Fra Bartolomeo | Florentine Renaissance Painter

Fra Bartolomeo was born in Florence, Italy on 28 March 1472 and died on 31 October 1517.

A leading artist of the Italian Renaissance, he initially trained under Cosimo Rosselli, and opened a worshop with a fellow pupil, Mariotto Albertinelli.

He entered the Dominican Order in 1500, reportedly due to the influence of Savronela's preaching, and from that point on restricted his painting to religious subjects only.

Fra Bartolomeo's contemporaries included Leonardo, Raphael, and Bellini, and their artistic influences appear in his use of sfumato, composition, and the way he addressed landscapes in his paintings.

His work is characterized by a reserved approach to the thematic content, and solidly painted forms.

You can read more about his work and biography at The Oxford Dictionary of Art  and The Web Gallery of Art.

A few of his monumental works are displayed below:

The Adoration of the Christ Child  c. 1499 
Tempera on wood, diameter 89 cm 
Galleria Borghese, Rome

Prophet Isaiah   c. 1516  
Panel, 168 x 108 cm  
Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence  

The Marriage of St Catherine of Siena 1511 
Wood panel, 257 x 228 cm 
Musée du Louvre, Paris

First God created time; then God created man that man might, in the course of time, perfect himself; then God decided that He'd better create eternity. (Robert Brault)

SIMON RENARD DE SAINT-ANDRÉ   Vanitas   c. 1650   Oil on canvas

You're Going to Get Rejected



Wm. Mulready - The Sonnet - 1839
Oil on canvas, 36 x 31 cm
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Galleries are going to reject you, people are going to say insensitive things about your work, critics are going to ignore you and family members are going to plot to steal your painting time but you have to pick yourself up and go back at it.

(Cathie Harrison)

Today I got rejected.

Well, I knew I had a slimmer chance of acceptance,

but it,s still difficult to read the rejection letter.

Do you think rejection is a necessary part of an art career?

The Role of Anxiety in Making Art

Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity. (T. S. Eliot)

REMBRANDT - Portrait of a Young Woman
  1632-   Oil on canvas, 92 x 71 cm

So this week I am taking a painting workshop with my former teacher.
Of course, I am a little anxious about it.
I have prepared all my materials, and packed my bag.
But the anxiety is still there.
I really don't know why, because I have taken classes with him before.
I guess it's just the fear of the unknown.
And, like most artists, I am worried about my skill level.
I am sure everything will turn out well.
But anxiety keeps me focused, alert, and ready to act.

How does anxiety factor into your work?

Jane Austen on Charm

Jacob Cuyp -  Portrait of a Child  -   1628?

There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.
Jane Austen

Never miss a good chance to shut up. (Will Rogers)

At first thought, this quote seems to refer to conversation between individuals.

But what if we thought about its meaning in a different way?

Don't we also need to "shut up" and listen to ourselves?

REMBRANDT - The Mennonite Minister Cornelis Claesz. Anslo
 in Conversation with his Wife, Aaltje (detail) - 1641 
Oil on canvas

Daily Motivation

Albrecht Durer -  Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman
   1505  -   Oil on elm panel, 32.5 x 24.5 cm

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily. (Zig Ziglar)

What can you come up with as a daily motivator?