I have gone back and forth for months about whether or not I wanted to access any of the open source artwork that is part of the National Gallery of Art - but ultimately, I came to the realization that with the rise of AI, it's more important than *ever* to preserve and promote the work of REAL artists, living or dead.
On that note, my first foray into this project is the work of Jan van Kessel the Elder, specifically his work Vanitas Still Life, c. 1665/1670. I've always been mesmerized by the work of Flemish painters, specifically floral arrangements and still life. Somehow they manage to capture so much light in such dark pieces, and that's what really drew me to this piece.
Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
I've only just begun moving some elements around to create a print that can be used for what will most likely be a dress (it's got to be something epic!) and I'm already regretting not including the hourglass and bubble tray so I'll probably go back and start over again. (work in progress shot below)
The purpose of this post is to not only be as transparent as possible in my first attempt at this type of print design, but also, like I mentioned before, to preserve art and hopefully introduce our audience to some works they've never seen before!
You can read more about Jan van Kessel here: Jan van Kessel the Elder (nga.gov)
What are your thoughts on open source/public domain artwork? Let me know in the comments if there are any other specific artist you'd love to see us source!
-Johanna