequently took the opportunity to learn more about art in general by enrolling in a couple of art classes through Carleton University's Learning in Retirement program.

Most recently I found this limited edition signed print by Quebec artist Claude Le Sauteur (1926-2007). His work can be both figurative and abstract in style as I think is the case with this picture, which is called DONATE and I expect related to Le Sauteur's social consciousness. The image features both a male and female violinist portrayed in a definitely abstract way.

In the 1940s, Le Sauteur studied at L’École des beaux-arts de Québec and his lifetime's work included pieces oil on canvas, oil pastel, charcoal on paper and engravings.  He  received both the National Order of Quebec and the National Order of Canada and he was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.    According to The Order of Quebec website, his works appeared in 13 solo exhibits and more than 80 group exhibitions and today, his works are held in various museums and important collections.

As I write this post, a quick peek at eBay by following this link shows a couple of Claude Le Sauteur's paintings available on eBay. Because of the framed size, my limited edition print, shown above, will be posted locally here in Ottawa on a couple of resale sites. Hopefully, it will eventually find its way into the collection of someone who appreciates the work of Le Sauteur.

As in my previous art-themed post, I will add here that I am not an art expert. What I share here is from research that has been done online and I am always wanting and willing to learn more.

Until next time,
Brenda

Quick Links:

Claude Le Sauteur Paintings on eBay.
Art in my eBay store.

Charles Meynier's Wisdom Defending Youth from the Arrows of Love Painting

I don't usually write about art and I am not an art expert but I am definitely interested in the subject. I am taking an art class at the National Art Gallery through the University of Carleton's Learning in Retirement program and have encountered some stories that I would like to share here with you.

Just in time for Valentine's Day we discussed Charles Meynier's Wisdom Defending Youth from the Arrows of Love. It is a magnificent, large painting the theme of which is drawn from the classic 17th-century story by François Fénelon called The Adventures of Telemachus, the story of Ulysses’ son. A love story, of sorts. Definitely seemed appropriate for the day we viewed it because of the cupids attacking with their arrows of love.

The story goes that the youth Telemachus dreams of two choices. In the first option, Venus, the goddess of love, offers him a life of pleasure and luxury and in the second, Minerva, the warrior-goddess of wisdom, offers a life of struggle, virtue and glory. Telemachus is tempted, but will give up on the life of pleasure for the more noble option.

According to the National Art Gallery's website, critics at the time of the painting in 1810 questioned the youth's decision and asked:

"Is he (Telemachus) being prevented from falling into temptation, or had he already fallen? If Wisdom were not there, would he be able to resist? Was he faithlessly abandoning his sleeping beloved? What of the next time he was faced with a similar choice?"

The critics of the day may have had questions but they apparently liked the emotional balance of desire and regret shown in this image. Meynier's works were popular in his time and later lost some of that popularity when, according to the Press Reader, neoclassical works like this were deemed "boring and contrived." Today, they have regained popularity and this painting was acquired to fill a spot in the Art Gallery's collection.

Wisdom Defending Youth from the Arrows of Love is considered one of Meynier's best works. It was purchased by the Art Gallery in the summer of 2015 from a private collector. Exact details of pricing and the seller's name are not shared with the public.

When you visit The National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, make sure to take a look at this painting. I find any painting more more interesting when I know the story it tells. You can find it in the European Art Collection.

See you
In Ottawa!
Brenda