April 15

Leonardo da Vinci exemplified the Renaissance ideal, excelling in painting, sculpture, architecture, and science. Born in 1452 near Vinci, he studied anatomy, engineering, and optics to enhance his artistic vision. His notebooks contain innovative designs for flying machines, military engines, and anatomical studies. Among his most famous paintings are The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, revered for their realism and emotion. Leonardo’s interdisciplinary approach bridged art and science, influencing generations of creators. He died in 1519, leaving a legacy as one of history’s greatest geniuses.

Fasch studied music in Gotha and later directed court music in Zerbst and Dresden. He composed numerous orchestral suites, concertos, and sacred works that influenced future composers. His compositions are noted for their inventive harmony and rhythmic vibrancy. He maintained correspondence with contemporaries like Telemann and influenced the early classical style. Fasch's music was rediscovered in the 19th and 20th centuries, earning renewed appreciation.

Peale served as a colonel in the American Revolutionary War, providing sketches of battlefields. He painted portraits of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other founding fathers. Peale founded one of America's first museums in Philadelphia, combining art with natural history exhibits. He was also an inventor and innovator in museum display techniques, including movable walls. His artistic legacy influenced generations of American portraiture.

Wilhelm Busch was born in 1832 in Wiedensahl, Germany, and trained in art and architecture. He gained fame with his serialized illustrated tales of 'Max and Moritz', first published in 1865, which influenced modern comics. Busch's sharp wit and satirical verse captured the foibles of human nature, combining text and images in innovative ways. Beyond 'Max and Moritz', he produced numerous poems, paintings, and caricatures that critiqued social norms. His work laid the groundwork for later cartoonists and graphic storytellers. Busch's legacy endures in German culture as a pioneer of picture storytelling and a master of humorous illustration.

Georg Kolbe (1877-1947) was born in Königsberg and studied at the Munich Akademie under Stefan Schwartz. He became a leading figure in the Berlin Secession, championing modernist tendencies in sculpture. Kolbe's works, such as "Die Säugende" and public monuments in Berlin, are admired for their fluid forms and emotional vitality. He exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, and influenced a generation of sculptors. During the interwar years, he produced both public commissions and intimate studies of the human form. His legacy endures in the canon of 20th-century sculpture.

Born in 1889, Thomas Hart Benton emerged as a key figure in the American Regionalist art movement. His dynamic, fluid style captured scenes of rural life, industry, and social change across the United States. Benton taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Kansas City Art Institute, influencing a generation of artists. He completed monumental murals for institutions like the Missouri State Capitol. His work remains celebrated for its narrative power and technical skill. Benton died in 1975, leaving a lasting impact on American art.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1894, Smith began performing on street corners and in traveling shows as a teenager. Her powerful, soulful voice and emotional delivery made her the highest-paid African-American entertainer of the 1920s. She recorded classics like "Downhearted Blues" and collaborated with jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong. Smith also appeared in the 1929 film "St. Louis Blues," showcasing her dramatic talents on screen. Despite financial success, she faced the harsh realities of segregation and racism throughout her career. Her untimely death in a car accident in 1937 at age 43 cemented her legend in the history of American music.

Arshile Gorky (1904–1948) was a seminal figure in the development of American modern art. Born in Armenia and raised in the United States, he blended influences from Renaissance masters, Surrealism, and his cultural heritage. Gorky's fluid, biomorphic forms and vibrant colors paved the way for Abstract Expressionist artists. His masterpieces, such as The Liver Is the Cock's Comb, are celebrated for their emotional depth and innovation. Despite a tragic personal life marked by loss and mental health struggles, his legacy endures through exhibitions in major museums worldwide.

Born George Alexander Aberle, eden ahbez (1908–1995) was a visionary songwriter and recording artist whose lifestyle foreshadowed the hippie movement. He composed the 1948 hit 'Nature Boy', popularized by Nat King Cole, which won an Academy Award and became a jazz standard. Ahbez embraced a life close to nature, living outdoors and preaching health and spiritual ideals. He released the album Eden's Island and influenced musicians from the Beat Generation to the 1960s counterculture. His persona and philosophy left a lasting mark on American music and alternative lifestyles.

William Congdon trained in architecture and fine arts in the United States before relocating to Italy in the 1950s. His early work depicted gritty urban scenes with loose, gestural brushstrokes that captured the tension of city life. In Europe, Congdon's style evolved toward lyrical abstraction, often incorporating religious and philosophical themes. His sculptures in bronze and steel reflect a keen interest in form and material. Exhibited internationally, his artwork received critical acclaim in galleries across New York, Rome, and Milan. Later in his career, Congdon's teaching and writings influenced a generation of contemporary artists seeking to blend realism with abstraction.

Elizabeth Catlett studied at Howard University and the University of Iowa, becoming one of the first Black women to earn an MFA in sculpture. She moved to Mexico City in 1946 on a Guggenheim Fellowship and spent most of her career there, drawing inspiration from Mexican muralists. Catlett's art, including the 'Sharecropper' series and linocut prints, powerfully depicts African-American experiences and feminist themes. She taught art for decades at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Catlett received awards such as the Logan Medal of the Arts and the National Sculpture Society's Medal of Honor. Her work continues to inspire artists and activists worldwide, combining aesthetic innovation with political commitment.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Alberto Breccia moved to Argentina where he became a pioneering figure in graphic novels. He is celebrated for his experimental illustration techniques and collaborations with prominent writers like Héctor Germán Oesterheld. His notable works include Mort Cinder and Sherlock Time, where his dark, expressionistic style redefined Latin American comics. Breccia's innovative use of textures, shadows, and unconventional layouts influenced generations of comic artists worldwide. He received numerous accolades for his contributions to the art form before his death in 1993.