June 19, 2015
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ȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢ ȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢȢJune 19, 2015 INDEXES ON Newsstand Rate $1.75 Published by The Bee Publishing Company, Newtown, Connecticut PAGES 36 & 37 Alfred Maurer AT THE VANGUARD OF MODERNISM BY STEPHEN MAY Whistler intrigued Maurer as he tried to ANDOVER, MASS. — A good case can be separate himself from academic constraints. made that Alfred Maurer (1868–1932) was The best-known canvas of this period, “An America’s first Modernist painter. A gifted Arrangement” of 1901, earned rave reviews and daring artist, early in the Twentieth in New York and established Maurer’s Century he experimented with Fauvism, career. helped introduce French avant-garde art in Eventually abandoning his Whistlerian America and ultimately created revolution- style, Maurer began to work in a romantic ary, adventurous compositions that presaged Realist manner. An astute observer, Maurer experiments in abstraction. depicted everything from a rendezvous of a An excellent overview of Maurer’s diverse man and woman in a darkened café to a noc- oeuvre is offered in “Alfred Maurer: At the turne of Place St Michelle that resembled Vanguard of Modernism,” on view at the works by John Singer Sargent and Whistler Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips to a club scene of men — and a cat — gath- Academy Andover through July 31. Co-curat- ered around a somber shuffleboard game in ed by Addison curator Susan Faxon and an ambience reminiscent of John Sloan’s independent scholar Stacey Epstein, who iconic “McSorley’s Bar,” painted seven or single-handedly has revived interest in eight years later in New York. Maurer through this exhibition and shows at During a yearlong sojourn in New York, Manhattan’s Hollis Taggart Galleries, the 1901–1902, Maurer communed and exhibit- exhibition comprises 70 Maurer works. ed with the likes of Robert Henri, William Maurer was born in New York City, the son Glackens, John Sloan and other American of Currier & Ives artist Louis Maurer, who Realists. Like these future members of the executed representational genre scenes and Ashcan School, Maurer sought out scenes — came to dislike his son’s Modernistic images. primarily at the beach — populated by Young Maurer left school in 1884 to work in everyday folks, not the fashionable upper the family lithographic printing business, class portrayed at the shore by French and a year later began a decade of study in artists like Eugene Boudin. Maurer’s depic- academic art at the National Academy of tions of Coney Island (“a watering place Design. noted for its seedy crowds,” notes Epstein) Maurer sailed to France in 1897, staying and Rockaway Beach, equally swarming there most of 17 years, during which he was with working-class crowds, bore more resem- thoroughly immersed in the French avant- blance to Edouard Manet’s beach vignettes, garde movement. At the outset, Maurer, “Girls” and “Heads” that Maurer created in the 1920s fea- featuring simplified views of seaside whose friends called him “Alfy,” created fash- tured brightly hued and distorted figures of young denizens observed from unusual perspec- ionable portraits that owed much to James women, characterized by long necks, red lips and fashion- tives. Abbott McNeill Whistler — and a bit to able clothes, as in “[Three Women],” circa 1928. They were As early as 1904 Maurer was befriended by William Merritt Chase — and drew critical controversial in their day and make a lasting impression approval on both sides of the Atlantic. in this exhibition. Craven collection. ( continued on page 30 ) Maurer’s sense of abstraction and patterning is apparent in his early Maurer applied his knowledge of Fauvism to numerous brightly col- Fauve works, like “Still Life,” circa 1910. A riot of discordant colors and ored landscapes, including “Landscape (Autumn),” 1909. Here he spatial relationships, it brings to mind Matisse’s comments in a 1908 applied offbeat colors to the path, the hill to the right, all the time essay that paintings are about the “art of arranging in a decorative emphasizing the brilliant green of the dominating trees. Collection of manner the various elements at the painter’s disposal for the expres- the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of sion of his feelings.” Collection of Tommy and Gill LiPuma. Minnesota, gift of Ione and Hudson D. Walker. ADDISON GALLERY OF AMERICAN ART 44 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — June 19, 2015 This ingenious spinning top is made from walrus and whale tooth, panbone and rose- wood. Andrew Jacobson, Ipswich, Mass. Scrimshaw Weekend founder and organizer Stuart Frank with Ron Bourgeault. Review and Photos by Scrimshaw Weekend concluded with a trip “He must have been a snappy little dresser,” Ciara Fritsch Antiques and The Arts Weekly to Bourgeault’s Northeast Auctions to view of The Antiques Depot, Nantucket, Mass., said of the child the collection of the late Thomas Mittler of Laura Beach, Managing Editor who wore this circa 1900 sailor’s suit. Michigan. Swapping Marine Antiques Under The Sign Of The Whale NEW BEDFORD, MASS. — Melville and his great white more dealers next year. To my knowledge, there is only whale. After you finish shop- A handful of collectors waited one antiques show in the coun- ping, the culinary offerings of in line for the 11 am early try where exhibitors set up New Bedford’s vibrant Por- admission opening. More afi- under the dangling, skeletal tuguese community beckon at cionados followed at noon. remains of Kobo and Quasimo- the popular local restaurant Some of the best known buyers do, a 66-foot juvenile blue Antonio’s — for starters, try the of marine art and antiques whale and a 27-foot male chorizo stuffie — and at the spe- were already there — swapping humpback whale. This would cialty food market Amaral’s, to scrimshaw, nautical instru- be the Nautical Antiques Show name but two area attractions. ments and tools, whaling log- at the New Bedford Whaling Launched as a companion to books, ship models, photos, Museum, from crimpers to ditty the New Bedford Whaling paintings, prints and whaling boxes the most rewarding mar- Museum’s annual Scrimshaw memorabilia. ket anywhere for those who Weekend, now in its 27th year, Timed to catch enthusiasts love the sea. the Nautical Antiques Show coming from Brimfield, the This gem of a fair is small but returned for its sixth install- show closed on Friday at 6 pm, deep, intense but laid back. It is ment on Friday, May 15. Most after which the scholarly pre- set in one of the world’s out- of the 19 exhibitors, who spilled sentations got underway. The standing specialty museums in into three adjacent rooms, event’s perennial sparkplug, Dr a richly historic town awash arrayed their wares on table- Stuart M. Frank, spoke on David Weston Antiques, Cranbrook, England with references to Herman tops. Two exhibitors, Richard scrimshaw gathered by Presi- Donnelly and Sandy Moss, coor- dent John F. Kennedy. Satur- dinated the show on the muse- day’s presenters included Paul um’s behalf. They hope to have E. Vardeman on “Panbones and Whale Teeth: The Scrimshaw of Two English Masters of the Genre”; Richard Donnelly on “Farmer Goes a-Whaling: Non- Scrimshaw in the Fabulous Col- “My dad sold this tooth in 1971 for $375 before the Bank Note Engraver was identi- fied,” Parke Madden said of this attributed sperm-whale tooth decorated on one side “This portrait is almost certainly by Joseph Richard Donnelly of with a scene of a girl riding a dog and, on Whiting Stock. It came out of a house in Richard’s Antiques & Arts, reverse, a parrot. Paul Madden Antiques, New Bedford, Mass. We have the family his- Barrington, R.I., holds a Sandwich, Mass. tory,” Paul DeCoste said of this handsome pair of engraved walrus portrait of a sea captain. tusks. On one side are engravings drawn from Chuck Deluca of Maritiques women’s fashion illustra- Antiques Inc, York, Maine, tions. The figures on with a mid-Nineteenth Cen- reverse depict the bare tury cane carved with spi- knuckle boxers John C. ral turnings and a Turk’s Heenan and Tom Sayers. head finial. Hyannis Port, Mass., dealer Alan Granby’s “Loss of the Packet Ship Albion,” engraved by C. Tiebout after latest find was this scrimshaw panbone the painting by T. Birch, William H. Morgan, Arch Street, engraved with an American whaling scene. The show is paradise for scrimshaw collectors. Philadelphia. Charles Muenchinger, Central Falls, R.I. June 19, 2015 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly — 45 Carved and painted miniatures by Harry At Andrew Jacobson, Ipswich, Mass., a miniature carved Vreeland (1908–1982) and James Ahern (d gangway board, left and, right, coastal views by Clement 1963) at Ann Marenakos, Adelaide Fine Art, Drew and W.A. Vaughan. Darien, Conn. Sandy Moss offered this cribbage board decorated with the figure of a shaman on its underside. The walrus-tusk carving is inscribed to Timothy D. Sullivan from John Considine, Seattle, 1902. lection of Frederick Allen”; ed to Portsmouth, NH., to tour ures, for closer inspection. Frank on “Glimpses Behind the the scrimshaw collection of the Scrimshaw scholarship has Scrimshaw: Those Pesky late Thomas Mittler at North- advanced in the past four Scrimshandering Whalemen east Auctions. The assortment decades, in no small part and Some of the Other Stuff is documented in the beautiful thanks to the community of They Did” and Mary Malloy on new book Through The Eyes of enthusiasts gathered in New “More Yankee Scrimshaw from A Collector: The Scrimshaw Bedford. Polynesia.” Ipswich, Mass., Collection of Thomas Mittler by “I always enjoy coming to this dealer Andrew Jacobson gave marine arts authority Nina show. It’s a great way to meet his annual report on the mar- Hellman of Nantucket.