” The Storm on the Sea of Galilee ”

On By aestheticart19In Paintings, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Title: The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

Author: Rembrandt

Year: 1633

Style: Baroque

Media: oil, board, canvas

Location: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , Boston, MA, US

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee is the only seascape ever painted by Rembrandt. It depicts Jesus calming the waves of the sea, saving the lives of the fourteen men aboard the vessel. Of these fourteen men, it is said Rembrandt included a self portrait of himself in the boat, next to Jesus and his twelve disciples. On March 18, 1990, the painting was stolen by thieves disguised as police officers. They broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, and stole this painting, along with twelve other works. The paintings have never been recovered, and it is considered the biggest art theft in history. The empty frames of the paintings still hang in their original location, waiting to be recovered.

” Neuschwanstein Castle ”

On By aestheticart19In Monuments and Architecture, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Neuschwanstein Castle turns 150. On September 5, 1869, Bavaria’s fairytale king Ludwig II had the cornerstone laid for the most expensive building project of his time: Neuschwanstein Castle.

Name: Neuschwanstein Castle

Location: Hohenschwangau, Germany

Built year: 1886

Construction Started: 5 September 1869

Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival

Without a doubt, Neuschwanstein Castle represents one of the most popular and most visited castles in the Germany. It was built in the German region of Bavaria, near the town Fussen by the commission of the King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who was known by his nickname “Fairytale King”. He has built this castle to be his residence, and to support the lifetime of work of the German composer Richard Wagner who promoted romanticized view on the medieval renaissance fashion.

Construction of Neuschwanstein Castle lasted for 25 years, and during that period King Ludwig II died and he was not able to see it finished. Construction started in 1868 by clearing the rocky perch on which castle would be built. With the finished road to the construction site, work on the foundation building started in 1869, and central throne room in 1872. After that Gateway building was finished and prepared for occupation (1873), topping of Palas was performed in 1880, interior decoration finished in 1884, castle was opened to the public in 1886 (less than 2 months after the death of King Ludwig II) and finally, castle was finished in 1892 with the completion of the Bower and Square tower.

Neuschwanstein Castle was one of the most expensive castles ever made in Europe, with the construction cost reaching 7 million marks. Its incredible luxury and complicated construction technique imediatley captured the attention of the public, and tourists from all around the world came visiting. This popularity naturally led to the apperiance of the castle in many movies and other art mediums, and the castle itself served as one of the most popular inspirations of “medieval fantasy castle”. This can most notably be seen in the Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, which was conceived with the Neuschwanstein Castle as its inspiration.

” Mona Lisa ”

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Title: Mona Lisa

Author: Leonardo da Vinci

Year: 1503

Subject: Lisa Gherardini

Location: Louvre Museum

The “Gioconda” or Mona Lisa  is quite possibly the most well-known piece of painted artwork in the entire world. It was painted by the Leonardo Da Vinci, the famous Italian artist, between 1503 and 1519, and is a half body commission for a woman named Lisa Gherardini. Her husband, Francesco Del Giocondo requested the work by Da Vinci just after the turn of the century. It is perhaps the most studied piece of artwork ever known. The subject’s facial expression has brought about a source of debate for centuries, as her face remains largely enigmatic in the portrait. Originally commissioned in Italy, it is now at home in the French Republic, and hangs on display in the Louvre in Paris.