Morgan Library and Museum in New York City

After visiting The Frick Collection, it was fitting to visit The Morgan Library and Museum. Again, I was being ignorant of its importance; rather, I was drawn by a drawing exhibit of Dürer: Defining Beauty: Albrecht Dürer at the Morgan. The Official website says:

The exhibition includes eight extraordinary drawings by Dürer that demonstrate the variety and dynamism of his draftsmanship. Also included are prints and treatises by the artist.

Among the many highlights of the exhibition that illustrate Dürer's preoccupation with beauty are his seminal engraving of 1504, Adam and Eve, along with its most important extant related preparatory drawing. To create the work, Dürer joined several sheets of paper, then unified the composition with brown wash to create a perfect balance between the two figures. Dürer's efforts to resolve the composition are evident; both figures hold the apple that led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Ever cognizant of his authorship, Dürer added his monogram and the date to the drawing. This iconic image, perhaps more than any other, documents how the artist strove to create both beauty and harmony in his depictions of the human form.

The drawings and prints on display were extraordinary. I was quite taken by the simple beauty and subtle violence in his drawing Abduction on Horseback below.


Abduction on Horseback, Pen and brown ink

His great ability to describe details accurately were demonstrated in two portrait drawings, both had his signature stylish approaches. One more true to life (his brother Endres) and the other one other worldly beautiful.


Constructed Head of a Man in Profile, Pen and brown ink and dark brown wash


Portrait of the Artist’s Brother Endres, Charcoal, background later washed with white lead

His great enigmatic Melancholia I was included in this exhibit. "This enigmatic image of the allegorical figure of Melancholy, her head leaning upon her hand, has been seen alternatively as a statement on artistic creativity and as evidence of Dürer's interest in ancient debates over the definition of beauty." Thus stated the notations in the exhibit.


Melancholia I, Engraving

The focus point of this exhibit was on two "Adam and Eve" - one drawing and one engraving. The Morgan Library website claimed: "Among the many highlights of the exhibition that illustrate Dürer's preoccupation with beauty are his seminal engraving of 1504, Adam and Eve, along with its most important extant related preparatory drawing. To create the work, Dürer joined several sheets of paper, then unified the composition with brown wash to create a perfect balance between the two figures. Dürer's efforts to resolve the composition are evident; both figures hold the apple that led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Ever cognizant of his authorship, Dürer added his monogram and the date to the drawing. This iconic image, perhaps more than any other, documents how the artist strove to create both beauty and harmony in his depictions of the human form." For comparison, I include the painting of "Adam and Eve" (Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain) following the engraving and the drawing below.


Adam and Eve, Engraving


Adam and Eve, Pen and brown ink, brown wash, corrections in white


Adam and Eve, Oil on Panel (in Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain)


There was another special exhibit, which had fascinating historical and artistic value - Anne Morgan's War: Rebuilding Devastated France, 1917–1924.

This exhibition brings to life the extraordinary work undertaken by a small team of American women volunteers who left comfortable lives in the United States to devote themselves to relief work in France during and after World War I. Their dynamic leader was Anne Morgan (1873–1952), a daughter of the financier Pierpont Morgan. As she rallied potential volunteers and donors on speaking tours across the United States, Morgan harnessed the power of documentary photography to foster a humanitarian response to the plight of French refugees.

Works on view are drawn from two major collections: fifty photographs and a montage of silent films are on loan from the Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt, France, a national museum housed in the seventeenth-century château that served as the base of operations for the American Committee. Photograph albums, personal letters, sound recordings, and archival documents are drawn from the papers of Anne Morgan at the Morgan.

I like the photographs very much - vivid character studies in that trying time.


Faces of War, Anne Morgan


Faces of Wa,- Anne Morgan


I have to admit that immediately after Labor Day, perhaps was not the best time to visit New York, because many museums were changing exhibitions after the summer tourist season was over. Musical and theatrical offerings were sparse as well. Here, the great wonder, Library itself, was closed along with several exhibiting rooms. But I was very satisfied with Dürer.

Besides the special exhibit, I was able to see several important pieces on display in the hallways and corridors, including the crown jewel of the collection in the museum - Stavelot Triptych below:



Stavelot Triptych, Flemish

This museum's collection included important manuscripts, music sheets, drawings and rare books, as sampled below:


Gilt silver, enamel, and jeweled bookcover, probably Salzburg


A Winged Hero Contesting with a Lion for a Bull, Cylinder seal and impression


Saul Slaying Nahash and the Ammonites and Samuel Anoints Saul and Sacrifices to the Lord, France


Seated Nude Youth, Peter Paul Rubens


Manuscript - Piano Trio in D Major, op. 70, no. 1, Ludwig van Beethoven


It was regrettable that I missed my chance to marvel at the Library. More trips to New York are in order!



>> New York City Report, September 2010, Part V: "Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917" at New York MOMA
<< New York City Report, September 2010, Part III: The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection

Until recently, I had never heard of "The Frick Collection" and visited it for the first time in September 2010.

Even in the amazing culture center New York City, this collection stood out as a highlight of my trip. I missed its 75th anniversary special exhibit. However, considering instead of the history and background of this collections, I was treated with the collection itself, I was much happier for having missed that special celebration.

The introduction of its website states:

A visit to The Frick Collection evokes the splendor and tranquility of a time gone by and at the same time testifies to how great art collections can still inspire viewers today. Housed in the New York mansion built by Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), one of America’s most successful coke and steel industrialists, are masterpieces of Western painting, sculpture, and decorative art, displayed in a serene and intimate setting. Each of sixteen galleries offers a unique presentation of works of art arranged for the most part without regard to period or national origin, in the same spirit as Mr. Frick enjoyed the art he loved before he bequeathed it to the public.
Both the mansion and the works in it serve as a monument to one of America's greatest art collectors. Built in 1913–14 from designs by the firm Carrère and Hastings, the house is set back from Fifth Avenue by an elevated garden punctuated by three magnificent magnolia trees.
Since Mr. Frick’s death in 1919, the Collection has expanded both its physical dimensions and its holdings. Approximately one third of the pictures have been acquired since then, and twice — in 1931–35 and 1977 — the building has been enlarged to better serve the public...

Piero della Francesca, Titian, Bellini, Holbein, El Greco, Rembrandt, Hals, Velázquez, Goya, Vermeer, Ingres, Van Dyck, Corot, Turner, Gainsborough, Degas, Monet are amongst the illustrate created gathered in this classical styled mansion.

The official web site has an amazing Virtual Tour enable people to see what is currently on display at The Frick Collection.

I was most affected by several works, ranging from early Renaissance to the Impressionist time. As mentioned above, the museum didn't stop collecting with Frick's death and one of the best was added after his death - Comtesse d'Haussonville by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.

In chronological order, I'll comment on the few favorites of mine. 15th century works include those by Piero della Francesco, Giovanni Bellini and Titian. All the works shown below are solemn, serious, yet with great humanity. They also share a certain resigned melancholy. The virtuosity of these works are amazing as well.


Augustinian Monk, Piero della Francesca, 1454-1469


St. Francis in the Desert, Giovanni Bellini, 1480


Pietro Aretino, Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), c. 1537

The next century's works are dominated by Holbein the Younger and El Greco. It is absolutely thought provoking as well as delightful to see the portraits of Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell by Holbein side by side. They are almost a pair but the personality of the sitters couldn't be more different. Incidentally, Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" had a brief passage mentioned the unveiling of the Cromwell's portrait. She claimed in her award-winning novel that the ring was the one given to Cromwell by Cardinal Wolsey. Very often, some subtle details are begging us to discover its meanings. Yet, we artists enjoy the teasing, don't we?


Sir Thomas More, Hans Holbein, the Younger, 1532-1533


Thomas Cromwell, Hans Holbein, the Younger, 1532-1533

Agnolo di Cosimo di Mariano Bronzino's portrait of a certain Lodovico Capponi was very striking. The sitter's self-conscious poses, aristocratic bearing and fanciful costume was offset brilliantly by the light green drapery, whose hue was very unique and hard to forget.


Lodovico Capponi, Agnolo di Cosimo di Mariano Bronzino, 1550-1555

The great El Greco's Saint Jerome was a startlingly modern character study, even though the cardinal robe didn't seem to me appropriate. What was highly appropriate was the dignified gaunt figure and its weathered face, which seemed have contained the entire universe.


St. Jerome, El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), 1590-1600

The focus of 17th century definitely veered away from overt religiosity. Portraits of nobility and royalties, and genre paintings in Dutch/Flemish regions dominated this period. The portraits by Frans Hals had a startlingly modern flair and I could have been fooled if people told me that it was painted yesterday, despite the fact that Hals's brushstroke was hard not to recognize. Vermeer's domestic painting here seemed a bit out of place and less original.


Portrait of an Elderly Man, Frans Hals, c.1627-1630


Anne, Countess of Clanbrassil, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, 1636


King Philip IV of Spain, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, 1644


Officer and Laughing Girl, Johannes Vermeer, c. 1657

Diving into 18th, we were able to see the most drastic changes in the history of art and humanity. First, we have tranquility represented by Chardin and Gainsborough, which continued the genre paintings or the north.


Lady with a Bird-Organ, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, 1753 (?)


The Mall in St. James's Park, Thomas Gainsborough, c. 1783

Goya disturbed this tranquility with his robust portrayal of life high and low. David tried hard to bring back the classical proportion and purposes back but it would not last. Within twenty years span, the classical styled portrait by Ingres was replaced by the restless and self-awareness of the new wave - Impressionist and the art history almost never looked back.


An Officer (Conde de Teba), Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746 - 1828), c.1804 (?)


Comtesse Daru, Jacques-Louis David, 1810


Comtesse d'Haussonville, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres,1845


The Bullfight, Édouard Manet, 1864


The Boatman of Mortefontaine, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, c. 1865-1870


Vétheuil in Winter, Claude Monet, 1878-1879


The Rehearsal, Hilarie-Germain-Edgar Degas, 1878-1879

This collection also have some paintings by Whistler's depicting the Gilded Age and great artifacts from various past but they didn't deter my wandering eyes much. I also admire a beautiful sculpture very much:


Portrait of Étienne-Vincent Marniola, Joseph Chinard, 1809

This was a most satisfying personal collection turn museum I'd ever seen. Perhaps, when the Fisher Collection in San Francisco reveals itself in its entirety, that verdict might change.

>> New York City Report, September 2010, Part IV: Morgan Library and Museum in New York City  
<< New York City Report, September 2010, Part II: Central Park, New York City

San Francisco Opera's New "Werther"

San Francisco Opera's 2010-11 season is in full swing now, with Verdi's Aida and Massenet's Werther playing now and soon to be joined by Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

Last Saturday, I attended the Werther performance and was deeply satisfied with the highly intelligent production and beautiful vocal, orchestral and acting performances.

Massenet, with his lush and melodic music, can sound saccharine and coy, if not presently well. Luckily, this run of this high-romantic piece, successfully avoided those traps and Massenet emerged as highly psychologically insightful composer.

The multi-leveled staging simultaneously presented the goings-on in Charlotte's house and the drab dwelling of Werther's and shows the intricate interactions amongst principals - Werther, Charlotte, her fiancé then husband Albert, and her sister Sophie. Francisco Negrin's direction was full of insight. I was particularly happy withe the treatment of Sophie, whose chirping music can make her very annoying. Here, she emerged as a sad character who was forced to emit joy. Albert has his extra layer of psychological insight as well. I particularly enjoyed the scene when Charlotte read letters from Werther aloud, to her husband, one after another! It was indeed passion went mad. The scenery and lightening designs all contributed to the success.

The orchestra played beautifully under the baton of Emmanuel Villaume. Ramón Vargas sang a beautiful Werther, though at times, his voice didn't project enough power and his demeanor was hardly dashing. Alice Coote was a complete Charlotte. Brian Mulligan (Albert) and Heidi Stober (Sophie) contributed wonderfully to the evening's first-rate performance.

The part I didn't like so much was the long scene of the "happy" domesticity in Charlotte's home, which Werther admired so much. But the fault lies on the librettists and the composers. However, it didn't take joy (or depression) away from the masterpiece.

SF Opera's Aida, has garnered praises as a gaudy delight. I'm sure Zandra Rhodes won't disappoint. You can see some of her design below:


San Francisco City Hall, facing San Francisco Opera


Banners for San Francisco Opera, against the background of San Francisco Opera House and San Francisco Symphony Hall


Billboards and Entrance to San Francisco Opera House


Costume Design for Aida by Zandra Rhodes


Costume Design for Aida by Zandra Rhodes

Post-Impressionism Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, De Young Museum, San Francisco 2010-11

Following up the Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, De Young Museum, San Francisco will present the second part of the show - Post-Impressionit Masterpieces from the Musée D'Orsay.

The first part of the show was a great success - the exhibit was very well curated and it was not designed with showcasing blockbusters only; rather, it went length to explain how Impressionism came into fruition. It was thoughtfully assembled and was deeply thought provoking. That said, it did not mean that the show didn't have enough lustre and the second part is highly anticipated.

Below are the preview of a few highlights included in the exhibit, which will open on 25 September 2010 and will close on 18 January 2011, including the forward-looking canvases by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Henride Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Rousseau. It also include some ornate pieces by the such as John Singer Sergeant, whose inclusion is rather questionable though.

This is a must see exhibit for sure!


Arearea (Joyousness) (detail), Paul Gauguin, 1892


Tahitian Women, Paul Gauguin, 1891


"Kitchen Table (Still Life with Basket), Paul Cézanne, 1888-1890


Van Gogh's Bedroom at Arles (detail), Vincent van Gogh, 1889


The Snake Charmer, Henri Rousseau, 1907


The Man at the Tiller (detail), Théo van Rysselberghe, 1892


The Muses (detail), Maurice Denis, 1893


La Carmencita, John Singer Sergeant, 1890