More from the Cleveland Art Museum

Here are more photos of paintings from the Cleveland Art Museum that I enjoyed on July 3rd.

"Amorpha:  Fugue in Two Colors II,"  1910-11, oil on canvas by Frantisek Kupka, Czech, 1871-1957.  Kupka infused color and movement into Cubism resulting in a dynamic creation.  He was inspired by viewing his step-daughter running with a ball.

"Goldsmiths," 1919, oil on wood by Emil Nolde, German, 1976-1956.  Nolde was a leading artist of the German Expressionist group, Die Brucke, using emotive color.  He depicted biblical subjects deliberately crude but with vigor.  He said he fought for unconscious creation...labor destroys paintings.  

"Wrestlers in a Circus," 1909 oil on canvas by Ernst Ludwigh Kirchner, German, 1880-1938.
Kirchner was also a member of Die Brucke that began in Dresden in 1905.  He pursued an art of pure, raw emotion, while advocating a revolutionary approach based on complete freedom from social and aesthetic norms (according to the museum's painting description).  He served in the German army during WW I but was a principal target of the Nazis' assault on what they saw as degenerate art during the 1930's; 639 works by Kirchner were removed from German museums and either destroyed or sold to foreign collectors and museums.  Kirchner committed suicide.

"Self-portrait with Hat," 1919 oil on canvas by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, German, 1884-1976.  The artist painted this after he moved from Dresden to Berlin after WW I.  He was a founding member of Die Brucke in Dresden in 1905.  The bright colors "reflect the artist's desire to project his inner, emotional self."

"Morning Glory with Black," 1926 oil on canvas by Georgia O'Keeffe, American, 1887-1986
The artist celebrated the natural forms of flowers and also abstract design.

"Gray and Gold," 1942 oil on canvas by John Rogers Cox, American, 1915-1990.
Amber waves of grain are threatened by storm clouds like life in the U.S. when this was painted just after the beginning of WW II and America was at a crossroads.  This was painted near the artist's home of Terre Haute, Indiana, a crossroad of America. 

"Hills, South Truro," 1930, oil on canvas, by Edward Hopper, American, 1882-1967
Hopper said that he sought to capture "the sad desolation" of America.  Charles Burchfield described Hopper's art as "silent poetry."

"Saint Jerome," about 1638-1640 by Jusepe de Ribera, Spanish, active in Naples, 1591-1652
Saint Jerome translated biblical text into Latin around 400 AD.  According to the painting's description, Ribera shows him as a penitent, beating his chest with a stone to emulate Christ's suffering while contemplating a skull symbolizing human vanity.

"Saint Jerome," about 1621, oil on canvas by Hendrick ter Brugghen, Dutch, 1588-1629
This is an interpretation of Saint Jerome by a Dutch protestant artist. 

"Christ on the Cross," about 1600-10, oil on canvas, by El Greco (Domenicos Theotokopoulos), Greek, active in Spain, 1541-1614

"The Holy Family with Mary Magdalene," about 1590-95, oil on canvas by El Grego
The description states that the painting addresses Mary's role as mediator between Christ and the viewer, feeding him fruit held by Joseph representing fall of man, blood of Christ, salvation and sweetness of Christ's virtue.

"Stag at Sharkey's" 1909, oil on canvas, by George Bellows, American, 1882-1925

"The Old Road to the Sea," about 1893, oil on canvas by William Merritt Chase, American, 1849-1916

"Holiday on the Hudson," about 1912, oil on canvas, by George Luks, American, 1867-1933

"Sunny Autumn Day," 1892, oil on canvas, by George Innes, American, 1825-1894

"Twilight in the Wilderness," 1860, oil on canvas, by Frederic Edwin Church, American 1826-1900
The description states that painted on the eve of the Civil War, it can be interpreted as symbolically evoking the coming war.

"Storm in the Mountains," 1847, oil on canvas by Frederic Edwin Church

"View of Schroon Mountain, Essex County, New York, after a Storm," 1838, oil on canvas by Thomas Cole, American, born England, 1801-1848.  The information posted next to the painting states:  "Championing the unspoiled American wilderness, Cole declared, 'We are still in Eden'."  The painting depicts Native Americans in the right foreground foliage.

"View of Florence," 1837, oil on canvas by Thomas Cole 

The Cleveland Museum of Art

On July 3rd, I returned to the wonderful Cleveland Museum of Art.  This great museum with it's beautiful new wing is a delight and it is FREE (take note L.A.).  I started in the modern and impressionist area and after lunch in the beautiful atrium,  I enjoyed the 18th and 19th century paintings that I saw last year.

The final treat was talking with the paintings conservator, Dean Yoder who was working on restoring the 400 year old painting by Caravaggio, "The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew."  He is doing his work in full view of the public and takes breaks to answer questions.  The painting portrays the miracle in which Roman soldiers in a Greek colony are unable to untie the knots binding the crucified saint.

Crucifixion of Saint Andrew by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, 1607

Dean Yoder conservator of paintings working on the Crucifixion of St. Andrew

Here is are photos of some of the paintings and sculptures I enjoyed:

"The Age of Bronze," 1875-76 by Auguste Rodin, French, 1840-1917
This sculpture created a scandal  in a Paris exhibition because of it's stunning realism.  Rodin was accused of using a live person to create a mold.  Thereafter, his creations were super large or small.

"Heroic Head of Pierre de Wissant, One of the Burghers of Calais," 1886 by August Rodin.

The entire sculpture of six extra sized men preparing to be killed to save their town of Calais is at the Norton Simon and other places.

 "Titans," about 1877, glazed ceramic by Rodin and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (French 1824-1887)

The Rodin Head with the beautiful Cleveland landscape outside.

"La Cervara, the Roman Compagna," about 1830-31, oil on canvas by Camille Corot, Fench 1796-1875

 "Return from the Fields," about 1846-47 by Jean-Francois Millet, French, 1814-1875

"Greek Cavalry Men Resting in Forest," 1858 by Eugene Delacroix, French, 1798-1863

 "Pond a Ville-d'Avray," 1860 by Camille Corot

"Goat-Girl Sitting Beside a Stream in a Forest," 1842 by Camille Corot

 "Panoramic View of the Alps, Les Dents du Midi," 1877 by Gustave Courbet, French, 1819-1877

"Seaside (July: Specimen of a Portrait), 1878 by Jacques-Joseph Tissot, French, 1836-1902.  The model is his English mistress.

                         Mount Sainte-Victoire," 1904 by Paul Cezanne, French, 1839-1906

 "The Brook," about 1895-1900 by Paul Cezanne.  The Arc River near Cezanne's home in Provence.

"Pigeon Tower at Bellevue," 1890 by Paul Cezanne

"Romaine Lacaux," 1864 by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French, 1841-1919

"Spring Flowers," 1864 by Claude Monet, French, 1840-1926

"Edge of the Woods near L'Hermitage, Pontoise," 1879 by Camille Pissarro, born Danish Virgin Islands, French, 1830-1903

"Interior with an Etruscan Vase," 1940 by Henri Matisse, French, 1869-1954

"Festival of Flowers, Nice," 1923 by Henri Matisse

"Woman with a Cape (Jeanneton), early 1991 by Pablo Picasso, Spanish, 1881-1973

"La Vie (Life)," 1903 by Pablo Picasso (Blue Period)

"The Harem," 1906 by Pablo Picasso (Rose Period)

"Fan, Salt Box, Melon," 1909 by Pablo Picasso (Cubist) 

"Harlequin with Violin ("Si tu veux")" 1918 by Pablo Picasso

"Bottle, Glass, Fork," 1911-12 by Pablo Picasso

Enjoying Music in Arcadia, CA and in Cleveland, Ohio

Last Saturday we enjoyed the Broadway music played by the Pasadena Pops and sung by Broadway performers at the Arboretum in Arcadia.  It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed singing some of the songs on the way home...like "Sing for your Supper" and "If I Loved You."  The "Broadway Leading Ladies were Susan Egan, Valerie Perri, Christina Saffran, and Lisa Vroman.  They were joined by singer David Burnham and directed by Larry Blank.

Then, on Wednesday night we enjoyed the Cleveland Orchestra playing a Fourth of July concert with fireworks in front of the Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland.  We heard The 1812 Overture with impressive cannons, Stars and Stripes Forever plus many more.

Here are a few pictures:

Here are Valerie, Susan, Lisa, Christina, and David singing together.

The Cleveland Orchestra giving a free 4th of July Concert on July 2nd.

Cleveland's Terminal Tower with 4th of July lighting.