Christopher P. Jones's Blog

We tend to take for granted the idea that artists express themselves in their art. The thought is that artists “put something of themselves” into their work, perhaps transferring their inner emotions and feelings into their imagery. The assumption appears everywhere, in the language spoken in art galleries, exhibition reviews, art biographies and in everyday... View Article

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Sometimes, visual art has the power to leave a lasting mark on one’s memory. Here are three paintings that stand out for me, profoundly shaping my perspective on art in the process. Each of the works has its own special potency, but perhaps a common thread is the directness of their communication. None of them... View Article

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I recently read a short quote that stopped me in my tracks: “A thimbleful of red is redder than a bucketful.” Like all good aphorisms, it contains a hint of both poetry and paradox. It was reputedly uttered by the French artist Henri Matisse, and it quickly had me speculating on its meaning. I think... View Article

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For a few years now, I’ve had a postcard of this painting tacked to my study wall. It’s called Pennsylvania coal town and it was made by Edward Hopper in 1947. Whenever I stop my work and look up at this painting, I can’t help but feel that Hopper painted something I recognise. I don’t know exactly... View Article

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https://www.patreon.com/christopherpj... I’m incredibly excited about what’s ahead, about the books I want to write and the year ahead. I write about art history most of my time. I’m lucky enough to have a loyal community of readers who seem to like what I do. So I’m asking for your support, if you can afford it, because I want... View Article

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This scene shows a group of friends in the bar of the Moulin Rouge. The figures socialise against a backdrop of preening actresses and shimmering mirrors. As a regular visitor to one of the most famous cabaret establishments in Paris, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted this depiction of his favourite nighttime spot with a tender eye... View Article

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How one work of art can give rise to another I’ve admired this painting for more than 20 years. I first saw it on the front cover of a text book I was studying at college, and I was immediately enthralled. I was studying philosophy at the time, and the painting seemed to capture something... View Article

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Cultural encyclopedia or appropriated plunder? I recently took a trip to Athens in Greece. Whilst I was there I visited the Acropolis museum, a relatively new addition to the cultural heritage of the ancient city. It contains a wonderful trove of artifacts retrieved from the rock of the Acropolis, the Classical citadel that rises majestically... View Article

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Writing by hand helps me to express exactly what I want to express.

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In the Guggenheim, New York, people are throwing down a confetti of paper flyers from the famous curved balconies of the museum. It is Saturday. The museum is crowded because it is six-thirty in the afternoon, when you choose the price of your own admission. The gallery is brought to a standstill. You pick one... View Article

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