Rockwell presents a stirring social commentary in The Common Touch, which was used as the January 18, 1930 cover of the Saturday Evening Post

No other artist has been able to capture the essence of the American experience like Norman Rockwell. Even in the early stages of his career, the aspect that distinguished his work was that it was about the Everyman, providing a chronicle of the simple joys, awkward moments and trying circumstances that give our lives depth.
Rockwell found success at an early age. He completed his first commission for a series of Christmas cards before he was 16. By 17, he illustrated his first children’s book, and at 22, he had earned his first Saturday Evening Post cover, published May 20, 1916. His work with the Post had skyrocketed his reputation, and before long, the young artist (though he was more confident referring to himself an illustrator rather than an artist) attained the rank of national celebrity. Though many changes occurred over the six decades he painted, the common thread that connects each and every work is the genuine, unmistakable sentimentality that makes Rockwell’s art stand out from all others.

Rockwell found inspiration in daily life and the events that touched every individual, regardless of their place in society. In The Common Touch (Stock Exchange Quotations) each person represents the segments of society, all equally touched by the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The wealthy businessman, the elderly woman, the homemaker, the grocer’s assistant, and even the dog, all had a steak in the economic downturn that gripped our nation. Rockwell’s brilliance shines even though troubled times, as he is able to tackle such a somber reality with heartfelt, yet witty sincerity.

The Buggy Ride is a touching portrayal of young love. This early work was published for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, September 19, 1925

The Buggy Ride, on the other hand, takes a nostalgic look at a moment everyone can identify with-young love. The perspective is that of the viewer, whether a third party or the subjects as adults, looking back upon fond memories of a time long past, but not forgotten. One can even imagine Rockwell reminiscing of such a moment in his own adolescents as he painted the two shy youths enjoying an evening ride and each other’s companionship.

Original paintings, like the above, that were created early in Rockwell’s career are quite exceptional. In 1943, the artist’s studio caught fire, and numerous paintings were destroyed in the blaze. Adding to their rarity is the fact that each served as a Post cover, The Common Touch on January 18, 1930, and The Buggy Ride on September 19, 1925.

Rockwell once stated, “I don’t want to paint for the few who can see a canvas in a museum, for I believe that in a democracy art belongs to the people.” Rich or poor, young or old, male or female, anyone could personally identify with each painting he composed. Both technically superb and emotionally powerful, Rockwell’s paintings capture the resilience and beauty that is the American spirit.

To learn more about these incredible paintings, click here.

Well-established artists, like the so-called ‘Old Masters’ or the Impressionists, have a stable market value. By comparison, the more contemporary the artist, the more uncertain is his or her market value. (from “Investors find a safe haven in art,” DW, 10/16/11, by Chi Viet Giang)

…Given the history of art funds in the recent times, it would be perhaps more advisable at this juncture to buy art from galleries… (from “Invest in art to balance portfolio,” The Economic Times, 9/25/11, by Nalini S. Malavyia)

Steven Murphy, chief executive of the privately held Christie’s, said collectors and investors alike see art as a potentially safe haven for their cash at a time when the broader financial outlook remains volatile… (from “Auction Houses Clean Up as Investors Vie for Art,” Wall Street Journal, 2/1/12, by Kelly Crow)

After reading the above mentioned quotations and articles, you very well may be convinced that buying art now is the thing to do. That said, you may still question why to buy from M.S. Rau Antiques. That answer lies in the advantage of private galleries over auction houses. When buying from our 100 year old, internationally respected gallery, there are no premiums to pay. Furthermore, if there is a work of art by a particular artist and/or in a certain style, we are more than happy to find exactly what you are looking for!

So if you are still asking the question, Why Art? Why Now? or Why from M. S. Rau?,  here are just a few more great reasons…

Vincent Van Gogh

Pierre Auguste-Renoir

Paul Gauguin

Albert Sisley

and our favorite American son, Norman Rockwell

From myself, Lyndon Lasiter, and all of us at M.S. Rau Antiques, thank you for helping make our first 100 years successful and why not, BUY ART AND BUY NOW, as we begin our second 100 years of offering the rarest, finest and most desirable fine art available!

A Woman on a Path by a Cottage by John Atkinson Grimshaw

Of all the items in my home, paintings truly give me the most pleasure. I am amazed by the fact that you can look at paintings thousands of times without noticing every detail. There is always something fresh to be found in a great painting. I have sold several paintings by John Atkinson Grimshaw over the years, whose paintings always intrigue me. As one of the prominent Victorian painters, he produced spectacular moonlit scenes. Well, I found a Grimshaw-inspired painting of ships at night with a full moon shining on the waves to hang in my home, and it brings me great joy.

It is fun to build collections of paintings for clients, and since I see so many works from various artists, I can really separate the great ones from the good ones. Because artists painted to make a living, there are, in the trade, paintings considered “commercial grade” that they cranked out. Then there are the really spectacular ones that jump out at you that you fall immediately in love with. Take for instance, A Woman on a Path by a Cottage by Grimshaw, a glowing nocturne, or Village sous la neige by Maurice de Vlaminck, a wonderfully expressive Fauvist landscape. Let’s not forget A Young Girl Crocheting by Alexi Harlamoff, a charming portrait of a young peasant girl fully concentrated on her crocheting project. The list goes on and on, and I’m certain that we have paintings to fit every taste.

I would love to share my passion for great art with you and help you find pieces that you will enjoy and love forever.  Please send me an email or call me to let me know what subject matter, artists or period of paintings that you would like to collect.

Village sous la neige by Maurice de Vlaminck

A Young Girl Crocheting by Alexei Alexeievich Harlamoff

This just may demonstrate the truest definition of Impressionism. In L’eglise de Varengeville et les falaises, land meets sea and sky in a bold, mesmerizing display of color and texture on a clear afternoon. Renoir painted this fascinating scene in 1880, at the ripe age of 39. This is generally considered the peak of Renoir’s career, whose most revered paintings were produced in the late 1870’s and early 1880’s. Renoir’s mastery of outdoor light is eloquently rendered here, as is his genius for conveying mood through varying brushstrokes. The land is portrayed with short, impulsive strokes, giving it certain wildness, while the sky and ocean are rendered calm and peaceful with long, gentle washes of color. This ability to capture the explosive sensation is essential to Impressionism and a hallmark of Renoir’s work.

This subject matter was particularly dear to Renoir, which makes the painting especially valuable. Whereas Renoir regularly took portrait commissions to stay financially afloat in Paris, he retreated to the Normandy coast in the summers of 1879 and 1880 to relax and embrace the landscapes that continually inspired him. The bold, rich hues that comprise the windswept cliff denote the passion with which Renoir approached this scenery. During these summers, Renoir was housed by his important patron, Paul-Antoine Berard at his country château in Wargemont.

Without question, Renoir had the remarkable ability to translate the ordinary into the extraordinary. Working closely with Monet, he began experimenting with the portrayal of light and its effect on his canvases. The youngest member of the Impressionist movement, the astute painter recognized that a subject was constantly changing due to the dynamic effects of light on color. As is visible when examining his work, Renoir captured a particular moment in time, or an “impression” of a scene, rather than a static and overly refined depiction that begs for explanation.

I can’t say enough how much this painting captures the essentials of Impressionism.  Please give me a call, I would love to discuss the painting with you.

James Jacques Joseph Tissot's Promenade Dans La Neige

There are but a few artists that can accurately render feelings. The emotion depicted in this painting by Tissot, is that of undying love.

James Jacques Joseph Tissot’s painting entitled “A Winter’s Walk” is of his beautiful Irish muse and later lover, Kathleen Newton – known as “Kate” to her friends and family. Kate was born in 1854 to Charles Ashburnham Kelly, an Irish army officer who was employed by the East India Company in Lahore, India; her mother, Flora Boyd, was from Ireland.

Kelly arranged a match for his sixteen-year-old daughter, Kate, with Isaac Newton, a surgeon in the Indian Civil Service. On the outward voyage to be married, however, a young sailor, Captain Pallisar, became entranced by her beauty. The girl nobly refused his advances but was, nonetheless, struck by the captain. After the marriage in 1870 and before consummation, Kate, on the advice of her pastor, explained to her new husband her love for Pallisar and the brief courtship.

Refusing to believe Kate’s innocence in the matter, Newton instituted divorce proceedings and ordered her back to England. Still in love with the young beauty, Pallisar paid for her passage, but only on the condition that she finally yield to his seductions. She ultimately became pregnant but refused to marry the captain. Her daughter Muriel Violet Mary Newton, called Violet, was born in Yorkshire on 20 December 1871 on the same day that her divorce was finalized. Kate and baby Violet went to live with Kate’s sister Polly and her husband in St John’s Wood, outside of London, England. It is here that she finally meets the man who would immortalize her, James Jacques Joseph Tissot.

Newton became the subject of many of his paintings. It is obvious in this painting that he adored her totally and loved to paint not just her beautiful face, but also to dwell on her dresses, pleats, ribbons, bows and hats. He had a great artistic talent, and also an eye for style and a feeling for chic. Although the people in his pictures are so elegant and pretty that they could have been a model out of fashion magazines, they are yet very human and just ordinary people. Every picture tells a story.

Soon after Tissot painted Kate in “A Winters Walk,” they moved in together.  Although their love affair scandalized Victorian London, it was of no concern to either of them.  Each considered the other the love of their life, and nothing else mattered. Tragically, their love affair lasted only a fleeting 5 years for soon into their relationship, Kate fell prey to tuberculosis.  As she became sicker and weaker she was unable to watch his grief and took her own life in November 1882.  The despondent Tissot sat by her coffin for four days.

I can’t think of one other single painting of a common person where so much is known about the subject.  The more I found out about her the more fascinated I became with her gutsy individuality, belief in freedom and choice, and her elegant beauty – the last of which she was utterly oblivious.

Interestingly, the whereabouts of this particular painting had previously been unknown until it came onto the market recently – much to the delight of Tissot historians. The newest edition of the catalogue raisonné will now feature this work rather than a mere representational etching based upon it. I feel incredibly fortunate to bring such important work in the artist’s oeuvre to you for consideration!