Mad Monsters

Matthias Grunewald, detail, Isenheim Altarpiece, 1510-15

These fantastic monsters are part of oneof the most amazing pieces of art to come out of the 16th century.

Natural Light

Interior with a Girl at the Clavier by Wilhelm Hammershoi, Private Collection.

Hammershoi's use of crisp clean interiors with natural light recalls the 17th century work of fellow Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer. Hammershoi's model is his wife Ida whom he painted many times either from the back or in profile.

Salvaged

Section of a Stencil from the face of the Main Ceiling Trusses of the Trading Room of the Chicago Stock Exchange Building, 1893/94 designed by Adler and Sullivan and executed by Healy and Miller, The Art Institute of Chicago.

The trading room from the Chicago Stock Exchange was dismantled when the building was torn down and reconstructed at The Art Institute of Chicago. The building was torn down in 1972. It was designed by the famous Chicago architecture firm of Adler and Sullivan.

Sunshine Table

Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh, National Gallery, London.

This painting was done near the end of van Gogh's life. It is full of vibrancy and heavy brush strokes in his dynamic style. There is a museum in Amsterdam devoted only to him as he has become the most famous of the second generation of Impressionist artists.

Change

Newburyport Marshes: Approaching Storm by Martin Johnson Heade, Terra Foundation for American Art.

Heade's paintings of landscapes, flowers, birds and nature improve upon their subjects by making every detail stand out. The small elements are just as important as the larger ones and give his artwork a remarkable richness.

Rowing Skill

The Great Wave at Kanagawa (from the series Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji), c.1830-32 by Katsushika Hokusai, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

One of the most famous members of the Ukiyo-e group of printmakers from the Edo period in Japanese Art. Hokusai's work is popular in his native country and was also popular among the 19th century French Impressionists. It continues to be popular throughout the world today and a museum dedicated to his art is in Obuse, Japan.