Category Archives: #FineArtFriday

February 13, 2026 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: A Merry Company in an Arbor by Adriaen van de Venne 1615

Artist: Adriaen van de Venne (circa 1589–1662)

Title: A Merry Company in an Arbor

Date    1615

Medium: oil on panel

Dimensions: height: 164 mm (6.45 in); width: 230 mm (9.05 in)

Collection: Getty Center

What I love about this painting:

Good heavens, where should I start? This is now my second favorite Dutch Renaissance painting ever. (Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s Hunters in the Snow is my favorite). Adriaen van de Venne is now in the top five of my favorite artists simply because of his unrepentantly Dutch sense of humor. I want to be Dutch when I grow up!

So, let’s have a look at the story Adriaen is telling us. The action is happening in the left foreground. Everyone loves a good kegger … I mean … picnic in the woods, especially after being cooped up all winter. We get dressed in some nice summer finery and everyone brings food, and the hosts provide the drinks.

Of course, the uncles all get a bit deep into the free beer and suddenly a tree climbing contest is on. Unfortunately, Cousin Dirck loses the battle with gravity, as does Uncle Hans. Aunt Irma barely dodges her plummeting spouse, and Cousin Aart yells at Dirck to get up and stop acting like a fool. Cousin Berthe, Dirk’s new bride, is mortified, as she has only just met her spouse’s extended family and had hoped to make a better impression.

Everyone else pretends nothing happened, business as usual. It’s the way family gatherings are, with noisy well-fed people having a good time.

Other groups picnicking in the forest and meadow pretend not to hear the ruckus, but a few nosy neighbors gawk. The gossip will hit the streets before sundown, but other than that, it’s a fine day for a frolic in the forest, one that the Brueghels would have enjoyed.

Humor aside, this is a wonderful, well-executed painting. Adriaen van de Venne has captured one of the most hilarious family get-togethers ever.

About the artist, vis Wikipedia:

Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne (1589 – 12 November 1662), was a versatile Dutch Golden Age painter of allegories, genre subjects, and portraits, as well as a miniaturist, book illustrator, designer of political satires, and versifier.

Van de Venne was born in Delft. According to Houbraken he learned Latin in Leiden. He learned to paint from the master goldsmith and painter Simon de Valk, and afterwards learned engraving from Jeronimus van Diest, a good painter of grisailles. He then moved to Middelburg in 1614 where he was influenced by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. [1]

To read more about this artist, go to Adriaen van de Venne – Wikipedia.

Credits and Attributions

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Adriaen van de Venne (Dutch – A Merry Company in an Arbor – Google Art Project.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Adriaen_van_de_Venne_(Dutch_-_A_Merry_Company_in_an_Arbor_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg&oldid=1034439061 (accessed February 12, 2026).

[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Adriaen van de Venne,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adriaen_van_de_Venne&oldid=1330070271 (accessed February 12, 2026).

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February 6, 2026 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: a second look at “Under flowering trees” by Adolf Kaufmann

Adolf_Kaufmann_Under_the_treesjpgArtist: Adolf Kaufmann (1848–1916)

Title: Under flowering trees

Date: before 1916

Medium: oil on canvas

Inscription: signed A. Kaufmann

What I love about this painting:

I first featured this painting in 2023. Adolph Kaufmann was brilliant at depicting the kind of misty rain we often get in spring. Here, he gives us a beautiful spring day with dew clinging to the grass, along with apple and cherry trees in full bloom. The weather is cool and damp with mist rising the way spring mornings often are here in the Pacific Northwest.

Chickens roam the orchard, and two women are digging, breaking the ground for a spring garden.

To the left is a weathered building. Is it a barn? Is it their home? It’s hidden behind the shrubbery so it’s difficult to tell, but it has no window, so I think it may be a barn.

Nothing is romanticized—we see it the way the artist did on that spring day over a century ago.

About the Artist, via Wikipedia:

Adolf Kaufmann (15 May 1848, in Troppau – 25 November 1916, in Vienna) was an Austrian landscape and marine artist.

He was initially self-taught, but completed his studies with the animal painter, Émile van Marcke, in Paris and undertook several study trips, throughout Europe and the Middle East. His residence alternated between Paris, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich.

In 1890, he decided to settle in Vienna and opened a studio in the Wieden district. In 1900, together with Carl von Merode [de] and Heinrich Lefler, he opened an “Art School for Ladies”. He continued to visit Paris frequently and, when he painted there, signed his works with the pseudonym “A. Guyot”. Other names he signed with include “A. Papouschek”, “G. Salvi”, “A. Jarptmann”, “R. Neiber”, “J. Rollin” and “M. Bandouch”. Why he did this is unclear, although his choice of signature often reflects stylistic differences.

His landscapes were influenced by the Barbizon school and the style known as “paysage intime,” both of which he was exposed to in France during the 1870s. (The paysage intimate, French for “familiar landscape,” was a style of painting that dealt with simple, simple landscapes and emerged in the mid-19th century. It was the predecessor of the Impressionist style.) [1]

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Adolf Kaufmann Unter blühenden Bäumen.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Adolf_Kaufmann_Unter_bl%C3%BChenden_B%C3%A4umen.jpg&oldid=623159308 (accessed February 5, 2026.)

[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Adolf Kaufmann,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adolf_Kaufmann&oldid=1094252143 (accessed February 5, 2026).

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January 30, 2026 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: Flock of Sheep with Shepherdess on a Rainy Day by Adloph Kaufmann

Artist: Adolf Kaufmann (1848–1916)

Title: Flock of Sheep with Shepherdess on a Rainy Day

Date: by 1916

Medium: oil on canvas

Dimensions: 102 × 113 cm (40.1 × 44.4 in)

What I love about this painting:

Oh those poor miserable sheep. Sure, they’re wearing wool coats, but it’s autumn, and the rain is cold. The shepherdess isn’t really enjoying the day either, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, and this girl’s job is shepherding the sheep.

Seriously, this is a wonderful painting. Kaufmann shows us an exceedingly realistic rainy day in a wooded meadow, with water pooling in muddy places and bedraggled sheep getting their feet wet. Somehow he has managed to convey the sullen mood of the flock, which I can relate to. Fortunately for them, the shepherdess is most likely taking them to higher ground where they can graze without standing in water.

I feel their misery. The rains have returned in force here, and I am glad I no longer have sheep to shepherd, rain or shine. Still, I must leave my cozy apartment and drive to the grocery store, etc., grateful that I am in my warm, dry car and not walking the muddy path Kaufmann shows us in this painting.

About the Artist, via Wikipedia:

Adolf Kaufmann (15 May 1848, in Troppau – 25 November 1916, in Vienna) was a landscape and marine artist from Austria-Hungary.

He was initially self-taught, but completed his studies with the animal painter, Émile van Marcke, in Paris and undertook several study trips, throughout Europe and the Middle East. His residence alternated between Paris, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich.

In 1890, he decided to settle in Vienna and opened a studio in the Wieden district. In 1900, together with Carl von Merode [de] and Heinrich Lefler, he opened an “Art School for Ladies”. He continued to visit Paris frequently and, when he painted there, signed his works with the pseudonym “A. Guyot”. Other names he signed with include “A. Papouschek”, “G. Salvi”, “A. Jarptmann”, “R. Neiber”, “J. Rollin” and “M. Bandouch”. Why he did this is unclear, although his choice of signature often reflects stylistic differences. [1]

Credits and Attributions

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Adolf Kaufmann – Flock of Sheep with Shepherdess on a Rainy Day.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Adolf_Kaufmann_-_Flock_of_Sheep_with_Shepherdess_on_a_Rainy_Day.jpg&oldid=1114083148 (accessed January 29, 2026).

[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Adolf Kaufmann,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adolf_Kaufmann&oldid=1332903934 (accessed January 29, 2026).

 

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January 23, 2026 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: Spring Landscape by Ellen Favorin ca 1900

Artist: Ellen Favorin (1853–1919)

Title: English: Spring Landscape (Suomi: Kevätmaisema)

Genre: landscape painting

Date: circa 1900

Dimensions: height: 20.7 cm (8.1 in)

Collection: HAM Helsinki Art Museum

What I love about this painting:

Ellen Favorin shows us a pleasant spring day beside a calm lake, with leaves on the birch trees just beginning to bud out. I especially like how she has portrayed the foliage and shrubbery along the lake shore, with the water high from the spring snowmelt, and the birch trees standing with their feet submerged.

Someone is enjoying a quiet day of fishing, and I would love to be them! What a perfect day.

I will find more paintings by this artist and feature them in the future.

 

About the artist, via Wikipedia:

Elsa “Ellen” Favorin (31 December 1853– 27 November 1919 was a Swedish-speaking Finnish painter.

Her parents were Anders Abraham Favorin and Lovisa Ingman. After attending the painting schools in Helsinki and Stockholm, she continued her studies in Munich, Düsseldorf and at the Académie Julian in Paris. She often painted landscapes and was one of the artists who joined Victor Westerholm in the artists’ colony at Önningeby on the island of Åland. She died together with her sister in a fire at their home in Lohja in 1919. [1]

As you can see, Wikipedia had little to say about her. However, you can find an excellent and comprehensive biography of Ellen Favorin at NiceArtGallery.com.

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Ellen Favorin – Spring Landscape.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ellen_Favorin_-_Spring_Landscape.jpg&oldid=864051225 (accessed January 22, 2026).

[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Ellen Favorin,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ellen_Favorin&oldid=1333359650 (accessed January 22, 2026).

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January 9, 2026 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: a closer look at “Off the Coast of Cornwall” by William Trost Richards 1904

Artist: William Trost Richards  (1833–1905)

Title: Off the Coast of Cornwall

  • Genre: landscape art
  • Date: 1904
  • Medium: oil on canvas
  • Dimensions : Height: 55.9 cm (22 in); Width: 91.4 cm (35.9 in)
  • Collection   Private collection
  • Inscriptions: Signature and date bottom left: W.T. Richards.04.

What I love about this painting:

I first featured this painting in June of 2020. This is one of my favorite seascapes, as it captures the cold sense of danger that is a storm at seashore. The waves crash against the rocks, and only a fool goes wading along this stretch of the beach.

But after the sea calms, the shore will be littered with rare unbroken shells and driftwood, a picker’s paradise.

William Trost Richards shows us a blustery day along the rugged coast of Cornwall. Intermittent rain squalls blow through, and when one passes the sun peeps out, the bright lull between storms. The sea is that dark greenish color reflecting the sky, a quality stormy waters here in the North Pacific coast often have. It is of a shore half a world away from me (in England), but it feels as familiar as if it were the coast of my home, Washington State.

What I love most about how Richards depicted the water is the milk-glass opaqueness of the green water and the way the light seems to shine through the waves. Luminist landscapes emphasize tranquility, and often depict calm, reflective water and a soft, hazy sky.

About the Artist via Wikipedia:

William Trost Richards  rejected the romanticized and stylized approach of other Hudson River painters and instead insisted on meticulous factual renderings. His views of the White Mountains are almost photographic in their realism. In later years, Richards painted almost exclusively marine watercolors.

In the summer of 1874 Richards visited Newport, Rhode Island, and became enthralled with the area’s sublime coastline. He purchased his first of several Newport area homes in 1875 and continued to paint there for the rest of his life, dividing time between Newport and Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he purchased a farm near the Brandywine in 1884. Richards made many excursions to Europe, especially Britain and Ireland, where he produced an important body of work. [1]

Richards was one of the few 19th century American landscape artists who was equally skilled as a watercolorist and a painter in oils. His drawings are considered among the finest of his generation. Many of his drawing still survive.

Today, Richards is best known for his luminist seascapes. Paintings such as the one featured here today demonstrate his mastery of light and atmosphere. His favorite subjects were the Rhode Island, New Jersey and British coasts.

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Off the Coast of Cornwall, by William Trost Richards Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:William Trost Richards – Off the Coast of Cornwall.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:William_Trost_Richards_-_Off_the_Coast_of_Cornwall.jpg&oldid=1127134702 (accessed January 8, 2026).

[1] Wikipedia contributors, “William Trost Richards,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Trost_Richards&oldid=1324003703 (accessed January 8, 2026).

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January 2, 2026 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: Rembrandt and Saskia in the Parable of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt van Rijn 1635

Rembrandt and Saskia as the Prodigal Son.

Artist: Rembrandt (1606–1669)

Title: Rembrandt and Saskia in the parable of the Prodigal Son

Depicted people: Rembrandt and his wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh

Date: 1635

Medium: oil on canvas

Dimensions: height: 161 cm (63.3 in) width: 131 cm (51.5 in)

Current location: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

What I love about this painting:

This was done during the best years of Rembrandt’s life, the years when he was a popular young artist, a time when he was financially secure. He was deeply in love with his wife and at the time of this painting, the future looked bright.

In many ways, Rembrandt was the embodiment of the traditional view of the parable of the prodigal son. He was fond of luxuries that he couldn’t quite afford, sure of his talents, and determined to have his own way in life regardless of the accepted morality of his society.

The two people shown in this painting were happy and knew how to celebrate life, which is clearly shown in this self-portrait.

About this painting via Wikipedia:

It portrays two people who had been identified as Rembrandt himself and his wife Saskia. In the Protestant contemporary world, the theme of the prodigal son was a frequent subject for works of art due to its moral background. Rembrandt himself painted a Return of the Prodigal Son in 1669.

The left side of the canvas was cut, perhaps by the artist himself, to remove secondary characters and focus the observer’s attention on the main theme. [1]

About the Artist, via Wikipedia:

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art. It is estimated that Rembrandt’s surviving works amount to about three hundred paintings, three hundred etchings, and several hundred drawings.

Unlike most Dutch painters of the 17th century, Rembrandt’s works depict a wide range of styles and subject matter, from portraits and self-portraits to landscapes, genre scenes, allegorical and historical scenes, biblical and mythological subjects and animal studies. His contributions to art came in a period that historians call the Dutch Golden Age. [2]

To learn more about this artist and his remarkable (and often sad) life, go to Rembrandt – Wikipedia.

For an excellent biography on the life and works of Rembrandt van Rijn via YouTube, go to: Rembrandt van Rijn: Tragedy, Genius and the Art of Light | Full Documentary

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Wikipedia contributors, “The Prodigal Son in the Brothel,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Prodigal_Son_in_the_Brothel&oldid=1292671149 (accessed January 1, 2026). [1]

Wikipedia contributors, “Rembrandt,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rembrandt&oldid=1329139620 (accessed January 1, 2026). [2]

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December 26, 2025 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: “Bringing Home the Yule Log,” A Victorian Christmas Card

This lovely, whimsical card is a brilliant example of the art that can be found on Christmas cards, which became popular in the late 19th and 20th centuries, and while they have fallen out of favor for many nowadays, I still love the art.

About Christmas Cards, via Wikipedia:

The production of Christmas cards was, throughout the 20th century, a profitable business for many stationery manufacturers, with the design of cards continually evolving with changing tastes and printing techniques. The now widely recognized brand Hallmark Cards was established in 1913 by Joyce Hall with the help of brother Rollie Hall to market their self-produced Christmas cards. The Hall brothers capitalized on a growing desire for more personalized greeting cards, and reached critical success when the outbreak of World War I increased demand for cards to send to soldiers. [1]

I love the sentiment expressed at the bottom of this card:

“While Christmas is here, be all of good cheer.”

Christmas Day has gone, leaving behind the memory of cozy warmth, of a table laden with comfort food, sharing a holiday meal with one of my sons and a dear friend. Leaving the memory of talking with my other son and the daughters who live far away.

The old year is nearly over, and while the weather has been unusually stormy this last month, I have far more blessings than I can count.

My Christmas wish for you is: May you never lack for good food, warmth, and the companionship of people you love. May you always have books to read, and may happiness regularly cross your path.

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Victorian Christmas Card – 11222221966.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Victorian_Christmas_Card_-_11222221966.jpg&oldid=470244728 (accessed December 24, 2025).

[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Christmas card,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christmas_card&oldid=1321585292 (accessed December 26, 2025).

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December 19, 2025 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday:A French paddle tug bringing a barque into Boulogne Harbour in heavy weather by Thomas Bush Hardy

Artist: Thomas Bush Hardy (1842–1897)

Title: A French paddle tug bringing a barque into Boulogne harbour in heavy weather

Genre: marine art

Date: 19th century

Medium: oil on canvas

Dimensions: Frame: 556 mm x 1162 mm x 75 mm; Painting: 332 mm x 945 mm

Collection: Royal Museums Greenwich

Current location: Royal Museums Greenwich

 

What I like about this painting:

I love seascapes and especially depictions of storms. There is something compelling about the ferocity of nature … unless you are caught up in it. Thomas Bush Hardy shows us this quite clearly.

In the foreground, rocks jut from the waves, lurking and ready to destroy any vessel that should be dashed against them.

A crowd has overloaded the pier, watching as several ships loaded with passengers are tossed violently, with a steam-tug attempting to bring one safely into the harbor. One can almost feel the passengers’ fear, hear their prayers.

I hope they all made it to shore unharmed.

I also hope the pier didn’t collapse under the weight of the onlookers.

Here on the eastern shore of the North Pacific, we expect the winter weather to be cold and rainy, with snow politely falling in the mountains where it belongs and rivers and streams keeping to their banks as they should.

Frankly the weather here has been frightful, to paraphrase a popular Christmas song. Western Washington State has been beset with torrential rains and severe flooding. Many communities are cut off because of roads and bridges that have been washed away. I am fortunate, in that my neighborhood is on higher ground, and while my extended family is impacted by road and bridge closures, they are all safe.

About this painting via Wikimedia Commons:

A French paddle tug bringing a barque into Boulogne harbour in heavy weather

A dramatic painting showing a French paddle tug bringing a barque into the port of Boulogne. The event takes place in very heavy weather and the sea is shown crashing against the harbour wall at Boulogne on the left. The paddle tug can be seen in the centre of the picture, flying the French flag. Her smoke belches out as she struggles through the mountainous sea to the aid of the barque shown behind the tug with her sails lowered. Wreckage can be seen in the foreground and there is other shipping in the distance. On the harbour wall a large crowd has gathered to witness the rescue. [1]

About the artist, via Thomas Bush Hardy – Government Art Collection:

(1842 – 1897)

Thomas Bush Hardy, marine artist, was born in Sheffield. As a youth he travelled to America, where he fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War of 1860 to 1865. He then lived in France and Holland, before returning to England. He is best remembered for his paintings of the River Thames and English coastal shipping scenes. He regularly exhibited work at the Royal Academy and the New Watercolour Society between 1871 and 1897 and, in 1884, was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists. He died in London on 15 December 1897 and was survived by eight children, of whom three became artists, the most well-known being Dudley Hardy (1867-1922), a painter and illustrator. [2]

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:A French paddle tug bringing a barque into Boulogne harbour in heavy weather RMG BHC2367.tiff,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:A_French_paddle_tug_bringing_a_barque_into_Boulogne_harbour_in_heavy_weather_RMG_BHC2367.tiff&oldid=995747273 (accessed December 17, 2025).

[1] Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:A French paddle tug bringing a barque into Boulogne harbour in heavy weather RMG BHC2367.tiff,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:A_French_paddle_tug_bringing_a_barque_into_Boulogne_harbour_in_heavy_weather_RMG_BHC2367.tiff&oldid=995747273 (accessed December 17, 2025).

[2]  Explore Thomas Bush Hardy, Department for Culture Media and Sport contributors, © 2025  Crown Copyright, https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/person/hardy-thomas-bush/ (accessed December 17, 2025).

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December 12, 2025 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: Traditions of Christmas by Adolph Tidemand 1846

Artist: Adolph Tidemand (1814–1876)

Title: Norwegian Christmas Tradition

Date: 1846

Medium: oil on canvas

Dimensions: height: 69 cm (27.1 in)

Collection: Trondheim art museum

Inscriptions: Signature and date bottom right: A. Tidemand 46. Df.

 

What I love about this painting:

Adolph Tideman shows us a community gathering in front of a traditional Norwegian store house, a stabbur. Everyone is having fun, enjoying traditional winter activities. For me, the stabbur is the most interesting part of this painting. I love the architecture, the way it is constructed to protect the foods and items stored within it.

I also love the birds who circle above and roost on it. They are partaking of the feast offered by the sheaf of grain, apparently enjoying the festivities happening in the street below.

In Norway, the hoisting of a sheaf into the air during Christmas is a tradition known as Julenek or Kornband. They hang a sheaf of oats or grain on a pole near homes and barns to attract birds for an avian Christmas dinner. According to the article, Julenek – Christmas Sheaf A Norwegian Tradition | Norway with Pål, “It symbolizes good luck and is believed to bring prosperity for the coming year. Historically, it was thought to be an offering to the gods or a way to protect against evil forces. The sheaf is typically hung on Christmas Eve and is a common sight during the holiday season in Norway.” [1]

About the stabbur, via the Scandinavian Heritage Association website:

“Trunks with clothing and valuables were stored on the upper floor. Food and commodities were stored on the ground floor. Water and rodents were the biggest enemies in a storehouse. Stilts raised the floor level, the wooden steps did not come into contact with the building to reduce the possibility of rodent infestation and meat/cheese was hung from the ceiling.” [2]

About this painting, via the Trondheim Kunstmuseum:

” In this painting of modest size the pictorial space is packed with people who perform different tasks, all dressed in Norwegian national costumes. The store house is the centre of attention, and on the roof a sheaf is hoisted into the air, a Norwegian Christmas custom.” [3]

About the Artist, via Wikipedia:

Adolph Tidemand (14 August 1814 – 8 August 1876) was a noted Norwegian romantic nationalism painter. Among his best known paintings are Haugianerne (The Haugeans; 1852) and Brudeferd i Hardanger (The Bridal Procession in Hardanger; 1848), painted in collaboration with Hans Gude. [4]

To read more about this extraordinary artist’s life, go to  Adolph Tidemand – Wikipedia

Credits and Attributions:

IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Adolph Tidemand – Norwegian Christmas Tradition – Norsk juleskik – TKM-1-1867 – Trondheim kunstmuseum (cropped).jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Adolph_Tidemand_-_Norwegian_Christmas_Tradition_-_Norsk_juleskik_-_TKM-1-1867_-_Trondheim_kunstmuseum_(cropped).jpg&oldid=1030315615 (accessed December 11, 2025).

[1] Quote from Julenek – Christmas Sheaf A Norwegian Tradition | Norway with Pål © 2025 Pål Bjarne Johansen, Norway with Pål (Accessed December 11, 2025).

[2] Quote from Stabbur – Scandinavian Heritage Association © 2025 Scandinavian Heritage Association Contributors, (accessed December 11, 2025).

[3] Quote from Adolf Tideman – Trondheim kunstmuseum © 2025 Trondheim Kunstmuseum Contributors (accessed December 11, 2025).

[4] Wikipedia contributors, “Adolph Tidemand,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adolph_Tidemand&oldid=1325534158 (accessed December 11, 2025).

 

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December 5, 2025 · 6:00 am

#FineArtFriday: A closer look at “The Sycamores” by Alexandre Calame 1854

1175px-'The_Sycamores'_by_Alexandre_Calame,_Cincinnati_Art_MuseumTitle: The Sycamores by Alexandre Calame

Genre: landscape art

Date: 1854

Medium: oil on canvas

Dimensions: height: 54.3 cm (21.3 in)

Collection: Cincinnati Art Museum

What I love about this painting:

I live in the Pacific Northwest, a part of the world where sycamore trees do not grow in the wild. They are native to the eastern United States and are often featured as part of the landscape in 18th and 19th-century American literature.

The trees featured in this painting are European Sycamores. When I first came across this painting in 2022, I was impressed by both their size and the rough, boulder-strewn landscape that is their home.

These are trees with a presence. They grow on a sunlit hillside and seem as tough as the boulders surrounding them. Storms may come and go, but these trees remain.

Like people, these trees have seen some stuff. No delicate hothouse specimens here; these are sturdy peasant trees, able to make do with whatever nature throws at them.

About the Artist, via Wikipedia:

Alexandre Calame (28 May 1810 – 19 March 1864) was a Swiss landscape painter, associated with the Düsseldorf School.

He was born in Arabie at the time belonging to Corsier-sur-Vevey, today a part of Vevey. He was the son of a skillful marble worker in Vevey, but because his father lost the family fortune, Calame could not concentrate on art, but rather he was forced to work in a bank from the age of 15. When his father fell from a building and then died, it was up to the young Calame to provide for his mother.

In his spare time he began to practice drawing small views of Switzerland. In 1829 he met his patron, the banker Diodati, who made it possible for him to study under landscape painter François Diday. After a few months he decided to devote himself fully to art.

In 1835 he began exhibiting his Swiss-Alps and forest paintings in Paris and Berlin. He became quite well known, especially in Germany, although Calame was more a drawer than an illustrator. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. In 1842 he went to Paris and displayed his works Mont Blanc, the Jungfrau, the Brienzersee, the Monte Rosa and Mont Cervin.

Credits and Attributions:

Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:’The Sycamores’ by Alexandre Calame, Cincinnati Art Museum.JPG,” Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:%27The_Sycamores%27_by_Alexandre_Calame,_Cincinnati_Art_Museum.JPG&oldid=618822225 (accessed December 4, 2025).

Wikipedia contributors, “Alexandre Calame,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexandre_Calame&oldid=1088977147 (accessed December 4, 2025).

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