The Humor of Cranach the Elder

Venus Standing in a Landscape
Venus with Cupid Stealing Honey
Cupid Complaining to Venus
Venus and Cupid

Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) had a great sense of humor. He painted a lot of pictures of Venus or Venus and Cupid together. Some of his nudes are discreetly and gracefully holding pieces of fabric over their private parts, but often the fabric is transparent so you have to wonder what it's for. Maybe he was being ironic and maybe he was just having fun painting see-through fabric. Cupid is stealing "honey" from Venus in one picture and complaining to her in another. Venus also has a big crazy hat on. Why? I don't care, I love it! Cranach the Elder had a wonderful narrative folk-art style with a great sense of design. I like these tall panels for standing figures. I am working on a painting right now that has a tall format.

Lucas Cranach the Elder

Thanks to Femme, Femme, Femme for reminding me of Cranach. There will be a show of Cranach the Elder at the Royal Academy of Arts from March-June, 2008

The Art of Amy Crehore

Old Postcard from Dresden

Can you figure this one out? Vintage image from a beautiful myspace page: link

The Art of Amy Crehore

Document Records is Having a Sale

"If you`re looking for rare, classic, vintage Blues, Jazz, Boogie-woogie, Gospel and Country music then you have come to the right place. Many call it the place. "-blurb from Document Records website. They are having a sale until Feb 22, 2008 on a whole lot of great CDs. If you like the old stuff, you can't go wrong.

Document Records Sale

The Art of Amy Crehore

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Sunday Night Song - Tampa Red

Painting by Amy Crehore for "Feed the Kitty" album cover

From the Hokum Scorchers' "Feed the Kitty" album comes a wonderful song- originally done by Hudson Woodbridge (a.k.a. Tampa Red 1936)- called "When You Were a Girl of Seven". This version was recorded in 1992. Lou Reimuller plays the National guitar, sings and plays kazoo. Amy Crehore is on a vintage tenor banjo. Scroll down for the music player on this link:

Hokum Scorchers

By the time you read this, the song will have changed. I'm rotating songs every Sunday.

Bendies Headless

Bendies Headless figures are now available at:

Mannequinland

The Art of Amy Crehore

Morton B. is famous now

I wish I could have seen this Morton Bartlett exhibit last summer at Julie Saul Gallery. I blogged about him earlier. LINK

Here's a NYTimes article about that show. I LOVE M.B.

Marion Harris has a cool new website. She wrote about his art and preserved it for the rest of us.

The Art of Amy Crehore

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Krazy Kat Plush

Cartoonist George Herriman with a model of Krazy Kat. This photo from 1944 is up for bidding on ebay until Feb. 24, 2008. This is so sweet.

Thanks STWALLSKULL