The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met

Richard McCoy
Albertus Magnus College

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Trip Date: 04/28/07
Focus: Circus Sideshow
by Georges-Pierre Seurat

On Saturday 4/28/07 I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art with friends. Luckily, I was able to attend the museum my friend Jess (an artist herself) and her boyfriend Phil. Since Jess was an artist and had visited the Met previously, was able to walk Phil and I around most of the areas while provide her feedback on some of the art on display. One of the areas that I absolutely had to see was the ancient Chinese art area. I have a keen interest in Chinese art and its culture because I have noticed that the culture shows a deep appreciation for rich historic values. Call me a traditionalist but in my opinion it is remarkable to see family and cultural values, beliefs and history withstand the test of time and flourish into future generations.


We began our tour and spent a good portion of the day in the Asian art area. The starting point for Asian art began in a very large room with a beautiful wall painting that almost covered the entire back wall. This elaborate wall painting was created sometime in the 13 century during the Yuan Dynasty (period Genghis Khan would become first Yuan Dynasty emperor).


This painting, created by water based pigment done on clay, is of The Buddha of Medicine. Buddha was seen as a being that has reached enlightenment or nirvana. In this wall painting Buddha is the center of painting with many different people surrounding him. This painting was a true marvel. Reading up on the 911 inspired painting Cycle of Terror by Graydon Perrish, and finding that Perrish's piece took 4 years to create due to its detail and size made me wonder how long an ancient piece of art like this would have taken to complete.


This is a picture of a ancient Chinese board game called Liubo. The statues that surround the board appear to be greatly into their game. Liubo (pronounced Lu-bow) in Chinese means six sticks, was created during the Han Dynasty (207 BC - 220 AD). The exact rules for Liubo can not be determined but have been said to be similar to chess.


A piece of ancient limestone. I would be really interested to understand what it reads. Made during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).





Photos of additional pieces from the Chinese art area.










The pictures below are a replica of a house built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). This area was unbelievable. I couldn't believe how real it felt. I felt like was taken out of where I was in terms of time and location. True beauty.























While walking around the European paintings I walked into a phenomenal painting called The Bathing Pool by Robert Hubert (1733-1808). This painting had such a hidden approach to it which I found soothing. The trees surrounding the body of water gave a feeling of protection to the people using the pool. The ruins in the area look as if this was a place once of great worship and livelihood but has since been forgotten. The trees seem to hide all forms of light and keep others out except for this small group of bathers.



The painting that I chose for my focus was Goerges-Pierre Seurat's Circus Sideshow. Seurat who invented a type of artwork, called pointillism, uses it in Circus Sideshow. Pointillism is a style of painting in which small distinct colors create the impression of a wide selction of secondary colors (www.wikipedia.com). Seurat used a number of dark colors to capture the feeling of night (a first for Seurat while using oils). Before viewing this painting I knew of pointillism but I never knew its correct terminology or that it was a form of artwork. This piece shows a musician playing a tune in attempts to bring in more patrons for the circus show. It was a very nice piece that taught me the meaning of pointillism and some of Seurat's history.

Below are some additional photos from the Met.

At the Lapin Agile - Pablo Picasso



















Visiting the Met made for a very nice trip. I am already scheduling another trip to this museum within the next couple of months to go back.

As I mentioned earlier my friend Jess is an artist. She is an astounding painter and is just as good in photography. Here is a link to some of her artwork. Enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/thruartisticeyes


Until we meet again classmates.

Rich



Resources

Liubo

http://history.chess.free.fr/liubo.htm

Wikipedia - Pointillism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointillism

The Wadsworth Experience

Richard McCoy
Albertus Magnus College

Wadsworth Athenium
Trip Date: 04/20/07
Focus: The Nooning
by Winslow Homer


On Friday, April 20 I visited the Wadsworth Athenium museum in downtown Hartford, CT. It was a great day to take the trip to the Athenium because the weather could not have been better.

From across the street I noticed the magnificent design structure of the museum itself. It looked just like a castle standing there amongst surrounding buildings. I knew immediately, I was in for a nice trip from the looks of the outside itself. The building showed great honor and appeared to be a distinguishable landmark of Hartford. Since 1842 the museum has been a keystone to the city of Hartford and the United States of America as it is the country's oldest public art museum (www.wadsworthathenium.org).

The Athenium gave such a historic feeling inside just as it did from the outside. I think what made the Athenium an extraordinary visit was the fact that it was built for me, well the visitor. The museum’s founder Daniel Wadsworth had a vision that he wanted to share with the general public. He wanted to show everyone the beauty of art. Wadsworth wanted to provide everyone with an opportunity to view art first hand and make lasting impressions.

Upon entry I paid for my admission and walked to the front counter grabbing a floor plan of the current exhibits. I toured the entire museum enjoying everything I came across. From the Wetmore Parlor to the Avery Court Fountain I found my eyes aglow, my mouth open in astonishment and myself happy because of the experience I gained in my state’s history. I walked across the entire museum and took many great photos.

The section of the museum that I enjoyed the most was the Wetmore Parlor. I found myself drawn to this area for quite sometime standing and taking in the atmosphere of the room, trying to relive what it was like growing up in the grandeur that is The Wetmore Parlor. From the creaks of the boards beneath my feet, to the sent of the aged wood in the room, I felt the history of this house and of its history in the city of Middletown.

The pieces that were around the room were exquisite. This tall standing grandfather clock was in such pristine condition for its age which surprised me. I would have never thought a piece over 230 years old would have been in the condition that it was. This time piece according to its description was one of the rarest of its era. It was something that not many families owned due to its high value. It was something the Wetmores included in their home as a tool for entertainment and to provide an upscale look to visitors.

A dresser found in the Wetmore household.

A painting of Ann Jarvis, a friend of Seth and Hannah Wetmore.














My favorite piece from the Athenium was a painting entitled The Nooning by Winslow Homer. The painting is of a small farm boy sitting in a field in front of his home. According to the painting's details it was created to symbolize good nature and bring back a calm to society during hard times brought on by the Civil War. Homer known for his expertise in water color paintings and sheer marvel for creating pieces of the sea, are reasons why he is a legend in American Art.

I really felt the message that Homer was delivering with this painting. He wanted to instill confidence back into the country during times of confusion and pain brought on by internal war. Painting the picture of a child lying comfortably in the field in front of his house in what appears to be the south, provided a positive and hopeful look at life during that rough era.

I enjoyed Homer's piece because I thought it was pure. It was a detailed painting with simple features that symbolized a very deep message. I would like to know how many people were inspired by this painting as much as I was. In a time with war present in the world, artwork like this should be embraced and encouraged. You never know what lives can be changed by viewing art work such as this. I hope Mr. Homer delivered his message well.

















The rest of the museum was fascinating. I had an opportunity to take photos of some really great artwork. Here are some additional photos of pieces I liked. Until next time my fellow classmates.

Richard McCoy























Sources:

Factmonster Website
Winslow Homer Bio
http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/people/A0824048.html


Wadsworth Atheneum Homepage
http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/learn/museum-history.php

Mattatuck Museum - 4/14/07

On 4/14/07 I took a trip (with my grandmother) to visit the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, CT. This museum fit nicely into the center of town and was surrounded by many little shops. Compared to my last two trips in New Haven, parking at the Mattatuck was a dream. There is a parking lot right behind the museum for museum visitors. When entering the museum there were a few hallways that you had to pass by before reaching the main desk. My grandma and I were by greeted by the museum attendant. The museum coordinator was very helpful. He explained there was a 10,000 button museum display on the third floor which I was interested in seeing. Also, the first floor of the museum was an artistic industrial tribute to the city of Waterbury and the surrounding cities in the Naugatuck Valley. I found this museum to very small but that it held a great history. I found the first floor to be the most interesting. This floor itself was a dedication to the industrial life between the years of 1650-1950. Walking around this section of the museum with my grandmother was great. She was able to recall a number of items from the exhibits from her past. I found that the lighting made it very difficult to take pictures but I gave it my best.

The first floor was filled with a number of photographs, pieces of mechanical machinery and furniture that observed the history of Waterbury and the surrounding cities of Connecticut.



Workers from the Tuttle Company taken in 1880.

I found this photo of the Tuttle Workers interesting because it reminded me of stories I heard from my great uncles (Uncle Jack and Uncle Sam below. Taken the day of my museum visit.) during the time they themselves worked in factories. They were factory workers shortly after returning from their period in the army after the Korean War.



These two photos are of houses in heavily populated residential environments. The pictures were taken sometime in the 1960s or 1970s and reminded me of what it was like growing up in the inner city. There is nothing like growing up in the city life. It something that I would never take back. This photograph is great because it shows how life was and how it hasn't changed much in the area (you'll see later).

I loved this photo. A concept of a Micky Mouse clock.


This picture is of what appears to be children's recreational toys from the early 1900s. There is a baseball bat, balls, a sled, roller and ice skates.






Growing up in an Italian family, I have heard some tremendous stories from my family members of Rome, Venice and Florence. I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to travel to Italy yet, but when I do get the chance I am taking it! This painting by John Ferguson Weir was stunning. It showed a sunset filled evening overlooking the grand canal in Venice. This lighting and shading he did in this painting couldn't have been anything less than perfect. I thought that this piece was incredibly well done and took a great amount of talent. When looking at the history of Mr. Weir, I found that he was the first director of the Yale Art School in New Haven, Connecticut and that he designed the Bennet Memorial Fountain in the center of New Haven Green (New Haven History Walk).

Some of the paintings below reminded me of what it was like to grow up in New England.

Snow...

More snow.













Button shots (3rd floor)

This photo is a of a nearby apartment that is visible from the museum parking lot. I saw this after the trip when my Grandmother and I were walking back to the car. I found it very similar to the photograph above of the woman hanging out clothes. It shows that things in history can sometimes stay similar. Which isn't a bad thing at all. :D



While leaving the museum my grandmother and I thanked the attendant and walked down the hall. A second later I saw a smile on my grandma's face as she pointed out of a nearby window at this!
I'm not quite sure what it is. Dinosaur? Man? It was an interesting figure.

I liked this museum. I found it to be quite small, but it had its historic pieces and paid a great tribute to the community and the community's respective artists.

I think this Friday I am going to rearrange the schedule again and go to the Wadsworth Atheneum. I am holding off on my NYC trip until it gets a little warmer. Hopefully next weekend will be really nice. We'll see.

Anyone else do the Brady Bunch shot?

-Rich

Source

New Haven History Walk
http://www.scrcog.org/Trails_files/Trail%20Map-NewHavenHistoricWalk.pdf

Yale Center for British Art

Richard McCoy
Albertus Magnus College

Yale Center for British Art
Trip Date: 4/06/2007
Focus: The Wave
by C.R.W. Nevinson

On 4/6/2007 I made my trip to the Yale Center for British Art. This time I was accompanied by my sister Stephanie. We enjoyed our trip to New Haven and the museum. When first arriving we went to the front desk to check our belongings and hang up our coats on a nearby coat rack. When checking in with the attendant at the front desk I found that only 2 of the 4 floors were available due to renovations and new additions. I have to say, this museum was very nice and it was a nice experience to visit, but I am not much for portraits and there were a lot of portraits. However, I did find a lot of paintings of landscapes and of a few portraits that did catch my eye. Let's begin shall we?


This photo of a beach in Burton Bradstock was breath taking. It was calm, soothing and enjoyable to view. Looking closely there are no signs of life at all. No birds, no people in sight. It appears to be a hidden area that the photographer, Jem Southan, found himself and kept his best kept secret.



This painting entitled Evening Glow by John Atkinson Grimshaw was one of my favorites at the museum. This painting (oil on canvas) showed a roadway covered in autumn leaves. The surrounding trees were bare due to the changing season. The surrounding walls were house stone gates that barricaded the road. I loved this painting because it was so real. You can see in the faint distance more trees and the road's never ending length. My sister provided her own opinion on this piece and mentioned that it reminded her of a scene from the movie the Exorcist. I flash backed for a second and clearly remember the scene at the end of the movie with a house right on the edge of a lengthy road. Although I found the scene from the movie and piece similar in looks I found that this painting gave me a different feeling than that horror movie. This picture shows an established town, a road of many tales and another season that has gone by.

This painting by Joseph Wright, Cottage on Fire at Night, provided a darker look into landscape art. The painting created some time between 1785 and 1793, has such a luminous glow. As mentioned in the picture's description, the fire is the main part of the painting. It is what provides the texture to everything surrounding the cottage and forest. I feel that the fire made the forest still and places it into a trance. The moon seems to be a watch guard as the fire continues to burn throughout the night. The red glow over the entire painting is amazing.



My favorite picture of the day was C.R.W. Nevinson's The Wave. This picture was very simple. What I mean by that is it didn't seem to use too many colors throughout the painting. I liked this picture because it reminded me of the ocean, growing up on the East Coast of the US and having the privilege of being able to see the ocean whenever I want. Although the wave in the painting appears to be crashing down this piece symbolizes tranquility and has a refreshing appeal to it. Another thought that bounced into my head when I first laid eyes on it was the song by REM called Night Swimming. Since the painting appears to be set during nightfall, I found that this song held great significance to the painting. I evened listened to the song when I got home while looking at the painting for inspiration.

My trip to Yale New Haven’s British Art Museum was a fun experience. I enjoyed the small tour I took around and would visit again when more pieces come in. After our visit my sister and I toured the gift shop and I purchased a post card of The Wave. I then headed down the street to Star bucks, to again, fix my chocolate urge. Until next time.

(Geez, I need to shave. =D )

-Rich