Kneeling and Captured Mayan Warriors at the de Young

Two warriors sculpted and painted with earthen materials tell a story of victory and defeat. On a Sunday while visiiting the newly designed Arts of Indigenous America exhibit my interest was peaked in the gallery of Mayan Art.

The subject of war is ongoing in the art of the world. Awareness of other sculptures that depict the fate of soldiers adds a layer of conversation. For example, the Roman work, Dying Gaul. In an educational video scholars Steven Zucker and Beth Harris note that the Dying Gaul is depicted with a sense of sympathy.

Encountering the Mayan figures I find artistic sympathy in the submission of the bound captive and the noble qualities of the warrior kneeling to face the enemy. The kneeling figure holds a shield. His arm is raised indicating that he held a weapon, a spear most likely. The captive is positioned with his arms behind his back, awaiting what is next, torture according to the curatorial notes and sacrificial death. ‘Poor guy’ is what I think, but I am not a Mayan warrior. The subject of battle with the body as a tool raises images of fleshy vulnerability, life, injury, and heroic courage.

The kneeling figure is in a position of attention. His face is marked with designs. The overall countenance suggests readiness.

The bound figure’s head is tilted. The tilt is familiar in the art of portraiture. Consider the position of the head when circumstances demand action versus reflection—-a tilted head in art is something the viewer experiences—-we look upon the consciousness of an individual. The figures tilted head lends humanity. The position denotes submissive withdrawal. As viewers we sympathize with the character. The genitals are exposed. His face depicts an eye and view to the left, off in the distance it seems. The body is smooth and round with a prominent navel. We cannot know what the artist thought yet we recognize the importance of these details.

Victory and Loss are themes in the pantheon of art subjects. To win, or to lose, is in the storytelling of human history.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Works Cited:

Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "Dying Gaul and Ludovisi Gaul," in Smarthistory, November 18, 2015, accessed December 1, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/dying-gaul/.

Cite this Page: Drew Burgess, “Kneeling and Captured Mayan Warriors at the de Young”, December 6, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/12/1/kneeling-and-captured-warriors-at-the-de-young

Kneeling Warrior and Captured Warrior, 650-850 CE, Mexico or Guatemala, Maya, Earthenware and pigment, FAMSF, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California

Berthe Morisot and Friend, Legion of Honor

The paintings exhibited in Manet and Morisot at the Legion of Honor are wonderful to see. One of the opening paintings is Manet’s powerful portrait, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, 1872.

Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot with a Boquet of Violets, 1872, oil on Canvas, Musée d' Orsay, Paris.

When visiting the museum and viewing the introductory video of the exhibit one realizes that the curation leads to a thesis that Morisot influenced Manet’s production. The presentation expresses that Manet historically has been presented as the male lead in the relationship. Listening to the curators, I realized that the title of the show may not fit the presentation. Given the stated ideas, the show might more appropriately be titled, Morisot and Manet.

Entering the exhibit area the opening text concerning the duo illustrates the conundrum. Manet’s name was presented in each paragraph of the dialogue first, and Morisot, second—contrary to what the lead curator of the video talk seemed to intend, why?

The exhibit offers a range of paintings. The relationship of the artists is notable, and of interest. I enjoyed seeing the scope of works coupled with the ideas of their mutual influence. The premise is that it is Morisot’s move to Impressionism, joining with the newer movement, that informs the brushwork and color influential to the older artist. The curator’s present this idea with examples.

A statement titled New Directions recalls the remark of a critic, “The famous head of the Impressionist school here shows himself in a whole new light, as the painter of elegant women”. The indication is that Morisot was influencing the late work of Manet.

As I visited the second gallery the atmosphere was lively in the early afternoon. A docent was giving a tour. I enjoyed viewing three paintings together, Morisot’s painting of her husband sitting by a window, Manet’s painting titled, Boating, and Morisot’s scene of two women enjoying an outing in the summer. While looking at the paintings I recognized Emily A. Beeny, the curator from the introductory video. At an opportune moment I joined her party obliquely and asked a question. I said that I watched the video and felt that perhaps the exhibit might be bettered titled, Morisot and Manet. Dr. Beeny was friendly and gracious. She said there were several considerations including the idea of such a title as Morisot and Manet. They completed a marketing survey and found the exhibit may have more popularity with Manet in the lead. So it goes.

I love these paintings. I am not in a position of scholarship to know the nuances Emily A. Beeny illuminates. The paintings, the friendship, the camaraderie, is inspiring. Manet and Morisot, or however we may address the appropriate title, is a gem of an exhibit. My personal favorite is Manet’s portrait of his friend—a beautiful, powerful expression.

by Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California

Works Cited:
Emily A. Beeny and curatorial associates, “Manet and Morisot,” Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, The Legion of Honor, accessed October 24, 2025, https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/manet-morisot

Cite this Page:
Drew Burgess, Berthe Morisot and Friend, Legion of Honor, October 24, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/10/24/berthe-morisot-and-friend-legion-of-honor

Berthe Morisot, Eugène Manet on the Isle of Wight, 1875, Oil on Canvas, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris

Édouard Manet, Boating, 1874-1876, Oil on Canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Berthe Morisot, Lake in the Bois de Boulogne (known as Summer’s Day), 1879, Oil on Canvas, The National Gallery, London

Virgin and Child by Dieric Bouts

Dieric Bouts, Virgin and Child, 1460, Oil on Panel, 10 7/8” x 8 5/8”inches, Roscoe and Margaret Oakes Collection, Accession Number 75.214, The Legion of Honor of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, (FAMSF).

“This intimate portrayal of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child evokes the bond between mother and infant, amplifying the emotional resonance between the divine and the faithful. Dieric Bouts was among the innovative Netherlandish painters who created startlingly realistic representations using rich colors and shadows that emphasize three-dimensionality. The cloth of honor behind the figures shimmers as if truly woven from gold thread, lending the picture an air of luxury. This painting, once an object of personal devotion, is one of three versions of the composition made in Bouts’s workshop; the primary version is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.”

—Curators, Legion of Honor

A Friday Morning—-A small image in gallery number three has captivated me on many occasions, so minute, and so un-minute in feeling. It is a patient depiction of mother and child.

The somber face of Mary, with downcast eyes, caresses the imploring upward expression of Baby Jesus. The two faces meet at the lips with a portrayal of touch that is quiet and lovingly electric. The proximity of the features, lips, noses, and eyes, offers we viewers a beautiful connection—there is hope, need, and care. One views the embrace with knowledge of the outcome, yet, for a moment it is a remarkable view of intimacy illustrating an eternal bond. The hands, the body, and the limbs of Baby Jesus are so delicate and small supported in his mother’s lithe hands. The child’s tiny foot is contrasted with the elongated fingers.

The pair are enveloped in an extraordinary textile with glistening threads. The artist builds the experience of the surface with stroke after stroke of care. All of the tones of the painting and the varied shapes stand to give contrast to the soft skin of Mary. Her neck is supple with folds.

On my way to the museum it was this painting I thought of. As this painting is thought to be for personal devotion, perhaps it was a need for me. The sturdy yet vulnerable Mary speaks to the trials and tribulations we endure. Mary’s love is a beacon, a reassurance, and an answer.

by Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California

Curators, Dieric Bouts, Virgin and Child, accessed 20 September 2025, https://www.famsf.org/artworks/virgin-and-child

Cite this Page:
Drew Burgess, Virgin and Child by Dieric Bouts, September 20, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/9/20/virgin-and-child-by-dieric-bouts

Dieric Bouts, Virgin and Child, 1460, Oil on Panel, 10 7/8” x 8 5/8”inches, Roscoe and Margaret Oakes Collection, Accession Number 75.214, The Legion of Honor of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, (FAMSF).

Durer’s Dad

“In 1636 the city of Nuremberg presented Charles 1 with a pair of portraits by its most famous citizen, Albrecht Dürer: a self portrait and a portrait of the artist’s father.” —National Gallery of London

Albrecht Durer’s father was 70 when the portrait was completed. It is now in the National Gallery of London and is attributed to Durer, it may be copy although it is thought to be original—the details in the face have the mark and method of the painter.

I am writing and considering the terms Dad and Father.

My feeling is that Durer was painting his ‘Dad’. When a family member poses for an artist it is intimate and generous. The generosity resides on both sides, painter and sitter. I believe that great portraits balance what artists see, wish to see, over-see, and under-see. Portraiture is a great and special art.

The gaze of Durer’s Dad is tender to my eye. When one paints there is a modeling of the architecture of a face with emphasis and de-emphasis of the elements, it is subtle. An eyebrow can be overstated with a stroke, the turn of a lip can be a bit too full, or the distance between eye and ear too far. Strokes and strokes, adjustments, and sensitivity. In the process we may feel the expression of the sitter yet it is also the artist giving us something.

Durer’s father, a goldsmith, saw potential in his son’s young ability, it is the reason for my interest. I saw the painting a few years ago and it struck me as a reminder of my Dad, his encouragement. Also, there is a portrait of his Dad in the Uffizi’s collection which inspired me as well—seeing both works in person.

Young artists in their pursuit, and Dads, it is a special relationship, the role of fathers such as Leopold Mozart, José Ruiz Blasco (Picasso’s father), Camille Pisarro, or N. C. Wyeth. Artistic talent is cultivated, nurtured and grown. Today I am appreciating family and friends for encouraging artistic pursuit.

by Drew Burgess


Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Works cited:
Attributed to Albrecht Dürer, 1471–1528
'The Painter's Father', 1497, Oil on lime, 51 x 40.3 cm, NG1938, accessed June 5, 2025,https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/research-papers/close-examination/the-painter-s-father

Cite this page:
Drew Burgess, “Durer’s Dad”, June 5, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/6/5/durers-dad

Attributed to Albrecht Dürer, 1471–1528'The Painter's Father', 1497, Oil on lime, 51 x 40.3 cm, NG1938, accessed June 5, 2025,https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/research-papers/close-examination/the-painter-s-father

Attributed to Albrecht Dürer, 1471–1528
'The Painter's Father', 1497, Oil on lime, 51 x 40.3 cm, NG1938, accessed June 5, 2025,https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/research/research-resources/research-papers/close-examination/the-painter-s-father

Head of Christ by Edouard Manet

Edouard Manet, Head of Christ, oil on canvas, 1865, Legion of Honor, FAMSF, San Francisco.

I have waited to write about this painting. Last Fall I started two copies—an idea in progress. I love this painting, everything about it, the size, the colors, the composition, and the psychological presentation of Christ.

The painting is a powerful portrayal of the suffering endured by Jesus when mocked. His eyes are set upon a distant horizon of thought, or of memory—he is human. A man amidst the storm of being, in pain, and numb to it somehow.

The minimized palette serves the somber reflection of Manet. The work is a serious synthesis of painterly voicing—the artist marrying the human and the divine. The painting is not sensational, it is not overwrought, it is perfection. One senses the torment of a real man.

The chest of Jesus is exposed. The single breast, his nakedness and sloped shoulders, show us the meaning of posture. Christ is depicted at a moment of human defeat.

The painting is silent and passionate at once.

by Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “Head of Christ by Edouard Manet”, March 23, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/head-of-christ-by-edouard-manet

Electric Chair by Wayne Thiebaud

Today I enjoyed the latest survey show at the Legion of Honor—Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art. The exhibit is a satisfying follow up to the comprehensive showing of Mary Cassatt’s work that closed in January. Both of these exhibitions have been well curated and designed.

An unexpected find today was Mr. Thiebaud’s Electric Chair of 1957. He spent time in New York in 1956 and 1957. It is surmised that he would have seen Franz Kline’s Bridge of 1955. The painting is an example of the influence of abstract art. The painting is singular, a simple color scheme of red and degrees of black. The painting is serious. When I rounded a corner in the gallery, it grabbed me immediately.

The opening of the exhibition features a film followed by examples from Thiebaud’s art collection. Noted throughout the show is the surprise Mr. Thiebaud felt when learning that abstract painters were students of art—that they enjoyed examples from history. When I lived in New York I learned this very same information. Coming from California perhaps we were schooled to think otherwise—not sure.

Why do I like the Electric Chair—why does it seem special?

One—the color red. I do not recall a painting by Thiebaud with such a strong choice of red. Two—the marriage of the constructed elements to the frame of the rectangle. Three—the limited range of tones, warm in temperature. Four—the graphic flatness of the painting with flat brushwork. Five—the energy of the strokes depicting the features of the chair. The wires and such taper to an element in the lower left that is painted with great simplicity. Six—the story is told with economy, traces of a pencil line are visible in an area of bare canvas. Seven—included in the center portion of the canvas above the central axis is a single red drip. A lovely drip that has shrunken and crinkles a bit into itself. There are more drips elsewhere yet not as royal. Eight—at the top is the arc of a wire that brings the eye up and back down. Lastly—the vertical and horizontal structure of the chair, the brown-red-blackness of the form, the force of it.

There are many wonderful paintings in the show, the sombre quality of Electric Chair spoke to me on this Sunday with courage and unexpected sensitivity.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “Electric Chair by Wayne Thiebaud”, March 23, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/3/23/electric-chair-by-wayne-thiebaud

A painting byWayne Thiebaud, Electric Chair, 1957, oil on canvas

Wayne Thiebaud, Electric Chair, 1968, oil on canvas, Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art, The Legion of Honor, FAMSF, https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/wayne-thiebaud

Exhibition of Wayne Thiebaud, Electric Chair, 1957, oil on canvas

Wayne Thiebaud, Electric Chair, 1968, oil on canvas, exhibition photograph from Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art, The Legion of Honor, FAMSF, https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/wayne-thiebaud

Exhibition placard Wayne Thiebaud, Electric Chair, 1957, oil on canvas

Wayne Thiebaud, Electric Chair, 1968, oil on canvas, photograph of wall placard from Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art, The Legion of Honor, FAMSF, https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/wayne-thiebaud

Study of the Model Joseph by Théodore Géricault

A fabulous painting is the portrait of Joseph by Théodore Géricault, there is tremendous tenderness in the presentation. One perceives a model, posing for a painter, with ease. The expression indicates a working environment that is comfortable. Might we imagine dialogue between painter and sitter during the process? Portraits offer subtleties of expression and the ability of both the model and the artist to be present, simultaneously—a unique feature of portraiture.

Here is the explanation provided by the Getty Museum where the painting is on view:

“This portrait was made as a study for Théodore Géricault's most famous painting, The Raft of the Medusa , made in 1819 and now in the Louvre. In a clear case of ineptitude, the ship named Medusa foundered in the sea off the coast of Africa in 1816. A raft with 140 passengers drifted for thirteen days before being rescued; only fifteen people survived. In preparation for his disturbing and controversial painting of the incident, Géricault made many studies from life, like this one, to achieve a sense of realism and specificity.

The sitter wears a shirt similar to those worn by the survivors of the Medusa . Géricault captured the man's character with great sympathy and spontaneity; his watery eyes do not focus on anything outside the canvas but appear to express an internal torment. Shades of brown, gray, and beige blend together to imitate his dark complexion. Dabs of white and beige paint are used to indicate reflective light in his eyes and on the tip of his nose, his bottom lip, and his chin.”

I remember seeing the painting in person, a true gem.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Théodore Géricault (French, 1791 - 1824)Study of the Model Joseph, about 1818–1819Oil on canvasUnframed: 47 × 38.7 cm (18 1/2 × 15 1/4 in.), Framed [Outer Dim]: 67.6 × 59.1 × 7.6 cm (26 5/8 × 23 1/4 × 3 in.)The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 85.PA.407

Citations:

Study of the Model Joseph, Getty Museum, January 24, 2025, https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103QRX

Cite this page:

Drew Burgess, “Study of the Model Joseph by Théodore Géricault”, January 24, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/1/24/study-of-the-model-joseph-by-thodore-gricault

Portrait of a Lady of the Saxon Court as Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Hans Cranach

The painting is entirely conceived with warm tones. I am reminded of Caravaggio’s painting of St. John the Baptist at the Nelson Atkins Museum—all warm tones. It may go unnoticed. When an artist achieves such a condensed tonal range, I am fascinated.

The marriage of color includes the clothing, jewelry, skin, hair, hat and background, a wonderful collection of color and shape to discover.

The central portion of the painting is the character’s midsection. The garment of the figure is an elaborate construction of line, shape, color, and pattern. One imagines a seamstress with skillful hands. Depicted are bands of intricate weaving with floral designs including crossing lines, delicate borders, and shiny surfaces.

How can I describe Judith’s Expression? She gazes off in the distance. She is thoughtful. She seems quite composed considering she holds a sword and a decapitated head. Her nose and mouth have a simple pertness. Her eyes reveal the elements they are surrounded by, lids, tiny eyelashes, and lightly rendered eyebrows. Her hat is rakishly adorning her head with zest. The hoops of jewelry encompassing the curve of her neck are a marvel of drawing—-a delight to see as is the pattern of the bodice directly below.

And then there is the dilapidated head of Holofernes. The painting has a measure of comic interpretation. The grim head, Judith’s pose, her flatline expression, announce the event like a cataloged set of circumstances. My view of Judith includes a sense of her dialog, “Well. let’s get this done, I want to clean my room”.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “Portrait of a Lady of the Saxon Court as Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Hans Cranach”, November 26, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2024/11/26/portrait-of-a-lady-of-the-saxon-court-as-judith-with-the-head-of-holofernes

A painting by Hans Cranach

Lucas Cranach the Elder and Workshop (1472-1553), Hans Cranach, “Portrait of a Lady of the Saxon Court as Judith with the Head of Holofernes”, ca. 1537-1540, Oil paint on wood panel, 31 7/16 x 21 7/8 in. (79.9 x 55.6 cm), Museum purchase, Mildred Anna Williams Collection, 1954.74, Legion of Honor--Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Detail of a painting by Hans Cranach

Portrait of a Lady of the Saxon Court as Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Hans Cranach, FAMSF—DETAIL

Detail of a painting by Hans Cranach

Portrait of a Lady of the Saxon Court as Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Hans Cranach, FAMSF—DETAIL

Detail of a painting by Hans Cranach

Portrait of a Lady of the Saxon Court as Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Hans Cranach, FAMSF—DETAIL

The Harvesters by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

When moving to New York for college, my first apartment was in Jackson Heights, Queens. The urban expanse and density, including thousands of people, offered much for an art student. I rode to and from Manhattan on the train experiencing daily life and viewing surroundings in a cinematic way. The many buildings, windows, streets—the contrast of residences, colorful individuals, families, and service people—impressed me. The distribution of wealth was evident. The neighborhoods illustrated economic exchange.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York holds the painting of Pieter Bruegel the Elder titled, The Harvesters. The artwork was completed by Bruegel with oil paint on wood. The work is 46 7/8”” x 63 3/4” inches. Bruegel is remembered for his depictions of everyday life.

New York City offered an echo of Bruegel’s peasants, each day a contact of people and ground with soulful painterly qualities.

The Harvesters is an expression of rest. The painting illustrates farm laborers gathering under a tree for lunch. Other field workers still attend to chores. One man walks on a pathway within the wheat of the fields. He carries two urns, presumably with water, for those who are gathered for lunch. His direction, his task, gives completion to the planning of lunch. The feeling is purposeful and joyful.

The Harvesters, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565, Oil on wood, 46 7/8 x 63 3/4 in., Rogers Fund, 1919, 19.164, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.NY

Under the tree we see people sitting on bundles of wheat holding bowls and spoons and eating a porridge of some kind. One of the workers is cutting bread. A man dinks from a vessel. The people sit in a circle, we are invited to imagine conversations.

On the opposite side of the tree a sleeping figure lays diagonally across the ground. He dozes vulnerably. His legs sprawl. The exposure speaks to tender feelings for humans—our needs, our beauty in just being people. The difficulty of life is evident in the man’s meaningful exhaustion, a ‘happy tired’. To work with virtue, and be tired for it, gains God’s blessing.

The sleeping man is a figure one perceives directly with sympathy yet it has power aside from emotional content. The position of the figure, at angle to the tree resembles a sun dial, or clock. The figure’s diagonal placement lends movement, a turning effect. The diagonal is strong.

Vulnerability of a figure is one of the most important components in Art. Throughout time artists have portrayed the strength and weaknesses of figures. For example, the Metropolitan Museum also has in its collection the Hellenistic sculpture, ‘Marble Statue of an Woman’. The attraction of the sculpture could be the character’s will, the way her face and body struggle to continue.

Bruegel’s sleeping man represents a delicate life balance, a wonderful sensitivity for humanity, our trials and tribulations.

The Harvesters has another feature I find compelling, the edge of the field. The golden field is in the process of harvest. Laborers are pictured at work. A figured is depicted with a scythe. The upright field is powerful compositionally as the edge moves in the scene, one is transported into the enclosed environment. The field with its comfortable edge builds a soft defense. One is nurtured by the color and feeling of the wheat.

Finally, Bruegel created distant space. Like his painting, ‘Hunters in the Snow’, the presented scene tapers far away to a nestled village. The foreground is an entry, one’s eye is treated throughout—eye and soul are brought together harmoniously—our visual pleasure and deep feeling. The painterly harmony is a song of tremendous value regarding a day’s work.

The Harvesters, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565, Oil on wood, 46 7/8 x 63 3/4 in., Rogers Fund, 1919, 19.164, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Citations:

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, “The Harvesters”, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, accessed November 24, 2024, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435809

“Marble Statue of an Old Woman”, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, accessed November 24, 2024, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248132

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, “Hunters in the Snow”, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, accessed November 24, 2024, https://www.khm.at/en/objectdb/detail/327/

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “The Harvesters by Pieter Bruegel”, November 24, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2024/11/24/the-harvesters-by-pieter-bruegel-the-elder

Portrait of Ruben's daughter Clara Serena

In 1985 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York held an exhibition titled Lichtenstein: The Princely Collections. Refering to the exhibit, and the accompanying book by John Philip O’Neil, the Metropolitan editor’s state, “For successive generations the Princes of Liechtenstein have been devoted collectors of art. The result of this tradition is a collection of masterpieces that in its depth and breadth mirrors more than four hundred years of European history and ranks among the world's greatest private collections.” The show featured many works of art. One of the galleries showcased the grand paintings of Peter Paul Rubens, the Decius Mus Cycle. I remember walking in the room and being captivated by the large paintings—the compositional activity.

The MET editor’s state, “Of the many memorable masterpieces that make up the Princely Collections perhaps the most notable is the great cycle of eight canvases by Peter Paul Rubens—the history of Decius Mus, the Roman consul—the only complete ensemble of this type now in private hands. Other works by Rubens in the collection include the beguiling portrait of the artist's daughter Clara Serena and the Assumption of the Virgin, a monumental work of Rubens's maturity.”

It was a marvelous room. Amidst all of the massive works was something so different in feeling, the small portrait of his daughter—-portraits have such magic, a gift of painting. Ruben’s touch with the brush was remarkable in all of the works, with the painting of his daughter it took my breath away. The depiction of her forehead as it rounds to meet the hairline, her penetrating gaze—with two different eyes, and the tones throughout.

Teaching painting for many years, I have books to share with students. A Time-Life book, The World of Rubens, with the image, proved to me a picture is worth a thousand words. Galleries have power in themselves, the dimensions of a room and the way exhibits are designed. The bravura of the paintings of that gallery were offset by the quiet conversation one felt when considering father and daughter engaged in the moment of painting.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Sammlungen des Regierenden Fürsten von Liechtenstein, editors. Liechtenstein: The Princely Collections ; [... Held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art from October 26, 1985 to May 1, 1986, Exhibition Liechtenstein: The Princely Collections]. Metropolitan Museum of Art [u.a.], 1985.

Portrait of Peter Paul Ruben's daughter, Clara Serena

Portrait of Clara Serena Rubens, Peter Paul Rubens, oil on canvas, about 1616, 37.3 x 26.9 cm, Lichtenstein Garden Palace permanent presentation.

The Time-Life book, The World of Rubens.

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “Portrait of Ruben’s daughter Clara Serena”, August 16, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2024/8/16/portrait-of-rubens-daughter-clara-serena

Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Tour

The Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Tour is a treasure of artistic connection. The Kansas City residence is intact, a time capsule. The Missouri State Park Service offers this explanation, “Thomas Hart Benton's life is present in both his home and his paintings, and both are preserved at Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site. A trip to the home and studio of the renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer and writer offers a glimpse into how the talented Benton lived and worked. Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, which remains as he left it. Visitors can still see coffee cans full of paintbrushes, numerous paints, and a stretched canvas waiting to be transformed into another of his masterpieces. Thomas Hart Benton died in his studio in 1975” (MSP).

The Benton site is on a tree lined suburban street in the Roanoke district of Kansas City. The home is nestled on a hillside.

The home and studio tour was preceded by a visit to the Nelson-Atkins Museum that included a viewing of Benton’s painting, Persephone. I was engrossed as soon as the tour started. In our party were the guide and three other individuals. A young man was an aspiring architect. I asked my traveling companion, my wife, to list five features of the tour she recalled.

He taught at the Kansas City Art Institute—-He used clay models to work out shadings for his paintings—-His wife Rita was a gracious entertainer, a former student, and one of the biggest champions of his art—-He became well-known after the World’s Fair and a subsequent Time magazine cover story—-His father was a prominent Missouri politician.

These are good points and capture much of the quality of Benton and his life.

He was successful. The arc of his journey included important mural projects. HERE is a link for a Metropolitan Museum of Art video about the acquisition of Benton’s work.

According to our tour guide, his wife Rita had a storage safe built in the basement to protect his art. She acted as a dealer showing and selling paintings in the home. Jackson Pollock, one of his students, became a friend to the family and sometimes watched the kids.

The tour started in the studio. It was fascinating to see how he worked, the simplicity of the space, articles he used, and hear explanations such as gray scale work-up paintings and clay models. He followed a process, his own, throughout his career.

When standing in the studio I was touched considering Mr. Benton working. Upstairs in the house the TV room was special as was the kitchen on the first floor.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Works cited: Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site, Accessed July, 19, 2024, https://mostateparks.com/park/thomas-hart-benton-home-and-studio-state-historic-site

Christopher Noey, Thomas Hart Benton’s mural “America Today” MET collects, YouTube, July 25, 2024, https://youtu.be/p1YLogEztHM?si=aoWjEItba6ExBxT2

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “Thomas Hart Benton Home Tour and Studio Tour”, July 25, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/thomas-hart-benton’s-home-and-studio-tour/

Museum Guard at the Nelson-Atkins Museum by Duane Hanson

Recently I visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City. It was a warm summer day, a Friday. The cool interior was a pleasure to experience. The museum is open until nine o’clock on Fridays. A notable feature of the museum were the attending personnel. When compiling notes I refrained from using the word guard, it sounded incorrect, the ‘guards’ were like ambassadors. I enjoyed conversing with multiple staff members. The museum has a pronounced sense of civic engagement.

Well, how funny it is for me to reflect on Duane Hanson’s Museum Guard. The sculpture surpirised me and in turn, Mr. Hanson’s piece reminded me of passionate college years studying artistic examples at museums. Art transports us.

The subject of Duane Hanson’s pieces, and it certainly is evident in Museum Guard, is the physical presence of an individual. This realization came home full on this visit as I was fooled by the figure. I was busy ‘seeing’ art and noticed the guard out of the corner of my eye. I felt the presence, and slight pressure of the institutional figure. It was not until I returned through the gallery that I realized it was a sculpture. “Wow”, I thought.

The encounter peaked my curiosity concerning the analysis of the piece. Formally it is in imitation of an actual guard, a super realistic representation. This analysis includes that I felt the presence of an actual guard. Moreover, of interet is the layer of social interaction of individuals, how interaction takes place and why. The figure evoked in me, as a museum attendee, a social code of behavior—how to behave. So, the figure is a construct of figurative presence and social modeling. One reads the figure and responds. This is the feauture of Duane Hanson’s work that is additionally significant, the way the sculptures capture the reality of characters within a social context, and, the viewer is cast as a member of a mini drama.

The Toledo Museum of Art has a sculpture from 1971 by Duane Hanson, The Executive. In a video discussion of the piece, Dr. Steven Zucker of Smarthistory states, “Here we are talking about this constellation of social events that we can easily construct around this single figure. The artist has been able to create a kind of archetype that allows us to understand the world in which he would have existed.” (3:13, Zucker). As viewers we are socially informed as we experience the sculptures.

One of the guards at the Nelson-Atkins spoke about visiting the museum as a youth in 1974, another guard spoke about working at a special wedding event, and another guard kindly gave us complimentary tickets to a special exhibit. Considering the sculpture of Duane Hanson has led to reflections on the dimension of a museum experience and the social role of museum personnel.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: Duane Hanson (American, 1925 - 1996), 1975, Polyester, Fiberglas, oil, and vinyl, 69 × 21 × 13 inches, Gift of the Friends of Art, F76-40, © Estate of Duane Hanson / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Works cited: Dr. Halona Norton-Westbrook, Toledo Museum of Art and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Duane Hanson, Executive, originally titled, Another Day," in Smarthistory, April 7, 2019, accessed July 19, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/hanson-executive/.

Cite this page: Drew Burgess, “Museum Guard at the Nelson-Atkins Museum by Duane Hanson”, July 19, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/museum-guard-at-the-nelson-atkins-museum-by-duane-hanson

Ohio Magic by Ben Shahn at the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum

When in New York City years back, a friend kidded me about noticing the amount of brick that was used in the structures of the city. Bricks, and bricks, and bricks. The Roman emperor Augustus stated, according to Suetonius, “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” Perhaps the quote illustrates a status of materials in visual culture.

Stacking materials is a primary way of building. American cities are a testament to stacking as are cities of the world.

Ben Shahn’s painting, Ohio Magic, screams brick in a quiet way. Brick is a material of the visual repertoire of the artist, Miners Wives of 1948 is also a good example of his technique of employing the stacked element as a visual device. In Ohio Magic the way Ben Shahn takes the time to draw the bricks including the layer that is on and within the surface is the magic of the painting. It is difficult to see online, there is a wall that is wedded to the picture plane. This layer speaks to a sense of the actual physicality of brick and also psychological walls.

The depicted buildings are recognizable in the context of American places. On the street is a church. Mr. Shahn’s unique artistic ability was the way he provided the regular with emotional movement. The perspective is confident and distorted at the same time. His works, in general, give a feeling of activity to static elements, a sense of life—with poetry. The dialogue of delicate lines and masses.

The bus is at odds with the street, seemingly going in a different direction. The perspective is distorted. The characters are a selection from a smorgasbord of townfolk, flags adorn the bus. No one is causing trouble and it is a humdrum moment.

Yet in a second floor window is a figure that signals there is a sensitivity at work, differentiated from the monotony of the brick, and the slow moving vehicle. The figure is presented within the frame of the window with their head resting at an angle, nurtured by the shoulder. The angle of the sitter’s head, the facial expression and gaze, are exquisitely rendered to portray a contrast to outside activity, the safety of a room, and a measure of lonely curiosity too. The linear presentation of the climbing plant reads as a suggestion of the inner life of the inhabitants. The natural element is echoed on the ground floor window, a floral display.

Viewing the painting my memory is sparked with a recognition of Shahn’s writing in his book, The Shape of Content. The depiction of the brick in this work is shape as well as content—it is the manifestation of his specific outlook and approach. I find it magnificent.

By Drew Burgess

Drew Burgess is an art instructor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.

Ohio Magic, Ben Shahn, 1945, Tempera on paperboard mounted on hardboard, 26 x 39 in. M.H. de Young Memorial Museum.

Additional resources:
https://www.famsf.org/artworks/ohio-magic Curatorial notes at the museum, M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, FAMSF, July 2024:

Cite this page as: Drew Burgess, “Ohio Magic by Ben Shahn at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum”, July 18, 2024, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/ohio-magic-by-ben-shahn