September birthdays
Louis Sullivan, Theodore Géricault, Caravaggio, Francois Boucher. Do you know who they were? Do you know what they have in common?
Louis Sullivan was an American architect. He believed that form should follow function, so he used simple designs and ignored historical ornaments. He made a key contribution to the landscape of new Chicago (the old city was destroyed by fire in 1871), which had the most modern architecture of the time. His major building is the Carson, Pirie and Scott Store.
Sullivan was born on September 3, 1856.
He had a famous student. Who was he?
Theodore Géricault was a French artist of Romanticism. His technical innovations in painting are worth mentioning: he painted directly on the canvas from models posed according to a painted sketch. His most celebrated work is the Raft of the 'Medusa'.
Géricault was born on September 26, 1791.
What was the story of the government ship called the 'Medusa'?
Caravaggio, the painter had a life full of scandals but his brilliance as a painter is undeniable. A lot of his works were rejected or bitterly criticized, because he used contemporary costumes and settings and rejected to idealize his subjects. However, all his rejected works found buyers soon.
Caravaggio was born on September 29, 1571.
He used strong 'chiaroscuro' in his paintings. What does it mean?
Francois Boucher was the most typical Rococo decorator. He made many tapestry designs and painted mythological scenes. His works were inspired by Veronese, Rubens and Watteau. He worked without a model.
Boucher was born on September 29, 1703.
Which famous English painter visited his studio?