ART AFICIONADO

Friday, July 21, 2023

Fashion is DEFINITELY Art: The Simpsons - Balenciaga

Creative Director: Demna Gvasalia

Premiered on October 2, 2021 during Paris Fashion Week

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Virtual Reality Salesman

It's fascinating how every technological advancement sparks a desire to integrate it into sexual pleasure. Virtual reality serves as a prime illustration, originally designed to provide viewers with a stereoscopic experience; however, the adult entertainment industry quickly seized the opportunity to offer their clientele the same immersive encounter.

Roy Raymonde, PLAYBOY (November 1994)

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Travel + Leisure: Indonesia by Davide Anzimanni

If you have time to look through some amazing photography, check out Italian filmmaker and photographer Davide Anzimanni's Instagram (@davide.anzimanni).

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Hyacinthe Rigaud

Art Appreciation

Hyacinthe Rigaud, an esteemed French painter during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, is renowned for his remarkable portraits that flawlessly captured the essence and grandeur of his subjects.

Born on July 18, 1659, in Perpignan, France, as Jacint Rigau-Ros i Serra, later known as Hyacinthe Rigaud, he was the son of a tailor and the grandson of painter-gilders from Roussillon. Although initially trained in his father's tailoring workshop, Rigaud sharpened his artistic skills under the guidance of Antoine Ranc in Montpellier and Lyons. His exceptional talent as a painter was widely acknowledged when he won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1682.

In 1682, Rigaud established himself in Paris, where he quickly gained prominence as a distinguished portraitist. His meticulous attention to detail and ability to capture the essence of his subjects attracted the French nobility and royalty. Rigaud's skill in infusing his portraits with grandeur and luxury secured him numerous commissions and solidified his position as the foremost painter of the French court.

Undoubtedly his most famous and monumental work is the iconic portrait titled "Louis XIV in Coronation Robes," completed in 1701. This masterpiece depicts the Sun King in all his majestic splendor, adorned with richly embroidered robes and symbolic accessories. Rigaud's meticulous attention to detail and his ability to convey the monarch's commanding presence made the portrait an immediate sensation. Not only did this painting immortalize the French monarch, but it also cemented Rigaud's reputation as the leading portraitist of his era.

In 1727, Rigaud was honored as a knight of the Order of Saint Michael. He passed away in Paris in 1743 at the age of 84.