tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11650940017722505932024-03-14T02:51:51.844-07:00The Merry ScribeMerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-43335476169800519832012-09-29T05:39:00.000-07:002012-09-29T06:10:45.776-07:00SMART ART<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TLzPy53p_YI/UGYz1LPi-hI/AAAAAAAAAUc/H4CFduJ29HQ/s1600/oct06y+266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TLzPy53p_YI/UGYz1LPi-hI/AAAAAAAAAUc/H4CFduJ29HQ/s400/oct06y+266.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is my friend, Art.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He works as a security guard at the
Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I stumbled into him in one of the
galleries there.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Okay. . . . . .</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'll admit it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I was more than a little shocked to see
him sitting in the middle of the gallery on a chair.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But then I guess that's a pretty good
perch for someone in his profession.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm sure he doesn't miss much
from that front and center perspective.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Art is a really nice guy.</div>
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He's quiet.</div>
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A little shy.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He always greets his visitors with a
smile.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And a twinkle in his eye.</div>
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Oh, and by the way, he's not real.</div>
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Art is made from polyester resin and oil</div>
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His masterful creator, Marc Sijan, is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a brilliant artist and technician.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bQn-rCoZt4/UGY0BQQlEyI/AAAAAAAAAUk/909JKKAqMe4/s1600/oct06y+261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bQn-rCoZt4/UGY0BQQlEyI/AAAAAAAAAUk/909JKKAqMe4/s400/oct06y+261.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSo0A83mCZo/UGY0NxRp_9I/AAAAAAAAAUw/jrGh5xHuyS8/s1600/oct06y+263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSo0A83mCZo/UGY0NxRp_9I/AAAAAAAAAUw/jrGh5xHuyS8/s400/oct06y+263.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Seated Security Guard (Art), Marc Sijan, no date, Butler Museum of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio)</div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-44051208933501873202012-09-28T05:43:00.000-07:002012-09-28T05:43:10.181-07:00TEA PARTY<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6k7Ci_Wigt8/UGWaysqotbI/AAAAAAAAAUI/dxuPbeY_hOI/s1600/jan28+221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6k7Ci_Wigt8/UGWaysqotbI/AAAAAAAAAUI/dxuPbeY_hOI/s400/jan28+221.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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(Tea Party, George Luks, 1922, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama)</div>
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These adorable grannies have to be the
cutest cluster of ladies I've ever seen.</div>
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They are filled with life!</div>
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I personally relate to the busiest
granny.</div>
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</div>
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The one who is holding a piece of bread
– or a big fat sugar cookie! - in her left hand.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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She's diving into her steaming bowl of
veggie soup – or is it a gigantic dish of chocolate ice cream? -
with her right hand.</div>
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</div>
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This gal means business!</div>
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</div>
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She's hunched over her lunch like a
protective mama bear whose message to the world is:</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Don't mess with me – I've got my feed
bag on!”</div>
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<br />
</div>
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American artist, George Luks, splashed
these women onto his canvas in 1922.</div>
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He obviously knew what he was doing.</div>
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I love their perky hats.</div>
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</div>
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I'll bet each one of those hats speaks
to the unique qualities of its wearer.</div>
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</div>
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And what about those electric blue
ensembles?</div>
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</div>
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You can't miss seeing them.</div>
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And you're not supposed to.</div>
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This is a feel good painting, isn't it?</div>
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It makes me happy every time I see it.</div>
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And, by the way. . . . . .</div>
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</div>
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Maybe their conversation is going
something like this:</div>
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<br />
</div>
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MABLE: “Hey, Gertrude, would ya
hurry up and pass those cookies my way?”</div>
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<br />
</div>
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GERTRUDE: “Hold your horses, Mable,
I'll get to it in a minute.”</div>
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<br />
</div>
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HORTENSE: “Would you two give it a
rest? You both are actin' like you've never seen a speck of food
your whole entire lives!”</div>
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<br />
</div>
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GERTRUDE: “I've seen plenty of food
and I'm gonna see a lot more of it before they plant me! Just sit
there and look pretty while I gorge on the groceries!”</div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-6443249133961500032012-09-27T07:51:00.003-07:002012-09-27T07:51:52.132-07:00REFLECTED GLORY: PART TWO<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7IfRY6xzrFM/UGRm_krTqGI/AAAAAAAAATs/iKtqvw5kLpA/s1600/jan28+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7IfRY6xzrFM/UGRm_krTqGI/AAAAAAAAATs/iKtqvw5kLpA/s400/jan28+098.JPG" width="271" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Mrs. Louis E. Raphael (Henriette Goldschmidt), John Singer Sargent, 1906, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama)
</div>
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Today we have the good fortune to gaze
upon this lovely portrait of Henriette Goldschmidt.</div>
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</div>
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It was painted by American artist, John
Singer Sargent, around the year 1906.</div>
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</div>
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There are obvious similarities between
Walter McEwen's “A Woman of the Empire” and Henriette's image.</div>
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</div>
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Both women are wearing highly
fashionable gowns of their day.</div>
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</div>
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Both are standing in front of large
mirrored surfaces.</div>
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And both project images of quiet,
refined elegance.</div>
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Yet there are defining differences as
well.</div>
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Sargent has introduced large splashes
of cool, silvery blues into his neutral palette</div>
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</div>
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“A Woman of the Empire” is shown
mostly in soft, subtle neutral tones.</div>
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</div>
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In addition, McEwen's subject is not
adorned with jewels of any kind.</div>
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</div>
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Sargent's sitter, on the other hand,
is glistening with white pearls and sparkling finger baubles.</div>
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</div>
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Our woman of the empire stands with her
back facing us, her viewers.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Henriette is looking straight at us
although her body is positioned in a half turn.</div>
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</div>
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Painter Sargent seems to have captured
the essence of Henriette's personality.</div>
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</div>
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By the way, he was known for having the
ability to do just that!</div>
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We see a hint of a smile on
Henriette's delicate face.</div>
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</div>
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She fingers her pretty strand of pearls
and gently grasps her silken wrap.</div>
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</div>
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McEwen's model fingers the marble top
of the pier table standing before her.</div>
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</div>
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Henriette is shown leaning her right
arm on the classically carved mantel of the fireplace.</div>
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</div>
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Sargent has expertly represented
Henriette's image in the mirror just as Walter McEwen did with his
subject.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XQSjCP46BiY/UGRnSRlXwAI/AAAAAAAAAT0/rYukeiQfyWw/s1600/jan28+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XQSjCP46BiY/UGRnSRlXwAI/AAAAAAAAAT0/rYukeiQfyWw/s400/jan28+103.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Both of these women present dual images
to their viewers.</div>
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In each case, we see representations of
their “real life” countenances.</div>
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</div>
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And we are treated to images of their
reflected glories as well.</div>
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</div>
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Perhaps there is a message in that for
each of us.</div>
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</div>
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Beauty surrounds us on all sides.</div>
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</div>
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But only if we take the time to truly
see it. </div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-86684388774995511062012-09-26T06:07:00.000-07:002012-09-26T06:07:02.735-07:00REFLECTED GLORY: PART ONE<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6XLp0UVUi1s/UGL7u3nF5KI/AAAAAAAAATM/gI1kNYS62j8/s1600/dec29+495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6XLp0UVUi1s/UGL7u3nF5KI/AAAAAAAAATM/gI1kNYS62j8/s640/dec29+495.JPG" width="294" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(A Woman of the Empire, Walter McEwen, 1900, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond)</div>
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This beautiful image is titled “A
Woman of the Empire.”</div>
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</div>
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It was painted by American artist,
Walter McEwen, around the year 1900.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The title of this piece references the
model's gorgeous antique gown.</div>
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</div>
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The satin dress has an elevated
“waistline.”</div>
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</div>
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Actually, no waistline exists at all.</div>
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</div>
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What does exist could rightly be called
a “bodiceline.”</div>
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</div>
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One hundred years before this painting
was created, Jane Austin might have been seen strolling around the
city of Bath wearing a dress similar to this one.</div>
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</div>
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It is known as an “empire” dress.</div>
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</div>
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Artist McEwen spares no expense
highlighting this lavish gown.</div>
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</div>
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The dress shimmers with light.</div>
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</div>
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But what I love about this painting is
seen in the mirrored reflection of the woman herself.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HJnN4L0d7Vs/UGL9XPqH5MI/AAAAAAAAATY/FzqNV_ErtLk/s1600/dec29+498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HJnN4L0d7Vs/UGL9XPqH5MI/AAAAAAAAATY/FzqNV_ErtLk/s400/dec29+498.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I am intrigued by the painter's
masterful ability to portray the subject's image in the mirror.</div>
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</div>
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The mirrored image is subtle, of
course.</div>
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</div>
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Isn't that what you would expect in
such a circumstance?</div>
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</div>
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After all, the woman is viewed through
what is in reality - silvered glass.</div>
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</div>
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But the mirror is oh, so important in
this painting.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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It is the tool, the device McEwen uses
to portray the model's face.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Even her very countenance.</div>
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</div>
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McEwen has chosen a soft taupe hue for
his massive mirror.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The same shade of soft grayish-brown is
found on the floor.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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The taupe tones serve to highlight the
woman's glowing white gown.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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The painting is literally covered in
neutral tones.</div>
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</div>
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In fact, the woman's auburn hair is the
most striking of all the colors in the painting.</div>
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</div>
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But even that is clearly muted.</div>
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</div>
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I love the golden sheen and curvaceous
lines of the mirror frame, wall sconce and pier table.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These objects bring a sense of
definition and life to McEwen's painting.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All of these painterly devices combine
to bring beauty and a sense of serenity to the artist's work.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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In addition, the subject is beautifully
and tastefully dressed.</div>
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</div>
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She stands gracefully before the mirror
– the tips of her fingers barely skimming the top of the table.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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There is an aura of restraint and
refinement about her.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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She emanates elegance.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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And that is why we are drawn into her
world.</div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-33117711336003027352012-08-27T13:40:00.000-07:002012-08-28T05:16:31.395-07:00BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YglUps1ID0Q/UDvaUq9BOoI/AAAAAAAAAS4/daDFMPWL37s/s1600/dec28+263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YglUps1ID0Q/UDvaUq9BOoI/AAAAAAAAAS4/daDFMPWL37s/s400/dec28+263.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Barking up the Wrong Tree, Francis William Edmonds, 1850, Birmingham Museum of Art)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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The art world often takes itself a
little too seriously.</div>
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<br /></div>
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That's why I am attracted to artists
with a wicked sense of humor.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Such is the case with Francis William
Edmonds who was known for his humorous depictions of American life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Edmonds started his professional career
as a banker in New York.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Perhaps he was a bit of a stuffed shirt
at the time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In any case, it didn't take long for
him to catch a clue and enroll in the National Academy of Design.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The esteemed Mr. Edmonds wanted to be a
painter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But not at the risk of losing his day
job.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He continued to work in the financial
world while he studied painting at night.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After all, who knew if this painting
gig was going to work out?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And why risk professional embarrassment
if it didn't?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Francis decided to play it safe.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He exhibited his paintings under the
pseudonym E. F. Williams.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As things turned out, Edmonds'
paintings met with favorable reviews.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So he dropped the false name and the
rest, as they say, is history.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Early on, Francis was known for his
courtship scenes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Aww – that's sweet!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But it wasn't long before he introduced
an element of humor into this genre.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Barking Up the Wrong Tree” is a
fine example.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let's take a closer look.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here we see a decidedly older man
trying to woo a young woman.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How do we know the man is in the act of
wooing?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One look at his face tells the story.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
His eyes are planted directly on the
woman.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He only has eyes for her.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I wonder if the gentleman has an
inkling of how this is going to go turn out?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Look at his frown.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Check out his pursed lips.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And his seriously set jaw.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He's not going into this quest with a
high degree of confidence, is he?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He knows this is going to be a tough
sell.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another clue is found in Edmonds'
composition of the painting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He's placed the couple – and only the
couple - in his “courting” room.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There isn't a chaperone in sight.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's highly unusual when we consider
the courting customs of the 1800's.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In fact, there were families who did
not allow the courting couple to be alone at all – unless, of
course, the gentleman was about to pop the question.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And how did the family know when the
beau was about to pop the question?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In most families, the bride-to-be's
father was in on the secret.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's because he had already given
his blessing to the beau when the suitor asked for the girl's hand in
marriage.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Times have dramatically changed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Still, it's a girl's prerogative to say
“yea” or “nay” after the question has officially been
“popped.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do we know which way our lass is
leaning?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, she's certainly not looking at
her long-in-the-tooth suitor.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
She has her gaze firmly turned on us.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's the first clue.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But there's more.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do we detect a Mona Lisa-esque grin on
that pretty face?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I believe we do!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And what category of emotion could
possibly be lurking behind that sweet grin?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've come up with one real possibility.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Perhaps that smile is saying to the
suitor and to us:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Not in a million lifetimes, honey!”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alas, we'll never know.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But here's something I do know.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our lady is holding a knitting needle
firmly in her hand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And it's aimed in the direction of her
visitors.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't think she cares if the
gentleman or his loyal pooch makes the first move toward her.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of them is going to get taken out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unless, of course, she decides to go
with Plan B.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In that case, both of them are going
bye-bye. </div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-53704340797526234212012-08-27T08:49:00.000-07:002012-08-27T08:49:33.796-07:00ORANGES<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iFzf7LhYIRM/UDuWupWeUnI/AAAAAAAAASk/ZcWdDdR9WTk/s1600/oct2+316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iFzf7LhYIRM/UDuWupWeUnI/AAAAAAAAASk/ZcWdDdR9WTk/s320/oct2+316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Wrapped Oranges, William J. McCloskey, 1889, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've never been a huge fan of
still-life paintings.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's not that I don't appreciate their
quiet beauty.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's just that they never have any
people in them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I find people to be endlessly
interesting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But then the day came when I was
standing smack dab in the middle of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort
Worth.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
OH......MY......STARS!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was instantly blown out of my socks
by the dramatic, simplistic beauty of a painting entitled “Wrapped
Oranges.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is absolutely nothing that I do
not adore about this painting!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
William J. McCloskey painted wrapped
oranges many times over the span of his career.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In fact, he seemed to be unusually
devoted to this limited subject matter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some believe he was on the hunt for
artistic perfection with his multiple images of wrapped oranges.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It would certainly seem so, anyway.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We know that decorative, table top
still lifes were popular during the Victorian era.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These colorfully composed arrangements
usually consisted of fruit, flowers, vegetables or a combination of
those objects.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And let's face it, you can't go wrong
with most of Mother Nature's productions!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Indeed, you can not open an interior
design magazine these days without seeing many references to
“organic” decorative design.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Elements in nature calm our spirits and
uplift our souls.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's why they've been popular
throughout the ages.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here's a short list of some better
known “organic” objects:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Water.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Trees.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Grass.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Plants.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And my personal favorite,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shells.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All of these natural elements have been
painted gazillions of times since the days of Eve.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And rightly so.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They are restful.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They are beautiful for the human eye to
behold.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's apparent when we see McCloskey's
brilliantly painted oranges.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
However, perhaps the most fascinating
fact about these oranges is this:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Four of them are wrapped in crinkly
white tissue paper.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Art technicians might use the word
“contrast” to explain McCloskey's decision to use the white
paper.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And contrast there is!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have additional information from the
Amon Carter about this artist's motives:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“McCloskey imparted to each specimen
a distinctive character. The tissue paper acts as a veil or drape,
both suggesting and subtly altering the oranges' color and form.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Just look at that partially unwrapped
orange in the background of the painting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It looks as if the top portions of the
paper have been suddenly unleashed and flung into the very air
itself!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To me, those white paper protrusions
look like dog ears standing at attention.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We can't avoid noticing them, can we?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's why I find this painting to be
so visually exciting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That brilliant white paper is covered
in tiny creases and folds.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This artistic device lends crackly
texture to those oranges.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Where does the light fall in this
painting?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most of the light is focused on the
orange nearest the black background.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be specific, it falls directly on
the paper that still enfolds the orange.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But it also falls on each of the
wrapped oranges in this painting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The color white draws light to itself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Perhaps that's why a car salesman once
told me:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“White is the number one color choice
of car buyers. When we sell a white car – which is frequently –
we call it a “white sale.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mr. McCloskey seems to know a thing or
two about our innate attraction to white, doesn't he?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What about the unwrapped oranges?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For one thing, they're definitely in
the minority in this work of art.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They look like dyed-in-the-wool
oranges.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Their color perfectly offsets the stark
black background and the brilliant white of the tissue paper.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That lends further drama and life to
the painting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let's talk about that gorgeous table
top for a minute.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Someone has been doing some serious
polishing!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or maybe it's just a spectacular
varnishing job.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Either way, the gleam of that table top
allows the five foreground oranges to have added time in the visual
spotlight.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We could even say that those oranges
are basking in their mirrored, reflected glory.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty
sure Mr. McCloskey wouldn't mind that assessment.</div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-3986639611407484032012-08-20T13:56:00.000-07:002012-08-20T14:17:04.536-07:00COMPOSITION IN BLUE AND WHITE<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNPSS9Uk80g/UDKjtd1QoQI/AAAAAAAAASQ/nYNRSS7-_aM/s1600/aug14+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eNPSS9Uk80g/UDKjtd1QoQI/AAAAAAAAASQ/nYNRSS7-_aM/s400/aug14+033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Original work of art owned by a private collector, 2011)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As I write this, I'm gazing at an
original work of art.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The gazing is taking place at my desk.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For once, I'm not standing in the
middle of an art museum.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The canvas is covered in “you-can
scratch-it-with-your-finger” paint.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Paint made of chemicals and compounds
awash in color.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This time I don't have to settle for a
copy of an original piece.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nope.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This time, it's the real deal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And because it's the real deal, the
painting emanates “life.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By that I mean the colors are brighter.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Deeper.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
More beautiful.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The composition - the positioning of
lines, shapes and curves – is cleaner.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At other times, the composition appears softer.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
More defused.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This all depends, of course, on the
artist's conception of his or her piece.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alas, my painting does not have a
title.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So here's a thought.......</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
let's give it one!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We could call it:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Composition in Blue and White”......</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After all, this painting has been
thoroughly composed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It has lines, shapes and a boatload of
sinewy curves.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's obvious that this artist has
chosen to color his composition in shades of blue and white.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So “Composition in Blue and White”
would definitely make logical sense</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But wait a minute here.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Aren't we missing the obvious?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The painting is a portrait of a woman.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A beautifully striking woman.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Perhaps not beautiful in the Hollywood,
glamor girl sort of way.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rather, she is beautiful because she
reminds us of a living, breathing woman.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is life in her rosy countenance.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And radiance in her large blue eyes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It would be a travesty for this woman
to continue her existence in this nameless condition.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pardon my politics, but far too many
women have roamed the earth nearly nameless.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or worse yet – forgotten.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We can instantly remedy that.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From this moment on, this woman will be known
as “Joanna.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Don't you love that incredible
headdress “Joanna” is wearing?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It seems massive at first.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But the more you look at it, the more
it speaks perfection.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Part of it resembles a kind of
contemporary crown.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Other parts of it encircle the woman's
forehead and cheeks, delineating the features of her face.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mostly, the headdress acts as a flowing
drape, giving weight and balance to the subject's head and neck.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This effect is not unlike Rogier's
ethereal veil in his “Portrait of a Lady” which we discussed a
few weeks ago.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The scriptures tell us that a woman's
hair is her crowning glory.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But not in this case.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here we see but a few golden tendrils peeking out from the drapery.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In this case, it is the woman's
magnificent headdress that is her crowning glory.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I can't leave “Joanna” without
talking about her stunning blue bodice.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you could see the painting in real
life, you would see many, many tones of that beautiful blue.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All of these hues – when expertly
blended by the eye of a seasoned artist - result in the striking
shade you see here, a mesmerizing“royal” blue.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Joanna” was painted by an artist
not normally known for his “splash-it-on-the-canvas” portrait
work.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He is by trade a successful digital
artist.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And that's a horse of a different
color.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When he feels the need to escape
cyberspace, John William Thomas, likes to play with his paints.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And that's how “Joanna” came into
being.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Simply put, I adore her.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
She lights up my life each time I
glance in her direction.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And one more thing......</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm kind of related to the talented Mr. Thomas.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He happens to be my son-in-law. </div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-28217556835003014842012-08-14T17:17:00.000-07:002012-08-14T17:32:32.324-07:00 PULP COUTURE<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bq9VR7NXJzg/UCrkpS3nOQI/AAAAAAAAARU/3a5kOHyfDf0/s1600/aug14+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bq9VR7NXJzg/UCrkpS3nOQI/AAAAAAAAARU/3a5kOHyfDf0/s400/aug14+010.JPG" width="277" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Florentine gown worn by Eleanora of Toledo, as interpreted by Isabelle de Borchgrave)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There's no doubt about it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's more than a little scary and
beyond bold for an art lover to write about an art exhibit she has
never seen.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But that's exactly what I'm going to
do.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's because I've got a feeling deep
in my bones that Countess Isabelle de Borchgrave is an artist wildly
deserving of that leap of faith.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Oh so many years ago, Isabelle fell in
love with pencil drawing as a little girl in Belgium.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
She treated every surface in her room
as a canvas.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even her walls and floors were not off
limits.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As a teen, she studied at the Centre
des Arts Decoratifs and the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in
Brussels where she created, among other things, drawings of still
lifes and model figures.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Later, she diversified her interests
and began making clothes for friends.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eventually, she opened her own design
studio where she created dresses, scarves, and jewelry for a larger
audience of buyers.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Isabelle's true love was fabric design
and that was the common thread that ran through each of her artistic creations.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then one fateful day – like most art
lovers on the planet – she stepped inside the beloved halls of New
York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Inside the Met, Isabelle began to
imagine a new world of period costumes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But this time things were different.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Isabelle did not dream up costumes made
of fabric as one would properly expect from this creative genius.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
No, Isabelle's newest line of costume
dresses would, instead, be made of paper.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's right.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
PAPER!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before long, Isabelle began work on
four collections of painted, paper, period costumes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Her first collection, “Paper in
Fashion,” examined 300 years of fashion history – everything from
Elizabeth I to Coco Chanel.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next, she delved into the fashion
culture of 19<sup>th</sup> century Venice with a collection entitled
“Mariano Fortuny.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Her third collection, “I Medici,”
brought Renaissance fashion to life by displaying prominent
Florentine aristocrats in their pearls, silks, velvets and sumptuous
gold braiding.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxk0wqd_YNo/UCrlLSPFCdI/AAAAAAAAAR0/S4Nz-zc-uEM/s1600/aug14+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxk0wqd_YNo/UCrlLSPFCdI/AAAAAAAAAR0/S4Nz-zc-uEM/s400/aug14+027.JPG" width="262" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Costume of Anna de' Medici as interpreted by Isabelle) </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EnZyhA6Ynkk/UCrlRWzruyI/AAAAAAAAAR8/Tb4WMrdFlPQ/s1600/aug14+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EnZyhA6Ynkk/UCrlRWzruyI/AAAAAAAAAR8/Tb4WMrdFlPQ/s400/aug14+030.JPG" width="277" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Costume of Isabella de' Medici as interpreted by Isabelle)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally, “Ballets Russes”
highlighted the talents of Pablo Picasso and Henry Matisse who
designed costumes for Sergei Diaghilev's Russian ballet company.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, in 1998, Isabelle's mind blowing
talents hit the big time when her exhibition, “Papier a la Mode,”
toured France, the United States and Asia.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The New York Times” called this
popular paper costume review “pure delight.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the exhibition traveled, Isabelle
continued to create new costume designs – all in paper - for some
of history's most illustrious fashion leaders:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Queen Elizabeth of England,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Marie Antoinette of France,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
and the Empress Eugenie, consort of
Napoleon III,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
to name a few.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Oh, I should tell you that Isabelle
managed to knock out a a few Ottoman kaftans in paper while the
exhibit was planted in Turkey.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This, my friends, is not a woman who
lets dust gather under her feet!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Speaking through the “Daily
Telegraph,” Isabelle talked about her commission for the John F.
Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
She said: “Jackie Kennedy's wedding
gown was dusty and fragile, wrapped up in black tissue paper. The
silk was dead, you couldn't touch it any more. It was preserved like
a relic. The original is dead, but the paper copy I created brings
it back to life.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here's my favorite factoid about
Isabelle:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 2004, Isabelle designed and
fashioned a painted paper dress for Queen Fabiola of Belgium. The
queen actually wore this gown to the wedding of Prince Felipe of
Spain in Madrid!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How does this mega-talented woman use
paper and paint to fashion a gown?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The beginning of Isabelle's creative
process starts with sheets of paper which measure approximately three
by five feet.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next, she gathers a large collection
of brushes and paints and places them on a ginormous linen covered
table in her studio.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then she goes to work painting her
paper masterpieces.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“The New York Times” makes the
following comment about Isabelle's creative process:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Her colors are very much inspired by
her travels: reds from the roses of Turkey, earth hues from Egypt,
blues from Greece...de Borchgrave produces astonishing effects of
scintillating color, weight, transparency and texture. Her
renderings of diaphanous gauzes are especially astonishing.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 2008, a beautifully illustrated book
entitled: “Paper Illusions: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave”
was published in America.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Within just a few weeks, “The New
York Times” said the book was “one of the best gift books
published in 2008.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It the book's introduction, world
renowned fashion designer, Hubert de Givenchy, says:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Isabelle is one of a kind; with a
single sheet of paper, she creates the most beautiful dresses, the
finest costumes, or, simply, a chain of white roses...whether it
becomes a shoe, a hat or a few strings of pearls, Isabelle transforms
paper the way a musical virtuoso plays an instrument.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
High praise, indeed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So without further adieu, I bring you three concluding photos of Eleanora's breathtaking ensemble as it was envisioned by Isabelle de Borchgrave.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Enjoy!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZUqK--vnvlk/UCrk0_9Fh7I/AAAAAAAAARc/gNm6p5U0xgU/s1600/aug14+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZUqK--vnvlk/UCrk0_9Fh7I/AAAAAAAAARc/gNm6p5U0xgU/s400/aug14+009.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Eleanora's gown in all its frontal splendor)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U6VhlWDBNUQ/UCrk8RQEsdI/AAAAAAAAARk/AVk2hCJ_h8Q/s1600/aug14+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U6VhlWDBNUQ/UCrk8RQEsdI/AAAAAAAAARk/AVk2hCJ_h8Q/s400/aug14+017.JPG" width="308" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(The posterior view)</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dguxh1d6vVA/UCrlGPTA9wI/AAAAAAAAARs/AYnAlmgcm2g/s1600/aug14+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dguxh1d6vVA/UCrlGPTA9wI/AAAAAAAAARs/AYnAlmgcm2g/s400/aug14+020.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
(Eleanora's pearl headdress and necklace)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
NOTES TO MY READERS:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Much of the information in this blog
was gleaned from Wikipedia.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some of the photographs were taken from
the book: “Paper Illusions: The Art of Isabelle de Borchgrave.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And finally, Eleanora's stunning
Renaissance gown was inspired by a portrait painted by Bronzino which
hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I reviewed this very painting in an
earlier blog on January 9, 1012.</div>
Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-66998783128863134432012-07-26T13:23:00.000-07:002012-07-26T13:23:31.962-07:00PORTRAIT OF A LADY<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sA2ogdGhAQY/UBGmxZB220I/AAAAAAAAARE/IORT-i8gDqs/s1600/1460weyc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sA2ogdGhAQY/UBGmxZB220I/AAAAAAAAARE/IORT-i8gDqs/s400/1460weyc.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Portrait of a Lady, Rogier Van Der Weyden, 1462, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)</div>
<br />
Little did I know at the middle of March that I would be taking a four month sabbatical from writing.<br />
<br />
A trip to Paris and Italy with our dear friends S & R kept me away from my desk for three weeks. As soon as we arrived home, we got busy painting walls and assorted other surfaces at both of our daughters' homes. Immediately after that siege of work, this thought popped into my head: "Hey, as long as we've got our brushes and drop cloths out, why don't we paint a bunch of walls at our place?"<br />
<br />
So we did.<br />
<br />
Somewhere along the line, Bob and I managed to squeeze an art crawl into the mix which took us to Omaha, Kansas City and St. Louis.<br />
<br />
Before we knew it, our two perfect grandchildren dropped in for their annual summer visits - one at a time, you understand. These visits consist of seven days of complete grandparental spoilage. And, frankly, Bob and I are experts when it comes to this kind of work. The kiddos, oddly enough, seem to be 100% behind us as well.<br />
<br />
So here we are at the tail end of July.<br />
<br />
And here I am with my first blog in just over four months:<br />
<br />
******<br />
<br />
Why beat around the proverbial bush?<br />
<br />
I'm just going to come right out and say it:<br />
<br />
This scrumptious painting by Northern Renaissance artist, Rogier van der Weyden, knocks my socks off every time I see it.<br />
<br />
Though it may be possible to list 60 bajllion reasons why this work of art deserves its high and holy status, I'll mention just a few.<br />
<br />
First of all, it was painted by "Rogier" himself.<br />
<br />
Rogier van der Weyden is a total VIP in the world of art.<br />
<br />
That's why he's known by his first name.<br />
<br />
Think "Madonna," Cher," "Michelangelo," and "Leonardo."<br />
<br />
All known by their first names because they reached the stratosphere of public recognition in their respective fields of work.<br />
<br />
Art historian, Lorne Campbell, makes the following statement about Rogier's "The Magdalen Reading," which just happens to illuminate the banner of this blog:<br />
<br />
"The Magdalen Reading" is one of the great masterpieces of fifteenth-century art."<br />
<br />
No kidding.<br />
<br />
The facts of Rogier's life are sketchy due to the loss of archival material back in 1695 and again in 1940.<br />
<br />
But I can tell you that he was born in Tournai in modern-day Belgium in 1399.<br />
<br />
Or maybe it was 1400.<br />
<br />
We know the names of his parents and the woman he married in 1426.<br />
<br />
And the fact that Rogier was made town painter of Brussels in 1436 is carved in stone.<br />
<br />
He left no self-portraits so we don't know what he thought of himself in a painterly sense.<br />
<br />
We know that several of his most important works were destroyed during the late 1600s.<br />
<br />
OH......MY......STARS!<br />
<br />
What have I missed of this brilliant person's art?<br />
<br />
We also know that nineteenth century art historians often attributed his work to others.<br />
<br />
That's injustice of the first degree!<br />
<br />
We know that he studied with Renaissance Master, Robert Campin, during the latter part of his life.<br />
<br />
And it wasn't long before Rogier mastered his master.<br />
<br />
Eventually, he actually influenced the artistic work of Campin as well.<br />
<br />
To top things off, Rogier left no signed or dated paintings.<br />
<br />
So, dear readers, I stand corrected.<br />
<br />
The facts about Rogier's life are more than just "sketchy."<br />
<br />
They are ridiculously sketchy!<br />
<br />
But, then again, does it really matter?<br />
<br />
Not when we've got this gorgeous portrait to gaze at.<br />
<br />
I wish I could show this portrait to you in real life.<br />
<br />
I can't.<br />
<br />
But my dear friends, K & M will soon have the chance to get up close and personal with this mysterious beauty.<br />
<br />
And I'm totally envious of them!<br />
<br />
I hope they end up loving her as much as the rest of the world does.<br />
<br />
No one really knows who this woman is.<br />
<br />
There are no clues except for one in particular.<br />
<br />
Because of her ladylike, poised bearing and serene facial expression, we assume that she is a member of the nobility.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, this portrait speaks perfection.<br />
<br />
I've looked - trust me I have! - but I simply can't find anything wrong with this work of art.<br />
<br />
Rogier was the consummate technician.<br />
<br />
That's the understatement of like......forever.<br />
<br />
He knew how to use line and color to evoke emotions within his sitters and within his viewers as well.<br />
<br />
And that takes talent, my friends.<br />
<br />
Lots and lots of talent.<br />
<br />
Look at the sharp diagonal lines of our lady's veil.<br />
<br />
Those lines draw us immediately into the painting.<br />
<br />
The misty white, ethereal fabric of her veil is mesmerizing, isn't it?<br />
<br />
Especially when that veil is displayed against a stark black background.<br />
<br />
The delicate transparency of the veil is something to behold.<br />
<br />
Every time I see this work of art, I am touched by the beauty, the grace, and the subtlety of Rogier's unforgettable veil which barely grazes this gentlewoman's forehead.<br />
<br />
The veil falls just over the sitter's eyebrows.<br />
<br />
This allows the fabric to frame and accentuate the features of our lady's face.<br />
<br />
This is a woman with model-like cheekbones!<br />
<br />
Gentle curves and sublime colors define the beauty of her face.<br />
<br />
Her complexion appears to be flawless, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
And what about those intoxicating lips?<br />
<br />
They are stained with just the right touch of sienna-tinged coral.<br />
<br />
Those lips are echoed in the color of the belt that elegantly cinches her tiny waist.<br />
<br />
Our lady is not laden with a mass of baubles and flashy doo-dads.<br />
<br />
The simple elegance of this beauty speaks volumes.<br />
<br />
I think there might be a lesson in that for all of us.<br />
<br />
Rogier's emotionally expressive, superlative paintings have influenced a literal world of followers.<br />
<br />
How do you explain the kind of talent that Rogier possessed?<br />
<br />
It is God blessed and God given.<br />
<br />
There can be no other explanation.<br />Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-82126487497231636212012-03-19T06:33:00.000-07:002012-03-19T06:33:46.664-07:00SOMETIMES YA JUST GOTTA LAUGH: DOXIE THE DASHER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJo7_0f2_t4/T2c0YQyZQMI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/vhpWjU8jKPU/s1600/jun10+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJo7_0f2_t4/T2c0YQyZQMI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/vhpWjU8jKPU/s400/jun10+094.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash", Giacomo Balla, 1912, Buffalo Museum of Art, Buffalo, NY)</div><br />
<br />
My sisters and I hounded our parents about getting a dog for years.<br />
<br />
We were relentless.<br />
<br />
It took a good long while but eventually Mom and Dad caved in.<br />
<br />
I remember the day Dad arrived home with the precious pooch in tow.<br />
<br />
My sisters and I were awe struck as we sat on the living room floor staring at our new pet.<br />
<br />
We named this red-brown wonder, "Happy," for what I hope are obvious reasons.<br />
<br />
Happy stared right back at us.<br />
<br />
Who knows what he was thinking but it may have been something like this:<br />
<br />
"Jeesh, there's three of them - all females. And that doesn't count the mom. I'm gonna be squeezed, pinched, carried and slobbered on to within an inch of my life."<br />
<br />
And that's pretty much what happened.<br />
<br />
We loved that dachshund.<br />
<br />
Happy was your basic dog.<br />
<br />
Sweet.<br />
<br />
Good tempered.<br />
<br />
He liked to sniff things.<br />
<br />
Happy was definitely not the fastest canine on earth.<br />
<br />
This, of course, was largely due to his short, stubby little legs.<br />
<br />
My heart went out to him every time we went on a walk.<br />
<br />
His paws were scrambling as fast as they could go on the pavement.<br />
<br />
That's why I was totally tickled the day I discovered Giacomo Balla's wonderful painting, "Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash."<br />
<br />
As I stood gazing and smiling at Giacomo's peppy puppy, I was instantly reminded of my own beloved Happy.<br />
<br />
What has Giacomo given us in his unusual painting?<br />
<br />
A low view point, for one thing.<br />
<br />
We don't see the whole woman walking the dog.<br />
<br />
We see her feet and a few inches of her dress.<br />
<br />
Balla is telling us that the human perspective isn't important in this painting.<br />
<br />
But we can't miss Doxie!<br />
<br />
She's up close and personal, isn't she?<br />
<br />
We're really getting a dog's view of the world here.<br />
<br />
And that's a nice change-up.<br />
<br />
Most art critics agree that Doxie has eight tails.<br />
<br />
Not literally, of course.<br />
<br />
It simply looks like she has eight tails.<br />
<br />
Balla's multi-layered brush strokes are a symphony of frenetic movement.<br />
<br />
Words like "flurry" and "blurry" come to mind the second we see this prancing dog.<br />
<br />
Balla's beautiful application of paint reminds me of feathery, black Spanish lace.<br />
<br />
I see an intricate, delicate patterning of lacy veiling everytime I look at Doxie's whirling paws.<br />
<br />
I love Doxie's flip-floppy ears - they are blowing in the breeze as she hurries through space.<br />
<br />
Doxie is tethered to her owner by a silver chain that arcs back and forth in rhythmic movement as the walkers continue their promenade.<br />
<br />
That silver chain ties not only Balla's walkers together, it also adds drama and interest to the overall composition of his painting.<br />
<br />
Every turn of Balla's brush evokes feelings of joyful motion!<br />
<br />
Giacomo, born in Turin, Italy, began working in a lithograph print shop at the tender age of nine.<br />
<br />
At the age of 20 he decided to study painting at local art academies in Turin.<br />
<br />
After marrying Elisa Marcucci in Rome in 1895, Giacomo worked as an illustrator, caricaturist and portrait painter in that esteemed city.<br />
<br />
Later, Balla became a leading member of the Italian avant-garde group, the Futurists.<br />
<br />
This art movement focused on creating pictorial depictions of light, movement and speed.<br />
<br />
That bit of information brings us back to our speedy Miss Doxie.<br />
<br />
She's short in stature.<br />
<br />
She's long in body.<br />
<br />
But, my stars, can that girl get a move on!<br />
<br />
She's inspiring me to get up and move my own creaky bones.<br />
<br />
And that's a good thing.<br />
<br />
Because I've got some serious hoofing to do in massive art museums in the near future. <br />
<br />
Yup.<br />
<br />
There's gonna come a point when my aching "dogs" are gonna win out over the luscious Leonardos, the rapturous Raphaels and the magnificent Monets.<br />
<br />
So when that happens, I'm gonna think about Doxie the Dasher the very minute I want to sit on my duff and whine about my aching feet.<br />
<br />
Then I'm gonna bounce back up and start spinning my wheels.<br />
<br />
Knowing me, I'll probably fall back down onto the gallery bench and promptly pass out.<br />
<br />
That will be the signal for me to move on to "Plan B" which looks pretty much like this:<br />
<br />
I'll get down on all fours and crawl like a baby through the Louvre's Italian Salon.<br />
<br />
Thank heavens, Miss Doxie won't be there to see me!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-79449018872998814582012-03-09T18:03:00.000-08:002012-03-09T18:03:37.430-08:00SOMETIMES YA JUST GOTTA LAUGH: THE WACKY IN-LAWS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnC_3qSCxeI/T1q2CO8SQVI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/byNS1xQbvQw/s1600/feb18+299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnC_3qSCxeI/T1q2CO8SQVI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/byNS1xQbvQw/s400/feb18+299.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("The Groom Presenting the Bride to His Mother," Jacob van Oost, The Younger, 1680, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina)</div><br />
<br />
If you are not one who finds in-law relationships "amusing," you will probably wonder why I have chosen this painting for the "Just Gotta Laugh" series.<br />
<br />
Please allow Dr. Merry to explain some basic facts of married life.<br />
<br />
First of all, you never marry one person when you tie that blissful marital knot.<br />
<br />
No, indeedy!<br />
<br />
You marry that one person AND that one person's entire family.<br />
<br />
At least it sure seems like it for a lot of folks out there.<br />
<br />
Let's have a little reality check:<br />
<br />
Many people have never heard of - gotten a glimpse of - or spoken a word to their future in-laws until that awkward, scary moment when "THE MEETING" finally takes place.<br />
<br />
In fact, in many cases the in-law mate would not even know their in-laws existed if it wasn't for the institution of marriage that brought them together in the first place.<br />
<br />
And yet, in-law mates are expected to accept, honor and love their in-laws as soon as it is humanly possible to do so.<br />
<br />
Preferably within 42 seconds of the initial meeting.<br />
<br />
Jacob Van Oost, The Younger's painting, "The Groom Presenting the Bride to His Mother," is a wonderful visual representation of that fateful, first time meeting between the future daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law to be.<br />
<br />
Painter Van Oost was known for his beautifully balanced compositions with accents of bright, rich colors.<br />
<br />
Just look at the bride's canary yellow gown!<br />
<br />
It literally pops off the canvas with light, volume and delicate flourishes.<br />
<br />
We see a bevy of silky pleats, tucks, braids and at least one hard-to-miss bow.<br />
<br />
What about that regal, stand up lace collar with its matching cuffs?<br />
<br />
That gorgeous gown is dripping in the finest Flemish lace.<br />
<br />
"Mom's" ensemble doesn't fare quite so well, does it?<br />
<br />
In fact, her dress - although accessorized by a beautiful lace collar, cap and cuffs - is, to say the least, a bit underwhelming.<br />
<br />
Perhaps this woman is a widow in mourning.<br />
<br />
That would certainly account for the missing father-in-law as well as for the mother's dark, drab attire.<br />
<br />
I've gotta say that I'm loving that peachy peek-a-boo sleeve and those apricot leggings the groom is sporting.<br />
<br />
Look closely at the opening of his waistcoat.<br />
<br />
A peach colored tie is hanging demurely inside his coat.<br />
<br />
There's just a smidgen of silky peach fabric turned back toward us, the viewers, isn't there?<br />
<br />
And what about that spiffy little bow that fastens the sides of his coat together?<br />
<br />
I'm thinking that this young gentlemen is stylin' to the nth degree!<br />
<br />
Well, enough about the threads.<br />
<br />
Let's get to the real fun - an examination of this family's bodily expressions.<br />
<br />
First of all, no one is smiling.<br />
<br />
We can't really fault them for that because portrait smiling wasn't chic in the 17th century.<br />
<br />
A lot of folks wanted to hide their not so gorgeous teeth.<br />
<br />
For me, the hands in this portrait are mesmerizing.<br />
<br />
The bride' fingers on her left hand are clasping that fan for dear life.<br />
<br />
The groom's left hand is gently grasping the right hand of his bride in a typical chivalraldic hold.<br />
<br />
Nothing unusual there.<br />
<br />
But look at the groom's right arm.<br />
<br />
It is completely outstretched and angled toward his mother.<br />
<br />
With that definite pose, the groom seems to be inviting his bride into his mother's circle of influence.<br />
<br />
Notice the fingers of his right hand.<br />
<br />
They are bent and curled inward fist-like.<br />
<br />
I may be crazy - that's a story for another time - but I think this dedicated son is feeling some definite stress here!<br />
<br />
"Mom's" hands are planted languidly but firmly in her lap.<br />
<br />
They appear to be contained, non-inviting and partially hidden as well.<br />
<br />
Body language speaks volumes, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
Let's take a a look at the subjects' eyes.<br />
<br />
Initially, I thought the bride's eyes were focused on her mother-in-law.<br />
<br />
They are not.<br />
<br />
In reality, she is staring out into the far distance - certainly in the direction of her mother-in-law but she is not looking specifically at her.<br />
<br />
"Mom" is sitting too far back in the foreground for the bride's eyes to be focused on her.<br />
<br />
And who is "Mom" looking at?<br />
<br />
Why, us, of course!<br />
<br />
Even though her head is turned to her left in the direction of her son and daughter-in-law, she's clearly got her eyes trained on us, the viewers.<br />
<br />
What about the man of the moment?<br />
<br />
Now it gets tricky, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
At first glance it looks as if he is looking at his lovely bride-to-be.<br />
<br />
But is he?<br />
<br />
Although this could be a close call, I think he's actually looking at us, the viewers.<br />
<br />
This is the way I see our dapper groom:<br />
<br />
I think part of him wants to look at his bride.<br />
<br />
And he knows he should be looking at his bride.<br />
<br />
But he's not looking at his bride.<br />
<br />
Not really.<br />
<br />
Why should we care about who's looking at whom anyway?<br />
<br />
Here's a thought:<br />
<br />
If the eyes really are the "windows to the soul" as many of us have been taught to believe, it matters a lot!<br />
<br />
We read emotions through the portals of the eyes.<br />
<br />
By studying the eyes, we are often able to decipher a person's true feelings.<br />
<br />
What, then, might our bride be feeling?<br />
<br />
Since she's not looking at either her groom or her mother-in-law, she may well be thinking something like this:<br />
<br />
"Gee, on second thought, I'm not so sure I want to sign up for a lifetime with these people. When's the next coach out of here?"<br />
<br />
What about "Mom's" feelings?<br />
<br />
Because she is looking directly at her viewers, I think it is obvious she is drawing us into the emotional drama of her touchy situation.<br />
<br />
It's as if she is thinking:<br />
<br />
"People! Are you paying attention here? Does my beloved son look happy to you? And just who is this canary colored interloper who is swooping in to take my son away from me?"<br />
<br />
Finally, there is the young man himself.<br />
<br />
What does he seem to be telling us with his eyes?<br />
<br />
I think this boy is seriously conflicted!<br />
<br />
He is quite literally caught up in the middle of this emotionally charged situation.<br />
<br />
He wants his bride to have good feelings for his mother - what son wouldn't want that?<br />
<br />
And he wants his mother to have good feelings toward his bride for the same reasons.<br />
<br />
I believe those eyes of his are bringing us, the viewers, into his dilemma.<br />
<br />
He might be thinking something like this:<br />
<br />
"Do you folks see what kind of a mess I'm getting into here? I'm starting to get some serious cold feet! Do I really want to marry this woman? And if I do marry her, will she and Mom learn to live together peacefully? Or will they end up killing each other?"<br />
<br />
Ahh - family life - the "fun" never ceases, does it?<br />
<br />
Nope.<br />
<br />
Not when you're dealing with a myriad of personalities - all with highly intact egos.<br />
<br />
I'm convinced that the only way to stay sane - and alive - in the midst of some family interactions is to use a liberal dose of humor.<br />
<br />
I'll let ya'll know the second that starts workin' for me.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-78839236955832966912012-02-22T14:24:00.002-08:002012-02-22T15:24:33.904-08:00SOMETIMES YA JUST GOTTA LAUGH: "MISS LORETTA"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vxec6bRzSoA/T0Vpw4XDXYI/AAAAAAAAAQE/8iU5Yu6cTcw/s1600/utah11+178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vxec6bRzSoA/T0Vpw4XDXYI/AAAAAAAAAQE/8iU5Yu6cTcw/s400/utah11+178.JPG" width="330" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Sometimes less is more . . . But not today", Stephanie Deer, 2010, Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, Utah)</div><br />
<br />
The art world has been known to take itself pretty seriously.<br />
<br />
Think about all those snooty portraits of history's movers and shakers, for example.<br />
<br />
Most of these people - whether royal blood flows through their veins or not - love to point their noses in the air and pretend they're classier than the rest of us.<br />
<br />
They're delusional, of course, but it's kind of fun to snicker and point our fingers at them whenever they pop up on the walls of our local art museums.<br />
<br />
When I saw Stephanie Deer's painting, "Sometimes less is more...But not today," I didn't snicker.<br />
<br />
I nearly busted a gut laughing.<br />
<br />
When I finally calmed down, I read the wall plate describing this artwork.<br />
<br />
We'll let the artist speak for herself.<br />
<br />
Stephanie - a native of Draper, Utah - says:<br />
<br />
"My motivation starts with the Beehive State. Utah in all its quirky glory inspires me. Can you imagine a world without fry sauce? Funeral potatoes? The greatest snow on earth? I shudder at the thought. These are the warm, vibrant, often hilarious things that connect me to our community. Painting allows me to celebrate all the pop culture icons that give Utah its unique personality."<br />
<br />
Ms. Deer continues:<br />
<br />
"The beehive lady emerged from the matriarchs who inspired me as a child. These proud, native-Utah women loved their families, careers, aprons, roadshows and the occasional warm meal. Incredible ladies, all of them. They continue to profoundly influence my work with their strength, vitality and style. When I was a girl my mother was the hippest gal around. Her name is Loretta and I named the beehive lady after her."<br />
<br />
Then she concludes:<br />
<br />
"I am a self-taught artist and by combining several media together by trial and error, my style evolved over time. Vibrant color and humor are mainstays in my pieces and I often comment on how SERIOUS I am about FUNNY."<br />
<br />
Here's the thing, peeps:<br />
<br />
I've had my nose planted in a plateful of yummy fries more than a few times.<br />
<br />
And I don't dip these taters in boring old ketchup either.<br />
<br />
I use the one and only best fry dipping substance on the planet: Chick-fil-a Sauce.<br />
<br />
Chick-fil-a Sauce is a super "delish" form of honey mustard.<br />
<br />
I could take a bloomin' bath in this stuff.<br />
<br />
Need I say more?<br />
<br />
And I'm going to be honest here.<br />
<br />
In the excitement of the anticipatory moment - and just like "Miss Loretta"- I've forgotten to remove my sunglasses a time or two before I've dived into the goodies.<br />
<br />
This girl is "in the zone," isn't she?<br />
<br />
She's staring at those tender sticks of golden deliciousness with everything she's got.<br />
<br />
She's soaking up their unresistable aroma seconds before she starts dipping her fries into those - count them - seven cups of Chick-fil-a Sauce.<br />
<br />
Whoops.<br />
<br />
Excuse me - "fry sauce."<br />
<br />
Here's another thing:<br />
<br />
I am in love with the happy colors Stephanie has chosen for "Miss Loretta " and her fine dining experience.<br />
<br />
Lush, coral reds dominate this painting.<br />
<br />
The cheery, cherry wallpaper, the red vinyl bench and "Miss Loretta's" magnificent spiral-shaped "do" all work together to grab our attention and haul it right into the middle of this piece.<br />
<br />
We see explosions of color, don't we?<br />
<br />
Even "Miss Loretta's" coral-tinged lips - poised as they are over the divine French fries - act as a sort of beacon drawing us into the center of those potato-ey mounds of heaven.<br />
<br />
The bright blues of the dress and the underside of the spud plate are the perfect color balance for all of those jump-in-your-face reds.<br />
<br />
This painting is a hoot and a half any way you look at it!<br />
<br />
Here's just a word or two about the title of Stephanie's painting.<br />
<br />
Most of us have been there, haven't we?<br />
<br />
We wake up Monday morning with the best of intentions.<br />
<br />
Today we are going to get it right.<br />
<br />
Today we are going to eat the right stuff.<br />
<br />
And we're going to eat the right stuff in the right proportions.<br />
<br />
After all, we are the masters of our souls.<br />
<br />
We are the captains of our fate.<br />
<br />
WE CAN DO THIS!<br />
<br />
But then we glance at a Chick-fil-a billboard as we glide down the interstate at 11:30 a.m. hungrier than ten horses.<br />
<br />
Minutes later, the car mysteriously turns into the Chick-fil-a "enter" lane.<br />
<br />
The next thing we know, we're telling "Miss Loretta" to schooch over on her bench.<br />
<br />
We're gonna need some serious spreadin' out room if we are going to do this right!<br />
<br />
Next, we find ourselves goin' head to head with "Miss Loretta" as we plow through our own plate of Frenchified fries.<br />
<br />
To our horror, we realize we're downing these things like there's gonna to be no tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Then it suddenly dawns on us. . . . . .<br />
<br />
there will be a tomorrow!<br />
<br />
Relief spills over our flushed faces.<br />
<br />
We'll start again tomorrow!<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we'll resist those crispy French fries with their seductive special sauce.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we will be masters of our souls.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we will be captains of our fate.<br />
<br />
But today?<br />
<br />
Nah.<br />
<br />
It's not gonna happen today.<br />
<br />
Today we're goin' for it big time.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-54778196667402449172012-02-15T16:51:00.002-08:002012-02-20T08:18:27.956-08:00WOMEN DRIVERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bGHiDkxDJSk/TzxQkXFvcFI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vzjpWkx7RNc/s1600/nov20+395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bGHiDkxDJSk/TzxQkXFvcFI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vzjpWkx7RNc/s400/nov20+395.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("The Goldsmith Ladies in the Bois de Boulogne in a Peugot 'Voiturette' 1897", Julius Leblanc Stewart, 1901, Musee National de la Voiture et du Tourisme, France)</div><br />
<br />
I'll never forget the day one of my Women's Studies professors said:<br />
<br />
"Driving vehicles has done more for the ultimate independence of women than anything else - including the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote."<br />
<br />
That's a big, bold statement for sure!<br />
<br />
But as soon as I heard those words, I knew my professor was on to something.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
A quick survey of history tells the tale.<br />
<br />
The great majority of the world's cultures have been patriarchal societies.<br />
<br />
That means, of course, that men have traditionally held power over women, children, animals and property.<br />
<br />
In other words, men made the rules.<br />
<br />
And everyone else fell in line.<br />
<br />
This was certainly true in Biblical times.<br />
<br />
Israelite women prayed to be blessed with male children for several reasons.<br />
<br />
One of the most important was this:<br />
<br />
A woman's eldest son held the power and the responsibility to look after his mother in her old age - assuming the woman's husband preceded her in death.<br />
<br />
Under most of the world's social systems, daughters were strictly watched over by their fathers.<br />
<br />
If the father died, the daughter's eldest brother inherited that responsibility.<br />
<br />
If the eldest brother died, the daughter's next youngest male sibling took on that job.<br />
<br />
Eventually, uncles and cousins would be pegged for the job of overseeing the life of a single female relative if the immediate family had no more males to carry out the task.<br />
<br />
On and on it went.<br />
<br />
Down the line of familial patriarchal responsibility.<br />
<br />
It goes without saying that a daughter's husband took over this assignment on the day of her marriage - often at the tender age of 13 or 14 years old.<br />
<br />
If we fast forward through history, we discover that little improvement had been made in the societal and political status of women by the time of the ancient Greeks.<br />
<br />
In fact, most Greek women of the Golden Age were forbidden to leave their marital homes unless their husbands or other male relatives accompanied them outside to the larger world.<br />
<br />
Occasionally, these women would be allowed to visit a next door neighbor - if their husbands knew about their plans in advance and gave their blessing.<br />
<br />
In Renaissance Italy, women born into aristocratic families served as little more than bargaining chips in the marriage market.<br />
<br />
Daughters were married off for economic and political reasons.<br />
<br />
These well-born ladies were told who they would marry and then they were counseled "to make the best of it."<br />
<br />
Now let's jump way, way ahead to the Victorian era.<br />
<br />
During this period, men reasoned that women should be "elevated" and figuratively "placed on pedestals" due to the supposed moral superiority of the fairer sex.<br />
<br />
Male thinking went something like this:<br />
<br />
"Because women are moral, gentle, emotional and delicate creatures, they must be "protected" by men from the nastiness of life. The best way to accomplish this is to assure women that their place is in the home - not in the harsh outer world of commerce and business."<br />
<br />
Hmmm.<br />
<br />
That's a sly way of saying the same old thing, isn't it?<br />
<br />
The point is this:<br />
<br />
Traditionally, men have wanted to keep power in male hands.<br />
<br />
Today, power hungry males are alive and kicking throughout the world.<br />
<br />
These men use the same old arguments to bolster their case against the freedom of women.<br />
<br />
That's why in some modern cultures, women have not been allowed to drive on the world's roadways.<br />
<br />
Cars, after all, are the vehicles (no pun intended) that bring education and understanding to the traveling throngs.<br />
<br />
Travel leads to the acquisition of knowledge.<br />
<br />
Knowledge not only about the greater world around us but also knowledge and enlightenment about ourselves.<br />
<br />
Now, in the case of women, we can't have that, can we?<br />
<br />
Because if we do have that, female drivers just might want more freedom to move themselves around the world.<br />
<br />
If that happens, women are going to possess wider views of the planet they live on.<br />
<br />
That could easily lead to the acquisition of new ideas, thoughts and ambitions.<br />
<br />
And before anyone realizes what's happened, these world savvy women are going to demand - dare we say it?<br />
<br />
POWER!<br />
<br />
(Otherwise known as control over their own lives.)<br />
<br />
We don't know whether French painter, Julius Lablanc Stewart, was bothered by the idea of female drivers.<br />
<br />
But it certainly looks as if he frankly promoted the concept, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
The truth is, of course, that we don't know Stewart's political opinions about women drivers.<br />
<br />
But I believe it's safe to say that he was - at the very least - intrigued by the idea.<br />
<br />
Stewart was an American artist - he was born in Philadelphia.<br />
<br />
Julius's father was a wealthy man who made his fortune in the sugar industry.<br />
<br />
He moved his family to Paris in 1865 and became a dedicated art collector.<br />
<br />
The fine arts were in the blood of this family.<br />
<br />
So it was no surprise when Julius showed an early interest in painting.<br />
<br />
He studied with many of the most polished masters of the day at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.<br />
<br />
Because of the family's wealth, Stewart was able to live a privileged life of his own choosing without having to worry about money issues.<br />
<br />
Julius painted what pleased him.<br />
<br />
And what pleased him were large scale group portraits of upper society people - people who were often his friends.<br />
<br />
Stewart earned his creds in the art world.<br />
<br />
He exhibited frequently at the Paris Salon and helped organize the "Americans in Paris" section of the 1894 Salon.<br />
<br />
His beautiful painting, "The Baptism," was shown at the 1893 Chicago World Columbian Exposition and it received honors at the 1895 Berlin International Exposition as well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zjntsS0BW1E/TzxQTJnqikI/AAAAAAAAAP0/jQeDpXeO1Cc/s1600/80_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zjntsS0BW1E/TzxQTJnqikI/AAAAAAAAAP0/jQeDpXeO1Cc/s400/80_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(The Baptism, Julius Leblanc Stewart, 1892, Los Angeles County Museum of Art)</div><br />
I had the privilege of viewing "The Baptism" in Los Angeles a while ago.<br />
<br />
It is a huge painting.<br />
<br />
But that's not what draws you into the piece.<br />
<br />
The painting depicts the gathering of a notable, uppercrust family who is experiencing some degree of distress.<br />
<br />
The baptism of an infant is taking place in a gorgeous, spacious room at the family's mansion.<br />
<br />
Several people are on hand to witness this sacred event.<br />
<br />
But the baptism of the infant is not the focal point of the painting.<br />
<br />
In the foreground of the work, we see a young mother languishing on a chaise lounge.<br />
<br />
Though she is beautiful and well adorned, it is obvious that she is not physically well.<br />
<br />
Bringing forth her child into the world has taken its toll on the young mother's health and well-being.<br />
<br />
Stewart has expertly placed this woman at the center of his canvas and because he has done so, our hearts are easily drawn to this new mother's trials and personal worries.<br />
<br />
As I studied this painting I imagined that this mother might be thinking, "Will I live long enough to raise my child?"<br />
<br />
That would not have been an unthinkable question at that time in history.<br />
<br />
For these reasons - and many others - "The Baptism" is a wonderful work of art.<br />
<br />
Now, then.<br />
<br />
Let's turn to happier thoughts.<br />
<br />
Stewart's painting, "The Goldsmith Ladies...in a Peugeot" is simply an undisputed joy ride, isn't it?<br />
<br />
Here we see two young women - I've named them "Sadie" and "Mae" - out on the road with their trusty canine friend - let's call him - "Blaze."<br />
<br />
Sadie, looking particularly spiffy in her sienna hued driving coat, is captain of the Peugeot.<br />
<br />
She is the driver of this early "convertible."<br />
<br />
And there is no doubt that she is in command.<br />
<br />
Those eyes of hers are staring straight ahead as she steers that bumpy buggy down the road.<br />
<br />
She's taking care of business.<br />
<br />
She knows exactly what she's doing!<br />
<br />
And even if she doesn't, you'd never know it by looking at her.<br />
<br />
Stewart's Sadie is competent and cool under what could be possible pressure to perform well.<br />
<br />
What about Mae?<br />
<br />
Look at that obvious grin on her lovely face.<br />
<br />
She's enjoying every second of this driving experience.<br />
<br />
Mae's left hand is grasping the brim of her perky straw hat.<br />
<br />
She doesn't want to lose it to the breeze that is kicking up as the vehicle plows through oncoming air.<br />
<br />
Mae's right arm is stretched across the back of the seat - perhaps to provide stability and balance for her as the vehicle rambles forward.<br />
<br />
That gauzy scarf in her clasped fingertips is flying for all it's worth, isn't it?<br />
<br />
Everything about Stewart's Mae says: "I'm loving this!"<br />
<br />
And then we have Blaze riding out front and center.<br />
<br />
He's in his element!<br />
<br />
Look at that taut torso and those sturdy legs!<br />
<br />
His left ear is busy flapping in the wind.<br />
<br />
The dog's eyes are virtual slits.<br />
<br />
We can't tell if he can see anything at all.<br />
<br />
But who cares?<br />
<br />
Blaze is living in the moment and enjoying the brisk breeze as it flows across his body.<br />
<br />
This animal - his body pressed forward into the wind - knows how to live life!<br />
<br />
There's a lesson in this for each one of us.<br />
<br />
Just as Sadie, Mae and Blaze are embracing new opportunities - and challenges - in their lives, should we not step forward in our own lives and brave the unknown?<br />
<br />
Of course, the answer to that question must be a resounding "yes."<br />
<br />
Stewart's Sadie and Mae are literally and figuratively driving into their futures.<br />
<br />
Not only that, they are paving the road that will lead to joyful movement and purpose-filled freedoms for all women down through the decades of time.<br />
<br />
Drive on, my dears.<br />
<br />
Drive on!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-53599347524383682782012-02-08T06:46:00.000-08:002012-02-08T06:46:16.006-08:00GIRLS IN PEARLS: CAROLINA CHILD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3FILUzXPwc/TzKI3it6KnI/AAAAAAAAAPc/6n2yecMrYNs/s1600/jan28+162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S3FILUzXPwc/TzKI3it6KnI/AAAAAAAAAPc/6n2yecMrYNs/s400/jan28+162.JPG" width="301" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Carolina Child", Stephen Scott Young, 2000, Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, Montgomery, Alabama)</div><br />
<br />
Oh......my......stars<br />
<br />
Stephen Scott Young's painting, "Carolina Child," knocked my socks off the moment I laid eyes on it.<br />
<br />
This is a stunning work of art!<br />
<br />
Young, born in 1957, is an American contemporary artist from Honolulu, Hawaii, who is primarily known for his watercolor paintings and etchings.<br />
<br />
In "Carolina Child," Young changes things up a bit because this is an oil painting done on masonite.<br />
<br />
One of this artist's favorite themes is everyday life in the American South but he also creates work depicting the Out Islands of The Bahamas.<br />
<br />
This modern master focuses on social concepts such as coming of age, class and race when he creates his art.<br />
<br />
He is known as a "hyper-realist" which means that he is a painter who emphasizes highly intricate details in his realistic works.<br />
<br />
His creations are also noted for their beautifully rendered simplicity of subject matter.<br />
<br />
It's not difficult to see all of these qualities in "Carolina Child."<br />
<br />
Let's look more closely.<br />
<br />
We notice, first of all, that the composition of this painting is unusual.<br />
<br />
Our subject is not standing front and center in the foreground of this piece.<br />
<br />
Instead, she is standing at the lower left corner of the painting.<br />
<br />
This deliberate placement helps catch the viewer's attention, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
Next, we see that this child has been captured in shadow.<br />
<br />
The dark tones of the shadows and the hues of her rich, brown skin are in direct contrast to the massive white spaces which surround her.<br />
<br />
This painterly device should give us some clues into the artist's probable intentions.<br />
<br />
Let's zero in on the young girl's pose and her facial expression.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1V4Bim5t96A/TzKI_iZMMiI/AAAAAAAAAPk/Oeydpq1V2nk/s1600/jan28+164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1V4Bim5t96A/TzKI_iZMMiI/AAAAAAAAAPk/Oeydpq1V2nk/s400/jan28+164.JPG" width="296" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Her head has been placed at a slightly downward slant.<br />
<br />
And it has been turned to the right - but just barely.<br />
<br />
The child's head is turned just enough so we, the viewers, can easily distinguish her facial features.<br />
<br />
Glimmering shades of white settle on her ear, cheek and eyes as well as on the side of her nose and lips.<br />
<br />
Just in case we have missed those glimmers, Young has given us a second chance to notice them with the sweetly scalloped lace collar that rests against her neck.<br />
<br />
The collar is a larger splash of white and it serves as a pedestal of sorts for the child's head.<br />
<br />
None of this was an accident, of course.<br />
<br />
Young is using these whitewashed glimmers and poised scallops to draw our attention to the emotional temperature of his "Carolina Child."<br />
<br />
She seems lost in her own thoughts, doesn't she?<br />
<br />
Do we know what she is thinking?<br />
<br />
No, we do not.<br />
<br />
And, frankly, it's none of our business.<br />
<br />
Still, it is readily apparent that she is in a contemplative state of mind.<br />
<br />
She is mulling things over.<br />
<br />
With these observations, we quickly identify with this girl and we share in her humanity.<br />
<br />
For we are all thinking beings, frequently bent on pondering the circumstances of our lives in order to make sense of them.<br />
<br />
The whitewashed walls and the sepia-tinged shadows seem to envelop "Carolina Child" in a cozy embrace while she meditates.<br />
<br />
She is safe there.<br />
<br />
Safe to think.<br />
<br />
And safe to feel.<br />
<br />
Next, we instantly recognize that the "pearls" in this painting are not real.<br />
<br />
They are much too large to be real.<br />
<br />
And it's a pretty good bet that they did not cost a fortune.<br />
<br />
They are not precious jewels.<br />
<br />
Except perhaps to our "Carolina Child."<br />
<br />
And that's all that is important, after all.<br />
<br />
She wears those four gigantic pearls proudly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Prvk16tLMM/TzKJE5jdDSI/AAAAAAAAAPs/zjDCj7KvMdY/s1600/jan28+165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Prvk16tLMM/TzKJE5jdDSI/AAAAAAAAAPs/zjDCj7KvMdY/s400/jan28+165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
These pearls are workers.<br />
<br />
They bind and twist the strands of her hair into a ship-shape, upswept "do."<br />
<br />
A crimson red, fluttery bow - or is it a fabric butterfly? - is placed at the back of her head.<br />
<br />
That brilliant shot of red draws attention to those humongous pearls, doesn't it?<br />
<br />
For many centuries, the pearl has been a primary symbol of good taste and elegance.<br />
<br />
Pearls, above all other gems, have decorated, highlighted and emphasized the countenances of women (and men) the world over.<br />
<br />
They are symbols of innocence and purity as well.<br />
<br />
In some ways, they lend a divine sort of light to their wearers.<br />
<br />
It is this divine light that shines upon our "Carolina Child."<br />
<br />
As we gaze upon her lovely countenance, we feel her innocence and purity. <br />
<br />
She is no longer a stranger to us.<br />
<br />
Without knowing the internal workings of her thoughts, we somehow share in them.<br />
<br />
And that is a very godly thing to do.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-8857204858217309262012-02-02T06:24:00.000-08:002012-02-02T06:24:10.686-08:00GIRLS IN PEARLS: SUCH A RELIEF!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pcgPiRFmKQ/TyqbpYrYEVI/AAAAAAAAAPM/WyjwK3bNAiY/s1600/jan27+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pcgPiRFmKQ/TyqbpYrYEVI/AAAAAAAAAPM/WyjwK3bNAiY/s400/jan27+048.JPG" width="280" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Profile of a Young Woman", Mino da Fiesole, 1455, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama)</div><br />
<br />
As much as I love sculpture, this art form usually takes second place to the magic I find in color-splashed oil paintings.<br />
<br />
That being true, I have to admit that the really wonderful thing about sculpture is that it is usually three dimensional.<br />
<br />
That means it has body, weight and mass.<br />
<br />
Simply put, you can walk around a work of sculpture and enjoy the view from several vantage points.<br />
<br />
There's just something very enticing - and humanizing - about that.<br />
<br />
"Bas Relief" sculpture is another thing altogether.<br />
<br />
This is a form of sculpture in which figures are carved on a flat surface so that they project only a little from the background.<br />
<br />
By their very nature, bas-relief sculptures do not have the same body, weight or mass as do three dimensional sculptures.<br />
<br />
I have always been enamored by bas-relief works of art<br />
<br />
They have a delicate beauty that simply can't be reproduced in any other art form.<br />
<br />
Mino da Fiesole's "Profile of a Young Woman" is a perfect example of bas-relief at its finest.<br />
<br />
Sculptor Mino was alive, well and working smack dab in the middle of the Italian Renaissance.<br />
<br />
He was born in the pretty little Tuscan town of Fiesole which is just five miles north of Florence.<br />
<br />
Mino's master teachers were the talented Desiderio da Settignano and Antonio Rosssellino - don't you just love Italian names? - who set him on a course to bigger and better things in the medium of sculpture.<br />
<br />
Mino and his masters were fellow workers and good friends as well as academic cohorts.<br />
<br />
Although most sculptors of his time were not able to travel to Rome for further study and work, Mino was blessed to live in Rome on two separate occasions.<br />
<br />
Without a doubt, Mino's sculptural skills benefited from both of these study/work periods in Rome.<br />
<br />
Mino's sculpture is distinguished by its finely polished surfaces and its delicacy of details.<br />
<br />
He is known for his finesse with sharp, angular, richly carved drapery as well.<br />
<br />
But his work is primarily noted for its strong sense of spirituality and its excellent representation of devotional feelings.<br />
<br />
This is obvious when we look at his "Profile of a Young Woman."<br />
<br />
Mino pulled at my heartstrings - again - just a few days ago.<br />
<br />
Bob and I walked into a splendid room containing lovely Renaissance oil paintings at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama.<br />
<br />
And there was Mino's young woman, glowing in her subtle radiance on the center wall.<br />
<br />
She is a woman not to be missed for many reasons.<br />
<br />
But one of those reasons is this:<br />
<br />
Spotlights are directed upon her elegant countenance from above.<br />
<br />
Then its up to her viewers to admire her spiritual majesty.<br />
<br />
And I, for one, did just that.<br />
<br />
Let's take a closer look.<br />
<br />
Although the young woman's head is seen in profile, her torso is actually turned just a bit forward, toward the viewer so we can get a better look at that gorgeous gown.<br />
<br />
Scholars have determined that Mino's young woman is arrayed in the classical dress of Roman antiquity.<br />
<br />
The gauzy material of her gown is gathered in a traditional knot on her chest.<br />
<br />
Small, round buttons hold the diaphanous fabric together at her shoulder and upper arms.<br />
<br />
Mino's rendering of the woman's delicate features creates the feeling of facial reality which is usually not found in lesser bas-relief art.<br />
<br />
The texture of the woman's skin is a sight to behold.<br />
<br />
It appears to be as smooth as a newborn's silky bottom.<br />
<br />
How in the world does a sculptor - working with hard, cold marble - manage to convey that feeling to his viewers?<br />
<br />
Only the best of the best are able to accomplish this feat.<br />
<br />
The young woman's smooth-as-glass skin provides direct contrast to the finely pleated, angular folds of her gown.<br />
<br />
And it is those striking contrasts that envelope Mino's viewers and brings them to a new appreciation of his mind-blowing talent.<br />
<br />
Finally, we look at this young woman's hair.<br />
<br />
It is tied up with narrow ribbons in at least two places on the back of her head.<br />
<br />
Believe it or not, the woman's hair is covered with a nearly transparent veil.<br />
<br />
(You'll have to take my word on this.)<br />
<br />
The veil is edged with the most classic of all jewels - a magnificent string of graduated pearls.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlGnraEdSN8/Tyqbu_aH7NI/AAAAAAAAAPU/mo3AA7LZRSw/s1600/jan27+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlGnraEdSN8/Tyqbu_aH7NI/AAAAAAAAAPU/mo3AA7LZRSw/s320/jan27+052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Mino's pearls serve to highlight - and decorate - the well proportioned forehead of his young woman.<br />
<br />
Additionally, they follow the feminine curves of her head - gently grazing her ear and then slowly disappearing into the shadows at the nape of her neck.<br />
<br />
This is Mino at his most sublime.<br />
<br />
I feel privileged whenever I am able to experience Mino's work.<br />
<br />
For it is, indeed, an experience.<br />
<br />
And one of the highest order.<br />
<br />
The simple truth is this:<br />
<br />
I become a better person each time I immerse myself in one of Mino's sculptures.<br />
<br />
And, for me, that is the high and holy purpose of all true art.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-67418736549737412092012-01-24T06:13:00.000-08:002012-01-24T13:01:56.480-08:00GIRLS IN PEARLS: OLGA'S BEJEWELED GOWN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Xi6W5ncr50/Tx65Wg-uWhI/AAAAAAAAAO0/1x-CeSrme7A/s1600/jan24+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Xi6W5ncr50/Tx65Wg-uWhI/AAAAAAAAAO0/1x-CeSrme7A/s400/jan24+003.JPG" width="245" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Olga Nikolayevna, Queen of Wurttemburg," Franz Winterhalter, 1865, Wurttembergisches Landsmuseum, Stuttgart, Germany)</div><br />
<br />
We all know that it is possible to over do anything in life.<br />
<br />
(That is, of course, with the exception of eating chocolate.)<br />
<br />
It is also true that any queen worth her salt knows she must look spiffy in her official royal portraits.<br />
<br />
After all, she is the first royal lady of her country and she should look the part, shouldn't she?<br />
<br />
Olga Nikolayevna, later Queen Olga of Wurttemburg, certainly thought so.<br />
<br />
This blue-blooded lady, born in 1822, was sister to the doomed Alexanader II of Russia.<br />
<br />
The very same Alexander II who was ousted as czar during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.<br />
<br />
Miss Olga came with a long list of desirable characteristics.<br />
<br />
Olga was attractive, cultured and intelligent.<br />
<br />
She spoke several languages and thoroughly enjoyed music and painting.<br />
<br />
She was one of the most eligible princesses in the Europe of her day.<br />
<br />
Olga's parents wanted her to secure a high level dynastic marriage.<br />
<br />
Three of her siblings had not done so well in the marriage department.<br />
<br />
Each of them married - how shall I put this? - lesser members of European royal families.<br />
<br />
So the pressure was on Olga to step up to her royal duty and outshine them all.<br />
<br />
After only a few meetings, Olga accepted Crown Prince Charles of Wurttemburg's proposal of marriage in 1846.<br />
<br />
The wedding was a royal shindig of the finest sort.<br />
<br />
It was held at the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.<br />
<br />
Now that's saying something!<br />
<br />
That's because Peter the Great of Russia became entranced with a little place called "Versailles" when he visited France several decades earlier.<br />
<br />
So he went home to St. Petersburg and threw together his own version of Louie's palatial home.<br />
<br />
I have seen both of these royal estates.<br />
<br />
They literally glow with glittery architecture, furniture and decorative accessories.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dfNe2-8i1mc/Tx65EMNiMZI/AAAAAAAAAOk/cenurEMbWOc/s1600/100_4303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dfNe2-8i1mc/Tx65EMNiMZI/AAAAAAAAAOk/cenurEMbWOc/s320/100_4303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Louis XIV Bedroom in Versailles)</div><br />
<br />
And they are a hoot to visit!<br />
<br />
But I gotta say that, in my opinion, both Louie and Peter frequently passed the realm of good taste in their respective dwellings.<br />
<br />
Too much of a good thing is often just too much!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpacSnYQ2XA/Tx65vsI82XI/AAAAAAAAAPE/yBYtcz6_FDQ/s1600/jul05+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpacSnYQ2XA/Tx65vsI82XI/AAAAAAAAAPE/yBYtcz6_FDQ/s400/jul05+054.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Peterhof, St. Petersburg, Russia)</div><br />
<br />
Anyway, after the splendiferous wedding, Olga got busy with her royal work.<br />
<br />
She dedicated her life to several social causes - particularly the education of girls.<br />
<br />
I love this woman!<br />
<br />
And she supported wounded veterans and children's health needs.<br />
<br />
These charitable works endeared Olga to her subjects.<br />
<br />
As a result, she was more popular in German society than her husband.<br />
<br />
She was personally interested in agriculture and held a firm fondness for all of the day-to-day happenings on her farming estate.<br />
<br />
Olga loved natural science as well.<br />
<br />
She collected minerals and identified them in a systematic fashion.<br />
<br />
As of 2011, part of her collection is still on display in the Staatliche Museum fur Naturkunde in Stuttgart.<br />
<br />
And to this very day, Olga's name is attached to a geological formation in the Northern Territory of Australia.<br />
<br />
Well, now, this woman came packed with brains and she knew how to use them!<br />
<br />
Olga was admired for her "dignity" and "queenly demeanor" as well.<br />
<br />
During a visit by Olga and Charles to Austria in July, 1873, a lady-in-waiting to Empress Elisabeth of Austria reported her observations of the royal couple:<br />
<br />
"He is most insignificant. She, however, makes a most imposing appearance."<br />
<br />
That "imposing appearance" is readily apparent in Franz Xaver Winterhalter's 1865 royal portrait of Olga.<br />
<br />
Winterhalter was a student of Joseph Stieler - the master who painted last week's subject, Maria, Queen of Bavaria.<br />
<br />
As so often happens in the world of art, Joseph's student eventually surpassed his teacher in the mastery of technique and artistic innovation.<br />
<br />
Eventually, Franz was appointed court painter to Grand Duke Leopold of Baden. This was a promotion that jump started his career.<br />
<br />
After success there, he moved to Paris in 1834 where the "citizen king" Louis Phillipe and his successor Emperor Napoleon III recognized his talent and kept him busy painting leading members of Parisian society.<br />
<br />
It wasn't long before word got out concerning Franz's artistic talents. When that happened many of the royal houses of Europe came knocking on Winterhalter's door.<br />
<br />
For example, it is known that Franz painted the family of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of England at least 120 times.<br />
<br />
Winterhalter was particularly skilled in combining "likeness with flattery and enlivening official pomp with modern fashion. He created the image his royal sitters wished or needed to project to their subjects. He was skilled in the art of painting fabrics, furs, jewelry and facial features as well. His portraits are elegant, refined, life-like and pleasantly idealized."<br />
<br />
Franz became an international celebrity of the first degree due to his royal patronage. The constant demand for his work made him a very wealthy man. Though Franz desired to paint other subject matter, he was destined to paint portraits of the rich and notable for the rest of his life.<br />
<br />
It was no surprise when Olga Nikolayevna asked Franz to record her queenly image for the ages.<br />
<br />
He, of course, desired to accommodate her.<br />
<br />
Let's take a look.<br />
<br />
One glance at Olga's gown tells us that this woman is dripping in royal blood.<br />
<br />
That splendid dress is a feast for the eyes - especially for all of us dedicated blue and white lovers!<br />
<br />
Indeed, one can almost reach out and feel the soft texture of Olga's blue velvet over-skirt.<br />
<br />
I love the background details in this painting.<br />
<br />
Those gauzy greens, cloud-swirled skies and carved stones are the perfect note of serenity for Queen Olga's portrait.<br />
<br />
We can't help but notice that Olga's ensemble is literally laden with heavy strings of pearls.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IotEmmB_fnc/Tx65N3A7hDI/AAAAAAAAAOs/WPXAovdVdi8/s1600/jan24+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IotEmmB_fnc/Tx65N3A7hDI/AAAAAAAAAOs/WPXAovdVdi8/s400/jan24+001.JPG" width="350" /></a></div><br />
<br />
They seem to be hanging from every possible point on Olga's gown, don't they?<br />
<br />
We see large loops of them drooping everywhere.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPwZJ9TLVrU/Tx65hzYDQcI/AAAAAAAAAO8/nqU2KQghlvM/s1600/jan24+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WPwZJ9TLVrU/Tx65hzYDQcI/AAAAAAAAAO8/nqU2KQghlvM/s400/jan24+005.JPG" width="338" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
I'm thinking that the queen went a little too far with all those magnificent pearls.<br />
<br />
But you know what?<br />
<br />
There have been those times in my life when I have overdone it with jewelry myself.<br />
<br />
So I can empathize with Olga's overzealous desire to wear her beloved pearls.<br />
<br />
This girl loves her pearls!<br />
<br />
It's easy to get caught up in the excess of lovely things.<br />
<br />
I'm seriously guilty of this myself.<br />
<br />
So thank you, Queen Olga, for reminding me that I don't really need another vase, bracelet, blouse or......bite of heavenly chocolate.<br />
<br />
Hmmm.<br />
<br />
What about that last piece of gooey chocolate sitting seductively in that golden box?<br />
<br />
Isn't there some sort of law that says "it is not lawful to pass up the last piece of chocolate in a box?"<br />
<br />
There has to be!<br />
<br />
I can tell you this:<br />
<br />
Olga and I have made a pact born of courage and self-mastery.<br />
<br />
We're going to pass up that last piece of chocolate lying innocently in the box.<br />
<br />
That's because we're off to check out the new line of pearls at Tiffany's!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
NOTE: Some of the information in this post was sourced through "Wikipedia" and Claudia Lanfranconi's wonderful book, "Girls in Pearls."Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-63753505723822284982012-01-17T06:04:00.000-08:002012-01-17T06:36:54.248-08:00GIRLS IN PEARLS: A LOVELY COUNTENANCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gz2TM0Po_d8/TxV62AJD1mI/AAAAAAAAAOU/DkyHqzTuf_U/s1600/jan12+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gz2TM0Po_d8/TxV62AJD1mI/AAAAAAAAAOU/DkyHqzTuf_U/s400/jan12+057.JPG" width="328" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Marie, Queen of Bavaria", Joseph Stieler, 1842, Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich)</div><br />
<br />
Isn't it heavenly when you discover a kindred spirit?<br />
<br />
That's what happened to me when I was walking through art-drenched Munich last year.<br />
<br />
It didn't take long for me to see that King Ludwig I of Bavaria and I have a lot in common.<br />
<br />
Allow me to begin by saying that we're both fanatical lovers of art.<br />
<br />
To say that the King and I are admirers of the Italian Renaissance is undoubtedly the understatement of all time.<br />
<br />
"Luddy" and I can't walk by a glowing Madonna without stopping to reverence her majesty.<br />
<br />
But it doesn't stop there.<br />
<br />
Ancient Greece touches our hearts as well.<br />
<br />
Especially classical Greek architecture.<br />
<br />
I'm crazy about majestic columns and angled pediments.<br />
<br />
"Luddy" erected bunches of columns and pediments when he built his neoclassical buildings in Munich.<br />
<br />
That's what happens when you are the king.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KULhBMgdDgo/TxV7JpdYNZI/AAAAAAAAAOc/LSqmYKBrNBE/s1600/1826stia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KULhBMgdDgo/TxV7JpdYNZI/AAAAAAAAAOc/LSqmYKBrNBE/s400/1826stia.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("King Ludwig I in Coronation Robes", Joseph Stieler, 1826, Neue Pinakothek, Munich)</div><br />
<br />
You get to dip your sticky fingers into the royal treasury and pull out a boatload of bucks.<br />
<br />
And before you know it, your name is splashed all over everything artsy in Munich!<br />
<br />
Years later, art lovers like myself stroll through Munich thinking to ourselves, "Ludwig, you little devil! You're a man after my own heart."<br />
<br />
But art wasn't the only thing Ludwig loved.<br />
<br />
He loved the ladies as well.<br />
<br />
Hmmm.<br />
<br />
Sounds like I need to reevaluate my "kindred spirit" relationship with Luddy.<br />
<br />
Claudia Lanfranconi has the inside scoop:<br />
<br />
"King Ludwig I of Bavaria was susceptible to feminine charms from an early age. On his journey to Italy in 1817 he raved about "the eyes of Sicilian women, which glow with passion and with an unutterable yearning."<br />
<br />
Goodness me, Ludwig, I'm blushing like a rose!<br />
<br />
How about dialing it down a notch or two?<br />
<br />
Well, now, that's not gonna happen.<br />
<br />
Instead, ladies man Ludwig will decide to create a monument to the glories of feminine beauty.<br />
<br />
Isn't that just like a man?<br />
<br />
Just once in my life I'd like to see a male create a monument to the glories of normal looking women.<br />
<br />
Yup......that's right.<br />
<br />
Normal looking women who have inner smarts, inner humor, inner "beauty" coming out the ying yang.<br />
<br />
Forgive me for being cynical, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for this to happen.<br />
<br />
Anyway......<br />
<br />
In 1826, Luddy commissioned his court painter, Joseph Stieler, to paint portraits of 36 lovely-to-look-at ladies.<br />
<br />
The alpha dog himself - King Luddy - selected the models for these portraits.<br />
<br />
No surprise there.<br />
<br />
I do have to give the guy creds for including the "ordinary women of Munich" as well as the ladies of the court in his lineup of beautiful "Miss Munichs."<br />
<br />
Claudia Lanfranconi tells us more:<br />
<br />
"The main criteria for inclusion were outstanding attractiveness and a spotless character. Entirely in the spirit of German idealism, Ludwig equated external beauty with high morality and human integrity."<br />
<br />
Of course he did!<br />
<br />
He's chock full of male chromosomes which means that his brain may not be cookin' on all its burners.<br />
<br />
If I understand Luddy correctly, he's saying that it is impossible for a woman to possess inner beauty unless she is drop dead gorgeous on the outside as well.<br />
<br />
Oh......my......stars.<br />
<br />
I can't believe I actually thought this idiot - excuse me, man - was going to be my art lovin' soulmate!<br />
<br />
Portraitist Joseph Karl Stieler was trained in the Parisian workshop of the esteemed realist Francois Gerard.<br />
<br />
Eventually, Stieler was asked by Ludwig I to paint his pretties for the so-called "Gallery of Beauties" which would be on display in the royal residence in Munich.<br />
<br />
This he did.<br />
<br />
Stieler's most notable painterly characteristic was his ability to focus on the sitter.<br />
<br />
The usual decorative additions are omitted in many of Stieler's portraits.<br />
<br />
As a rule, you're not going to see a gaggle of columns, draperies and furniture in Joseph's paintings.<br />
<br />
(Stieler's above portrait of King Ludwig is an obvious exception.)<br />
<br />
Hence, there is nothing to distract the viewer from her or his enjoyment of the painting's subject.<br />
<br />
Joseph Stieler successfully achieved this goal by deliberately using the contrast of light and dark in his works.<br />
<br />
This technique helps to accurately characterize the facial features of Stieler's sitters.<br />
<br />
Such was the case when Stieler painted "Marie, Queen of Bavaria" - one of the last women to be included in the "Gallery of Beauties."<br />
<br />
Marie was born and raised in Berlin.<br />
<br />
She was the daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Prussia and his wife, Landgravine Marie Anna of Hesse-Homburg.<br />
<br />
In 1842, Marie married the Crown Prince of Bavaria who later became King Maximilian II.<br />
<br />
This lovely woman was adored by the Prussian population which was mostly Lutheran and by Bavaria's Roman Catholics as well.<br />
<br />
That's not an easy thing to pull off, by the way.<br />
<br />
An important emphasis of Marie's royal good works was the reactivation of the Bavarian Women's Association whose objective was to care for and support wounded soldiers in the field.<br />
<br />
The Bavarian Red Cross was officially founded as a result of the Bavarian Women's Association.<br />
<br />
Those were some of Marie's good works.<br />
<br />
And they were, indeed, good works.<br />
<br />
Now, let's examine her stunning portrait.<br />
<br />
As mentioned, Stieler used an economy of color and composition in Marie's portrait.<br />
<br />
We see a pretty woman looking exquisitely royal in this painting.<br />
<br />
Look no further than her ermine-bordered robe for that visual announcement.<br />
<br />
Stieler has used raven-hued black, ruby red, creamy whites and a million shades of silvery gray to paint his portrait of Marie.<br />
<br />
The effect is beautiful, isn't it?<br />
<br />
I love his inclusion of two tiny spots of blue-gray which fill her eyes with clarity and life.<br />
<br />
Marie is obviously an attractive woman.<br />
<br />
Luddy got that right.<br />
<br />
Her silvery gown is charmingly bowed and laced.<br />
<br />
It is feminine to the max.<br />
<br />
Marie's face is classically beautiful as well.<br />
<br />
A simple strand of shimmering pearls loosely encircles Marie's neck.<br />
<br />
Those splendid pearls, situated as they are in the middle of the painting, draw our eyes into the portrait.<br />
<br />
Any further addition of accessories would take our gaze from the sitter herself.<br />
<br />
Art museums are filled with portraits of women who are overdressed and over-jeweled.<br />
<br />
Many of these painted ladies seem desperate for our attention.<br />
<br />
Though, in fact, they may not be. <br />
<br />
Marie, on the other hand, appears to have no such concerns. <br />
<br />
She is tastefully adorned, simplistically beautiful and......<br />
<br />
refreshing to the eye.<br />
<br />
Marie's portrait is a perfect example of the truism "less is more."<br />
<br />
King Ludwig I gallantly selected Marie for his "Gallery of Beauties."<br />
<br />
Joseph Stieler masterfully painted her striking likeness for all to admire.<br />
<br />
But that's as far as their visions and talents could take them.<br />
<br />
Did they create the woman we see in this portrait?<br />
<br />
Hardly.<br />
<br />
Marie composed that picture all by herself.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-61384320707391143552012-01-09T12:37:00.000-08:002012-01-09T13:06:21.929-08:00GIRLS IN PEARLS: ELEGANT ELEONORA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xv6irBC127w/TwtNAMw-lbI/AAAAAAAAAOE/4oYAnPxRTZY/s1600/eleonora3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xv6irBC127w/TwtNAMw-lbI/AAAAAAAAAOE/4oYAnPxRTZY/s400/eleonora3.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Eleonora of Toledo with Her Son Don Giovanni, Agnolo Bronzino, Ufizzi Gallery, Florence, 1550)</div><br />
<br />
I've had a life long weakness for Italian art.<br />
<br />
I'm talking about the old stuff:<br />
<br />
Cimabue's Medieval madonnas.<br />
<br />
Renaissance master Micheleangelo's bold bodies.<br />
<br />
Pontormo's pastel-hued, elongated ladies.<br />
<br />
And Caravaggio's Baroque masterpieces - bathed in the drama of light and dark.<br />
<br />
I love it all.<br />
<br />
My heart flutters when I get within viewing distance of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.<br />
<br />
Delicious treasures hang on the walls inside the Uffizi - the oldest art museum in the world.<br />
<br />
Some of those treasures were created by painter Agnolo Bronzino - the adopted son of the above mentioned Mannerist master, Pontormo.<br />
<br />
Mannerists began tweaking Renaissance classical style around the year 1520 or the period known as the summit of the High Renaissance.<br />
<br />
These innovators painted elongated or over-muscular figures which were often set in extravagant poses.<br />
<br />
Mannerist colors, beautifully presented but just a bit off base, do not usually replicate what is seen in the natural world.<br />
<br />
The Mannerist study and search for figural movement eventually led to the development of the Baroque era in art which began around the year 1600.<br />
<br />
This puddle of information leads us directly to Eleonora of Toledo and her favorite court painter, Agnolo Bronzino. <br />
<br />
Eleonora was the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici who ruled Florence from 1537-1574.<br />
<br />
Like her Italian sister in spirit, Isabella d'Este, Eleonora was no trophy wife.<br />
<br />
In Cosimo's absence, Eleonora conducted state business herself.<br />
<br />
And like Isabella, she thoroughly enjoyed promoting the arts.<br />
<br />
Ladies, you rock!<br />
<br />
Bronzino was the ultimate High Mannerist painter in all of Florence.<br />
<br />
I love what the Random House Library of Art has to say about Agnolo:<br />
<br />
"Bronzino was the coolest and most immaculate technician of the sixteenth century."<br />
<br />
In my opinion, the folks at the Library of Art nailed it.<br />
<br />
I never carelessly glide by a Bronzino painting.<br />
<br />
Never.<br />
<br />
His work pulls me in and invites me to stare in wonder every single time.<br />
<br />
Then I get all googly-eyed and gushy.<br />
<br />
I'm not embarrassed to admit it.<br />
<br />
Such was the case with Bronzino's portrait "Eleonora of Toledo with her Son Don Giovanni."<br />
<br />
I'd like to say that it was Eleonora's magnificent pearls - and they are magnifico! - that first grabbed my attention.<br />
<br />
But that would be a lie.<br />
<br />
It was that gorgeous gown she's wearing to perfection.<br />
<br />
Talk about the epitome of Renaissance couture!<br />
<br />
WOW!<br />
<br />
If that silvery gown isn't saying, "Hey, look at me!," I promise to eat it for tomorrow's breakfast.<br />
<br />
Lovely black curlicues wind their way over the surface of Eleonora's fabulous frock.<br />
<br />
They resemble one of the most popular and beautiful motifs of timeless Italian art - the acanthus leaf.<br />
<br />
And you can't miss that bold punch of gold in those damask medallions that are strategically scattered across her gown.<br />
<br />
The billowy, ruched sleeves, ruffled cuffs and rich braid trim are lyrically lovely as well.<br />
<br />
But enough about that dress!<br />
<br />
Whoops!<br />
<br />
I forgot to say that the duchess's gown cost more than the painting itself.<br />
<br />
And - hang on another second - this busy woman sent the whole gorgeous ensemble over to Bronzino's workshop to save time on sittings.<br />
<br />
There.<br />
<br />
I think I just might be done rhapsodizing over Eleonora's gown.<br />
<br />
Now it's time to go ga-ga over Bronzino's unabashedly blue background.<br />
<br />
And Giovanni's demurely blue waistcoat.<br />
<br />
I'm a dyed-in-the-wool blue girl.<br />
<br />
Blue makes me feel calm, elegant and here's a shocker: beautiful!<br />
<br />
No other color on the planet makes me feel as good as blue does.<br />
<br />
Bronzino has permeated his background with mottled tones of cool blue.<br />
<br />
The blues highlight the faces and the ensembles of his sitters.<br />
<br />
Trust me - it wasn't a happy accident when Bronzino chose those beautiful blues for this royal portrait.<br />
<br />
Now let's take a closer look at those heavenly pearls.<br />
<br />
The duchess's necklaces are simple in design.<br />
<br />
That's a good thing because the ginormous size of those pearls is show stopping, isn't it?<br />
<br />
Eleonora's earrings are classic teardrops - elegant and refined.<br />
<br />
They are a much needed counterpoint to the busyness of the gown's sumptuous patterns.<br />
<br />
Next, feast your eyes on that netlike head wrap.<br />
<br />
And the matching netted collar of her dress.<br />
<br />
Both are studded with pearls at every crossing of the braided trim.<br />
<br />
Stunning, aren't they?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGa-2t15W0c/TwtNBHXup3I/AAAAAAAAAOM/cabgyM9aqQU/s1600/eleonora_of.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mGa-2t15W0c/TwtNBHXup3I/AAAAAAAAAOM/cabgyM9aqQU/s320/eleonora_of.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Eleonora wears a jewel encrusted belt around her waist.<br />
<br />
Follow the tail of that belt along the outline of Eleonora's left hand.<br />
<br />
Bronzino has lifted her index finger slightly in order to highlight the pretty presence of the serpentine pearl tassel.<br />
<br />
That tassel, in my opinion, is the crowning jewel in this stately portrait.<br />
<br />
I adore it's slinky lines that are simply dripping with undulating pearls.<br />
<br />
If you look closely you can see the black lines of the gown's acanthus leaf motif under the curvy cluster of pearls.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jaj7Na6WDn0/TwtM-dN7RUI/AAAAAAAAAN8/jZY_plr5Jps/s1600/eleonora2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jaj7Na6WDn0/TwtM-dN7RUI/AAAAAAAAAN8/jZY_plr5Jps/s320/eleonora2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
That, my friends, is why Bronzino is a Mannerist Master!<br />
<br />
Now, just a word or two about Bronzino's frosty faces.<br />
<br />
They are supposed to appear cool, restrained and indifferent.<br />
<br />
That's because Eleonora and Giovanni are members of the Florentine aristocracy, after all.<br />
<br />
They aren't supposed to interact with us lowly peasants.<br />
<br />
So they don't!<br />
<br />
Again, from the Random House Library of Art:<br />
<br />
"It was in court portraiture that Bronzino's style was most aptly and effectively engaged. In the creation of images of absolute autocracy in human form he has never been surpassed. He projects characters of detached superiority. Communication with the onlooker is nonexistent. The sitter is there for admiration.<br />
<br />
Well, now, I'll have a big old bowl of that.<br />
<br />
Personally, I don't want to interact with every Jane, Gertrude or Alice who looks my way!<br />
<br />
I'd rather stand there drooling as I admire every one of Bronzino's disengaged sitters!<br />
<br />
Go ahead - call me shallow.<br />
<br />
I stand guilty as charged.<br />
<br />
I LOVE PRETTY PEOPLE.<br />
<br />
AND I LOVE THEIR PRETTY STUFF.<br />
<br />
Most of all, I love gifted painters who harbor genius in their souls.<br />
<br />
The sort of genius that splashes color, form and line on canvas and creates sublime beauty for all to behold.<br />
<br />
I'm speaking of beauty that defies time, place and, yes, even societal rank.<br />
<br />
Bronzino's beauties do that for me.<br />
<br />
They always have and they always will.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-75364645474626645662012-01-02T10:35:00.000-08:002012-01-02T10:35:29.459-08:00GIRLS IN PEARLS: VERMEER'S ETHEREAL ORB<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tS9ETuriKEE/TwH1Lw00EhI/AAAAAAAAANU/oY43pjJHJzw/s1600/girl_with_a_pearl_earring-huge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tS9ETuriKEE/TwH1Lw00EhI/AAAAAAAAANU/oY43pjJHJzw/s400/girl_with_a_pearl_earring-huge.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("Girl with the Pearl Earring," Jan Vermeer, 1665, Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands)</div><br />
<br />
<br />
I adore the cool white shimmer of pearls.<br />
<br />
And I'm not alone in my affection for these glimmering globes.<br />
<br />
Women and men the world over have bowed to the beauty of the pearl.<br />
<br />
Quality diamonds sparkle, of course.<br />
<br />
But only after they have been precisely cut and polished to perfection.<br />
<br />
Pearls have no such needs.<br />
<br />
In 1913, German zoologist Friedrich Alverdes discovered that pearls are formed when a foreign body such as a grain of sand penetrates the shell of the oyster.<br />
<br />
In order to isolate the foreign invader and make sure it does no damage, the oyster covers it layer on layer, with a substance called nacre - or mother-of-pearl.<br />
<br />
Two or three years later, this process produces a round, shimmering pearl.<br />
<br />
Author Claudia Lanfranconi states:<br />
<br />
"While all molluscs can produce pearls, the true pearl is formed only in certain varieties, of which the most important is the Meleagrina or Oriental pearl oyster."<br />
<br />
Historically speaking, the gathering of beautiful pearls was no small feat.<br />
<br />
Many of the largest and most evenly shaped pearls were found in the waters of the Persian Gulf or off the coasts of India.<br />
<br />
Divers risked their lives to harvest the pearls from these bodies of water.<br />
<br />
Burdened with weights, local divers were lowered to the bottom of the sea.<br />
<br />
Here they searched for pearl oysters until their breath literally gave out.<br />
<br />
They repeated this process as many as one hundred times a day.<br />
<br />
Many of the local divers drowned from sheer exhaustion.<br />
<br />
Or shark attacks.<br />
<br />
According to Claudia:<br />
<br />
"The oldest piece of pearl jewellery known to us today is more than 4,300 years old. It was found during archaeological excavations in the winter palace of the Persian kings at Susa and can now be admired in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo."<br />
<br />
So there we have it.<br />
<br />
Now let's fast forward 6, 000 years - give or take a day or two.<br />
<br />
The year is 1665.<br />
<br />
Dutch painter Jan Vermeer is busy at his easel in his hometown of Delft.<br />
<br />
In time, Jan will reveal the elegance of 17th century interiors on his canvases.<br />
<br />
He will paint black and white marble tiled floors, jewel-toned windowpanes and richly colored clothing and tapestries.<br />
<br />
Objects such as maps, paintings, musical instruments and furniture will fill Vermeer's rooms with the business of life.<br />
<br />
Always - there will be light.<br />
<br />
Light will drench Jan's rooms and the objects and the people within them.<br />
<br />
We see examples of Vermeer's luscious interiors in his work, "Art of Painting."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot5iEIDreWQ/TwH3luUK-qI/AAAAAAAAAN0/uSmD9E6lwpY/s1600/1665vere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ot5iEIDreWQ/TwH3luUK-qI/AAAAAAAAAN0/uSmD9E6lwpY/s400/1665vere.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">("The Art of Painting," Jan Vermeer, 1665, Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna, Austria)</div><br />
This is, indeed, a majestic work of art.<br />
<br />
But today we are on a different mission.<br />
<br />
In that effort, we will lay aside Jan's signature interiors for another time.<br />
<br />
Today we will look at Jan's most beloved painting, "Girl with a Pearl Earring."<br />
<br />
This painting has captured the hearts of viewers for centuries.<br />
<br />
It is easy to understand why, isn't it?<br />
<br />
Could anything be more simplistically beautiful?<br />
<br />
I do not know how.<br />
<br />
What do we see in Jan's painting?<br />
<br />
First of all, the young girl is set against an atypical Vermeer background - one that is painted stark black.<br />
<br />
Next, we see that she is presented to us in close-up.<br />
<br />
This is also unusual in Vermeer's works.<br />
<br />
Some historians have identified Jan's sitter as one of his daughters.<br />
<br />
The identities of many of the men and women who are seen in Vermeer's paintings remain a mystery.<br />
<br />
Actress Scarlett Johansson portrayed "Griet," a young housemaid who inspired Vermeer to greater artistic heights in the film, "Girl with the Pearl Earring."<br />
<br />
Was Scarlett's portrayal true to life?<br />
<br />
Great speculation surrounds that question.<br />
<br />
The truth is this: No one really knows.<br />
<br />
What we do know is that Jan has chosen to focus on the childlike innocence of the young sitter's face.<br />
<br />
Her casual glance backward at us, the viewers, is striking to be sure.<br />
<br />
But her expression seems to be contemplative and serene.<br />
<br />
Jan's trademark sumptuous fabrics surround the young girl's body.<br />
<br />
The burnished gold of her outer cloak adds a note of deep contrast to the black background.<br />
<br />
Light is projected onto the girl's eyes and lips making them shimmer and gleam.<br />
<br />
Her creamy, dewy skin is highlighted by the brilliant blue of her headwrap.<br />
<br />
The bright yellow drapery of her scarf adds an element of joy to the portrait.<br />
<br />
Then, of course, there is that unforgettable pearl earring.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wbM7ySYNNo/TwH2gS2BhbI/AAAAAAAAANo/Zp87USROx6k/s1600/girl_with_a_pearl_earringdetail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wbM7ySYNNo/TwH2gS2BhbI/AAAAAAAAANo/Zp87USROx6k/s320/girl_with_a_pearl_earringdetail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Jan has pulled out all his considerable technical skills to create that earring.<br />
<br />
A while ago, I was privileged to stand in front of this painting at the Maurithuis in The Hague, Netherlands.<br />
<br />
I could not take my eyes off the girl's earring.<br />
<br />
The painter created that delicate jewel with just a few carefully placed brushstrokes.<br />
<br />
Most of the earring does not really exist on the canvas.<br />
<br />
It is the viewer's eye that fills-in-the-blanks and "sees" a complete earring.<br />
<br />
The sparkling white collar just under the earring serves to highlight the few brushstrokes that make up the image of the pearl.<br />
<br />
Technique like this is what separates run-of-the-mill artists from the true masters.<br />
<br />
I stood mesmerized by the soft and deliberate simplicity of this painting.<br />
<br />
With this work, Jan Vermeer has created visual beauty that transcends the bounds of this mortal existence.<br />
<br />
For that, I am supremely grateful.<br />
<br />
<br />
NOTE:<br />
<br />
Claudia Lanfranconi's quotes are taken from her delightful book, "Girls in Pearls." I have used Claudia's British spelling of several words that appear in her quotes.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-43109930202753592432011-12-16T07:06:00.000-08:002011-12-16T07:06:07.099-08:00O HOLY NIGHT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R610m7uoZa8/TutbkrlWkvI/AAAAAAAAAMg/8rLdKWC55J4/s1600/1520lui3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R610m7uoZa8/TutbkrlWkvI/AAAAAAAAAMg/8rLdKWC55J4/s400/1520lui3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Adoration of the Christ Child and Annunciation to the Shepherds, Bernardino Luini, 1520, New Orleans Museum of Art)</div><br />
<br />
Bernardino Luini.<br />
<br />
Now there's an Italian name for you.<br />
<br />
Roll that one around on your tongue for a few seconds and see what you think.<br />
<br />
I adore this Renaissance master's last name.<br />
<br />
"Loo - e - nee."<br />
<br />
The pronunciation of his name reminds me of a scrumptious pasta - one that is dripping in warm, silky butter and melted, gooey parmesan.<br />
<br />
Luini's sacred paintings are as delicious to the eye as his name is to the tongue.<br />
<br />
It is believed that Bernardino worked directly with Leonardo da Vinci.<br />
<br />
As a result of this master/student relationship, many of Bernardino's paintings were originally attributed to Leonardo.<br />
<br />
Sydney J. Freedberg once stated:<br />
<br />
"Bernardino Luini took as much from Leonardo as his native roots enabled him to comprehend."<br />
<br />
Hmmm.<br />
<br />
I'm thinking that comment was not meant to be a compliment for Bernardino.<br />
<br />
No matter.<br />
<br />
Bernardino's "Adoration of the Christ Child and Annunciation to the Shepherds" is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful nativity portraits ever painted.<br />
<br />
It's real.<br />
<br />
It's honest.<br />
<br />
It portrays timeless truths.<br />
<br />
All pretension is absent from this masterpiece.<br />
<br />
Please trust me - this is a refreshing change of pace in the world of art.<br />
<br />
At first glance, we find Mary and Joseph gazing tenderly at their new born Son.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj33rOTR8G8/Tutb2-15CbI/AAAAAAAAAMo/sUdcsnVLn8M/s1600/1520lui4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj33rOTR8G8/Tutb2-15CbI/AAAAAAAAAMo/sUdcsnVLn8M/s400/1520lui4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
They are clearly in the act of providing comfort for their sleeping babe.<br />
<br />
Mary's left hand carefully holds the Child's head in a near upright position - swaddling clothes and all.<br />
<br />
What is Joseph's doing?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v0Pr8tM-Mwk/Tutcd5oBSAI/AAAAAAAAANA/fL6pFdtKYJQ/s1600/1520lui7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v0Pr8tM-Mwk/Tutcd5oBSAI/AAAAAAAAANA/fL6pFdtKYJQ/s400/1520lui7.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br />
<br />
He seems to be sliding something under the holy infant.<br />
<br />
A closer look tells us that the dark brown object appears to be woven.<br />
<br />
Is it a basket?<br />
<br />
Or simply a mat?<br />
<br />
Perhaps it is neither of those things.<br />
<br />
I don't think it really matters to us, the viewers.<br />
<br />
What does matter is this:<br />
<br />
The awe struck parents are doing all they can to provide simple comforts for their Child.<br />
<br />
They are united in spirit as well as in task as they each do their part in the care of their precious babe.<br />
<br />
I love that about this painting!<br />
<br />
Is there a parent anywhere who can not relate to Luini's interpretation of this holy scene?<br />
<br />
All parents stand in awe of the tiny life they have created together.<br />
<br />
Every finger is counted.<br />
<br />
Every toe is examined.<br />
<br />
Every expectation of a glorious life together is deeply felt within the parents' hearts.<br />
<br />
Bernardino masterfully portrays these sacred feelings.<br />
<br />
What is happening through the window at the upper portion of the painting?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--uXIknFBRbk/TutcDeEOZVI/AAAAAAAAAMw/nbxAa32gEDQ/s1600/1520lui5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--uXIknFBRbk/TutcDeEOZVI/AAAAAAAAAMw/nbxAa32gEDQ/s400/1520lui5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We glimpse the angel Gabriel announcing the holy birth to the shepherds who are guarding their flocks by night.<br />
<br />
And what a night it is!<br />
<br />
All may not be calm in that very moment.<br />
<br />
We feel the excitement of the shepherds as we study their outstretched arms and their raised, attentive heads.<br />
<br />
But surely all is bright.<br />
<br />
The cerulean blue of Luini's night sky adds intense color to the painting.<br />
<br />
The gauzy white of Gabriel's ethereal glow acts as a holy halo.<br />
<br />
Although the white and woolly sheep are not aware of the event unfolding before their eyes, their caretakers are.<br />
<br />
The shepherds are fully engaged as they listen to Gabriel's message.<br />
<br />
Our hearts join with theirs as we experience joy in this sacred message.<br />
<br />
Let's return to the foreground of the painting for a moment.<br />
<br />
A shepherd appears at the far left side of the painting.<br />
<br />
He is carrying a spotless lamb.<br />
<br />
One without blemish.<br />
<br />
The perfect lamb symbolizes the perfect Savior.<br />
<br />
The very Savior who has come into this worn and weary world to redeem humankind.<br />
<br />
This Savior will experience every facet of mortal life while He journeys here.<br />
<br />
That is as it should be.<br />
<br />
For He must fully understand human misery in order to fully save us from it.<br />
<br />
He will model sacred behavior for every single one of us.<br />
<br />
He will teach us the way back to Him.<br />
<br />
He will be our divine Mentor.<br />
<br />
The Savior will do all of these things because He loves each of us as only a perfect God can love.<br />
<br />
This is love in its most mature form.<br />
<br />
This is a love which we can not yet understand.<br />
<br />
Still, our deepest hopes thrive in that holy love.<br />
<br />
******<br />
<br />
A final thought:<br />
<br />
When I saw this painting in the art museum, I longed for Luini's babe to be wrapped snugly in His swaddling clothes.<br />
<br />
Those bent, outstretched arms and tiny stiff fingers seemed to be begging for the warmth of a blanket!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6NPor_kBwE/TutcOxo8C9I/AAAAAAAAAM4/8XTmVgfkzIk/s1600/1520lui6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6NPor_kBwE/TutcOxo8C9I/AAAAAAAAAM4/8XTmVgfkzIk/s400/1520lui6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
"Surely, Mary and Joseph are about to enfold their fragile Child in His swaddling clothes," I thought to myself.<br />
<br />
Then I glanced at the wall plate beside Bernardino's painting.<br />
<br />
It read:<br />
<br />
"The infant is warmed by the breath of the animals who represent the union Jesus would build between the Jews, representing the ox in the painting, and the Gentiles, who are symbolized by the donkey."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jaty1bSsld4/Tutcha3cf2I/AAAAAAAAANI/qJxi5sQ_NJ4/s1600/1520lui9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jaty1bSsld4/Tutcha3cf2I/AAAAAAAAANI/qJxi5sQ_NJ4/s400/1520lui9.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The master painter had spoken.<br />
<br />
He had already taken care of the babe's need for bodily warmth.<br />
<br />
And long before I appeared before his painting with my all-too-human worries.<br />
<br />
The Savior of the world does that for us.<br />
<br />
He anticipates our every need.<br />
<br />
He stands ready to comfort us before we realize we are in need of His comfort!<br />
<br />
I am grateful for that knowledge.<br />
<br />
As I am grateful for that Holiest of Nights so very long ago.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-44126753820414097592011-12-07T09:35:00.000-08:002011-12-07T09:35:09.605-08:00THE BINDING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJkadsIKFQU/TtzTI3YFrzI/AAAAAAAAAMY/XTXrP7-MWCY/s1600/1638renc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJkadsIKFQU/TtzTI3YFrzI/AAAAAAAAAMY/XTXrP7-MWCY/s400/1638renc.JPG" width="333" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(St. Joseph and the Christ Child, Guido Reni, 1638, Houston Museum of Art)</div><br />
<br />
<br />
It is true that some historical figures go in and out of favor over time.<br />
<br />
Such was the case of the Biblical Joseph - foster father of the Redeemer of the world.<br />
<br />
During the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance period, Joseph was mostly a forgotten man.<br />
<br />
When we examine the doctrinal truths surrounding Joseph's story, this is not difficult to understand.<br />
<br />
After all, it was the Virgin Mary who was appointed by God to conceive and bear this holy Child.<br />
<br />
It would be primarily Mary who would succor and nurture the infant Jesus and then guide His growth and development over the course of His childhood.<br />
<br />
By the late 16th century, pictorial images of Joseph with the Christ Child became increasingly popular.<br />
<br />
As did Roman Catholic accounts of Joseph's life written by Teresa of Avila and later, Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.<br />
<br />
Largely as a result of these written and visual images, Joseph's role as foster father of Christ was given added prominence.<br />
<br />
We have acclaimed Italian painter, Guido Reni, to thank - among others - for the visual rise of Joseph's standing in the Christian world.<br />
<br />
In his day, the great Guido was called "divine."<br />
<br />
This was an epithet shared only with Renaissance mega-masters Michelangelo and Raphael.<br />
<br />
In one way, Guido's life closely paralleled Joseph's.<br />
<br />
For a time, Guido became a forgotten figure thanks to influential English art critic, John Ruskin.<br />
<br />
In 1847, Ruskin declared that Guido Reni and his contemporary colleagues possessed "no single virtue, no colour, no drawing, no character, no history, no thought."<br />
<br />
Really?<br />
<br />
I have a thought.<br />
<br />
And it's this:<br />
<br />
The esteemed John Ruskin must have been using marbles for eyeballs!<br />
<br />
What was he thinking if and when he viewed Guido's beautiful masterpiece, "Saint Joseph and the Christ Child"?<br />
<br />
Let's take a closer look.<br />
<br />
First of all, I love Guido's tender treatment of the gaze between Joseph and the infant Christ.<br />
<br />
To me, the emotional connection between these familial figures is more than apparent.<br />
<br />
It speaks of the highest grace and beauty.<br />
<br />
It speaks of warmth and devotion.<br />
<br />
Although Ruskin stated that Reni's school of painters used "no colour" I see a canvas filled with rich, earthy hues.<br />
<br />
Deep chocolate shades of brown and taupe anchor the background.<br />
<br />
These hues are echoed in Joseph's robe which is highlighted with just the right touch of gray.<br />
<br />
The baby's creamy skin and carrot hued curls add a soft, peachy glow to this masterpiece.<br />
<br />
Joseph's white beard and the white swaddling blanket bring added light and life to the hallowed babe's countenance.<br />
<br />
Though the father and son are the stars of this painting, it is Joseph's magnificent cloak that deserves our secondary attention.<br />
<br />
That gorgeous sienna hued fabric - the brightest color in the painting - softly encircles Joseph and the infant Jesus.<br />
<br />
The cloak serves to bond them together in a symbolic sense.<br />
<br />
Scriptural accounts tell us that Joseph taught the child Jesus carpentry skills.<br />
<br />
The Redeemer worked in that trade before His ministry began in earnest at the age of 30.<br />
<br />
Did Joseph teach Jesus everyday life skills as well?<br />
<br />
We can surely imagine that he did.<br />
<br />
Would not this Child's Heavenly Father want His only begotten Son brought up in an earthly home where spiritual truths were modeled by an attentive, loving father figure?<br />
<br />
Finally, we do not want to forget that gently offered apple.<br />
<br />
Christ holds it up for Joseph's perusal.<br />
<br />
Frequently present in Christian paintings, the apple represents the act of the Fall in the Garden of Eden.<br />
<br />
Further, it symbolizes the need for a loving Savior who will unselfishly offer Himself as Redeemer for humankind.<br />
<br />
******<br />
<br />
Guido Reni felt inspired to lighten his palette around the year 1630.<br />
<br />
Simply put, the artist decided to use a softer touch.<br />
<br />
He eliminated or lightened the dark shadows that frequently appeared in his older works.<br />
<br />
He cleaned up his compositions by simplifying their outlines.<br />
<br />
His brushwork became loose and free flowing.<br />
<br />
His lovely pale colors mingled more softly.<br />
<br />
As a result of these innovations, Guido's art began to take on a more luminous quality.<br />
<br />
"Saint Joseph and the Christ Child" was painted sometime between the years 1638 and 1640.<br />
<br />
This masterpiece became the beneficiary of Guido's new thinking and new technique.<br />
<br />
That is oh-so-very obvious, isn't it?<br />
<br />
It wasn't until the 1950's and 1960's that Guido's reputation as a brilliant painter was rightfully restored.<br />
<br />
He is currently considered one of the greatest artists of the Italian Baroque era.<br />
<br />
Special appreciation is given to Guido for the ethereal beauty of his soft colors.<br />
<br />
But it is the grace and nobility of Guido's human figures that delight the hearts of his viewers today.<br />
<br />
His painterly vision ennobles humanity.<br />
<br />
It speaks of the divine within us.<br />
<br />
The subject of Joseph's affection for the infant Christ held a special place in Guido's heart.<br />
<br />
At least two other versions of this subject were painted.<br />
<br />
Guido understood that a father's love is necessary.<br />
<br />
His Joseph stands as a sentinel bearing witness to the holiness of a father's love.<br />
<br />
The babe's calm repose and steady gaze reinforce that sacred witness. Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-55326349315518852612011-11-29T05:58:00.000-08:002011-11-29T05:58:47.245-08:00THE CALLING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rf4GmODZzuE/TtTjbBAbRiI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/H_D0xcsm4Ws/s1600/madonna_and_child-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rf4GmODZzuE/TtTjbBAbRiI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/H_D0xcsm4Ws/s400/madonna_and_child-large.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Madonna & Child, Pompeo Girolano Batoni, 1742, Galleria Borghese, Rome)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
There has always been a special place in my heart for the subject we are looking at today:<br />
<br />
The Madonna and Child.<br />
<br />
Italian artist, Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, painted this "Madonna and Child" masterpiece in 1742.<br />
<br />
Pompeo was, quite simply, the most successful painter in 18th century Rome.<br />
<br />
What happened to bring him to this point of prominence?<br />
<br />
Well, it's never just one thing, is it?<br />
<br />
It's obvious to any person with normal vision that Pompeo was born with raw talent.<br />
<br />
But weather was definitely a factor.<br />
<br />
Rain, specifically.<br />
<br />
Pompeo was busy drawing sketches of the Palazzo dei Conservatori in Rome in the spring of 1727.<br />
<br />
The rains hit Rome hard in April of that year.<br />
<br />
An Italian count happened to drop by seeking shelter under the portico of the palace.<br />
<br />
He scoped out Pompeo's sketches and was impressed.<br />
<br />
Batoni invited the good count to his studio to view more of his work.<br />
<br />
The result?<br />
<br />
Pompeo's first commission:<br />
<br />
A new painted altarpiece for the chapel of the count's family in San Gregorio Magno al Celio.<br />
<br />
Folks flocked to see the painting in the chapel.<br />
<br />
They liked what they saw.<br />
<br />
And a star was born.<br />
<br />
Of course, it didn't hurt that celebrated painter, Anton Mengs, Pompeo's only serious rival, decided to head for Spain in 1761.<br />
<br />
Later, Pompeo became a highly regarded portrait painter.<br />
<br />
The movers and shakers in British society were especially attracted to his work.<br />
<br />
Many of these upper crust VIP's stopped by Pompeo's studio in Rome to sit for their portraits.<br />
<br />
Indeed, records show that Pompeo painted over 200 portraits of the British elite during his show-stopping career.<br />
<br />
American painter, Benjamin West, visited Rome in 1760.<br />
<br />
Pompeo's work was the talk of the town.<br />
<br />
West said that Italian artists "talked of nothing, looked at nothing but the works of Pompeo Batoni."<br />
<br />
And we can see why.<br />
<br />
Eventually, Pompeo bought a sizable house in Rome, which included his studio, exhibition rooms and a drawing academy.<br />
<br />
It became the meeting place for Rome's social and intellectual elite.<br />
<br />
Master Batoni had it made in the shade.<br />
<br />
And then some.<br />
<br />
One glance at his "Madonna and Child" tells the tale.<br />
<br />
This is an exquisite painting.<br />
<br />
It is clean.<br />
<br />
Uncluttered.<br />
<br />
Simplistic in design.<br />
<br />
It is technically brilliant.<br />
<br />
The sublime colors drift hazily against the charcoal backdrop.<br />
<br />
And the subject?<br />
<br />
It is perhaps the most hallowed in the history of art<br />
<br />
We are looking at the world's preeminent model of motherhood, Mary, the mother of Christ.<br />
<br />
Eyes lowered, she quietly gazes upon her holy infant.<br />
<br />
The virgin's head is turned toward him as his tiny hand cups her chin in his hand.<br />
<br />
Mary's left hand gently touches the back of her son in a motherly embrace.<br />
<br />
Her right hand barely grasps his swaddling wrap.<br />
<br />
And what about the Christ child?<br />
<br />
His plump little body is perched on two gold-tasselled pillows.<br />
<br />
The babe's head is pointed upward toward his mother.<br />
<br />
His eyes are fixed on Mary.<br />
<br />
What could be more natural?<br />
<br />
Christ depends on his adoring mother for every needful thing.<br />
<br />
He looks to her for life itself.<br />
<br />
Mary understands.<br />
<br />
There is a bond between them that speaks of the highest love.<br />
<br />
And the deepest dignity.<br />
<br />
Christ cradles a ripe apple in his right hand.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
It reminds us of the apple eaten in the Garden of Eden.<br />
<br />
That bitten apple would someday require a sacrifice of unthinkable magnitude.<br />
<br />
Only a perfect God could offer such a sacrifice to the world.<br />
<br />
The infant Christ, holding the fully ripened apple, is the appointed one.<br />
<br />
The Anointed One.<br />
<br />
But the time is not yet.<br />
<br />
There is a season for all things.<br />
<br />
Now is the season for blossoming growth.<br />
<br />
A season of learning......<br />
<br />
encouragement,<br />
<br />
laughter,<br />
<br />
and childhood joys.<br />
<br />
Mary will be with her precious son every step of the way.<br />
<br />
This is a mother who knows all too well that she must live in the moment.<br />
<br />
She will stand by His side with the kind of devotion that only a mother can give.<br />
<br />
At the end of His days, she will stand with Him until His work is finished.<br />
<br />
Because that is what a mother does.<br />
<br />
And what does a divine Son do?<br />
<br />
He asks a beloved friend to look after His anguished mother in His absence.<br />
<br />
Because His love for her is pure, holy, and without blemish.<br />
<br />
This Son knows she will suffer.<br />
<br />
His heart's desire is for His mother's burdens to be lightened.<br />
<br />
By one He can trust to stand in His stead.<br />
<br />
Near the end of His agony, Christ speaks to John and says,<br />
<br />
"Behold, thy mother."<br />
<br />
Mary will be cared for until the end of her days.<br />
<br />
By John, Mary's son in spirit.<br />
<br />
******<br />
<br />
Motherhood is the highest of callings.<br />
<br />
Every woman who has ever lived is called to that noble stewardship.<br />
<br />
It does not matter if the woman has birthed biological children or not.<br />
<br />
It simply does not matter.<br />
<br />
What does matter is this:<br />
<br />
The motherly woman will desire to love, teach and shepherd children.<br />
<br />
This woman will gladly offer her individual talents, gifts and skills to that end.<br />
<br />
And because of her motherly desires,<br />
<br />
and because of her personal talents and gifts,<br />
<br />
each of these women will become the most unique mother the world has ever known.<br />
<br />
Motherhood is the most sacred sort of work.<br />
<br />
It speaks of holy sacrifice.<br />
<br />
And unnumbered blessings.<br />
<br />
With every swish of Pompeo's brush......<br />
<br />
he testifies to that truth.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-2915427782057625232011-11-22T14:15:00.000-08:002011-11-23T06:19:56.070-08:00HERE COMES THE SUN!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I4_5vfMBpjk/TswbgcuJOeI/AAAAAAAAAMA/lRZTLzC0Vaw/s1600/1701shoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I4_5vfMBpjk/TswbgcuJOeI/AAAAAAAAAMA/lRZTLzC0Vaw/s400/1701shoe.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Louis XIV, Hyacinthe Riguad, 1701, Louvre)</div><br />
<br />
One of my favorite characters in all of history is France's illustrious leader, Louis XIV.<br />
<br />
Known as the Sun King, Louie made his mark on French history for a boatload of reasons.<br />
<br />
Here is the short list:<br />
<br />
* He enjoyed the longest royal reign in European history to this point - 72 years!<br />
<br />
* He believed he was destined to rule France by "divine right" so he wasted no time imposing bunches of rules and regulations to keep his 20 million subjects in line.<br />
<br />
* Because he desired to dominate Europe, he directed his army to engage in a series of wars in order to gain power and position on that continent.<br />
<br />
* He was a tireless promoter of French culture and the arts.<br />
<br />
That last point is the one I want to focus on today.<br />
<br />
Louie loaded his palaces with paintings, sculpture, tapestries, candlesticks, vases, chandeliers, mirrors, rugs, porcelains of every variety and luxurious fabrics.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5fgUENIpvZk/Tswa1k_ubXI/AAAAAAAAALY/fYDWwyq1v24/s1600/nov18+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5fgUENIpvZk/Tswa1k_ubXI/AAAAAAAAALY/fYDWwyq1v24/s400/nov18+066.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Louie used this candlestick to kill Mrs. Peach in the library, Versailles)</div><br />
<br />
Money was no object.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e95Hiww2YSo/TswbHTsfmgI/AAAAAAAAALg/1hTqTvt69BE/s1600/nov18+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e95Hiww2YSo/TswbHTsfmgI/AAAAAAAAALg/1hTqTvt69BE/s400/nov18+097.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Louie liked to feather his nest. Bed canopy complete with ostrich feather plumes, Versailles)</div><br />
<br />
If Louie liked it, Louie acquired it or he had it built to his personal taste.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bpzlNdfFrbY/TswbNKM2dTI/AAAAAAAAALo/cw8kVEhtBtM/s1600/100_4248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bpzlNdfFrbY/TswbNKM2dTI/AAAAAAAAALo/cw8kVEhtBtM/s400/100_4248.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Louie's media room, Versailles)</div><br />
<br />
And he wasn't particularly shy about sharing the joys of his "cottages" with the ladies and gentlemen of his court.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpCdbvnD-Fg/TswbTYYXqBI/AAAAAAAAALw/rTD8sdhIScI/s1600/100_4013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpCdbvnD-Fg/TswbTYYXqBI/AAAAAAAAALw/rTD8sdhIScI/s400/100_4013.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Louie's casual portrait, Chenonceau)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Louie loved throwing lavish dinner parties and spectacular balls for his 12 million closest friends.<br />
<br />
All in all, he was quite the dude!<br />
<br />
That's why I love the top portrait of Louie by renowned court painter, Hyacinthe Rigaud.<br />
<br />
I have affectionately titled it, "I'M DA MAN!"<br />
<br />
One glance at this portrait and there is little doubt in anyone's mind who is king of France.<br />
<br />
Mercy! - where do we start?<br />
<br />
How about that magnificent robe?<br />
<br />
First of all, it's cobalt blue topside is literally smothered in fleur-de-lis, the coat of arms of the French royal family back in the day.<br />
<br />
And just in case you missed them, Louie's chair/throne, ottoman and pillow are swathed in the same "I am the head honcho" symbols.<br />
<br />
The white underside of this robe is ermine, by the way.<br />
<br />
That massive robe had to be scorching hot to wear, don't you think?<br />
<br />
Louie is probably thinking to himself, "Hey, Hyacinthe, would you get on with it, my man? I'm dying a slow death under this furry tent!"<br />
<br />
Next, we notice that Louie is leaning ever so regally on his scepter which just happens to be pointing to his gold crown.<br />
<br />
How's that for subtlety?<br />
<br />
It's obvious by now that Louie liked to live large.<br />
<br />
Check out the size of that column behind his right arm.<br />
<br />
And what about that dramatic ruby-red drapery hanging from the rafters?<br />
<br />
Have you noticed that gold sword dangling from his left hip?<br />
<br />
WOW!<br />
<br />
Look at the size of it!<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure Louie could spear 300 soldiers at once with that thing.<br />
<br />
Not that he'd ever want to, of course.<br />
<br />
I hate to get personal but let's take a closer look at Louie's more delicate attire.<br />
<br />
He's drowning in lace and silk as was the custom of the day for aristocratic males.<br />
<br />
Frankly, I'm coveting those lacey cuffs on his sleeves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vmqtSwC5XGg/TswbUQIqfAI/AAAAAAAAAL4/BTPxQv-9e2A/s1600/1701cuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vmqtSwC5XGg/TswbUQIqfAI/AAAAAAAAAL4/BTPxQv-9e2A/s400/1701cuff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And I wish my legs looked as good as Louie's.<br />
<br />
You can tell he really knows how to strut his stuff.<br />
<br />
But I'll bet his tootsies are screaming for breathing room in those darling little heels!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qlY0aegT4gs/TswbhKqjwmI/AAAAAAAAAMI/0DEv5Rt3DdQ/s1600/1701riga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qlY0aegT4gs/TswbhKqjwmI/AAAAAAAAAMI/0DEv5Rt3DdQ/s400/1701riga.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I've just got to say it - Louie can seriously keep his curly black wig.<br />
<br />
That's just a little too much hair for me to deal with on any day of the week.<br />
<br />
Well, now, I've thoroughly trashed the good king, haven't I?<br />
<br />
Here's the thing:<br />
<br />
Sometimes art is just plain funny.<br />
<br />
Especially if the subject of the art is kind of asking for it.<br />
<br />
Which, viewed from our 21st century American perspective, he is.<br />
<br />
It's okay to snicker in an art museum.<br />
<br />
You can even laugh your silly little head off if you want to.<br />
<br />
Visitors will probably turn around and shoot you a death stare but that's their problem.<br />
<br />
This is the wonderful thing about art.<br />
<br />
It's supposed to be a human experience.<br />
<br />
Not everything in life is drop dead serious.<br />
<br />
Ditto for art museums!<br />
<br />
So, go!<br />
<br />
Smile.<br />
<br />
Grin.<br />
<br />
Laugh.<br />
<br />
Have a rollicking good time.<br />
<br />
But here's a final thought:<br />
<br />
Louie's portrait is hanging proudly in the Louvre these days.<br />
<br />
That's in Paris, France.<br />
<br />
This is just me, but I'd probably skip the "laugh your silly little head off" directive if I was standing in front of Louie and his over-the-top painting.<br />
<br />
Louie's French museum guards might not take too kindly to my gut busting outburst.<br />
<br />
Grinning, however, would be good.<br />
<br />
Don't be surprised if Louie flashes one right back at ya!<br />
<br />
<br />
Note:<br />
<br />
Louis XIV founded the academies of Painting and Sculpture in 1655. He established the academy of Science in 1666 and the academy of Architecture in 1671.<br />
<br />
In 1680, he created the Comedie Francaise.<br />
<br />
Louie's interest in improving Paris never waned.<br />
<br />
He razed the city's medieval walls, built the Invalides as a home for disabled veterans, planned the great avenue of the Champs-Elysees, and refurbished the Cathedral of Notre Dame.<br />
<br />
His personal example of long, dedicated rule made France the bureaucratic model for 18th century, absolutist Europe.<br />
<br />
Louie's influence on architecture and interior design was monumental. His style was a French adaptation of baroque, emphasizing formal grandeur and lush ostentation. The king's palace at Versailles was the supreme example of this style, in which all the arts - architecture, sculpture, painting, interior design, and landscape design - were integrated into a unified expression of royal taste. Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-63866772289150752922011-11-14T09:33:00.000-08:002011-11-14T09:45:09.306-08:00A GLASSY GOWN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9BWMWa9Jns0/TsFOFgiu9II/AAAAAAAAAKY/eTW4mY3APKw/s1600/hn0829_024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9BWMWa9Jns0/TsFOFgiu9II/AAAAAAAAAKY/eTW4mY3APKw/s400/hn0829_024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Reclining Dress Impression with Drapery, Karen LaMonte, 2006, Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN)</div><br />
<br />
I can't stand it another minute.<br />
<br />
I've got to write about Karen LaMonte's dazzling glass gown in the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga.<br />
<br />
This is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful sculptures ever created.<br />
<br />
As I usually do, I decide to check out the wall plate at the Hunter so I can glean more knowledge about this stunning work of art.<br />
<br />
As it turns out, Ms. LaMonte is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design.<br />
<br />
If that doesn't scream major "creds" I don't know what does.<br />
<br />
After she left Rhode Island, Karen moved to Prague with a handy-dandy Fullbright Scholarship in her hot little hands.<br />
<br />
It goes without saying that this girl is off the charts with smarts and skills!<br />
<br />
While hanging out in Prague, Karen got busy investigating Czech glass casting traditions.<br />
<br />
Glass......<br />
<br />
it glows.<br />
<br />
Shines.<br />
<br />
Shimmers.<br />
<br />
Sparkles.<br />
<br />
It reflects light like nobody's business.<br />
<br />
What a glorious medium for an artist to work with!<br />
<br />
Allow me to say right here and now that Karen's sculptures are life-size<br />
<br />
She's not into tiny.<br />
<br />
That's another thing I like about her work.<br />
<br />
You don't have to carry around a magnifying glass in order to see her work.<br />
<br />
How does Karen create her fabulous frocks?<br />
<br />
I checked out a second dress and a second wall plate at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio and latched on to some further details.<br />
<br />
First, she forms a wax casting of a woman's body.<br />
<br />
Then she dresses the wax casting in an evening gown.<br />
<br />
Next, she makes another mold of this fully clothed "body."<br />
<br />
And then she casts the whole thing into glass.<br />
<br />
Finally, the glass is sandblasted and acid-polished.<br />
<br />
By now, the waxy woman's body is long gone.<br />
<br />
But it's definitely not forgotten<br />
<br />
The "inner cavity" retains the image of the imprint of the body even though there is no actual body present.<br />
<br />
And that's exactly why Karen's sculptures are so drop-dead gorgeous.<br />
<br />
You get the feeling that you are looking at a gowned body.<br />
<br />
But you are not.<br />
<br />
You are looking at a gown as if it were clinging to a body.<br />
<br />
And what a gown it is!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WM5dYzA9OnA/TsFPcT3ETKI/AAAAAAAAALI/EiBsplKn95o/s1600/hn0829_036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WM5dYzA9OnA/TsFPcT3ETKI/AAAAAAAAALI/EiBsplKn95o/s400/hn0829_036.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It's chock full of gathers, folds and pleats.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVdbpaPOdNE/TsFPIuRZV8I/AAAAAAAAALA/e2C8FYKbLSQ/s1600/hn0829_035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zVdbpaPOdNE/TsFPIuRZV8I/AAAAAAAAALA/e2C8FYKbLSQ/s400/hn0829_035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Just look at that cascading drapery!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_Eh6Mig4aE/TsFO3V9hPzI/AAAAAAAAAK4/_6GKIksG0SE/s1600/hn0829_032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_Eh6Mig4aE/TsFO3V9hPzI/AAAAAAAAAK4/_6GKIksG0SE/s400/hn0829_032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It crunches, it smooshes, it crinkles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kok87OcD1-Q/TsFOshEbxjI/AAAAAAAAAKw/pvG9DOCITkY/s1600/hn0829_031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kok87OcD1-Q/TsFOshEbxjI/AAAAAAAAAKw/pvG9DOCITkY/s400/hn0829_031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Always in just the right places.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJs1CceMKTo/TsFOeJiOhFI/AAAAAAAAAKo/nDf676Ka0po/s1600/hn0829_029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJs1CceMKTo/TsFOeJiOhFI/AAAAAAAAAKo/nDf676Ka0po/s400/hn0829_029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
It fits our body-less woman like a glove.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEyk6QKeepk/TsFOQPJ8lHI/AAAAAAAAAKg/P_ZOQfKoVtU/s1600/hn0829_026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEyk6QKeepk/TsFOQPJ8lHI/AAAAAAAAAKg/P_ZOQfKoVtU/s400/hn0829_026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And it does all of these things while glowing with a delicate frosty shimmer.<br />
<br />
My stars!<br />
<br />
This is beauty at its best.<br />
<br />
According to my Hunter information, LaMonte enjoys "exploring the dress form as a metaphor for gender, identity and the human body."<br />
<br />
Facts from the Toledo Museum of Art take us a step further:<br />
<br />
"For LaMonte, the "empty" dress evokes the fragility of the human condition. Further, it references the idea of clothing as a kind of controlling container. It projects ideals of appearance and wealth promoted by high fashion, while questioning the psychological and social implications of the way we dress."<br />
<br />
Well, I'll be.<br />
<br />
Isabella d'Este and I thought it was just a beautiful dress!<br />
<br />
That's another thing I love about artists.<br />
<br />
They try to teach us something about ourselves and our very human condition.<br />
<br />
And that can often lead to surprising "A-ha" moments.<br />
<br />
Still, there are days when I simply want to enjoy the gorgeous-ness of it all.<br />
<br />
I want eye candy.<br />
<br />
Karen's gowns are feasts for my feminine soul.<br />
<br />
And you know what?<br />
<br />
There are days when that's just what the doctor ordered.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Note: <br />
<br />
For more photos of Karen's magnificent gowns, go to:<br />
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karenlamonte.comMerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1165094001772250593.post-62477119675587691232011-11-09T11:42:00.000-08:002011-11-11T06:31:40.130-08:00ISABELLA: PART TWO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GBeTDMUivLo/TrrT6OEmMgI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/QYudgE-IYy8/s1600/mar22+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GBeTDMUivLo/TrrT6OEmMgI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/QYudgE-IYy8/s400/mar22+099.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Isabella d'Este, Titian, 1534, Kunsthistoriches Museum, Vienna)</div><br />
<br />
The chink in Isabella's armor is one that nearly every woman can identify with in one way or another.<br />
<br />
In fact, it seems to be a curse - sometimes a "blessing"- that follows us from the minute we gasp our first breath of air until the moment we depart from this life.<br />
<br />
For some, it is an issue that looms ghost-like over their feminine experience.<br />
<br />
For others, the ghost becomes all too real.<br />
<br />
It can swallow a woman alive and destroy her mind, body and spirit.<br />
<br />
The chink certainly played havoc in the life of Isabella d'Este.<br />
<br />
Because......<br />
<br />
when Isabella peered into her mirror, she did not like what she saw.<br />
<br />
One writer has described Isabella as having "a lively grace."<br />
<br />
What exactly does this mean?<br />
<br />
Perhaps we'll never really know - at least in terms of Renaissance sensibilities.<br />
<br />
But, for me, I think it implies that Isabella possessed a bright and shining personality.<br />
<br />
I'm sure it also means that she enjoyed being around and interacting with people.<br />
<br />
The word "grace" implies that Isabella knew how to move herself around a room full of people.<br />
<br />
I'm thinking that she didn't step on a lot of literal toes.<br />
<br />
And I doubt if she jostled many elbows as she breezed through a Renaissance salon in her pouffy embroidered gown<br />
<br />
I would like to believe that Isabella's "lively grace" prompted her to be kind, compassionate and empathetic to those around her as well.<br />
<br />
The same author states that Isabella possessed "lively eyes."<br />
<br />
That's easy, isn't it?<br />
<br />
The eyes being the windows of the soul and all.<br />
<br />
I think we could safely say that Isabella's eyes shown brightly.<br />
<br />
That's because they were filled with an inner light that sparked her very being.<br />
<br />
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sold.<br />
<br />
Sign me up for the next shindig at Isabella's place!<br />
<br />
I'll admit it.<br />
<br />
I'm unabashedly charmed by people with Isabella's social skills and talents.<br />
<br />
Our writer completes his critique of our lady's physical appearance with these words:<br />
<br />
"She was slightly plump."<br />
<br />
* * * * * *<br />
<br />
Several months ago I heard about a woman named Aunt Kathy who was "slightly plump" as well.<br />
<br />
Whenever family photographs were taken, Aunt Kathy refused to be in them.<br />
<br />
She was embarrassed by her physical appearance.<br />
<br />
Aunt Kathy's family adored her fun-loving spirit and engaging personality.<br />
<br />
She was the life of every family gathering.<br />
<br />
Then one day she passed away.<br />
<br />
Soon, Aunt Kathy's loved ones began to hunt for a photograph of their beloved aunt.<br />
<br />
They wanted a picture of her to help remind them of all the wonderful times they had shared with their "lively" Aunt Kathy.<br />
<br />
But there were no pictures to be found - anywhere.<br />
<br />
By refusing to have her picture taken, Aunt Kathy had in effect erased herself from mortal life.<br />
<br />
All because she was "slightly plump."<br />
<br />
That's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard.<br />
<br />
Here's another one:<br />
<br />
Some years ago, I watched a talk show about the pros and cons of face lifts.<br />
<br />
A woman named Susan was interviewed at length by the host.<br />
<br />
Susan admitted to having 26 face lift procedures done on herself over time.<br />
<br />
Her face had been pulled so tightly across her head that her distinguishing features were no longer visible.<br />
<br />
The host asked Susan this question: "Why have you been willing to endure the pain of 26 face lifts?"<br />
<br />
Susan's answer startled me: "I know I have gained more beauty and self-esteem with each of my surgeries. Each one has made me feel better about myself."<br />
<br />
Next, the host held up a glossy 8 x 10 of Susan's pre-surgery face for millions to see.<br />
<br />
I stared at the image in disbelief.<br />
<br />
Susan had been a beautiful young woman with lovely features - perfectly proportioned in every way.<br />
<br />
What IS it about us women?<br />
<br />
What brings us to the point in life where we no longer believe we are beautiful just the way we are?<br />
<br />
Are we born with these debilitating ideas in our little baby girl heads?<br />
<br />
Or have they been drummed into our brains by our cultures over time?<br />
<br />
Perhaps it's both of these things and a whole lot more.<br />
<br />
* * * * * *<br />
<br />
These are the words on the wall plate that accompanies Isabella's bust in the Kimbell:<br />
<br />
"Isabella was not as attractive as she would have liked, and often complained that her portraits were unflattering."<br />
<br />
Please allow me to illustrate this point with the following information:<br />
<br />
The image at the beginning of this post is a portrait of Isabella painted by the great Venetian artist, Titian.<br />
<br />
She was 60 years old at the time of the sitting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fqy9asBCjUI/TrrSwYdBIpI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/WXRTHxyABdo/s1600/mar22+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fqy9asBCjUI/TrrSwYdBIpI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/WXRTHxyABdo/s400/mar22+100.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Detail of Titian's Isabella at top of post)</div><br />
That's right.<br />
<br />
Sixty years old.<br />
<br />
That's gotta be the spiffiest 60 year old woman I've ever seen!<br />
<br />
Now, for more of the story:<br />
<br />
Originally, Titian had painted a more age appropriate Isabella.<br />
<br />
But she wouldn't accept it.<br />
<br />
Isabella was so unhappy with the first portrait that she made Titian go back to his canvas a second time.<br />
<br />
The result?<br />
<br />
A much younger looking Isabella.<br />
<br />
Experts believe that she looks about 40 years younger, in fact!<br />
<br />
Obviously, Isabella was not a proponent of truth in advertising.<br />
<br />
We don't know if Flemish painter, Peter Paul Rubens, was either, for that matter.<br />
<br />
One day Rubens decided to copy the original portrait that Titian had painted 65 years earlier.<br />
<br />
(Today, Titian's original portrait of Isabella no longer exists.)<br />
<br />
The image below is Ruben's interpretation of Titian's portrait - the one that Isabella did not like.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--9Arn4Sa7_Q/TrrS8uKoR5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/WkxQXAVgqbU/s1600/mar22+818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--9Arn4Sa7_Q/TrrS8uKoR5I/AAAAAAAAAKI/WkxQXAVgqbU/s400/mar22+818.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(Isabella d'Este, Rubens, 1605, Kunst Historiches Museum, Vienna)</div><div style="text-align: center;">{This portrait of Isabella was painted 65 years after her death}</div><br />
<br />
Did Rubens age Isabella?<br />
<br />
I'm thinking not a lot.<br />
<br />
Did he put a little weight on her?<br />
<br />
I think it's possible.<br />
<br />
What do you think?<br />
<br />
The larger question is this:<br />
<br />
Why does any of this matter?<br />
<br />
Because it doesn't for women of any age who have leaned to divorce themselves from the tyranny of their culture's perceptions of beauty.<br />
<br />
Admittedly, this is not an easy thing to do.<br />
<br />
And it doesn't matter to a woman who has grown to love herself over a lifetime of challenges that have taught her who she really is.<br />
<br />
Easier - but watch out for tricky obstacles along the way.<br />
<br />
Personally?<br />
<br />
I would have loved to have seen the stick-my-face-out-there, 60 year old Isabella.<br />
<br />
Wrinkles, lines, and saggy chin.<br />
<br />
Bring it all on, girl!<br />
<br />
Something tells me that you, my dear, were one hot tamale!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05697120240973156507noreply@blogger.com0