After my semi-annual doctor's appointment, I went over to the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Just another among the many amazing art galleries in Washington, D.C. and it's also only 3 blocks away from my doctor's office building.
They have recently moved the works of their permanent collection to a series of galleries on the ground floor, reserving the space above for special exhibitions. My interest in visiting today was all about an amazing special exhibition titled "30 Americans" (hence the huge flags on the front facade of the museum.) What ended up happening was that I got a chance to revisit the permanent collection, too. And found it so worth the time.
Art of any sort challenges our understanding of our world in all of its iterations. We use it as a barometer against all the we know, believe and are. And if we use it humbly, we are transformed by it. Hopefully it affirms us more than it accuses, but either way we come away more whole.
The House of Representatives, 1822-1823 ~ Samuel F. B. Morse, 1791-1872The first major image that I encountered was "The House of Representatives, 1822-1823" by Samuel F. B. Morse. Conceived as a masterwork on the new Democracy called the United States of America, Morse spent over 4 months sketching individual members of the new congress, clerks, pages, even a member of the supreme court, to give this work an historical authenticity unparalleled in the day. Even the event was calculated and details added to make it seem like a snapshot of an actual moment. It was his desire to take the finished work on a tour of various cities and cash in on public interest. Unfortunately for him, there wasn't much and the painting's fiscal failure contributed to the budding artist's transformation into an inventor and scientist.
Still, it's an amazing work of art.
The lighting of the chandelier creates an atmosphere of mystery and drama, while the figures appear in poses of non-chalance and leisure, one is given to expect from them something momentous.
The focus of the moment is a debate on Native American policy. To emphasize this, the Pawnee Chief Petalesharo is seating in the balcony on the far right.
All paintings capture moments in time by subject, chronology, and psychology. Visits to most museums happen too quickly and engage the visitor too superficially to even begin to appreciate the depth of what is there that they understand about a work let alone what remains to be parsed out.
It is even possible to imagine things that the artist themselves weren't consciously aware of in exploring a painting.
A Pastoral Visit, Virginia ~ Richard Norris Brooke, 1847-1920I had a particularly strong "Sister Wendy" moment with this painting by Richard Norris Brooke.
Another history painting, "A Pastoral Visit, Virginia" painted in 1881 depicts a rather pedestrian moment in the life of a rural black family--the visit by their pastor. And yet it screams with ideas and innuendo to the point that I spent way too long reflecting on it.
We see the pastor in this detail. He's come in from the rain (umbrella). He's present, but also other worldly, the very representative of Christ--both human (needing food) and spirit (eyes fixed above). His saintliness is accentuated by the "halo" of grey hair that crowns him.
The family is humble and blessed. Many children, yet not all is paradise. We see the kids in various states of the human condition. The parents mirror the Biblical sisters Mary and Martha. One works to meet the practical needs, while one sets aside the cares and pleasures of the world to listen.
Other illusions to Biblical parables linger, the portion of bread spilled on the floor, the bundle of harvested fruit, it's a composition rife with metaphor.
Here are some more images from my visit to the permanent collection that stood out to me.
Girl Fishing at San Vigilio ~ John Singer Sargent, 1856-1925
Two Heads ~ Alfred Henry Maurer, 1868-1932
Ground Swell ~ Edward Hopper, 1882-1967
Rooftops and Trees ~ Charles Demuth 1883-1935
Head of a Moor ~ Henri Regnault, 1843-1871
2 comments:
Morse was my 7th cousin many times removed. His mother's maiden name was Child.
So there's a connection for you...
He's a really under appreciated figure in history.
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