Happy Birthday Kate Bush - and Emily Brontë

Born on 30 July: Emily Brontë (1818), the author of the classic novel, Wuthering Heights, and Kate Bush (1958), the composer of the pop song inspired by the novel. pic.twitter.com/utirkvhk04

— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) July 30, 2023

Emily Brontë

by Patrick Branwell Brontë

circa 1833

21 1/2 in. x 13 3/4 in.

From the National Portrait Gallery in London:

This portrait

"This painting, which was discovered at the same time as the famous group portrait of the Brontë Sisters (see NPG 1725), is apparently all that remains of a group portrait of the Brontës by Branwell Brontë of which it formed the right-hand part. The shape just visible to the left is almost certainly the shoulder and arm of Branwell Brontë, who also appears second from the right in the two other Brontë groups (NPG 1725, where he painted himself out, and the 'Gun Group'), his head forming the apex of a triangular composition. While the identification of the Brontë sisters in the surviving NPG group is now generally accepted, the identity of the sitter in this fragment is still disputed, and the claims of Emily and Anne have both been pressed.

In an interview in 1895, the Rev Nicholls told Clement Shorter that he had cut out a portrait of Emily, from a group picture, which he then destroyed, and gave the fragment to the Brontës' old servant, Martha Brown, during one of her visits to him in Ireland. [1] Martha Brown is known to have been in possession of this portrait of Emily in 1879, for in that year, Sir William Robertson Nicoll visited her in Haworth and saw it there:

'I shall never cease to regret that I did not buy the portrait she had of Emily Brontë, though I got a few other things. I did not buy it because I could not very well afford it, and it has been irrevocably lost. I have made many efforts since, and have been helped by many of Martha Brown's relatives. But that really fine and expressive painting has hopelessly disappeared, and now we have nothing that deserves to be called a likeness of that rarely endowed girl.' [2]"

The Brontë Sisters (Anne Brontë; Emily Brontë; Charlotte Brontë)

by Patrick Branwell Brontë

circa 1834

35 1/2 in. x 29 3/8 in. 

 

More on Emily Brontë by Patti Smith at this link - https://open.substack.com/pub/pattismith/p/no-coward-soul-mine?r=92ug&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

We Are All The Hold Steady

by Gregg Chadwick

Review: The Gospel of The Hold Steady: How a Resurrection Really Feels 

by Michael Hann and The Hold Steady 

Craig Finn and The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady, described by many as the world’s best bar band outside of E Street, releases a new book on July 25, 2023 that delves deeply into the stories behind the band and its loyal fans. The physical book is gorgeous. The story of the band and their passionate fans blazes across the volume from the first page to the last. Over two hundred expertly composed photographs capture The Hold Steady on stage and off with a proper smattering of confetti strewn floors.  

The history of The Hold Steady is told through interviews with the band members and those who were there behind the scenes. From their Midwest roots to their adopted Brooklyn home, the members of The Hold Steady open up about the struggles and triumphs of creating, performing, and promoting their music. Lead singer and lyricist Craig Finn opens the book with a heartfelt introduction. “The Hold Steady didn’t change my life, it is my life.”, Craig writes. And then says, “And if you’ve read this far, it’s likely yours too. Our songs are mainly fiction, but they try to be very honest at the same time. So, at the end of each show, we say and scream and shout all together a benediction: “We Are All The Hold Steady!” 

The Hold Steady

In The Gospel of The Hold Steady, we hear from the members of the group as they describe the birth of the band. The Hold Steady’s origin story is built on the ashes of Craig Finn’s earlier band Lifter Puller and the Minneapolis, Minnesota indie music scene. After Lifter Puller broke up, Craig moved to New York. Bassist Galen Polivka, whose old band had played with Craig’s band in Minneapolis, had also moved to New York and sowed some early seeds for The Hold Steady by exclaiming to Craig at a club in NYC that “If you want to start something musically, I’m in, and I’d love to play bass for you.” Drummer Judd Counsell joined the early phase of The Hold Steady along with guitarist Tad Kubler. Craig writes that the music they had in common was Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, and Zeppelin. Craig explains that “Being Midwestern was something that made us unique.”  After gigging in Brooklyn and NYC, The Hold Steady was ready to record their first album Almost Killed Me and keyboardist, writer, and university lecturer Franz Nicolay joined the band. Their inaugural album was released in March 2004 and the word began to spread. Drummer Bobby Drake flew out from Minnesota to replace Judd Counsell on the upcoming tour. The Hold Steady brought their mix of beautiful loser Midwest tales, infused with Brooklyn Indie, and garnished with Classic Rock riffs to the “not so wholesome heartland” of America.  

The voices of the fans – The Unified Scene – are also found in the book. The last chapter gathers a collection of personal stories from fans that describe what The Hold Steady means to them. 

Rob Sheffield writes that “Every fan has their own stories, their own songs, the favorites we cling to like patron saints.”

Craig writes in The Gospel of The Hold Steady, “that a rock band is in a race against time.” We  join Craig and the band on their existential quest as they struggle to find meaning and joy through their insightful lyrics and raucous music. The Gospel of The Hold Steady is the perfect companion volume for this quest. 

Highly Recommended!

The Hold Steady is Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Galen Polivka, Bobby Drake, Franz Nicolay, and Steve Selvidge. Since forming in Brooklyn in 2003, they have released eight studio albums. Their debut album, The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, was named one of the 100 best albums of the century by Rolling Stone.

Michael Hann is a writer and editor based in London who contributes to the Guardian, the Economist, and Uncut. He also wrote Denim and Leather: The Rise and Fall of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. 

The Gaslight Anthem - History Books (ft. Bruce Springsteen)

RIP Tony Bennett

Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was, “Because of You,” his first #1 hit.

Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever. ❤ pic.twitter.com/hsOqtSdTNg

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) July 21, 2023

From the New York Times :

Tony Bennett, Champion of the Great American Songbook, Is Dead at 96

From his initial success as a jazzy crooner through his generation-spanning duets, his career was remarkable for both its longevity and its consistency.

 

More on Tony at -

 https://greggchadwick.blogspot.com/2011/12/the-ghost-in-human-machine-tony.html 

Study and restoration: The Museo del Prado's copy of La Gioconda

Ana González Mozo, researcher in the Museum’s Technical Documentation Section and Almudena Sánchez Martín, restorer at the Museo del Prado, comments the technical study and the restoration process of the Copy of La Gioconda.

From the Prado:

"A member of Leonardo’s studio produced the Prado panel and that the copy and original were produced at the same time and in parallel. With regard to who the artist might be, the pictorial handling is not comparable to the style of pupils or collaborators such as Boltraffio, Marco d’Oggiono or Ambrogio di Predis, who have a defined artistic personality. However, it is possible to locate this work stylistically in a Milanese context, close to Salaï or perhaps to Francesco Melzi, Leonardo’s most trusted pupils, heirs of his work and the painters who had direct access to his landscape drawings.

The high quality of the materials used for the Madrid panel suggest that it was an important commission. In addition, up to now all known copies of La Gioconda were executed after its creation and reproduce what was a celebrated work from an early date. Technical analyses demonstrate that the Prado’s version was executed at the same time as the original, supporting the hypothesis of a workshop “duplicate” produced at the same time and with direct access to the gradual process of creation of Leonardo’s original work."

 

La Gioconda

Atelier of Leonardo da Vinci

ca. 1503-16. Oil on walnut panel, 76.3 x 57cm, 18mm thick

More at: 

INVESTIGATION Study of the Prado Museum's copy of La Gioconda Leonardo da Vinci

Happy Birthday Camille Pissarro

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing" 💭

Camille Pissarro was born #OnThisDay in 1830🍃

📷 Lordship Lane Station, Dulwich, 1871 #InOurCollection pic.twitter.com/alJQKmqRaK

— The Courtauld (@TheCourtauld) July 10, 2023

In the Ginza Rain

Post by @greggchadwick

View on Threads

On June 26, 2015 Marriage Equality became the law of the land.

 

Happy Pride Month!

On June 26, 2015 Marriage Equality became the law of the land.
With hundreds of others I celebrated on the Supreme Court steps because the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, making marriage equality legal, granting due process and equal protection to hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples.

Later that glorious day, I chatted with President Obama’s official photographer Pete Souza in front of the White House which was lit up in rainbow colors in celebration of the LGBTQ community. While we watched, the Presidential Marine Corps unit arrived. Onboard was President Obama returning from his moving speech at the memorial service for the church folks who were gunned down by a young white supremacist in South Carolina. President Obama sang "Amazing Grace" that day. Arrivals and departures…

Gregg Chadwick
Arrivals and Departures (June 26, 2015)

 48”x36” oil on linen

#art #contemporaryart #HappyPride #PrideMonth #MarriageEquality #DC #SupremeCourt #LoveIsLove  #OTD

Minutes ago, @VP delivers remarks outside @TheStonewallNYC pic.twitter.com/1wpq15uzwV

— Christopher Kane (@Chris_Kane_) June 26, 2023

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band RACING IN THE STREET - Live at Ullevi Gothenburg 06/26/2023

Live at Ullevi Gothenburg 06/26/2023

Van Gogh's Cypresses at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

by Gregg Chadwick

Cypresses

 Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

 June 1889

Oil on canvas

36 3/4 x 29 1/8 in. (93.4 x 74 cm)

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

“To give an idea of Provence it’s vital to do a few more canvases of cypresses and mountains.

… It took me all the time to observe the character of the pines, cypresses, &c. In the pure air here, the lines which don’t change and which one finds again at every step.”

Vincent Van Gogh to Theo Van Gogh, 

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Saturday, 4 January 1890 836

“Van Gogh’s Cypresses” is the perfect exhibition for this moment in time. In our pixel soaked, AI drenched, climate change endangered world we are in need of a sojourn to physical reality and a soulful engagement with the natural world. This exhibition at the Met in New York brings together Van Gogh's paintings, drawings, and illustrated letters that engage the theme of cypress trees. Many of the artworks are fragile and light sensitive, so are rarely loaned out. Expertly put together by Engelhard Curator of Nineteenth-Century European Painting Susan Alyson Stein, the current exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York runs from May 22–August 27, 2023.

It was a pleasure to virtually venture through the exhibit by following Ms. Stein’s exploration of Van Gogh’s paintings of cypress trees and the mythological and historical lore hidden beneath Van Gogh’s richly hued paint in the video attached below and her masterful exhibition catalog.

 Over the years, I have seen most of the paintings illustrated in the catalog in their home museums in Paris, New York, London, Amsterdam and beyond. Yet, viewing them gathered in this volume, I seem to see them anew. Van Gogh’s richly textured oil paint shines in the reproductions. I can almost hear the wind and smell the air of Provence in these artworks. A bittersweet melancholy hangs over this collection of cypress inspired artworks and not only because these trees are often seen as guide posts or markers of the world beyond our corporeal bodies. Two of the most iconic artworks in this collection - The Starry Night and Wheat Field with Cypresses were painted by Van Gogh at the asylum in Saint-Rémy where he admitted himself after a psychological crisis. The swirls of paint in these artworks become trees and harbingers of galaxies beyond. 

Viewing these artworks through Ms. Steins prose, we are privy to a vision beyond mere depictions of nature. Inspired by his artistic colleagues Monticelli, Gauguin, Seurat, and Émile Bernard - Van Gogh was attempting to create paintings that evoked the deep past but were completely new at the same time. 

Susan Alyson Stein explains that “cypresses held an ineluctable allure for Van Gogh.” These inescapable cypress trees enabled Van Gogh to “bring his art to the next level and make his mark as a modern painter.”

Van Gogh spent two years and three months in the South of France. From February 1888 through May 1890, he put down with ink on paper and oil paint on canvas artistic themes that emerged from his deep observations of nature and his internal responses to the light and landscape of Provence. 

After leaving Saint-Rémy, Van Gogh died soon after he returned to Northern France. At Van Gogh’s funeral held on July 30, 1890, the catalog  informs us that The Moniteur des arts reported that Doctor Gachet “spoke a few touching words over his friend’s coffin, which disappeared under branches of cypress trees and bouquets of large sunflowers.”

The Starry Night

 Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

  1889

Oil on canvas

29 x 36 1/4" (73.7 x 92.1 cm)

Museum of Modern Art, New York

The paintings in the exhibition Van Gogh’s Cypresses have been gathered from across the globe. From the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, to collections in Cologne, Bremen, Essen, Otterlo, Copenhagen,  Paris, London, Cleveland,  Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC, New Haven, and New York, Van Gogh’s cypresses have been brought together for the first time since 1901. 

Country Road in Provence by Night

(Landweg in de Provence bij nacht)

 Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

  12-15 May 1890

Oil on canvas

36 x 29" (90.6 x 72 cm)

Kroller Muller Museum, Netherlands

The catalog has an introduction and five major sections. The intro and three of the sections are authored by  Susan Alyson Stein. These sections “The Roots of His Invention: Arles, February 1888-May 1889”, “The Making of a Signature Motif: Saint-Rémy, May-September 1889”, and Signing Off in Style: Saint-Rémy, October 1889-May 1890” take us through Van Gogh’s life and artistic production in Provence with the guiding lens of his cypress paintings. 

The fourth section entitled “Untangling Nature” by Charlotte Hale and Silvia A. Centeno explores the art materials used by Vincent and describes in depth his painting process. 

The fifth section by Alison Hokanson with the assistance of Marina Kliger provides an overview of literary and artistic uses of the cypress tree theme. 

The French poet, critic, painter Albert Aurier praised Van Gogh’s paintings in an article where he described Vincent’s “cypresses shooting up their nightmarish silhouettes of blackened flames.” 

On view: May 22nd - August 27th, 2023

Learn more about the exhibition: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions... 

Sparks - The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte (Official Video)

Music video for The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte by Sparks, from the new album of the same title.

 Starring Cate Blanchett

Happy Juneteenth 2023!

Juneteenth as a federal holiday is meant to breathe new life into the very essence of America.

To make sure all Americans feel the power of this day and the progress we can make for our country.

Earlier this week, I felt that power at the White House. pic.twitter.com/Ogo6SBvZBA

— President Biden (@POTUS) June 17, 2023

Six Art-Filled Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth in New York City https://t.co/9gF54bqlr0 via @hyperallergic

— Gregg Chadwick 🇺🇦 🟧 (@greggchadwick) June 17, 2023

David Hockney Interview: The World is Beautiful

The National - Live at Bearsville Theater (Woodstock, NY) - Full Concert

Tank: Tiny Desk Concert

President Biden Hosts College Athlete Day at the White House

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live On Tour 2023 - FULL SHOW MULT...

Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz - The Girl From Ipanema (1964) LIVE

From the Guardian:

"Astrud Gilberto, whose dreamy interpretation of The Girl from Ipanema became the most popular version of the song, has died aged 83.

Paul Ricci, a collaborator with Gilberto, confirmed the news on social media, writing that he had been asked to announce it by Gilberto’s son Marcelo. “She was an important part of ALL that is Brazilian music in the world and she changed many lives with her energy,” he added.

Born in 1940 in the Brazilian state of Bahia and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Astrud Weinert married musician João Gilberto in 1959. In 1963, she accompanied him on a trip to New York where he would record with jazz artist Stan Getz and fellow Brazilian bossa nova star Antônio Carlos Jobim. The session’s producer wanted an English-language singer to help The Girl from Ipanema cross over to a US audience, and Astrud – who had no previous recording experience – was the only person who could speak it."

Gregg Chadwick

City of Desires (Rio de Janeiro)

72"x96" oil on linen 2000-2008

Private Collection, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

 

Astrud Gilberto (1940-2023) n'y est plus. La chanteuse brésilienne qui a immortalisé plusieurs chansons de la Bossa nova, y compris La Fille d'Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema) avec Stan Getz en 1964, l'année tragique du coup d'état militaire au Brésil https://t.co/vZu6mbkWye

— Ana Lucia Araujo, PhD (@araujohistorian) June 6, 2023

The Cure - Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre

Enjoy!

The Los Angeles Zoo's Beastly Ball is On Now!

 

Gregg Chadwick

Elephant Song at the Los Angeles Zoo

30"x24" oil on linen 2023

My painting "Elephant Song" has made its journey to the Los Angeles Zoo and is available for bidding NOW at the Beastly Ball. The painting is on display with a selected group of environmentally oriented artworks at this link https://one.bidpal.net/beastlyball2023/browse/all(details:item/7)

"Elephant Song" depicts an African Elephant in its natural environment.  The title refers to the low frequency method of elephant communication. Elephants sing using the same physical principles as humans - using their immense larynx to produce very low notes.

Pitched below the range of human hearing, these infrasounds can travel long distances and enable elephants to connect with other elephants in hearing range. 

"Elephant Song" is featured at tonight's Beastly Ball benefit for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. The event is held each Spring at the L.A. Zoo and this is my third year participating. For 60 years, the nonprofit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) has funded exhibits, capital projects, field conservation efforts, education and community outreach programs, and more at the Los Angeles Zoo, an international leader in the preservation of wildlife and care of animals.

 The “best party in town” returns tonight June 3, with favorite L.A. eateries, special animal experiences, dazzling entertainment, an incredible silent auction, and more. It’s the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s largest and most important fundraiser of the year, bringing in critical support for our work on behalf of the Los Angeles Zoo and its efforts in wildlife conservation, public education, and creating innovative experiences to connect people with nature. 

The Beastly Ball's online silent auction features a range of wild items and experiences. Browse the offerings and make bids NOW, all from your phone, wherever you are.                         

Register now to receive updates.

Beastly Ball 2023

Saturday, June 3, 2023, 6 p.m. 

Hosted by Joel McHale 

Beastly Ball Honoree: Diann H. Kim

Betty White Conservation Hero Honoree: Tom LaBonge, posthumously

An unforgettable evening of adventure and philanthropy, benefiting the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association

Link to more information on the Beastly Ball at https://lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/special-experiences/beastly-ball/#auction

Beastly Ball 2023 - Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens (LA Zoo)

45 Years of "Darkness on the Edge of Town"

45 years ago today, Bruce Springsteen released his highly-anticipated fourth studio album “Darkness On The Edge Of Town.” To celebrate the anniversary, fans can now dive even deeper into the sonic world of “Darkness.”

Listen to a new 20-song live playlist from The Darkness Tour '78 — all previously unavailable on major streaming platforms — including performances of every song from “Darkness On The Edge of Town” and a trove of bonus material from that period.

Van Gogh Museum 4K Virtual Tour || Exhibition ‘Van Gogh In Auvers'

From the Van Gogh Museum:

"Vincent van Gogh lived in Auvers-sur-Oise from 20 May 1890 until his death on 29 July of the same year. He was tremendously productive in these months and made several of his most renowned masterpieces, including 'Wheatfield with Crows' and 'Tree Roots'. In the anniversary year of 2023, the Van Gogh Museum and Musée d’Orsay are organizing a major exhibition about the final months of Vincent van Gogh’s life, which he spent in the French village of Auvers-sur-Oise. The exhibition 'Van Gogh in Auvers. His Final Months' is on view from 12 May until 3 September 2023." Find out more: https://www.vangoghmuseum.com/vangogh...

 

✨ A "Starry Night" ending to our 50th-anniversary celebration on the Museumplein. @StudioDrift brought Vincent's works to life against the evening sky.
Watch the full drone performance here: https://t.co/EkHwol0P80 pic.twitter.com/SqQGJMUW0u

— Van Gogh Museum (@vangoghmuseum) June 3, 2023

moby ft. Lady Blackbird - 'Walk With Me'

Official Music Video for 'Walk With Me' (always centered at night Version) by moby ft. Lady Blackbird. Out now on Deutsche Grammophon. Taken from the new moby album, Resound NYC, out now on Deutsche Grammophon. More info at https://www.moby-resound.com/ Subscribe to Moby: http://moby.la/subscribeytYo​ For info on Moby music, merch, tour dates & more, please visit https://moby.com/

Amythyst Kiah | Sounds of the Road | Presented by Toyota and SiriusXM®

Collector's Smiles

Amy and Ludek Drizhal with their new Chadwick painting. “New York Stories”

 

Love the smiles when collectors are about to take their new artworks home. Thank you to all who spent time in my studio at our latest Art at the Airport event! What a night! Props to Ailsa Chang for surprising me and bringing such a sense of inspiration into my studio. Thank you to @rebecca.youssef_studio and @alexandradillonartist for your incredible hard work and drive to make this happen. Excited for the next one!!!

#LosAngeles #ArtOfRecovery #ArtAtTheAirport #CityOfSantaMonica #SantaMonicaArtsCommunity #SantaMonicaArtScene #BuyArtFromArtists #SupportLocalArtists #SantaMonicaArtCollective #SantaMonicaCulturalAffairs #artistssupportingartists #Art #Hollywood #P22 #NPS #MountainLion #clocks #GrandCentral

The 58th Annual Nebula Awards Ceremony

Watch the the 58th Annual Nebula Awards Ceremony! This year's Toast Master is Cheryl Platz, and the awards will be presented by multiple notable figures in the science fiction and fantasy community including Christine Taylor-Butler, Chinaka Hodge, Gay Haldeman, Mur Lafferty, Leigh Bardugo, and more!

Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder!

100 million records sold

25 Grammys

An Oscar

RnB Hall of Fame

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 

Songwriters Hall of Fame

Helped make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday

United Nations Messenger of Peace

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Happy Birthday to Stevie Wonder!