Publication Magazine Volume 2 Art And Soul | Page 28

Rembrandt – Self-Portrait with Two Circles (c 1665-9) You are not looking at Rembrandt. He is looking at you. The authority of genius and age gaze out of this autumnal masterpiece with a moral scrutiny that is terrifying. Rem- brandt seems to see into the beholder’s soul and perceive every failing. He is like God. He is the most serious artist of all, because he makes everyone who stands before him a supplicant in the court of truth. Self-Portrait Without Beard – Vincent van Gogh Even though Van Gogh painted many portraits of himself, this one is by far the most famous as it is his last self-por- trait and one of the few that depicts him without a beard. It was given by him to his mother as a birthday gift. It is also one of the most expensive paintings of all times, as it was sold for $71.5 million in 1998, and is now part of a private collection Guernica – Pablo Picasso The most famous painting by Picasso, completed in 1937. The painting was painted in Paris and is Inspired by the bombing of Guernica in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is on permanent display in Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain 26