Nicolas de Staël was a French painter of Russian origin known for his use of a thick impasto and his highly abstract landscape painting. He also worked with collage, illustration and textiles.
After suffering from depression, in the wake of a disappointing meeting with a disparaging art critic on March 16, 1955 he committed suicide. He leapt to his death from his eleventh story studio terrace, in Antibes. He was 41 years old.
In the US, his name is rarely cited as an influence. The first reason for his relative absence is simply bad timing. As Eliza Rathbone explained in 1997: “The very fact that [de Staël] began to achieve fame and recognition during the same years as the New York School was establishing its reputation on native soil, made a challenging environment for the work of an artist steeped in artistic culture and traditions of France.”The romantic image of the New York School remains powerful today. Struggling inwardly in a studio on 10th Street continues to capture the imagination of young American painters more than painting light and heat on a beach in Antibes.
PAINTINGS
IN MUSEUMS
On screen these compositions look small, but look at the size of these works in context.
[image_with_animation image_url=”10063″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Ezra Siegel Phase 1: Make a shape, or choose a simple object. Place that simple shape inside a small rectangle and consider the space around it to make a composition. Save this. Then repeat the process, placing the same basic shape on the same sized rectangle, in a different …
If you’ve taken a class at the League you’ve received a friendly email from Lendy Hensley, our school’s provost. If you’ve been fortunate enough to have been in a class with Lendy, you know she’s the queen of making you feel fun and friendly, instantly at home. Lendy is the behind-the-scenes force that made the …
In the interview below, you’ll also see mention of “Ekphrasis.” In the days where each Thursday painter gave a brief presentation to the class, Skillman inspired us all with her presentation about ekphrastic poetry – a poem based on a work of art. In an ekphrastic poem, the writer describes the work of art, and may …
Right now at the Seattle Art Museum, there’s a show of Alberto Giacometti‘s artworks. His drawings, paintings, and sculptures will be on display at SAM until October 9th. This is the second in a series of posts about Alberto Giacometti, who lived from 1901 – 1966. Sculptures by Diego Giacometti Alberto Giacometti had a brother, …
Nicolas de Staël
Nicolas de Staël was a French painter of Russian origin known for his use of a thick impasto and his highly abstract landscape painting. He also worked with collage, illustration and textiles.
After suffering from depression, in the wake of a disappointing meeting with a disparaging art critic on March 16, 1955 he committed suicide. He leapt to his death from his eleventh story studio terrace, in Antibes. He was 41 years old.
In the US, his name is rarely cited as an influence. The first reason for his relative absence is simply bad timing. As Eliza Rathbone explained in 1997: “The very fact that [de Staël] began to achieve fame and recognition during the same years as the New York School was establishing its reputation on native soil, made a challenging environment for the work of an artist steeped in artistic culture and traditions of France.” The romantic image of the New York School remains powerful today. Struggling inwardly in a studio on 10th Street continues to capture the imagination of young American painters more than painting light and heat on a beach in Antibes.
PAINTINGS
On screen these compositions look small, but look at the size of these works in context.
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[image_with_animation image_url=”10063″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Ezra Siegel Phase 1: Make a shape, or choose a simple object. Place that simple shape inside a small rectangle and consider the space around it to make a composition. Save this. Then repeat the process, placing the same basic shape on the same sized rectangle, in a different …
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If you’ve taken a class at the League you’ve received a friendly email from Lendy Hensley, our school’s provost. If you’ve been fortunate enough to have been in a class with Lendy, you know she’s the queen of making you feel fun and friendly, instantly at home. Lendy is the behind-the-scenes force that made the …
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In the interview below, you’ll also see mention of “Ekphrasis.” In the days where each Thursday painter gave a brief presentation to the class, Skillman inspired us all with her presentation about ekphrastic poetry – a poem based on a work of art. In an ekphrastic poem, the writer describes the work of art, and may …
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