Modern art begins with Goya. He was the first to create works of art for their own sake, and he lived in a time of incredible cultural and social dynamism when the old concepts of social hierarchy were being shaken by the new concept of equality for all. He saw his world ripped apart by Napoleon's armies and then suffered the reactionary backlash as the old order was restored. Against this epic…
In the history of twentieth century modernism, Henri Matisse is a calm and unstoppable revolution of creative genius. Trained originally in the French classical manner, he was inspired by the Impressionists and Cézanne to create in a style that brought out the beauty of colour, form and line by reducing them to their essentials. While considered a leader of the Fauves and an inspiration to …
Mercurial, saturnine, scandalous, and unpredictable, Caravaggio—as a man, as a character, and as an artist—holds dramatic appeal. He spent a large part of his life on the run, leaving a trail of illuminated chaos wherever he passed, most of it recorded in criminal justice records. When he did settle for long enough to paint, he produced works of staggering creativity and technical innov…