Famous Artist Leonardo da Vinci's Biography And Paintings

Born on April 15, 1452, near the village of Vinci about 25 miles west of Florence, Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist. He was one of the greatest minds of the Italian Renaissance, and his influence on the painting of the following generations was enormous. He painted, arguably the most famous painting in the art world, “Mona Lisa” in 1507. Also known as “La Giaconda” referring to the last name of the model who posed for the painting, it is analyzed for its beauty, technique and style, but it is perhaps most famous for the enigmatic look and smile on Mona Lisa’s face. Her expression and the meaning behind it have survived for 500 years as one of the greatest mysteries in art history.

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Famous Artist Alfred Gockel's Biography And Paintings

Famous artist Alfred Alexander Gockel was born in 1952 in Ludinghausen, North-Rine Westphalia, Germany. He originally studied graphic design, typography and advertising. When he was only 8 years old, a German magazine recognized his talent and published his first artwork. Painting full-time for 22 years in a signature style of bright, abstract shapes and strong, dark lines, he is now owner of the world-renowned company, Avant Art, Gockel has also designed for the porcelain, carpet and sportswear industries. Bliss radiates from the united lovers against a joyously colored background in his famous painting “Endless Love.” (Featured above)

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Famous Artist Jack Vettriano's Biography And Paintings

Jack Vettriano was born in Scotland in 1953 of Italian parents. He began his career as a mining engineer in the Scottish coalfields, painting only in his spare time. In 1988, Vettriano gave up his job as a mining engineer in order to paint full-time. He left school at 16 and became an apprentice mining engineer, but later took up painting as a hobby in his twenties. Nicknamed “The People’s Painter,” the self-taught Vettriano is one of Britain’s most popular artists. Above is his moody “Dance Me to the End of Love” painting that simmers with underlying intrigue.

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Famous Artist Wassily Kandinsky's Biography And Paintings

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), the Russian painter and graphic artist was one of the great masters of modern art and the outstanding representative of pure abstract painting that dominated the first half of the 20th century. He produced his early work in Russia, his mature and most revolutionary work in Germany, and his later work in France. He believed that art could visually express music, and is credited for painting the first modern abstractions. Wassily Kandinsky was inspired by the radiantly colorful churches and homes of his native Russia. In “Farbstudie Quadrate,” color and rhythm make beautiful music together.

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Famous Photographic Artist Ansel Adams Biography

Award-winning photographic artist and environmentalist Ansel Easton Adams was born on February 20, 1902, in San Francisco, California, near the Golden Gate Bridge. His father, a successful businessman, sent his son to private, as well as public, schools; beyond such formal education, however, Adams was largely self-taught. His career took off in 1941 when the U.S. government hired him to photograph the country’s national parks. His awe-inspiring works reveal his technical mastery and rank Adams among the world’s most acclaimed landscape photographers. Ansel Adams was not only a masterful photographic technician but a lifelong conservationist who pleaded for understanding of, and respect for, the natural environment. Adams, therefore, helped foster an environmental consciousness during his 37-year tenure on the Sierra Club’s Board of Directors.

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Famous Graphic Artist M.C. Escher's Biography And Work

Like some of his famous predecessors, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer and Holbein, M.C. Escher was left-handed. The Dutch Escher (1898-1972) is the world’s most famous graphic artist; his interlocking figures, shapes and mirror images presented in black and white enhance their implausible dimensions. Apart from being a graphic artist, M.C. Escher illustrated books, designed tapestries, postage stamps and mural. M.C. Escher’s pop culture references appear in everything from The Simpsons to The Matrix to music and video games.

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