Trellis (1862) by William Morris ∫
Morris designs are characterised by tessellation, meaning the ‘end’ of the design aligns with the ‘start’. This means the image can be infinitely repeated, seamlessly - perfect for wallpaper which Trellis was designed, mass produced and sold as.
First conceived in 1862, Trellis was originally block-printed in distemper colours. Today, there are many variations in colour and scale. You can find Morris prints on cups, rugs and even napkins.
The Ashes of Phocion (c.1648) by Nicolas Poussin, oil on canvas ∫
The story of Phocion shows the dangerous fickleness of the mob, who condemn a man to death but find regret in his passing. In Poussin’s Ashes of Phocion, we can see the clarity of theme Poussin wanted to achieve with his paintings.
At the bottom of the painting a woman is grieving, she is draped and loosely posed, caught in motion in contrast to the central temple above, which stands with a soberness, overlooking the scene. The buildings, mountain and trees all share the rigid stillness of the temple.
The juxtaposition of stillness around the lyrical quality of the woman, isolates her. A viewer may sense the indifference the scene has to her plight. Nothing is acknowledging or partaking in the woman's moment with Phocion's ashes. The temple’s higher position conveys its continuing dominance and the mob’s decision irreversibly endures.
Monk by the Sea (1808-10) by Caspar David Friedrich, oil on canvas ∫
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun (Rev. 12: 1-4) (1803-1805), by William Blake, ink and watercolour on wove paper ∫
William Blake was commissioned to create a series of watercolours to illustrate the Book of Revelation. Blake developed his own understanding of Christianity, rejecting many books of the Bible and institutional religion. Through poems, journals and image making, Blake expressed the ecstatic heights of Biblical imagery.
The Annunciation (c.1440-45) by Zanobi Strozzi, egg tempera on wood ∫
The Menin Road (1918-19) by Paul Nash, oil on canvas ∫
Paul Nash, an offcial Great War (WW1) artist for Britain, was commissioned to paint a battlefield scene for the proposed but never built 'Hall of Remembrance'.
Nash depicted the Ypres Salient in Belgium, destroyed during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. He was familiar with the area, having explored it in his role as an official war artist and having served in the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front.
Maria (1909) by Helene Schjerfbeck, oil on canvas ∫
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Lake George and the Village of Caldwell (c.1850) by Thomas Chambers, oil on canvas ∫
Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God (1873) by Jan Matejko, oil on canvas ∫
Jan Matejko is considered the national painter of Poland. His large scale paintings depict important events and figures from Polish history. Depicted here is Nicolaus Copernicus, the Polish mathematician and astronomer who proposed that the sun was at the centre of our solar system.
The Bathers 'Les Grandes Baigneuses' (1894-1905) by Paul Cézanne, oil on canvas ∫
Although the motif is reminiscent of renaissance paintings of bathing nymphs and pagan goddesses, Cézanne's 'Bathers' has no mythological narrative, nor literary source. Whereas contemporaries such as Manet brought this motif into the present by adding details from modern life, Cézanne has kept the setting undefined; precisely when and where his 'Bathers' are is unknowable. The result is a painting that never seems to age.
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