Looser and more painterly styles from Guardi around 1775 to Delacroix in 1862: paving the way for the Impressionists.
mark-making
A glance through some of the unofficial history of visible brushstrokes and other painter’s marks.
The recent exhibition of Sargent’s informal portraits raises questions not so much about his work, but more about his critics.
The plein air painting season has at last got going here, with fine, warm, and very sunny weather. […]
How many times have you heard it said that mark-making is a sign of abstraction in painting?
This startlingly realistic depiction of idle moments by the side of an alpine stream is composed of bravura brush strokes, dabs and daubs of bright colour. But it is a carefully contrived illusion, in every respect.
Instead of depicting her as an erotic nude in a scene of lust and voyeurism, Rembrandt reveals Bathsheba’s inner conflict, and transforms the technique of painting.
The Eclectic Light Company 