A Symphony in Color

The first time I saw a painting by Whistler, I was quite amazed.

There's something about his paintings that grows on you. At first glance, they're just a wash of color. Only at further contemplation, do the details come out. The bodies are strangely long. Most of the painting taken up by the clothing, the length of the dresses, or the cape. But the details... Just wow. The folds of the material, the draping of the cloth, the walls behind the model.

And the strange names. "Arrangement in Black", "Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink", "Rose et or: La Tulipe" ("Pink and Gold: The Tulip"), "Arrangement in Black and Brown: The Fur Jacket", "Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket", "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1: Portrait of the Artist's Mother". I couldn't understand why the color was the most important part of the name, or the music reference. It made me stop and reconsider how to view the painting. The color became the main emphasis. And from the color, a deeper understanding of the feeling of the paintings, of the music that they play. The portraits grew alive. I could almost see real live people standing in front of me.

What Genius!

Favorite Museums

I like museums, but sometimes find them overwhelming. The sheer size of them. Wanting to see everything, which of course isn't possible. It's the reason huge museums are so overwhelming, like the Louvre or the British Museum.

One way to get around that, is to give up the idea of seeing it all.

I greatly enjoyed a highlights tour at the NY Met. The tour guide chose just four pictures, and we got to spend time discussing each. It's a way to make huge museums more approachable.

I much prefer smaller museums. Three of my favorites are: Musee d'Orsay, the Frick Collection, and Rodin's house.

The Musee d'Orsay is an old underground station in Paris. It was converted into a museum, and houses 19th and 20th century art. The amazing impressionist paintings... It's not too big, and you can visit it all in a few hours. My favorite part was climbing stairs to a vantage point where you can look down and view the space of the whole museum.

The Frick Collection is in NY, next to Central Park. It was the private house of a collector named Frick, displaying his personal art collection. Wandering around the house, provides a small glance into someone's home. Easy to imagine people living there, parties held there... And the artwork is amazing. It's where I first saw a painting by Whistler, but that's for another post.

And Rodin's house. Also in Paris. The private home of Auguste Rodin. And to think I had never heard of him, until we wandered into his home. Who doesn't know "The Thinker"? Although it's his sculptures of hands which truly moved me. His house is full of his work, as well as the garden. It's a small intimate museum, displaying a great range of Rodin's work.

Enjoying small intimate museums as a metaphor for life.

Madame X

I first saw the picture titled "Madame X", at the Met in NY in 1997.

There's something about it, that I find fascinating.

It's a tale of society and morals. Originally Sargent painted the shoulder strap on the left, falling down her arm. Society was so scandalized by this, that he redid the photo, changing the position of the strap. Which explains the difference in the detailing between them. Today we wouldn't even notice it. He also changed the title to "Madame X" to try to hide the name of the subject, although of course everyone recognized her.

Later in her life, additional portraits of Gautreau were painted.

Which do you prefer?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Madame_X

http://www.jssgallery.org/Other_Artists/Gustave_Courtois/Madame_Gauthereau.htm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_la_Gandara