Paper Three (3) Surrealism/Dorothea Tanning

The Yale Art Gallery was not one that I fancied unlike the Wadsworth which was a delightful surprise. I was about to exit the gallery when I saw the piece Reve (Dream) 1944, Dorothea Tanning, American, born 1910, Oil on canvas. It was unusual and amusing. My research led me to discover that Dorothea Tanning is one of the last living members of the Surrealist Movement. Andre Breton, a French poet launched the Surrealist Movement with the publication of his Manifesto of Surrealism, in Paris in 1924. Breton was influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis.

Freud identified a deep layer of the human mind where memories and our most basic instincts are stored. He called this the unconscious, since most of the time we are not aware of it. The aim of Surrealism was to reveal the unconscious and reconcile it with rational life. The Surrealists did this in literature as well as art.

Surrealism also aimed at social and political revolution and for a time was affiliated to the Communist party. There was no single style of Surrealist art but two broad types are the oneiric (dream-like) work, and the automatism. Freud believed that dreams revealed the workings of the unconscious, and his famous book The Interpretation of Dreams was central to Surrealism. Automatism was the Surrealist term for Freud's technique of free association, which he also used to reveal the unconscious mind of his patients. Surrealism had a huge influence on art, literature and the cinema as well as on social attitudes and behavior.

Dorothea was the fourth wife to Max Ernst (known to many as “one of the gods”) to Surrealism. Tanning was born in Galesburg, Illinois, August 25, 1910, where she worked as a librarian. In 1930 she briefly studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, and moved to New York City where she spent her time studying art in galleries and museums.

Dorothea lived in Paris for several years and met Max Ernst (when he was married to Peggy Guggenheim) at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York where many of the Surrealists were exiled during World War II. Dorothea and Max married in 1946. Through her husband she became acquainted with the Surrealists world.

Although she married Max his work had no perceivable influence on her. Dorothea's subjects were mainly figures, interior views, and still life; the mediums oil and watercolor.

Tannings earlier surrealist evocations consisted of perverse children's games and fantasies to experiments with different paintings, and later sculptural approaches. In the late 1930's she painted young women and their sexual fears and fantasies in a hyper-realistic way. Beginning in the 1950's, however, her work became more abstract with sexual and violent images not quite clearly discernable; her involvement with symbolic and dream material has remained constant.

Despite the well-known photograph of Tanning and Ernst in Arizona, they spent much of their time in France from the late 1940s until his death. She is consequently much better known in Europe than in the U.S., though she is finally beginning to be as well known in her native country as in her adopted one.

Dorothea Tanning had her first one-woman exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery in 1944.

Dorothea Tanning
American, born 1910
Reve (Dream)
1944 - Oil on canvas

Mini purses in a shell...

Notice how some purses are open while are others shut

Some purses contain money while others are empty

Some purses have smoke coming out of them while others have fire

And the one purse outside of the shell

contains something other than money...

Are those pebbles?

And if you look closely there is one that is not a purse, but an outline of a purse.

Unique best describes Dorothea Tanning.

Paper Number Two (2)

One of the advantages of working at a college is the summer hours so this past Friday I spent the day at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT. I had no idea a museum of this caliber existed in Hartford never mind the fact that it is the home to nearly 50,000 works of art spanning 5,000 years. The collections include Renaissance and Baroque paintings, Mediterranean antiques, seventeenth-century American furniture and decorative arts, textiles and costumes, Meissen porcelain, African-American art and artifacts, American landscapes, European and American impressionist paintings, and modern and contemporary art.

The current exhibitions on view are the Connecticut Contemporary which features over 100 works by local, talented artists, Picasso to Pop: Aspects of Modern Art, Faith and Fortune: Five Centuries of European Masterworks, and For the Love of the Game, Race and Sport in America.

I was about to enter a section of the museum when from the corner of my eye I saw this luminescent color of blue, and knew instantly it was the work of Maxfield Parrish. As a young girl Ansel Adams and Maxfield Parrish were my introduction to the art world. Maxfield Parrish was one of America’s most beloved artists who worked during the “Golden Age of American Illustration". He was known to many Americans as the common man’s Rembrandt.

During his lifetime he achieved artistic renowned critical acclaim, and continues to hold the attention of audiences today. His work has been reproduced in calendars, books, advertisements, art prints, and magazines. Maxfield's murals and paintings utilized a unique juxtaposition of designed elements, luminescent colors, photorealistic subjects and romantic images of far-away, fantasy places. In the 1920’s Maxfield Parrish was so popular with the American people one out of four homes had his work hanging on their wall. Even today there is a high demand for his art prints which indicates America’s fondness for his work.

At Haverford College he studied architecture, and then dropped out to study painting. While living with his dad in Gloucester, Massachusetts he painted his first serious work, 'Moonrise', and simultaneously enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. At the Academy he became interested with the work of Howard Pyle and audited Pyle's first classes in illustration. Parrish realized that the use of historic subject matter captured the sentiments of the print audience.

Parrish attended a class at Yale where Jay Hambidge, a historian-illustrator lectured on a composition called “dynamic symmetry”– this system offered a formula for reproducing natural proportions in their works. This symmetry later became a major part of his art. In fact, all of his works are based around this technique. First, he did montage layouts which he would then paint. The final execution was almost etching-like, precisely articulated with romantic images of far-away fantasy places. The colors that appear in Parrish's works are so bold even today cobalt blue is referred to as "Parrish blue.”


Maxfield Parrish
American, 1870-1966
Study for Old Glen Mill, c. 1932 The colors are brillantly bright!

A peaceful place far-away... Serentiy...

Magical...

Wonderous...

A place to just be... Elegant...

Maxfield Parrish, there's only one... Thank you for joining me on this magical journey, until we meet again, I wish you peace...

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Hello, and welcome to the Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Art, located in Hartford, CT. Please follow me, and you will see a collection of wonderful treasures...

I took seventy five (75) photos - here are a few for you...

Tray, English, 1662 - Silk, satin-weave foundation over iron wire; embroidery in silk, raised work technique; glass beadwork; silk ribbons The Costume and Textile Purchase Fund

Crucifixion, French, 16th century, Leonard Limousin, I. c. 1505-1575/1577, Enamel on copper

Such vibrant colors!!!

Daniel Maclise, Irish, 1806-1870, The Disenchantment of Bottom, 1832, Oil on canvas

"Fairy Painting" was a category of painting in 19th century England, and this was one of the earliest works in the genre.

Georgia O'Keeffe, American, 1887-1986, The Lawrence Tree, 1929, Oil on canvas

Georgia's career was launched in New York by Alfred Stieglitz, the photographer who she eventually married.

Childe Hassam, American, 1859-1935, Nymph of the Siren's Grotto, 1909, Oil on canvas Paul Gauguin, French, 1843-1903, Nirvana: Portrait of Meyer de Haan, c. 1889-1890, Oil and turpentine on silk

Meyer de Haan was a Dutch artist and one of the leading spokesmen of the Synthesist movement whose goals were the simplification of visual experience and an emphasis on symbolic content in painting.

Henri de Toulouse - Lautrec, French, 1864-1901, Jane Avril Leaving the Moulin Rouge, 1892, Gouache on board - Jane Avril star attraction, but off stage she is shown thoughtful and isolated, a melancholy figure.

Bath Tub - Roman, 100 B.C. - 100 A.D. Red Egyptian Porphyry Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Italian, Venetian, 1727-1804, The Building of the Trojan Horse, c. 1773-74, Oil on canvas

A classic... Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Italian, Roman school, 1571-1610, Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy, c. 1594, Oil on canvas

St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, died in 1226, and was canonized just two years later. One of the miracles most commonly associated with his life is his assumption of the Stigmata, the wounds that Christ recieved during the Crucifixion.

The Cabinet - see description belowCabinet

Flemish, mid-17th century

Ebony, tortoise, shell, ivory, gilt metal

The Cabinet was decorated in the workshop of Frans Francken the Younger, (1581-1642). The double doors reveal scenes of Noah and the ark and the construction of the Tower of Babel, while the hinged lid is decorated with a scene of Cain killing Abel. Thomas W. Dewing, American, 1851-1938, The Days, 1884-1886, Oil on canvas

Soft, and elegant...

Theodore Robinson, American, 1852-189, Beacon Street, Boston, 1884, Oil on canvas

Diego Rivera Mexican, 1886-1957. Girl with a Mask, 1939, Oil on canvas I hope you enjoyed viewing the latest collections, and hope to see you again soon.

Susan

Paper Number One (1)

My family is from Massachusetts, and they reside within close proximity to Boston. Although I have lived in CT for a few years, I am a Bostonian - born and bred. Yes, I am biased, I believe Boston is a wonderful city. It has everything: history, culture, art, architecture, the marathon, sports teams (yes, the Red Sox), the Harbor, Aquarium, Science Museum, Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, the Public Gardens, Newbury Street, Cambridge, the Charles, the Pops, and so much more. With its New England charm and European flair, “there’s no place like home.”

Boston has some of the best schools in the country: MIT, Wellesley, Smith, and Harvard (to name a few). The rivalry between Harvard and Yale continues so when my husband and I went to the Yale Center for British Art I wasn’t expecting much - to my surprise the exhibitions were great.

I was immediately drawn to John Frederick Lewis, 1805 – 1876, “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick” (Epistle of James, 5:15) oil on plywood panel, 1872, the colors in his painting were magnificent. Red, turquoise, orange, yellow, blue, violet and green - they were so vibrant they jumped out from the frame. I was also intrigued by the work of Frank Auerbach, born in 1931, oil on board, ca 1955. His portraits were of his friends, and their expressions were of utter despair and emptiness, his work is dark, disturbing, and hauntingly beautiful.

And then “it” happened. I was in awe of a painting by John Atkinson Grimshaw, 1836-1893, oil on canvas, ca. 1884 and the title: Evening Glow. I was mesmerized by the “light” in the painting. As I moved closer my eyes filled with tears, and I felt pure inner-peace, heavenly-like. I felt the presence of my mother, as though she was hugging me (she is deceased). My husband asked if I was alright, I answered yes, and proceeded to immerse myself in this painting.

Prior to becoming an aesthetic artist, John Atkinson Grimshaw worked as a railway clerk. In 1836 he was born in Leeds, and was the son of Arthur E. Grimshaw a policeman. His parents were opposed to his decision to make art his career. John was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, and he created vivid, highly finished landscapes. He slowly developed his own distinctive style, and subject matter. He became a consummate painter of twilight, night time, and autumnal scenes. John spent vacations in Scarborough, and many of his pictures were created there.

In the mid 1880’s he had a London Studio and painted nocturnal harbor and dockside pictures as well. His commercial success warranted him to purchase Knostrop Hall on the outskirts of the city. Rumor was he was a friend of Whistler. His paintings consisted of interiors, portraits, and fairy pictures, but his most accomplished pictures were of attractive sophisticated young women in opulent interiors.

In the early 1890s John’s style shifted in a new direction, showing Sand, Sea, Summer, and Fantasy of 1892, and At Anchor 1893. His formal style of painting was moving toward a freer, flowing, less informal style - perhaps influenced by Whistler. Unfortunately, this change of direction came to a halt when John Atkinson Grimshaw died of cancer in 1893.

My mother and I spent autumn afternoons (her favorite time of year) walking around Beacon Hill, sharing our lives with each other, as mothers and daughters often do. Ironic that she passed away on a warm, glowing autumn day.

John Atkinson Grimshaw and his painting Evening Glow reminded me of a precious gift, my mother's love.


Magical days,

and mystical ones...

Golden days...

and days to treasure...

Feel the warmth, of love around you

and embrace the life

you have been given.

Peace...

The Bruce Museum

At first glance the building gives an image of strength and power, with a contemporary twist - I was intriqued to see the exhibitions. If you park in the lower tier like I did, the stairs provide a great workout...let's go and explore...

The front of the museum is impressive.

As you enter you are greeted by a display of several books that are on sale - don't you just love consumerism?

In the beginning...

The women at the desk were lovely and informative - the security guard was nasty - self-importance is a major trait in lower-Fairfield County which I find amusing...I lived in New Canaan, CT for several years, the Bostonian Snob in me wanted to say: "get over yourself" :) ...okay let's see the first exhibition which is:

Fakes and Forgeries: The Art of Deception Exhibition
Examples of Western paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts that are imposters including some of the rarest, and most famous decpetive works.

Probably the work of Alfred Andre (French, 1839-1919)
The Last Supper
Plaque, painted enamel on copper, partly gilt
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of George Blumenthal, 1941
This painted enamel plaque with gilt details was atributed to the atelier of Jean Penicaud I, an artist who worked in enamel in sixteenth-century Limoges in France. Conservator and forger Alfred Andre restored the authentic Penicaud enamel, and someone in his studio copied the original. I was attracted to this because of the marvelous colors, and it was The Last Supper.


Luigi Parmiggiani (Italian, 1860-c.1932)
St. Michael and the Dragon

Made of parcel gilt silver with semi-precious stones, shows the archangel St. Michael battling the dragon of the Apocalypse. In 2006 The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, bought it for its permanent collection, feels that it is clearly based on a medieval prototype although no such elegant example in silver is known. The sculpture is an excellent example of the historicizing taste of its era. Luigi Parmiggiani, a well-known anarchist and forger, sold precious works in the medieval style to both the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Great shield - I want it.

Girl Skipping Rope Bank

Cast Iron with Polychrome

Designer: Philadelphia: James H. Brown

Manufacturer: Cromwell, CT - J. and E. Stevens Company

April 15, 1890

Originally created in brass by the designer, a mold of the original was made from which the cast copies were produced. The Stevens Company was noted for its cast iron toys and in the 1870's became the world's largest producer of mechanical banks.

John Myatt, in the manner of Joan Miro (Spanish, 1893-1983)

Harlequin Disturbs Sleeping Fish 2007

Mixed media on paper

Courtesy John Myatt

A decade of forging paintings and serving prison time, John Myatt continues to produce works of other artists. He sells his work legitimately, and the backs of his works bear the inscription: "Genuine Fake".

Probably Brigido Lara (Mexican, c. 1940) in the manner of the Late Classic period, 600-900 A.D.

Large Standing Figure

Believed by scholars to be a ceramic sculpture represented Cihuateoti, an ancient goddess of woman who die in childbirth, assumed that it originated in south-central Veracruz in Mexico. Experts believe this is not a remnant of an ancient civilization but, rather a modern work in an ancient style probably by Brigido Lara.

Recumbent Ibex

Black limestone

Brooklyn Museum, Anonymous Gift

Persian sculpture of a recumbent ibex in black limestone imitates the Achaemenian period. It was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when its authenticity was questioned - Technical analysis declared it a fake.

Unknown artist, in the manner of Andy Warhol

(American, 1930-1987)

Campbell Soup Cans

after Warhol's originals of 1962

Synthetic polymer on six canvases

FBI, New York Office, Major Theft SquadThe second exhibition was the:

The Bruce Museum - A Century of Change Exhibition

This exhibition showcases the Museum's nearly 100-year old history with photographs, decorative arts, sculptures, and natural history objects.

Frederick Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935)

The Mill Pond, Cos Cob, 1902 Oil on canvas Anonymous Gift

Urn, International Centre Piece, 1900

Irish, Belleek Pottery - Parian porcelain

Gift of Mrs. Horace V. Steadman

Originally, it was made for a table in a castle hall, today there are only three of them left intact.

I found this piece to be exquisite. Such detail!!!

It is so regal looking...

Jivaro Tsantsa

Shaur Indians

Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon, early 20th century- Gift of Mrs. Edward F. Smith, 1957

Purchased in Lima, Peru by Mr. Edward F. Smith.

After the ceremonial uses of the warfare trophies, the Jivaro Indians discarded or sold the tsantsa, or shrunken heads, as tourist trade items. This was wild!!!

John Frederick Kensett (American, 1816-1872)

Fourteen Mile Island, Lake George, 19th Century

Oil on canvas

Gift of George Norris Morgan - in memory of Ethel Boies Morgan, 1946

Early Morning in Connectituct, 1940

Oil on canvas

Museum purchase in memory of Eugene Gee Swartz, 1996

Matilda Browne (American, 1869-1947)

August Morning, c. 1919

Oil on canvas

Museum purchase 1919

The Permanent Exhibitions included: Changes in Our Land, The Mineral Gallery, and The Woodland Diorama - I had no desire to see stuffed animals, or minerals (I had my own collection as a kid) and as far as Changes in Our Land, I recently watched Al Gore's documentary.

I hope you enjoyed yourself...onward and upward to The MET and Wadsworth.