Exit Through The Giftshop - Pictures At An Exhibition #18

Memories from when galleries and museums were open...

1) SELF PORTRAIT WITH CERISE RIBBONS (1782) - Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun

 

This was bought at the wonderful Le Brun exhibition that was on at the Grand-Palais in Paris which I saw in 2016, the first ever retrospective of her portraits both pre- and post-revolution.  

Elisabeth, aged 27, looks out at us fresh-faced and apple-cheeked, a vision of prettiness with her hair tumbling naturally to her shoulders.  Her soft white dress as accenuated by the bright cerise pussy-bow and sash, and the black lace shawl and jaunty plumed hat.  For a working portraitist, it also served as unoffical advertising, showing the fashionable women of Paris that she could paint them like this too.

2) LADY AGNEW OF LOCHNAW (1892) - John Singer Sargent

A century on from Le Brun, the society painter of choice was John Singer Sargent who, like Elisabeth, gave the sitter exactly what they wanted only with more insight.  The commission came through from the 9th Baronet of Lochnaw Castle to paint his wife Gertrude (née Vernon).  I bought this at the National Gallery of Scotland where she sits in residence.

A glorious portrait, Sargent always managed to give the impression of capturing his subjects 'live', negating the length of time it would have taken to paint.  Her full white dress is accentuated by the mauve sash which also ties in the tones of the silk backdrop and French upholstery of the chair.  She holds a white rose in her lap and languidly drapes her arm over the arm of the chair to hold the chair frame.  She stares directly at Sargent and at us, almost saying "Kiss all this opulence...".

3) STATUE OF EBIH-IL (circa 2400 BC) - unknown

This glorious chap is Ebih-Il, the superintendant of the ancient city of Mari, now in Syria, sculpted at his prayers.  I made his acquaintance at the Louvre in Paris where he is currently residing.  He was discovered in 1934 by French archaelogist André Parrot at the site of the temple of Ishtar.

He is seated on a whicker seat and wears a bulky skirt of animal skin. What makes it stand out however is the marvellous rendering of his face with his happy smile and the vivid blue of his lapis lazuli eyes.  He stands - or sits - just over 20 inches tall and I would head straight for him when the Louvre let me run around with a shopping trolley.

4) THE RAISING OF THE SON OF THEOPHILIS (detail) (1428-1484) - Masaccio and Filippino Lippi

Part of the marvellous fresco cycle which adorn the walls of the Brancacci Chapel within the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence.  The frescos can only be viewed on short timed visits through the cloisters next to the church so the vibrant paintings are not damaged by constant visitors.

I was immediately drawn to this group of observers who rather dispassionately are watching Saint Peter raise a young man from the dead.  Their faces are remarkable and you will definitely have seen them walking along the streets of Florence to find the church of Santa Maria del Carmine. My personal favourite is the man second from the right, turning to his neighbour with a resigned look on his face. Work on the frescos started in 1425 by the painter Masaccio but he stopped when he had to travel to Rome in 1428 where he died aged only 27.  Filippino Lippi completed them 55 years later!

5) THE LAOCOON GROUP (possibly circa 27BC and 68AD) - unknown

One of the most iconic works of art, it's wonderful to see it in 'the marble' and to realise you are looking at a statue that Pliny The Elder wrote about.  If Laocoon and the lads hadn't suffered enough, they are missing a couple of limbs - and a bit of upraised snake - but it does not detract from the overall power of the work and your feeling of helplessness observing it.  The postcard was bought at the Vatican where the statue stands in the Pio-Clementino Mueum.

The Trojan High Priest Laocoon's fate was written about by Sophocles in a now-lost tragedy and by Virgil who tells of him throwing a spear at the Trojan Horse and being killed along with his sons by venomous snakes sent by the god Poseidon.  Sophocles had another take on it and sexed up the tale by having the gods send the snakes to kill his sons in revenge for him breaking his vow of chastity to the god Apollo.  The huge statue was re-discovered in 1506 and Michelangelo was one of the first to inspect it - you can definitely see the influence in his work.  The statue's actual date is still widely open for conjecture and there is no definite idea if it is Greek of Roman.  What most - apart from silly old John Ruskin - are agreed on is it's tragic power.