Melville Holmes, Artist

"Old Master Dialogues"

mholmesart@gmail.com ● 509-838-6878 ● Spokane, WA

Gallery

A small gallery of works by Melville Holmes with recurring themes of the human figure, the “Beautiful City,” objects of contemplation, and idyllic landscapes.

“A River Through the City.” oil on linen 24X32″ 1995
oil on linen 6×11″ 1991
oil on linen 24×30″ 1999
oil on linen 18 1/4″ x25 3/4″ 1994
oil on paper 16 x 8 1/2″ 2012
“Reflections.” oil on linen 40X30″ 2005 owned by the Davenport Hotel
oil on museum board 9 x 16″ 1996
oil on linen 18×24″ 1993
oil on linen 24×30″ 1988
Painting commission; house portrait
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The Influence of Chardin

One of Holmes’s earliest impressions of art came from a book that his mother checked out from the library in 1963.  It was Chardin by Georges Wildenstein.  If one concurs with the opinions reported therein to have  been held by Chardin’s contemporaries, it is that no one should ever again paint like Chardin–not even Chardin! … More The Influence of Chardin

Elements of Varnish Making

“It took many years to realize how great a gulf separates the contemporary artist from his or her seventeeth-century counterpart. There are few teachers of the ‘old way,’ for there are no living links to the workshops of the ‘golden age’ where technical understanding and sound craftsmanship were the norm. Speculations about the ‘secret of … More Elements of Varnish Making

An Object of Contemplation

“Works of fine art are perhaps best distinguished from other human products in that, beyond any other function, they serve as objects of contemplation. A painting affirms its content, saying to the viewer: ‘Think on this.’  For example, the still-lifes of Chardin, the landscapes of Frederick Church, Vermeer’s View of Delft or Woman Holding a … More An Object of Contemplation

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Classic Holmes Still Life from Melville Holmes on Vimeo.

Using techniques derived from his studies of the materials and methods of the Old Masters, artist Melville Holmes has painted richly luminous, contemplative still life paintings for many years.