Paint fast, paint slow

From 15 minutes to sketch a passing thunderstorm in oils, to more than a year for several masterworks of the 19th century.

In memoriam Karl Isakson, the Nordic Modigliani 2

He spent much of the war on the Danish island of Bornholm, planning a series of paintings about death and resurrection. He died young, a century ago today.

In memoriam Karl Isakson, the Nordic Modigliani 1

Born into poverty in Stockholm, he worked as an assistant to Carl Larsson before training in Sweden and Paris. One of the fathers of Modernism.

Altogether Now: 3 Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Harvesters, 1565

Remember the water cycle from school? Here’s the grandfather of such explanatory diagrams, told in one of the first modern landscape paintings.

The 200th anniversary of Herman ten Kate, Reminiscences 2

An assorted collection of his undated paintings, mainly interiors of inns. Although his oil paintings are extremely conservative, but watercolours are much looser.

The 200th anniversary of Herman ten Kate, Reminiscences 1

While the French Impressionists were starting up, Ten Kate was painting scenes of old in antique style.His watercolours are very painterly, though.

Painted cupids for Valentine’s Day

How we got from one of the most senior gods, and a winged young man, to a chubby infant armed with a bow and arrow, let alone an unknown former saint.