Docent Council Dialogue Fall 2012 Published by the Docent Council Volume XLIIl No 1

The Paris Salon Comes to the Wadsworth Atheneum

1 Inside the Dialogue

New Beginnings...... Diane Macris, President, Docent Council Page 3

Fall Message...... Charlene Shang Miller, Docent and Tour Programs Manager Page 3

A Docent’s Appreciation of Eric Zafrin...... JoAn Hagan, Docent Page 4

This Works for Me! ...... A Message from the Editors Page 5

This Works for Me: Presentations of Works of Art from Medieval to Monet...... Docent Contributors Pages 5-15

French Flicks: The Dialogue Goes to the Cinema...... Susan Meisler, Beth Malley Pages 7, 13

A Docent’s Recommendation-A Book Review...... Eugenia Villagra Page 11

ArTrivia and Daisy Scramble...... Sandy Voice, Beth Malley Pages 11, 15

The Art of French Cooking...... Leta Marks Page 16 A Docent’s Meal to Celebrate Medieval to Monet

Curtain Going Up on a Crime of Passion...... Sandy Voice Page 17

War? What War?...... Hope Vath Page 18

Docent Council Dialogue

The Dialogue is created by and for docents and provides a forum for touring ideas and techniques, publishing information that is vital to docent interests such as museum changes, and recording docent activities and events. The newsletter is published in Fall, Winter, and Spring editions.

Editorial Staff

Sandy Voice Co-Editor Copy

Beth Malley Co-Editor Layout and Graphics

Lillian Kezerian Associate Copy Editor

Contributors: Judy Barton, Nat Brody, Patty Day, JoAn Hagan, Leta Marks, Susan Meisler, Hope Vath, Eugenia Villagra

Cover Art: Joan Traverso

Photography: Donna Bozzuto, Pauline Arendt

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103-2990 www.wadsworthatheneum.org

2 New Beginnings Diane Macris, Docent Council President

In this, my first column as Docent Council President, I find As Eric Zafran begins his new life in retirement, he leaves myself thinking about new beginnings. In some ways, it us Medieval to Monet, which is sure to bring new visitors to seems a paradox to talk about new beginnings in the fall, a the museum and to inspire creative tours. time of year that could be thought of as more about endings. I look at the autumn clutter in my garden and see the end of Recently, I spent a pleasant afternoon viewing the re- the growing season—tired petunias, drooping daisies, creation of Monet’s garden at Giverny that has been at the overgrown grasses, a few brave roses still blooming. New York Botanical Garden since last spring. The garden Leaves are falling, winter is coming, the end of another has changed with the seasons, always beginning again with year. something new in bloom. I came away inspired and ready to view my tired autumn garden with new eyes, anticipating For the Docent Council, there have been endings, too. its transformation next year. We’ve said farewell to Katie Gallagher and Franceen Munson, who have resigned from the program, and to Every season offers the promise of new beginnings. We as Margaret Hoskins, who has changed her status to emeritus. docents know this. We see old, familiar works of art with We’ve also had to say au revoir to Eric Zafran. new eyes when they are placed in a new location or a new context. Every tour, whether it be “Learning to Look” or And yet, fall is about beginnings, too, especially here at the “Highlights,” is new each time we lead it. Autumn, winter, Wadsworth Atheneum. We have begun a new year of spring, or summer—every tour is a new beginning and a training and touring. We have officially welcomed a new new opportunity to share our love of the treasures of the class of docents. We look forward to the reopening of Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art with our visitors. galleries and to the opening of new exhibitions.

Fall Message Charlene Shang Miller, Docent and Tour Programs Manager Each fall, the anticipation of the new year brings an energy prefer teaching and to think about how they might move that is exciting and refreshing. That being said, 2012-2013 groups through the various exhibitions and installations that touring actually began in July with docents engaging he planned during his tenure. We will certainly miss his various tour groups including children participating in the energetic docent talks, erudition, and collegiality. Summer Community Studio program. Weekend/Evening docents continue to work with families during Second In other news, we honor Margaret Hoskins, who has Saturdays for Families and with adults for private evening become an emeritus docent after 20 years of enthusiastic events held at the museum. Fall now brings Museum on the and dedicated service. We also bid a fond farewell to Katie Move and Hands On! (formerly know as Art Matters) for Gallagher (class of 2004) and Franceen Munson (class of our school audiences. 2010). We thank both for their hard work and commitment. New exhibitions and installations continue to challenge and Finally, I want to pay tribute to Nick Ruocco, former inspire. Ahmed Alsoudani’s paintings in MATRIX 165 Director of Education, who passed away recently after a compel us to think, and interpret the experiences of chaos long illness. His appreciation for the work of docents ran and conflict. Recently installed in Avery Court Suite is Lee very deep. Docents have mentioned how they remember his Lozano’s Wave Series (1967–70), which provides a enthusiasm for art and his amazing talent for engaging contemplative experience between Pop and Its Legacy and people with the experience of looking at art. I see his The Minimalist Aesthetic. The newly reinstalled American influence when I observe docents with groups utilizing his art galleries on Avery third floor provide a logical tips for working with teenagers or paving the way for continuum from colonial times to the 19th century, placing dialogue. Nick once said in one of his trainings: “Be a part the Hudson River School collection into a larger context for of the dialogue, lead the dialogue, but disappear from the looking and teaching. dialogue. Encourage our audiences to take intellectual and emotional possession of the art.” Nick had a particular Medieval to Modern: French Drawings and Pastels in the talent for teaching in the galleries that was a joyful south side galleries of Morgan first floor and Medieval to encounter with art—inspiring others to see, to contemplate, Monet: French Paintings in the Wadsworth Atheneum in a and to “possess” the art in their own ways. Our work as reopened suite of galleries on Morgan second floor spotlight educators empowers others to learn to look, and he was a our remarkable French art collection that docents will enjoy great model for what we work very hard to achieve. touring. We celebrate the publication of the new catalogue Masters of French Painting, 1290-1920 by Eric Zafran, Curator of European Art, who retires after 15 illustrious years. Eric was always one to inquire what objects docents 3 A Docent’s Appreciation of Eric Zafran By JoAn Hagan

1997, Curator of European Paintings and Sculpture, 2005, Susan Morse Hilles Curator of European Art, 2012, Eric Zafran retires from the Wadsworth, Leaving a legacy of scholarship, elegance, and heart.

Passionate and knowledgeable about European paintings, American and Contemporary also stir his mind, A finger on the pulse of the museum art world, A Renaissance man, engrossed, refined.

Planning exhibitions that are creative, stellar: Michael Sweerts, Gauguin, Ballets Russes to Balanchine, Rembrandt’s People, Calder, Dali, Reunited Masterpieces—focused, pristine.

Installing exhibitions that engage and instruct us: Caravaggio and His Followers, Picasso to Pop, Dali’s Optical Illusions, The Surrealist Vision, Impressionists by the Sea make us pause at each stop.

Eric’s publications are scholarly and readable, The Honoraries From Calder in Connecticut to his latest to date, Standing: Beverly Greenberg, Eileen Pollack, Eric, Masters of French Paintings in the Wadsworth Atheneum, Julie Aldrich, Muriel Fleischman, Margaret Hoskins. Seated: Renee Dubin, Marilyn Stewart, Joan Brown, Give us information that is pertinent, first-rate. Emily Rankin, Gisele Miller. Eric’s acquisitions add distinction to the Wadsworth, Enriching the collection and serving it well: Duchesse de Polignac, Adam, Germination, Still Life with Lobster, Armida’s Spell,

The Sunset Effect on the Shores of Trouville, The Carpenter’s Shop, Alfred Sisley’s The Pike, Halle’s Holy Family, Trinquesse’s Interior, Ribot, Boilly, Piazzetta—what’s not to like!

Eric leaves the Wadsworth for his condo in Florida, A home base from where he’ll continue his zeal For travel, fine food, photography, and opera, And good friends to share a delectable meal.

Beginning and ending with Caravaggio exhibits, Eric, you’ve shown us your masterful touch. In line with the Wadsworth tradition of genius, You leave a rich legacy that signifies much.

4 This Works for Me! From: The Editors

It might work for you, too. Exchanging ideas of how to present our museum’s works to the various audiences we serve is probably the number one way we can improve our performance, both verbally and visually. Of course, experience, study, training, and observation count, too, but nothing inspires like word of mouth.

Idea swaps encourage us to refresh old approaches that may be growing stale or to take on works we’ve shied away from simply because we haven’t found a way to Claude Gellée, called Claude Lorrain make them come alive for our viewers. Unfortunately, Landscape with Saint George and the Dragon, c. 1643 most of us can’t spend enough time in the Docent Oil on canvas The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Lounge to participate in all the conversations that Collection Fund, 1937.2 build and strengthen our repertoires. • Who is the main character—the hero? Your feedback about new directions for the Dialogue • Describe what you see in the painting that tells you has prompted us to take on what we expect will be a this. Cover the following elements: color, size, where very valuable exchange of ideas. This first exchange St. George is in the painting, and light in contrast to focuses on our French masters. Future issues of the the muted colors of the landscape. Dialogue will range more widely across our collection. • What is he holding? How is he dressed? So think about what works for you and get back to us. • Who else is an important character in this drama? After all, sharing is a two-way street. Usually they see the young woman fleeing and later the dragon. • What in the painting tells you this? Include color of clothing, light, action, and position in painting. • What do her actions tell you that she is feeling and why is she running? How old do you think she is? Why do think Claude Lorrain has dressed her in such Claude Gellée, called Claude Lorrain delicate clothing? She appears frail, female, Landscape with Saint George and victimized, young, and innocent. the Dragon, ca.1643 What do you see that she is running from? Describe Audience: Middle School • By Leta Marks this creature in the foreground and explain what just happened? Look at the red color on his body. • Who else is in the painting? Where did they come Claude Lorrain was famous for his realistic from? Look in the background near the horizon and landscapes, but while this painting seems like a explain what you see there. Explain how Claude depiction of a serene, verdant countryside, when we Lorrain achieves distance in his painting (perspective look closely, a drama unfolds. Let’s assume that this and background colors). scene is the second act of a play. Let’s read the • What is the season? Explain what you see in the painting by looking closely at what the artist shows us painting that tells you this. through some of his choices, particularly color, the • What time of day is it? Where is the light coming composition, the placement and size of the people, and from? What time in history do you think this story the light. Looking carefully, our eyes are drawn into depicts? What objects in the painting might have this drama even though we see it from a distance. informed you of the time period? 5 • To achieve action, where does the artist first direct Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin our focus, and then where do our eyes take us? Our Still Life with Ray, Chicken, and Basket eyes follow the hero to the people at the left and then of Onions, ca. 1730 off into the distance. In addition, the river forms a Audience: High School, University, Adult By Nat Brody vertical line emphasizing the action and directing our eye from the hero to the others. When we look at the objects around us, we observe a sort of If this were live theater, what sounds would you liaison between them … which somehow make each of them • partake of a general harmony. hear? You might hear cries, screams, the roar of the Eugène Delacroix water, etc. To see Chardin … is to be reminded that lucidity, deliberation, • Think of this scene as Act II. Imagine what happened probity and calm are still the chief virtues of the art of painting. in Act 1. What do you think will occur in Act 3? Robert Hughes Now, tell us what you think happened in Act I of the Harmony and tranquility. These two characteristics are play, and what you think might occur in Act Three. the essence of Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin’s work. Now that you have told me what this drama is all about, I will fill share the whole story with you. St. In this work, Chardin painted the ordinary objects of George was riding through the countryside and found his kitchen – the massive table, copper cauldron, and out that each year the city had to sacrifice a young mortar and pestle appear in several of his still lifes. person to a dragon. As he came upon the scene, he saw However, even in this cozy scene of domesticity, you that the beautiful young woman in the painting, the can spot the hallmarks of Chardin’s work. Ask audience what the mood is and how it is conveyed. daughter of the city’s king, was going to be the next victim. Just in time, St. George bravely rode up, threw his lance, and killed the dragon, saving the princess from the frightening fire-breathing creature. The town celebrated its freedom from the dragon, but later our hero himself is the victim of persecution and is beheaded. He later became a saint for his heroism. (You may want to add that while this story is only a legend, there was a real Christian knight named George who later was made a saint for his heroism in battle and his martyrdom.) Claude Lorrain was born in France in 1604, spent time in Rome, and painted St. George and the Dragon in 1641. Can you find his signature in the painting? Look carefully and see if you can find his name. I hope you have enjoyed our drama today.

Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin Still Life with Ray, Chicken, and Basket of Onions, ca. 1730 Oil on canvas The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, 1940.353

Chardin’s still lifes afford endless contrasts leading to an ever-deepening experience of an ineffable tranquility and harmony. Do not be led astray by the apparently casual placement of these objects. What contrasts do you see? The massive horizontal table is bisected by the hanging chicken leading our eye from horizontal to vertical. The circular top of the cauldron 6 is mirrored by the circular top of the mortar. The French Flicks: slanted pestle is balanced by the oppositely slanted The Dialogue Goes to the Cinema cover of the cauldron. The colors in the painting exhibit subtle variations – note the copper of the The Intouchables Endless inspection of this work leads to endless By Susan Meilser discoveries. Based on a true story, The Intouchables describes the Chardin painted slowly, carefully constructing the surprising relationship between Philippe, a wealthy images of the objects from multiple layers of paint of Parisian paraplegic, and his reluctant health aide, different colors, often partially obliterating earlier Driss, a dynamic but destitute Senegalese emigrant. colors by the use of scumbled semi-opaque glazes. Philippe (played by Francois Cluzet) relies solely on Aside from the white of the ray, what other colors and facial expressions to display an astonishing array of or color variations do you see? Note the yellow, emotions from deep despair to pure joy. Driss (played mustard, grayish green, red and blue interspersed by Omar Sy) is a talented comedian and dancer. Each among the predominantly grayish white of the sea ray. character empowers the other and deeply affects those around him. Don’t miss the wonderful cinematography What about texture? Describe the varying textures of and an uplifting ending. the objects in the painting. The surfaces of his still life paintings have a granular impasto that captures their diverse textures. In the soft light that infuses the painting notice the gleam on the smooth texture of the copper cauldron and compare it to the somewhat rougher texture of the mortar. The plump feathered texture of the recently killed chicken may be contrasted with the slippery appearance of the ray. The Duchess Meets the Italian Girl? These objects have a palpable presence. They render A Compare and Contrast the ordinary extraordinary. Audience: Middle and High School, University, Adult There are several contrasts and comparisons that may By Patty Day serve as transitions to Chardin in a tour. Courbet’s seascape has a similar tactile quality. Hals is famous Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, for his blacks; Chardin for his whites. Mondrian and The Duchesse de Polignac Wearing a Chardin arrive at the same harmonious balance by Straw Hat, 1782 different means. Transcend the representational elements in Chardin’s painting and arrive at a view of a First, let’s spend just a little time observing this young richly textured surface of marvelously subtle color woman. variations that is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s action paintings. Use your body to assume her posture. How do you feel? How do you think she feels about herself? Look at the world through Chardin’s spectacles so prominent in the self-portraits of his old age and How would you describe her mood? The mood of the observe the possibility of the aesthetic transformation painting? What do you see that contributes to the of the ordinary objects that surround us. He elevates mood?(bright pastel colors, perky body language, homely objects to noble proportions. He inspires us TO pleasant smile, casual elegant dress, and a feathered LOOK, TO KEEP LOOKING, and TO LOOK hat). Having looked at this portrait, can you point out AGAIN. what and how the artist reveals about the subject’s position and character?

7 Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French Indolence or La Paresseuse Italienne (The Lazy Italian Girl), 1757

Next, we will look at another painting of a young woman in the 1700’s. It was painted by a Frenchman, Jean-Baptiste Greuze.

First, let’s observe everything about this young woman. Assume her posture and facial expression. How do you feel? How do you think she feels? What is her mood?

What do you think about this woman based on what you see in the painting? What clues does the artist give you to reveal her character and her position in life? (colors, line, shape, texture, body/facial expression, messy setting, unkempt appearance)

How is she like the duchesse? How is she different? Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun The Duchesse de Polignac Wearing a Straw Hat, 1782 Oil on canvas The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, acquired in honor of Kate M. Sellers, Eighth Director of the Wadsworth Atheneum, 2000-2003, 2002.13.1

What are the clues to her age, her status in society, and the period of history in which she lives?

We see the elements of color, line, and shape. Where do you also see texture?

Artists have always been interested in portray people. In their portraits, artists use elements such as body language, facial expression, costume, props, gesture, and setting to communicate a person’s appearance, personality, and societal role. Before the invention of photography, portraits were the only way to capture a person’s likeness. Those who could afford it often hired artists to paint portraits of themselves or their loved ones. Jean-Baptiste Greuze This portrait was painted in 1782, and the artist was Indolence or La Paresseuse Italienne (The Lazy Italian Girl), 1757 also a young woman, Élizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. Oil on canvas She was a friend of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, 1934.11 France. The Queen often asked Elizabeth to paint portraits of her other friends. The subject here is one of Let’s make sentences with compare (alike) and them: The Duchesse de Polignac. contrast (different) words (alike, but, both, similar, different). What is the artist telling us about his subject? Is he sending us some sort of moral message?

8 (With older audiences, you might want to talk about If we check the painting’s title, our guess is confirmed the fact that this is one in a series of four (two pairs) —The Schism means division, discord, and moralizing paintings.) disharmony. Because of their profession, another reasonable conclusion would be that their argument How is it different from the duchess’s painting? was on a matter of doctrine. The books were used to Greuze was famous for his “genre paintings”. These support or disprove various points of view. are pictures of everyday settings with everyday people in common activities. Like this one, they often have a moral, a message for the viewer.

Jehan-Georges Vibert The Schism, 1874 Audience: Middle and High School By Lillian Kerzerian Jehan Georges Vibert The Schism, 1874 What is the focus in this picture? We see two men, Oil on panel dressed in unusual clothes, seated back-to-back in The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner luxurious armchairs. [Omit the title for now.] Collection Fund, 1998. Can we guess who got the better of the argument, or How do we describe them? The face of the man on the thinks he did? The cardinal is not as stiff in his posture left shows concentration or is it something else. Anger as is the bishop. His dangling shoe may indicate perhaps? His hands are gripping the chair, his feet are impatience with the abbot, and covering his ears tells planted firmly on the floor. The other man is slouched us he doesn’t want to hear anything more. in his chair with hands over his ears, and his foot dangling one shoe. Vibert was a writer and dramatist as well as an artist, and his story-telling ability carries over into his What do we know of these men based on what we see paintings. He painted many religious satires, poking here? Viewers with knowledge of the Roman Catholic fun at the clergy and their indulgent lifestyles during a Church may recognize that the man in a white tunic time in France when contempt for clergy was such that and black biretta is a bishop, or an abbot. The other, humorous attacks were acceptable. The Schism, wearing a scarlet cassock and matching biretta, is a although small, is one of his best, with wonderfully cardinal, outranking the abbot. Clearly they are not witty observation. He renders objects and details ordinary persons sitting in an ordinary room. precisely as can be seen in the rich furnishings and Do we see anything in the painting that may give a tapestries. The faces show not only the emotions of the clue as to what has or is taking place? There are moment, but also give us a glimpse of the inner bottles on the table and a cork on the floor, so there has character of each man. He shows excellent technique been some socializing. There are also several weighty in expressing space, light, and perspective. books, on the floor and elsewhere. The body language Vibert’s work met the criteria of French academic art the artist so skillfully portrays leads us to guess there is and he submitted to the Salon until 1899. His early some disagreement between the two. output was grand historical paintings, most of which remained unsold. He earned popular success by 9 producing genre paintings, particularly caricatures of traditional schools. You might want to mention that pretentious elements of 19th century French society. A briefly talk about the subject matter in the context of skilled colorist, he prepared his own colors and Impressionism was made possible also because of the varnishes and wrote a book on the science of painting. invention of the paint tube that allowed artists to take their paints outside the studio.

Next, ask: What are the things that may entice an artist to paint outside? Talk about the joy of being near your subject, the camaraderie these artists experienced by painting together and the new, exciting reality that you Pierre-Auguste Renoir experience by seeing your subject matter up close. Claude Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil, 1873 Then ask: What are the challenges an artist can face Audience: Middle School, High School, outside? The clouds, the light changes, the weather, the University and Adult time of day and year. These were the challenges that By Beth Malley Impressionists took on as they studied the effects all of these factors had on color. They painted quickly, but they had a plan—they gave us “impressions” of what they saw and our eyes transform that impression from dabs of color into solid objects. Look at the flowers in this picture. You don’t see petals or the inner workings of a flower, you see a dab of paint that your mind’s eye translates into a flower.

Look at the paint—is it thin or thick? Look at the paint colors—what are the predominant ones you see? Look at the brush stokes—short or long? All of these together—the short brush strokes, the thick paint, the bright color palette, the focus on light and its effects on color, and subject matter that dwells on ordinary Pierre-Auguste Renoir Claude Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil, 1873 people outdoors in everyday scenes are the main Oil on canvas characteristics of Impressionism. The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, 1957.614 The subject of the work, Claude Monet, was the renowned artist of this approach to painting. He loved This is one of the Wadsworth Atheneum’s signature painting outdoors (en plain air), was dedicated to his works of art. Key learnings: style, and obsessed with light and how it affected color. He is known for his series painting: haystacks • Why this painting exemplifies Impressionism painted at different times of the year and times of day, • The characteristics of Impressionism and how the Rouen Cathedral, and over 250 paintings of his to recognize it beloved pond of water lilies. • An introduction to Monet and Renoir Have the viewers look at the work and talk about what Pierre-August Renoir, the artist, worked in the is happening. Where is the artist? What is he painting? Impressionist style, too. He believed that a “picture How is painting outdoors possible? Look carefully must be an amiable thing, joyous and pretty, yes because the clue is in the painting. Talk about the pretty.” He was adept at dappled light and the ability traditional way of working: sketching, mixing paints, to capture his subjects living life. Later in his career he and executing your painting in your studio. Also the left Impressionism and focused on painting nudes in 10 classical poses. Arthritis affected him severely, but he Pech Merle, France; CE 12, Britannia; Rome, Italy, attached the brush to his wrist and continued to paint. 1497; the Salon des Refusés, 1863; Paris, 1877, with Monet at the Gare Saint-Lazare; Auvers, 1890, to To understand the Impressionists and how they saw the witness Van Gogh’s “murder”; to October 2012 in New world, pick a tree that you pass each and every day. York City. Look at that tree in the morning, afternoon and evening all through the year. Watch how the light affects the The color blue is the primary theme that propels the colors and richness of the leaves and branches in all plot, but I have to nominate the book to the Guinness seasons and all types of weather. It is these variations Book of World Records for “most frequent use of the that you will notice that the Impressionist artists word ‘penis’ ” in a novel. Moore says it all with his studied and captured in their works of art. observation that “… Lucien Freud and Henri Toulouse- Lautrec were, indeed, wretched creatures with ethical compasses that pivoted around a point at their groins, which is to say, men….” You will thoroughly enjoy the witty dialogue as well as Moore’s skillful rendering of the demimonde of Paris.

Full disclosure: I did tire a bit of the locker-room humor, and at times wondered how to distinguish Un libre pour vous between the facts I recognized and the tales I did not. Docent‘s Recommendation In a 10 page afterword, however, Moore anticipated A Must Read! this—“I know what you’re thinking: ‘Well thanks loads, Chris, now you’ve ruined art for everyone”— and answered point-by-point the question every reader Sacré Bleu by Christopher Moore will ask, “What really happened?” By Eugenia Villagra Docents, just in case you are at all nervous about I just slammed shut the back cover of Sacré Bleu: A taking time out to read such a fun book, sacré bleu! Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore —grinning ear to Don’t despair! You can justify reading this book in ear— and jumped up to write this article with pleasure. preparation for the exhibition Medieval to Modern and Monet. Enjoy! If you like to learn about art, and if you also like to have fun and almost die laughing while doing so, this is the book for you. If not, well, tant pis. A r T r i v i a 1. Louis Anquetin’s teacher was what artist? The book is set in 19th –century France but, like a wild roller coaster ride, it veers off unexpectedly in all kinds 2. Where did Eugène Delacroix paint Bathing of directions in pursuit of the mystery of the sacré bleu Women? and its effect on the Impressionist artists. Along the 3. Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ Portrait of way you will meet fictionalized versions of the entire Ferdinand Philippe, Duc d’Orleans takes pantheon of Impressionists,and their supporters, place during which war? including Vincent and Theo Van Gogh, Renoir, Henri 4. Monet’s life as a painter began when he was Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Monet, Bertheé Morisot, befriended by ______? Seurat, Gauguin, Pissarro, Whistler, and even Oscar 5. To whom is this quote attributed? Wilde. You will make many fascinating art-historical Soyez mystérieuse stops from the heights of Montmartre to the depths of soyez amoureuse the Catacombs of Paris; from Paris to London, to et vous serez heureuse Rome, and to New York. The time period, though not chronological, ranges from as long ago as 38,000 BCE, The answers appear on page 19. 11 From this angle, the church appears shorter than trees that are located between it and us. However, in photographs and other Monet paintings, the church towers over nearby trees. Monet often created not just one picture of his chosen subject, but views from varying perspectives and at different times of day and year. The best examples of his fascination with the effects of perspective and light on his subjects are his series on water lilies, poplars, haystacks, and the Rouen Cathedral.

(You might want to show an example of a series.) As you can see here, he also was fascinated with reflections of objects on water, which he painted often. Monet was an Impressionist. Let’s discuss what that Claude Monet means in terms of this painting. Monet specialized in The Church at Vernon, 1883 Oil on canvas painting the changes in colors that variations in light Mr. and Mrs. Norbert R. Christel, T.L.1997.36.1 produce.

Claude Monet Sometimes this is called painting atmospherically— The Church at Vernon, 1883 capturing how the intensity of light at noon on a sunny Audience: Grades 4-6 day makes a scene differ from one with diffused light By Judy Barton on a cloudy day or slanting sun-rays in early morning or evening. Impressionists’ colors tend to be luminous. Vernon is pronounced with a French accent, roughly Their subjects are everyday scenes rather than history vair’no. Visitors may be more familiar with Vernon, or myths; and they tend to paint directly from nature CT, or Mount Vernon, VA, spelled the same but (en plein air) rather than sketching outdoors, then apparently of unrelated origin. I begin by placing the painting back in the studio. viewer in the artist’s shoes. You might contrast this painting with Claude Lorrain’s Can you tell where the artist was standing? Landscape with St. George and the Dragon (c. 1641), This exterior scene was painted in 1883, just after which is also in the exhibit, in terms of palette, texture, Monet moved to Giverny, a village near Vernon. and style. According to the Giverny website (giverny.org/monet/ welcome.htm), Monet seemed to move either on foot What’s the weather like in the painting? or by boat slightly down river with each canvas as if to Wispy clouds are in a blue sky. The water ripples. learn about his new environment. To paint this canvas, Poetry such as Christina Rossetti’s Who Has Seen the Monet placed his easel directly across the river from Wind? can help viewers understand how one can “see” the church. Monet returned to the scene some 10 years the breeze. later to recapture the church many more times. What colors did Monet use? Describe the position of the church in the He used blues, greens, whites, grays, pinks, a bit of neighborhood. red, and reddish brown. You’ll notice that Monet’s Here most buildings in the village are on the left at a subjects are not one solid color. The colors within distance from the church, with a few closer on the each object change depending on how the light hits right. each surface. For example, you can tell by their light Can you tell the size of the church? green color that the sun shone directly on the leaves of 12 a tree. In the absence of sunlight, what color are the French Flicks: leaves? The Dialogue Goes to the Cinema A French Movie not to miss! Look carefully at this painting: What color did Monet omit? Tell No One Although Monet used black early in his career, he By Beth Malley never used black in his Impressionist paintings, mostly Tell No One, based on the 2001 best-selling novel by because it was a color not found in nature. (Black to Harlan Coben, will keep you spellbound from the Impressionist eye, is simply the absence of color.) beginning to end. It is the type of thriller we don’t see often anymore--no special effects, no superheroes, just Would you paint tree trunks blue? a story that draws you in and holds on tight. It is Monet did. It’s important to remember that as an produced by Guillaume Canet, superbly acted and impressionist, he recreated the color he saw as light hit includes a wide array people from every level of an object. If the light turned the brown bark to blue, he French society. An innocent man is on the run after made the tree blue. he's accused of murder and his spouse seemingly returns from the grave. Alex Beck (François Cluzet) is Where is the light source that creates the shadows on a doctor who has slowly been putting his life back the buildings? together after his wife Margot was murdered by a The shadows are on the right, indicating that the sun is serial killer. Eight years on, Alex is doing well enough shining from the upper left. until he finds himself implicated in the murder of two people, with plenty of evidence pointing to him as the Describe the artist’s brushstrokes. killer even though he knows nothing of the crimes, and They tend to be short, horizontal, and layered. the plot thickens. This film was released in 2006, but so worth an evening’s time. You’ll find that the English How would you describe the lines in this landscape? subtitles cannot roll fast enough and the big dish of (I use a string to illustrate horizontal, vertical and popcorn is gobbled up quickly as the story unravels! diagonal.) Bonne nuit!! Monet places the horizon mid-picture. Horizon lines or most lines that are horizontal tend to impart calmness. Verticals, like the tree trunks, anchor our eyes. A few subtle diagonals lead our eyes around the scene. Try looking diagonally from the cloud formation in the upper left, past the edge of the trees and into the reflection. Although Monet doesn’t actually draw diagonals, you can see that they are implied. He also included curves in the scene, mainly Paul Cézanne in the clouds and tree foliage. House in the Country, ca. 1877-79 Audience: High School, University, or Adult Picture the painting hung upside down, reversing the By Susan Meisler “real” world and give your “impression” of what you House in the Country depicts a rural landscape in see. Provence. Seen through a screen of trees, this house on Can you think of any scenes in Connecticut that are the edge of a village may have belonged to the friend similar to Vernon? (Be prepared to give some of the artist. examples if your audience can’t think of any.) After looking quietly at this painting for at least a minute, ask participants to describe what they see. What is the subject? What possible moods does this 13 • The black, twisted branches emphasize the foreground. Where in the painting does this place the viewer?

Cézanne’s technique represents a departure from the airy, fluid brush stokes of Impressionism colleagues like Pissarro. Shrubs and grasses are painted in boxy green patches. Ochre-colored buildings, a dark doorway and windows are abstracted squares and rectangles. Cézanne seems more concerned with shapes rather than rural life. Considered as the father of modern art, Cézanne painted House in the Country over a three-year period from 1879-1882. The evolution of this controlled, constructivist style in this Paul Cézanne painting may have become an inspiration for Cubism. House in the Country, ca. 1877-79 Oil on canvas If there is time, compare the brushwork of this painting Anonymous Gift, 2001.1 with other rural landscapes or a Cubist work. painting evoke? Responses might include isolation, uneasiness, tension. According to Cézanne, “an art which isn’t based on feeling isn’t art at all…feeling is the principle, the beginning and the end; craft, objective technique—all these are in the middle.”

Imagine that this painting will become an image on a Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec book jacket for a novel. What kind of story does it tell: Jane Avril Leaving the Moulin Rouge, 1892 a mystery, a fantasy, or another genre? Write a title for Audience: Grades 10-12 By Sandy Voice this imagined novel that is based on what you see and sense? Participants should share their titles. I begin by asking my audience to assume Jane Avril’s stooped posture, lower their heads, and put their hands Following Cézanne’s train of thought, let’s talk about in their pockets for 30 seconds while they study the the feelings this painting evokes. Visual evidence painting. How do they feel? Depressed, sad. Is this should include the following observations that may how you would describe Jane Avril’s mood? lead to further inquiry about feelings. The consensus among students is usually yes. Her • The house is hidden behind a thickly painted, stooped posture, her lowered head, and her hands in dense screen of trees and untended shrubbery. her pockets contribute to her loneliness and sadness. No smoke comes from the chimney. Does anyone live there? Is there a suggestion of a What elements in the painting suggest her dark mood? figure in a dark doorway? • Somber almost morbid colors imply depression. • Although depictions of the French countryside • Strong vertical brushstrokes in the foreground are common, this version shows an absence of and background add to sense of flatness and rural life. There are no farmers and no animals. heaviness. How does this create a feeling of tension? • The figures receding into the painting’s • A cluster of shapes suggests a village in the background have their backs to her so that she distance, but the house seems appears isolated. • isolated. Has it been abandoned? • Two vanishing points give the impression she is standing on an island

14 notorious Parisian entertainer of her day. The subject of a number of Toulouse-Lautrec’s most famous posters, she was said to be slim, weightless, racy, slightly crazy, and neurotic but to have danced “like a delicious orchid.” (The can-can was considered a particularly naughty number since the high kicks put garters, stocking tops, pantaloons, and a bit of usually concealed female anatomy on display.)

Knowing this about Avril, does it change your perception of her in any way? How?

What do you think Toulouse-Lautrec is saying about Jane Avril’s offstage presence?

How do you think the artist feels toward his subject? How do you feel towards her? Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Jane Avril Leaving the Moulin Rouge, 1892 Essence on board Now you can wind down with a background of Bequest of George A. Gay, 1941.163 Toulouse-Lautrec covering his penchant for poster painting for which he is primarily known, his influence on French art, his profound insights into the • The space is shallow so that she seems to be trapped psychological makeup of his subjects, and his in her isolation. infirmities which drew him to such venues as the Moulin Rouge. • There are no shadows confirming her presence so it’s almost as if she doesn’t exist. Note: Since this is a pop celebrity portrait, you might want to think about contrasting it with an Andy Warhol What contribution does the cardboard play in portrait (even though he’s not French). portraying her mood? The cheap, drab brown which Toulouse-Lautrec uses exacerbates the heaviness of the colors giving the painting an unfinished look which in Daisy Scramble and of itself is rather depressing Unscramble the names of these French artists whose works are in Medieval to Monet! Hint: Last name first (Answers are found on page 19) What is the focus of the painting and how does it reinforce the mood? Toulouse-Lautrec has chosen to concentrate on her face which is sad, withdrawn, and 4. RHBUECO, 5. SNUSIPO, white. The facial white against the brown cardboard, SRNAFÇIO CLOANHIS pulls the viewer’s eyes toward her face.

What do you think Jane Avril does for a living? She 1. GEDAS, was a dancer who popularized the can-can at the 3. BTRCUEO, REDAG Moulin Rouge in Montmartre towards the end of the AVUGTSE 19th century. 2. LHLÉA, This is a portrait of a pop celebrity. Jane Avril was the NLËO stage name of Jeanne Beaudon, and she was the most 15 The Art of French Cooking • Wash and dry chicken. Brown in hot fat. Season with A Docent’s Meal to celebrate Medieval to Monet salt and pepper. Return bacon, cover pan and cook By Leta Marks, with help from Gourmet and Julia Child slowly for 10 min, turning chicken once. Uncover, pour in Cognac, and ignite with match. Shake pan back and forth for several seconds until flames subside.

Menu: • Pour wine into pan and add just enough bouillon to Escargot au Vin Blanc cover the chicken. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and Coq au Vin herbs. Bring to simmer, cover and cook slowly for Chocolate Mousse about 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender when Brie with Crackers pierced with a fork.

• While chicken is cooking, drop onions into boiling water, bring water back to boil, and boil for one Théodule Augustin Ribot minute. Drain, shave off two ends of onions, peel The Young Chef (Le Cuisinier aux Écrevisses), ca. 1860-70 carefully and pierce a deep cross in the root end with Oil on canvas a small knife (keeps onions whole when cooking). The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catline Sumner Collection Fund, by exchange, 1998.2.1 Heat 1-2 tbs. oil in a frying pan, add onions and toss for several minutes until lightly brown. Add water to reach a level halfway up onions and ¼ to ½ tsp salt. Escargots au Vin Blanc Cover pan, and simmer slowly for 25-30 minutes, or Boil together 2 cups dry white wine and 1 tablespoon until onions are tender when pierced with a knife. chopped shallot until the wine is reduced to ¾ cup. Strain through a fine sieve. Have ready 4 dozen canned • Separate caps and stems of mushrooms, wash rapidly snails and their shells. Pour 1 scant tsp. of the reduced in cold water and dry. Cut caps into quarters, stems wine in the bottom of each shell, replace the snails in into bias pieces. Heat butter and oil in frying pan; their shells and close these with parsley butter, made when bubbling hot, toss in mushrooms and sauté by creaming together ½ lb. butter, a few drops of over high heat for 4-5 minutes. lemon juice, and ½ cup chopped parsley. Put the prepared snails in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, or • When chicken is done, drain out cooking liquid into until heated through. a saucepan. Skim off fat and boil down liquid (if necessary to concentrate flavor) to about 2¼ cups. Coq au Vin (4-6 servings) Remove from heat. Blend 3 tbs. flour and 2 tbs. 3-4 oz. bacon 2 tbs. oil softened butter together in a saucer and beat into 3-4 lbs. chicken (cut into 8 pieces) cooking liquid with a wire wisk. Simmer, stirring for salt, pepper ¼ cup Cognac a minute or two, until sauce has thickened. Add 3 cups Burgundy (or other red wine) onions and mushrooms and simmer a minute. Taste 1-2 cups beef stock or bouillon and add salt and pepper if needed. Chicken is now 1 tb. tomato paste 2 cloves mashed garlic ready to serve. Reheat or refrigerate for a day or two ¼ tsp. thyme 1 bay leaf covered. 12-24 small white onions 1-2 tbs. oil ½ lb. mushrooms 1tbs. butter • To serve, bring to simmer, basting chicken with ½ tbs. oil sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4-5 minutes. Don’t overcook. Serve from casserole or arrange on • Sauté bacon in flameproof casserole with oil. When heated platter. Decorate with parsley and serve with lightly browned, remove to side dish leaving fat in parsley potatoes, rice or noodles; green peas or green pan. (I do all this browning in an iron skillet and then beans; French bread and of course a good red wine. I transfer to casserole.) like to serve a green salad with an oil, Dijon mustard, 16 • lemon juice, fresh ground pepper, and a touch of Curtain Going Up on a Crime of Passion white Balsamic vinegar dressing for first course. From La Gazette de Paris* By Sandy Voice Chocolate Mousse Melt together in the top of a double boiler ½ pound Paris, November 18, 1790—Last night cheers and semisweet chocolate, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup water. catcalls rained down on this revival of Voltaire’s Stir until it is smooth and velvety and thoroughly Brutus as the Comedie Francaise’s curtain went up on blended. Remove the pan from the heat to a pan of a scene familiar to visitors to last year’s Paris Salon. cold water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is cool. The stage set that greeted the audience was so flawless Add 5 well-beaten egg yolks and 3 teaspoons of in its recreation of Jacques-Louis David’s monumental vanilla extract. The mixture should be semi fluid. If it painting, The Lictors Bringing Brutus the Bodies of is too firm, add 4-5 tablespoons tepid milk. Beat 5 egg His Sons, one could hear sharp intakes of breath and whites until stiff and fold the chocolate mixture gently murmurs of recognition throughout the audience. At a but thoroughly into them. time when the National Assembly is in the process of Pour mousse into individual glasses or coupes and chill expunging the Old France, David’s painting has for 6-8 hours. become a lightning rod for conflicting loyalties. Does Then you need a strong demitasse of coffee. one remain loyal to the Ancien Régime or support the burgeoning revolutionary movement? Which comes Brie and Crackers-serve on the side. first in the hearts of the French people—family or Bon soir, Mesdames and Messieurs. Bon appétit. political principle?

Voltaire’s play tells a horrifying story set in 500 BCE. The time depicted is the first years of the Roman Republic. Its consul Brutus (not to be confused with the later assassin of Julius Caesar in 49 BCE) has discovered that his own sons are involved in a plot to restore the discredited Tarquins, who had been kings of Rome before the establishment of the Republic. Principle vanquished family sentiment, and Brutus relentlessly severed family ties by ordering the beheading of his three sons. The sovereignty of patriotic duty over weak, feminine sentiment is underscored by the plain Tuscan column that dramatizes the gender divide. Brutus and the lictors remain in the shadows; the women are lit by their passionate distress. Brooding grimly and implacably in the darkness, Brutus has turned his back on the bodies of the children killed on his orders, but the tragic conflict that rages within manifests itself in his tightly twisted feet. All of the consul’s repressed agony is released in the tormented figures of the mother, wife, and sisters who are thrown bodily into their horror like figures from a Workshop of Jacques Louis David Greek tragedy. One of the sisters faints dead away, The Lictors Bring Back to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons, Late 18th Century another holds her hands before her face to prevent Oil on canvas herself from seeing the spectacle of death. Just as it The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, 1934.34 did in David’s composition, the arm of the mother of 17 the sacrificed children with its exquisite, pathetic hand War? What War? commands center stage. She is washed by light, while By Hope Vath the stonily enthroned statue of Mother Rome with her sons Romulus and Remus at her feet sits silently in the It’s hard to believe when looking at happy, light-filled shade, intervening between the father and sons, Impressionist paintings of the early 1870s that at this between natural feeling and civic duty. time France was suffering defeat after defeat during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. The Second There is one more piece of business in both the play French Empire of Napoleon III had declared war on and the painting that dramatizes this narrative of torn Prussia on July 19, 1870, following years of tension, allegiance. Set on the tablecloth, a lake of blood red, is and Prussia was soon joined by other German states. a still life of a basket of needlework and cloth, the During the siege of Paris, which started in September symbol of hearth and home, of family life, and of 1870, the city was burned and bombed by German feminine duty and care. Plunked right in the center of troops and no supplies were allowed to enter the city. the basket is a pair of scissors gleaming with dull Parks were stripped of trees for fuel, and the besieged menace. Is this a sign of more bloodletting to come? people were forced to eat zoo animals and rats. More Is it perhaps a reference to the guillotine, France’s than 36,000 people starved. brand new instrument of capital punishment? The Commune, the reform government set up by Brutus was cheered by those Republicans in the Parisian Republicans following the fall of Paris on audience who applauded him for his loyalty to the state January 28, 1871, was brutally repressed by French and the subversive Voltaire whose enlightenment- National Guard troops and civil war broke out, styled sentiments about the rights of man are widely resulting in the execution of more than 20,000 people. echoed on the Paris streets. Boos came from the At the end of the war, casualties totaled 756,285 Royalists who continue to believe in the divine right French and 116,696 Germans. A terrible toll, but aside of kings to rule. In these unsettled times, it’s hard to from the few exceptions noted below, you won’t find tell who will triumph in the end. shock and outrage represented in Impressionist art. The Voltaire’s beliefs, much to the annoyance of the Impressionists just didn’t include social commentary in monarchy, have always been clear. David’s are their luminous landscape paintings and scenes of ambiguous, although rumors abound that Brutus is his everyday life. declaration of allegiance to the Republicans. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the painting was a crown commission. However, the events of the last year have moved it in the direction of the play. Both painting and play are now seen to be profoundly anti-monarchial, represented by the incorrigible, corrupt, licentious, and despotic Tarquins, the off-stage villains who are seen to have brought us this revolution. ------*This is a fictitious publication. Hopefully, its reportage was more objective than mine. Actually there was a newspaper called Eugène Boudin La Gazette which was somewhat of a monarchist rag being The Beach at Trouville, 1863 concerned mainly with life and policy preferences among the Oil on panel royals. It failed to report the fall of the Bastille and the oncoming The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund, French Revolution. 1948.385

Manet, Degas, Renoir, and Bazille served in the Army, but only Manet showed his feelings about the war by protesting the suppression of the Commune in some lithographs. The Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest) has 18 a watercolor/gouache titled The Barricade, depicting a Answers to ArTrivia summary execution of Communards by Versailles (the 1. Edouard Manet, 2.On the estate of writer George Sand, 3. The Hundred Years War, 4. Eugene Boudin, 5. Paul seat of the government) troops. This painting is based Gauguin: Inscription carved on the doorway of the South on a lithograph of the execution by a Mexican firing Seas house where he died. squad of Maximilian, a Hapsburg emperor who had Answers to Daisy Scramble: 1. Edgar Degas, 2. Noël Hallé, 3.Gustave Courbet, been installed in Mexico by Napoleon III. Manet also 4. François Boucher, 5. Nicholas Poussin produced three oil paintings of this subject. As an indictment of formalized slaughter, the paintings look back to Goya’s Third of May and anticipate Picasso's Guernica. A similar piece, an oil painting on plywood also called The Barricade, is owned by a private collector.

Pissarro, a Socialist with strong anarchist leanings, had Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art much of his work destroyed when his studio was Coming Exhibitions 2012-13 * turned into a slaughterhouse and his canvases used as aprons, but you won’t find any bloodshed depicted in Ahmed Alsoudani/MATRIX 165 his paintings. Monet painted The Highway Bridge Through January 6 Under Repair in 1872 after moving to Argenteuil in December 1871. French troops had blown up the Medieval to Monet: French Drawings and Pastels bridge as they retreated to the capital hoping to deter Through January 27 the enemy. Monet’s painting shows his interest in the Medieval to Monet: French Paintings reconstruction of the town’s lifeline and symbol of October 19-January 27 France’s loss. Contemporary Memories: Selections from the Many Impressionists seem hardly to have been Collection of The Amistad Center for Art & Culture touched by this terrible time and showed little political October 28-April 21 commitment. They simply moved away from the action, continued painting their peaceful landscapes, Connections Gallery: Still-Life and depicting the middle class at leisure. January 19-June

Here’s where the Impressionists spent the Deb Sokolow/MATRIX 166 war years (1870-71). February 7-June 2

Burst of Light: Caravaggio and His Legacy • Renoir was called up and posted to Bordeaux with the 10th March 8-June 16 Cavalry Division. • Bazille enlisted in the 1st Zoave Regiment and was killed in Hartford Youth Art Renaissance action at age 29. April 20-May 19 • Degas enlisted in the National Guard and was posted with the artillery (although he was nearly blind in one eye). • Manet enlisted as a lieutenant in the National Guard. Emancipation! • Mary Cassatt returned to the U.S. Opens May 18 • Monet, who was a fierce opponent of Napoleon III and didn’t want to risk his life fighting for that regime, moved to London. • Cézanne took refuge from conscription in L’Estaque. *Subject to change • Durand-Ruel, the dealer, moved to London with a large collection of pictures, some given to him for safekeeping. • Pissarro and his family stayed with a friend in Brittany before moving to London. • Sisley stayed in Louveciennes or Bougival and also spent FIN!! some time in Paris 19 20