Tuesday: National Portrait Gallery
First, I stopped in at this Folk Art Exhibit downstairs...
On the wall were these quotes:
"Well, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not here to live a normal life. I'm sent here on a mission...I came here as a man of visions..." -Howard Finster, 1984
and "Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier." - Charles F. Kettering
...reminds me a bit of Star Trek, but I like it :)
Anyway - to the Folk Art!
Dinosaur rug/wall hanging? Um, yes!
Flying spotted dog? OK!
Wolf sitting on top of turtle? Why not? (ok, so actually really liked this...)
Bottle Cap Giraffe? They read my mind!
Tin foil/cardboard...eh...I think it was a scale model of something? The detail was incredible, whatever it was!
I found these photos of Woodstock residents who joined the Air Force in WWII, and just loved their faces...and the photography and whatnot.
Ok, THIS --- this is my first Andrew Wyeth. Son of N.C. Wyeth the student of Howard Pyle...His style is definitely different from his fathers, but there's something ethereal and other-worldly about it - even if it is about a man stealing someone else's catch...
Night Hauling, 1944
After exiting the folk art exhibit, I found George Catlin (I know this for certain because directly following my notes from the Folk exhibit in my sketchbook, I wrote "I saw George Catlin!...LOTS!"
George Catlin was a Great American. Seriously. As people began leaving the comfort of the east coast (although, having been there, they were probably running from the horrid weather...) and take up land into the west, Catlin, had a strong impression that he should go out into the west and document the lives of the Native American tribes.
He did so, and because of him we have artifacts, paintings, clothing, etc from peoples who went extinct shortly after. Inspiration --Pay attention to it. Anyway, his portraits of different Native Americans were EVERYWHERE...Thank you George!
After I got through all the Catlin stuff, I was faced with this:
Water Carriers, Venice, 1884, Frank Duveneck
I don't really know why, but I liked it a whole lot!
I thought this little bronze had the most fantastic, fluid gesture (probably because the dude is dancing...)
Bohemian Bear Tanner, Paul Wayland Bartlett
[apologies for the bum...On the other hand - look at the sculpting on those thighs and calves!]
I had a picture for this next one, but the lighting made it a little glare-y, so here's a detail pic from les internets (oh, how I adore thee!)
The Lord is my Shepherd, 1863, Eastman Johnson
I liked this one because it's very quiet and contemplative, like many of his genre scenes. I thought mom might like this guy, so if you want to know a bit more about him and see more of his work, follow this link.
My third Sargent, I believe. All gorgeous. Love the man.
Elizabeth Winthrop Chandler, 1893, John Singer Sargent
Now, I'm shallow enough to pass by a beautifully done landscape without much more than a critical glance, but this one stopped me...I think it's the contrast...
Moonlight, Indian Encampment, 1885-89, Ralph Albert Blakelock
This next guy - I could not get enough of his work! Abbott Handerson Thayer...Marry me.
A Virgin
I think that's the most exquisite girl's profile I've ever seen. Looking at his work was entrancing.
BUT - onto more exiting, less angel-y type things, such as... OMYGOSH, my FIRST Frederick Remingtons!!!!
The Bronco Buster
Now, lots of times I fall head over heels with these artists, because not only are they extremely talented and such, but they're wonderful people. Well, Frederick Remington was a little bit of a poo. Like me, he wanted to conquer EVERYTHING that there was to conquer in the art world. UNLIKE ME, he actually went out and did it...and he liked the west (which I have nothing against...it just doesn't speak to my soul)
Anyway, in his ever-present quest to conquer everything that there was to conquer, he spent a TON of time dealing with light - especially at night. Moonlit nights, the lighting of a campfire, anything you can think of, this guy tackled (and OWNED)
Fired On
I turned the corner out of some weird sculptural things and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this...just there, unobtrusively, people walking right on by without realizing that NORMAN ROCKWELL TOUCHED THAT CANVAS.
Homecoming, 1924
Combine the fact that it was my 2nd Norman Rockwell of all time with the subject matter of an individual being reunited with their dog...
I was like Wild Waves...but just the water part, not the rest of it.
Then...moving on, I found this massive horse made of driftwood.
...And I was all, "I want that..."
After escaping a lot of weird modern art (I just don't understand!) I found an exhibit of famous portraits...
Katherine Hepburn...
By Everett Raymond Kistler
And then, AND THEN --- The artist of the famous Uncle Sam we all know and love, the one and only...
James Montgomery Flagg.
I pulled out the camera's panoramic setting for this puppy.
(I'm not actually a fan of boxing...but I am a Flagg fan - Remember the famous Uncle Sam portrait? Flagg. Fantastic, fantastic artist!)
Anyway, that concludes our tour of the National Portrait Gallery. Eventually I'll move on to Wednesday, wherein I return to the National Gallery of Art and have some funny chats with a couple very interesting guards... :)
But first! Funny story - I entered the NPG sometime between 11 am and noon. Between 5 and 6 pm, I left, and the guard who had checked my belongings when I came in said indignantly, "You're still here?!"
...How could I leave?
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