LadyKflo

The Flea by Guiseppe Crespi tells a story without revealing the main character. We only see the reaction to the flea, not the pest itself. This intimate portrait from 18th century Italy depicts virtue. That’s because the lady shown defines the “good woman” of the time period. Sun shines on her alabaster figure in the center. It’s a private time for her. What they used to call a “toilet moment”.

But this scene also seems onstage thanks to the painter’s lighting technique. We know she’s virtuous from his details. Symbols from the time period signal this – such as her hair accessory and flowers on the table. Her softness also reflects a gentle personality. She seems airbrushed or filtered with fuzzy edges, a visual signifier of sweetness even today.

Learn more about this and other masterpieces with a visit to LadyKflo's website:

https://www.ladykflo.com/category/masterpieces/ 

Marc Chagall’s magical paintings evoke dreams and other worldy love. So, it’s no surprise they’re often misinterpreted. Love serves as the ultimate mystery of human life. Chagall’s paintings show a childlike point of view. This reminds viewers, love brings out the kid in us. Like this one, my personal fav by Marc Chagall, The Rooster. At first glance, it could portray a carousel carnival ride. Love sometimes feels like that, with strange pairings going up and down in circles.

Learn more about this and other masterpieces with a visit to LadyKflo's website: 

https://www.ladykflo.com/marc-chagall-the-rooster/

The first time I visited Green-Wood Cemetery, I fell in love. It’s a Brooklyn historical marvel of glorious beauty. Not only a place to honor death, there’s a lot to do and even more to learn. I’d never have thought visiting a cemetery would get my juices flowing. But history and learning get me going. That’s the stuff I love most. So, this place caught my fancy right away.

Many fascinating people lie at rest in these impeccable historic lawns. The names are often familiar. Boss Tweed’s here along with politicians people actually liked. Monuments proclaim familiar family names like Colgate, Pfizer, Tiffany, and Steinway. Notorious gangsters and other dark characters from history lie within graves here too. But the coolest stories are the iconoclasts buried here.

Learn more about this with a click through to LadyKflo's site:

https://www.ladykflo.com/green-wood-cemetery/

This painting, Siren in Full Moonlight, debuted in 1940, as yet another Delveux nude. Belgian painter Paul Delveux took a lot of heat for his naked sirens. But nudity's a mere footnote to their alien features. These are not women. Does their unclothed status even matter? They appear unreal.

Delveux's mermaid lacks the warmth and tenderness of a human woman. We can't make sexual assumptions about her. She's a mysterious being - beyond sex. But Delveux's contemporaries did assume this. They called him controversial. Because his women were nude, they were labeled obscene.

Learn more about this and other masterpieces with a lick to the LadyKflo website below.

https://www.ladykflo.com/category/masterpieces/

This Lorenzo Lotto painting’s more than a portrait. It revels in story. This bold lady in an ornate dress calls back to the tale of Lucretia. In Livy’s History of Rome, Lucretia was raped. She then killed herself as a statement that she was not responsible for the shame it brought upon her. We see the direct strength of this act in the face of Lotto’s woman here. She’s got nothing to be ashamed of and she knows it.

Many art historians believe Lorenzo Lotto painted a different Lucretia here as well. Namesake of the Latin Lucretia, this one was an Italian noblewoman. We can tell this from her elegant puffy-sleeved dress. She’s got the goods with a golden chain draped at the breast. But this lady doesn’t want us to focus on these fancy bits. Lotto has fixed her gaze upon us. She seems to demand we meet her eyes. With this focal point and the humble bouquet of tiny flowers, he signals chastity. The woman is an innocent. Spoiled by neither her namesake or riches – she’s bold and true.

Learn more about this and other masterpieces:

https://www.ladykflo.com/lorenzo-lotto-lady-with-lucretia/

Conference House (also called Billipp House) offers a treasure trove for history lovers. Its parlor set stage for a Revolutionary War treaty that Ben Franklin and John Adams both attended. But even with this impressive cast of characters, the curtain fell fast. This optimistic treaty failed. Still, you gotta visit this historic home. It's got the loveliest tour guides and holds stories galore.

Learn more about this and many fascinating historic sites at LadyKflo.com: https://www.ladykflo.com/category/history/

Here Comes the Diesel by Leon Kossoff feels like a fight. Viewers must battle our way through the choppy chaotic brambles to even see the title's train.Kossoff drives paint across the canvas like a barrage. It brings to mind the rush of a train, powering through forests and fields. They carry cargo and people across nations. Much like art does with ideas and feelings - trains deliver. There's no softness or sentimentality here or in any of Kossoff's work. Hardcore defines this artist. He's fond of familiar subject matter and paints it with vibrant, powerful strokes. We can feel his resolute realism. This man wields a brush like a weapon. Kossoff wars with us through time and across nations in his paintings. Some believe this work bouts with tech and that the train represents man-made machines. But it's the artist himself. He's the force behind this relentless image, after all. To learn more about this and other masterpieces check out LadyKflo.com at the link below https://www.ladykflo.com/leon-kossoff-here-comes-the-diesel/

Painter Nathan McKenney, aka @early_touch, creates engrossing artwork. Love to dive into art and get lost? This is the painter for you. McKenney paints and draws new worlds. He combines acrylic paint, marker, and cut out words on canvas. Thus, his work plays with the viewer through layered imagery. Nathan likes to sign his paintings "E.T." in the corner. This is partially a reference to his alias Early Touch. Indeed, when asked about it, McKenney says he never liked the signature "N.M.". Nathan adds that he always liked the movie E.T. too.

Learn more with a click through to:

https://www.ladykflo.com/nathan-mckenney/

The Bronx holds no greater surprise than the exquisite Van Cortlandt House Museum. Its wide berth makes the estate a standout of bold beauty in the NYC borough. History lives behind this gate on a fresh green lawn. It’s an elegant estate – like a cake topper for the big city below.

The Van Cortlandts ran a profitable wheat plantation. They built barns, mills, and a dam that would turn a tiny brook into a lake. Enslaved household members did all this work for the Van Cortlandt family. In fact, the estate’s original owner, Jacobus, never even lived on this land. It was pure investment for him. But Van Cortlandt House became a true home for many of his descendants. One such family member, Augustus, played a crucial role in New York history.

Learn more with a visit to LadyKflo.com at this link:

https://www.ladykflo.com/van-cortlandt-house/

Death of Marat by Jacques Louis David proves that Masterpieces have baggage too. This well-known piece speaks to us from the French Revolution. Unfortunately, it doesn’t speak the truth. Marat was a friend and ally to David. So, Jacques shone a light on their shared ideals in his death portrayal painting.

Learn more about this and other masterpieces with a visit to:

https://www.ladykflo.com/jacques-louis-david-death-of-marat/