Continuing the flower theme, here is the cover from the Burpee catalog from 1896. It features white flowers and cute little cherubs. Great for Spring, and Easter I think. I got this from the Public Domain Art email list [a Yahoo Group], though I don’t know who originally uploaded it.

Peace,
Bekka

I’ve been talking about what flowers to plant this spring with my green-thumbed son, Ben, and so flowers have been on my mind. We have roses on the side of our house – old varieties as far as I can tell. They were planted by the lady who lived here before us (or her husband) because her husband built the house in 1949 and they (and their family) were the only other people to live in the house. They are quite beautiful and range from large, soft petaled bi-color ones to tiny tea rose hybrids. I haven’t figured out what varieties they are though. Maybe I will post pictures when they bloom and see if some of my readers can help. But now I have flowers and roses on the brain, so to speak, so here is a beautiful painting of roses.

The artist is Danish painter Carl Frederic Aagaard. I can’t give you a link to a Wikipedia article about him because there isn’t one. But here is a brief biography gleaned from around the web: After the tough years for the Denmark following the English defeat of their navy in 1801 and the bombardment of Copenhagen in 1807, as well as the loss of Norway (which had been part of Danish territory) after the national bankruptcy in 1813; Danish culture rebounded and flourished, especially painting. Aagaard came into his own at the end of this period and thus was trained by some of the great Danish painters at the Danish National Academy. He first exhibited in 1857 and continued to have success as a painter thereafter.

Enjoy his roses, and please click on the picture to see it / download it full-sized.

Peace,
Bekka

Today’s image is a French postcard from 1910. Loosely translated, the French means “Flowers Lead the Language of Hearts”. It’s a wonderful sentimental expression of desire. This was scanned by a member of the Public Domain Art email group from her personal collection.

Click on the lovely French damsel to see her/ download her full-sized.

Peace and Love,
Bekka

Here is another love themed painting. It is called “The Love Letter” and it is by Henry LeJeune. LeJeune was a British artist, who painted rural and figurative paintings. A lot of his art is sentimental, especially his paintings of children. The date of his death is listed variously as 1894 and 1904. I think the 1904 date is more likely to be accurate.

This copy of his painting came from the Public Domain Art email list. Click on it to download it/ see it full-sized. Here’s hoping it inspires you to write a love letter to someone you love.

Peace and love,
Bekka

Today I start putting up images in preparation for Valentine’s Day. I thought this painting by Francesco Hayez entitled “The Kiss” was a good start! (I used it on my “Classic Embraces” collage sheet even!) It is a wonderfully passionate scene.

Francesco Hayez was an Italian painter, and “The Kiss” is probably his best known work. [It currently hangs in the Pinacoteca de Brera in Milan.] He also made quite a number of religious works and portraits. In 1850 he became director of the Academy of Brera. You can read more about his life and works in the Wikipedia article on him.

Click on “The Kiss” to see it / download it full-sized.
Peace and love,

Bekka

I do not know the date of this Currier and Ives print, only that it was republished in a pre-1923 collection of prints, from which a member of the Yahoo group “Public Domain Art”  (Lynn – thanks Lynn!) scanned it. But it is so appropriate for the season. Tons of people skate on the pond, with the familiar bridge in the background. Judging by what they are wearing, I’d say it was the 1860s or so (Civil War Era). Click on it to see it / download it full sized.

Enjoy!

Peace,

Bekka