Jarrod Ranney Oil Paintings

In my opinion, the best way is to get to k ow the artist through their works. AI is fine as a tool, like a ruler, but since art is a way to connect with others I say go connect with the art. And the artist.

Is That Painting a Lost Masterpiece or a Fraud? Let’s Ask AI A dubious “Van Gogh” has sparked a battle between technology, connoisseurs, and the high-stakes art market. What does AI, which is transforming art authentication, have to say about the verdict?

The buffalo (or more properly a bison) on the reverse of the buffalo nickel is said to have been modeled on a bison named Black Diamond, a resident of the New York Central Park Zoo. But a 1926 article in The Numismatist informed collectors that the real model was a buffalo named Bronx, who, fittingly enough, was a member of the Bronx Zoological Park herd.

James Earle Fraser married his former student, Laura Gardin, in 1913, the first year of the Buffalo nickel. She proved to be an outstanding sculptor in her own right and was either a designer or co-designer of several of the classic commemoratives. She was also the originally-selected designer of the Washington quarter before Andrew Mellon replaced her sculpture with one by the now familiar John Flanagan sculpture. Her portrait of George Washington is currently being used as the obverse on the American Women quarter series.

The husband-wife duo co-designed the 1926-1939 Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar, which is considered by many to be the most attractive of the classic commemoratives. Laura designed the side with the standing Indian, whereas her husband designed the side with the Conestoga wagon.

I was reading Cornelius Vermeule‘s book “Numismatic Art in America” and one of his criticisms of James Earle Fraser’s Buffalo Nickel is that it looks as if it was carved from stone and not a refined metal sculpture. That hand-carved look is why it’s one of my favorites. In fact, I prefer the Buffalo nickel with a little less luster to maintain that illusion of being one of the sculptures he was famous for.

If you’ve ever visited the Franklin institute in Philadelphia, you’ve seen Mr. Fraser’s work in person. It’s the 20-foot tall marble sculpture of Benjamin Franklin that is impossible to miss.