Selected Works from the National Gallery of Art

 "The Last Valley--Paradise Rocks" 1867-69, 

by John La Farge (1836 - 1910) 

I love the stunning way he depicts the time of day with the setting sun drawing such a stark contrast against the ridge.

 "Ruins of the Parthenon" 1880, 

by Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823 - 1880) 

Completed shortly before his death, I thought this image very apropos after visiting the Hellenistic Bronze sculpture exhibition! And it also is a refugee. The Corcoran Gallery of Art went belly-up this past year--a local tragedy, and the NGA grabbed the bulk of the collection. This is one of the works formerly owned by the Corocoran and deemed worthy of not auctioning off by the NGA.

 "Mount Tom" 1869, 

by Thomas Charles Farber (1849 - 1891) 

At such a young age, he nails the reflection in the water--mesmerizing.

 "Winter Harmony" 1890-1900, 

by John Henry Twachtman (1853 - 1902) 

I am a longtime fan of Mr. Twachtman's impressionist works. And his winter landscapes are among his finest.

 "Hunting in the Pontine Marshes" 1833, 

by Horace Vernet (1789 - 1863)

In the first half of the 19th century and group of painters embraced the idea of the sublime in nature. For them this meant not simply the awesome power and beauty, but also the ever present danger. Tied into this was the notion of man attempting to hold dominion over nature against improbable odds. You can recall that this was an era of tremendous technological innovation that displayed man's prowess over the natural world. The steam engine alone was reshaping the ability of man to move from place to place in days instead of weeks. We were quite full of ourselves, eh? And here Vernet shows this little man hunting duck. All around him lay dangers he is blissfully unaware of--not least of which the huge tree trunk perched precariously over his head! I wish you could also see how Vernet paints the twisting trees to look like collections of woodland creatures/spirits. I'll wager you can see how even the root/branch at the bottom of the painting looks like the silhouette of a serpent.

 Here is a detail of the hunter. Can you see the mallard?

 "Wind From The Sea" 1947, 

by Andrew Wyeth (1917 - 2009) 

You must be familiar with his greatest painting "Christina's World" at the Chicago Art Institute? This must be the view of that very setting from within the house--don't you think?

 "Ground Swell" 1939, 

by Edward Hopper (1882 - 1967) 

A departure from his lonely houses, his stark room with lonely women in them, and yet, his ability to paint silence persists.

 "Head of an Old Man" c. 1630, 

by Abraham Bloemaert (1564 - 1651) 

No trip is ever complete without a looksee into the three intimate galleries of the Dutch Cabinet, curator Arthur Weelock's gift to us all. And here I found this beautiful portrait.

 "Leisure and Labor" 1858, 

by Frank Blackwell Mayer (1827 - 1899) 

Here's the painting I spent a little extra time with today. A relatively small painting in a ornate frame. I show a second version with the frame clipped back. Leisure in his fancy pants and white shirt and rich man's canine, watching Labor. Labor stooped and straining showing power of the horse. Notice how the woman in the background turns her attention to Labor, too. And the poster on the wall next to Leisure depicts a runner with the words "Stop Thief!" It's delicious allegory.