Polish king Stanislav Augustus
Forbidden Art: 6 paintings that at various times became victims of censorship
Censorship of art acted not only in Soviet times. In the time of tsarist Russia, works by fairly well-known artists fell under the ban. The reason for the refusal to demonstrate a work of art could be simply a truthful depiction of events or, on the contrary, their unusual interpretation. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that censorship affected real masterpieces of art.
The idea of writing a historical picture originated with the artist in 1881 under the influence of two events: the assassination of Alexander II and the music of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Revenge”. Two years later, the artist saw bullfighting in Spain and was completely discouraged by the sight of blood.
Then direct work on the painting itself was begun, which was completed after 4 years. The painting was appreciated by critics and artists, but Tsar Alexander III, on the contrary, caused such discontent that he immediately forbade it to be shown to anyone. Continue reading
Romantic paintings with hidden connotations
You can talk about love in different ways – including in languages of different styles of fine art. These languages are understandable to everyone, despite the fact that the personalities of artists and the plots of their works often conceal a mystery and understatement.
Rembrandt – The Jewish Bride
The great master of the Baroque era touched on a wide variety of themes and genres in his works and brilliantly displayed the inner world of the characters in the paintings, carefully reflecting their facial expressions and masterfully using the play of light and shadow.
The name of the painting was not given at all by the artist himself, but by the Dutch collector Van der Hope in 1825, which gave rise to an incorrect interpretation of the plot. It was believed that the picture depicts a girl-bride and father who presented her with a pearl necklace before the wedding. However, over time, researchers have refuted this theory. Now it is generally accepted that Rembrandt portrayed a married couple, most likely – his son Titus and his wife Magdalen. Continue reading
