The Thanksgiving Episode

The word gratitude in white against a blue sky surrounded by colorful tree branches.

I’ve been trying to practice gratitude this year to fight against the fear and toxicity that’s felt overwhelming at times. So, I decided to make a special, extended Thanksgiving episode to share this idea with you.

I chose works from former episodes by Richard Norris Brooke, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and Aelbert Cuyp that reflect some aspect of family, generosity, or forgiveness that really resonates. I hope they help you to also step back and find balance in remembering the good things.

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode artwork
Photo by 30daysreplay Marketingberatung on Unsplash. Photo composition by Karen Jackson.

A Pastoral Visit
Theme is “Which That Is This” by Doctor Turtle.

Gallery entry
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)

The Prodigal Son
Theme is “Adagio in G minor” composed by Tomaso Albinoni/Remo Giazotto and performed by Noh Donghwan

Gallery entry
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.34956.html

Joseph Bonaparte info
NY times https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/nyregion/new-jersey/26bonapartenj.html

River Landscape with Cows
Episode theme is Sonata No. 15 in D Major Pastoral, Op. 28 – I. Allegro composed by Ludwig van Beethoven performed by Paul Pitman

Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., “Aelbert Cuyp/River Landscape with Cows/1645/1650,” Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, NGA Online Editions. https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.69390.html#entry

Wheelock video: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.69390.html#relatedpages

Paintings in the Dutch Golden Age (PDF)

Quarry by Edward Loper

Oil painting of stormy town landscape

Did you know the US government once actually paid artists to work? During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration helped launch the career of Edward L. Loper, a prominent artist from Wilmington, Delaware.

We’ll find out how his lifelong curiosity, study, and teaching built a successful career lasting more than 60 years.

“Quarry” by Edward Loper, American, c. 1937, Corcoran Collection (The Evans-Tibbs Collection, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr.)

“Chair” is one of Loper’s beautiful illustrations for the Index of American Design. You can see more on the American Drawings page on the Gallery’s site. The Index is listed in the sidebar. You can get a version to zoom and pan around in here.

Color illustration of an antique dining chair
“Chair” by Edward Loper, American, c. 1937, Index of American Design

SHOW NOTES  (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Night on the Docks – Sax” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under a CC-BY Creative Commons Attribution License.

Artwork Information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.176358.html

Gaudiano, N. (2009, Nov 19). Bidens’ New Home a Gallery for Delaware Art. Gannett News Service (PDF)

Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.dclibrary.idm.oclc.org/docview/450231157?accountid=46320

Exhibition catalogs
The Art of Edward L. Loper, Sr: On the Path of the Masters, University Museums of the University of Delaware, 2007

Edw. L. Loper: From the Prism’s Edge, Delaware Art Museum, 1996.

Interviews
Oral history interview with Edward L. Loper, 1964 Mar. 26 

Edward Loper : African American Painter (Video)

Edward Loper: Prophet of Color (Video)

Still Life by Margaret Burroughs

Oil painting of brightly colored cylinders and fruit against a patterned background

Margaret Taylor Burroughs was an author, painter, sculptor, printmaker, curator, museum director, activist, and teacher who left an amazing artistic and historic legacy in Chicago. In today’s episode we’ll find out how she helped launch the Chicago Renaissance in the ’40s and how she combined her social activism with art.

“Still Life” by Margaret Burroughs, American, 1943
Corcoran Collection (The Evans-Tibbs Collection, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr.)

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Shades of Spring” by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cain, Mary Ann, and Haki R. Madhubuti. South Side Venus : the Legacy of Margaret Burroughs  Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 2019.

Link to materials on Margaret Burroughs at the NGA Library

The Southern University Fine Arts Department Presents Dr. Burroughs., n.d.

You Are Cordially Invited to an Exhibition of New Paintings by Dr. Margaret Burroughs., 1992.

Margaret Burroughs, Marion Perkins : A Retrospective. Washington, D.C. (1910 Vermont Ave., N.W., Washington 20001): Evans-Tibbs Collection, 1982.

Samples of Burrough’s later works

The Woman Who Helped Birth a Black Artistic Renaissance in Chicago (Vice article)

Margaret Burroughs, co-founder of DuSable Museum, dies at 95

Wikipedia entry

DuSable Museum

Linocut printmaking video

Slow Art Day

The Good Shepherd by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Image of oil painting being described

Henry Ossawa Tanner became one of America’s most famous Black artists by depicting dream-like Bible scenes like this one. Click here to see it on the Gallery’s site. Clicking the image on their page will open a viewer that allows you to zoom in and pan around.

In today’s episode we’ll find out how he went from working in a flour mill to a successful artistic career in Paris and what he has in common with another artist, Richard Norris Brooke. And we discover a mystery about one of his early works!

“The Good Shepherd” by Henry Ossawa Tanner, American, c. 1918
Corcoran Collection (The Evans-Tibbs Collection, Gift of Thurlow Evans Tibbs, Jr.)

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Virtutes Instrumenti” by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4590-virtutes-instrumenti

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Artwork information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.195513.html

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/american-art-to-wwii/symbolism-america/a/tanner-angels-appearing-before-the-shepherds

https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/henry-ossawa-tanner-and-his-influence-in-america/

Tanner Bio
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1919.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ossawa_Tanner#cite_ref-eoaah_6-0

https://americanart.si.edu/artist/henry-ossawa-tanner-4742

Tanner painting technique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWxErF_nzd4

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

The Mother and Sister of the Artist by Berthe Morisot

Image of oil painting being described
Morisot, Berthe (French, 1841 – 1895), The Mother and Sister of the Artist, 1869/1870, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Collection 1963.10.186

When Berthe Morisot and her sister Edma wanted to learn how to paint, their parents willingly obliged. After all, that was part of an upper-class young woman’s education. But when their teacher saw their incredible talent, he warned their mother, “…they will become painters. Are you fully aware of what that means? It will be revolutionary…” And he was right! For a woman to become a professional painter was almost unheard of in 1850s Paris.

But Berthe did it, even after her well-meaning mentor Édouard Manet made some…uh…improvements to this painting just before the deadline for submission to the all-important Salon. Prepare to cringe!

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Fauré Nocturne no. 4 in E-flat major, Op. 36” composed by Gabriel Fauré.
https://musopen.org/music/7909-nocturne-no-4-in-e-flat-major-op-36/

https://musopen.org/music/performer/european-archive/

https://musopen.org/music/composer/gabriel-faure/

Artwork information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46661.html

https://www.artble.com/artists/berthe_morisot/paintings/portrait_of_the_artist’s_mother_and_sister

Morisot information
Stuckey, Charles F., William P. Scott, and Suzanne G. Lindsay. Berthe Morisot, Impressionist  1st ed. New York: Hudson Hills Press, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in association with the National Gallery of Art, 1987.

Shennan, Margaret. Berthe Morisot : the First Lady of Impressionism  Phoenix Mill: Sutton, 1996.

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-berthe-morisot-brought-radically-feminine-perspective-impressionism

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

Autumn – On the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey

Image of oil painting being described
Cropsey, Japser Francis (American, 1823 – 1900), Autumn – On the Hudson River, 1860, oil on canvas, Gift of the Avalon Foundation, 1963.9.1

When Jasper Cropsey painted Autumn – On the Hudson River, he set out to create a breathtaking vista to promote the idea of American grandeur and vast potential. Like Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) by Winslow Homer, it was meant to be optimistic and suggest endless possibilities. Ironic, since it was painted one year before the Civil War started.

We’ll find out how Cropsey’s talent took him from a Staten Island farm to meeting royalty at St. James Palace and his connection to an elevated railway in Manhattan.

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Kiss Inflation” by Doctor Turtle.
https://doctorturtle.bandcamp.com/ 

Artwork information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.46474.html

American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century: Part I (PDF)
https://www.nga.gov/content/dam/ngaweb/research/publications/pdfs/american-paintings-19th-century-part-1.pdf

Jasper Cropsey information
http://www.newingtoncropsey.com/JFCropsey.html

Gilbert Elevated Railway information
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/realestate/01scap-001.html

Ever Rest information
http://www.newingtoncropsey.com/EverRest.html

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

La Condition Humaine by René Magritte

image of clouds and text saying click here to view
La Condition Humaine 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.70170.html

Rene Magritte is one of the best known Surrealist painters and loved turning expectations on their heads. Which could explain A LOT about some of the more unsavory parts of his life!

And we’ll find out how he turned a simple view of a front lawn into something mind-blowing!

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Menuet antique” composed by Maurice Ravel. Performed by Luis Sarro. Courtesy of musopen.org

https://musopen.org/music/4704-menuet-antique/

https://musopen.org/music/performer/luis-sarro/

https://musopen.org/music/composer/maurice-ravel/

Artwork information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.70170.html

Magritte information
Morris, Desmond. The Lives of the Surrealists  London;: Thames & Hudson, 2018.

Elliott, Patrick. Another World : Dalí, Magritte, Míro and the Surrealists. Edinburgh: National Galleries of Scotland, 2010. Print.

What You Need to Know about René Magritte (Artsy article)
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-rene-magritte

René and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog After the War, Paul Simon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lj5RgpgfPE

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

The Dancing Couple by Jan Steen

An image of the painting being described

I realized I’ve been talking a lot lately about pure and pious saints. So, it’s time to lighten up by hanging out with people who know how to party–the Dutch! Scenes like this of a large group drinking and dancing were Jan Steen’s specialty.

We’ll find out what brings these country and city folks together and the naughty message behind the caged rooster!

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Achaidh Cheide” by Kevin MacLeod.
Music from https://filmmusic.io “Achaidh Cheide” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

The Dancing Couple information
Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., “Jan Steen/The Dancing Couple/1663,” Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/1220 (accessed December 03, 2019).

Jan Steen: Painter and Storyteller (PDF)
https://www.nga.gov/research/publications/pdf-library/jan-steen-painter-and-storyteller.html

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

Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) by Winslow Homer

An image of the painting being described
Winslow Homer (American, 1836 – 1910), Breezing Up (A Fair Wind), 1873-1876, oil on canvas, Gift of the W. L. and May T. Mellon Foundation 1943.13.1

Breezing Up was a huge hit when Homer exhibited it during the American centennial, 1876. Viewers loved the optimism he conveyed in this scene of a trio of boys and their old skipper speeding towards port, one lad looking towards the horizon.

We’ll find out how Homer uses a technique we heard about in the Sargent episode that makes us feel like we’re on board and get a brief introduction to lithography, a popular printing method. And I confess to missing an important symbol!

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Today’s Special:Jam Tomorrow” by Dr. Turtle.
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Doctor_Turtle/Will_Play_Wonderwall_For_Food/Todays_Special_Jam_Tomorrow

Breezing Up information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1401.html

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.30228.html

Winslow Homer information
Wilmerding, John. Winslow Homer. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1972. Print.

American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part 1 (PDF)
https://www.nga.gov/research/publications/pdf-library/american-paintings-of-the-nineteenth-century-part-i.html

American Stories information
https://www.nga.gov/calendar/guided-tours/docent-led-tours/american-stories.html

Lithography tutorial from Minneapolis Institute of Art (YouTube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHw5_1Hopsc

Her Appeal to the Dauphin by Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel

Painting being described in episode
Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel (French, 1850 – 1913), Her Appeal to the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: II), 1906, oil and gold leaf on canvas, Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection) 2015.19.35

Who is this young person kneeling before a crowd of one-percenters? Meet Joan of Arc, one very tough teen. She’s here to convince the exiled French court that she can save France from the British. No wonder they look skeptical!

And just like Sodoma, we get to discover another artist, Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel. He painted a series of six images about Joan’s life for Senator William A. Clark that formerly hung in the Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC.

SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

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

Episode theme is “Our Story Begins” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com). Courtesy of https://filmmusic.io License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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

Joan information

Cristen Conger “Why was cross-dressing the only crime Joan of Arc was charged with?” 2 February 2009. HowStuffWorks.com. https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/joan-of-arc-trial.htm 11 October 2019

https://www.biography.com/military-figure/joan-of-arc

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Joan-of-Arc

Joan of Arc: Her Image in France and America by Nora Heimann
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98997.Joan_of_Arc

Joan of Arc trial transcripts
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/joanofarc-trial.asp

French medievalism and Clark commission
https://soundcloud.com/nationalgalleryofart/boutet-de-monvels-jeanne-darc-from-print-to-paint

https://soundcloud.com/nationalgalleryofart/the-passion-for-all-things-post-medieval-a-multimedia-perspective

NGA Curatorial Records
https://www.nga.gov/collection/curatorial-records-make-an-appointment.html