John Singer Sargent: "Fai uno schizzo su qualsiasi cosa e mantieni attiva la curiosità!"

• "You can't do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh".

• "Non si fanno mai abbastanza schizzi. Fai uno schizzo su qualsiasi cosa e mantieni attiva la tua curiosità".

• "Every time I paint a portrait I lose a friend".

• "Ogni volta che dipingo un ritratto perdo un amico".

Cesar Pattein | Wheat / Il grano, 1891

Son of a farmer, César Pattein (1850-1931) painted scenes of rustic life focusing on the happy times of the day with children laughing, playing and forgetting the toils of the hard day’s work.

Born in Steenvoorde, in northern France, César Pattein was raised among farmers and maintained a close connection to the rural region throughout his life.

He seldom traveled much further than Lille, with the occasional journey to Paris when exhibiting at the Salon.

Erté's Futuristic Visions: A journey through Art Déco dreams

Erté was born Romain de Tirtoff in St. Petersburg, Russia on November 23, 1892.

He was the only son of an admiral in the Imperial Fleet and was raised amidst Russia’s social elite.

As a young boy, Romain worshipped his mother and was educated at home until the age of twelve, spending much of the time in the company of elegant women.

At the age of five, he conceptualized an evening gown for his mother and managed to persuade her to have it crafted. She was astounded by the results.

Sir Derek Walcott | Concludendo / Winding Up

Vivo sull’acqua,

solo. Senza moglie né figli.

Ho circumnavigato ogni possibilità

per arrivare a questo:

Emily Dickinson | The wind / Il vento, 1862

Jimmy Lawlor | Entertaining a Notion

Di tutti i Suoni sparsi nell'aria,

Nessuno mi Prende

Come quell'antico brano fra i Rami -

Quella Melodia senza fraseggio -

Che il Vento crea - lavorando come una Mano,

Le cui dita Pettinano il Cielo -

Poi scendono vibrando - con fiocchi d'Armonia -

Permessi agli Dei, e a me -

N. C. Wyeth, the Romantic Narrator

Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) was an American Golden Age Illustrator artist.

He was a student of Howard Pyle and became one of America's most well-known illustrators.

Wyeth created more than 3,000 paintings and illustrated 112 books - 25 of them for Scribner's, the Scribner Classics, which is the body of work for which he is best known.

Ken Howard OBE RA (1932-2022)

Royal Academician painter Ken Howard studied at Hornsey School of Art from 1949-1953.

He then did his National Service with the Royal Marines before returning to study at the Royal College of Art from 1955-1958.

He went on to win a British Council Scholarship to Florence from 1958-1959.