Category Archives: Happy Birthday

Edward Hopper, Automat, 1927, oil on canvas, 28” x 36”, Des Moines Art Center, IA, Artwork in the Public Domain via Wikipedia. Edward Hopper, Automat, 1927, oil on canvas, 28” x 36”, Des Moines Art Center, IA, Artwork in the Public Domain via Wikipedia.

Happy Birthday Edward Hopper

American artist Edward Hopper was born on this day in 1882. His easily recognizable style did not change for most of his long career that began in 1895 and continued until his death in 1963. Hopper mostly painted scenes that … Continue reading

Michelangelo, Moses from the Tomb of Pope Julius II, 1512, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, Artwork in the Public Domain Michelangelo, Moses from the Tomb of Pope Julius II, 1512, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, Artwork in the Public Domain

Happy Birthday Michelangelo

The Italian Renaissance Master Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on this day in 1475. He arguably is one of the greatest artists of all time. Before anything else, Michelangelo was a sculptor, his finest achievements in painting and architecture also having a … Continue reading

Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1598-99, oil on canvas, 57" x 77", Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome, Photo in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Caravaggio, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1598-99, oil on canvas, 57

Happy Birthday Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio would have been 545 years old today. He actually only lived to be 38 years old, which is somewhat miraculous considering his tumultuous life. We know more about him from law books than anything else. He was brought to … Continue reading

André Derain, 1906, Charing Cross Bridge, London, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, artwork in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Happy Birthday André Derain

André Derain, the co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse, was born on June 10, 1880 near Paris. In 1905, Derain and Matisse exhibited their groundbreaking art in the Salon d’Automne when one critic declaired that their boldly-colored work looked like … Continue reading

Yayoi Kusama, Floor Show, 1965/2013, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City, photo by Christian Ramiro González Verón via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License. Yayoi Kusama, Floor Show, 1965/2013, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City, photo by Christian Ramiro González Verón via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.

Happy Birthday Yayoi Kusama

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama turns 87 today. Known for her irreverent and experimental work, Kusama probably is most famous for her Infinity Rooms in which she explores her obsessions with particular patterns and forms by setting them in a mirrored … Continue reading

Abraham Bloemaert, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1612, 113" x 90.2", The Louvre Museum, Paris, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Abraham Bloemaert, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1612, 113

Happy Birthday Abraham Bloemaert

Abraham Bloemaert (Dec. 25, 1564 – Jan. 27, 1651), the Dutch painter and printmaker living in Utrecht, was born on Christmas Day. A devout Catholic living in the Netherlands, Bloemaert had a thriving business creating religious works of art for the few Catholic churches … Continue reading

Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit, watercolor on paper, Beatrix Potter, Illustration from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, c. 1901, watercolor on paper, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Happy Birthday Beatrix Potter

Helen Beatrix Potter, the English author, illustrator, and natural scientist, was born on July 28, 1866 in London into a wealthy Unitarian family. As a child, she kept many small pets and had a collection of insects and butterflies that she frequently … Continue reading

Alphonse Mucha, Advertising Poster for Job Cigarettes, Art Nouveau Alphonse Mucha, Advertising Poster for Job Cigarettes, 1896, color lithograph, 26.25

Happy Birthday Alphonse Mucha

Alphonse Mucha, the Art Nouveau painter from the Czech Republic, was born on July 24th, 1860. While he was attending school in Paris in the late 19th century, he became a highly successful commercial artist, designing posters, advertisements, and book illustrations. His … Continue reading

Salvador Dalí Salvador Dalí, The Anthropomorphic Chest of Drawers, 1936, oil on wooden panel, 25.4 x 43.1 cm., Kunstsammlung Nordheim-Westfalen, Dusseldorf, Photo by Jordan5k via Flickr,

Happy Birthday Salvador Dalí

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marqués de Dalí de Pubol, better known as Salvador Dalí, was born on May 11, 1904. The Spanish artist worked in variety of media, but is best known for his Surrealist paintings. Because … Continue reading

Paul Strand, The White Fence, Port Kent, 1916, gelatin-silver print, 9 3/4

Happy Birthday Paul Strand

Paul Strand American Photographer Along with Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand (October 16, 1890 – March 31, 1976) made tremendous strides in establishing photography as a fine art. His modern-style photographs are noted for their sophisticated sense of composition, an absence of … Continue reading

Judith Leyster, Boy Playing a Flute, c. 1635, oil on canvas, 28.7

Happy Birthday Judith Leyster

Judith Leyster Painter, Dutch Golden Age Judith Leyster, born July 28th, 1609 in Haarlem, was one of the few successful women artists working prior to the 20th century. She was the first female member of the Haarlem Guild of St. … Continue reading