Discover more about the history of art and what happened on this day in the past.

Preston Dickinson

Born Sep 9, 1899, NYC, Dickinson was an early US adopter of cubist and futurist techniques, focusing on industrial subjects such as factories and granaries. Early works were imaginary but later he shifted to more realistic works. Here’s: Factory

Shiko Munakata

Born 5 Sep 1903 in Japan, Munakata was known for his woodblock prints. A zen buddhist, local folk festivals were a key theme for him. Initially working in b/w he changed to colouring his work using a technique called urazaishiki.

John Saccaro

Born 2 Sept 1913, Saccaro was an American abstract expressionist artist from the SF bay area. Think slashing, angular brush work and high contrast colours. @SFMOMA – do you have any of his work?

William Walton

Born in Illinois, Aug 20 1909, Walton was a journalist and abstract expressionist. Friends with both Hemingway and JFK, he served as a parachutist in WW2, and possibly as a spy in Russia after JFK’s death. Not dull. Here’s his view of wartime London.

Gustave Caillebotte

Born 19 Aug 1848 in Paris to a wealthy family, Gustave was a lawyer, engineer and painter, of the realism/impressionism school. A bit of an enigma, he took up painting after fighting in the Franco-Prussian war. Here’s Pont de l’Europe.

John Koch

Born 18 Aug 1909 in Ohio, Koch originally painted with impressionist tendencies but came to be known for highly realistic, light-filled pieces, often set in his own apartment in Manhattan and including himself in the painting. Here’s: Conversation.

Larry Rivers

Born Aug 17 1923 in the Bronx, Rivers was considered by some to be the Godfather of Pop Art, one of 11 artists featured in the original Terrain Gallery exhibition. Living at the Chelsea Hotel put him right in the middle of the 60s/70s rock scene. Here’s: Woman reclining in a yellow robe.

Edwin Fulwider

Born Aug 15 1913, Indiana, Fulwider established a studio at the age of 25, devoting his time to painting and printmaking. While living in Northwest US, he became known for landscapes and industrial scenes – and trains; this is Sidelined.

Claude Joseph Verner

Born 12 Aug (or 14 Aug -there’s some debate) 1714, Vernet was born in Avignon. After helping his father decorate sedan chairs, he moved on to become a fine, if immodest, landscape painter. Here’s one of his coastal scenes.

Godfrey Kneller

Born 8 Aug 1646, Kneller was a leading portrait painter of his day, working for British and European royalty. His series “Beauties” hangs at Hampton Court. The Chinese Convert (1687) shows the first visit of a Chinese man to England, and was ordered by King James II.

Emil Nolde

Born 7 Aug 1867, Nolde’s original surname was Hanson, he changed his name to that of his German birthplace. An expressionist, he was assocatied with Die Blaue Reiter and Die Brücke. This is: Sunflowers.

Andy Warhol

Born Aug 6 1928, Pittsburgh PA. What needs to be said about Warhol? We’ve all seen the soup cans, the bananas, Marilyn and Jackie. Simply iconic. This is one of his later works, Vesuvius II