Visual & Decorative Arts Blog

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. 

Topics: Vincent van Gogh, Masterpieces of Art

Why would anyone want to draw in these days of phone cameras and selfie-sticks? Because a drawing is unique. Anyone can take a photograph of a person, a landscape, a cat – but a drawing is a one-off, a personal view of a moment in time. Plus you can imagine whatever you want in a drawing – why stick to reality?

Topics: sketch books

As proud suppliers of products to several London art galleries, we like to stay on top of what is going on around the country. As we inch toward the start of the new school term, there's still time to get out and see some incredible art. Perhaps you'll see something in this list to spur you on to an artistic outing.

Topics: street art, Arts and Crafts, pre-raphaelites, William Morris

Last month saw the auction of of Degas' ballerina go to auction Sotheby's. Philip Hook, senior director at the auction house spoke about the work's importance. “It is one of the three or four great sculptural images of the last two centuries. You’ve got Rodin’s The Kiss and Rodin’s The Thinker and this is up there with them in terms of importance and recognisability ... it is such a classic.”

Topics: Edgar Degas

Summer is in full swing, which means there is plenty of time to fully enjoy the numerous museums and galleries around England. But this July art lovers should draw their attention to one artist in particular: Vincent van Gogh. For reasons bigger than the general appreciation of his incredible artwork, July 29th brings a bigger celebration: the 125th anniversary of Gogh’s death and incredibly memorable career.

Topics: Vincent van Gogh, Masterpieces of Art

In part one of our Alphonse Mucha blog we looked at his amateur years, if you missed it just click here to take a look. We saw how Mucha’s early life built the stepping-stones for future opportunities. Today we look at the next phase of his life that started him on the road to his future fame. 

Topics: Alphonse Mucha, Art Nouveau

When studying famous artists, educational systems and textbooks like to highlight the bigger picture of the artist’s life: they tend to gloss over the events that have contributed to someone’s fame and success. What about the before, middle and end secrets hidden between the cracks of an artist’s glorious publications?

Topics: Alphonse Mucha, Art Nouveau

History was made this past weekend as the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Of course, news of this monumental event put an extra cheer into the Pride day celebrations on Saturday. Elaborate outfits and exceptional fashion paraded its way down the streets of London as pure love for the gay community was visually expressed. Reminiscing in all the outfits and designs, one would only know that the famous Art Deco designer, Erté, would have loved to be a part of this celebration.

Topics: Art Deco, Erte

Continuing on from our last post, today's article looks at the changes in the Arts and Crafts movement between 1800 right up to the turn of the century. Need to catch up? Click here for part 1. 

By the 1880s the enthusiasm for the Gothic Revival as a decorative style was waning but its ethos was very much alive. The notion of hand-crafted products became a point of focus for a more humane society that eschewed factory mass production as a social evil. 

Topics: Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Arts and Crafts, Masterpieces of Art

There's been a handful of interesting developments across the art world recently. Here's a condensed summary of what's gone on, with links to the full length articles.

Topics: Royal Academy of Arts, Museums & Galleries, Leonardo da Vinci