Happy Birthday Leonardo Da Vinci 1452 and Thomas Hart Benton 1889! Two very different types of artists, seperated by 400 and odd years. One Italian, the other American. No one can dispute Da Vinci’s expert draughtsmanship, nor the cleverness of the man, that some say was born before his time because of his inventive ideas. BUT, I am not very keen on the way he draws womens bodies. Did they really have masculine bodies in those days? I don’t know if this is because he couldn’t get hold of women models and has used men instead, but I find his women tend to look very masculine. Why is this? When it comes to mens bodies, well the drawings speak for themselves.
The other artist who shares his birthday is American Thomas Hart Benton b. 1889 Missouri America. He was one of what was known as a ‘Regionalist’ painters, along with John Steuwart Curry and Grant Wood.
His paintings and murals comment mostly about the Midwest and are about ordinary people taking care of business and generally getting on with life’ s hardships. His style is fluid and influenced by El Greco.
Muscles on the working man are exagerated, forms elongated. The style is very individual and recognisable. Hart Benton also taught art from 1926 – 1941, Jackson Pollock being one of his more famous students.
Here is a list of links to post I have made so far concerning artist’s birthday. I have tried to make it a rule that I actually LIKE the artists’ work! Some artists I do like, I have not included so far, as their birthdays have clashed with something else I was writing about. Some birthdays I have only found out about when it was too late to include them , I mean to rectify this at a later date.
Update 31st December 2009: Has a new Leoanardo painting been found? article HERE
Echostains Blog 
Hey
I like Your blog. It is interesting. Do You have RSS so I can add to my favorites.
Let me know when it will be ready. Kee it UP.
best regards Szczecin Hotele