Today’s Birthday: JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID (1748)

Jacques-Louis David (1748)

The unchallenged painter of the French Revolution, and later the official portraitist to Napoleon, David was the virtual art dictator of France for a generation. His pervasive influence on European art extended beyond painting to determine the course of fashion, interior decoration, and even the development of moral philosophy. Although he was a talented portraitist, David is best known for his paintings of classical, historical, and mythological themes. What are some of his most famous works?More… Discuss

 

Today’s Birthday: Lavinia Fontana (1552)

Lavinia Fontana (1552)

One of the few female Italian artists of the 16th century, Lavinia Fontana was the daughter of Italian mannerist painter Prospero Fontana. She was a fashionable portrait painter in Bologna and Rome who was especially noted for the vibrant color and detail of her works. Her self-portraits and a portrait of Pope Gregory XIII show a fine decorative sense in the treatment of costume. She was also a painter of religious subjects. What are some of her major works? More… Discuss