Artist Notes
ARTIST NOTES – 5th hour
2025
Salvador Dali
Lived from 1904-1989
Started painting at 8
First married to Helena
Married to his friend’s ex-wife, Gala
Lived in the U.S. from 1940-1948
Most well know for work as a surrealist
Was inspired by Freud
Some of his work was morbid or macabre
Done in a hallucinatory state
His end-of-life work became more religious
was a Catholic
He became a hermit after Gala died
Famous work includes:
“Last Supper”
“Christ of St. John of the Cross”
“Persistence of Memory”
Michelangelo
Lived from 1475-1564
Pope Julius II was a big fan of his work and commissioned him to do the Sistine chapel and his personal tomb.
Mother died when he was young
He studied in the Medici gardens (Medici family were powerful and rich patrons of the arts.)
Worked in both Florence and Rome
Studied human anatomy
Famous works
“Pieta” - only piece he ever signed
Statue of David
“Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel” - worked on it from 1508 -1512
“The Last Judgment” – criticized for nudity. Included warped pictures of those who criticized him.
Leonardo DaVinci
Lived from 1452-1519
His parents were never married
He was a painter, scientist and inventor
He studied under Andra del Verrocchio
He was Catholic
He is known today for including hidden symbols in art
Famous work
“The Last Supper”
“Mona Lisa”
“The Baptism of Christ”
“The Annuciation”
Rembrandt Van Rijn
Lived from 1606 – 1669
Born in the Netherlands
His mother was a great religious influence
He studied theology
He did 100+ self portraits
Used a lot of light and shadow, in the Baroque style
After his wife Saskia died he lived beyond his means
Famous work
“Nightwatch”
“The Return of the Prodigal Son”
“The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nocolaes
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Born in 1598 and Died in 1680
Italian artist, was born at Naples.
Learned sculpting from his father
He was more celebrated as an architect and a sculptor than as a painter.
He was a baroque artist
He was at one point the architect of St. Peter’s Basilica.
He worked under Pope Urban VIII
He was a fervent Roman Catholic, attended mass daily
His art was known for having emotional intensity.
He died at the age of 81 and had served 8 popes.
Famous Work
“Ecstacy of St. Teresa of Avila”
“Baldachin of St. Peter’s”
“Fountain of the Four Rivers”
Norman Rockwell
born in 1894 and died in 1978
Grew up in New York and witnessed a lot of racism
Called his work “countrified realism”
He designed the cover for the Saturday Evening Post for 30 years
He also did a lot of artwork for the Boy Scouts of America
Famous work
“the Four Freedoms”
“The Golden Rule”
“Saying Grace”
El Greco
He lived from 1541 to 1614
He was from Candia Crete
real name was Domenikos Thotocopoulos
His nickname means, “The Greek”
Saw himself as an artist-philosopher
He worked in Venice and Toledo, Spain
His art usually portrays people looking elongated and gaunt
One of his paintings is at Joslyn Museum in our city (St. Francis of Assisi)
Famous work
“The Vision of Saint John”
“Lacacoon”
“The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”
Raphael
Born in 1483, died in 1520
His parents both died when he was young
Full name is Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino
He was a painter and architect
His father was also a painter
He studied under Perugino
After working in Florence, he was commissioned to redecorate the papal appartments.
He made many “Madonnas”
Famous Works
“Sistine Madonna”
“The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament”
“Saint John the Baptist Preaching”
“Ezekiel’s Vision”