JCC A Thread For Artwork Ver 2 (See first post rules before posting)

Inktober 52 - Frame by mentat0209 on DeviantArt

"A page from the Codex Belli inter Domos Nobilium, depecting the baron Hugues de Le Nid du Griffon leading the sortie during the Siege of Champ de Blé castle. Insired of the work of Léonard M."

Goblin Boss by mentat0209 on DeviantArt


Beorth the Bold by mentat0209 on DeviantArt

"Aenglon Ott commissioned me to paint the Bêorth the Bold, Lord and Aeghis of the Esanian Empire of his upcomimg "Elder Flame Saga" series. Pens and watercolor washes."

 

Keyleth, by Douglas-Bicalho, on DeviantArt


Pepper Dragon, by Cryptid-Creations, on DeviantArt


Bloom, by mayarasampaio, on DeviantArt

 

Scorched by Dimitrije Miljus

 

Cammy by RasalhagueArt

 

Caterpillar Dragon, by Cryptid-Creations, on DeviantArt



Serenity, by mayarasampaio, on DeviantArt



Jessica Rabbit, by Natali-O, on DeviantArt

 

Ostrich Class - High Speed Combat Frame by Marcos Melco

 

Feline Friday 2023 02 17 by jollyjack on DeviantArt


Elvish Bard by jollyjack on DeviantArt


Hagar The Horrible by jollyjack on DeviantArt

 

Shine, by wlop, on DeviantArt


Camelmile, by Cryptid-Creations, on DeviantArt


Snow, by Nixeu, on DeviantArt

 

Ramen Dragon by Phill-Art on DeviantArt

 

Ship of the line Azov by Calder Moore

 

Tinkerbell, by TheSleepingFoxy, on DeviantArt


Ryechu, by Cryptid-Creations, on DeviantArt


Belle, by HollyBell, on DeviantArt

 

Killzone Shadow Fall by Richard Dumont

 

ArtStation - Character Design - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING


ArtStation - HOBBITS AT THE GREEN DRAGON


ArtStation - THE RING GOES SOUTH

 

The Guardian’s 1000 Artworks You Must See Before You Die

Per the moderators of this forum, this image is presented behind a spoiler tag due to nudity. This post also discusses topics related to sexual abuse.

Spoiler: nudity

Nude with Cat (1949) – Balthus
Media: Oil on Canvas
Location: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Balthus was born to Polish parents in Paris in 1908 as Balthasar Klossowski. His nickname as a child was Balthus and he eventually took it as his professional name as well. In this painting, Balthus presents a nude in an awkward moment of gracelessness. Balthus was given to these kind of odd posings throughout his career and one of his recurring themes was children. This has led to a lot of controversy over the years when it comes to Balthus and I think Nude With Cat is presented on this list as kind of a “safe” choice for Balthus.

By far his most famous work (and one of his most controversial) is Therese Dreaming, from 1938, which features a subject that was twelve or thirteen at the time of the painting. She is entirely clothed in the painting, but seated in such a way as to expose her underwear. Even though this painting has no nudity, I’m going to put it behind spoiler tags as well, just because I do find it rather unsettling and others might as well.

Spoiler: controversial

As recently as 2017, a petition was started to have the painting removed from display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art due to its sexualization of an underage girl. During his lifetime, Balthus responded to challenges to Therese Dreaming by saying that it was intended only to capture the strange way in which children often sit. This seems a little po-faced, but you do have to consider that Balthus painted a lot of pictures of children in odd positions and, in the vast majority of them, there’s nothing even remotely erotic or sexualized about them. Here’s The Children, from 1938.



So, what do we make of Therese Dreaming? It’s a pose that we would almost certainly call erotic if this was a painting of an older woman. Is that intentional or does the painting capture the thoughtless innocence of children? Therese’s facial expression has come in for a lot of analysis over the years; some have said it’s a sexual expression, others say no. And what about the cat and the bowl of milk? The Freudians have had a field day with that, but Balthus routinely placed cats in his paintings, including the one I posted above and in a self-portrait that he actually titled The King of Cats. I think the Freudians may be reading into things in this case; sometimes a guy just ******* loves cats. That said, there is something about Therese Dreaming that makes me a little uncomfortable. Well, maybe that’s just the “intimacy” which is what Balthus said he was trying to capture, an intimacy that sees the subject in a way that is very revealing and private, but not necessarily sexual.

And, if we’re going to talk about Balthus and children, you have to talk about Guitar Lesson, a painting from 1934 that I’m not going to put behind spoiler tags or even link to. It’s a painting that I suppose one could say is surrealist; one could also say it depicts an underage child being sexually assaulted by a music teacher. If those are the two options, I’m going with the second one just to be on the safe side. Guitar Lesson really is a painting that I think crosses the line. I’m not sure where Guitar Lesson is currently held, but it's one I think should not be exhibited. I’m fine with art tackling things like sexual assault and art being uncomfortable, but I think it crosses a line when it explicitly depicts such things against children. If you feel like you need to see it, it’s easily findable online, including on Balthus’ Wikipedia page (!). I’d recommend skipping it. Maybe that’s why I find Therese Dreaming a little less offensive than some; I’ve seen Guitar Lesson and Therese pales next to that one in my opinion.

Anyway, that’s why I think Nude Playing with a Cat is the “safe” pick for this list. It has some of the things that mark Balthus’ career as a painter: awkward positioning of the human body, intimate nudity, a cat (!). But it’s more notable for what it doesn’t have: an underage subject and a sense of eroticism or sexuality. But I think that’s kind of the coward’s way out and I suppose that’s why I’ve spent most of this post talking about a different painting.

Gamiel has often questioned why the Guardian editors think that these artworks “Must Be Seen.” I think they’re probably just mostly using that as shorthand for “really good.” But Therese Dreaming is a painting that I think could be on a list of “Must-See” artworks for a very specific reason. I think you kind of need to see it so you can decide what you think about it for yourself. Does it sexualize an underage girl? Or does it capture the innocence of youth in an intimate way? Or does it do both? And maybe other things as well? Nude Playing With a Cat is fine and kind of cute (look at that cat’s expression!), but Therese Dreaming is the one that should be on this list, not because I think it’s really great, but because it's a flashpoint in many different artistic debates. It’s worth knowing how you feel about Therese Dreaming; it’s going to speak to a lot of your beliefs about what is and isn’t art. Where do I stand? Nude Playing with a Cat? Fine. Therese Dreaming? Creepy. Guitar Lesson? Don’t even go there. So much for Balthus.

Next time, we’ll look at an artist who took a page from Bacon’s book and created art based on someone else’s art with a series of artworks based on a groundbreaking work of theater.

 

Commission | Winterleigh
Nalak-Bel
https://www.deviantart.com/nalak-bel/art/Commission-Winterleigh-953032572


castle
Kaerimasu
https://www.deviantart.com/kaerimasu/art/castle-954329657


Stray Cats
kvacm
https://www.deviantart.com/kvacm/art/Stray-Cats-953727217

 

Winter Portrait, by rossdraws, on DeviantArt


Source, by robrey, on DeviantArt


Exhale, by Michael-C-Hayes, on DeviantArt

 

Archangel Raphael and Mephistopheles by Jean-Paul laurens

 

The Guardian’s 1000 Artworks You Must See Before You Die



Salome (1894) – Aubrey Beardsley
Media: Ink on Paper
Location: Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco

Salome, in the Biblical story, is responsible for the death of the prophet (and cousin of Jesus Christ) John the Baptist when she dances seductively for her step-father, Herod Antipas. Herod, deeply aroused by the dance, says that he will give her anything she asks for, “to the half of my kingdom.” Salome responds, “The head of John Baptist in a charger.”

When Oscar Wilde wrote a one-act play based on this story, young artist Aubrey Beardsley was commissioned to create sixteen illustrations for the play. Pictured above is the most famous of the sixteen, The Climax, which captures the moment when Salome, floating off the floor in ecstasy, kisses the severed head of John the Baptist and utters her final line in the play, “I have kissed your mouth, Jokannan, I have kissed your mouth.”

Here are a couple of other illustrations, John the Baptist & Salome and The Stomach Dance, behind spoiler tags due to nudity.

Spoiler: nudity

I confess that I am just not really a fan of this style. Beardsley is working in a kind of Art Nouveau or Decadent style and he’s also incorporating some techniques from Japanese woodcuts, but, while I tend to like those, I just don’t find this stuff very compelling. It’s purposely, I think, rather grotesque, but I just don’t get much else from it. I think my favorite thing from any of the Salome illustrations is the demonic musician in the lower corner of The Stomach Dance. That's cool as ****. And, you know, at least it's not Balthus.

Next time, it’s, well, it’s another guy I don’t like much and the one on the list isn’t the one of his that I actually do like. Well, at least it’s another one-off.

 

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: 1904 by spohniscool on DeviantArt


Dangerous Frontiers by spohniscool on DeviantArt


Dangerous Frontiers Back Cover by spohniscool on DeviantArt

 

Cosmic Forest, by JJcanvas, on DeviantArt


Dapper Sheffield, by serafleur, on DeviantArt


Simone, by vyanka, on DeviantArt

 

Fire by Geng Kun

 

@Iron_lord I noticed you literally posted those things 24 hours apart to the minute. 1:54am to 1:56am It's like you schedule an alarm for an Art post here every day between 1am and 2am or something

 

I try to make sure the gap is close to 24 hours - occasionally it's a little less or more - it's "early morning between waking up and breakfast" - sometimes it takes longer to find some good ones.

 

by Paul Bonner


from



from

 

Leliana, by CrystalGrazianoArt, on DeviantArt


Tarene Eccelyx, by Aerenwyn, on DeviantArt



Tomatotoro, by Cryptid-Creations, on DeviantArt