A rare abstract painting by Bob Dylan (circa 1968) is up for sale, featuring a vibrant abstract composition filled with musical notes, animals, and a prominent central figure of a bull. There is also a red outline of a man in a brimmed hat, reflecting Dylan’s self-image during that era, reminiscent of his “Nashville Skyline” album cover.

“Bob Dylan’s visual art, like his music, draws from a deep well of cultural and personal expression. This painting from his Woodstock years is particularly evocative, capturing the vibrant and transformative spirit of the 60s,” explained Bobby Livingston of RR Auction, which has the work for sale.

More info and images at RR Auction here.

My personal favourite, a portrait formed of light and shadow depicting a mother walking with her chubby-legged child is framed by neon bands of magenta and cyan in this work by London, Ontario-based artist Jack Chambers (1931–1978).

The classic mother’s conundrum. In her early days, before she moved to Canada, Clark’s parenting and household duties left little time for painting, a frustrating reality. See more about Paraskeva Clark here.

From the American Art collection at the Smithsonian, a brilliant, timeless, mother-child shot (1973). As the museum notes: “While in many photos of mother and child it’s the young one who squirms, here the daughter is absolutely calm while the mother waves an arm in a blur.”

Picasso did many mother and child paintings, including this one: “Madre e hijo al borde del mar” (Mother and Child on the Seashore), 1921. See others here.

When Amy Sherald was chosen as the official portraitist for Michelle Obama in 2018, she was catapulted to superstardom from her burgeoning career. In this painting (two years earlier), the traditional Madonna and child has been reframed in modern context, with a young girl hoisted onto her mother’s denim-clad hip. 

Much has been written about this work, painted by one of the great modern portraitists, Alice Neel. This work shows Neel’s daughter-in-law Nancy, a new mother to her own daughter Olivia, Neel’s first grandchild. Neel was an advocate for women, and the heroics of early motherhood, which she knew herself, are evident in this painting. (See more about this painting and others by Neel did at Artforum here)

One of photography’s most famous mothers: “Migrant Mother,” by Dorothea Lange (1936). The iconic photograph of Florence Owens Thompson, a migrant mother struggling through the Great Depression, symbolizes a woman’s strength and determination in the face of hard times. 

On a Personal Note:

I have always loved this portrait of my maternal grandmother (Eileen) with son Robert, probably around 1921. She was an amazing mother and grandmother, as strong as they come and always full of laughter and joy.

Many Easter arts ranging from Fabergé to tattoo’d eggs have appeared on this site through the years. If you celebrate, Happy Easter to you. If not, you might find the Easter artistry in the posts below worth a look. (Above, the 12 hand painted porcelain egg designs for Easter 2024 by Becca Jane Koehler here.)

Here’s a painter you’ll hear a lot about in 2024. Numerous museums are marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of German artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774 –1840), celebrating his groundbreaking role in the era of Romanticism.

His art is also scheduled for a major 2025 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the first major US solo Friedrich show. Above: The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, 1818, oil on canvas, 37.3 in × 29.4 in, Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Friedrich portrayed nature as a place for spiritual & emotional encounters

The German Romantic movement championed a radical new understanding of the bond between nature and the inner self. Friedrich emphasized the individuality, intimacy, open endedness, and complexity of our responses to the natural world. The vision of the landscape that unfolds in his art — meditative, mysterious, and full of wonder— is still vital today.

Metropolitan Museum of Art – Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature upcoming 2025 exhibition

Friedrich fell out of favour after the Second World War, his reputation tarnished by association with the Nazis. He was one of Hitler’s favourite artists and as a consequence, most of the art world steered clear of him. But artists themselves have often been inspired by his works.

The unique atmosphere that speaks to us from Friedrich’s works with their powerful motifs and compositions has inspired many artists . . . especially given the current relevance of ecological issues. The tension between the gradual destruction of the environment and a yearning for untouched nature has been an unbroken force from the Romantic age down to our own times

Hamburger Kunsthalle, site of the major 2024 Friedrich exhibition

More art by Caspar David Friedrich and a list of all the exhibitions, here.

Info on how the Hamburger Kunstahalle is pairing contemporary artists with Friedrich’s works, here.

Find out what is Romantic art – short overview, here.

Watch this video on Friedrich, his place in German history and the lure of Romanticism. Worth watching.