The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (287 page)
Read The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists Online
Authors: Ian Chilvers
Macke , August
(1887–1914).
German
Expressionist
painter. His training included a period studying with
Corinth
in Berlin. Between 1907 and 1912 he visited Paris several times and he evolved a personal synthesis of
Impressionism
,
Fauvism
, and
Orphism
with which to display a basically Expressionist attitude, coming closer in spirit to French art than any other German painter of the time. In 1909–10 he met
Kandinsky
and Franz
Marc
in Munich and joined them in the formation of the
Blaue Reiter
, but apart from a few experiments his work moved less towards abstraction than that of other members of the group. Early in 1914 he made a trip with Paul
Klee
and Louis
Moilliet
to Tunisia, and the watercolours he did there are considered his most personal achievement. He was killed in action in the First World War.
German
Expressionist
painter. His training included a period studying with
Corinth
in Berlin. Between 1907 and 1912 he visited Paris several times and he evolved a personal synthesis of
Impressionism
,
Fauvism
, and
Orphism
with which to display a basically Expressionist attitude, coming closer in spirit to French art than any other German painter of the time. In 1909–10 he met
Kandinsky
and Franz
Marc
in Munich and joined them in the formation of the
Blaue Reiter
, but apart from a few experiments his work moved less towards abstraction than that of other members of the group. Early in 1914 he made a trip with Paul
Klee
and Louis
Moilliet
to Tunisia, and the watercolours he did there are considered his most personal achievement. He was killed in action in the First World War.
Mackennal , Sir Bertram
.
.
Mackintosh , C. R.
Maclise , Daniel
(1806–70).
Irish painter and
caricaturist
, active in London from 1827. An outstanding draughtsman, Maclise became the leading history painter of his period, his greatest works being two enormous murals in the House of Lords on
The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher at Waterloo
(completed 1861) and
The Death of Nelson at Trafalgar
(completed 1865). They were done in the
water-glass
technique and are poorly preserved (a sketch for the
Nelson
in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool gives an idea of the original colouring), but they are powerful works—fully coherent in spite of the huge numbers of figures involved—and they remain the most stirring examples of his heroic powers of design. Maclise was handsome, charming, and popular with fellow artists, and
Frith
wrote that he was spoken of in academic circles as ‘out and away the greatest artist that ever lived’. Grandiose history painting was only one side to his talent, however, for he also excelled as a caricaturist, and is particularly noted for a series of character portraits of literary men and women. There are several examples of his conventional portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, London, including a well-known one of his close friend Charles Dickens (1839).
Irish painter and
caricaturist
, active in London from 1827. An outstanding draughtsman, Maclise became the leading history painter of his period, his greatest works being two enormous murals in the House of Lords on
The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher at Waterloo
(completed 1861) and
The Death of Nelson at Trafalgar
(completed 1865). They were done in the
water-glass
technique and are poorly preserved (a sketch for the
Nelson
in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool gives an idea of the original colouring), but they are powerful works—fully coherent in spite of the huge numbers of figures involved—and they remain the most stirring examples of his heroic powers of design. Maclise was handsome, charming, and popular with fellow artists, and
Frith
wrote that he was spoken of in academic circles as ‘out and away the greatest artist that ever lived’. Grandiose history painting was only one side to his talent, however, for he also excelled as a caricaturist, and is particularly noted for a series of character portraits of literary men and women. There are several examples of his conventional portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, London, including a well-known one of his close friend Charles Dickens (1839).
McTaggart , William
(1835–1910).
The leading Scottish landscape painter of his period. He has been called ‘the Scottish
Impressionist
’, but although he was much concerned with light and atmosphere, the sense of the drama of nature in his work brings him closer in spirit to
Constable
. He was an influential figure, his followers including his grandson,
Sir William MacTaggart
(1903–81).
The leading Scottish landscape painter of his period. He has been called ‘the Scottish
Impressionist
’, but although he was much concerned with light and atmosphere, the sense of the drama of nature in his work brings him closer in spirit to
Constable
. He was an influential figure, his followers including his grandson,
Sir William MacTaggart
(1903–81).
Maderno , Stefano
(
c.
1576–1636).
Italian sculptor. He was one of the leading sculptors in Rome during the papacy of Paul V (1605–21) before
Bernini
came into the ascendancy, working on statues and
reliefs
in numerous churches, notably the chapel that the pope had built (the Cappella Paolina, begun 1605) in Sta Maria Maggiore. One of his sculptures has attained lasting fame; the recumbent figure of St Cecilia (1600) in Sta Cecilia in Trastevere, a lyrical and poignant work which is said to show the body of the Early Christian martyr in the exact position in which it was discovered in the church in 1599.
c.
1576–1636).
Italian sculptor. He was one of the leading sculptors in Rome during the papacy of Paul V (1605–21) before
Bernini
came into the ascendancy, working on statues and
reliefs
in numerous churches, notably the chapel that the pope had built (the Cappella Paolina, begun 1605) in Sta Maria Maggiore. One of his sculptures has attained lasting fame; the recumbent figure of St Cecilia (1600) in Sta Cecilia in Trastevere, a lyrical and poignant work which is said to show the body of the Early Christian martyr in the exact position in which it was discovered in the church in 1599.
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