Taurus Self-portraits

Leonardo's newly discovered self-portrait.
His Sun is at 3° Taurus adjusted
from the gregorian calendar.

Many years ago, I used to work with a lot of graphic designers. Of course, all sun signs were represented in this group, but the one that cropped up most often was Taurus.

Taurus is ruled by Venus, of course, who is the planet of art as well as of love and beauty. Venus's genius is the creation of harmony. 

One of the things I notice with these Taurean artists is the raw talent. Leonardo da Vinci (left) is probably still the most famous artist who ever lived. He was a polymath - inventor, scientist and artist. But the thing most of us remember him for is his sheer brilliance at drawing.

JMW Turner - also 23 April

It's interesting that JMW Turner, the 19th century Londoner, chose to paint such a dark self-portrait, because he was famous for the way he captured light on canvas. He wasn't that great a draughtsman, but he made up for that by handling paint and colour with a fluency and vigour that is still fresh and exciting to look at now.

He was also seriously interested in making money - also a characteristic of the Bull.

Another Taurean artist with an interest in making a buck was Salvador Dali, who famously signed blank pieces of paper for other people to finish off. His signature was worth more than the work itself. It's a shame because he really could paint and draw.

Salvador Dali (May 11)

Joan Miro, April 20

Another Catalan surrealist Joan Miro was also born under the sign of the bull, although only just in sign. Miro is, of course, better known for his strange squiggly paintings filled with little characters and his bold colours.

On the other side of Europe in Germany, the expressionist Ernst Kirchner was experimenting with portraying himself in different costumes and settings. His bold, emotional work was called "degenerate" by the Nazis and he killed himself before the outbreak of World War II.

Ernst Kirchner, May 6.