Art Soothes the Soul

Gilbert Stuart's famous portrait of George Washington from 1821My favorite museum of all of the Smithsonians is the National Museum of American History - you know, the one that has Julia Child's kitchen and Mr. Rodger's sweater... Sadly, this museum was closed for renovations during my time in Washington D.C., and isn't due to open again until next year! So, when I met up with some friends to do a little museum-perusal on Saturday afternoon we decided to visit the National Gallery of Art. 

One of the best things about having to travel is the many chances it affords you to see lots of great art in the different cities of the world. I'd never been to the National Gallery of Art before, and had I known all the treasures inside that were waiting for me I surely would have made the trip sooner. It's true, I vaguely remember the museum being cited at the bottom of the many many slides I studied in my art history classes in college, but, like a $5.00 bill forgotten in the pocket of a winter coat, I had no idea what was there! Actually, truth be told it was more like finding a $100.00 bill...or maybe more.

Art makes me happy. It's my first love. It makes my heart pound and it stirs my soul. Images that are familiar, iconic even are still surprising and magical despite their cultural saturation. Am I the only one who feels this way? I don't think so. Every time I hear discussion about funding cutbacks on art programs, museum philanthropy, art patrons, etc, I do get worried. But then I go to a museum and see people utterly captivated by images - images that have captivated people for generations and are still just as powerful. It makes me a believer again and again.

Here are some of my favorites from the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.:

 

I love the work of Vigee-LeBrun! Every one of her paintings is entirely of its era, yet the hand of the artist is so evident - the style is so distinct. I love that Vigee-LeBrun was a woman making a living as an artist in a time when most women couldn't make a living doing anything. I love that because she was a woman she was able to capture her subjects in relaxed, happy poses; one would call them "domestic" scenes but honestly, how domestic was the court of Louis XVI?

The Marquise de Pezay and the Marquise de Rouge with her two Sons - Elisabeth Louise Vigee-LeBrun, 1787

The work of John Singer Sargeant is never entirely at ease. His portraits challenge, confront, and even disturb - there's always something just slightly off...chilling even. At a minimum they're uncomfortable in a way. This portrait is no exception.

Eleanora O'Donnell Iselin - John Singer Sargeant, 1888

The word "battleaxe" wouldn't be inappropriate to describe this face - Mrs. Iselin is downright scary. Her dress has a stranglehold, while her little finger creates a nervous arch on the tabletop. Yet Sargeant offers his sumptuous treatment of materials a-plenty. The fabrics read as silk and velvet - not easy with black on black. And the face is so real that I was convinced Mrs. Iselin was going to come down off of the wall and scold me for looking at her for too long! 

Another neighbor of Mrs. Iselin was just as real - so much so that I had to get in close and take a long look at her jewelry to see the cut of the stones.

I have always loved the work of Ingres - he is one of those artists that students of art can learn from the most. Ingres painted Madame Moitessier more than a few times, but this painting is incredible and certainly one of my favorites for the day. It's hung high on the wall so the hands are at just about eye-level, allowing you to really take a long look at those detailed areas that most viewers would be inclined to overlook.

Getting in close you can see that Madame Moitessier stacked two rings together on her left hand - a European style that continues to this day. Are they her wedding rings? Family heirlooms? And what about the gold bracelets? The one shaped into a thick gold knot would be just as chic today as it was then. One can even feel the weight of the thin chain draped over both of them... Even the roses in her hair are crisp, fresh, and direct from the hot house!

Madame Moitessier's jewelryThere is a book I've been wanting to get for some time: Ingres in Fashion - and after seeing this painting in person I really think I need to indulge in the book.

Madame Moitessier - Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1851 

I've never been a huge fan of Impressionism - it sort of feels like it's art for people who know nothing about art. Sorry to be an academic snob, but there it is. Yet, seeing Impressionist work in person is still an awe-inspiring experience. Probably because the images are such a part of our cultural vernacular - after all, is there any Monet that isn't on a mousepad somewhere? Because of this, seeing the authentic version makes one do double-takes, re-assess, and comprehend why the great art is truly great: it's what you come back to again and again.

Woman with an Umbrella - Madame Monet and Son - (Originally known as La Promenade) Claude Monet, 1875

 

The Japanese Footbridge - Claude Monet, 1899

 

The Railway - Edouard Manet, 1872-1873

Manet is one of my favorite artists - the images seem so simple, yet have so many layers of meaning they become complex commentaries on the culture and society. This may look like a girl with her nanny, but it's truly an image of the modern Paris of Baron Haussman, as well as the class structures that reigned at the time.

 

Four Dancers - Edgar Degas, 1899 

Now here is where Impressionism starts to get interesting - it's still aesthetically pleasing, graceful and colorful, but it's beginning to melt into a more modern structure. The image is flattening as the figures begin to become a part of the scenery they hide behind.

 

Still Life with Roses - Vincent Van Gogh, 1890

Van Gogh is always a bit of a surprise. There are the usual works that everyone knows - the mind-bending, tormented renditions of a troubled soul. Yet he was so prolific that one may always discover another gem that changes your entire understanding of him. I had never seen this painting before and I was immediately entranced. Yes, it's still there, the confusion, hurt, and even anger, but in this work it comes through in the sharp-edged leaves that look a bit like fangs. In the meantime the flowers are soft, wispy, romantic, and lush. It's soothing - you want to touch it, but those leaves will definitely keep you away. I was also struck by the background color: it's the color of absinthe. It's a color Van Gogh used quite a lot, and in this case it works with the foliage while it also gives it's usual queasy, headache-y feeling.

This work is rich with riddles and I love it...!

 

Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) - Jackson Pollock, 1950 

Across the street from the original National Gallery is the Modern & Contemporary wing, which is where I finally got to see Jackson Pollock's work that is commonly known as Lavender Mist. This is a "high drip period" work by Pollock - and they seem to be difficult to find. There's a few at the Met, but none in San Francisco (but we do have the seminal Guardians of the Secret which is amazing!) I always get excited to see one of the mature drip-painting works - all of the brush strokes that are still apparent, even the little bits of cigarette ash are still visible if you look hard enough. Standing in front of pieces like this make you understand just how much Pollock must have been inside his own paintings.

Any day when I can see a Jackson Pollock, an entire wall full of Mark Rothko, and an entire room full of Alexander Calder mobiles is a banner day. I have to say that the Calder room at the NGA is remarkable - a large, airy, round room that is lit to cast layers of shadows across the walls - perfect for dainty, modern mobiles! From Neoclassical to Contemporary (and that's barely a quarter of what's there!) the National Gallery of Art does not fail to deliver incredible art.

Yes, there are still treasures to be found in Washinton D.C.! As I arrived at the airport in the early morning of Sunday, I got the perfect view of the Dulles airport terminal designed by Eero Saarinen. Dawn was breaking, the columns were still lit from below, and I could see the perfect cantilevered swoop of the roof supported by even sculpted columns. I love that where other cities build and build and build upon their old airport terminals, this one is virtually untouched in its same perfect mid-century modern form from 1962.

It was a quiet moment as my town car pulled to the curb when I realized that art is not dead in America - after all, it seems to be everywhere in our capitol! Now that is indeed a happy thought.

Comments

[Kamela Cody]

From the title of this post to the last sentence, I loved this post! It was great to see a few of your favorite paintings found in D.C. I feel like I've just had a mini trip to the museum! Cheers-Kamela