Museum Musings: The MET Summer 2022

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

     I had the absolute privilege of making a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City! I had a small list of works I wanted to see, and I will share some highlights now below. Mostly due to its being a rainy Monday morning, the MET was packed, but luckily I am a member (got it for my birthday)! I highly recommend, because we got a discount on our merch and all got in free. 


SECOND FLOOR AMERICAN PAINTING



Young Mother Sewing by Mary Cassatt


    Our journey began on the second floor in the American paintings. I love Mary Cassatt and have studied her work before. Her Zooming In is linked here. I not only love her subject matter, but the way she presents these scenes in such a tender way.


Madame X by John Singer Sargent


    I have already expressed my love for this painting and its story before. Aside from the history behind the painting, John Singer Sargent may be my favorite American artist. Zooming In linked here. From the post: 'This is the portrait of Madame Pierre Gautreau painted by John Singer Sargent. It caused quite the commotion in  19th century Paris. Madame Pierre Gautreau was famed in the Parisian society for her stunning beauty and porcelain- pale skin. The original painting depicted the woman with the strap of her dress falling off of her right shoulder. This was so poorly received by the Salon, where it debuted, that Sargent repainted this part of the portrait. Unfortunately the damage was done, so he moved from the city.'


SECOND FLOOR AMERICAN PAINTING




The Harvesters by Pieter Bruegel the Elder


    Pieter Bruegel the Elder was a Northern Renaissance painter. Much like the rest of his work, The Harvesters depicts a quaint, domestic scenes in immense detail. Bruegel draws the eye to the foreground and through his rows of wheat, but he does not sacrifice detail in the background.


Esther before Ahasuerus by Artemisia Gentileschi


    Artemisia Gentileschi has gotten her share of fame in the last years in the art community. This was my first time seeing her work in person, and I was amazed. I loved the intricate detail and emotion of her work.




Love Letter by Jean Honoré Fragonard 


    I have recently been enjoying the Rococo. Post on the Rococo linked. The MET had a very good collection of Fragonard and Rococo as a whole! I love this painting due to the expression on the figure's face. She is mysterious, but also joyous due to her potential love. 

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TWA Airport-- Eero Saarinen

Saturday, June 25, 2022

 While I realize that I have written about not only Eero Saarinen himself, but also the TWA building, I got the wonderful opportunity to stay there for the second time last night. There are so many reasons why I love this building, but here is the history first. 





    Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect whose designs draw much attention in the architecture community due to his innovation in function and aesthetic. Trans- World Flight Centre was, obviously, originally an airport. Saarinen's design looks to today's travelers very foreign. In a post 9-11 world with much more airport security, this configuration seems impossible (especially considering in 1962, one just walked up to their gate). In the 60's, business and luxury travelers enjoyed Saarinen's highly tailored surroundings due to his innovation of the airport as the experience of flying itself, enhancing what it truly was to travel. Coupled with the addition of furniture of his own design such as the Womb Chair and the Tulip Collection, Saarinen's implementation of his innovation in travel created the ultimate fusion of privacy, luxury, and public experience. 





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AP Art History: Monticello-- #102

Tuesday, June 21, 2022





Monticello: Home of Thomas Jefferson


Bio of the work:

Title: Monticello
Date: 1768-1809
Medium: brick, glass, stone, wood
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Analysis:
    
    Author of the Declaration of Independence, Founder of the University of Virginia, and 3rd President of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson was also the architect of Monticello. Meaning 'little mountain' in Italian, Monticello is located at the top of a picturesque summit in the hills of Virginia. In designing his Virginian home, Jefferson created what is now known as Jeffersonian architecture. Heavily based in the work of Andrea Palladio and his Four Books of Architecture, Jeffersonian architecture is Neo-Palladian and Neo-Classical, meaning it is influenced by the classical architecture of Rome and Greece. This style is also reminiscent of Jefferson's time spent in France, including large domes he incorporated into many buildings (Monticello, UVA's rotunda). During this period in American architecture, Greek Revival was being popularized. 

Sources: the lovely tour of the Monticello I took today!




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AP Art History: The Colosseum--#44

Friday, June 10, 2022

 



The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheatre


Bio of Work:

Title: The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheatre
Date: 80 AD
Medium: Travertine limestone, tuff, brick, concrete
Museum: East Roman Forum, Rome, Italy

Analysis:
     The Colosseum was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian as a public space for the Roman people around 70 AD in hopes to somewhat revitalize Rome. Vespasian's son, Emperor Titus, opened the Colosseum to the public in 80 AD. This structure is extremely complex with numerous entrances based on class and a capacity of 50,000. To celebrate this grand opening, Titus declared 100 days of games at the Colosseum. These 'games' included dramas, infamous gladiator battles, reenacted 'sea' battles, and wild animal hunting. The three levels of the Colosseum all follow a different order. The first one is Tuscan, second Doric, and lastly Corinthian. Seating was also leveled, based on citizenship status. Upper class visitors would sit furthest down, mean the further away from the action, the lower the status. 



Sources: 
     https://www.thecolosseum.org/architecture/
     https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/colosseum

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