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Abbot Handerson Thayer, Winged Figure , 1889, The Art Institute of Chicago It may be the dreamer in me who is so attracted to the winged paintings of Abbott Handerson Thayer.  The first of his paintings that I fell in love with was Winged Figure. above, at the Art Institute of Chicago.    I've always admired the loose simplicity of the Grecian style of clothes, even before studying Greek art. However, what appeals most to me is the sense of security and peace this figure has as she sleeps, protected and held by the curve of her wing. Her leg and golden garment are strong and sculptural, but it's not clear if she's on the ground or on a cloud. Abbott Handerson Thayer, Angel , 1887, Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of John Gellatly             Mary, the artist's daughter, posed. After moving to Washington, I found that Thayer is represented well in the nation's capital.   Angel of 1887 is a very young figure, and Thayer's d...

J ean-Francois Millet, The Gust of Wind, 1871-73, National Museum of Wa les It's disappointing that the Corcoran exhibition, Fro m Turner to Cezanne , had to be taken down early as a precaution over environmental concerns......I was counting on going Friday, April 9, three days after it abruptly closed. What am I missing? A spectacular collection from the National Gallery of Wales, little-known paintings of well-known artists that are seldom seen in the US..................... Torrents of Rain and Gusts of Wind..... Vincent Van Gogh, Rain, Auvers, 1890, from the National Museum of Wales Vincent Van Gogh's suns, stars and flowers from sunny Provence express the intensity he experienced while living there. But in May, 1890, he moved north of Paris to Auvers-sur-Oise and painted Rain, Auvers in July. Van Gogh used such a heavy impasto of paint that this painting conveys a heavy impact of rain. Van Gogh had an uncommon ability to combine actual texture of the paint itself w...