Winter 1882, Francesc Masriera

Oil on canvas, roughly 31 x 24″ (79 x 62 cm); link is to zoomable version on Google Art Project; downloadable file on Wikimedia Commons; original is in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which also has a zoomable image.

Catalan painter Francesc Masriera has give us a tour de force study of soft textures — from the variation in the fur of the muff, the tufts on the hat and tassels on the muff, the fabric of the hat and wrap, and the soft curls of the young woman’s hair — contrasted with the smoother textures of her sleeve and glove.

Adoration of the Magi, Peter Paul Rubens

Link is to Wikimedia Commons; original is in the Royal Museum Antwerp.

17th century Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens’ multi-faceted penchant for drama is in evidence here, in the pyramidal arrangement of the figures — topped of by camel riders peering under the rafters — the great assortment of facial expressions, the flowing drapery of robes, and the dynamic poses of even the most static figures.