Tag: gilbert stuart

The Christmas Episode

  • Oil painting of Virgin Mary and Angel Gabriel inside Gothic church.
  • Painting of shepherds outside a cave viewing the infant Jesus
  • Portrait of William Grant ice skating.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to celebrate Christmas after this dumpster fire of a year. But we’re starting to have some good news, so I’ve become cautiously optimistic. 

But did I feel optimistic enough to do a holiday episode? Would anyone want to hear one? I put the question to you in Instagram (@alonglookslowart) and the answer was a resounding yes! You guys are the best! So I pulled together three past episodes on works by Jan van Eyck, Giorgione and Gilbert Stuart that reflect the season and the idea of hope and miracles. Follow these links to their page on the Gallery’s site. On each Gallery page, click on the image and you’ll be able to zoom in and pan around.

So please join me for this extended Christmas episode of “A Long Look!”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (15.9MB)

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BTW, the show will go back into hibernation after this. I’ve got some exciting changes brewing, which I’ll let you know about here and on Instagram!

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas youtu.be/jGEdNSNkZoo

The Annunciation
Theme is “Greensleeves” performed by Paul Arden Taylor and Carol Holt

Gallery entry
Jan van Eyck (Netherlandish, c. 1390 – 1441 ), The Annunciation, c. 1434/1436, oil on canvas transferred from panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection
https://www.nga.gov/Collection/art-object-page.46.html

Adoration of the Shepherds
Theme is “Almain I,” composed by John Bull, performed by Mac Playback Harp. Courtesy of musopen.org

Gallery entry
Giorgione (Venetian, 1477/1478 – 1510), The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1505/1510, oil on panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection 1939.1.289
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.432.html

Giorgione information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgione

The Skater (Portrait of William Grant)

Theme is “6 String Quartets – Quartet no. 1” composed by Charles Wesley, performed by Steve’s Bedroom Band.  Courtesy of musopen.org 

Gallery entry 
Gilbert Stuart, The Skater (Portrait of William Grant), American, 1755 – 1828, 1782, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.39729.html

George Washington (The Athenaeum Portrait) (National Portrait Gallery)

Serpentine Greeting/Mohawk (YouTube video)

The Skater (Portrait of William Grant) by Gilbert Stuart

Portrait of William Grant ice skating.
Gilbert Stuart, The Skater (Portrait of William Grant), American, 1755 – 1828, 1782, oil on canvas, Andrew W. Mellon Collection

This full-length portrait of Scottish lawyer William Grant was Stuart’s first but already he was innovating. We’ll find out how a cold day in the studio led to this creative variation on a standard portrait pose and just what the heck the Serpentine greeting is!

We’ll also find out how despite his fame and plenty of work, Stuart ripped off the first First Lady, Martha Washington!

Here’s a detail of the frame I mentioned:

Close up of decorative carving of frame

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.1MB)

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SHOW NOTES

“A Long Look” theme is Ascension by Ron Gelinas

Episode theme is “6 String Quartets – Quartet no. 1” composed by Charles Wesley, performed by Steve’s Bedroom Band. Courtesy of musopen.org

Gilbert Stuart information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1911.html

The Skater information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.39729.html

George Washington (The Athenaeum Portrait) National Portrait Gallery entry

Serpentine Greeting/Mohawk (YouTube)

Recommended Reading

American Paintings of the Eighteenth Century (PDF)

Slow Art Day