Visual & Decorative Arts Blog

Neoplasticism was a twentieth century Dutch artistic movement consisting primarily of artists and architects. Founded in 1917 in Amsterdam, it advanced abstraction, simplifying paintings to the bare essentials of form and colour; for example only primary colours and black and white would be used alongside squares, rectangles or straight horizontal and vertical lines. Cubist painting and Neopositivism influenced the movement and Dutch artist Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) outlined the principles of Neoplasticism in his essay ‘Neo-Plasticism in Pictoral Art’. The movement would start to influence architecture, interior design, fashion and famously the German art school Staatliches Bauhaus, commonly known as Bauhaus.

The Renaissance period occurred from the 14th to the 17th century, starting in Italy and spreading to the rest of Europe to mark the fall of the Middle Ages and the rise of the Modern world. New techniques and artistic sensibilities began to emerge alongside a new humanist philosophy, which demonstrated itself in all areas of thinking, including art, architecture, literature, music, politics, religion and science.

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday in which people gather together with friends and family to remember those who have died, including colourful parades, music and parties in cemeteries. They believe that at midnight on October 31 the gates of heaven are opened and the spirits of children who have passed away are allowed to spend 24 hours with their families. On November 1, adult spirits also come down to enjoy the festivities.

Vincent van Gogh (1853-90) was an unbelievable artist, who had an incredible relationship with nature. He was able to capture the essence of the flowers, trees, fields and any natural landscape that he was painting, as well as the feelings it evoked in him. The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts is holding an exhibition on Van Gogh and Nature until the 13th September. In celebration, we are going to explore some of Van Gogh's most impressive natural works.