Illustrations of Norse Mythology: Featuring Teutonic Mythology and the Siegfried Legends. ( Ancient Nordic Myths and Legends of the Vikings, Germany, and Scandinavia.) An educational multi-media gallery of realistic Illustrations of Norse Mythology and word paintings by Contemporary American Illustrator and Author Howard David Johnson- Newly Updated!
|
|
A.K.A. Teutonic Mythology - Nordic Mythology - Scandinavian Mythology - Norse Myths - Myths of the Vikings - Legends of the Aesir and the Jötung |
![]() |
Educational Multi-Media Mythic Art Galleries
| Howard David Johnson has Seven different galleries devoted to myths and legends of the Old World |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|
You are here! |
Greek Mythology | Celtic Mythology | Women of Mythology | Asian Mythology | Fairy Lore | Classic Fairy Tales |
Welcome friends! Click the control key plus the + or - keys to zoom in and out or fit the page match to your monitor's settings.
Contemporary Illustrations of Mythology featuring Beowulf, The Prose and Poetic Edda -Legends of Thor, Loki and Odin and the Aesir of Valhalla, and The Nibelungenlied Saga: The Ring of the Nibelung, The Valkyrie, Siegfried, & The Twilight of the gods.

"Lo there, do I see my father- Lo there do I see my mother and my sister and my brothers - Lo there I do see the line of my people back to the beginning - Lo they do call to me - they bid me to take my place among them - in the hallowed halls of Valhalla - where the brave shall live forever!" ~ Viking Funeral Prayer (Norway ca.500-1000 A.D.?)
|
"The Epic of Beowulf"
|
![]() "On my Honor" Featuring the Legendary Norse hero, Beowulf. (or Bjolfr in Icelandic) |
"The Epic of Beowulf " is easily the most precious relic of Old English and of all early Germanic Literature. It has come down to us intact and well preserved in a manuscript dated ca. 1000 A.D. and is in the British Museum in London today. The Subject of the Poem is the exploits of the Viking Warrior Beowulf, son of Egtheow and nephew of Hygelac, King of the Geatas, which Scandanavian records tell us resided in Gautar, in southern Sweden. Beowulf and 14 companions sailed to Denmark to pledge his protection to Hrothgar, King of the Danes, whose hall (called Heorot and pictured to the left) has been rendered uninhabitable by the ravages of a devouring monster in human form named Grendel, (Grinder) who dwelt in the wastelands and under cover of night forced entrance to the hall and slaughtered the inhabitants. The Danes retired to safety while Beowulf and his fellows feasted in the hall and waited to face Grendel alone. Beowulf tore his arm from his shoulder, mortally wounding him and tracked him to the lair of his mother the Sea Hag and slew her as well after she had retaliated for Grendel's death. Richly rewarded by the king he returned home to a throne of his own and ruled prosperously for 50 years until he did battle with a ferocious and terrifying fire breathing Dragon. He overcame it but suffered a mortal wound in the struggle. Amid great lamentation he was placed on a great funeral pyre and burned and the Dragon's treasure was buried along with his ashes. |
| Scholars
assure us that due to the forms of the Scandinavian names in the Old English
poem that it could not have been written later than the early seventh
century A.D. and was based on oral traditions of Old Heathen Poetry.
Naturally a document this old has some minor controversies (Like the Iliad) because
parts of it are also records of genuine history. ~ Some key sources include: R.P. Wilker; Grundriss der Angelsachsischen Litteratur (1882) and Beowulf, Untersuchungen uber das Angelsachsische Epos (1889) G.Sarrazin Beowulf-studien (1888) R.W. Chambers, Beowulf, An introduction to the Poem (1921)
|
|
|
"The Ring Cycle" "Whosoever will renounce love and make a ring from the gold will rule the world."
|
The enormously popular "Lord of the Rings" is largely based on the 13th century Nibelungenlied saga from a Middle High German epic poem. It also draws upon the varying folklore of Northern Europe. Odin was the Scandinavian father god and his favorite mortal was Siegfried (or Sigurd in the Volsunga Saga from Iceland) and is the chief hero and Dragon Slayer of all Norse Mythology. Due to the oral traditions of the Nordic Tribes before the coming of a standard written language several versions still exist of the same stories. In one version, Siegfried is the prince of the Netherlands who acquires the treasure of the Nibelungs by killing it's quarrelsome custodians in a cavern. He visits the court of Queen Brünhild of Iceland, who has vowed only to marry a man that can best her. Siegfried bests her by trickery, then infuriates her by departing without marrying her. An epic tale of heroism and treachery, romance and revenge, The Ring of the Nibelung or The Nibelungenlied has entertained listeners and readers for centuries. It is best known to modern audiences as the source for The Ring Cycle - a series of four operas in the 1860's by Richard Wagner; "Die Nibelungenlied" or The song of the Nibelung: The Rhiengold, The Valkyrie, Sigfried, and The Twilight of the gods. "The Ride of the Valkyries", Opera prelude has always been an inspiration to me and remains one of my favorites. |
"Valkyrie Maiden" (MMX version mixed media) |
|
Here in "Valkyrie Maiden" ( above right) We see a Valkyrie approaching a battlefield to claim the valiant dead and take them to Valhalla, the home of the Norse gods to commune with Odin, Thor and other noteables of the pantheon...
|
|
|
"Kreimhilde's Revenge" the MVI version (Mixed Media)
|
In the Wagnerian Opera version, Siegfried fell passionately in love with Brünhilde, who was Odin's daughter and captain of the Valkyries. Unlike the Greek & Roman myths, these Norse myths vary drastically in details, names, and spellings depending on their country of origin due to the use of oral tradition rather than written language. The Silent films "Seigfreid" and Kreimhild's Revenge" from the German expressionist cinema movement are still amazing works of art and highly enjoyable to watch today. I was astonished when I first saw them how different the story was than the one I was familiar with. They influenced me a great deal but not as much as the Wagnerian version I met through the illustrations of the great Arthur Rackham. His work has influenced me more than any other. The same early legends and semi- historical accounts gave birth to all the different variations. These diverse orators hailed from the British Isles, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Iceland, Holland, Denmark, Russia, Finland, and even Flemish-speaking communities in Italy and France as well as faraway lands such as America and Africa due to wide-spread migration. |
The Ring Cycle ( The Wagnerian Version )
|
Freyja, (Freya, Freyia) in Norse mythology, the goddess of love and beauty and
sister of Frey. (There are other spellings and variations depending on various
geographical locations.) She was the northern Venus and the most beautiful of all the
Nordic goddesses. As Valfrya, she also rode to the battlefield in her chariot, there to claim the slain. These she feasted in her great banqueting hall while Odin, chief god of the Aesir, transported all the others to Valhalla. She controlled the golden apples at the top of the world which were the secret of the immortality of the gods. When she was captured by Fafnir and Fasolt the Jötung and held hostage in demand for the Ring of the Nibelung her abscence caused the gods to begin to grow old and die; to fade into legend. "The Twilight of the gods". She was married to Odur the god of sunshine, but he left her to roam in distant lands. She followed him, weeping teardrops that changed to gold in the rocks and amber in the sea. In later mythology, Freyja is often confused with Frigg, Odin's wife. |
|

Das Rheingold ( The Rhine Gold )
For eons the Rhine maidens guarded the gold that gleams on a rock above the Rhine River. Alberich, one of the Nibelung dwarfs, steals the gold. His bother, mime, makes the ring. Odin ( Wotan, Woten ) king of the gods tricks the Nibelungs out of the ring. He gives it to the giants, Fasolt and Fafnir for building the home of the gods, Valhalla high above the clouds. Alberich screams a death curse on the ring. Odin then sought to have his earth-son Siegmund regain the ring from Fafnir, who has transformed himself into a dragon. Erda predicts the fall of the gods if Alberich regains the ring. The Norse gods were not all- powerful.

Odin, the supreme Norse god, gave one of his eyes for wisdom. He was also the god of war, wisdom, prophecy, poetry, and magic. His sons by different wives were Thor, Loki , and Baldur. He had two ravens, thought and memory fly to and fro in the Earth and report the activities of men to him in his Gladshiem, the grandest of Aesir palaces. The modern Santa Claus legend is partly based upon him flying out in a sled once a year to clobber the parents who beat their children too much. When he went out to battle he rode an eight legged horse named Sleipnir. The German form of the name was Wotan; the Anglo-saxon was Wodan or Woden. Wednesday ( Woden's day ) was named for him. Erda, Odin's wife was an Earth goddess of ancient wisdom. The Valkyries were Odin and Erda's nine beautiful daughters, who rode winged horses down a rainbow bridge to Earth.

Die Walküre ( The Valkyrie )
The captain of the Valkyries was Brünhilde, the eldest. From the fields of battle they carried slain heroes up to Valhalla. Every day the slain would do battle on the great plain, and every night, their wounds would heal. Odin often joined them in the feasting and drinking of mead, a strong form of alcohol. Human sacrifice to the gods was also a part of the practice of this ancient religion. While seeking the ring, Brünhilde was commanded by Odin to protect Siegmund from Hundling, his rival. Siegmund and Hundling's wife Sieglinde fell in love and the goddess of marriage complelled Odin to protect Hundling. In pity for Siegmund, Brünhilde guards him. Odin then helps Hundling slay Siegmund. to punish Brünhilde, Odin puts her to sleep on a rock surrounded by fire, not to awaken until a hero claims her. Sieglinde, carrying the pieces of Siegmund's magic sword, Nöthung, escapes to take refuge near Fafnir's cave, where she will give birth to Sigfried.

Siegfried
Young Sigfried was raised by Mime, a Nibelung dwarf, who plans to use him to gain the ring for himself. Working at his forge in a cave in the great forest, Mime tries in vain to rejoin the pieces Siegmund's sword hoping Siegfried could kill Fafnir with it. Mime wins a wager with a wanderer, ( Odin in disguise ) and the god tells the dwarf that only a warrior who has never learned fear could re-forge the magic sword. Siegfried manages to forge the pieces of his father's blade together and becomes the mortal favorite of Odin, receiving many blessings such as a Valkyrian flying horse.

As a young man, he slays the dragon, Fafnir and siezes the ring. A bath in the dragon's blood makes him impervious to injury everywhere save one small spot where a leaf has clung to his back. He accidentally tastes Fafnir's blood which gives him the power to understand the forest birds. He learns of Mime's plan to kill him for the ring, and Siegfried kills him first. In a rocky wilderness, Odin calls Erta up from the Earth. He tells her that, far from fearing the twilight of the gods, he desires it. He allows Siegfried to keep the ring by means of which he and Brünhilde will be able to masterthe world. A bird leads Siegfried to the sleeping Brünhilde. Siegfried plunges through the fire and rouses Brünhilde with a kiss.

Die Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the gods )
Later, when Brünhilde sends Siegfried on a Rhine journey he meets the sons of Alberich the nibelung, Hagen, Gunther, and Gutrune. He is tricked into drinking a potion by Hagen that destroys his memory and then he is decieved into betraying Brünhilde. He regains his memory and is stabbed in the back by Hagen. Gunther was then killed in a struggle for the ring. When Brünhilde learns that Siegfried had been tricked into betraying her, she takes the ring from his finger and rides up onto his funeral pyre.
In the distance Valhalla burns and the gods are destroyed.
|
"Tales of Asgard"
|
|
|
THE PROTECTORS OF THE EARTH Introducing: A new series of illustrations called "Tales of Asgard" based on the prose and poetic Edda featuring the legends of the Aesir, heathen gods of the icy northlands. The first of which is "The Giant Killers" featuring the All-father, Odin, [far right] the father of victory and the king of the Norse pantheon. He is also associated with war, Cunning, trickery, magic and poetry among many other things. He is shown with his magical spear Gungir fashioned by the dwarfs shouldered and accompanied by his pet wolves and Ravens. Odin had 200 other names including The Old High German "Woten" [Wooten's Day AKA Wednesday] upon whom the legend of Santa Claus is based. His son Thor, the god of thunder Old High German Donar- from whom Thor's day AKA Thursday is named is shown with his mighty hammer Mjolnir. Also accompanying them is Loki, half-giant [Jotunn] and half-Aesir. Loki's parentage has been the subject of scholarly debate for centuries. He was the god of fire and mischief and father of Hel and Fenrir the Wolf. [far left]. The All-father and his companions are shown here on horseback in the snowy mountains of Jotunheimr, one of the nine worlds of Nordic cosmology on an expedition hunting for their mortal enemies, the Frost Giants. |
|
The greatest souls of women warriors, and those strong and beautiful women whom Odin favored, became the Valkyries. |
|
|
"The Dragon Níđhöggr" (nēd'hśg-arr) is the second illustration based on the prose and poetic Edda of Norse mythology, compiled and written in the 13th century from surviving traditional sources by Snorri Sturluson. Here the serpent is shown in an icy subterranean cavern roaring in defiance before returning to gnawing at the root of the world tree, named Yggdrasill. In Norse myth, Nidhoggr or"the tearer of corpses" is a gigantic and monstrous serpent-like creature that gnaws continually and persistently at the deepest root of the World Tree, threatening to destroy it. The serpent is always bickering with the eagle that resides near the highest part of the tree. Nidhoggr lies on Nastrond in Miflhiem and eats corpses to sustain itself. It is not the only serpent whose mission it is to destroy the World Tree; the other dragons include Grafvolluth, Graback, Goin and Moin. Yggdrasill (Old Norse: Ig-ID-rass-il). The immense world tree is at the very center and heart of Norse cosmology; and surrounding the tree are nine worlds. The gigantic ash tree is extremely sacred. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to hold court. The branches of Yggdrasil reach up into the heavens, and the tree is fed by three roots that extend far away; one to the well Urđarbrunnr, one to the spring Hvergelmir, and another to the well Mímisbrunnr. Many creatures live within Yggdrasil, including the wyrm (dragon) Níđhöggr, Odin's mystical eagle, and the stags Duraţrór, Dáinn, Dvalinn, and Duneyrr . |
"The Dragon Níđhöggr" MMXI |
|
~Look for several more new illustrations from the Nordic mythos in 2011! |
|
![]()
Other legends of the ancient Teutons...
Thor and the Fire Trolls MM (mixed media) |
The Mighty Thor, shown here as a very young man, was known primarily as the thunder god was also the Norse god of war and agriculture. he was among the great gods of the Aesir, Mighty Thor was second only to Odin, his father. His mother was Fiörgyn, and Loki, his half-brother, was a frequent companion on his adventures. His name is the Teutonic word for thunder, outside the Teutonic areas, he has close affinities with Jupiter or Zeus. He was worshipped as Thunor, or Thonar in ancient England. His hammer, also created by the dwarfs, was aptly called Mjölnir (crusher ) was as destructive as the thunderbolts of Zeus in punishing wrongdoers. It was the most potent weapon against the Frost Giants, Fire Trolls and other enemies. When Thor hurled it, it returned to his hand after hitting it's target. When Thor put on his magic belt his already enormous strength was doubled. The creators of these marvels, the Dwarfs were a class of clever supernatural beings not unlike elves and fairies, noted for skill at metalworking and serving the gods. Thor, is for whom Thursday or Thor's day was originally named. He was apparently more widely worshipped more than any other god by the ancient Norsemen. The evolution of the popular Thor Mythology continues to this day in comic books, video games, and motion pictures. |
Kriemhilde's Revenge - (from earlier versions of The Nibelungenlied )
THE REVENGE OF KRIEMHILDE: The Lady Kriemhilde (A.K.A. Grimhild, Hild, Brünhild) Her name means armored warrior woman and the English word Grim derives from her name too. In her earliest legends she was originally a daemonic mythical figure representing darkness and death. Like the legendary King Arthur, she was also a historical figure, wife of Attila the Hun and sister of Gunther. (453 A.D.) She marries Attila in one reliable historical account and kills him in revenge for the death of her former husband on their wedding night. I have illustrated her here in the 13th century Middle High German mythic version preparing to confront her cowardly brothers with her dead husbands shield and sword, demanding action! Siegfried was the Nordic peoples greatest hero and chief dragonslayer his story is similar to The Iliad and the Odessey of the Greeks. In another version she demands revenge for her murdered father. She is depicted here as the heroine of the The Nibelungenlied, greatest epic of Teutonic Mythology. |
|
Thank You For Visiting the Norse Myths and Legends Art Page of Howard David Johnson...
All images copyright 1993-2011 Howard David Johnson all rights reserved.
*****
Enter a world of Beauty and Imagination...


The Realistic Art Galleries of Contemporary American Illustrator Howard David Johnson

|
Admission Free Fantastic & Realistic Virtual Art Exhibits Deutsch Francais Italiano De Portugese Espanol Dutch Japanese Chinese Click on these Fun Educational Realistic Art Gallery icons (below) for two-fisted tales of valor & frontline combat featuring legendary warriors of history, Olympian gods & monsters, mythic unicorns, dragons, fairies, & romance... All these pieces of realistic art and the text are legally copyrighted and were registered with the U.S. Library of Congress Office of Copyright by the author, Howard David Johnson All rights reserved worldwide. Permission for many academic or non-commercial uses is freely and legally available by simply contacting the author via e-mail or visiting www.howarddavidjohnson.com/permission.htm to view his terms of use. |
|
Howard David Johnson's works have been published all over the world. With a background in traditional media including oils, pastels & colored pencils, he embraces leading edge digital media in the creation of his depictions of fantasy, folklore, mythology, legend, religion, and heroic history. He works in and mixes a wide variety of media and is always experimenting, sometimes re-working existing pictures in various different media such as * Oil paintings * Acrylic Paintings * Prismacolor Paintings * Drawings * Chalk & Oil Pastel Paintings * Photography * Digital Artistry & Mixed Media * Who is Artist and Photographer Howard David Johnson? In David's invitation to the Florence Biennale Contemporary Art Exhibition, (a partner in the United Nations' Dialog among Nations), UN Secretary General Kofi Anon wrote him: "Artists have a special role to play in the global struggle for peace. At their best, artists speak not only to people; they speak for them. Art is a weapon against ignorance and hatred and an agent of public awareness... Art opens new doors for learning, understanding, and peace among nations."
This Art Gallery has been honored by more than 25 million Unique Visitors from the Four Corners of the Earth: My Friends from around the world thus far :
England, Canada, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Germany, France, Monaco, Andorra, Italy, The Vatican City State, Greece, Macedonia, Cyprus, Turkey, Belgium, Denmark, The Faroe Islands, Greenland, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slovakia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, Romania, Spain, The Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Malta, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Portugal, Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Gibraltar, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Algeria, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Oman, The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Morocco, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, The Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Angola, Ghana, The Ivory Coast, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Nigeria, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, Eritrea, Tanzania, Botswana, Malawi, Senegal, Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa, Viet Nam, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Nuie, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, American Samoa, Australia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, The Heard and McDonald Islands, The Philippines, Guam, Palau, Cocos Island, The Kingdom of Tonga, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalem, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Chagos Islands, The Republic of Maldives, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Aruba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Suriname, Guyana, Aruba, The Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Virgin Islands, The Netherlands Antilles, Panama, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Grenada, Ecuador, Belize, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, Anguilla, The Bahamas, Honduras, Mexico, and my home, The Great Free State of Texas... If your home is not listed here please e-mail and tell us where you're from... info@howarddavidjohnson.com We love hearing from you! Your business, letters & links are always welcome. E-mail for courteous service... POSTER ART ART BOOKS PUBLISHING LICENSES BUY ORIGINAL ART ART INSTRUCTION Your business, letters, & links are always welcome "Lo there, do I see my father- Lo there do I see my mother and my sister and my brothers - Lo there I do see the line of my people back to the beginning - Lo they do call to me - they bid me to take my place among them - in the hallowed halls of Valhalla - where the brave shall live forever!" ~ Viking Funeral Prayer (Norway ca.500-1000 A.D.?)
Thank You For Visiting the Norse Myths and Legends Art Page of Howard David Johnson... All images copyright 1993-2011 Howard David Johnson all rights reserved. *****
ON SALE NOW from BRANDYWINE PRESS! These beautifully printed 11" x 8.5" 64 page hardcover and trade paperback versions feature 48 full page interior plates in full color starting at only $14.99 USD. Less than the price of a single poster! Featuring Realistic Mythological and Fairy Art created in a style inspired by Classic Illustrators by American Artist & Photographer Howard David Johnson. And new for 2012 - our GIANT sized 48 x 35 cm 12 month Angel Art Calendar! Click on the covers to order the books or Calendars from our vendor Lulu.com
"Those who are enamoured of practice without science are like a pilot who goes into a ship without rudder or compass and never has any certainty where he is going. Practice should always be based upon a sound knowledge of theory, of which perspective is the guide and gateway, and without it nothing can be done well in any kind of painting."
Bonus Section: Personal Opinion Essays on Realistic Art yesterday and today by the artist. In addition to his mastery of traditional media, Howard David Johnson now combines drawing, painting, photography, and digital media with more than thirty years of experience in these fields to create his Realistic Art Numérica in 21st century paintings and pictures. Did you know the Greek word "Photography" means "Painting with Light"? Today with the advent of computers it truly lives up to it's name. Due to developments in Art and Technology, a broader definition of painting is needed than that which is found in common usage. Announcing Art Numérica -an exciting merger of traditional visual art and cutting edge technology... a new art form for the twenty- first century... Art Numérica is not limited to realistic art but also offers limitless horizons for everything from cartoons to absttactions. It is the most dramatic development in the visual arts since the Renaissance. In the words of Al Jolson in the movie world's first talking picture" You ain't seen nothin' yet!"
"Painting, in art, the action of laying colour on a surface, or the representation of objects by this means. Considered one of the fine arts" ~Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Painting. noun. 1.) The act or employment of laying on colors or paints. 2.) The art of forming figures or objects in colors on canvas or any other surface, or the art of representing to the eye by means of figures and colors any object; the work of an illustrator or painter. 3.) A picture; a likeness or resemblance in shape or colors. 4.) Colors laid on. 5.) Delineation that raises a vivid image in the mind; as in word painting. ~ Webster's Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language
The Rebirth of Realism More thoughts on realistic art yesterday and today by the artist Art History has entered a new era with the birth of Art Numérica, or digital art media in the 21st century. Artists never stop exploring with mediums. Artists have been developing techniques, experimenting with different tools since at least twenty- five thousand years ago, when the first artist picked up a charred stick and scratched a picture out on the wall of his cave. You'd think everything would have been tried by now, but it hasn't. Exploring new mediums this very day is just as exciting, just as full of freshness and newness as it ever was.
Early abstract art masters proved themselves as realistic artists before delving into realms of the intangible. They had to do this at that time to prove themselves because of the challenges they faced from the establishment for going against the status quo. In the latter part of the 20th century, realistic artists like HDJ were challenged to do abstract art to prove themselves as shown in the example above (Deirdre of the sorrows). Later realistic art training was abandoned in most schools and things like splattering paint in fits of rage were deemed more than enough. By the end of the 20th century something as destructive and ridiculous as nailing a pack of cigarettes to a shoe was considered fine art but not realistic paintings. Fashions in art have often been as silly as fashions in ladies hats. As the century drew to a close, many people had had enough. The realistic revolt was at hand. The rebirth of realism was fueled by the advent of the digital era. Now, for the first time in almost two centuries, an artist or illustrator could earn a decent living again with his realistic art. This is historic. Realistic art is not going to go away, especially now that photography has truly merged with traditional realistic visual art. Photography comes from the Greek words meaning "painting with light". Now with the advent of digital media the capability of realistic art has become almost limitless, truly, "painting with light". The merger of all the world's art forms to realize the potential of motion pictures has come now to still realistic art media. This website for example, combines music, prose, poetry, photography and traditional realistic art media to create an experience beyond merely looking at realistic paintings. The twenty- first century is already seeing a new renaissance in the arts because of the world wide web. There has never been anything like it. Abstract art, computer art, photographic art, and realistic art are continuing to be separate schools of art but are also blending to create exciting new horizons. Although Digital art does offer completely new horizons to the artist in the 21st century it does not mean the end of our time honored art traditions. Instead, it offers additional ways to keep these traditions and schools of thought fresh and alive. ~ HDJ ***** Thank You For Visiting the Norse Myths and Legends Art page of Howard David Johnson... All images and text copyright 2010 Howard David Johnson . All rights reserved. ***** |
|||||||||||||||||||||||