Tag: European Art

Tuesday

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Every time I go into the Museum, I comment on how so many of the things seem to have come out of the original countries in times of war or just after war. (Aka, many of the Islamic items are from 1919 – collapse of the Ottoman Empire, many of the French items are 1945, post-WWII, etc.) I feel sad that we’re the beneficiaries of, basically, the equivalent of looting a country of its treasures in order to maybe barely feed its people for a few days.

In this case, what a treasure it is. No exaggeration.

Saturday

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This particular piece of pottery looks like it’s being wrapped up in vines – and that impression is exactly what was meant to be communicated. The shape is very unsubtle in its execution of the ‘feminine ideal form’, coupled with the natural vibe and the Art Nouveau styling makes it very specific to the time period. It’s that not quite Victorian, not quite Edwardian.

Wednesday

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I fucking fangirl frakking puffy heart this glass sculpture like omg whoa. It looks like a block of lousy blue glass but it’s so much more than that. If you get all the way down by the right corner and peer up, you can see through the center open trapezoidal space of the piece (as I tried to do in the second photo and failed miserably because I couldn’t get the angle because of a damn wall in my way). It’s an amazing use of spatial compositional balance, and when the sun streams down in through the glass and catches the bubbles? Bellissimo!

Tuesday

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This looks delicate, like a snowflake. I know, however, that it is not a snowflake, and rather, is made of stone and is rather heavy and would likely fall and, y’know, shatter one’s skull. But, man, it sure is pretty.

Monday

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Once we come out of the so-called Dark Ages (or unenlightened times in Europe) and into the Medieval period, it all became about religious art and depictions of the natural world in many ways. Or religious art in natural materials. Either way, it was there to forward an agenda of pushing religion for those who could not read the word of God. Some of the art was beautiful (such as these pieces), and some of it was quite hideous.

Thursday

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Back in the day, portrait painting was one of a handful of legitimate jobs that women could do that brought prestige. However, they very often were attributed to their male counterparts for obvious reasons (aka, a woman couldn’t paint that well, no formal training, etc.), which makes this portrait special in the SLAM collection. It is correctly attributed, it is well-painted, the brush strokes are minimal and the subject appears almost airbrushed. Welcome to the 18th century equivalent of Photoshop!

Wednesday

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I’m ever so fond of this painting. I always stop in front of it and admire the realism of the asters. The rest of the painting seems unfinished or even haphazard in comparison to the care taken to present the flowers in such perfect light, but oh, what beauty. <3 (Sorry, I’m working overnights and my brain is a puddle of mush at this point.)

Tuesday

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The muted colors of this painting really hammer home the truth of the pollution levels of London in the early 20th century. This isn’t just some allegorical reference to global warming: this is the muted palette of an impressionist who thrived on bright, inviting colors. So sit on that and stew on it for a minute or two.