TRIP TO HYDE IN 2015

 With our friend Peter in the hospital and having a serious time of it, we could not go up to Vermont next week where there was limited wi-fi.   

So, we met Elizabeth's old roommate and Eddie at a grand diner in Glens Falls.  I loved the place.  The food was on my diet and good.  There were books.  We had a fine visit.

From their books I brought a biography, The Life and Death of Andy Warhol. I've skimmed it for some interesting bits, but I'm still not a great Warhol fan.

From there we went to the Hyde museum.  I had heard a woman on NPR discussing the two newest shows, Winslow Homer and Andy Warhol.  She talked to bridge the gap in their differences and explain how the two shows might easily fit together

http://wamc.org/term/hyde-collection#stream/0

hit "listen" to hear the discussion.

Well, I just don't get Warhol.  Cara with her art background tried to help, to show me the value of these very minimal sketches, but I continue to think of this more as presenting a celebrity who challenged the ideas of art and less of anything of value.  I'm sure, given the on of his painting just sold for 32 million the problem is more mine than Warhole's.

I did come to like the Marilyn Monroe paintings and once saw them in some gallery now long forgotten.  There was no Marilyn at this exhibit.

I did enjoy the Homer.  These were wood engravings.  Homer would sketch out what he wanted and skilled carvers would create the wood to make the prints.  I like his paintings better except for the watercolors which I like less than these detailed prints. 

 

 

This is Gloucester Harbor

I've seen many versions of this "Snap the Whip" piece.  It is part of the art that focuses on boys who would have been like the boys my grandfather grew up with.  I probably like them because of that.

We saw the print for this painting, but not the painting.  It was a bit creepy.  Here was a union sniper waiting to ambush a Confederate officer.  His buttons are missing so there is no glint from the sun to give him away.

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Then we toured the permanent collection.  I know I've seen this before, but I did not remember much except the courtyard.  I liked these collected pieces very much and was very excited to see El Greco in the mix.  I responded to it in a way I have not responded to El Greco in decades, perhaps never.  

Then a print of this one is on our wall in the bedroom.  It seemed a good companion to the print we bought from friends of Craig in Italy on our trip.  We met the artist and he opened a bottle of wine to celebrate the buying of the $20 print.  They went his profits.





Perhaps we bought it at the Hyde in some long ago visit that we now cannot remember.

Along with the works of art was the comfortable feel of the rooms which were real rooms in what had been a real house. Some of the antique furniture caught my sense of beauty, especially some of the wood pieces.  I do love wood grain looks.







The photograph does not do this piece justice.




The marble top really looked modern in design





Elizabeth liked this bathroom.

I normally don't respond too well to Madonna scenes, but I liked this one.  The overview of the ocean helped.

 

Cara likes this artist.

 

 

 

Here Eddie poses in one of the rooms

This scene reminded me a bit of one of my favorites at The Clark called The Amorous Proposal.  The same technique seems to be used to  highling the woman getting water.

 

 

 

This Renoir is certainly on of the calendar pictures my mother had above the stove.  I was always curious about them.  Mom was distainful, but it was a free calendar from the Buffalo Evening News.

 

 

 

 

By Catholic Digest Staff


St. James the Lesser
Feast Day May 3
 
James the Lesser, meaning younger, is traditionally celebrated as being the author of a letter in the New Testament. His mother is thought to have been a sister or close relative of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Jewish custom, James was sometimes called the brother of the Lord, which could refer to any male relative. Their family ties gave rise to the idea that Jesus and James might have shared some similar traits in appearance, and the speculation that their physical likeness could have been the reason for Judas having to identify Jesus with a kiss. Also known as James the Just because of his righteousness and devotion, James became the first bishop of Jerusalem.

 

GUIDO'S AND OTHER STOPS

As well as visiting the Clark ( see next post) we went to Guido's and I managed to get four bottles of Italian Volcano lemon juice and two Santa Clara.  They no longer carry Golden's pita bread.  We picked us a few more things, but it was a bit crowded and not at all as comfortable as the Clark.

We stopped at a little coffee place and had a light lunch.  Mine was a muffin. Elizabeth had a quiche.  We sat outside under a roof, and that was helpful because it did rain a bit.  It felt like great fun to be out with good coffee and something new to see.

We filled out tank and saved nine dollars by doing so.  That paid for the gas we used driving there.

It was fine to see the rolling hills along the way and the great greenness of them.  This is more out and about than we have experienced since coming back from Florida.

Such a fine day.

TO THE CLARK JULY 2020

Finally, we took a chance on a road trip and went to the Clark.  The virus was well managed there.  Also, we made reservations for ten AM and so for most of our visit we had the museum to ourselves and just one or two others.  It was the way to do it. 
I really enjoyed the visit.  We focused first on the old standbys and those are my favorite.
My favorite painting in the museum is this one and I'd go just to see it.  I can sit on a bench and study each of the faces..   These are Italians, but they remind me very much of the Spanish.  I'm tempted to get a print of this for my wall.
It is a huge painting.  I like that much better than small paintings because I can see it so clearly.

So we visited the two two Goya paintings.  This first is a grand favorite.  Fifty years ago I walked the Prado with Christine from France and this series was her favorite.  Of course, this it just a miniature version of the large painting, but it does remind me.  I've been reading about Goya lately and his possible affair with an interesting woman of his time,  The Duchess of Alba.  She is perhaps one of the faces here.
This is one of the happy Goya paintings and very much unlike his darker works.

We also visited the Winslow Homer.  I did not photograph them as I have them in books.  Here is one.  I always wonder at this one. These poor guides never get off the mountain.

Click here for a talk on this painting and a copy.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Homer+playing+a+fish&cvid=057c94f698eb4469a87957c85af35ddf&PC=U531&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dHomer%2bplaying%2ba%2bfish%26cvid%3d057c94f698eb4469a87957c85af35ddf%26FORM%3dANAB01%26PC%3dU531&view=detail&mmscn=vwrc&mid=CB2032B8667A48F004A4CB2032B8667A48F004A4&FORM=WRVORC

Interesting that he turned the rowboat that was in the earlier painting into a canoe.

Everytime I go to the museum I seem to be caught by some painting or painter that I've passed over quickly on other visits.  This time is was George Innes, especially this winter scene that spoke to me on that aesthetic level that seems to have a will of its own.

I'll have to read up a bit on this fellow.

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Of course, I have an interest in the card playing paintings.  It is interesting to see how long ago card playing was popular.  However, I am put off by the girl's wide mouth and laugh?..

And rightly so, I guess.  Looking this up later in the Art of Gambling I found that Dirk Hals had "a penchant for portraying human facial features as joyful but exaggerated, almost to the point of abnormality."

Perhaps it is not such a celebration of cards after all.  Here are better ones.

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Now here is a face I can much better enjoy.  However, cards are not involved.  Wine is.

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Here is a delightful contrast between how a country fellow woos and how his city counterpart woos.  It is not too complimentary on city folk.

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I've always liked these faces. 

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I read a bit in a mary Cassatt book I have, but I saw nothing like this.  I'll have to spend some time seeing what other views of Spain she took back from her visit.  Here are notes from the virtual tour website

“Offering the Panel to the Bullfighter” by Mary Cassatt

“Offering the Panel to the Bullfighter” by Mary Cassatt depicts a young woman flirtatiously offering a glass of water to a bullfighter, who dips panal (honeycomb) into it to make an energizing drink.

   Your Museum from Home

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Cassatt made several paintings of local Spanish subjects during her stay in Spain in 1873. The vibrant colors and brushwork were inspired by Diego Velázquez, whose artworks, Cassatt studied during her travels to Madrid and Seville.

The Bullfighter costume is depicted with the decorations and elaborateness of a torero’s outfit that the Spanish call the “suit of lights.” The flamboyant matador costume is part of the drama of a bullfight, which is considered performance art.

I have always loved the look of this young woman.  Delightful and very cheerful in all respects.

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We drove up to the top building to see a showing of  The Emergence of the Animals by Lin May Saeed.  The more modern exhibits up in this building rarely are my favorites, but it was worth seeing.  I especially like the bull.

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In the museum I also took these photos.

Here is a wonderfully ornate piano.

And I took this shot looking up to the shelved books from the large sitting area outside the library.

We saw two other new exhibits, one on decorative things and another ....  well, not  memorable.  However, we photographed this piece showing the work of mole hunters as a friend is having a huge infestation.

All in all a most wonderful visit that seemed very safe from the virus.  It has been a couple years since I visited the paintings I best love.  When we went for play readings there was never enough time.  Then this music exhibit held us for a full visit.  On my last few visits I needed a wheelchair.  So grand to be beyond that.