Maurice Ehlinger | Figurative painter

"I was just four years old and I said to myself: I too will paint!

I drew a lot and I escaped into nature where I was interested in everything.

I often skipped school, taking paper and colors with me".

- Maurice Ehlinger

Maurice Ambroise Ehlinger (1896-1981) was a French painter.

He joined the School of Fine Arts in Nancy.

Unfortunately, during the 1st World War, he was incorporated in 1916 and was not demobilized until 1919.

On his return, he went to Paris and joined the Ecole Supérieure des Beaux Arts where he became a pupil of the French painter François Flameng (1856-1923).

Vincent van Gogh | River Bank in Springtime, 1887 | Dallas Museum of Art

The light, fresh tones and free brush strokes in this painting of the banks of the Seine are characteristic of a period in Vincent van Gogh's life when, having left Holland to work in Paris, he was absorbing the methods of the impressionist and neo-impressionist, or pointillist, artists.

The traces of red paint visible around the edges of the painting are the remnants of a vibrant red border.

Van Gogh painted similar red borders on two other landscapes of the same size as this picture, and it is believed that they were originally shown together as a triptych. | Source: © Dallas Museum of Art

Vincent van Gogh | River Bank in Springtime, 1887 | Dallas Museum of Art

Madre Teresa di Calcutta | È Natale / It’s Christmas

È Natale ogni volta

che sorridi a un fratello

e gli tendi la mano.

È Natale ogni volta

che rimani in silenzio

per ascoltare l’altro.

Albert Maignan (French painter, 1845-1908) | The Repudiated, 1882

Boris Pasternak | La Stella di Natale / A Star of the Nativity

"Star of the Nativity" è uno dei sei poemi nella sequenza lirica più lunga che Boris Leonidovič Pasternak (Scrittore e poeta Russo, 1890-1960) pubblicò come ultimo capitolo del Doctor Zhivago.

Cinque delle sei poesie ruotano attorno alla Passione.

"Stella della Natività" è l'unica eccezione.

Boris Pasternak | La Stella di Natale

Era pieno inverno.

Soffiava il vento dalla steppa.

E aveva freddo il neonato nella grotta

sul pendio della collina.

Giorgio Vasari | The Adoration of the Magi, 1567 | National Galleries of Scotland

Marta Zamarska, 1987

Marta Zamarska is an emerging Polish artist and the runner-up of Back to Nature Showdown on Saatchi Art with her painting that judge Ged Quinn described as "Monet meets Edward Hopper".

Her painting "A Railway Impression II" was exhibited in the Saatchi gallery in London.

Marta Zamarska is one of 12 artists included in Invest in Art Part II on Saatchi Art.

She was also featured in the Best of 2013 on Saatchi Art.

Marta Zamarska | A Railway Impression II

Edouard Menta | Impressionist painter

Edouard John Menta (Swiss, 1858-1915) | Déjeuner sur la terrasse | Christie's

From: Christie's

Born in Geneva, Menta was a pupil of Barthlemy Menn.

Beginning as a landscape painter, Menta switched to genre scenes and portraits.

In "Déjeuner sur la terrasse" we can see the contrasting style of his work.

Galileo Chini | Festa dell’ultimo dell’anno a Bangkok, 1911-13

Nel 1910 Galileo Chini (Firenze 1873-1956), poliedrico protagonista dello stile Liberty, era stato incaricato da Rama V, re del Siam, di decorare alcuni ambienti del Palazzo del Trono a Bangkok, realizzato da architetti ed ingegneri italiani.

Il sovrano durante un viaggio in Italia aveva ammirato le decorazioni di Chini alla Biennale di Venezia ed impegnò il pittore a Bangkok dal 1911-1913.

L’artista, già affascinato dalle suggestioni dell’arte orientale, si trovò pienamente a suo agio in quella cultura visiva: il re aveva del resto apprezzato il suo sfavillante universo cromatico che, in linea con il gusto secessionista, sintetizzava perfettamente forma e colore e poteva adattarsi bene ai preziosissimi intagli e alle lussuose decorazioni marmoree del palazzo reale.

Galileo Chini | Festa dell’ultimo dell’anno a Bangkok, 1911-13 | Palazzo Pitti