Hierarchy that structures the Yakuza organization and how it operates its criminal activities like a world-class corporation.

In no particular order of importance these were – sculptress Rebecca Warren who was the fancied hot favourite with many bookies, “billboard artist” Mark Titchner – and finally film maker Phil Collins…(No not him of Genesis fame!).

When the judges cast their votes however it was Tomma Abts who came out on top. She won twenty five thousand british pounds and of course the Turner Prize itself. I am sure the money will come in handy – however its the exposure that Tomma will get from winning thats the really important thing here.

What does Tomma Abts do? Well she actually paints abstract art; usually in oils or acrylics. – something of a novelty for the Turner Prize – some would say! Tomma Abts was originally selected for her solo art exhibitions at Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland, and Greengrassi, London.

1. Tomma Abts has been praised by no less than the Tate Gallery who describes her canvases as “intimate” and “compelling”.
2. They also comment on Tommas “consistent” and even “rigorous” method of painting.
3. In addition the Tate states that Tomma Abts “enriches the language of abstract art”.
4. With such praise heaped upon her head its no surprise to me that she won the prize.
5. However I actually feel that Tommas abstract artwork isnt “knock out” but it definitely is OK.

The images or paintings of Tomma Abts are created by the repetiton of various geometrical shapes on a base of rich colour. Personally – I dont think that Tommas approach to painting is particularly original. However I have to admit that while not being “knock out” I find some of Tommas images pretty compelling and touching. I have to say that this does surprise me.

48 x 38 cms – exactly. These are the dimensions of every Tomma Abts painting. Im not sure quite why Tomma selected these dimensions. Obviously she finds them appealing and I suppose they make for a very compact painting.

When creating titles for her paintings apparently Tomma simply plucks one from a dictionary of German first names! Titles like “Veeke” for example were created in this way. In my view this is surely only slightly more interesting than numbering each picture!

All in all I think that Tomma Abts creates abstract art that is pretty accessible to the public at large. This is something that perhaps could not be said about the artwork of previous Turner Prize winners! I base my opinion of course on Tommas prize winning paintings. I would go further and state that I cannot conceive of a Tomma Abts creation offending anyone – even slightly.

In the end its just my personal opinion but I do believe that its entirely posible that Tomma Abts will go on to become a household name – within her own lifetime…Of course she could also disappear without trace from the media – and our minds in the blink of an eye, for precisely the same reasons.

Malaysia is blessed with some of the richest waters in the world, providing home to countless marine species, some of which are getting endangered and can’t be found in other seas. With such a diverse marine ecosystem, there’s no wonder why Malaysia is a top destination for many divers and is visited by both scuba diving enthusiasts and underwater photographers from all over the world. There are many dive sites in this country, and that includes the world-famous island of Borneo. For many diving enthusiasts and underwater photographers, to dive Borneo is to dive into a paradise of beautiful and truly captivating underwater life.

His family soon knew that he had the makings of an artist and, in 1620, when he could hardly have been more than sixteen, and may have been considerably less, he left Leyden University for the studio of a second-rate painter called Jan van Swanenburch. We have no authentic record of his progress in the studio, but it must have been rapid. He must have made friends, painted pictures, and attracted attention. At the end of three years he went to Lastmans studio in Amsterdam, returning thence to Leyden, where he took Gerard Dou as a pupil. A several years later, it is not easy to settle these dates on a satisfactory basis, he went to Amsterdam, and established himself there, because the Dutch capital was very wealthy and held many patrons of the arts, in spite of the seemingly endless war that Holland was waging with Spain.

His art remained true and sincere, he declined to make the smallest concession to what silly sitters called their taste, but he did not really know what to do with the money and commissions that flowed in upon him so freely. The best use he made of changing circumstances was to become engaged to Saskia van Uylenborch, the cousin of his great friend Hendrick van Uylenborch, the art dealer of Amsterdam. Saskia, who was destined to live for centuries, through the genius of her husband, seems to have been born in 1612, and to have become engaged to Rembrandt Van Ryn when she was twenty. The engagement followed very closely upon the patronage of Rembrandt Van Ryn by Prince Frederic Henry, the Stadtholder, who instructed the artist to paint three pictures.

1. Saskia is enshrined in many pictures.
2. She is seen first as a young girl, then as a woman.
3. As a bride, in the picture now at Dresden, she sits upon her husbands knee, while he raises a big glass with his outstretched arm.
4. Her expression here is rather shy, as if she deprecated the situation and realised that it might be misconstrued.
5. This picture gave offence to Rembrandt Van Ryns critics, but some portraits of Saskia remained to be painted.
6. She would seem to have aged rapidly, for after marriage her days were not long in the land.
7. She was only thirty when she died, and looked much older.

In 1638 we find Rembrandt Van Ryn taking an action against one Albert van Loo, who had dared to call Saskia extravagant. It was, of course, still more extravagant of Rembrandt Van Ryn to waste his money on lawyers on account of a case he could not hope to win, but this thought does not seem to have troubled him. He did not reflect that it would set the gossips talking more cruelly than ever. Still full of enthusiasm for life and art, he was equally full of affection for Saskia, whose hope of raising children seemed doomed to disappointment, for in addition to losing the little Rombertus, two daughters, each named Cornelia, had died soon after birth. In 1640 Rembrandt Van Ryns mother died. Her picture remains on record with that of her husband, painted ten years before, and even the biographers of the artist do not suggest that Rembrandt Van Ryn was anything but a good son. A year later the well-beloved Saskia gave birth to the one child who survived the early years, the boy Titus. Then her health failed, and in 1642 she died, after eight years of married life that would seem to have been happy. In this year Rembrandt Van Ryn painted the famous “Night Watch,” a picture representing the company of Francis Banning Cocq, and incidentally a day scene in spite of its popular name. The work succeeded in arousing a storm of indignation, for every sitter wanted to have equal prominence in the canvas.

It may be said that after Saskias death, and the exhibition of this fine work, Rembrandt Van Ryns pleasant years came to an end. He was then somewhere between thirty-six and thirty-eight years old, he had made his mark, and enjoyed a very large measure of recognition, but henceforward, his career was destined to be a very troubled one, full of disappointment, pain, and care. Perhaps it would have been no bad thing for him if he could have gone with Saskia into the outer darkness. The world would have been poorer, but the man himself would have been spared many years that may be even the devoted labours of his studio could not redeem.

Between 1642, when Saskia died, and 1649, it is not easy to follow the progress of his life; we can only state with certainty that his difficulties increased almost as quickly as his work ripened. His connection with Hendrickje Stoffels would seem to have started about 1649, and this woman with whom he lived until her death some thirteen years later, has been abused by many biographers because she was the painters mistress.

He has left to the world some 500 or 600 pictures that are admitted to be genuine, together with the etchings and drawings to which reference has been made. He is to be seen in many galleries in the Old World and the New, for he painted his own portrait more than a score of times. So Rembrandt Van Ryn has been raised in our days to the pinnacle of fame which is his by right; the festival of his tercentenary was acknowledged by the whole civilised world as the natural utterance of joy and pride of our small country in being able to count among its children the great Rembrandt Van Ryn.

Just like the citizens of the country, Costa Rica is widely considered by many to be one of the most pleasant places to visit Laced with delightful terrain and vista as well as its golden beaches and blue waves. Costa Rica is the paradise of holiday destinations. Visitors to the country are left reeling with its beauty and never leave with anything less than happy memories. Each year, Costa Rica is visited by millions of people. You could be one of them.

There are many museums of modern paintings all over the world. The modern paintings of the modern artists are exhibited in these museums. These museums of modern art have been successful in flourishing the contemporary art. Modern artists exhibit their modern paintings creations in the museum of contemporary art. Museum of modern art New york, Contemporary art museum Houston, museum of modern art paris, art museum of Fort worth are the famous museums of contemporary art. Contemporary art work can be seen in these modern art museums.These museums exhibit the popular contemporary paintings of the famous modern artists.

Modern Abstract Art

1. There are great number of painters of modern life.
2. They have created the modern abstract art on modern themes.
3. Modern artists paint colours in an artistic way.
4. Their contemporary oil paintings are pure form of fine arts.
5. History of modern art is full of great contemporary paintings from famous modern artists.
6. 19th century paintings and 20th century paintings are worth seeing.
7. Modern art movements have been in progress in recent times.
8. There are many contemporary art centers.
9. Contemporary art center Cincinnati and Contemporary art center of Virginia are the famous modern art center.
10. St.Louis contemporary art has been very much appreciated. Contemporary Christian artists

Modern art is also available for sale. Modern and contemporary art can be purchased from the modern art gallery. These contemporary art galleries offer the Original modern paintings of the famous contemporary artist. The reproductions of the famous contemporary paintings can also be purchased from these modern art galleries. These galleries also offer cheap price modern oil paintings.

Good News for lovers of modern art ! You can get Contemporary and Modern Oil Paintings of your own choice just by selecting the Model number of the Landscape Oil Painting or by sending the Photo of your required image. Our highly skilled modern artists can reproduce the contemporary paintings as per your given photo. Just click the Link of Contemporary paintings on our website (www.paintingsgifts4u.com) . For more details, Please contact us at : info@paintingsgifts4u.com.

Manhattan is the oldest, smallest and most densely-populated of the five boroughs of New York City. A borough is a unique form of government that administers the five fundamental constituent parts of the consolidated city. Technically, under New York State Law, a “borough” is a municipal corporation that is created when a county is merged with the cities, towns, and incorporated villages within it.

The First Theft:

The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption. The Most Famous Theft:

The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.

It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.

While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.

The Biggest Theft in the USA:

The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.

As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.

The Scream:

The painting by Edvard Munchs, The Scream, is probably the most sought after painting by art thieves in history. It has been stolen twice and was only recently recovered. In 1994, during the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, The Scream was stolen from an Oslo gallery by two thieves who broke through an open window, set off the alarm and left a note saying: thanks for the poor security.

Three months later, the holders of the painting approached the Norwegian Government with an offer: 1 million dollars ransom for Edvard Munchs The Scream. The Government turned down the offer, but the Norwegian police collaborated with the British Police and the Getty Museum to organize a sting operation that brought back the painting to where it belongs.

Ten years later, The Scream was stolen again from the Munch Museum. This time, the robbers used a gun and took another of Munchs painting with them. While Museum officials waiting for the thieves to request ransom money, rumors claimed that both paintings were burned to conceal evidence. Eventually, the Norwegian police discovered the two paintings on August 31, 2006 but the facts on how they were recovered are not known yet.