A world auction record for a Work on paper by James Abbott McNeill Whistler (American, 1834-1903) was set in New York earlier this month when the artists’s White and Pink (The Palace) brought $650,500 at an American Art Auction at Doyle. The work had Descended in the Family of Louisine and Henry O. Havememer.
It’s Monday and the Met is open. Not only that, it’s debuting the renovated galleries of American painting and sculpture. I wasn’t able to make the press preview, so am crediting Holland Cotter’s excellent New York Times review with the following….
Image of Madam X, from the New York Times article by Hollland Cotter
“How do the updated galleries look? Sensational, which is news, because the old ones didn’t. They had a warehouse atmosphere, with pictures stacked up on the walls, sculpture plunked down wherever and narrative logic disrupted because the collection was split between two floors. Now all the galleries are on one floor, the second. And, thanks to an addition of 3,300 feet of repurposed space, there are more of them, 26 in all.
“More space wouldn’t mean much if it weren’t well used, but it is. The architects, Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, have devised a wrap-around format with a few long-vista galleries cutting through a maze of smaller ones. The art placement is roughly chronological, but also coalesces into themes, and leaves choice of direction mostly up to the visitor. If you see something beckoning from another gallery, go for it. There are no wrong turns here.”
And what’s in the galleries? Nothing less than stunning paintings and works of art, including eight works by John Singleton Copley. Works by Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart and John Trumbull. And so much more that I’m going to re-direct you to Mr. Cotter’s fine coverage. (Just click through the link.)
This is American culture as recorded by artists and craftsmen. It’s at the Met, and just in time for visitors to Americana Week.
Americans are not the only ones fascinated by the rich history of the West. Case in point is George Catlin’s “North American Indian Portfolio” that recently found a home with a German collector.
The first edition was published in 1844 and is the artist’s firsthand account of Native American life. It took quite a bit of effort, and an adventurous spirit, to get out in the “wild” to depict hunting scenes and
From George Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio (1844)
amusements of the Rocky Mountains and prairies of America. To appreciate this, you need only take a look at the broad category that is American Art. Some of the best pieces are on exhibit through December 1 at the American Art Fair at New York’s Bohemian National Hall.
As for American colonial art, the 1786 portrait of Abigail Rose that sold recently at Skinner’s, is a supreme example of the craft. The painting depicts a 14 year old girl seated in a Queen Anne chair next to a table that holds books and a Battersea patch box.
The composition speaks volumes about social history. And social history, from the colonists to the American Indians, is what Americana Week is about. You’ll see, and want, items that bring tears to your eyes. From the women’s work of tatting and quilting to handmade furniture that is as gentle in its presentation as mid-Century is today, you might as well plan on getting a hit of history.
You’ll find antique shows with “something for everyone,” and dealers who have searched out remnents of history so precious the might as well be considered national treasures. If you can afford to buy, do. If not, think of the offerings as museum pieces you can touch and feel.
Americana Week is just weeks away and in the coming days we will be spotlighting some of the more interesting and intricate items you’ll see. Come January 1, you’ll be able to download the free mobile app that gives you instant accessibility to the exhibits, the shows, the attractions that are Americana Week.
The American Folk Art Museum celebrates more than 5,000 artworks – from Colonial America portraits to a remarkable collection of handmade quilts to the best Outsider Art.
Its educational and research opportunities are simply unparalleled. From my own experience, I’ve found the curators to be accessible and generous with their expertise.
Quilting Patterns - Women's Art
American Folk Art Museum’s recent history reflects the economic distress that has pressured so many people across the country. It found itself underwater and went through months of angst about an uncertain future. And then, Ford stepped up to the plate with support. AFAM will go on at its home near Lincoln Center.
To assure a strong future, the spunky little museum is breaking ground. Its slogan is Reimagine, Revitalize, Reinvent.
Plans include a revamped financial program and expanded collaborative opportunities for its collection. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art will display 15 of AFAM’s artworks when it opens the American Wing and the Henry Luce Center for the Study of American Art in January, 2012.)
The Henry Darger Study Center
Now…the American Folk Art Museum is reaching out to Americans and lovers of Americana with a grass roots campaign. Called “Pass the Hat,” the campaign is asking for gifts of $20, $50, $100 – any amount larger or small will demonstrate support and help the museum at this time.
As Roberta Smith stated in the New York Times, “[We] need the creative energy of this . . . little institution, its outstanding exhibition program and its wondrous collection, an unparalleled mixture of classic American folk art and 20th-century outsider geniuses.”
I urge you to visit the American Folk Art Museum’s website and make your contribution. (What better time than Thanksgiving, that uniquely American folk tradition?)
If you’re in New York City during Americana Week, you will surely want to spend an afternoon viewing the collections. So, toss $50 – or whatever you can afford – into the hat now. Help assure a healthy museum in the future.
Contact Info:
American Folk Art Museum
2 Lincoln Square (Columbus Ave at 66th Street, near Lincoln Center)
New York City 10023
212-595-9533
If you have recently discovered a passion for things American, you will be happy to know that there are societies and organizations dedicated to preserving different aspects of American art and antiques.
These organizations exist for the sole purpose of giving out information. Often, they are the brain child or serious collectors and carry curatorial information that would be time consuming to access elsewhere. They are also great resources for finding people of like mind.
We will start with a very short list and as the days roll by, add on. Also, if you know of societies and organizations, please leave a comment. We will incorporate your thoughts into the body of the blog so that it becomes a comprehensive resource.
AMERICAN FOLK ART:
American Folk Art Angel
While not exactly a society, the American Folk Art Museum is the premier institution devoted to the aesthetic appreciation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States, and abroad. AFAM preserves, conserves and interprets a comprehensive collection of the highest quality, with objects dating from the 18th Century to the present.
2 Lincoln Square
Columbus Avenue and 66th Street
New York, N.Y.
212-595-5933
WINTERTHUR
Founded by Henry Francis du Pont, Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) is the premier museum of American decorative arts. Its collection of nearly 90,000 objects features decorative and fine arts made or used in America from 1630 to 1860.
The collection is organized in several main categories— ceramics, glass, furniture, metalwork, paintings and prints, and textiles and needlework.
George Washington, from the Winterthur Collection
Famous for its American artwork, the collection is amplified with objects from other regions of the world, illustrating the active role America played in the international market.
Winterthur’s founder, Henry Francis du Pont, formed the original collection for the museum and added to it until his death in 1969.
Winterthur
5105 Kennett Pike (Route 52)
Winterthur, DE 19735
CERAMICS:
J Palin Thorley
Publishes a volume annually, “Ceramics in America”
780 North Club Circle
Milwaukee, WI 53217
ARTS & CRAFTS
Arts & Crafts Chair
A non-profit educational institution dedicated to the acquisition, restoration, and
public exhibition of important examples of
furniture, pottery and tiles, lighting, textiles, and fine arts from the American Arts & Crafts movement
4190 Corporate Court
Palm Harbor, Florida 34683
MODERNISM
Society for the Preservation of American Modernists (SPAM)
Celebrates the art, lives and ideas of American modernists, such as painters Arthur Dove and Georgia O’Keefe, photographers Alfred Steiglitz and Edward Weston, and dancers Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham, and more. SPAM provides research, exhibitions and publications, as well as history of private support for the arts in the US – from the WPA to the NEA.
Modernist Illustration
Contact: Rebecca Foster, President
177 Ten Stones Circle
Charlotte, VT 05445
info@americanmodernists.org
