Favourite Artists

These are some of my favourite artists along with one of my favourite images by each of them. Still updating this page with more images.

Albrecht Dürer

The Rhinoceros by Albrecht Dürer, 1515.

Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Kullervo Cursing by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1899

Alfred Joseph Casson

Painting of lake, island, trees, and mountain, by Canadian group of seven artist A. J. Casson. — Summer Morning by A. J. Casson. (Titles of Cassons paintings vary between online sources, and also unsure about the year of execution)

Alphonse Mucha

Mucha's "The Celebration of Svantovít" from the Slav Epic. The lover parts depict people celebrating a harvest festival, their pagan gods are floating above them in the sky - and in the upper left their Norse enemies, led by a pack of wolves, are coming in to attack the gods. — The Slav Epic cycle No.2: The Celebration of Svantovít by Alphonse Mucha,1912.

Anders Zorn

Oil painting "Midnight" by Anderz Zorn. A woman steering her boat towards the shore during a bright Nordic summer night. — Midnatt / Midnight by Anders Zorn, 1891.

Arthur Rackham

The Mock Turtle drew a long breath and said, ‘That’s very curious’, ca. 1907. This is one of Rackham’s illustrations for Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.

Brian Froud

Blue toned painting by Brian Froud showing many different fairies making grimaces (the unseelie court). A female fairy in the center i larger than the others, and hiding parts of her face behind a long nailed hand. — Queen of the Bad Fairies by Brian Froud. From the book Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, 1998.

Charles Bargue

Detailed litograph by Charles Bargue of a young woman lying in bed and reading a book. — Un Roman du Jour / The last New Novel by Charles Baruge, 1851.

Charles Bargue is mainly known for the Charles Bargue Drawing Course, which is still frequently used for training academic art students. I also studied Charles Bargue, as for example seen here and here.

Edvard Munch

Det Syke Barn / The Sick Child by Edvard Munch, 1927.

Egon Schiele

Painting by Egon Schiele of himself in a suit, holding the head of his girlfriend (at the time) Wally (Walburga) who is in a red dress and cluthcing his waist. — Lovers (Self Portrait with Wally) / Liebespaar (Selbstdarstellung mit Wally) by Egon Schiele, 1914.

Erik Werenskiold

Ink illustration in black and white by Erik Werenskiold showing a troll and princess laughing together. The princess is holding a pair of scissors. — Så lo de så inderlig godt begge to / Then they both laughed heartily illustration by Erik Werenskiold, 1886, for the fairy tale Følgesvennen / The Companion.

Eyvind Earle

Landscape painting by Eyvind Earle. Intricate silhouettes of trees, snow in the foreground, red buildings with snow on the roof, and a blue sky. — Winter Scene by Eyvind Earle , ca. 1982.

Gerhard Munthe

Charcoal, watercolor and gouache painting on paper by Gerhard Munthe. Three girls in nightgowns, and the wind in their blonde hair, is sitting up in their red beds as three polar bears moves towards them through a curtain, and behind the curtain is a dark blue sky with stars. Behind the girls is a background showing the sea with red ships, or creatures. Pattern reminiscent of pinecones is at the top and bottom of the painting. — Friere / The Suitors (also known as Nordlysdøtre / Daughters of the Northern Light) by Gerhard Munthe, 1892.

Gustaf Tenggren

Painting of a boy, or young man, sitting on a tree branch above two quarreling monsters (giants, ogres, or trolls). Around them are mushrooms, more trees, and there is a feint castle in the background. Illustration for Grimms Märchenschatz. — Illustration for Grimms’ Fairy Tales by Gustaf Tenggren, ca. 1920. (The story illustrated is The Brave Little Tailor)

Gustav Vigeland

Photos of the sculptures "Øgle knuser naken mann" ("Lizard crushes naked man") and "Kvinne og øgle" ("Woman and lizard") by Gustav Vigeland. — Øgle knuser naken mann (1929-1930) | Kvinne og øgle (1918) by Gustav Vigeland, 1918. Photos from the collection of Vigeland Museet.

Gustav Klimt

Painting with multiple figures. The largest figure is the giant Typhoeus, with the upper body of a monstrous gorilla with brown fur, blue wings, and the body of a snake. To the left of Typhoeus are his three daughters, the Gorgons, seen as nude women with golden snakes in their black hair. Above the Gorgons is an old woman surrounded by mask-like faces representing sickness, madness, and death. To the right of Typhoeus are more naked women symbolizing Lasciviousness, Wantonness and Intemperance. On the far left is another old woman, representing gnawing Grief. — The Beethoven Frieze: Feindliche Gewalten / Hostile Forces (middle wall) by
Gustav Klimt, 1902.

Gustave Doré

Oil painting of a wounded, female, angel lying defeated on the ground with a broken sword and a standard (war flag). She is surrounded by dead soldiers, and a huge, black, eagle is coming towards her. The woman symbolizes France, and the eagle symbolizes Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War. — L’aigle noir de prusse / The Black Eagle of Prussia by Gustave Doré, 1871.

Hans Holbein the Younger

Classical painting of a tired, maybe sad, middle-aged woman (Elsbeth Binzenstock) with two children. One child is her daughter, Katharina, in a brown dress, and also looking tired or sad to the side. The second child is her son Philip, who is looking longingly, or questioningly, up at his mother. This is the family of Hans Holbein the Younger. — Portrait of the Artist ’s Wife with the Two Oldest Children / Bildnis der Frau des Künstlers mit den beiden ältesten Kindern by Hans Holbein, ca. 1528/29.

Link to my study of Charles Bargue’s study of a Hans Holbein portrait.

Helene Schjerfbeck

Painted portrait of a man with dark hair, red lips, white shirt, and yellow jacket. — Portrait of Matti Kiianlinna by Helene Schjerfbeck, 1926.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Colored lithograph of two jockeys riding brown/chestnut racehorses galloping along a racetrack with hills and windmills in the background. — Le Jockey by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1899.

Herbert James Draper

A young man, Icarus, lies dead on rocks by the sea with huge wings attached to his arms. Around him har sad/crying young women (nymphs). — The Lament for Icarus by Herbert James Draper, 1898.

Hieronymus Bosch

An old man with a gray beard in a brown monk's habit with the Greek letter tau inscribed on the clothing. He is sitting in a hollow tree trunk, there is a pig by his side, and he is surrounded by demons. There are trees, more demons, a road, buildings, and blue sky in the background. — The Temptation of St Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch, ca. 1500–1516. (Like most Bosch paintings the authorship is disputed, and it may have been made by a follower of Bosch instead)

Link to my blog post with a closer look at more paintings by Hieronymus Bosch

Håkon Gullvåg

Triptych oil painting depicting the fall of man for Nidarosdomen. In the first panel on the left, is a black/blue snake and a green apple someone has taken a bite off. In the middle panel is Adam and Eve, with Eve holding the green apple. In the last panel on the right is Adam and Eve being chased out of Eden by a blue shape, and Eve is still holding the apple. — Syndfallet / The Fall triptych made for Nidaros Cathedral by Håkon Gullvåg, 2005.

Ilya Repin

Oil painting depicting Ivan IV Vasilyevich (commonly known as Ivan the Terrible) of Russia cradling his dying son, also named Ivan, whom he has just struck in a fit of rage. The Tsar’s face is contorted with grief as he presses his hands to the bleeding wound on his son’s head. The younger Ivan lies limp in his father’s arms, blood staining his red robes and the floor. The scene is set in a dimly lit chamber with a richly patterned oriental carpet. — Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on 16 November 1581 / Иван Грозный и сын его Иван 16 ноября 1581 года by Ilya Repin, 1885.

Ivan Bilibin

Painted illustration of a red knight, on a red horse, with a flaming sword riding through a forest. A border with flower patterns surrounds the main illustration. — Красный всадник / The Red Horseman illustration by Ivan Bilibin, 1899, for the fairy tale Василиса Прекрасная / Vasilisa the Beautiful.

James Jean

Graphite and digital illustration of a girl, a boy, and two white monkeys, in a red boat surrounded by turbulent waves. — One of the image combinations from Rift by James Jean, 2009.

Jamie Hewlett

Jean-Augu ste-Dominique Ingres

A formal, full-length oil portrait of a woman leaning against a plush blue damask sofa. She wears an elaborate, shimmering blue satin ballgown with lace-trimmed sleeves and delicate bows. Her dark hair is parted in the middle and adorned with blue ribbons. She is draped in fine jewelry, including a gold necklace, multiple pearl bracelets, and rings. The background is a muted gray wall featuring a faint family crest in the upper right corner, rendered in a highly detailed, neoclassical style. — La Princesse de Broglie by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1851-1853.

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (Mœbius)

John Bauer

Painting of a small boy in a large hat with a feather standing before a big, hunched troll. The troll is dressed in furs and leather, carries a large sack on its back, and wears a decorated hat with a feather. The scene is set in a dark, mossy environment with soft, earthy tones. — “God kväll, farbror! Hälsade pojken” (“Good evening, uncle! Greeted the boy”). Illustration by John Bauer for Pojken och trollen eller Äventyret (The Boy and the Trolls or The Adventure) written by Walter Stenström, published in 1915.

John Singer Sargent

Madame X by John Singer Sargent, 1884.

John William Waterhouse

Oil painting depicting the Roman Emperor Honorius, seated on a throne and dressed in red robes and a gold crown. He is focused downwards, feeding a collection of birds gathered on the floor and a rug before him. On the right, several court advisors and officials stand and bow respectfully, some carrying scrolls and looking towards the Emperor with expressions ranging from deferential to slightly concerned. A male attendant holds a staff, and two men stand behind the main group. The setting is a classical Roman interior featuring architectural elements like large columns, a geometric patterned floor, wall tapestries. — The Favourites of the Emperor Honorius by John William Waterhouse, 1883.

Kawanabe Kyōsai

A dynamic Japanese ink and wash sketch on aged paper depicting supernatural animals. In the center, a white cat-like creature (Nekomata) wearing a red vest dances on its hind legs. To the left, a tanuki with a leafy wreath on its head, weasel, and two moles are engaged in a playful or mock-combative stance. The background features faint, ghostly outlines of mice , rendered in light ink and gray washes, creating a lively and mischievous scene. — Frolicking animals / 鳥獣戯画猫又と狸下絵 by Kawanabe Kyōsai / 河鍋暁斎, 19th century (precise year of execution unknown).

Kay Nielsen

Illustration featuring a tall, slender woman in a long white gown standing before an ornate arched stained glass window. The stained glass show a with depicts two figures beside a serpent-entwined tree. A trail of small, sparkling stars floats from the woman toward a large glowing moon in the night sky. The image is characterized by delicate line work, muted pastel tones, and elongated, elegant forms. — Illustration for The Lassie and Her Godmother (Jomfru Maria som gudmor) from East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North by Kai Nielsen, 1914.

Kjell Aukrust

“Kvikksølvet gjømte seg langt neri glaskula” ( illustration for the short story Polarliv i Alvdal) by Kjell Aukrust, ca. 1960.

Lars Hertervig

An oil painting of a rugged Norwegian landscape featuring two prominent, ancient pine trees with twisted, gnarled branches and hanging moss. The trees stand in a rocky, dark foreground, while the background reveals a misty valley with faint blue mountains under a pale sky with soft white clouds. The style is dramatic and atmospheric, emphasizing the weathered, skeletal forms of the trees. — Gamle furutrær / Old Pine Trees by Lars Hertervig, 1865.

Leonora Carrington

How Doth the Little Crocodile

Leonardo da Vinci

Louis Moe

A sepia-toned etching depicting a horizontal procession of six grotesque, folklore-inspired creatures walking across a dark, textured landscape. A small, mouse-like figure leads the group, holding a long stick with a lantern hanging from the end. Following behind are three hunched, elderly trolls with exaggerated features: long noses, tangled beards, and ragged clothing, one of the elderly is pointing upward, and two children are at the rear. The style is detailed, with a somber, atmospheric use of shadow and line work. — De stakkels små underjordiske (The Poor Little Hidden Folk) by Loius Moe, 1924.

Luis Ricardo Falero

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Odd Nerdrum

Paul Gauguin

Oil painting of a man (Vincent van Gogh) with red hair and a beard, in a brown coat sits and paints a blue vase with yellow sunflowers on a table, using an easel, with , flat fields of colors in the background. — Le Peintre de Tournesols / The Painter of Sunflowers by Paul Gauguin, 1888.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Thomas Wilmer Dewing

An oil painting in a Tonalist style featuring a soft, hazy landscape in shades of green and muted blue. Two women in long dresses are positioned in a verdant field; one is seated on the left in a pale blue gown, while the other stands on the right in a dark dress, looking toward a dense thicket of trees in the background. The atmosphere is ethereal and dreamlike, with blurred edges and a limited color palette. — The Hermit Trush by Thomas Wilmer Dewing, 1890.

Theodor Kittelsen

Pencil and aquarelle of a dark pond with lily pads surrounding a shadowy figure with green eyes rising from the water, creating glowing ripples in the still surface. — Nøkken (the Nixie) by Theodor Kittelsen, 1904.

Tove Jansson

Viktor Vasnetsov

A pair of vertical sketches by Viktor Vasnetsov depicting two Seraphim. Each celestial figure is framed by six large wings adorned with peacock feathers. On the left, a Seraphim prays with clasped hands; on the right, a Seraphim holds its hands to its head with an expression of wonder. Both figures are set against a gold-leaf background in a Neo-Byzantine style. — Sketches for the murals in the St. Vladimir’s Cathedral in Kyiv: Серафим (со сложенными руками) / Seraphim (with folded hands) & Серафим (с поднятыми руками) / Seraphim (with raised hands) by Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov, ca. 1901.

Vincent van Gogh

Oil painting of delicate white almond blossoms growing on twisting branches against a bright blue sky, painted with visible brushstrokes. — Almond Blossoms by Vincent van Gogh, 1890.

William Blake

A watercolor and relief etching that depicts a powerful, muscular figure with long, flowing white hair and a beard, crouched within a circular celestial red orb. He leans out from a dark, cloudy void, extending his left arm downward to measure the darkness below with a large, golden architectural compass. Rays of light emanate from the circular sun-like form behind him, contrasting sharply with the deep black space at the bottom of the composition.

The Ancient of Days (there are least thirteen versions of this composition, this is “copy D“), made for Europe a Prophecy, by William Blake, 1794.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau

A dramatic oil painting set in Hell. In the center, two muscular, nude men are locked in a violent struggle; the red-haired Gianni Schicchi bites the neck of the dark-haired Capocchio, while pinning him with his knee and Capocchio pulling his hair. To the left, the poets Dante and Virgil stand close together, watching the scene with expressions of horror and solemnity. In the background, a winged demon smirks while hovering over the combatants, and a mass of tangled, suffering souls is visible under a fiery, dark sky. — Dante and Virgil by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1850.