Come for the Pope, stay for the art?

Where: National Gallery of Art

When: through December 1, 2015

I went over to the National Gallery on Friday to see this visiting Vermeer painting, and I was not alone.  A very large crowd of people greeted me, both in the room where this work is hanging and at the Caillebotte show, which I re-visited briefly.  The Caillebotte show closes next Sunday, so perhaps it was just a rush of people eager to catch it before it leaves, but I wondered if perhaps these were people who had flocked to Washington to see the Pope and decided to see some art after he decamped to New York?  Whatever the reason, it was busy and then some.

This Vermeer piece is on loan through the end of November from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.  It's not been seen in the United States since the mid-1990s, when it made up part of the big Vermeer show here at the National Gallery, and it's been restored in the years since.  Even if you saw it before, it's worth another look now.

There's the effect of the light from the window, of course; this is a Vermeer we're talking about after all.  There's also the lovely blue color of the woman's smock, along with the darker blues of the chairs and the rod holding down the tapestry on the wall.  Looking at the woman, I wondered if she were pregnant?  Perhaps it's just her dress.

I noticed that what I call the "Mona Lisa effect" was a bit in evidence in the room where the painting was hanging.  All the attention was directed to this piece, and the other items got short shrift.  Not so much as in the room in the Louvre where the Mona Lisa hangs (all those other wonderful Leonardos, and no one gives them so much as a glance), but still, most of the attention was on the "Woman in Blue."  I suppose this is understandable, considering that this painting is only visiting, and the other works we will have always with us, but still...

Verdict: There are so few Vermeer paintings in the world, that any time you get to see one, you should do so.

My Thanks to the Donors

Where: Sackler Gallery

When: through December 13, 2015

The Sackler and Freer Galleries, although they owe their existence to the tremendous generosity of their naming donors, are the recipients of additional gifts each year.  Some patrons give works of art; others give money that allow the museum to make purchases.  Several new and anticipated gifts are currently on display at the Sackler in its South Galleries, close to the museum's shop.

Interestingly enough, two of the donors are from the field of mental health.  Both Dr. Arthur Sackler and his friend Dr. Paul Singer (whose collection of Chinese art Sackler in part financed and which was donated to the Sackler) were psychiatrists - is this coincidence or correlation?  Does the study of the human mind lead one to appreciate Asian art?

The exhibit does not have a theme per se.  As the wall notes indicate, "the only unifying element is the generosity of the donors."  And a fine unifying element that is.  I particularly liked a ceramic piece entitled Gathering Morning, an example of stoneware by Miyashita Zenji, pictured above.  The colors reminded me of a sunrise and the shape was very unusual - not symmetrical at all from front to back - a sort of rectangle that juts out in the front and back.  I've not seen a piece like it before, but I'll keep my eye out for more of Zenji's work in future.

I also enjoyed a statue of the Medicine Buddha.  He was worshiped in order to fend off disease, hunger, thirst, cold and mosquitoes.  I love the specificity of that last complaint.  The next time I'm bitten, I'll send a request to the Medicine Buddha and see if that's any more effective than bug spray.

Verdict: Seeing this display was an excellent reminder of the debt of gratitude I owe to the Smithsonian's donors.  Thanks to them, I've had many happy hours and learned a multitude of things.  This is worth a look if you're headed to the Sackler.

Clash of Cultures

Where: American Indian Museum

When: through December 29, 2015

I confess before I went to this exhibit, I'd never heard of the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862; I thought the only war going on that year was the Civil War.  On the contrary, another conflict took place, far from the Mason-Dixon line.

Students from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota produced this exhibit as part of a class on the war.  It consists of banners with reproductions of maps and photographs and other information about Dakota culture, their early interactions with white Americans and the deterioration of the relationship that led to an attack by Dakota akicitas (warriors).  Although initially overpowered by the Dakota forces, the U.S. Army's superior military might turned the tide against them.  Eventually, the Dakota people were driven from Minnesota entirely.

The story is a sad one; a tale of two incompatible worldviews, that ended with the mightier force victorious.  The Dakota Way of Being emphasizes sharing among family groups, complex ties between and among families and a general sense of connectedness with not only other human beings but with nature and the land.  Contrast this with industrial capitalism as a way of organizing society, and you can see that conflict is inevitable.

When large numbers of white settlers came into Minnesota, promises to the Dakota began to be broken, treaties were signed and then ignored, and the native people were cheated by those more sophisticated in their business dealings.  I found myself reminded of payday lenders, preying on the most vulnerable members of society, making huge profits from the financial straits of those less fortunate.

When the Dakota had borne all they could bear, they attacked the white settlers near New Ulm (I once had a roommate from there, so I'd heard of the town before).  Hundreds died and thousands were displaced.  38 Dakota akicitas were hung, the largest mass execution in U.S. history, after what were basically show trials.  The remaining members of the tribe, most of them women, children and the elderly, were forcibly removed from Minnesota and sent to reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.  By May 1863, no Dakota were left in the state.

I wish there would have been a section of the display that related the thoughts of the students in the class who prepared this display.  How much did they know about this incident before taking the class?  How did their perceptions of U.S. history and of the relationships between the native tribes and the U.S. government change as a result of their studies?

It also would have been interesting to know what the descendants of the relocated Dakota are doing now.  Are they still on these reservations?  Have they integrated into white society?  Have stories about this war been passed down through the generations?

Verdict: A very informative display, especially when you consider that this was done by students, not by curators.  Not a "fun" exhibit by any means, but certainly one that is thought-provoking.