C.M.B Day Spa

The Yale Art Gallery

2009-03-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

Couldn’t resist another trip down town! I had some business to take care in New Haven today so while I was in the area I stopped by the Yale Art Gallery on Chapel Street. The gallery is located directly across the street from the British Art Gallery. When I began this journey at the British Art Gallery, I didn’t have enough time to visit both museums on the same day.

The Yale Art Gallery is recognized all around the world and contains renaissance art, ancient and medieval, African art, Asian Art, American art, Contemporary and much more. This building was also designed by Louis I Kahn and you can see the similarities between the two galleries. They are made from the same materials which are mirrored glass and steel, and the interior has that same earthy feel.

There are four floors with a tubular stair case in the middle and elevators if needed. I was not allowed to take pictures on four floors and other areas of the gallery. I kept asking the curators to make sure, I was told that not all the art on display is owned by Yale and therefore may not be photographed. There was no admission for this gallery but a helpful hint…turn off your cell phone the you are not allow to use them past the reception area.

The first buildings for Yale were erected in 1718. The buildings had become badly deteriorated and were knocked down in 1750 and what some remember as The Old Campus was built. Old Brick Row, as artist and designer John Trumble and many others named the first ever planned college campus was constructed. The Yale Art Gallery was founded in 1832 by Trumble and stood on the old campus from 1832-1901.

Currently on view on the fourth floor of the gallery is Picasso and the Allure of Language. There was also the Tea Culture of Japan: Chanoyu Past and Present on view January 20–April 26, 2009 on the first floor.

Monet Women in a garden Oil on Canvas 1867
(not in Yale Art Gallery)

An artist I was excited to see was Claude Monet. Like Van Gogh, Monet made use of lighting to add dimension to his paintings. Born in Paris in 1840, his father wanted him to work in the family grocery store but Monet wanted to be an artist. From the start of his painting career, Monet has created many paintings of Camille, who would later become his wife. Monet’s style of painting changed the way impressionistic styles of painting were created. The addition of light gave the painting depth and the feel that it was real. A popular painting from this artist is water lilies which is not in this gallery.

Waterlilies to the right not in Yale Art Gallery.
It appears in his painting of Camille on the beach, the light is coming from the upper right hand corner giving the impression the sunlight is hitting the left side of her body . You will notice Camille’s leg is crossed over the other and lighter colors have been used to show the sunlight hitting her knee. Darker tones have been used for the sand behind her and lower portions of her dress putting the sun to her left.

I was wondering how this trip would go conisidering I was on my own this time, but I ended up knowing one of the curators and was able to spend time with a friend and learn about the art in the gallery. I recommended stopping by the Yale Art Gallery, there are many beautiful things to see and there are always new exhibits showcased!

For more information follow the links below...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/misc/bio.html
http://www.yale.edu/museums/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_University_Art_Gallery

The Wadsworth Antheneum

2009-03-06T14:19:00.001-08:00

Sunday March 1, 2009
I woke up today to find that some family members had other things going on and so this Sunday dinner would be a quiet one. Since the museum didn’t open until later in the day, I decided to spend some time with my family and then I picked up my friend Anthony and we visited The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

The museum is located in the capitol area of Hartford Connecticut and once again was very easy to get to! Take I91 N all the way to exit 28A. It’s a quick right off the exit and you will see the back of the museum ahead of you. It was cold today and it did snow a tiny bit but I’m glad that we went. There was a small admission for this museum; $10.00 for adults, students $5.00, and children always free.

The Wadsworth is three floors of colorful rooms and hallways to venture down. Each room contains a different theme and genera of art, from medieval, to biblical depictions to paintings of George Washington. The Wadsworth really is a great museum to visit! This museum contains early furniture making and tapestries along with different cultural arts such as Russians ballet costumes.

You will also see a wide range of paintings from different time periods with names you will recognize such as Salvador Dali ,Pablo Picasso and James M. W. Wright, whose paintings are on a previous blog of mine on the Yale British Art Gallery. Other artist in the museum are Jackson Pollock, Robert Matta and Dutch painter Aelbert Cuyp.

Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a BeachArtist: Salvador Dalí(Spanish, 1904-1989)

Picasso Picasso

A paintng I noticed was by Chilean artist and sculptor, Robert Matta, 1911-2002. Matta was originally an architect before he began painting. Matta was a surrealist and is a major contributor to the abstract expressionism movement. Matta practiced "automatism", painting as fast as possible, to reveal the subconscious. He describes his paintings as ,''the subconscious in its burning, liquid state; a conscious. Daytime substitution of the phenomenon of dreams.''(1) He liked to be as spontaneous as possible un like other paintings styles that have thought behind it. Matta has influenced painters such as Jackson Pollock, Rothko, William Baziotes, Robert Motherwell and Arshile Gorky.

His paintings were a start to another form of painting and is a unique style. Very different from the more traditional paintings we are used to. If you take your first right up the adjacent hallway you will see Jackson Pollock, a surrealist and abstract expressionistic American painter from Rhode Island.

Daniel Wadsworth (1771-1848), founder,also started the Connecticut Historical Society and the Young Men’s Institute which is now the Hartford Public Library. The Antheneum is America’s oldest public art museum. It has been in existence since 1842 and has art within donated by J.P. Morgan and Elizabeth Colt, wife of Samuel Colt. Daniel

The Wadsworth was also the first American museum to acquire works by Salvador Dali, Frederic Church and others. It was in 1927 under Director a Everett Austin Jr. that the allowed the museum to evolve and in 1931 the it held the first Surrealism exhibition in America allowing for surealist and abstact styles of painting to further advance in the states.

Jackson Pollock

Robert Matta practicing automatism

Unite by Robert Matta

Oliver and Abigail Wolcott Ellsworth

To learn more about this topic you can follow the links below!

(1)Http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D06E1D81139F936A15752C1A9649C8B63
http://www.matta-art.com/
http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/learn/museum-history.php
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-Matta.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock

The Wadsworth Antheneum 3/1/09

2009-03-05T13:42:00.001-08:00

Griswold Extendend Paper

2009-02-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

Visiting The Florence Griswold Museum opened up a door to another world to me. I have lived n Connecticut most of life but never knew much about the history of our state until now. The more I began researching the Griswold name, I gained insight on how Connecticut settled into itself and grew to be what we know today. I also learned the import contributions of the Griswold home, Lyme and now Old Lyme had in shaping the art community within Connecticut, New York and even Boston.

The Griswold family came to America from England in 1639. The family consisted of wealthy politicians and land owners that had begun establishing themselves as lawyers as well as politicians throughout Lyme, Wolcott, Hartford and other areas of Connecticut. It all began when Mathew Griswold son of John Griswold a successful politician and friend of George Fenwick of Say Brook, was asked to hold a political office in Connecticut. In doing so he was given a large chunk of land in Lyme along the Lieutenant River as well as land along the Connecticut River. Other relatives such as Florence’s grandfather, was a US Congressman and Connecticut Supreme court judge.

The Griswold house was built in 1817 by architect Samuel Belcher from Hartford Connecticut and still contains most of the original furniture along with dish ware used while dining. During hard times some of the homes furniture was sold off to pay the mortgage. Unfortunately, Florence was born into the poor side of the Griswold Family. The Old Lyme Art Colony later sought out the furniture and purchased it back.

The house was originally built for Robert and Helen Griswold, Florence’s parents. Robert made a living as a transatlantic packing boat captain and did so until he was 49. He then retired and opened an ox-and-horseshoe factory in Old Lyme. The business was not successful and the family fell into massive debt. Upon the death of her father Florence’s mother Helen decided to open a boarding school for girls in an effort not to lose their home. Florence and her sisters also made attempts to sell flowers from their gardens but that too was unsuccessful. At this time women had certain expectancies and running a household financially and working was considered out of place for a women.

The picture to the right is the original ad place for the Griswold Boarding School for girl.

The strain to maintain the home was becoming great and a close friend of the family, artist Henry Ward Ranger, approached Florence with the idea of a boarding house for artists. The location was perfect and he promised to bring all of his friends with him. The idea was to create a Barbizon-oriented art colony. by the 1900’s they succeeded in creating The Old Lyme Art Colony now the Lyme Art Association influenced by the arrival of impressionistic artist Childe Hassam.

The Griswold home became the most influential factor in the impressionistic art movement in New England. Many artists such as Frank Vincent DuMond (1865-1951),William Chadwick (1879-1962), and Willard Metcalf (1858-1925), traveled here to paint Connecticut’s shoreline and its surroundings such as apple orchards, marshes, the wilderness and local farms. Florence would then sell the paintings and drawings to cover the costs in up keeping the house. Old Lyme had become an escape from the busy cities that were growing from American industrialism. Artists had already been visiting Monhegan Island in Maine many years earlier but came in greater numbers after the opening of the Griswold boarding house.

Located in the center of town, the Griswold home resides on eleven (11) acres of land and borders The Lieutenant River. The Lieutenant River is the longest running river in Connecticut which eventually dumps into the Connecticut River. This area of the grounds was popular amongst the artist staying at the boarding house. Many landscapes of the Lieutenant River have been painted some showing those staying at the house on boats owned by Florence Griswold.
The entire 11 acres became the back drop for many artists paintings. Florence kept fruit trees for making pies and preserves along with flower many flower gardens. You will see the original barns which still contain everything needed to maintain these gardens in the spring and summer. The staff has also kept the same type of fruit trees and flowers Florence would have planted.

A particular detail to look for in the home is the painted door panels on the first floor. Artists were encouraged to paint the door and wall panels throughout the home. They were always looking for a challenges and ways to entertain themselves.

An Artist who caught my attention was Thomas W. Nason. I noticed what I thought was a drawing but in fact was a print. Thomas W. Nason (1889-1971) from Lyme Connecticut was not the most popular artists for his time but is known for his wood carvings and prints. He became internationally recognized by The National Academy of design for his burin techniques. (A burin is a tool used for wood carvings.) He later worked with metals such as copper.

Below you will see some of Nason's Prints.

What amazed me most about Nason’s prints was the amount of detail each one had and yet some of his prints were very small. He created each picture by my making carved plates and pressing the imagine onto paper. Some landscapes were created by pressing the same piece of paper up to 700 hundred times. The amount of detail to his prints has a three dimensional feeling giving you a sense of his surroundings. Each landscape is also a door way back in time showing us how people lived and what New England was like, especially the Lyme area, to live in; from the houses, farms and horse drawn carriages.

He did not receive any formal training, instead he taught himself with books from the Boston Public Library. He also learned from his experiences with retail print from The Goodspeed’s Bookshop as well as other print distributors. Nason also taught him self how to perform engraving. By 1923 he presented his first work of art for sale at the Goodspeed Bookshop and by the early 1930, people started to recognize Nasons prints and they began to sell.

With his new found motivation and the death of his current employer, Nason decided to leave the business world and take up the profession of a print maker, creating prints for writers such as Robert Frost. This is when Nason really took an interest in plate making and built his own press. Thomas Nason also took up painting but that was not until later in his life. He lived the rest of his day and Lyme and past away in 1971. I feel that it may have been a slow start for Nason in the begin but in the end he proved his ability to create art.

If you are interested in learning more about the Griswold Musuem and The Old Lyme Art Association you may follow any of the links below.

http://www.cslib.org/gov/griswoldm.htm
http://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/learning/insitu/html/essays/essay_colony.php
http://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/learning/insitu/html/essays/essay_florence.php
http://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/learning/insitu/html/essays/essay_impress.php
http://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/learning/insitu/html/essays/essay_identity.php
http://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/learning/insitu/html/essays/essay_boarding.php

The Florence Griswold Museum

2009-02-11T07:48:00.001-08:00

Do to the snow last Tuesday I had to make some adjustments in my schedule for museum field trips. I instead went this past Sunday February 8th to The Florence Griswold Museum. Sunday is a unique day of the week for my family. Everyone gets together, my aunt, uncle, cousins and nieces. We have a dinner that starts at 12:30 and it doesn’t end until 5 o’clock. However, this Sunday was different. My little cousins Kayley and Olivia, who are 10 and 7 came along with me to visit The Griswold Museum in Old Lyme.

It was a beautiful day to visit the museum, so on our way there we took the opportunity to drive along the shore line. To get to the Griswold house take a left off exit 70 from I95N and then your very first right. Located in the center of town, the Griswold home resides on eleven (11) acres of land and borders The Lieutenant River. The Lieutenant River is the longest running river in Connecticut which eventually dumps into the Connecticut River. This area of the grounds were popular amongst the artists staying at the boarding house. Many landscapes of the Lieutenant River have been painted, some showing guests staying at the house on boats owned by Florence Griswold.

There are two buildings to tour, start at the bottom of the hill. This is where you pay a small admission, students $7.00 and kids under 12 are free!! We were not allowed to take any pictures in either parts of the museum. Upon enter the gallery I was excited to see the kids interested in what everything was and how it come to be here at the museum.

One particular artist that caught both Kayley and my attention was Thomas W. Nason. We noticed what we thought were drawings but in fact were prints. Thomas W. Nason from Lyme Connecticut was known for his wood carvings and prints. He later worked with metals such as copper. What amazed us most about Nason’s prints was the amount of detail each one had and yet some of his prints were very small. He created plates and pressed the imagine on paper. Some landscapes were created by pressing the same piece of paper up to 700 hundred times. There were also wood carvings encased in class. Some of the carvings were inked or stained to give it color, making the picture carved stand out against the wood block. The gallery also has the tools used for creating Nason’s projects.

Once we made our way through the gallery, we walked up the hill to tour the Griswold home. It was windy but the kids toughed it out and walk along some of the shoveled walk ways so I could take pictures. We passed by the original barns which still contain everything needed to maintain the gardens in the spring and summer. The staff has kept the same type of fruit trees and flowers Florence would have planted.

Upon enter the Griswold home, the curator gave Kayley and Olivia a book filled with pictures of art to look for while touring the home. We were then on a mission to find all the art in their books but before we did the curator talked to us about the history of the home.

The Griswold house was built in 1817 by architect Samuel Belcher from Hartford Connecticut and still contains most of the original furniture along with dish ware used during dining. The home was built for Florence’s parents, Robert and Helen Griswold. Florence’s father sailed the Atlantic and earned a living doing this until he was 49. He then retired and opened an ox-and-horseshoe factory in Old Lyme. The business was not successful and the family fell into massive debt. Upon the death of her father Florence’s mother Helen decided to open a boarding school for girls in an effort not to lose their home. Florence and her sisters also made attempts to sell flowers from their gardens but that too was unsuccessful. At this time women had certain expectancies and running a household financial and working was considered out of place for a women.

The strain to maintain the home was becoming great and a close friend of the family, artist Henry Ward Ranger, approached Florence with the idea of a boarding house for artists. The location was perfect and he promised to bring all of his friends with him. The idea was to create a Barbizon-oriented art colony. by the 1900’s they succeeded in creating The Old Lyme Art Colony influence by the arrival of impressionistic artist Childe Hassam.

The Griswold home became the most influential factor in the impressionistic art movement in New England. Many artists traveled here and paint Connecticut’s shoreline and its surroundings such as apple orchards, marshes, the wilderness and local farms. Florence would then sell the paintings and drawings. Old Lyme had become an escape from the busy cities that were growing from American industrialism.

You really step back in time when you walk into this house. By the coach is the original phone from the 1900’s sitting on an end table. The walls in main hallway are covered with linen as a wall paper and the ceilings are made of plaster with decorative designs. There were some changes made along the way. The house was not built with lighting and indoor plumbing so the Griswold sisters refinanced their home to make the changes. A particular detail to look for when touring the Griswold house is the painted door and wall panels through out the first floor. A good majority of these panels are in the dining room. You may tour the first and second floor of the home, the third floor is closed to the public.

Just as we were about to leave, the curator invited us back in April. The Art Association offers free painting classes on a Sunday starting in April. All are welcome! Easels are set up along the Lieutenant River and you can paint landscapes just as many artists did when they were boarding at the home.

Alphonse Jongers (1872-1945)The Harpist, 1903Oil on canvasGift of the Lyme Art Association

Henry Rankin Poore (1859-1940) Beagle Hound Oil on artist board Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Shippee

Jules Turcas (1854-1917)Potato HarvestOil on wood panelGift of Mrs. Dorothy Tarrant in Memory of Her Husband

Robert H. Nisbet (1879-1961)Bow Bridge, 1903Oil on canvasGift of Mr. and Mrs. George Page Ely

Charles P. Gruppe (1860-1940)The Griswold House at Old Lyme Oil on canvas board

Samuel Walters (1811-1882)The Northumberland, 1847Oil on canvasGift in Honor of the Centennial; Donated by Mr. William E.S. Griswold, Jr.

Frank Vincent DuMond (1865-1951)Top of the Hill, c. 1906Oil on academy board

The Hot Air Club—artists and wives on the side porch, 1905

Yale British Art Galary...

2009-01-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

I started the day off like any other day. I ate my breakfast, bundled up and I was off. Today I traveled to down town New Haven and visited the Yale British Art Gallery or should I say I tried to visit the gallery, unfortunately the museum is closed on Monday's. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, so this is a two part day trip LOL!

The Yale campus was very easy to get to. You can take I95S and get off the 1st downtown exit, or go down State St. and make a right onto Chapel. The museum itself is located on 1080 Chapel Street. There is plenty of parking on Chapel if you visit the museum on a Tuesday. A good side street to park on is High Street near the Starbucks.

I actual got the same space as yesterday. Too funny.....FYI, you will need change for the meters!!! The British Art Gallery is free admission to the public so other than the things you buy, I didn't really need tons of money to enjoy the day. This trip only cost me $10.00 and I had a lot of fun!

For directions and museum hours you may follow this link: http://ycba.yale.edu/information/index.html

There is also plenty of boutiques and specialty shops in this area of New Haven. Not to mention more than a few places to stop for lunch. I recommend the South West Turkey Club at Atticus. It is conveniently located next door to the museum, so you don't have to go far. Atticus has good food and snacks reasonably priced. You actually get a lot of food! There are books available if you like to read; I recommend going to Atticus if you have never been there before.

As I entered the museum, I was greeted by friendly faces. It was nice to see people excited and willing to discuss the history of the building and the art within it. After I was given some helpful tips, like no food or drinks are allowed inside and "no flash" when taking pictures, I decided to pick up information on the gallery itself before making my way around to see the exhibits.

The Yale British Art Museum was founded by Paul Mellon in 1966, a Yale graduate, class of 1929. Purchasing his first British painting in 1936 by J.M.W. Turner, Mellon soon acquired a massive collection containing paintings from well know artist along with under appreciated artists such as Joseph Wright of Derby. Mr. Mellon donated the funds to build the gallery along with his collection of art work within it. http://ycba.yale.edu/information/info_paul-mellon.html

The British Art Museum was completed in the early 70's and was designed by Architect and Yale professor Louis I. Kahn. Kahn who has won awards from the American Institute of Architects, designed the exterior of the building to compliment it's surrounding. The building is made from matte steel and reflective glass. The geometrical shape of the interior was designs to allow natural light to flow through for better viewing of the paintings.

The interior also has an earthy feel, made from a blend of marble, wood and steel. Sunlight from skylights on the fourth floor pass through the center of the building allowing the sun to illuminate the stairways. It is recommended that you begin your tour on the fourth floor and work your way down. There are elevators if needed but if you can walk to each floor you will gain a better appreciate for the buildings design.

You Immediately see your first piece of art upon entering the museum. A sculpture made of blue limestone, which was also a gift, by Virginia Vogel Mattern in memory of her husband, W. Gray Mattern a Yale graduate class of 1946. The artist, Barbara Hepworth, resided in Cornwall and is famous for sculptures crafted from wood, stone and later metals such as copper. To learn about this artist you may follow the link below for a complete Biography. http://www.modernbritishartists.co.uk/hepworth_biog.htm

Our focus for this visit was to view British art from the 17Th century and later but the museum has paintings dated as old as 1509. The oldest painting of Henry the 8Th., (painting above) is located on the fourth floor along with the Deluge by John Martin (painting below) .

The Deluge by John Martin 1834. Oil on canvas, located on the fourth floor of the museum, immediately caught my eye. It is one of the larger paintings in the gallery. While admiring the detail of the painting, I met a gentleman named Randy. Randy is a curator at the museum and was extremely informative. We spent some time walking around the gallery discussing each painting.

There were cozy coaches through out for me to sit and relax and enjoy the art. It was also a great opportunity to gather my thoughts and take some notes.

Pandaemoneum, 1841 (This painting is not in the Yale Art Museum)

There are so many interesting and amazing works of art in this gallery, but after talking to Randy, I became interested in learning more about John Martin’s paintings. I would say that his ability to create art through painting in phenomenal and was under appreciated during his time. Mr. Martin was born in 1789 and lived until 1854. He is an English painter who studied under Bonifacio Musso, an Italian artist. He began painting water color and painting on china and glass. Martins earlier oil paintings on canvas where of detailed landscape and imaginative architecture. He was considered very unique for his time; some say his designs have a science fictional element, as well as a romantic one.

Martin was best known for his engraving but had a great interest in architecture and design. He painted many landscapes of London and the Themes River with a vision of their future. One of these visions was the improvement of London’s sewage and railway systems. His imaginative designs in 1834 were later revisited in a proposal 25 years later.

Martin became recognized as a painter when his painting of Belshazzars Feast was hung in the Bronte home in Hawarth. The Bronte sisters were writers in the 1800’s who later copied Martin's work. It seems the focus is on Martins later pieces of biblical scenes. The last four years he was alive he became obsessed with biblical depictions, painting elaborate over sized landscapes, particularly of the Old Testament.

It was the continuing productions of themed styled biblical paintings that lead to his unpopularity. Influential art by this time were of landscapes, particular of London along with paintings considered conversational pieces. People simply grew disinterested in his work.

Visiting the museum has given me a new appreciate for art work and has motivated me to return for future visits. The Yale Art Gallery across the street is also open to the public and displays paintings from Picasso and Monet.

Art Appreciation the Museum Experience!!

2009-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is AnnMarie and I am creating this blog "Art Appreciation the Museum Experience" for a course I am taking at Albertus Magnus College. Throughout the next eight (8) weeks I will be traveling in and around CT visiting museums and documenting my trips and the art I encounter. I am looking forward to the traveling! It will be a nice change from the daily routine LOL! I am most excited to visit the New York museums, the city is always a great place with tons of things do...like shopping!

Here What's Up!!!

2009-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out my blog! I’m looking forward to having something fun to do other than working!!!! I hope everyone enjoys this journey as much I as I will!
I arranged my next few weeks to look something like this:
(the follow is a tentative schedule)

Tuesday January 27th- Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Tuesday February 3rd - Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
Tuesday February 10th - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Tuesday February 17th - Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT
Tuesday March 3rd - The Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT
Tuesday March 10th - The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

I am very excited and can’t wait to take my first “road trip”! Haven’t gone on one

of those in awhile!