Exit Through The Giftshop - Pictures At An Exhibition #24

More visual memories of art past...

1) LAMENTATION (1441) - Fra Angelico

I bought this in the San Marco monastery in Florence which is the place to visit to be surrounded by the work of Brother Giovanni aka Fra Angelico.  From various clues in the painting it has been deduced that the painting had been done over 5 years, with Fra Angelico taking a break from it when he lived in Cortona for a year.

I like the quiet intensity of the painting, the vivid colours of the attendants' robes and the closeness of the Virgin Mary's sorrowful face to Jesus.  The painting has a wavy cut-off line along the bottom from the extensive water damage it sustained during the flood that swept through Florence on 3rd and 4th November, 1966. 

2) OLIVE TREES (1889) - Vincent van Gogh

 

This was bought at the National Gallery, I am guessing at an exhibition of van Gogh's work as this painting is in the collection of Minneapolis Institute of Art.  This is one of a series of paintings of olive trees by van Gogh while in the asylum at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.  Vincent was allowed to go into the surrounding fields to paint the trees as the ever-changing colours of the trees fascinated him.  This was painted during the November of 1889.

The all-seeing sickly yellow sun dominates the landscape while the busy olive leaves shine and shimmer, the shadows of the trees casting purple-ish shadows on the ground.  Again, the sense of movement and colour is vibrant.

3) PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG GIRL (1797) - Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

This was bought at the Grand-Palais in Paris when it held the first ever retrospective of Élizabeth Vigée Le Brun in 2015, 163 years after her death.  Le Brun was Marie-Antoinette's favourite portrait painter so when the French Revolution erupted, Le Brun fled France with her young daughter. She travelled to Italy, Austria and Russia, her association with the French aristocracy gaining her wealthy clients. 

This was painted during her six year stay in Russia, although titled 'Portrait of A Young Girl' the sitter bares an uncanny resemblance to Varvara Golovina, a courtier noted for her writing. A fine example of Le Brun's style, a direct focus on the sitter's face, the flowing hair and a marvellous rendering of the lady's millinary.  It's quite lovely.

4) DAVID (1501-4) - Michelangelo

 

I bought this in Florence at the Galleria dell'Accademia where Michelangelo's epic David stands in solitary majesty in a stark setting.

The statue was originally placed in the Piazza della Signoria beside the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio where he stayed for 369 years until being relocated to it's present location in 1873.  If the history of art's eternal female is the Mona Lisa, surely the male counterpart is Michelangelo's DAVID.

5) ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM (APRICOT TREES) (1888) - Vincent van Gogh

This was bought at the Scottish National Gallery where van Gogh's painting is on display.  It was painted in 1888 in Arles; van Gogh had moved there after struggling with excessive drinking and for a while he was happy there, but his hope of founding an artist's colony with Paul Gauguin foundered when the latter appeared and their friendship collapsed.

The branches of the spindly orchard trees burst forth with bright pink blossoms against a drab sky and the far-off town.  White flowers below counter-balance the brightness above and it bursts with the joy of nature.

Exit Through The Giftshop - Postcards at an exhibition....

Well it has been more than six months since I explored my many postcards from exhibitions and galleries, so let's dive in again...

1) THE PRISON COURTYARD (1890) - Vincent van Gogh

I was immediately struck by this absorbing painting when I saw the VAN GOGH AND BRITAIN exhibition at Tate London in 2019.  Van Gogh based his painting on a Doré engraving but whereas the original of prisoners in the cramped exercise yard at Newgate Prison was dark and dingy, van Gogh's painting lightens the tone considerably but with a sickly green-yellow paint that makes me think the skies are about to open and drench the inmates.

Van Gogh painted this in the last year of his life while still hospitalised in Saint-Rémy asylum and the endless circular trudging of the depressed prisoners surely echoes his mental condition; the ghostly stare of the Vincent look-a-like, the only one looking at the viewer, haunts you when you consider what happened later in 1890.

2) THE SISTINE CHAPEL (1508-1512 / 1536-1541) - Michelangelo

This was bought at the Vatican in 2017 after a pricey but marvellous tour of the Vatican palace - including the little-seen Niccoline Chapel with it's Fra Angelico frescos - which ended in our small tour group getting about 15 minutes in an empty Sistine Chapel.

It was a strange experience, as it is whenever you are finally confronted with anything huge and iconic that you have only seen before in manageable forms like books or films; here it was even more surreal to be actually inside the art. The ceiling and side walls were too far away to fully engage with but the Day of Judgement fresco was just magnificent because you could get so close to it by the altar.  A memorable day...

3) CAVALCATA DEL MAGI (detail) (1459=1461) - Benozzo Gozzoli

This was bought on our first visit to Florence when we visited the imposing Palazzo Medici-Riccardi; inside the Palazzo is the small Magi Chapel which houses the remarkable Gozzoli fresco on all four walls. showing the lavish process of the three wise men to visit Christ, along with various members of the all-powerful Medici family, their noblemen and King John VIII (seen here), the last Byzantine Emperor.

Like the Sistine Chapel, here you are in the middle of the art which surrounds you but due to it's much smaller size, you can appreciate it all the more.  Gozzoli was a pupil of Fra Angelico and helped him with several of the San Marco cell frescos and, indeed, the previously mentioned Niccoline Chapel in The Vatican.  Because of it's intimacy it is easier to become fascinated by the masterly detailing on the clothes and livery, the rolling landscape, the draughtsmanship of the animals and the many faces on display, although here it looks like all the pages had the same model!

4) DAVID (detail) (1501-4) - Michelangelo

I of course bought this in Florence at the Galleria dell'Accademia where Michelangelo's David stands in solitary majesty in a stark setting.  At the gift shop, they have multiple postcards of David from every angle - you either go tasteful or out there, I was definitely Out There.

David was originally placed outside in the Piazza della Signoria beside the Palazzo Vecchio where he stayed for 369 years until moved to the Galleria in 1873.  David done be serving some serious arse, surely the most famous in art history?  Michelangelo certainly had a loving hand...

5) THE BATLLÓ MAJESTY (1150?) - Anonymous

I bought this at my only visit to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona which we tried to do it all in one day which was a bit of an error - by the end of it you are slightly jaded by the constant shout of "Yes I know everyone was doing this but Catalonia did it too!" - and there is so much of it as well.

To be honest the only rooms I really liked were the last few with it's charming impressionist-style paintings but the early medieval rooms are impressive just for the sheer volume of items in there - this crucifix really caught my eye with it's vivid colourful cross and the doleful Jesus dressed in a multi-coloured robe - this 'Majesty' clothes style, as opposed to other more realistic representations. was to signify Christ's triumph over death.  Me? I just like the disco Jesus.

Exit Through The Giftshop - Postcards at an exhibition....

More adventures in museum and exhibition gift shops...

1) NAKED MAN STANDING (1505-6?) - Michelangelo

Although this postcard is published by the Louvre I have an idea I bought it at the British Museum in 2010 for their Italian Renaissance Drawings exhibition.

Michelangelo's pen and ink sketch wonderfully conjures solidity and muscle out of thin air; even The Louvre are unsure of exact dates for the drawing or what it might have been a sketch for.

2) THE ARTIST'S GARDEN AT GIVERNY (1900) - Claude Monet

I bought this at the Royal Academy's 1999 exhibition MONET IN THE 20TH CENTURY which made me appreciate Impressionist painting for the first time as I was exposed to room after room of Monet's remarkable works.

A bed of vibrantly painted Irises lead you away from the painter to the seclusion of the tree-lined path by his house; another painting I just want to jump into!

3) LILY POND TABLE (1913) - Duncan Grant

The table design is attributed to Duncan Grant and I bought the postcard at The Courtauld Gallery's 2009 exhibition "Beyond Bloomsbury: Designs of The Omega Workshops".  It was a poor excuse for the actual table itself but I would have had difficulty hiding it under my coat.

This lustrous design really stood out against all the other exhibits and suggested the dark cool water beneath the lovely greens and oranges of the lily pads.  Roger Fry set up the Omega Workshop in Bloomsbury to give younger artists the opportunity to make art (and money) by designing and making objects for the home, surrounding yourself with beautiful furniture as well as paintings on the wall.  Along with Grant, artists who worked on and off for Omega in it's six years of trading were Vanessa Bell, Carrington, Paul Nash and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska.

4) DAVID TRIBUNE (1501-4) - Michelangelo

Another postcard from the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence where Michelangelo's epic David stands in solitary majesty.  As you can see I do love a Michelangelo bloke in the nip.

DAVID was originally placed in the Piazza della Signoria beside the Palazzo Vecchio.  It stayed there for 369 years until it was moved to the Galleria in 1873.  One of the most famous bums in art.

5) PORTRAIT OF JEANNE KÉFER (1885) - Fernand Khnopff

I bought this a while ago at the Royal Academy's exhibition IMPRESSIONISM TO SYMBOLISM: THE BELGIAN AVANT-GARDE 1880-1900.  I love the charming delicacy of the painting of little Jeanne Kefér, dressed in her best to go out. The subdued colours of Khnopff's palette gives the picture an oddly luminous quality.

Five year-old Jeanne was the daughter of Khnopff's pianist friend Gustave; his positioning her in front of the large front door, along with her pensive expression, emphasizes her hesitancy in facing the outside world.

Exit Through The Giftshop - Postcards at an exhibition....

More postcards from exhibitions and galleries...

1) IL PROFETA ABACUC 'IO ZUCCONE' (1425) - Donatello

Donatello's statue is packed with character and humanity, I love the excellent way he has carved the swags and falls of the prophet's robes, supposedly this was Donatello's favourite sculpture. 

I bought this at the Museo Dell 'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence where Zuccone (Bald-head!) resides.

2) LA MANDRA (1898-1900) - Ramon Casas

Bought from the Museu Nacional d'Art De Catalunya where room after room suggests to one that Catalonian artists followed rather than instigating movements down the years, one reaches the late 19th Century rooms with a sigh of relief to come across the great works of Barcelona artist Ramon Casas.

Yes they are again following the French impressionists but they have a charm and a quality that make them memorable - here a woman lazes on a bed in a quiet room, doing anything than what she probably should be doing...  This was painted just as Casas was becoming a proponent of the Spanish Modernista movement, this included being a part owner in the famous bar Els Quatre Gats with his friend Pe Romeu which became a hub from Barcelona's artist community.

3) LES PASSANTS (The Passerbys) (1906-7) - Raoul Dufy

Yes, London art galleries and museums... whenever you finally decide to have an exhibition of Dufy I will be there.

This glorious painting is in the Courtauld collection and whenever I visit, I love to spend some time entering into the lovely world of LES PASSANTS.  It's Fauvist colours and spare setting is a world I would love to live in... can I be in red please and own the green dog?

4) DAVID TRIBUNE (1501-4) - Michelangelo

I bought this in Florence at the Galleria dell'Accademia where Michelangelo's epic David stands in solitary majesty in a stark setting.

DAVID was originally placed in the Piazza della Signoria beside the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio.  It stayed there for 369 years until it was moved to it's present location in 1873.  Like all great art, it still manages to amaze when seen in the stone despite all one's previous sightings in books, films and adverts.

5) WOODEN CRUCIFIX (detail) (circa 1412) - Fillipo Brunelleschi

A detail from Brunelleschi's wooden sculpture which you can see in Florence's Church of Santa Maria Novella - see the full length postcard in my earlier "Giftshop" blog here.

According to the biographer/artist Vasari, this was Filipo Brunelleschi's response to a crucifix he disliked that Donatello had made in the church of Santa Croce. It's simple but glorious.