Schedule of Illustrated Art Lectures Winter/Spring 2014

Community SpeakerS program DoCent CounCil of the fine artS muSeumS of San franCiSCo

Schedule of Illustrated Art Lectures

Winter/Spring 2014

georgia o’keeffe, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. 2, 1930. oil on canvas. the national gallery of art, Washington. image courtesy of the national gallery of art, Washington

Docent Council Community Speakers program

presented by the Docent Council of the fine arts museums of San francisco, the Community Speakers program features lectures written and delivered by docents. these lectures are delivered on site at the de young museum and the legion of honor and are also offered on location to community groups throughout the Bay area. We offer more than 100 lectures on different topics, primarily pertaining to the museums’ special exhibitions and collections. Community Speakers docents are ambassadors to the public, and our goal is to encourage viewers to visit the museums. We have a longstanding tradition of excellence, education, and entertainment, imparting both enthusiasm and expertise in our presentations.

Contents

Special exhibitions....................................................................................................................................................................................3 Special exhibitions....................................................................................................................................................................................4 new lectures ..............................................................................................................................................................................................4 art through time: the history of art................................................................................................................................................5 arts of the ancients: egypt, greece, rome, and the holy land .........................................................................................6 arts of africa, oceania, and the americas.....................................................................................................................................6 traditions in europe..................................................................................................................................................................................7 traditions in europe..................................................................................................................................................................................8 traditions in europe: impressionism................................................................................................................................................9 traditions in europe: impressionism.............................................................................................................................................10 art in Bloom............................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Sacred art .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 a proud heritage: art in america................................................................................................................................................... 12 a proud heritage: art in america................................................................................................................................................... 13 art in California.........................................................................................................................................................................................14 local Color................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Women artists, Women Subjects...................................................................................................................................................16 photography and graphic arts: prints, Drawings, and Works on paper ..................................................................... 17 art in the third Dimension: Sculpture and Contemporary Craft.....................................................................................18 european treasures: furniture and the Decorative arts ....................................................................................................19 american treasures: furniture and the Decorative arts.....................................................................................................20 elements of art........................................................................................................................................................................................20 Celebrations..............................................................................................................................................................................................21 the fiber arts: fashions and embellishments.........................................................................................................................22

For fees and to schedule a lecture, contact Kay Payne:

650-384-6649 | [email protected]

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Special Exhibitions

Winter/Spring 2014

Modern Nature: Georgia O’Keeffe and Lake George

from 1918 until the early 1930s, georgia o’keeffe retreated annually to alfred Stieglitz’s family estate on lake george in upstate new york, where she reveled in the discovery of new subject matter and found respite in the rural setting without the distractions of city life.

o’keeffe’s

Modernism from the National Gallery of Art: The Robert & Jane Meyerhoff Collection

Among the nearly 50 ﬁrst-

ranked works featured are

frank Stella’s Flin Flon IV, Jasper Johns’s Perilous Night, and roy lichtenstein’s Painting with Statue of Liberty.

the centerpiece of the exhibit is Barnett newman’s

landmark 14-canvas series

The Stations of the Cross,

widely considered to be the artist’s most important work. the meyerhoffs provided the

funds for the purchase of the series in 1986 as their ﬁrst gift to the National Gallery. Presented in a discrete, chapel-like room

within the exhibition, the works will be experienced by visitors as the artist intended, displayed as an entire work in an intimate, contemplative space. experiences there inspired one of the most transformative and productive periods of her career, energizing the development of her signature modernist style.

de Young • February 15–May 11, 2014 de Young • June 7–October 12, 2014

Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art

Intimate Impressionism includes

nearly 70 treasured paintings by

19th-century avant-garde artists.

the exhibition features a selection of intimately scaled impressionist

and Post-Impressionist paintings,

still lifes, portraits, and landscapes

Left, top to bottom:

georgia o’keeffe, Lake George, 1922. oil on canvas. San francisco museum of modern art, gift of Charlotte mack. © georgia o’keeffe

museum / artists rights Society (arS), new york

Berthe morisot, The Artist’s Sister at a Window, 1869. oil on canvas. ailsa

mellon Bruce Collection, national gallery of art, Washington

Above:

Burgoyne Diller, First Theme, 1964. oil on canvas. Collection of robert and Jane meyerhoff, national gallery of art, Washington, 1994.82.2

whose charm and ﬂuency invite

close scrutiny. included are

signiﬁcant works by Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro,

georges Seurat, and Vincent van gogh. many paintings in the exhibition were displayed in domestic interiors, and they often became gifts shared among friends.

Legion of Honor • March 29–August 3, 2014

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New Lectures
Special Exhibitions

Lines on the Horizon: Native American Art from the Weisel Family Collection
What’s the Story? Narratives in Works from the Permanent Collection

the thomas Weisel family Collection is an extraordinary collection of native american art, spanning 1,000 years of artistic

production from 11th-century Mimbres ceramics to 20th-century

works by recognized artists such as nambeyo, with additional
Discover lively stories from the old testament, the new testament, classical legends, italian and french poets, and american historical

ﬁgures. There’s more: Who inspired

The Thinker? Where is “Carlotta

Valdez” from the movie Vertigo? it’s all in this illuminating presentation of narratives seen in fine arts museums artworks. masterworks of navajo weaving.

de Young • May 3, 2014– January 4, 2015

Shock of the Modern: Alfred Stieglitz and His Circle

travel back in time 100 years to meet alfred Stieglitz,

photographer and modern-art impresario. A master at

recognizing and nurturing talent,

Matisse from SFMOMA

This single-gallery installation

features 23 paintings, drawings, and bronzes by henri matisse from the internationally acclaimed collection at the San francisco museum of modern art, joined by important paintings and drawings from the collection of the fine arts museums and local collections. the exhibition traces four decades of matisse’s career, from a still life inspired by paul Cézanne to his richly patterned depictions of interiors.

Stieglitz was the ﬁrst to bring works

by picasso, matisse, and other important european artists to american shores. the Stieglitz Circle included american artists marsden hartley, Charles Demuth, arthur Dove, John marin, paul Strand, and georgia o’keeffe.

Legion of Honor • Through September 7, 2014

Women Sculpted, Women Sculptors—From Object to Artist

Since the mid-19th century, American women have pursued

careers in sculpture that often looked to the past, but also brought powerful, new, and

Above, top to bottom:

Vessel, mimbres, 1000–1150. earthenware with pigment. gift of the

thomas W. Weisel family to the famSf, 2013.76.168

important voices to the medium. We will look at both women sculpted and women artists from the collection of the fine arts museums.

henri matisse, Young Woman in Pink, 1923. oil on canvas. famSf,

memorial gift from Dr. t. edward and tullah hanley, Bradford,

pennsylvania,. 69.30.134

Right, top to bottom:

auguste rodin, The Thinker, ca. 1880, cast ca. 1904. Bronze. famSf, gift of

alma de Bretteville Spreckels, 1924.18.1

Charles Demuth, From the Garden of the Château, 1921, reworked 1925. oil

on canvas. famSf,1990.4 karen lamonte, Dress 3, 2001. Cast glass. famSf, 2005.163.41

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Art through Time: The History of Art

melramos,

Picasso to Pop: Liberation of 20th-Century Art

georgia o’keeffe, Jackson pollock, and andy Warhol were

all inﬂuenced by early 20th-century European modernists

such as pablo picasso. this lecture demonstrates the connections between european and american art through the 20th century.

Superman, 1962. oil

on canvas. famSf,

museum purchase, Dr.

leland a. and gladys k. Barber fund and

americanarttrust

fund, 2004.2

Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris

pablo picasso’s paintings and sculptures are both personal and emblematic of the era in which he lived. this lecture includes iconic works from all eras of the artist’s career—his Blue and rose periods, Cubism, the war years—up to his late works produced in the South of france.

On Common Ground: The Fertile Landscape

this lecture explores the relationship between the artist and the land through paintings from the 16th century to the present, many from the collection of the fine arts museums. these works demonstrate the variety of techniques and styles that make the landscape tradition so rich.

Art in Our Times: A Century of Change

What work of art is the most representative of contemporary times? Who is our most important artist? this lecture examines the explosive creativity in an era of rapid changes and advances, war, technology, and shifting identities.

Skepticism Is a Virtue
Action and Reaction: The Avant-Garde at the Turn of the 20th Century

What makes progressive art not just new and different, but

something that will have a long-term impact? Something

that will make future artists act and react? this lecture puts works by Cézanne, Van gogh, matisse, picasso, and others into the context of their times.
Contemporary art provokes many questions and a variety of responses. using images from the permanent collection at the de young, this lecture invites you to consider and discuss the question “What is art?” Why is a particular piece of art in the museum? Will it be there in 50 to 100 years?

The Subject Is Art!

artists ancient to contemporary have looked to fellow artists and the art world for inspiration and points of departure. See how they have used these sources to stimulate new works.

European Paintings: A Dime-Store Legacy from the Kress Collection

the single most important gift of art in our nation’s history came from the kress Collection. from this gift, the fine arts museums received a superb selection of old master paintings, making its holdings a “mini–national gallery.”

David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition

Hockney is the best-known British artist of his generation.

featured are landscapes picturing the agrarian settings of his beloved england, as well as portraits of friends and family members. also highlighted is hockney’s use of new technologies in his art, featuring photoshop portraits, digital videos, and landscapes created using the ipad.

Portraits with a Purpose

Some portraits ﬂatter, others caricature, and still others

were done as an act of revenge. take an entertaining look at these artworks—glamorous and elegant, commanding and supercilious—and hear intriguing stories, fascinating facts, and amusing anecdotes about the art of portraiture.

The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism

the paley Collection at the museum of modern art, new york, includes major works produced between the late 19th century and the 1960s, with artists from the french school of modernism strongly represented—such as Cézanne,

Matisse, Picasso, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Gauguin.

Two of a Kind: Couples Creating Art

auguste rodin and Camille Claudel, gilbert and george, alfred Stieglitz and georgia o’keeffe: these couples all enjoyed a common passion for life and art, often sharing

inspirations and even speciﬁc works. Look at eight different artist-couples, their lives, and their art together and apart.

Georgia O’Keeffe: An American Original

this lecture focuses on georgia o’keeffe’s sensuous regard

for objects in nature, from ﬂowers to skulls, featuring her

famous oversized blossoms.

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face mask, early 20th century. Central gabon, Vuvi or Sango people. Wood, paint,

and ﬁber. FAMSF, Blossom and Dwight

Strong Collection, 2008.54

Arts of the Ancients: Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Holy Land

Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum

this lecture covers objects spanning 3,000 years, including the earliest pharaonic portrait of a king, from the first

Dynasty; some of the best-known examples of funerary art;

papyrus sheets from the Book of the Dead; a roman panel portrait; and jewelry, mirrors, and cosmetic containers.

Queens, Maidens, Matriarchs: The African Woman in the de Young

Women’s many roles as maidens, mothers, goddesses, and queens have inspired african artists for centuries.

Using materials at hand, these artists reﬂect on women’s

increasing visibility in the spiritual and political realms while

afﬁrming the beauty, wisdom, and majesty of women within

traditional and contemporary african cultures.

Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh

hatshepsut claimed full powers of the throne and assumed the title of “king.” this lecture focuses on her royal and personal objects, including statuary, monumental sculpture, ceremonial objects, furniture, and dazzling jewelry.

Oceanic Treasures from the Jolika Collection

the de young is home to hundreds of new guinea art masterworks from the Jolika Collection of John and marcia friede of new york. this large and encyclopedic

assemblage of rare pieces is currently one of the ﬁnest

such collections anywhere in the world. prehistoric and ceremonial objects are included, as well as artwork created within the past 50 years.

Women Yesterday: Living in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome

this look into the public and private lives of women living in the ancient era presents them within the historical and cultural contexts of their times. generations of women whose identities are now lost are seen through images and objects that express the range of their experiences, the quality of their lives, and the spirits of their souls.

Soccer, Sweets, and Salsa: The New World’s Gifts to the Old

Bouncing balls, roasting potatoes, frothy hot chocolate—the bounty of the ancient americas is portrayed in the arts of

the pre-Hispanic world.

Rediscovering Tutankhamun: Amateurs, Tourists, Looters, and Archaeologists

the discovery of ancient egypt’s artifacts is a story of buried treasure, looting, intrigue, and scholarship. in addition to the “wonderful things” found by howard Carter in 1922, tales tell of the spectacular rescue of egypt’s monuments from the ravages of time as well as the greed of mankind.

Teotihuacan: City of Gods and Mysteries

From massive pyramids to miniature ﬁgurative sculptures, the art treasures from the ancient Mexican city-state of

teotihuacan are spectacular.

Yua: Art of the Arctic

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

eskimo and inuit people believe all living things, even inanimate objects, possess yua, a spirit or soul. Carved

masks, sculptures, and everyday objects reﬂect not only their time-honored beliefs and traditions, but also their

gratitude and respect for the spirits, animals, land, and sea.

I Am Not Myself: Masks and Masquerades

a part of human culture for thousands of years, masks or their images appear in art of every kind. humans are the only species that consciously changes identity by donning masks or costumes in rituals for communing with the worlds of the spirits, the gods, or the dead.

From Here to Eternity: Honoring Our Ancestors in Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

how and why do we remember our ancestors? Do we know who they are? this presentation starts to answer those questions as it explores how african, mesoamerican, and oceanic cultures revere their ancestors through art.

Artists in the Rain Forest: Creating the Maya World

Daring and enduring architectural achievements in cities and ceremonial centers; portrayals of war, ritual, and belief; monumental and intimate renderings of the noble and the lowly in ceramic, stone, and paint—maya artists and master builders created a visual world whose remnants still move us with their perception, power, and imagination.

With These Hands: Southwest Pottery

early Southwest pueblo pottery was used for religious and utilitarian purposes, and pueblo women handed down techniques for creating it to the next generations. today

Pueblo pottery has evolved into a ﬁne art that is collected

and admired, such as the examples on view at the de young.

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Traditions in Europe

All Power to the Imagination: A Review of Surrealism and Its Connections to Oceanic Art

This lecture reviews Surrealism, which ﬂourished in the early

20th century, and its major players. it highlights works in the fine arts museums’ collection by artists such as enrico Donati, roberto matta, and Joan miró, and explores how oceanic art inspired them.

Visiting Vermeer: A Journey to the 17th Century

Journey back to the Delft of holland’s golden age, where you will witness everyday life and pass the time with Johannes Vermeer, pieter de hooch, Jan Steen, and other

artists whose glorious works reﬂect their 17th-century world.

konstantin makovsky, The Russian Bride’s Attire, 1889. oil on canvas.

famSf, bequest of m. h. de young, 53.161

Masters of Venice: Renaissance Painters of Passion and Power from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
Vive la France! The French and Their Painting

explore france through art that illustrates the beauty of its land and the illustrious history of its people, their hopes, and their dreams. these works celebrate a unique and beguiling country, with cities large and small; people young and old, rich and poor; and times of peace and war. among the most celebrated holdings of the kunsthistorisches museum, Vienna, are works by the

greatest Renaissance-era Venetian painters. Masterpieces

by giorgione, titian, Veronese, and more represent the range of Venetian accomplishment in the 16th century.

Anders Zorn: Sweden’s Master Painter
Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée

National Picasso, Paris

pablo picasso’s paintings and sculptures are both personal and emblematic of the era in which he lived. this lecture includes iconic works from all eras of the artist’s career—his Blue and rose periods, Cubism, the war years—up to his late works produced in the South of france. featured are rarely seen works by Sweden’s master painter. in paris, Zorn emulated the impressionists as a chronicler of modern life. in america, he rivaled John Singer Sargent as

the most sought-after portraitist of glittering high society. In

Sweden, he captured the nordic landscape and his native folk culture.

Dutch and Flemish Masterworks from the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection

Works in the Van otterloo collection by rembrandt van rijn, frans hals, and others chronicle Dutch life during its golden age. portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and scenes of

everyday life remind us why 17th-century Dutch painting is