EspacioBeruti

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

Marc Chagall - The Kiss or The Blue Lovers, 1930

07/06/2026

7 June, 1848

Born in Paris on this day in 1848, French post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) https://youtu.be/eokqahlbqBE

Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognised for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct from Impressionism.

Toward the end of his life, he spent ten years in French Polynesia. The paintings from this time depict people or landscapes from that region.

His work was influential on the French avant-garde and many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, and he is well known for his relationship with Vincent and Theo van Gogh.

Gauguin's art became popular after his death, partially from the efforts of dealer Ambroise Vollard, who organised exhibitions of his work late in his career and assisted in organising two important posthumous exhibitions in Paris.

Gauguin was also an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer. His expression of the inherent meaning of the subjects in his paintings, under the influence of the cloisonnist style, paved the way for Primitivism and the return to the pastoral. He was also an influential practitioner of wood engraving and woodcuts as an art form.

Some examples of his artwork are shown below. You can view a video collection of 283 of his paintings here: https://youtu.be/IdDvbLV5v70

J in 日本

04/06/2026

French artist Claude Monet (1840-1926) at his home in Giverny, northern France, 1925.

J in 日本

04/06/2026

From my personal collection of Japanese art.

"Heaven and Earth" (天と地), a lithograph from a series of calendar prints commissioned by the Yasukawa Electric Corporation beginning in 1958, by modern printmaking master Munakata Shikō (棟方志功; 1903–1975).

Image (h x w, within the margins): 12 x 9 1/2 inches

Born in Aomori Prefecture (青森県) as the son of a swordsmith, Munakata was active in Shōwa period Japan. He is associated with both the sōsaku-hanga (創作版画, creative prints) movement and the mingei (民芸, folk art) movement.

J in 日本

04/06/2026

Japanese modern printmaking master Munakata Shikō (棟方志功; 1903–1975) at work.

Born in Aomori Prefecture (青森県) as the son of a sword-smith, he was the third of fifteen children.

He was just 17 years old when his teacher showed him a copy of Vincent van Gogh’s "Still Life: Vase with Five Flowers" (1888). In that moment Munakata decided he would be the “van Gogh of Aomori.”

Munakata was active in Shōwa period Japan, and attained international fame for his intricate artwork. He is associated with both the sōsaku-hanga (創作版画, creative prints) movement and the mingei (民芸, folk art) movement.

His artistic explorations were characterised by a spirited curiosity and relentless experimentation. He incorporated diverse sources and inspiration in his dynamic works, including Japanese folk tales, Buddhism, Western literature and poetry, and nature motifs.

This extremely shortsighted artist brought his face centimetres from the wood as he chizzelled, remarking that "the mind goes and the tool walks alone!"

J in 日本