23 Works, December 18th. is Frank O. Salisbury’s day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #251

Frank O. Salisbury (British, 1874–1962)
Onward Christian Soldiers, c. 1911
Oil on canvas
63 x 90 cm. (24.8 x 35.4 in.)
Private collection

Painted in 1911 it is a figurative landscape of soldiers on the battlefield. The two central characters, the ‘Christian Soldiers’ from the early crusades have halos and ride through the chaos on white horses. Shafts on light with angels illuminate them and also a crucifix. A very powerful Edwardian religious oil painting and an excellent example of O’Salisbury’s work. painted in oil and illuminated in gold leaf.

Francis (“Frank”) Owen Salisbury (18 December 1874–31 August 1962) was an English artist who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday he made a fortune on both sides of the Atlantic and was known as “Britain’s Painter Laureate”. His art was steadfastly conservative and he was a vitriolic critic of Modern Art — particularly of his contemporaries Picasso, Chagall and Mondrian. His father, Henry Salisbury, described himself as a “plumber, decorator and ironmonger” (his mother was Susan Hawes), yet his son Frank would become one of the greatest society artists of his generation…

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23 Works, December 18th. is Frank O. Salisbury’s day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #251

Frank O. Salisbury (British, 1874–1962)
Onward Christian Soldiers, c. 1911
Oil on canvas
63 x 90 cm. (24.8 x 35.4 in.)
Private collection

Painted in 1911 it is a figurative landscape of soldiers on the battlefield. The two central characters, the ‘Christian Soldiers’ from the early crusades have halos and ride through the chaos on white horses. Shafts on light with angels illuminate them and also a crucifix. A very powerful Edwardian religious oil painting and an excellent example of O’Salisbury’s work. painted in oil and illuminated in gold leaf.

Francis (“Frank”) Owen Salisbury (18 December 1874–31 August 1962) was an English artist who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday he made a fortune on both sides of the Atlantic and was known as “Britain’s Painter Laureate”. His art was steadfastly conservative and he was a vitriolic critic of Modern Art — particularly of his contemporaries Picasso, Chagall and Mondrian. His father, Henry Salisbury, described himself as a “plumber, decorator and ironmonger” (his mother was Susan Hawes), yet his son Frank would become one of the greatest society artists of his generation…

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29 Works, October 9th. is Benjamin West’s day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #220

Benjamin West, American, 1738-1820
Death on the Pale Horse, c. 1796
Oil on canvas
23 3/8 × 50 5/8 inches (59.4 × 128.6 cm)
Detroit Institute of Arts

The title of this painting is taken from the final book of the Bible, the Revelation of Saint John the Divine, which has often been interpreted as a symbolic description of warfare: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8).

In this horrifying chronicle of the destruction of humankind, the rugged irregular forms, the dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and the dynamism of the turbulent movement combine with the distorted faces and pitiful gestures of the dead and dying to convey a sense of terror. The violent furor exhibits a destructive dynamism that makes this one of the most awesome depictions of the methods by which a world may be annihilated.

In 1796, the year this work was painted, England was at war with revolutionary France, and West’s picture may have been intended to comment on what was happening, or was expected to happen, in the contemporary world. More on this painting

Benjamin West, PRA (October 10, 1738 — March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson (See below), The Death of General Wolfe (See below), the Treaty of Paris (See below), and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky…

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19 Works, September 19th. is William Dyce”s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #206

William Dyce, 1806-1864
King Joash Shooting “the Arrow of Deliverance”
Oil on canvas
76.3 x 109.5 cms | 30 x 43 ins
Kunsthalle, Hamburg

Elisha’s Final Prophecy: …16Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So the king put his hand on the bow, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17“Open the east window,” said Elisha. So he opened it and Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And Elisha declared: “This is the LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram, for you shall strike the Arameans in Aphek until you have put an end to them.” 18Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows!” So he took them, and Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck the ground three times and stopped.… More on the Arrow of Deliverance

William Dyce FRSE RSA RA (19 September 1806 in Aberdeen — 14 February 1864) was a Scottish painter, who played a part in the formation of public art education in the United Kingdom, and the South Kensington Schools system. Dyce was associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and played a part in their early popularity

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15 Works, June 27th. is Reyer van Blommendael’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #174

Reyer Jacobs van Blommendael
The Good Samaritan, c. 1665
104.1 x 147.3 cm
Oil on canvas
Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a didactic story told by Jesus in Luke 10:25–37. It is about a traveler who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. First a priest and then a Levite comes by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus is telling the parable in response to the question from a lawyer, “And who is my neighbour?” whom that should be loved. Jesus answers his question in who is his neighbour, but also tells him to love his neighbour.

The parable has inspired painting, sculpture, satire, poetry, and film. The colloquial phrase “good Samaritan”, meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan. More on the Good Samaritan

Reyer Jacobsz van Blommendael (27 June 1628–23 November 1675) was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Haarlem.

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