Art and Eye

  The conflation of heavenly and earthly realms mesmerises the viewer's eye as they gaze upon a fifteenth century Netherlandish setting occupied by key biblical figures. Saint Luke the Evangelist, patron saint of artists, is in the midst of capturing the Virgin and Child whilst Mary nurses Christ - and by extension the Church - somewhat oblivious to the intense gaze of the saint opposite. Seemingly captivated, Saint Luke is frozen in concentration, the luxurious folds of his red garment giving him weight and mass like a statue. He seems uncomfortably perched, and yet his stylus is poised to soldier on with his drawing. Opposite him the Virgin is enthralled by her own son, who equally pays attention to her. The lapis lazuli folds of her dress spill out over the complex tiling of the interior. The illusionistic skills of van der Weyden continue to impress any viewer today.  Although little is known about the provenance behind this painting, its popularity is certain by the three othe

  On the advent of both the First World War and the artistic movement known as Futurism, Ersnt Barlach cast this work in bronze. The eye picks out an angular, horizontal form, a sense of hurried pace and strong facial features to this work by the German Expressionist artist. This piece is highly interesting when discussed in terms of the artist's oeuvre - Barlach entered the First World War with a clear attitude of patriotism. The sculpture reflects that, as the figure seemingly thrusts forward wielding a sizeable weapon above his head, leading the charge head on. Describing the sculpture as his 'raging Barbarian' it is clear that Barlach wanted to present an emotionally charged figure. Perhaps it is even a self portrait, with Barlach picturing himself as the hero. The artist did in fact serve briefly as an infantry officer. However realisation soon dawned and patriotism quickly dwindled. All of Barlach's sculptures from this point onward are influenced by the horror an

  Trodden Weed is described as a self portrait, but with the unusually steep perspective, the primary subject, that is, the human figure, is completely detached from the scene. Instead, the eye is forced to focus on a pair of boots that seemingly do not belong to the twentieth century. Nor does this kind of painting; most artists were striving towards a more abstract form, but here the figure treads the earth of realism.  The boots were given to Wyeth as a gift, originally belonging to the illustrator Howard Pyle. After undergoing a difficult operation to remove part of his lung that rendered one of his arms effectively useless, Wyeth recovered by walking the hills surrounding Chadds Ford as the painting depicts. Knowing this biographical information, clearly the painting can be read through the lens of the transience of life - the dark colour palette, the movement away from the light, and the claustrophobic perspective. But perhaps there is also something stoic about the piece, a pain