Sargent Appears in a Hit Period Drama 🎬, Humanoid Ai-Da Says It Won’t Replace Painters 🤖, Tips for Painting Skies 🌤️
And other stories from this week in the realism art movement
🌟 Mainstream
How John Singer Sargent Found His Way Onto Hit Period Drama ‘The Gilded Age’
In season three of The Gilded Age, famed portraitist John Singer Sargent is introduced as Bertha Russell commissions him to paint her daughter Gladys, marking a pivotal moment in both the show and Sargent’s centennial year. The episode draws on real portraits and historical figures like Consuelo Vanderbilt to lend authenticity, while also taking creative liberties with timelines and events. Actor Bobby Steggert portrays Sargent with striking resemblance and subtle depth.
Ai-Da, a humanoid robot artist, recently unveiled a new portrait of King Charles titled “Algorithm King,” emphasizing its role in sparking discussions about the ethical implications of AI in art rather than seeking monetary value. Designed to resemble a human, Ai-Da uses advanced AI algorithms to create its work and aims to celebrate King Charles' efforts in environmental conservation. The project, led by Aidan Meller, is intended to inspire viewers to engage with the positive potential of AI while being aware of its risks, reiterating that it does not seek to replace human artists.
Massive Mural of Ashamed Statue of Liberty Emerges in France
A mural by Dutch street artist Judith de Leeuw, depicting the Statue of Liberty covering her face in shame, was unveiled in Roubaix, France, over the Independence Day weekend. The artwork critiques U.S. immigration policies and reflects concerns about the U.S.-EU relationship, coinciding with President Trump's proposed cuts to social programs. Despite gaining viral attention, de Leeuw has faced backlash and potential censorship on social media, underscoring the political implications of her work.
👩🎨 Artist Features
Victor Wang is a Chinese American artist and professor based in St. Louis, MO, known for his emotionally charged figurative paintings that explore themes of nostalgia and human experience. With a BFA from the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and an MFA from Fontbonne University, he has exhibited his work widely and received numerous awards. His unique painting technique blends heavy impasto with transparent applications, creating depth and physicality in his art.
Interview with figurative painter Kristen Eisenbraun
Artist Kristen Eisenbraun shares her journey as a figurative painter, emphasizing the joy her work brings to others and the importance of maintaining an inner critic for artistic growth. She notes that while she enjoys exploring diverse themes in her paintings, having a cohesive body of work can enhance recognition in the art community.
Artist Directory: Daria Elshiner
Daria Elshiner transitioned from managing public relations for prominent cultural institutions to creating her own art, largely self-taught in classical techniques. Based in London, she explores the human form through various media, drawing inspiration from masters like Michelangelo and Sargent, while incorporating symbolic elements that address personal and social issues. Her work transcends traditional portraiture, inviting viewers to engage with the emotional and complex dynamics of the human experience.
🎨 Learn
7 Tips for Painting Sunny and Stormy Skies
In this guide inspired by John Constable’s cloud studies, Marla Baggetta shares seven tips for capturing the mood and movement of both sunny and stormy skies. She encourages artists to simplify their palettes for clear skies, focus on soft tonal shifts, and embrace the stillness of open air, while stormy scenes call for bold brushwork, layered grays, and expressive energy. Blending observation with emotion, Baggetta’s approach invites painters to see the sky not just as background, but as a subject full of life and wonder.
First principles: Drawing is all about shadows
The article discusses the importance of shadows in drawing to convey three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional surface. It explains how varying degrees of darkness, known as form shadows, reflect the orientation of an object in relation to a light source, while core shadows add depth and clarity to the form. The piece also emphasizes the need for controlled lighting to create effective shadows and suggests practicing with a single light source to better understand its impact on volume in art.
📚 History
How the Roman Empire Saw the World Through Art
The exhibition "Global Baroque: The World in Rome in the Age of Bernini" at the Scuderie del Quirinale presents a critical exploration of Baroque art within a global context, highlighting how European artists engaged with distant civilizations. Curators Francesca Cappelletti and Francesco Freddolini emphasize the duality of admiration and prejudice in European perceptions of Africa and Asia, showcasing works that reflect both the successes and failures of missionary efforts. The exhibition runs through July 13 and invites viewers to reconsider how Rome, as a cultural epicenter, interacted with the wider world during the 17th century.
💼 Opportunities
1 Week Left to Enter the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize! More Painting Entries to Inspire
The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will close for entries on July 17, offering artists a chance to have their work evaluated by renowned Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey. This year, the competition has expanded the RAYMAR Painting Award category to include 50 finalists due to the high volume of painting submissions, while also introducing the Victoria Olt Gallery Drawing Award. The prize aims to celebrate excellence in diverse visual arts and offers significant opportunities for artists, with past winners noting transformative impacts on their careers.
💰 Auction House
$43.9 million Canaletto painting of Venice shatters artist auction record
Christie's set a new auction record for 18th-century Venetian artist Canaletto on July 1st, with his painting Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day selling for £31.93 million ($43.91 million) at the London Old Masters evening sale. This artwork, which measures 86 by 138 centimeters, attracted five bidders and surpassed the previous record for Canaletto set in 2005 by over £13 million. The overall sale achieved £55.26 million ($75.45 million) with a remarkable 99% sell-through rate, marking a significant moment in the Old Masters market.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Classical Realist.
Best regards,
Fletcher Graham