My Artist Heroes

My Artist Heroes

Shixiong Wang(Frank)

1. Rembrandt Van Jijn
Key works:
1)Self-portrait
2)The Night Watch
3)Self-portrait with Sakia
4) Destructuon of Jerusalem
5)The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Tulp
6)Head of a Mn in Oriental Costume
7)The Rising of the Cross
8) The Blinding of Samson
9)The Holy Family with Angles
Qualities: Rembrandt is a genius in using comparison, he gives up the common sense of making a group portrait. This quality was shown in his work: The Night Watch, which is Rembrandt’s largest painting and one of the most important works in 17th century European art. Rembrant’s creation played an important role in the paintings of that period, but his action led trouble to himself, those who were not depicted importantly as others flew to rages. At the same time, Rembrandt’s skill in painting human portraits is extremely great as well, namely, The Prophet Jeremiah Mourning over the Destructuon of Jerusalem and Head of a Man in Oriental Costume.

2. Jaques-Louis David
Key Works:
1) Death of Marat
2) The Sabine Women
3) The Coronation of Napoleon
4) The Oath of the Horatll
Qualities: Leading the beginning of Neoclassicism, his idea of putting Classicism of Roman times into his own paintings were shown in all his paintings, especially in his The Oath of the Horatll. The poses of the figures of it are just like the figures of Roman times: obvious outline and statue-like action. He indulges his passion for the antique and came into contact with the initiators of the new Classical revival.

3. John Constable
Key Works:
1) The Hay-Wain
2) Salisbury Cathedral
3) The Cornfield
4) Arundel Mill and Castle
5) Flatford Mill
Qualities: As one of the greatest British landscape painters, his works are famous around the world for his fantastic skill in capturing the reality of daylight and the smell of the dewy freshness of nature. In his early works, he painted every detail of what he had seen, this fact could be found in his well-known work: The Hay Wain. From the dog near the river to the men on the hay wain, from the man hiding in the grass, who is in red and black, to every leave of the plants.

4. Engene Delacroix
Key Works:
1) Liberty Leading the People
2) Barque of Dante
3) Massacre at Chios
4) Death of Sardanapalus
5) Lion Hunt
Qualities: Doubtless, Delacroix’s passion is well-known and that is why people gave him the name of The Lion of Romantism. Liberty Leading the People is his most famous painting. The highly controversial painting shows the classical scene that Parisians took to the streets in revolt against the greedy and tyrannous regime of the king, Charles X. The center of the whole scene is the bare breasted woman with a tricolor flag. A bunch of patriots ran around her and the cloud-like gun powder filled the background which lead the revolution into its climax.

5. Vincent Van Gogh
Key Works:
1) The Yellow Chair
2) Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear
3) The Bedroom at Arles
4) The Potato Eaters
5) Sunflowers
6) Starry Night
Qualities: Van Gogh’s tough experience set the background of his style of paintings. In his Starry Night, the painting shows an amazing scene of the night of a small village, stars shinning in the sky, compared with the cozy and quite sky and village. The fire-like pine tree expresses the lonely artist’s enthusiasm hidden in his heart.


Reference Books:
1) Great Artists Explained Robert Cumming