The other half of the festival of Easter has been painted far less. Yet without Resurrection, Easter and all Christian belief would be worthless.
Blake
A staple product of many pro painters in western Europe for over half a millennium, and required by every church and chapel.
Physiognomy originated in ancient Greece, but was codified by Lavater in 1772; phrenology followed from 1796, and together they attracted many painters.
Symbols of the night, and through association with Athena/Minerva, for wisdom and learning. Owls in paintings to William Blake.
As a primary colour, blue is essential in painting. The quest for the right blues has spanned the world and resulted in a succession of synthetic pigments which have influenced art.
Increasingly popular during the 19th century, stories of people going from rags to riches have seldom appeared in paintings. Here are Cinderella and Robin Hood, and an explanation.
To celebrate the life and work of Dante, a small selection of paintings inspired by the Divine Comedy, and his ‘Vita Nuova’.
From 1826-1835, Samuel Palmer painted in solitude in a tumbledown cottage in rural Kent. His paintings from that period share a unique vision of an enchanted countryside.
From mythology, Mercury’s caduceus and the Aesculapian Staff, walking sticks as a device indicating age, and those carried by travellers.
Named after the artist and poet, he was precious, and went on to be a very successful portraitist. Here some of his narrative and other works.
The Eclectic Light Company 