Nocturne in Blue and Silver: the Lagoon, Venice

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James Abbott McNeill Whistler

(American, 1834-1903)

Nocturne in Blue and Silver: the Lagoon, Venice, 1880

Oil on canvas

Grainger Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne

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Louis H. Grimshaw

(English, 1870-1943)

Grainger Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1902

Oil on canvas

Night

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Simeon Solomon

(English, 1840-1905)

Night, 1890

Oil on canvas

The flowers in this painting seem to be poppies, which are traditional symbols of sleep and death.

The Star of Bethlehem

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Edward Burne-Jones

(British, 1833-1898)

The Star of Bethlehem, 1888-91

Oil on canvas

Nativity with St. Francis and St. Laurence

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Caravaggio

(Italian, 1571-1610)

Nativity with St. Francis and St. Laurence, 1609

Oil on canvas

Caravaggio, of course, is always original. His Mary is in disarray, and slumps back in exhaustion - in fact, like any woman who has just given birth. Joseph gazes unblinkingly at the little form on the floor -  new life, so full of promise. The shepherds crowd around, talking among themselves. An angel hovers overhead, holding the banner that proclaims 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo'.

from a website of biblical art

The Nativity

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Edward Burne-Jones

(British, 1833-1898)

The Nativity, 1888

Oil on canvas

Called The Nativity, its true subject is the redemption of mankind through cycles of birth, death, and rebirth exemplified by the life of Christ. The somber mood of the scene results not only from muted coloring and static figures, but also from many symbols of death: the crown of thorns, chalice, and urn; the shroudlike garments; and the draping of the manger reminiscent of a bier. The Latin inscription refers to the Resurrection: Because of the misery of the poor and the groaning of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord. As in the unusual iconography of The King and the Shepherd, nearby, this inscription is a subtle allusion to the social miseries of Victorian Britain. 

from the website of the Carnegie Museum of Art

Abbey in an Oak Forest

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Caspar David Friedrich

(German, 1774-1940)

Abbey in an Oak Forest, 1810

Oil on canvas

Mother and Child

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Franz Dvorak

(Austrian, 1862-1927)

Mother and Child, ????

Oil on canvas

The Confession

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John Collier

(English, 1850-1924)

The Confession, 1902

Oil on canvas

Similar to Collier's other Problem Picture, Trouble. You can read more on the Problem Picture here, and see Frank Dicksee's painting of the same title.

Trouble

(click to enlarge)

John Collier

(English, 1850-1924)

Trouble, 1898

Oil on canvas

Collier produced numerous portraits and history pictures but he was best known for his so called 'problem pictures' which had open-ended psychological dramas left for viewers to interpret. In spite of Collier's protestation that 'the little tragedies of modern life' had 'perfectly plain' meanings, Trouble nevertheless remains ambiguous. A younger woman weeps to the left, while an older woman grips her sewing machine while looking anxiously at the shadows. What has transpired, and who is approaching? Are the women transgressors, or victims? Collier specialised in such moments of dramatic tension.

from Victorian / Edwardian Paintings blog.

Dancer at the Photographer's Studio

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Edgar Degas

(French, 1834-1917)

Dancer at the Photographer's Studio, 1875

Oil on canvas

Home Again

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John Atkinson Grimshaw

(English, 1836-1893)

Home Again, ????

Oil on board

I love how dark and scary this painting seems until you read the title. :)

The King's Daughter

 
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Lucien Victor Guirand de Scévola

(French, 1871-1950)

The King's Daughter, 1902

Pencil and watercolor

Head of a Lady in Medieval Costume

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Lucien Victor Guirand de Scévola

(French, 1871-1950)

Head of a Lady in Medieval Costume, 1900

Pencil and watercolor

Winged Figure Seated Upon a Rock

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Abbot Handerson Thayer

(English, 1849-1922)

Winged Figure Seated Upon a Rock, ????

Oil on canvas

 A later painting, Winged Figure Seated upon a Rock, was another canvas begun as an alternative conception of the Stevenson Memorial, but was not completed until years later. In 1914 Thayer transformed it into a memorial for his late wife, with his daughter Gladys posing for the figure and a Latin inscription translated as "Mother of my daughter! To you this monument" painted below.

 From the Wikipedia article on Thayer's painting Stevenson Memorial.

Stevenson Memorial

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Abbot Handerson Thayer

(English, 1849-1922)

Stevenson Memorial, 1903

Oil on canvas

 Abbott Thayer was moved by the writing of Robert Louis Stevenson, whose dramatic characterizations of human conflict resonated with the artist. . . . The rock that she sits upon bears the word VAEA, and in the darkness behind her is a small palm tree. VAEA refers to a mountain in the Samoan Islands, atop which Stevenson was buried after his death in 1894. Although he later painted over them, originally Thayer inscribed Stevenson's name and coat of arms across the top of the canvas. After its completion the painting was exhibited in museums across the country, to popular and critical acclaim.

From the Wikipedia article on this painting.

Night and Her Daughter Sleep

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Mary Lizzie Macomber

(American, 1861-1916)

Night and Her Daughter Sleep, ????

Oil on canvas

St. Francis in Prayer

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Caravaggio

(Italian, 1571-1610)

St. Francis in Prayer, 1606

Oil on canvas

Silence

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Henry Fuseli

(Swiss, 1741-1825)

Silence, 1799-1800

Oil on canvas

Isabella and the Pot of Basil

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John White Alexander

(American, 1856-1915)

Isabella and the Pot of Basil, 1897

Oil on canvas

I posted a painting of the same subject just a few days ago. How different they are! This one is (obviously) much darker. I think it's very original and memorable.