The American Landscape Isn't All Out West

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building

When: through July 16, 2017

When I think of great American landscapes, my mind inevitably turns to the West: Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains.  What I forget is that the Eastern part of the U.S. has great landscapes too.  Having spent a lifetime in the Mid-Atlantic, there's no excuse for my overlooking the natural beauty so near by!  Happily, this show has opened my eyes, and I hope will open those of others before it closes in another week.

This collection of 19th century photographs starts with early daguerreotypes, some of which are so sensitive to light that they are covered with little curtains.  I found it hard to see the images but didn't want to stare too long for fear of making matters worse, so gave these only a quick glance.

The next room featured stereographs - which reminded me strongly of my old "Viewmaster Viewer."  Two identical images set side-by-side create a 3-D image, if you look at them with a special viewer.  Great fun, largely due to the trip down memory lane.

There were also several examples of photographs and paintings of the same view, exhibited together - a great idea I thought, showing how artists in different media see the same thing.

The Civil War got a bit of space as well, not surprising, since it was the first war to be photographed.  Just as Vietnam brought the war to America's living rooms by way of television, people were far more aware of what was happening in this conflict due to photography.

I noticed among the offerings, several from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  It made my wonder how often the two institutions share things for special exhibits - are they more colleagues than competitors?

Verdict: A fine show, one worth seeing.

Like Father, Like Daughters

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building, Ground Floor

When: through July 16, 2017

Ian Woodner was an art collector, especially fond of drawings.  He began collecting in the 1940s, and did not limit himself to any particular historical period.  His daughters, Dian and Andrea, joined in his passion, and gave a substantial portion of his collection to the National Gallery in 1990, after Ian's death.  In addition, they have promised more pieces to the NGA, some of which are on display in this show.

It covers a wide span of time, from the 1300s through to the present.  I was very happy to see some Durers among the offerings; I love the precision of his works.  A piece entitled "Initial Q with a Procession of Children" by Zanobi Strossi caught my eye - painted in 1430, but vividly colorful.

Leonardo da Vinci was among those present, with "Grotesque Head of an Old Woman," pretty far away from the Mona Lisa - more like something out of Dr. Seuss. Hendrick Avercamp's "Winter Games on the Frozen River Ijsse" I saw in the small exhibit of art from the "little ice age" period.  I very much like seeing things again - makes me feel full of artistic knowledge to recognize something.

Louis-Leopold Boilly's "The Public in the Salon of the Louvre, Viewing the Painting of the 'Sacre'" was a piece I liked, as it depicts people in a museum, a subject of which I never tire.  In the final room, we had modern pieces, including two I recognized by Louise Bourgeois.

Verdict: Although I'm not a big fan of drawings as an art form, I do recommend this show.  Nicely arranged (chronological order - my favorite kind) and a fine tribute to one family's generosity.

Saying Good-bye to the Sackler

Where: Sackler Gallery

When: through July 9, 2017

As many readers may know, the Sackler Gallery is my favorite Smithsonian museum.  I've loved it for years, full of beautiful Asian art, both in its permanent collection and in the special exhibits it hosts.  I'm always excited when I see a new show is coming, as it gives me an excuse to visit once again.

My visit yesterday was a melancholy one; the museum is closing on July 10 for three months.  So no Sackler to welcome me into its cool interior through the heat of the DC summer!  You will doubtless recall that the Freer has been closed for quite a while now (I think about 15 months, although it seems much longer...).  Now that the big renovations are done there, both spaces will be closed for a time in order to reorganize and reinstall the entire collection.

It's hard to view this closure as a good thing, but as much as I will miss it in the short run, in the long run this is the right thing to do.

I saw many things while on this visit, including the exhibit of three immense paintings by Utamaro: Snow at Fukagawa (missing for nearly 70 years before turning up in Japan recently),  Moon at Shinagawa (purchased by Charles Lang Freer and now in the Freer's collection) and Cherry Blossoms at Yoshiwara (owned by the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut).  Reunited after 140 years apart, these three paintings would be wonderful separately, but are astounding together.  Each piece bears close examination; if you saw them every day, you would find new elements with every look.  The entrance to the display is marvelous - big banners with examples of both Western and Asian art, all of tall, beautiful women.

I thought it a nice touch that, at the end of a show glamorizing the "pleasure quarters" of Edo, the Sackler included some information on the reality of these women's lives.  Needless to say, the truth is rather less pretty.

This is the Cosmic Buddha, a Chinese work from about 575.  I love antiquities and the connection they provide to people living so long ago, in circumstances so different than our own.  One thing we have in common is art, and this is a lovely example.  Although the sculpture is old, the technology now being used to study it is new - 3D printing is allowing scholars to examine this piece in great detail.  There's a bit you can actually touch (and you know how much I love tactile exhibits) that's been printed with a 3D printer, and you can even order your own Cosmic Buddha online!

This is Ganesha, one of the most popular Hindu gods; his elephant head makes him easily identifiable.  He is revered as the remover of obstacles, which is probably another reason for his popularity - who doesn't need some help removing obstacles in life?  He and this Buddha below (I really like his blue hair) are part of the permanent collection.  I hope they'll be back on display in October.

The last piece I saw on my visit was this one (see below) from Michael Joo.  It's in the entryway, so you can't miss it.  I took the time to read the wall notes, and it's a representation of cranes that winter in the DMZ between North and South Korea.

Verdict: Visit the Sackler before it closes for renovations.  And be sure to visit again in October when it re-opens!

The Unanswered Question of Frederic Bazille

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building

When: through July 9, 2017

I had heard of Bazille before I went to see this show, and I'm pretty sure I'd seen at least one of his works at the National Gallery, but I wasn't really familiar with his work, in the way that I am with the bigger names of Impressionism.

I suspect that's true of many people as regards Bazille: vague sense, but no real knowledge.  This show should change that, and that's a worthy goal.  The one thing the show doesn't do, and perhaps it really can't do it, is answer the great question of Bazille's life: why did he give up a promising artistic career, leave his friends behind and join the army to fight in the Franco-Prussian War?  It was a decision with tragic consequences, as he was killed in his first battle.

Bazille had a comfortable upper-middle class upbringing.  His parents wanted him to be a doctor, and he studied medicine for several years before giving it up to become an artist.  He became friends with a who's who of Impressionist luminaries: Monet, Renoir, etc.; he lived, worked and exhibited with them throughout his very brief career.

The show begins with several portraits, then moves on to still lifes, including one called "The Dog Rita, Asleep" which caught my eye, as Rita looks very much like my own dog, Sherlock.  I would have taken a picture, but it was labeled as "no photography,"  so I was out of luck.

His largest, and in my opinion, best work comes towards the end.  The Family Gathering is considered his masterpiece, and it is wonderful.  It's the sort of painting that makes me imagine a backstory for those pictured; I think there's more going on than just a family enjoying the sun on a summer afternoon. Summer Scene and another piece of a fisherman (I've forgotten the name now) are also marvelous.

The show ends with a room of floral paintings, which seems sort of tacked-on, as if there wasn't any other space for these, so they were put in where they fit.  I think it would have been better to end with the large works, but I understand that sometimes, the physical space has other demands.

Verdict: I highly recommend this show; a welcome exploration of an overlooked artist.

JFK and the Greek Slave

Where: National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum

When: through July 9, 2017

 I saw two exhibits in one trip this week.  They were small and in the same building, which helps.

The first was Hiram Powers' The Greek Slave.  This was the most famous sculpture of the 19th century, and its full nudity meant that, in some venues where it was shown, men and women had to view it separately.  Some claimed that the statue was not indecent, as it was "clothed all over with sentiment."  Yeesh.  SAAM allows everyone in at the same time, and it doesn't seem to be a problem.

There was an X-ray of the statue on view, which I always find interesting - what's going on beneath the surface?  Not as surprising as the Rodin dancer X-ray I saw at the National Gallery a while back, but still a treat to see.

Powers received several patents for the tools he used in his artistic work, so that tied in neatly with the building's past identity as the home of the Patent and Trademark Office.

On display was the plaster model of the statue; there were several marble replicas made for private patrons - wonder where those are now? Minton & Company made small porcelain replicas that were sold as souvenirs and are now collected in their own right.  There is a human desire to own great art, even if it's just a little copy.

On my way out, I stopped by the "Celebrate" wall, where a portrait of John F. Kennedy is on display.  It's the centenary of his birth, and there are any number of Kennedy-themed shows up, so watch this space for further reports.  This is a pastel on paper by Shirley Seltzer Cooper from 1961; he looks both young and serious.

Verdict: Both of these are worth seeing; don't leave the JFK portrait too long, you know how those "Celebrate" works will go down in a moment if that space needs to become the "In Memoriam" wall.

A Trip to Korea

Where: Natural History Museum

When: through July 5, 2017

The Korea Gallery is located at the back of the 2nd floor of Natural History, and amidst all the hubbub surrounding the Hope Diamond and the gem collection, it's easy to overlook.  The easiest way to get there is to take the stairs by the Constitution Avenue entrance, the ones surrounding the totem poles.

This one room show highlights various aspects of Korean culture; there's some history, some art, some ceramics and some discussion of societal norms.  I learned that Korea (both North and South put together) is the size of Minnesota, a state I've visited several times.  So it's pretty decent size, but small in comparison to the entire United States.

Did you know that Koreans had moveable type almost 200 years before Gutenberg and his Bible?  I didn't, but I do now.  It's a bit embarrassing to have been educated in such a Euro-centric way, but all I can do is try to fill in the gaps now.

The picture above is of two bowls.  The one on the left is from the 12th century, and the one on the right is from the 20th century.  Both of them feature a celadon glaze, for which Korea is famous.  Pieces of ceramic that the visitor could actually touch were just next to these - I love a tactile exhibit, and one sees them so seldom.  Good job for including this, Natural History!

Verdict: Informative displays in a small space - the out of the way location is my only criticism.