Archive for October, 2011
Brooklyn Museum Presents First Large-Scale Exhibition of American Art of the 1920s
On View During Americana Week! The Brooklyn Museum will present the first wide-ranging exploration of American art from the decade whose beginning and end were marked by the aftermath of World War I and the onset of the Great Depression. Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties, which includes some 138 paintings, sculptures, and [...]
Philadelphia Museum of Art Acquires Exceptionally Rare Early 19th Century Portrait of an African-American by Charles Willson Peale
The Philadelphia Museum of Art has acquired the painting Yarrow Mamout, 1819, an exceptionally rare portrait of an African-American by Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), one of the most renowned American artists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Depicting an aged man who had been born in Guinea in western Africa, taken into slavery [...]
Patriotic America Now on Internet
Winterthur, in Deleware, has just launched Patriotic America, a free interactive online exhibition of British pottery with an American theme. In the 1820s, theese items were cause for celebration because it signaled resumption of trade between American and England after the War of 1812. Since America didn’t have any real porcelain manufacturers – there was [...]
American Period Furniture: Windsor Chairs
Tomes have been written about American Windsor chairs – those spindle back beauties that first appeared in King George’s England more than 300 years ago. And, frankly, trying to treat the subject in a short blog is almost impossible. So, we’ll touch on the background and suggest further reading because, once you see a qualty [...]
Why American Art Pottery is Cool: Experts Talk at the Met
The Appraisers Association of America does a very good job of keeping its members informed. On October 26, they are sponsoring a talk on American Art Pottery: 1876 – 1930. If you’ve got the time and a buck or two to spend on finding out why so many make a fuss about Rookwood, Newcomb, Greuby, [...]
Duncan Phyfe Exhibit On at Met, Open During Americana Week
The long-awaited Met exhibit on the legendary American furniture maker Duncan Phyfe is on again at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and will be open during Americana Week. A poor immigrant when he arrived in America from his native Scotland, Phyfe acquired wealth and fame through hard work and exceptional talent. Throughout the first half [...]
American Faces: Folk Portraits
Who painted your ancestors? Chances are it was an itinerant artist. Back in the 19th Century, when the American middle class was emerging, everyone wanted to preserve their success for future generations. Best way of doing this was to commission a portrait of the Mister, the Mrs. and the children. As the popularity of portraits [...]
