North Simon Museum on Monday

I had a few minutes to roam around the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena yesterday and found a few GEMS.  First I went into the small exhibit entitled "Face It: The Photographic Portrait."  The exhibit comprises twenty photographs from the Museum's collection.  The description of the exhibit refers to the viewer's encounter with the portrait photos as conjuring in us a psychology of looking.  In portraiture, the subject has posed to give us the look they want to display.  Here are my favorites:

"William LaRue, Point Lobos, CA" 1960 by Minor White (American, 1908-1976)

"Penitentiary Inmate, Lincoln Nebraska," 1970 by Keith Jacobshagen (American, b. 1941)  This and other photos were commissioned from the Nebraska State Penitentiary to create a suite of photographs documenting the facility and life inside in order to raise public awareness of the prison conditions to seek their improvements. 

"Eleanor Roosevelt," 1962 by Phillippe Halsman (Latvian, 1906-1979)
The photographer captured every detail of the 77 year old former First Lady's face.  She was instrumental in the photographer, who was living in Paris, receiving a visa to immigrate to the U.S just months before the German invasion of France in 1940. 

"George Livia," 1996 by Judy Dater, American, b. 1941.  Livia was an aspiring photographer in Buenos Aries.

"Maria Rosaria Domenici" 1998 by Judy Dater.  The subject is a woman from Rome.  The photographer attempted to capture the "traditional" Italian look as seen in Renaissance paintings.

Next, I roamed to the gallery of 19th century artists that I love.  Here are three that I particularly appreciated.

"Still Life with Apples and Violets," 1890-91 by Paul Serusier (French, 1864-1927).  In late 1888 the artist formed a group called the Nabis (Hebrew for the "prophet") and included Maurice Denis and Pierre Bonnard.  He was influenced by the paintings of Paul Cezanne.

"Brittany Landscape," 1888-89 by Emile Bernard (French, 1868-1941).  In 1886, the 18 year old artist met Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin as well as to the works of Paul Cezanne who all influenced Bernard's work.

 

"Landscape with Flock of Sheep," 1889 and 1902 by Camille Pissarro (French, 1830-1903).  This pristine canvas has never been varnished thus allowing the subtleties of tone to show.  He is considered the "paterfamilias" of the Impressionist group where he participated in all eight Impressionists exhibitions.