Tune In To The Fine Art Search Machine:

November 29, 2001 11:17 AM

Tune In To The Fine Art Search Machine: Artcyclopedia continues to be too good to be true. It's updated regularly and all you have to do is follow your favourite artists around the many participating museums, going "Aaah..." at every click. My particular obsession is Milton Avery. I first saw a painting of his at the old Tate Museum in London, when I was about 12, and have been intrigued by him ever since. Is he an American Matisse or just a less obviously picture-postcardish Raoul Dufy? To cut to the chase: what painter keeps you unable to make your mind up about him or her?
posted by MiguelCardoso (15 comments total)

Great link, Miguel. I take back several of the hurtful things I've said to you.

This is a great resource. I just bought my Christmas cards and thanks to this site, I was able to get more information about the artist. Hey, how much does it cost to send a Christmas card to Portugal?

By the way, since you asked, I've always admired Peter Paul Rubens. Man, who knew that Peewee was such a great artist?
posted by ColdChef at 11:30 AM on November 29, 2001

I've always been fond of Peter Paul Rumdens, two of whose paintings are linked below:

Hey, Sailor, New in Town?

Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
Introduced to the Concept of Birth Control
posted by waffleboy at 11:50 AM on November 29, 2001

Alas, my laptop's screen does no justice to color! I suppose none of the scans are very high-res, anyway, though...

I'm rather fond of Hubert Robert, myself. Ruins... yum.

Sweet link.
posted by whatnotever at 11:55 AM on November 29, 2001

I've always admired Peter Paul Rubens. Man, who knew that Peewee was such a great artist?

He's nothing without Mary.
posted by diddlegnome at 12:14 PM on November 29, 2001

Oh, lovely link, Miguel. (Reminds me of Nicolas Pioch's WebLouvre back in 1994.)

My choice: Odilon Redon. I can't decide whether his work is astonishing or just faux-naive. It really depends upon whether I'm looking at him from the earlier context of the awful, stultefying pre-Raphaelites, compared to which he's a breath of fresh air; or the later context of early Kandinsky and abstract expressionism, compared to which he's syrupy and indulgent. (Kindalike my response to Satie, I think. Very "fantasy ache hell".)
posted by holgate at 12:35 PM on November 29, 2001

I was pleasantly surprised to see contemporary artists, Donald Lipski and Jenny Holzer but it is not entirely comprehensive. They've missed a few influential contemporaries like Do-Ho Su and Wolfgang Laib which are considered by many to be pushing artistic boundaries. Here's to hoping they update their database regularly.

Great post by the way.
posted by Benway at 12:35 PM on November 29, 2001

Bryan Larsen is amazing. My personal favorite of his is Heroes
posted by dagny at 12:49 PM on November 29, 2001

I looked for Friederich, whose work I diggeth, and got No Results.

But I did get some nice returns on Beckmann.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:53 PM on November 29, 2001

Kafkaesque: It's not who I'm thinking of, is it? If it is; sure he's there and well represented. So turn up the Wagner, flip through to your favourite Nietzche passage and behold Caspar David Friedrich to your fascist heart's content!
I feel guilty about liking his stuff too...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:01 PM on November 29, 2001

I don't know much about fascism, but I know what I like :)
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:22 PM on November 29, 2001

George Tooker--I saw In The Summer House this August when the Smithsonian's Scenes of American Life came to town. Tiger Tail's got your Milton Avery, too, Miguel--and the best quality images anywhere.
posted by y2karl at 6:50 PM on November 29, 2001

Thanks for the link Miguel. I forgot how much Diebenkorn's Ocean Park series makes me happy, but when accompanied by Sister Wendy's toothy grin, bonus!
posted by machaus at 8:14 PM on November 29, 2001

Jerome Witkin -- we had a show here a few years ago that was amazing. I just never know what to make of him.
posted by fncll at 11:08 AM on November 30, 2001

No Hans Hoffman, no Mati Klarwein.
posted by retrofut at 11:43 AM on November 30, 2001

The "Highwaymen" won't make the Artcyclopedia, but the NY Times noticed: New Interest in Florida Paintings by a Group of Black Artists.
posted by Carol Anne at 12:58 PM on November 30, 2001