Leaving the Landscapes Behind

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building

When: closing December 31, 2018

I think the only good thing about a threat of a government shutdown is that it gives me some serious incentive to get out to the museums before they close for who knows how long.  This past week, I saw more exhibits than I've seen in months, including several I would have been sorry to miss.

The first one I visited was this Corot retrospective at the National Gallery.  Although he's known primarily for his landscapes, this show is entirely portraits, almost all of women.  Unlike other French artists, who showed idealized visions of feminine beauty, Corot opted to portray his subjects in a more realistic light.

In the show's first room, all the women appear in some sort of costume; apparently, he kept lots of clothing in his studio for this purpose.  The clothes are not "real," but the women in the clothes certainly are.  No blushing milkmaids or inscrutable foreign maidens here.   Not only are they not all exquisitely beautiful, they are not all smiling and demure.  They look right at the viewer, and if they are less than happy, the viewer knows it.

Although Corot painted in the 19th century, the beginnings of modernism are visible, if one knows where to look.  Many of his works are unfinished, giving them an abstract look.  The wall notes show pieces by Picasso and other modern artists that seem to take their cues from Corot's work.  I'm not knowledgeable enough about modern art to say if the connections are real, but the similarities are certainly there.

My favorite piece in the show is one called "Woman with a Pearl."  The model is looking out at something the viewer cannot see, and has a sort of veil over her hair and face.  It doesn't obscure her face, but does provide a bit of glitter to the painting that one doesn't often see in 19th century works.

Verdict: This is an intriguing show, which I would recommend.  While you're there, check out the lovely holiday decorations (some are visible in the photo) - always a treat.

Mail Call

Where: National Postal Museum

When: closing December 2, 2018

Here's yet another show I rushed to see before it closed.  I'm very much of two minds about the Postal Museum: on the one hand, it's part of my beloved Smithsonian, but on the other, it's such a nuisance to get over there.

Most of the time, I'm not sure that the exhibits I see are worth the trek.  They're okay, but nothing to really write home about.  Just when I'm about to skip a show, I remember the fantastic display of "secrets" that people wrote in to the USPS - I'm very glad I didn't miss that.  And I really enjoyed the show about FDR and stamps, and I got to see the world's rarest stamp...you see the quandary I'm in.

So this time, I forked over some money to Metro and took the subway over to Union Station to pay a visit.  This show is part of the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI, and deals with the letters between servicemen fighting overseas and their families.  Mail from home was enormously important, obviously, as was mail sent back to the US.

Those letters from the front didn't always give a realistic view of what was happening, both because people didn't want to horrify their families, and due to censorship of the mail, lest the letters fall into enemy hands and reveal important information.  Charitable organizations would distribute post cards to soldiers, sometimes with pre-printed messages - which seems a bit impersonal, but I suppose was better than nothing.

The name of the show, "My Fellow Soldiers," was taken from the beginning of a postwar letter from General Pershing to all the members of the American Expeditionary Force, recognizing their service.

Verdict: An interesting small show, easily managed in a lunch hour, depending on how long it takes you to get to the museum!