JaZzArt en València

His name was Bartolomé de Cárdenas, but he preferred to be known as Bartolomé Bermejo, perhaps because he was redhead… He was a Spanish Gothic painter born in Córdoba in 1440. Not much is known about this painter whose work belongs to the Hispano-Flemish style (1469-1516) and who spent most of his life painting within the lands of the Crown of Aragon. His work was always very detailed and bordering on realism. Of course, due to the time he lived in, his painting is religious. He started in Valencia, but worked more in Zaragoza and Barcelona.

I think that these two I’ve selected are worth a good look, not just at the religious theme, which of course is prevalent, but at the detail and spirituality that it carries relative to its time, which can still be felt.

«St. Michael Triumphs over the Devil» is from 1468. It is conserved at the Louvre museum in Paris.

This painting, «Maria Lactans» or «Virgo Lactans» is part of an altar piece dedicated to the Lactating Madonna and it is from the Church of the Convent of Santo Domingo of València. It dates from 1465-1470.

CHEERS

No creo que le pueda añadir más… Hay y están.

Se llamaba Bartolomé de Cárdenas, pero prefirió ser conocido como Bartolomé Bermejo, quizá porque era pelirrojo… Fue un pintor gótico español nacido en Córdoba en 1440. No se conoce mucho de este pintor cuya pintura pertenece al estilo hispano-flamenco (1469-1516) y que pasó casi toda su vida realizando su pintura dentro de las tierras de la Corona de Aragón. Su obra siempre fue muy detallada y hasta tirando al realismo. Claro, debido a la época que le tocó vivir, su pintura es religiosa. Comenzó en Valencia, pero trabajo mas en Zaragoza y Barcelona.

Creo que estas, entre sus tantas, merece la pena un vistazo critico, no solo a la temática, religiosa, por supuesto, pero al detalle y a la espiritualidad que carga relativa a su tiempo pero que aún se nota.

Esta pintura, también titulada «San Miguel triunfa sobre el demonio» es de 1468…

Esta pintura «Virgen de la Leche«, (Maria Lactans o Virgo Lactans) es parte de un retablo dedicado a la Virgen de la Leche en la iglesia del convento de Santo Domingo de València. Data de 1465-1470.

GRACIAS

Jejeje… suerte que no fue en España o te hubieran crucificado…

Jean Siméon Chardin

French painter of the 18th century, born in Paris on November 2, 1699, is considered one of the masters of still life. In his works, you can see how he carefully balanced the composition, diffused the light, softly and to a good extent, and find in his paintings a granulated texture, almost like impasto on the surface…

«La Raie» was exhibited at the Exposition de la Jeunesse of 1728 alongside «Le Buffet» as a test for entry into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.

The importance of Chardin in modern art is significant and widely recognized in the works of great artists such as Édouard Manet and the still life paintings of Paul Cézanne. Additionally, Henri Matisse considered him one of his favourite painters and even copied several of Chardin’s works that hang in the Louvre. Georges Braque also sought inspiration from his paintings, as did Lucian Freud.

Chardin passed away in Paris in 1779. He is undoubtedly one of the painters that one must know in art history, especially for scholars of history and aspiring painters.

CHEERS

From the 12th of October, 2023 to the 22nd, «Atrévete,» my first art exhibition in the city of Valencia, was open to the public. During those eleven days we received over 2000 visitors. Atrévete was held at the Sala d’Exposicions de Ciutat Vella, an exhibition hall of the City of Valencia, Spain.

I have been professionally involved in the art world since 1996 and I have had my art exhibited in many galleries, shows, fairs, festivals and other venues throughout the years but this experience was totally different. First it was in a museum and it was my first, non-commercial, exhibition-only type show. Many of the visitors were willing and quite ready, to purchase my art, but they had to be turned down and advised to contact Omnia Caelum Studios (OCS) Valencia after the show.

Second, we (and here I speak in the name of out team at OCS Valencia) were tasked with curating and hanging the paintings, decorating the halls (there were four floors of exhibition space for us to fill), designing, printing and distributing the information cards and the invitations to the vernissage. We also had to do the entrance/outside sign, the bio cards and other information-providing literature that was placed at different parts of the exhibit. We also contacted a jazz saxophonist to play at the vernissage. It was a big endeavour, but thanks to the team at Omnia Caelum Studios Valencia (which I have thanked in another post https://paintinginvalencia.com/2023/10/26/art-os-quiero-y-os-agradezco-el-apoyo-i-love-you-and-appreciate-your-support-2/) we were quite successful indeed.

So what did I learn?

I learned that people still love, dearly love, art! We were swamped throughout the duration of the exhibition! Even before the team arrived every morning there were people at the door… I was there every day greeting folk, answering questions, posing for photos and even signing autographs! The experience was amazing and has left me humbled and filled with gratitude to God, to my dear team, and to all who came to visit the museum.

Among the many conversations, with so many people, the most interesting ones were with young folk starting out in art. But the ones with seasoned veterans, who collected and were genuinely interested in art history, were also an exhilarating and learning experience. I loved every minute of my time at the exhibition!

So, besides learning how to plan, execute and operate a major museum exhibition, I learned a lot about human behaviour and about how truly important art, original art, is in the lives of many, many people.

We are horribly misguided by what the «media» presents as «public opinion.» What I saw out there, in the centre of a big city, while engaged in a museum exhibition, was that people still crave knowledge, they are still are mesmerised with art and assuredly place a lot of interest in history, not just art history. And I understood that people still had good taste.

People can easily discern between art that is worked, developed and thought through from «art» which is nothing more than paint splashed, or dripped, upon a canvas. That was comforting and reassuring. And I am not saying this because they liked my work, but because we talked at length about good and bad art and artists that think they can get away with rubbish in the name of personal expression.

I look forward to Omnia Caelum Studios Valencia doing more work in the city and as well in other cities of Europe, (hopefully to the US too). We are committed and engaged in the effort to bring knowledge of art to the people. And not just through this blog and through our YouTube Channel (www.YouTube.com/@FranciscoBravoCabrera) but also by doing public exhibitions, holding seminars and lecture meetings. That is definitely in our plans. Keep in touch…

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CHEERS

As I watched the smoke sensually dancing

(Listening to Dave Brubeck, as I began on 28/10/2023, Valencia)

I was in a medieval village, sitting on the bank of the River Ebro on a painful, worn-out, and half-lame bench, smoking a Havana cigar and contemplating how the smoke I exhaled, gray and turning silver, rose, danced a minuet, and then vanished, blending with the autumn atmosphere, when I heard about a new massacre in my former place of residence, the United States of America. Without sense or reason, a gun-toting nut ended the lives of eighteen innocent folk…

And supporters of the second amendment of the US Constitution continue to argue that firearms do not kill. Incredibly they believe that it is the people who use them who are responsible, that it is people who kill. Come on! Saying that is complete nonsense because if they had a frisbee in their hands, they wouldn’t kill anyone. Rifles and pistols kill. For example, when I joined the Army they gave me a rifle and taught me how to kill, and my drill sergeant assured me that killing was my duty, the soldier’s profession. To fulfil my duty, they didn’t give me a ping-pong paddle or a bouquet of roses (even those with thorns), but a rifle! So stop with the nonsense! Rifles, and all firearms, kill and are used only for that horrifying act. They do not belong in the hands of civilians!

Meanwhile, the smoke continued with its sensual dance, now in the light of the moon and a thousand stars that, thanks to the scarce light that surrounded me, shone magnificently up there, near the highest layer of the firmament, the habitat of God…

Violence is not something that can easily be separated from the actions of men. And when I say «men,» I use it as a pronoun that includes, because that’s how it is in our language, women as well. But without a doubt, violence is a curse, a burden, and a vulgar setback that, although we are not showing the will to abhor it, despise it, and abandon it, we should do so.

«War, a cruel, stupid, and horrific invention, has become an everyday occurrence. During my relatively short life, I can remember so many (and fought in two): Vietnam; Israel’s wars against five Arab armies; Grenada; Central America; Panama; Lebanon (Hezbollah-Israel); Armenia-Azerbaijan; Serbia-Kosovo; Iraq-Kuwait; Iraq-USA; Afghanistan-USA; Ukraine-Russia, and now yet another one between Jews and Palestinians over the dust of the promised land. And this count doesn’t even include the bloody revolutions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and so on and so forth…»

Mother of God! Can the United Nations (UN) save us?

I don’t know why we need the United Nations (UN)… It has never served to prevent a war, to stop a conflict, to halt the use of violence, to feed the most needy peoples, to intervene against human trafficking, to put an end to blood diamond mines, to curb domestic violence and child abuse, to shelter refugees… So, what is the purpose of such an organization? I tell you, it serves for nothing. But wait, it serves for one thing…

The United Nations serves to give space and importance to countries controlled by totalitarian and communist governments that have no interest in resolving the world’s problems. How can we seek peace and security among nations when Russia and China hold permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council? These countries, ruled by the communist party, which has caused more death and destruction in the world than any other system, always vote against resolutions that… perhaps… would improve the lives of many. For example, they prevent crimes and atrocities committed by the Ayatollah regime in Iran and the brutal dictatorship of Assad in Syria from being resolved. They haven’t saved the Venezuelan people from Maduro or the Nicaraguan people from Ortega and the dictatorship he seeks to establish in that country…

And to top it all off, now the Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, former Prime Minister of Portugal and a socialist, has said that Hamas had legitimate reasons to attack Israel… But what is this? How dare he? This is more than a cowardly and shameful statement, it is a display of the political backwardness of the UN and an atrocity. I am neither for nor against the parties in this war, their disputes are not my concern, and I advocate for peace and the creation of two states, but I recognize that what triggered Israel’s aggression was Hamas’ terrorist attack against innocent civilians who just wanted to dance, sing, and listen to music at a peaceful celebration…

And there you have it. Form your own opinions and judgments. I have mine and each person will have theirs. Also, I end by singing what Joan Manuel Serrat said:

“Cada loco con su tema.
Contra gustos no hay disputas.
Artefactos, bestias, hombres y mujeres,
cada uno es como es,
cada quién es cada cual
y baja las escaleras como quiere…”

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Each madman with his own theme,
and each of us with our likes, which are undisputed.
Artefacts, beasts, men and women,
each one is how each is
and each is how they are
and they all go down the stairs as they see fit…

(From the song “Cada loco con su tema” 1983, by J.M.Serrat)

Domingo, 29 de octubre de 2023, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, Valencia, España

No deja crecer, se apodera de todo y te esclavizara… No nos hacen falta gobiernos con poder, el poder legítimo es del pueblo… Bon dia