Roaring Paintings!

Sylvie Lescan, Dantesque, 2021. Acrylic on canvas, 80 x 80 cm.

Chinese New Year: the Year of the Tiger

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, kicked off the Year of the Tiger. In fact, according to this ancient zoolatric tradition, each year, in the 12-year cycle, is assigned a representative animal, inextricably linked to the very ancient, and not yet well-dated, tradition of the Chinese zodiac. The animals of the Chinese horoscope are: the mouse, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the cock, the dog and the pig. According to an ancient legend, the Buddha, or, depending on the narrator, the emperor of Jade, summoned to the palace these animals, in order to promote a competition, whose ranking determined the current arrangement of the signs within the zodiac. It is interesting to note that, during this competition, emerged strongly the character of the 12 participants, in fact: the mouse won the competition with cunning and deception, the snake scared the horse, the dragon showed his great altruism and love for others. 

Sergey And Vera, White tigers, 2014. Oil on canvas, 70 x 90 cm.

Sergey And Vera, Tiger autumn, 2019. Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 75 cm.

What to expect from the year of the tiger?

The tiger, in the aforementioned competition, placed only third, because, although extremely competitive and ambitious, it is animated by a strong sense of justice, which always pushes it to be generous and altruistic. Moreover, this animal, associated with the masculine energy of Yang, is marked by a predominant desire for independence and autonomy, which is fearless towards any obstacle or change. Therefore, the year of the tiger promises to be dynamic and full of novelties, capable of upsetting our love life, work and home. It is therefore advisable, in order to avoid committing sensational "madnesses", to follow your intuition in chasing the wildest dreams, always referring to consciousness and awareness. To what has been said, it is important to add that 2022 is also associated with the element of water, so that the tiger, charged with a greater emotional strength, will lead us to reveal our emotions with great ease. Finally, the aforementioned combination will even favor family and interpersonal relationships, pursuing an ideal pursuit of collective good. Overall, this promises to be the ideal year to change careers and build new projects, so why not try to be positive?

Frédéric Durieu & Nathalie Erin, Tiger out of flowers 1, 2021. Digital work on aluminum, 80 x 80 cm.

Muradov, The tiger portrait, 2020. Oil on canvas, 50 x 70 cm.

Roaring paintings!

The tiger is not only a majestic, elegant and proud animal, which is part of an ancient tradition of Chinese zoology, but it is also a fascinating subject, which has been widely investigated by the history of Western art, crossing different styles, artistic movements and historical periods, as evidenced by some masterpieces by Henri Rousseau (1844-1910), Franz Marc (1880-1916) and Antonio Ligabue (1899-1965). Moreover, this subject still represents a great source of inspiration for contemporary artists from all over the world, as evidenced by the numerous works created by the painters of Artmajeur. But what messages are hidden behind the works of our times that depict this animal?

Yann Michael Talvas, Blue tiger, 1028. Acrylic on linen canvas, 89 x 116 cm.

Yann Michael Talvas: Blue tiger

Wanting to classify by subject the painting by Artmajeur artist, Yann Michael Talvas, it could approach a kind of contemporary "remake" of the ancient tradition of Egyptian and Assyrian zoomorphic art. In fact, the subject of Blue tiger mixes animal forms and qualities with human details, attitudes and costumes, generating a sympathetic glamorous character, which has been enriched by the confidence, ambition and strength of the tiger. Finally, this work also represents a rich snapshot of the contemporary world, as the protagonist invented by the artist wears the clothes, and assumes the behaviors, of our times, also speaking to us of the modern cult of image and style, thus assuming the role of a true fashion victim. 

Julian Wheat, Royal bengal tiger cub, 2021. Acrylic on paper, 48.3 x 69.9 cm.

Julian Wheat: Royal bengal tiger cub

The realism of the painting of the Artmajeur artist, Julian Wheat, allows us to get to know the regal, proud and impassive attitude of the tiger within its natural habitat, just like in an exciting, engaging and revealing documentary. Unfortunately, by addressing this issue, the work also becomes an instrument, more or less voluntary, of sensitization towards the current danger of extinction of the aforementioned species. In fact, it is undisputed love for animals that the paintings of Julian Wheat reveal, immortalizing, with great fidelity, specimens wild and not, giving us the opportunity to know a world sadly far from ours.

Julia Good, Tiger in The starry night, 2021. Oil on panel, 80 x 80 cm.

Julia Good: Tiger in the starry night

In the innovative, mystical and unreal work of Artmajeur artist, Julia Good, the royalty and charm of the tiger joins the majesty of a background, which refers, albeit with clear differences, to Vincent Van Gogh's timeless masterpiece: The Starry Night. This association, however, is marked by contrast, since the tiger, which does not blend well with the rest of the painting, seems almost glued to the surface of the panel. This effect, desired by the artist, is intended to create a strong sense of irony and estrangement, since we are observing an animal that is in an unusual space. It is precisely this imaginary and dreamy atmosphere that makes Tiger in the starry night unique, giving it the ability to immerse the viewer in a parallel reality, where the beauty of the masterpieces of art history meet the wonders of nature.