national gallery of art Archives - Page 3 of 5

Saint George and the Dragon by Sodoma

Image of the oil painting described in the audio. — Sodoma, Saint George and the Dragon, Italian, 1477 – 1549, probably 1518, oil on panel, Samuel H. Kress Collection

Slaying dragons and rescuing damsels–all in a day’s work for St. George of Cappadocia. We get his story from The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, the same place I found the story of St. Lucy!

We also discover the flamboyant Sodoma, an artist I’ve never heard of! Apparently, this painting isn’t always on display so it was great to find this hidden gem.

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Angeli, Archangeli” composed by Andrea Gabrieli. Performed by Michel Rondeau. Courtesy of musopen.org
https://musopen.org/music/43293-angeli-archangeli/
https://musopen.org/music/performer/michel-rondeau/
https://musopen.org/music/composer/andrea-gabrieli/

St. George information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41691.html
Jacobus. The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine. New York: Arno Press, 1970. Print.

Sodoma information
Priuli-Bon, Lilian. Sodoma. London: G. Bell & Sons, 1900. Print.
Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

Season 4 Update

Excited for Season 4 to get started! We’ll be looking at one big favorite and a couple of hidden gems. Plus one artist I’d never even heard of!

A Long Look is now available on all podcast apps, including Stitcher as well as Spotify and TuneIn! As always, you can find links to the information in each episode in the show notes. You can now find transcripts in the show notes too!

The best thing about A Long Look? It’s available to all art lovers! Listeners who are blind or have low vision can use accessible apps like Apple Podcasts, Overcast and Downcast.

If you want to support the show, please subscribe; leave a rating or review in Apple Podcasts; or spread the word! Recommendations from friends and family is the No. 1 way people are discovering podcasts!

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End of Season 3

A Long Look show art for welcome message

We’ve reached the end of Season 3! Thanks to all you returning listeners and welcome to our new audience members. If you’ve been enjoying the show, you can show your appreciation by subscribing and sharing! You can also help by leaving a comment or rating in Apple Podcasts or in your podcast app. That helps more people discover the show!

“A Long Look” will be back in October to give me time to plan and prep for Season 4.

Until then, there’s plenty happening at the Gallery. They’re staying open until 8 p.m. through August 18 when “The Life of Animals in Japanese Art” closes. Works by Oliver Lee Jackson are up til Sept. 15. And “By the Light of the Silvery Moon: A Century of Lunar Photographs” is up through January 5. Check www.nga.gov for details.

In the meantime, you can catch up on any episodes you missed. You can find them in the archives here and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn or your favorite podcast app.

And you can follow me on Instagram @alonglookslowart and check back here for updates. Thanks for listening!

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SHOW NOTES

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

The Martyrdom and Last Communion of St. Lucy by Veronese

Image of the oil painting being described — Veronese (Venetian, 1528 – 1588), The Martyrdom and Last Communion of Saint Lucy, c. 1582, oil on canvas, Gift of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund 1984.28.1

This dramatic scene was painted by Paolo Veronese during the Counter-Reformation. The Church, reeling from years of corruption and the rise of Protestantism, relied on works like these to promote the importance and validity of the sacraments. And martyrs were meant to serve as role models to Catholics. The idea was, “Hey, look what this person is willing to go through for their faith!”

I thought it would be fun to have an actual artist on the podcast! So today, I’m joined by Bruce Campbell, one of the Gallery’s longtime copyists. We discuss technique and what he discovered while copying this painting he describes as operatic.

Lucy was one tough lady. Despite being born into a noble Sicilian family in the third century, she became a Christian at a time when Christians were being persecuted mercilessly. She stood up to an abusive Roman governor and died speaking her truth to power.

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SHOW NOTES

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

Episode theme is “Adoramus te Christe” composed by Giovanni Palestrina. Performed by Słowiki Choir. Courtesy of musopen.org
https://musopen.org/music/4209-adoramus-te-christe/

St Lucy information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.63264.html#overview

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Lucy

de Voragine, Jacobus. The Golden Legend. Anno Press, NY 1969

Counter Reformation information
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/renaissance-and-reformation/protestant-reformation/v/introduction-to-the-protestant-reformation-the-counter-reformation-4-of-4

Bruce Campbell information
www.atelierbic.com

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

Farmhouse in Provence by Vincent van Gogh

Image of the painting being described — Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853 – 1890), Farmhouse in Provence, 1888, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection 1970.17.34

This deceptively peaceful summer scene actually bristles with energy! Van Gogh painted this in Arles, in the south of France where he tried to escape modern life and re-discover a simpler, brighter world.

We’ll find out how the actions of an American admiral in a country on the other side of the globe led to one of the biggest artistic influences that Europe–and Vincent–had ever experienced.

Here’s an example of the woodblock prints I mention that had such a powerful impact on Western art.

Colorful Japanese print by Andō Hiroshige showing Mount Fuji — Andō Hiroshige (Japanese 1797-1858), Tōto meguro yuhhigaoka / Hiroshige ga, 1858

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Sonatine – II. Mouvement de Menuet” composed by Maurice Ravel. Performed by Markus Staab. Courtesy of musopen.org.
https://musopen.org/music/4724-sonatine/

Farmhouse in Provence information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52178.html

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52178.html#relatedpages

Japanese influence on Western art
Japonisme : Japanese Reflections in Western Art. Sunderland, England: Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, 1986. Print.

Put, Max., Sichel, Philippe., and Koechlin, Raymond. Plunder and Pleasure : Japanese Art in the West, 1860-1930 . Leiden: Hotei Pub., 2000. Print.

Vincent van Gogh and Japan. Tokyo: TV Asahi, 1992. Print.

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jpon/hd_jpon.htm

https://www.kumon-ukiyoe.jp/en/history.php

https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/stories/inspiration-from-japan#10

Quotes from van Gogh’s letter explaining color use
https://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/audio-video/audio/collection-highlights-english/farmhouse-in-provence-van-gogh.html

The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2019/life-of-animals-in-japanese-art.html

Library of Congress Japanese Prints Collection
https://www.loc.gov/collections/japanese-fine-prints-pre-1915/about-this-collection/

Andō, Hiroshige, Artist. Tōto meguro yuhhigaoka / Hiroshige ga. Fuji Japan Mount Tokyo, 1858. [Tokyo: Tsuta-ya Kichizō] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004666335/.

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) by Wassily Kandinsky

Placeholder image directing viewers to the Gallery's website. — *Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle)* does not have an open access image available. You can see it online by clicking the placeholder or this link: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.56670.html

Today’s painting was a real challenge to describe! It’s by Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian artist who was one of the pioneers of abstract art. We’ll find out how the Apocalypse, Monet, Matisse and music all came together to influence this work.

And we’ll find out how Kandinksy’s philosophy behind the Improvisation paintings made him an early advocate for long looking!

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Symphony No.40 in G minor, K.550 – III. Minuetto allegretto” composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performed by Das Orchester Tsumugi. Courtesy of musopen.org
https://musopen.org/music/1577-symphony-no-40-in-g-minor-k-550

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.56670.html

Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle) audio
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.56670.html#relatedpages

Wassily Kandinsky, Improvisation No. 31 (Sea Battle) by the National Gallery of Art, 1979?

Wassily Kandinsky, Life and Work, by Will Grohmann. Published by New York, H. N. Abrams, 1958

Monet’s “Haystacks” at Art Institute Chicago
https://www.artic.edu/collection?artist_ids=Claude%20Monet

Slow Art Day https://www.slowartday.com

RECOMMENDED READING

Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Wassily Kandinsky

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Edgar Degas

Photo of the Little Dancer statue — Edgar Degas (French, 1834 – 1917), Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878-1881, pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon, cotton faille bodice, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon 1999.80.28

Tired or determined? This is Marie van Goethem, a young ballet student at the Paris Opera. We’ll find out where she came from and the not-so-glamorous life of a ballerina in Paris in the 1880s. We’ll also find out how Degas broke the rules and managed to freak out the public with this statue!

We’ll also discover how he was the original upcycler, using materials he had on hand to create her! See the photo below.

An Illustration of the materials used in Little Dancer armature. — Diagram of the armature of Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Courtesy of the Object Conservation Department, National Gallery of Art.

At the end of the episode, I let you know which mystery show she plays an important role in!

Ed. note: I’d like to thank the staff of the Object Conservation Department at the Gallery for their help with today’s episode.

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas

Episode theme is “Violin Sonata in A major” composed by César Franck. Sonata for Cello and Piano – I. Allegretto ben moderato. Performed by Paul Pitman, Bang-Eun Lee

Degas’s Little Dancer exhibition brochure (PDF)

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (NGA Highlights Essay)

Degas and His Dancers (Smithsonian Magazine)

Modeling with Clay (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocAc–CQdPw

Little Dancer featured in Endeavour (link expires 6/30/19)

Slow Art Day

The Conversion of Saint Paul by Jacopo Tintoretto

Photo of the painting The Conversion of Saint Paul — Jacopo Tintoretto (Venetian, 1518 – 1594), The Conversion of Saint Paul, c. 1545, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection 1961.9.43

Meet Saul of Tarsus, who is having a very bad day at work. We’ll find out what (or who) is causing all this commotion and how picking a fight with the wrong guy led Saul into an unexpected career change.

And we’ll also talk about the young, impatient Tintoretto who, like JMW Turner, loved to thumb his nose at convention.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.5MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Toccata and Fugue in Dm, BWV 565” composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performed by Paul Pitman

The Conversion of Saint Paul information
Robert Echols, “Jacopo Tintoretto/The Conversion of Saint Paul/c. 1544,” Italian Paintings of the Sixteenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/46142 (accessed June 06, 2019).

Tintoretto: Artist of Renaissance Venice, Exhibition Catalog (NGA store)

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

A Pastoral Visit by Richard Norris Brooke

Painting of African American family having dinner with their pastor. — Richard Norris Brooke (American, 1847 – 1920), A Pastoral Visit, 1881, oil on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund) 2014.136.119

In the late 1800s, it was common for families to have their pastor over for Sunday dinner. That’s what Richard Norris Brooke is depicting here.

We’ll find out what inspired him to document the lives of his African-Americans neighbors in Warrenton, Virginia and the story of the man who founded the first art museum in the country, The Corcoran Gallery.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.9MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Which That Is This” by Doctor Turtle https://doctorturtle.bandcamp.com/album/free-turtle-achive-everything-cc-by

A Pastoral Visit information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.166432.html#overview

Richard Norris Brooke and William Corcoran information

Corcoran Gallery of Art: American Paintings to 1945 (PDF)

Slow Art Day http://www.slowartday.com

Wivenhoe Park, Essex by John Constable

Painting of an English landscape on a summer day — John Constable (British, 1776 – 1837), Wivenhoe Park, Essex, 1816, oil on canvas, Widener Collection 1942.9.10

John Constable painted this bucolic landscape for Major General Francis Slater–Rebow but it’s not what it appears to be! We’ll talk about the headaches caused by an overeager client and what one of those cows is hiding. We’ll also see how Constable used a technique to conjure up distant figures, just like Camille Pissarro did decades later.

And we’ll find out how Constable’s cheapness and cold feet nearly cost him the love of his life!