10 Summer Activities Inspired by Iconic Artworks
DailyArt Magazine presents a list of ten summer activities inspired by famous artworks. The list includes walking, inspired by Frank Weston Benson's 'Summer' (1909, RISD Museum); beach fun, inspired by Jack Vettriano's paintings (born 1951, Methil, Scotland); picking flowers and fruit, inspired by Giuseppe Arcimboldo's 'Seated Summer Figure' (1573, West Dean House); horse riding, inspired by Jacques Louis David's 'Napoleon Crossing the Alps' (1801, National Museum of the Château de Malmaison); picnicking, inspired by Édouard Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe' (1863, Musée d'Orsay); sailing, inspired by Edward Hopper's 'Sailing' (1911, Carnegie Museum of Art); concerts, inspired by Fernando Botero's 'A Concert' (1995); biking, inspired by Ernest Zacharevic's 'Children on Bicycle' (2012, George Town, Penang, Malaysia); train travel, inspired by Augustus Leopold Egg's 'The Travelling Companions' (1862, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery); and lounging, inspired by Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' (1538, Uffizi Gallery). The article suggests these activities as ways to enjoy summer, drawing on the themes and settings depicted in the artworks.
Key facts
- Frank Weston Benson's 'Summer' (1909) at RISD Museum depicts his family on Penobscot Bay, Maine.
- Jack Vettriano, born in Methil, Scotland in 1951, painted beach scenes like 'The Singing Butler' (1992).
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo's 'Seated Summer Figure' (1573) at West Dean House is a Mannerist trompe-l'oeil.
- Jacques Louis David's 'Napoleon Crossing the Alps' (1801) is at the National Museum of the Château de Malmaison.
- Édouard Manet's 'Le Déjeuner sur l'Herbe' (1863) was rejected by the Paris Salon but exhibited at the Salon des Refusés.
- Edward Hopper's 'Sailing' (1911) is at the Carnegie Museum of Art; Hopper influenced Jack Vettriano.
- Fernando Botero's 'A Concert' (1995) features his signature spherical figures.
- Ernest Zacharevic's 'Children on Bicycle' (2012) is a public mural in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, part of the George Town Festival.
- Augustus Leopold Egg's 'The Travelling Companions' (1862) is at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, depicting the French Riviera.
- Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' (1538) at Uffizi Gallery represents a young maiden awaiting the 'toccamano' ritual.
Entities
Artists
- Frank Weston Benson
- Jack Vettriano
- Giuseppe Arcimboldo
- Jacques Louis David
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Édouard Manet
- Edward Hopper
- Fernando Botero
- Ernest Zacharevic
- Augustus Leopold Egg
- Titian
Institutions
- RISD Museum
- West Dean House (Edward James Foundation)
- National Museum of the Château de Malmaison
- Musée d'Orsay
- Salon des Refusés
- Carnegie Museum of Art
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
- Uffizi Gallery
- George Town Festival
- UNESCO
Locations
- Providence, RI, USA
- Penobscot Bay, Maine, USA
- Methil, Scotland, UK
- Sussex, UK
- Rueil-Malmaison, France
- Paris, France
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Nyack, NY, USA
- Colombia
- George Town, Penang, Malaysia
- French Riviera, France
- Florence, Italy