Ariana Williams' Paper #3

 Wadsworth Atheneum

We ventured up to my hometown of Hartford this Friday June 17th. It has been years since I visited the Wadsworth, so I was looking forward to the changes and to see what's new. We left the kids with my parents for this visit, and decided with this visit to treat it like a date. It was beautiful day, and during our visit a surprise rain storm came by, which we didn't mind cause it gave us an excuse to stay inside the museum longer. The staff at the visitor's desk were helpful and recommended we start at the top floor and work our way down and around. 

The Wadsworth Atheneum located in Hartford, CT opened in 1844 and is the oldest operated public museum in America. It also holds the title of the largest art museum in Connecticut. The building itself was constructed on the land owned by the Wadsworth family and was founded by Daniel Wadsworth. Interestingly, Daniel married Faith Trumbull, niece of John Trumbull founder of the Yale Art Gallery. The original intent of the museum was to a place of significant cultural, artistic, and scientific value to the community; which continues to this day with their engagement in the area and establishing the Amistad Center for Art and Culture. While their website says they focus on 19th and 20th century American art, you can find a diverse collection of artifacts and art from all over the world.  

During his youth, Daniel embarked on his “Grand Tour” with his father to Europe, where he visited and observed the European architecture and arts (Wikipedia). The first building was designed like a castle, presumably inspired by Daniel’s visits to Europe with his father. Described on its website, since its creation, the museum has undergone extensive renovations, including adding 16,000 square feet (about half the area of a large mansion) worth of gallery space for its exhibitions.  

   

Pereat (Let him Perish). Orazio Andreoni. 1892. European Art Sculpture. Marble, sandstone, bronze.

Dimensions: 78 in. Height             

There were many amazing sculptures on display like this one. The expressions on the women's faces were very detailed, and you can see the disdain. It tells a story, in Roman times when gladiators lose their fight the crowd would judge if they should execute the loser or not. Most often the crowd will vote no. To have the sword and helmet at the feet of the women is symbolic of the crowds judgement, and the gladiators are at the mercy of the crowds. The women are sculptured beautifully, and are very realistic looking. 

Fresco Painting. Ming Dynasty. C. 15th or 16th Century. Northern China. Fresco.
Dimensions:
61 1/2 x 41 1/2 in. (156.2 x 105.4 cm)

Tile from a tomb. Han Dynasty. C. 1st century BCE. China. Grey earthenware and pigments.

Below: The Italian Straw Hat. Peter Blume. 1952. American. Oil on paper board. Surrealism. 

Dimensions:

22 1/4 x 30 3/8 in. (56.6 x 77.2 cm)

 

When reading the information description, it details that Blume is an artist from Sherman, CT. This painting is his bedroom studio and the objects themselves represent parts of him. Even though there are views of the surrounding town, in reality they were not that close to his home. The mobile hanging from the ceiling is actually a work of art from his friend Alexander Calder. It is a work of art within a work of art!

The variety at the Wadsworth was great! I did not get a chance to take a picture of it, but their was an exhibit in which you can walk into a parlor from constructed and designed from the 1700s. I think it is a great idea to have art that is immersive and from a historical perspective to gain insight into life in those times. My favorite work of art is below:

                                       

Louis XVI Saying Farewell to his Family. Mather Brown. 1793. Oil on canvas. American. 

Dimensions:

86 x 111 in. (218.5 x 282 cm)

The painting portrays the French royal family at the moment when the king is taken away from his family, and will later be executed. It is filled with many emotions, sadness, dismay, and anger. Their is light coming in from the windows shining upon the king's face. The soldiers to the left of the painting are angry and you can see contempt for the royal family. The queen, Marie Antoinette, has her arms and face lifted up towards the sky, in disbelief and in prayer. The Fleur-de-lis featured prominently behind the family traditionally represents purity and chastity in Christianity, and also the French Royal Family. There is a lot of historical context in the painting. 

Art critic Blake Gopnik had an interesting point of view on the details of the king's sitting position and the way his paints are painted give an impression of femininity of the king and the French royal family. Gopnik states, " For all the sympathy the painting clearly shows toward its beleaguered royals, I wonder if those folds don’t betray a touch of criticism." After reading another person's criticism of the work, It makes me look at the painting in a different light. At first I thought it was to be sympathetic towards to the family, but instead it can also be observed as a political criticism of the King and their handling of the French Revolution. When viewed, you can feel the tug and pull of masculine and feminine energy painted in between the family and the soldiers. 

Mather Brown (1761-1831), was an American artist educated partially by his aunts, avid British loyalists. He would learn to draw at a young age, and would go to Europe under the tutelage of painter Benjamin West. He was the first American to attend the Royal Academy and would later paint members of the royal family, John and Abigail Adams, and the earliest portrait of Thomas Jefferson. Brown was also known for painting historical paintings, in addition to his portraits. In 1793 when the painting was created, the American Revolution and French Revolution were causing waves of unrest and rebellion throughout Europe. Being raised by British loyalists, would lead me to believe that he did have feelings of criticism towards the French Revolution and might have viewed them as a weak monarchy. Unfortunately, towards the end of his life, Brown was in poverty as he had fell un-popular as an artist. 

As mentioned earlier, he painted prominent Americans, such as the Adams family and Thomas Jefferson. Featured below is a copy of the painting of Jefferson available online. Painted in 1786, it is the predecessor to Louis XVI Saying Farewell to his Family. It currently hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Again, Brown's use of symbolism is evident as standing behind Jefferson is the goddess Liberty. 

          

The Wadsworth Atheneum was filled with many amazing pieces. I appreciate the staff here, as they were welcoming and approaching us with their knowledge ready to share. It is also fun to see the connections between museums and their founding. Connecticut has an interesting history and contributions to history and culture, and to see that featured in the Wadsworth and Yale Art Gallery is great! I'm learning in this class that their are many different interpretations to art and the symbolism. I'm also enjoying viewing art viewed through the historical perspective, in particular American history.  

Citations:

https://www.thewadsworth.org/about/

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/wadsworth-atheneum-mather-brown-gives-louis-xvi-cameltoe-415244

https://www.sartle.com/artist/mather-brown

https://www.sartle.com/artwork/thomas-jefferson-mather-brown