A trip to the National Gallery of Art can be overwhelming to even the most frequent visitor. Somehow, I always find myself in my favorite galleries time and time again. Most often I make my way to the 19th Century French Galleries (galleries #80 - #93), where the works of Degas, Monet, Pissaro, and Cassat reside in perfect harmony.
For the textile lover these can be some of the most mesmerizing works of art to study the decadent and the simple. Artists of the period were masters at capturing the details of lace, embroidery, upholstery, and pattern popular in both clothing and interiors. While almost every work found here could be inspiring, we will look at two of the best. I hope you will either see these in person or at least visit the Museum website to enjoy the importance of textiles in these works. Go to http://www.nga.gov/collection/index.shtm for more information.
In gallery #90 you will find several works from Auguste Renoir including “Odalisque.” This Algerian inspired image of a woman reclining is a textile lovers dream. The model is wearing traditional Muslim clothing for women of the period, the bright colors clashing with each other and the opulent room in which she resides. Color, texture, and pattern fight to gain your attention in the overwhelming scene of pure luxury.
To see the more simple side of textiles stop in to visit gallery #88 and the master of simple elegance in everyday life, Edgar Degas. In his painting “Woman Ironing,” a simple task of the maid becomes a scene of beauty. Instantly one is drawn into the distinction between the messy clothes of the maid verses the crisp clothes on which she works. The clothes that hang around her cut the light and assume an ethereal quality. Meanwhile a small stack of crisp and freshly ironed shirts show the reality of the work the woman is doing.
Hidden Treasure at the NGoA
No comments:
Post a Comment