Metropolitan Museum of Art: Why Study Art from the Past?

Art from the past holds clues to life in the past.

By looking at a work of art's symbolism, colors, and materials, we can learn about the culture that produced it.

For example, the two portraits above are full of symbolism referring to virtues of an ideal marriage during the fifteenth century.

Maestro delle Storie del Pane (Italian (Emilian), active late 15th century) | Portrait of a Man, possibly Matteo di Sebastiano di Bernardino Gozzadini and Portrait of a Woman, possibly Ginevra d'Antonio Lupari Gozzadini, 1494

Sir Thomas Lawrence | Julia, Lady Peel, 1827 | Frick Collection

Julia Floyd (1795-1859) was married in 1820 to the British statesman Sir Robert Peel, who twice served as Prime Minister and was an avid patron of Lawrence.

The Frick portrait apparently was inspired by Rubens’ painting of Susanna Fourment🎨 known as the "Chapeau de paille", which Peel had acquired in 1823.

Maurice Cullen | The pioneer of the Canadian Impressionism

Maurice Galbraith Cullen (1866-1934) was a pioneer of impressionism in Canadian art and is particularly noted for his winter landscapes.

Cullen moved to Montréal with his family in 1870.

There he began his art training as a sculptor at the Conseil des arts et manufactures and with sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert.

Like other artists of his generation, he went to Paris for additional training.

Daniel Sannier, 1944 | Impressionist painter

Contemporary French artist🎨 Daniel Sannier lives and works in his home town, an ancient city on the bay of the Somme River.

Most of the inspirations for his beautiful landscape paintings come from this area in Northern France known as "Picardie".

The orchards in bloom, the quiet side waters of the Somme River covered with Water lilies and the wide fields of "Colza" - these are his subjects and for that he has become well known throughout Europe as well in the United States.

Edmond Marie Petitjean (1844-1925)

Edmond Marie Petitjean was a self-taught French painter🎨, known for landscapes and seascapes.

His father was a lawyer and wanted him to follow suit; forcing him to study law despite his artistic talent and sending him to Paris, where he was apprenticed to a notary.

While there, he visited the museums and became determined to be an artist.

His parents cut off his financial support, but he was able to find employment managing a small factory in Nancy.

Gustave Madelain | Post-Impressionist painter

French artist Gustave Madelain (1867-1944) was born at Charly (Aisne) and quickly developed his own interpretation of French post Impressionism.

His specialized in painting landscapes of all types and these he usually did in oil paint.

He regularly showed his work in Paris and regularly submitted his work to the "Salon of Independents" from 1907.

Alexei Harlamoff | The Arrangement, 1880 | Christie's

"The Arrangement" was painted in the mid-1880s, during the best period of Harlamoff's🎨 life, when he was popular and admired.

'Straightforward of subject, superlative of execution, and true to beauty...All is simple, there is no mendacious elegance' - these are the words of Emile Zola describing another of Harlamoff's works and which can also be applied with perfection to "The Arrangement".