Where: Freer Gallery of Art

When: closing November 3, 2019

When one thinks of Whistler and the Freer, the first thing that comes to mind is the Peacock Room.  And rightly so; it's an amazing achievement, to make art out of a room.  And those peacocks - telling the story of Whistler's falling out with Leyland, under the watchful eye of The Princess from the Land of Porcelain.  If you can see all this when the shutters are open (the 3rd Thursday of each month, in the afternoon), do so - it's a great treat.

But, Whistler is more than the Peacock Room, and Charles Lang Freer was a great admirer of Whistler's, so we get to enjoy his many, many talents.  In fact, Freer amassed the world's largest collection of Whistler watercolors, some of which are on display in the Whistler in Watercolor exhibit on now.  These pieces never travel (due to the conditions of the deed of gift establishing the museum) and are very fragile, so they're rarely seen.  Happily, we have an opportunity to look at them for the next couple of weeks.

These watercolors came about when Whistler was seeking to reinvent himself as an artist.  He'd lost Leyland as a patron and was involved in a lawsuit with John Ruskin, so he needed to make some money. Off he went to Venice, in search of inspiration.  What he produced were many seascapes, composed of three parts: sky, sea and shore; bustling street scenes, and quiet domestic interiors.  He also began to paint nocturnes (the Sackler had a big show of these not too long ago, so they can travel across the street), those moody, atmospheric night paintings.  And we get to see the fruits of those labors in this show.

Verdict: If you like Whistler or watercolors or paintings of the night, this is a show for you.

Strike While It's Hot

Where: African Art Museum

When: closing October 20, 2019

First of all, know that this is a huge show that starts in the African Art Museum (on the lowest level) and continues into the International Gallery of the Ripley.  I went to see it on a free afternoon, and after a full hour, I was skimming at the end.

The show opens with a discussion of how iron arrived here - it comes from the core of meteorites that were destroyed in impacts in space and eventually fell to Earth.  The Smithsonian has one of the world's largest and most complete collection of meteorites, some of which are on display in the show.  Iron has become such a part of the human experience that it is what makes our blood red.

So on to the African blacksmiths.  They held a very high place in society, as they were able to use fire to transform iron into objects that were practical, beautiful and signifiers of status.  They made tools for everyday use; they made jewelry and they made objects used in important rituals.

When one thinks of iron, one thinks of strong, heavy, powerful items.  But that's not the totality of what iron can be.  A piece called "Rain Wand" was lovely and delicate - something I did not anticipate when I came to the exhibit.  As impressive as the tools and knives were, the ability to transform iron into something elegant was even more arresting.

Iron was also used to create objects to honor the dead; it became a symbol of divinity and of fidelity.  As members of the community left this existence, their loved ones celebrated their lives and remembered them after their death.  Iron was eventually so important in society, and such an indication of wealth, that it was actually used as currency.

The show ends with  examples of the lamellophone.  An instrument made of iron, it mimics the sound of the forge - which is more musical than you might expect.

Verdict: If you've got lots of time, this is an interesting examination of both art and the society that creates it.