…You might be rightfully thinking, arranged marriage practices have been around for millennia (several examples exist in the Bible). However, it had never been so exposed how unhappy or even “wrong” these arrangements might be until the industrialization era…

Really, I was almost to tears when I finally decided to open the dust-coated kit and use it. Maybe it seems silly to you to get upset about that but this old man, for whatever reasons, never got to explore that interest before he died. Did he get sick before he could get around to it? Did he put it off so long that he just gave up? I mourned the experiences he never had. It made me think of all the things we promise ourselves we will do or learn, but we never actually complete…

We are taught from a young age that the more skilled you are, the more you will be rewarded and admired and valued (which could be considered to be equivalent to fame). But, that just simply isn’t the case in the art world. Rather, the impact the art has had on society is the true determination of its value and worth, not the skill needed to create the art or the quality of the artwork.

In my efforts of pursuing an art career, I felt it would be beneficial to hear some art business strategies. I get a lot of backlash when I say I hope to pursue my art career fully in the future and I’ve got to say, it drives me crazy!

Despite those parallels, there is a takeaway for anyone looking at Rococo art. It reveals to us our blind spots, the human willingness to ignore that which is difficult. We all do it from time to time with our various forms of escapism. Maybe that is how we should appreciate this art style today—an epic visualization of escapism.

It hit me, our fathers very likely traveled in the same art circles in the 1970s-early 1980s. I called my dad and asked, “hey, did you know an artist named Donny Finley back when you used to compete in art shows?”

There was a wide variety of art displayed. In total, 30 pieces were chosen for the exhibition. I initially did not realize this but apparently thousands of artists submitted their work for this competition! So, it really was a special honor.

David has been one of my favorite artists for awhile because of his artistic mastery but what particularly stands out about him to me is how he survived such incredible and violent governmental changes in France. From drawing Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to being the primary propaganda painter for Robespierre during the Reign of Terror to becoming the official court painter of Napoleon, he saw it all!