ART VISIT EVENTS LEARN JOIN AND SUPPORT ABOUT TOGGLE SEARCH Object of the Day NOVEMBER 25, 2021 Serving Table, from the John Philip Meyer House, Saint Louis, Missouri designed by Charles Eames, American, 1907–1978; made by John A. Rausch, American (born Germany), 1904–1980; Serving Table, from the John Philip Meyer House, Saint Louis, Missouri, 1936–38; walnut, mahogany, and other wood veneers; 34 5/8 x 79 15/16 x 25 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Alice S. Gerdine 597:1991; Courtesy Eames Office, LLC With a meander, or ancient Greek key pattern inlaid on its top and delicate, tapered legs, this serving table shows the classical side of 1930s modern design. It is part of a lavish commission for a two-story brick house with custom, coordinated furnishings including metalwork, hand-woven fabrics and carpets, and furniture. Designed by Charles Eames, the project shows the influence of Eliel Saarinen, president of the Cranbrook School of Art and early supporter of the young St. Louis-born architect. Eames went on to study at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he met his wife and future design partner, Ray Kaiser. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 24, 2021 Plate, 5 of 6 James Callowhill, American (born England), 1838–1917; Plate, 5 of 6, c.1888; glazed porcelain with gilding; 1 x 7 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Victor Porter Smith, The Lea-Thi-Ta Study Group, the Mr. and Mrs. Milton L. Zorensky Ceramics Purchase Endowment, and the Margarita M. and Roland E. Jester Endowment Fund for the Decorative Arts 15:2012.5 The asymmetrical placement of poppies, waterlilies, moths, and dragonflies exemplifies Japonisme, or “in a Japanese style”, popular at the end of the 19th century. The designs, textile-pattern borders, and sponged-gold centers evoke motifs and compositional elements that western artists gleaned from Asian art forms, such as woodblock prints, fans, and lacquer. The plates, with their rich gold patterns laid over cobalt blue backgrounds, exemplify the sort of decorative objects that would reflect their owners’ refined taste. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 23, 2021 Danaë Artemisia Gentileschi, Italian, 1593–c.1654; Danae, c.1612; oil on copper; 16 1/4 x 20 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and gift of Edward Mallinckrodt, Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr., Horace Morison, Mrs. Florence E. Bing, Morton D. May in honor of Perry T. Rathbone, Mrs. James Lee Johnson Jr., Oscar Johnson, Fredonia J. Moss, Mrs. Arthur Drefs, Mrs. W. Welles Hoyt, J. Lionberger Davis, Jacob M. Heimann, Virginia Linn Bullock in memory of her husband, George Benbow Bullock, C. Wickham Moore, Mrs. Lyda D'Oench Turley and Miss Elizabeth F. D'Oench, and J. Harold Pettus, and bequests of Mr. Alfred Keller and Cora E. Ludwig, by exchange 93:1986 This painting demonstrates Artemisia Gentileschi’s success in capturing textures. These include the golden strands of hair that caress the figure’s shoulder, the lush fabric of the bedcover, and the metal coins that fall upon bare flesh. Painted when Gentileschi was only 19 years old, this picture reflects the skill, learned from her father Orazio, to paint subtle flesh tones and rich surfaces. Such sensuous effects are appropriate to the ancient Greek story of Danaë, a young woman who was confined to a chamber by her father to prevent her becoming pregnant. An oracle (or seer) had predicted she would bear a son who would kill her own father. Zeus, king of the gods, was able to thwart the plan by transforming himself into a golden rain to impregnate Danaë. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 22, 2021 Crown Crown, 10th–11th century; Chinese, Northern Song dynasty, or Liao dynasty; bronze with gilding and repousse decor; 7 5/8 x 8 x 8 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Edith Spink in memory of her husband, C. C. Johnson Spink 108:2002 This gilded, high-peaked crown is distinguished by extraordinarily fine repoussé (metalwork pushed up from the underside) in high relief. The image of a large flaming jewel, flanked by two large, seated dragons, rises to the height of high auspicious clouds from an opened lotus, the blossom itself emerging from an endless sea of waves. Thousands of minute dragon scales are individually hammered and picked out with pin-prick indentations. What seems like a single strand of beads along the bands of grapes and vines is fine hammer work so fluidly produced that the crown appears as if cast from molten metal instead of cold-worked with tools. This elaborate crown was presented by the Chinese Song court as tribute to a Qidan envoy of the Liao dynasty (916-1125). The foreign Qidan were a confederation of powerful northern tribes that threatened the borders of China and were often erstwhile allies of the Chinese, who soothed the temper of the Qidan with gold bullion, rare tea, and sumptuous goods, including fine gilded metalwork such as this crown. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 21, 2021 Pink Roses in a Glass Vase Samuel John Peploe, Scottish, 1871–1935; Pink Roses in a Glass Vase, late 1920s; oil on canvas; 28 1/2 x 24 5/8 x 3 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift from the Estate of Mary and Oliver Langenberg 1:2018 In this carefully composed still life, Samuel Peploe explores complex color combinations. The reds and pinks of roses complement green leaves while oranges vibrate against a background of blue. The artist would spend long periods positioning his objects, and here the elegant curves of a white ceramic-footed bowl echo those of a tall glass vase. Peploe was a leading figure among a group of early 20th-century painters known as the Scottish Colorists, who explored effects of vibrant color. Peploe often traveled to France and was much influenced by the colors of French avant-garde painters, such as Henri Matisse. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 20, 2021 Spouted Bowl (kataguchi) Spouted Bowl (kataguchi), 1632; Japanese, Edo period; Negoro ware; red and black lacquer on wood; 8 1/8 x 10 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art 1690:1983 This unusual vessel is known as a “one-spouted sake bowl.” Deep and wide, it held ample servings of rice wine that funneled directly along the U-shaped groove of the pouring spout. The upper layer of vermilion lacquer has been worn down to reveal hints of an undercoat of black. This subtle decorative effect of red and black is one of the distinguishing qualities of the lacquer style produced by Negoro-ji, a Buddhist temple known for making utilitarian vessels for monastic and daily use. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 19, 2021 Landscape with a Horse Paul Gauguin, French, 1848–1903; Landscape with a Horse, 1899; oil on burlap; 27 7/8 x 17 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr. 27:1974 Paul Gauguin traveled to the French colony of Tahiti in the 1890s in search of an unspoilt Eden and a counterpoint to the decadence and spiritual bankruptcy of European civilization. He became fascinated by the lush tropical landscape of the island; here he paints a group of huts and a single wild horse against a range of distant, looming mountains. Gauguin employs his trademark areas of flat, arbitrary color for decorative effect while his rough burlap canvas creates an intentionally unrefined paint surface. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 18, 2021 Long-necked Bottle Long-necked Bottle, 12th century; Persian, Iran, Seljuk period; mold-blown glass; height: 9 3/4 inches, diameter of mouth: 7/8 inches, diameter of body: 4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Roland E. Jester in memory of Margo Jester 217:1993 The body of this bottle is decorated with four roundels containing peacocks, a very popular motif in Iranian textiles during late antiquity. The migration of motifs from one medium to another is characteristic of Islamic art. On one side of the vessel, the peacocks are facing each other, whereas on the other side they are facing the same direction. To form this decoration, the glass was blown into a two-part mold, indicated by the seam down the side of the vessel. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 17, 2021 Pair of Chairs designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, American (born England), 1764–1820; painted by George Bridport, American (born England), 1783–1819; Pair of Chairs, 1808; painted and gilded yellow poplar, white oak, and white pine; gilded gesso; replacement and original gilded cane; and reproduction wool and silk upholstery; 34 1/4 x 20 x 19 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society in honor of Charles E. Buckley 217:1975.1,.2 Dramatically curved and boldly colored, these chairs heralded a new style of classicism in American furniture that turned to ancient Greek forms for its models. The chairs are from a large suite of tables and seating furniture by the English architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe for the drawing room of the house he designed for the Philadelphia merchant William Waln. The simplified palette of red, black, and gold provides clarity and contrast for the classical vocabulary of gilded palmettes, lyres, and foliage that adorn the chairs’ surfaces. Each crest rail in the set of chairs features a different composition of mythological creatures. Latrobe’s innovative design presented a challenge for the furniture maker he commissioned to make the set. Writing to his client, Latrobe complained that the first model “was the ugliest thing I ever saw. To make a chair requires as much taste as to design one.” VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 16, 2021 Organic Forms (Striding Man) Rudolf Belling, German, 1886–1972; Organic Forms (Striding Man), 1921; bronze; 21 1/2 x 8 x 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May 236:1959; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Rudolf Belling juxtaposes curved and angled forms to represent an abstract figure in motion. Spherical masses define the man’s head and shoulders while parallel projections suggest his ribcage. Belling explored the idea of making the human body resemble a mechanized figure. The smooth, metallic surface and streamlined forms of this striding robot reflect the preoccupation with the aesthetics of modern machines in interwar Germany. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 15, 2021 Pieced Quilt Susan F. Wyman, American; Pieced Quilt, 1850–60; silk; 85 x 87 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harry Langenberg 266:1948 This quilt features two motifs popular in the mid-19th century: the eight-pointed star in the center is the “Star of Bethlehem” pattern, and the “Mariner’s Compass” is seen in each corner. The quilt is in excellent condition because it was a silk “show quilt,” made to display the skills of its maker rather than for everyday use. The Star of Bethlehem requires advanced needlework skills to accurately sew the silk pieces together to complete the pattern. The Mariner’s Compass is also difficult due to its combination of sharp points and curved piecing set within a square. A note on the back of the quilt states that it is made of 3,632 pieces of silk. It was cut, arranged, and quilted in seven weeks by Susan F. Wyman, when she 71, as a present for her daughter, Rebecca H. W. Morton. At the time, Wyman lived in Hillsboro, Illinois, about 60 miles northeast of St. Louis. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 14, 2021 Banquet Scene with a Lute Player Nicolas Tournier, French, 1590–1639; Banquet Scene with a Lute Player, c.1625; oil on canvas; 47 3/4 x 65 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 90:1942 Bright light and contrasting shadow have been used to especially good effect in this banquet scene. The artist uses these tools to enhance the spatial qualities of the table corner and define the surface textures of foodstuffs as well as clothing. Artists of the early 17th century sought to involve the viewer in the picture, which is why the composition is arranged so that the table corner juts out toward the viewer. The scene is set in an inn or a brothel and the single female may be a courtesan. Musical instruments often convey erotic themes. The man who drains his glass indicates that indulgence and vice may indeed be themes of this work. Tournier worked in Rome between 1619 and 1626 and probably used models that he encountered on the streets of that city. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 13, 2021 Gray Day at the Sea Max Beckmann, German, 1884–1950; Gray Day at the Sea, 1907; oil on canvas; 29 1/8 x 36 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 834:1983 In the vast expanse of sea, a tiny upended ship—perhaps sinking—is visible on the horizon beneath a menacing sky. This work, created in Schlawe (present-day Sławno, Poland), is one of a small group of marine paintings Max Beckmann produced on the Baltic Coast of Germany in the early 1900s. Grains of sand embedded in the paint indicate that Beckmann painted it outdoors, at least in part. Lively brushwork evokes the movement of the frothy blue and green waves. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 12, 2021 Head of a Gaul Francois Rude, French, 1784–1855; Head of a Gaul, c.1833–35; bronze; 24 1/2 x 12 3/4 x 12 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis by exchange 124:1987 In this dramatic sculpture, the wide-open eyes and animated expression suggest the patriotic fervor of an aged warrior as he sets off for battle. This head is based on the central figure from François Rude’s greatest work, The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792, created for the façade of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Rude’s dynamic approach to the modeling of form is particularly evident in the warrior’s swirling, serpentine hair. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 11, 2021 Pegasus and Warrior (Courage) Walker Kirtland Hancock, American, 1901–1998; Pegasus and Warrior (Courage), 1937; plaster with paint wash; 29 x 23 x 13 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Deane Hancock French 26:2012; © Estate of Walker Kirtland Hancock This warrior and the ancient Greek mythological horse Pegasus represent courage. Pegasus was the loyal, winged battle companion to gods and heroes. In this sculpture, the warrior’s sure control of Pegasus’ head contrasts with the horse’s opened wings, ready to take flight rather than remain earthbound. The sculpture is a plaster cast, a scale working model, for one of four monumental sculptures created to flank the entrances to the Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis. Though not completed until 1936, the memorial was proposed in 1919 to honor those soldiers who lost their lives in World War I (1914-1918). The four entrance sculptures—courage, vision, loyalty, and sacrifice—all done by Hancock, represent qualities found in soldiers and their families. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 10, 2021 House Wall Panel (poupou) Hone Taahu, Maori, c.1825–1900, New Zealand (Aotearoa); House Wall Panels (poupou), c.1870; wood and haliotis shell; left panel: 96 5/8 x 18 7/8 x 3 15/16 inches, right panel: 96 3/4 x 21 3/4 x 3 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 88:1977.1,.2 Multiple figures intertwine across the surface of these carved panels while the figures’ bodies are also covered with interlaced patterns. The complex composition challenges our ability to distinguish one figure from the other. Between the large figures’ legs, small figures emerge, evoking the act of giving birth or the succession of generations. These poupou, or carved panels, belong to a group of 46 that were created to form the framework of a large Maori meeting house, which ultimately was never constructed. Supporting the rafters, these solid panels would alternate with lattice openwork panels. Wharenui (meeting houses) are considered to be the property of the local community and function as a space for important gatherings, such as weddings and tangihanga, or death ceremonies. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 9, 2021 Relief Fragment Relief Fragment, mid-13th century; French, or English; ivory; 1 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 34:1927 On the left of this ivory sculpture, a lion sinks his teeth into the hindquarters of a stag whose head appears at the upper left-hand corner. Farther to the right, a hound bites the back of a reclining goat, which, seemingly unperturbed, munches calmly on a spikey leaf. The medieval carver adapted these animal forms to the rhythms of the undulating vine, inventively adjusting the popular animal interlace pattern to the narrow width of the relief’s border. Ivory, valued for its creamy color and exotic nature, was a favorite material for creating opulent objects in the 13th century. While it is not known what this fine carving originally adorned, it may have embellished a piece of furniture or a musical instrument. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 8, 2021 Vessel with Sacrificial Scene Vessel with Sacrificial Scene, c.100–600; Recuay, Peru, Early Intermediate period; ceramic with pigment; 7 5/16 x 8 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 347:1978 Four canine creatures surround a man splayed on his back, baring their sharp teeth in preparation for attack. The man’s vulnerable yet seemingly willing position as well as his elaborate clothing and headgear suggest that this elite figure is offering himself as a sacrifice. This vessel was likely used in rituals that honored ancestors whose deaths established their lineage. Recuay arts often represent confrontations, celebrating moments when opposing forces interact. This emphasis on conflicting states of being is further embodied in the canine creature, which also appears painted in linear profile along the lower half of the vessel. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 7, 2021 Ankh-pa-khered with Osiris Ankh-pa-khered with Osiris, 664–610 BC; Egyptian, Late Period, or Dynasty 26 (Saite); greywacke; full figure height: 16 1/4 inches, base: 2 3/16 x 3 3/16 x 7 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 222:1924 Here, Ankh-pa-khered, a priest, is shown with a statue of the god Osiris. He places his hands on the statue’s shoulders in a gesture that is intimate and protective. Ankh-pa-khered is depicted as a slim man, yet two wrinkles of fat on his chest indicate that he was prosperous enough to eat very well. And his advanced age is shown by lines that frame the corners of his mouth, yet do not detract from his dignified portrayal (see detail and alternate views). VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 6, 2021 Seated Vajrasattva Seated Vajrasattva, 11th century; Nepalese, Transitional period; copper alloy with gilding; 6 1/4 x 5 x 3 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art 25:1968 In Nepal, Vajrasattva represents the perfected Buddhist ritual practitioner. Before performing a ritual, priests and meditators establish within themselves the attitude of Vajrasattva in order to ensure that the subsequent ritual will be performed properly and yield the desired results. Although Vajrasattva is ornamented, his jewels do not indicate that he is a bodhisattva. Rather, his adornments show that he is a sambhogakaya Buddha who reveals the splendor and glory of enlightenment. In his left hand, Vajrasattva holds a bell that symbolizes clear insight into the true nature of reality. Vajrasattva’s right hand bears a vajra that symbolizes the compassionate application of that insight to help other beings skillfully. In Mahayana Buddhism, it is only by combining intellectual insight with compassionate activity that true enlightenment is achieved. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 5, 2021 Occasional Table Anthony G. Quervelle, American (born France), 1789–1856; Occasional Table, c.1835; rosewood, white pine, yellow-poplar, marble, and gilding; 28 3/4 x 42 1/4 x 26 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given in loving tribute to William A. and Carolyn C. McDonnell by their devoted son and daughter-in-law Sanford N. and Priscilla R. McDonnell 1:1971 This table is a composition of elegant contours based on scrolls and circular lines. Paired scrolls suggesting the shape of a lyre make up the table’s base, while an elongated scroll spans its width. These contours are echoed in the semicircular ends of the plinths and the compressed ball feet. The choice of rosewood veneer, a wood admired for its striped figure, and the use of flat, gilded foliate ornament and linear striping also complement the smooth forms and rich surface decoration. Anthony Quervelle received his training in Paris before immigrating to Philadelphia in 1817. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 4, 2021 Reclining Pan attributed to Francesco da Sangallo, Italian, 1494–1576; Reclining Pan, c.1535; marble; 25 x 52 3/4 x 23 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 138:1947 View Details In this sculpture, the satyr Pan reclines on a rocky base amid grape clusters and vines. His left hand clutches a goatskin, called a nebris, which he wears around his neck. Such details (view above), together with a small salamander carved amid the rocks, evoke a rustic scene befitting Pan—the half goat-half human ancient Greek god of the woods, fields, and flocks known for his lecherous pursuits. The reed pipe, or syrinx, in Pan’s right hand is an allusion to the maiden Syrinx, who was changed into a patch of reeds to escape the satyr’s advances. Francesco da Sangallo carved this sculpture from a recycled piece of ancient marble and it once served as a fountain; its water spout is still visible at the mouth of the sack above his right arm. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 3, 2021 Landscape with a Goatherd Adam Pynacker, Dutch, c.1620–1673; Landscape with a Goatherd, c.1650; oil on panel; 15 1/4 x 24 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund, Friends Fund, and funds given by Christian B. and Ethel K. Peper, Mrs. John M. Olin, Mary and Oliver Langenberg, Jacob M. Heimann and L. O. Kipnis by exchange, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley F. Jackes, Mr. and Mrs. Newell Augur, Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr., Mrs. Clark P. Fiske, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Grove, Mrs. G. Gordon Hertslet, Miss Helen M. Longmire, the John Allan Love Charitable Foundation, the Columbia Terminals Company Charitable Trust, Mrs. Tyrell Williams by exchange, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Lorenz; Mrs. W. Welles Hoyt and General and Mrs. Rollin Tilton, by exchange, the John R. Goodall Charitable Trust, Mrs. G. L. Harris, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ruwitch, Mr. and Mrs. Ethan A. H. Shepley Jr., Charles H. Yalem by exchange, Mr. and Mrs. George K. Conant Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Sam Langsdorf Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Russell Fetté, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Block, Mrs. Earl Bumiller, Mr. and Mrs. Max Diamant, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Eggleston, Gallery of the Masters, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kniep, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kodner, Dr. and Mrs. William A. Murphy, Dr. and Mrs. Eli R. Shuter, Versie T. Walser, and 316 additional donors to the 1982 Art Enrichment Fund 150:1982 This view of a goatherd overseeing his charges demonstrates Adam Pynacker’s mastery of color as a means to capture the light and atmosphere of the Roman countryside. By contrasting the pale, tan tones of the vines on the right against the darker background, and varying the reds and blues in the fabrics of the goatherd’s coat and belongings, he is able to capture the rich feeling of the dense afternoon sun as it washes across the southern landscape. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 2, 2021 Interior III Markus Lüpertz, German, born 1941; Interior III, 1974; distemper on canvas; 77 x 101 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 10:2003; © 2021 Markus Lüpertz / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Interior III depicts the artist’s studio with finished canvases in stacks. Markus Lüpertz represented the studio not as a place of active painting but as a symbol of the artist’s identity and relationship to art history. The most prominent canvas displayed presents an army coat and an oversized cap worn by an invisible occupant. For a German audience, such an image evokes memories of and questions about the army’s role in World War II (1939–1945) and the Holocaust. The empty shell of the uniform suggests the frightening anonymity of evil. Here, the artist confronts the viewer with the issue of collective responsibility while trying to define his own position in connection with the past. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 1, 2021 Grave Stele of Kallistrate Grave Stele of Kallistrate, late 5th–early 4th century BC; Attic Greek, Late Classical period; marble; 33 1/2 x 26 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 4:1933 Modeled after the form of a miniature temple (naiskos), this funerary monument, called a stele, once marked the grave of a woman named Kallistrate. Such monuments were common in Athens. This one captures the deceased in contemplative, somber, yet serene poses. Here Kallistrate, whose name has been inscribed on the lintel above her head, looks down at a necklace of amphora-shaped beads, which may have been a prized possession. The necklace may also allude to the dowry or bride price her father would have paid upon her marriage. Perhaps she died before the ceremony and contemplates the necklace as a symbol of the life she would never have. Her elegant attire, earring, and hairstyle attest to her high status and the wealth of the family who commissioned such a marker. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 31, 2021 Tomb Relief Tomb Relief, second half 14th century; German; red sandstone; 68 3/4 x 40 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 95:1932 This tomb plaque commemorates Ulrich and Elisabeth von Erbach, the children of Count Eberhardt Schenck von Erbach and his wife Elisabeth. The plaque marked the tomb of both brother and sister, and is inscribed with their names and dates of death on a scroll that unfurls around them to form the border of the relief. Ulrich appears to be a youth, not old enough to be a knight, but perhaps in training, and thus his feet rest on a lion, an illusion to the heraldic symbol above his head and an artistic device representing strength and courage, virtues expected in a warrior. The young siblings are depicted in the height of civilian finery and 14th-century fashion. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 30, 2021 Attachment Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, English, 1802–1873; Attachment, 1829; oil on canvas; 39 7/8 x 32 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Eugene A. Perry in memory of her mother, Mrs. Claude Kilpatrick by exchange 123:1987 This painting illustrates Sir Walter Scott’s poem Helvellyn, about a faithful dog that guarded her master’s body after he had fallen while mountain climbing. Though the body went undiscovered for three months, the dog stayed to ward off the ravens and foxes that might have scavenged the remains. Edwin Henry Landseer dramatizes this scene through vivid contrasts of light and shadow, and by placing the man’s body at the bottom of the composition, which emphasizes the great height from which it fell. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 29, 2021 White Woman Georg Baselitz, German, born 1938; White Woman, 1980; tempera on canvas; 130 x 98 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mrs. Alvin R. Frank, Bruce and Kimberly Olson, and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas K. Langsdorf 7:2003; © Georg Baselitz 1980 Layers of dark paint create an expressive surface from which an inverted, white figure emerges. Georg Baselitz based the figure on a photograph published in the journal Stern in 1979 of a Russian woman in Germany after World War II. The woman, who went from prisoner to victor, supervised German women tasked with cleaning up ruined cities. This painting recalls shared memories of Germans who had to construct new lives in the aftermath of the atrocities of the Holocaust and the loss of a war that left poverty and destruction in its wake. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 28, 2021 German National Library, Frankfurt am Main IV Candida Höfer, German, born 1944; German National Library, Frankfurt am Main IV, 1997; chromogenic print; image: 23 13/16 x 23 5/8 inches, sheet: 33 9/16 x 33 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton 27:2000; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Sparse decoration and stark geometry characterize the architectural space in this image of a Frankfurt library study room. Devoid of human subjects, Candida Höfer’s photograph highlights the organizational logic of the room itself. Höfer’s photographs of libraries, museums, and universities contemplate the function of public spaces as well as the values and ideals that structure them. Höfer has stated, “These rooms are spaces that are open to everyone. They are spaces of meeting, communication, knowledge, relaxation, and recuperation…All rooms have a purpose.” VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 27, 2021 Armchair George J. Hunzinger, American, 1835–1898; Armchair, c.1876; walnut, steel, and wool; 34 x 20 x 24 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by David A. Hanks in memory of Elizabeth Dixon Hanks 135:2011 Lacking carved decoration and lush textiles and trims, this chair’s only ornaments are black-painted rings and machine-like conical finials at the tops and ends of the arms. This patented armchair features diagonal front legs that support a cantilevered seat and fabric-wrapped steel webbing. The chair’s modern mechanical style equals its innovative manufacturing techniques. The maker George Hunzinger received more than twenty patents for mechanical and convertible furniture and improvements to their design and manufacture. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 26, 2021 Censer with Cover and Stand Censer with Cover and Stand, 17th–early 18th century; Chinese, Ming dynasty, or Qing dynasty; bronze with pigment, wood, and jade; 26 1/4 x 25 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Robert E. Kresko 6:2005a-c Later Chinese bronzes, like this one, often recall the shape and design of vessels from the 7th through 6th century B.C. Bronze casting in China was a complex mixture of art and artifice. New bronzes might be ordered to look old, and artists might make a reproduction bronze similar to an original ancient model in nearly every detail, including corrosion and patina. This extraordinary tripod vessel is among the very rare Ming works that closely follow archaic ritual bronze design. The visually complex shape and inter-locking dragon decor of this work are based on archaic prototypes. The surface of the vessel appears to be an ancient, corroded patina but is actually skillfully applied paint. The high esteem of early collectors for this bronze is revealed in the elaborately carved cover and stand in matching fine woods that were created for the vessel in the 18th century. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 25, 2021 Allegory Philip Guston, American (born Canada), 1913–1980; Allegory, 1975; oil on canvas; 68 x 73 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Shoenberg Foundation, Inc. and Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Shoenberg by exchange 8:1990; © 2021 Estate of Philip Guston Philip Guston examines the dilemma of an artist—what is, in fact, his or her role in society? Guston presents himself here as an abstract blue creature in profile. He looks downward into the bespectacled eyes of composer Morton Feldman, while sculptor Raoul Hague flogs a jumble of shoes. The brow rising over the horizon belongs to Musa Guston, a poet and the painter’s wife. Instead of the certainty of science—represented by geometric shapes, numbers, and rulers—the artist faces ambiguity and endless possibilities in the search for artistic truth. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 24, 2021 Power Figure (nkishi) Songye artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Power Figure (nkishi), early 20th century; wood, horn, reptile skin, copper, glass beads, iron nails, fiber; 28 3/4 x 7 1/4 x 10 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 408:1955 Nkishi such as this served as a container for potent ingredients used in magic and medicine, and in judicial and healing contexts. While western collectors value the visual impact of these power figures, their ultimate importance to the Songye lies in their ability to protect the community from evil forces and disease. The power of such figures depends on their magical ingredients (bishimba), concealed in the abdominal cavity, in the top of the head, or in a horn set into the cranium of the statue. These hidden substances acquire potency and interact with the spirit world when assembled according to a precise formula followed by the nganga, or ritual practitioner. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 23, 2021 In Deep Thought Alfred Stevens, Belgian, 1823–1906; In Deep Thought, 1881; oil on canvas; 18 3/4 x 23 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 58:1916 The Belgian painter Alfred Stevens was a good friend of Manet and Degas, and like both of those artists, painted scenes of fashionable modern life. Here, a woman in an elegant pink dress looks abstractly out to sea while her straw hat and gloves lie on the table and her pet dog sits nearby. The scene takes place at the Norman port of Le Havre; steamboats, a sign of modernity, are visible in the distance. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 22, 2021 The Plaza after the Rain Paul Cornoyer, American, 1864–1923; The Plaza after the Rain, 1908; oil on canvas; 59 1/4 x 59 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 65:1910 A drizzling rain creates watery reflections on the streets and sidewalks along the Grand Army Plaza in New York City. The rain hampers the view down the vista, though the moody tones of pinks, grays, and blues make up for this loss. The light in the distance offers a hazy glimpse of the southeast corner of Central Park, with its beloved bronze statue of Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman. St. Louisian Paul Cornoyer studied in Paris, France before returning to live and work in New York City. He is best known for his park scenes, such as this one, seen through the atmospheric reflections of rain or the soft calm of a snowy blanket. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 21, 2021 Sunset Evangeline Montgomery, American, born 1930; Sunset, 1997; offset lithograph and screenprint; sheet: 21 5/8 × 29 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 176:2017; © Evangeline Montgomery Sunset evokes flames engulfing redwood trees during a wildfire, a distinct memory from the artist’s time living in California from 1955 to 1976. Memory is a central theme of Evangeline Montgomery’s work. She uses travel diaries and photographs to transform her experiences and awe of nature into visual representations. Montgomery traveled extensively throughout her career starting in 1983, when she began work for the Arts America Program at the United States Information Agency. In her role there, she coordinated tours of American museum exhibitions at home and abroad. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 20, 2021 Rising Moon Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, German, 1884–1976; Rising Moon, 1912; oil on canvas; 34 7/8 x 37 7/8 inches Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 938:1983; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn A solitary cart waits on an empty path receding between gabled cottages; in the distance are a steep mountain and glowing harvest moon. Karl Schmidt-Rottluff’s mysterious work was inspired by the landscape around the Baltic coast of Germany. The artist represents his scene with vibrant, non-naturalistic colors: the mountain is rendered in intense red and magenta and the houses in ultramarine blue. Schmidt-Rottluff was the youngest member of Die Brücke (The Bridge) and focused largely on landscapes. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 19, 2021 Tintern Abbey, South Aisle Francis Bedford, English, 1816–1894; Tintern Abbey, South Aisle, 1858; albumen print from glass negative; image: 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, mount: 10 5/8 x 10 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of David R. Hanlon 177:2019 The composition of this photograph follows the myriad columns and arches down the now roofless aisle of Tintern Abbey, one of the great monastic ruins of Wales. By the mid-1850s, technical advances in photography allowed a large amount of detail to be captured, seen here in the intricate textures of the eroding stone and dense, twisting vines. Depicted in beautiful chocolate-brown tones, this picturesque image shows the building slowly being reclaimed by nature. Tintern Abbey, celebrated by British artists and poets such as J.M.W. Turner and William Wordsworth, had been a popular tourist destination since the late 18th century. The British often felt more of a connection to the European medieval past than to the classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, so they looked to their own countryside to recoup a meaningful architectural heritage. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 18, 2021 Cubi XIV David Smith, American, 1906–1965; Cubi XIV, 1963; stainless steel; 125 1/2 x 78 x 30 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 32:1979; © 2021 Estate of David Smith / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York For Cubi XIV, David Smith welded together geometric units made from industrial stainless steel. Welding allowed Smith to produce sculptures without casting or carving. In 1961, Smith began creating his final sculptural group, the Cubi series, whose title refers to the early 20th-century art movement, Cubism. While the structured composition of the sculpture recalls the shifting facets of Cubist art, the textured surface (which Smith created with an electric sander) echoes the gestural energy of Abstract Expressionism. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 17, 2021 Actor Morita Kan’ya XIII as Jean Valjean, from an untitled series known as “Flowers of the Theater” Yamamura Toyonari, Japanese, 1885–1942; published by Yamamura Kōka hanga kankōkai; Actor Morita Kan'ya XIII as Jean Valjean, from an untitled series known as Flowers of the Theater, 1921; color woodblock print; image: 15 3/4 x 10 11/16 inches, sheet: 16 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Margaret and Irvin Dagen Fund for Modern and Contemporary Japanese Prints in honor of Steven Owyoung 22:2017 Opening in 1908, Tokyo’s Yūraku-za was Japan’s first Western-style theater. In 1920, it staged a production of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables starring Morita Kan’ya, an actor whose repertoire spanned kabuki to Shakespeare. Yamamura Toyonari’s dramatic image of Kan’ya as Jean Valjean, poised to steal the bishop’s silver candlesticks, is based on promotional photographs. These “bromides” had largely superseded woodblock prints as souvenirs of the theater. As an emerging artist, Toyonari augmented his income by illustrating books and magazines. His first actor prints, published by Watanabe Shōzaburō in 1916, attracted a circle of ardent supporters. With their patronage, Toyonari was able to establish a printmaking practice independent of Watanabe. This print belongs to a series of 12 actor portraits, his debut project as an autonomous printmaker. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 16, 2021 In the Adirondack Mountains William Trost Richards, American, 1833–1905; In the Adirondack Mountains, 1857; oil on canvas; 30 1/2 x 39 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Albert Blair 54:1933 In this rugged view of the Adirondack Mountains in New York state William Trost Richards portrays dark green foliage, twisted branches, and exposed rock, with the mountains visible in the background. The picture is composed so that the viewer’s gaze may linger over any aspect of it and be rewarded with fresh detail. An eagle at lower right connects this scene of the uninhabited American wilderness with ideas about national identity. The Adirondacks were part of the popular mid-19th century Hudson River Valley tourism route. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 15, 2021 Headcrest Eket artist, Nigeria; Headcrest, early 20th century; wood, reed, pigment; 30 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 274:1972 This figure’s active stance, robust forms, and painted geometric details suggest an ideal portrayal of masculine beauty. An Eket man wore this headcrest during performances called Ogbom, which honored the earth deity Ala and encouraged women’s fertility. While colorful ribbons descended from the basketry cap that supported the crest atop the dancer’s head, the gentleman performer was not otherwise concealed. Thus the dancer and headcrest appeared as a unit, each complementing the other, and perhaps attracting admirers from among an audience of singing and dancing women. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 14, 2021 Votive Hand of Zeus Sabazios Votive Hand of Zeus Sabazios, 2nd–4th century; Roman, Imperial period; bronze; approximate: 8 x 3 x 2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 52:1956 As today, individuals in antiquity found ways to express their devotion to the gods. Whether maintaining a small altar at home for the worship of a particular deity, or presenting gifts called votives, at sanctuaries or graves, many of the objects that survive from antiquity served a ritual function. This bronze in the shape of a hand represents Zeus in an Anatolian (Asia Minor) guise of Sabazios, who like Zeus was the god of the sky. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 13, 2021 A Shadow on the Sky Kay Sage, American, 1898–1963; A Shadow on the Sky, 1958; cut-and-pasted painted paper and watercolor on paper; sheet: 24 3/4 x 18 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 5:1960; © 2021 Estate of Kay Sage / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Gray stones float in an imaginary space defined only by the shadows the stones cast against their backdrop. Kay Sage used the technique of collage to create this work, meticulously cutting out each stone and pasting it onto the paper support. In the 1940s Sage painted vast Surrealist landscapes populated by architectural fragments and amorphous objects. Due to the gradual loss of her eyesight and other factors, Sage stopped painting around 1959 and began creating various series of collages and small sculptures. An ominous sense pervades A Shadow on the Sky, as in much of Sage’s work. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 12, 2021 Zischägge Helmet Zischägge Helmet, 1610–50; German; steel, brass, modern leather, and restorations; 13 1/4 x 11 x 15 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 312:1925 This simple helmet features large cheekpieces, an adjustable nasal guard to defend against sword cuts, and a flexible neck defense reminiscent of a lobster’s tail. This was the classic headpiece of European horsemen during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48). Its name is derived from the Slavic/Turkic term shishak, the name for a similarly formed helmet introduced into eastern Europe via the Ottoman Turks. This example is of finer quality than most others, which were left unpolished or painted black to reduce maintenance. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 11, 2021 Basket Dance Women at center grasp distinct baskets while men at back rhythmically shake rattles. Tonita Peña devoted remarkable attention to detail in this watercolor. Describing her figures in a letter from 1921, she said, “I paint just the way they wear their dresses.” Peña aligned each dancer in this composition to convey action, depth, and community. This critical artistic achievement defied federal efforts in the 1920s to suppress Pueblo dances. Basket dances, as seen here, contribute to annual cycles of religious performances at many Pueblo communities, including Cochiti. There, Peña lived and worked as the sole woman in the first generation of Indigenous easel painters in northern New Mexico. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 10, 2021 Reliquary Reliquary, 6th–7th century; Byzantine, Syria; silver; 3 7/16 x 4 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 44:1924 A rare example of Byzantine church silver, this reliquary, or container for holy objects, has a fluted body and a large rosette decorating the lid. Lathe-cut grooves define the flutes, or parallel channels, on the body and concentric grooves frame the rosette on top, creating a wide rim band. Within the band is a punched Greek inscription that could be translated, “Offering of TIBERINE, the deaconess, to St. Stephen.” The bottom has a graffito, or an inscription scratched into the silver, that repeats the first word of the lid inscription: “Offering: two pounds, two ounces, four grams.” That the box actually weighs less than indicated by the inscription poses some interesting questions about whether that was the weight for a reliquary set, of which this is just one piece, or whether that was the weight before some of the box’s contents were removed. A more intriguing translation of the inscription might be “Offering of the Tiberine Dioconate to St. Stephen,” suggesting that the monastery of St. Symeon Stylites the Younger in Syria offered relics of that saint to a church or monastery bearing St. Stephen’s name. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 9, 2021 Sylvia Colle Balthus (Balthazar Klossowski), French, 1908–2001; Sylvia Colle, 1954; oil on canvas; 39 1/8 x 31 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. William Inge 601:1958; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris A young girl in an armchair sits captivated by a book. Her luminous skin, blue dress, and vermilion-red slippers contrast with the mottled curtain behind her and an otherwise dusky interior. Balthus built his reputation by painting intimate scenes, often representing adolescent girls. Here he paints Sylvia Colle, the daughter of an art dealer. The themes of solitude and mystery in Balthus’ art are closely related to Surrealism. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 8, 2021 Shell and Old Shingle VI Georgia O'Keeffe, American, 1887–1986; Shell and Old Shingle VI, 1926; oil on canvas; 30 1/4 x 18 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Charles E. Claggett in memory of Blanche Fischel Claggett 345:1980; © 2021 Georgia O'Keeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York A study in tone and form, this painting’s abstract shapes barely suggest the white shell in front of a gray shingle that the artist propped on a table. The work is the sixth in a series of seven paintings of the same subject, each more abstract than the one before. Georgia O’Keeffe wrote: “Finally I went back to the shingle and shell…the shingle just a dark space that floated off the top of the painting, the shell just a simple white shape under it. They fascinated me so that I forgot what they were except that they were shapes together — singing shapes.” VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 7, 2021 The Felixmüller Family Otto Dix, German, 1891–1969; The Felixmüller Family, 1919; oil on canvas; 29 7/8 x 36 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 882:1983; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Otto Dix depicts the family of fellow artist Conrad Felixmüller, who is shown at top facing upward with yellow-toned skin and open mouth. Below him at right is his wife, Londa, who smiles serenely while cradling their baby, Luca. Together the parents form a protective backdrop around Luca, while Conrad’s right arm reaches over to rest atop Luca’s head. A townscape is visible in the background. In this work Dix’s style combines the faceted forms of Cubism with the vibrant color of the Italian Futurists. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 6, 2021 Cafeteria Counter Wayne Thiebaud, American, born 1920; Cafeteria Counter, 1961; oil on canvas; 12 3/16 x 18 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Aronson 287:1979; © 2021 Wayne Thiebaud/Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Wayne Thiebaud presents an array of colorful dishes on display at a cafeteria counter. Cakes, pies, melons, and servings of pudding wait to be purchased and devoured. Thiebaud was featured early in significant Pop Art exhibitions, although he jokingly claimed he was “never a card-carrying member” of the movement. Unlike his Pop Art counterparts, Thiebaud remained committed to the traditions of painting and chose not to explore commercial techniques. He arranges triangular desserts, circular plates, and curved pieces of fruit into rows and columns to emphasize their forms. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 5, 2021 The Eviction Eldzier Cortor, American, 1916–2015; associated with Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration; The Eviction, c.1939–40; oil on canvas; 30 1/8 x 24 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration 353:1943; © 2021 Eldzier Cortor / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Isolated against a backdrop of abstract skyscrapers, Eldzier Cortor’s African American woman stands confidently, even though she is now displaced. Cortor used the basic elements of art—the woman’s organic, upright form in contrast to the angular, jagged forms of the city, for instance—to evoke the resolve of African Americans facing social and economic challenges. This painting is typical of the artist’s early work, which centered on daily life in his Chicago neighborhood. In 1941, Cortor helped establish the South Side Community Art Center, an organization that offered the first significant opportunity for Black artists to exhibit in Chicago. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 4, 2021 Mural Fragment Mural Fragment, c.500–550; Teotihuacan, Mexico, Early Classic period; earthen aggregate, plaster, and pigment; 28 1/2 x 38 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 237:1978 This mural fragment shows a richly dressed Teotihuacan nobleman speaking as he carries an incense bag in his right hand. The large scroll coming from his mouth does not contain words, but instead is filled with shell and floral motifs. Directly in front of the nobleman is the small remnant of a glyph, perhaps his title or name. The palette, limited to a range of reds and pinks, suggests that the mural was made during the last years of Teotihuacan’s power. Murals decorated the walls of the city’s large apartment compounds; this one was once part of a larger room with many similarly dressed figures, yet all with distinct name glyphs. Their processional arrangement on the compound’s lower walls may have guided visitors and residents to a small shrine. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 3, 2021 Wanderer on the Mountaintop Carl Gustav Carus, German, 1789–1869; Wanderer on the Mountaintop, 1818; oil on canvas; 17 x 13 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 323:1991 A traveler has climbed a winding path and rests with his staff on a mountaintop to look out over a sea of clouds. Lone, back-turned figures appear frequently in German Romantic art of the late 18th to 19th centuries. These figures represent a longing for unity with the vastness of nature, a characteristic of this art movement. Carl Gustav Carus described his own mystical experience in the mountains, writing “you lose yourself in boundless space…your ego vanishes; you are nothing, God is all.” VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 2, 2021 Mocha Standard Edward Ruscha, American, born 1937; printed by Jean Milant, Los Angeles, and Daniel Socha, Los Angeles; published by Edward Ruscha; Mocha Standard, 1969; screenprint; image: 19 9/16 x 37 1/16 inches, sheet: 25 13/16 x 40 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 99:1982; © Ed Ruscha The first gasoline stations to appear in Ed Ruscha’s work were unremarkable black-and-white snapshots found in his artist’s books. Ruscha soon revealed his flair for casting even the humblest buildings as star attractions. The Standard Oil station became his signature subject, one he repeatedly returned to in both paintings and prints. In both media, the station is glamorized using graphic imagery borrowed from the world of commercial design. Dramatic foreshortening and bold diagonals make it appear larger than life, modeled to fit a Hollywood “standard.” Mocha Standard is one of several screenprints identical in composition to Ruscha’s paintings of the station. Unlike the paintings, however, the screenprints are characterized by the lush gradations of color seen in the sky. Here, the chosen palette of chocolate brown and burnt orange sound a soft, even melancholic note that tempers the brash angular forms of the building. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 1, 2021 Marriage of Reason and Squalor Frank Stella, American, born 1936; Marriage of Reason and Squalor, 1959; enamel on canvas; 90 5/8 x 131 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Helman and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald K. Greenberg 23:1969; © 2021 Frank Stella / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York With a housepainter’s brush, Frank Stella methodically applied industrial enamel paint to the surface of this canvas. Thick black bands form concentric rectangles cut off along the bottom edge while thin off-white lines reveal unpainted portions of the canvas. The artist used an extra thick stretcher, a novel decision in 1959, which allowed Stella to emphasize that a painting is, in fact, a three-dimensional object. When asked about the content of his austere works such as this, Stella answered, “What you see is what you see,” underscoring the artist’s matter-of-fact, literal approach to painting. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 Running Artemis Running Artemis, late 2nd century BC–early 1st century AD; Greek, Hellenistic period, or Roman, Imperial period; marble; height: 28 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 41:1924 Artemis, goddess of the hunt, is identifiable here by the quiver strap across her chest. The way the dress clings to her body, often called “wet drapery,” while simultaneously billowing around the figure creates an exaggerated sense of movement that is a signature element of Hellenistic sculpture. Known for her chastity and modesty, Artemis cannot escape the dictates of the style and its body-conscious modeling. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 Gorilla Houston Chandler, American, 1914–2015; Gorilla, c.1946; wood; 8 5/8 x 7 3/4 x 5 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 1124:2010; © Houston Chandler Gorilla features smooth surfaces, abstracted forms, and a mask-like face. These elements are evidence of Houston Chandler’s search for “the simplicity that brings out the greatest line of expression.” Though the gorilla rests in a hunched pose, its muscular limbs, arranged in diagonals across its body, allude to its physical power. Born in St. Louis, Chandler was the second African American to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Iowa. He returned to teach for many years at Vashon High School, and directed summer classes at the People’s Art Center, the city’s first racially integrated community arts center. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 Afternoon Tea Party Mary Cassatt, American (active France), 1844–1926; Afternoon Tea Party, 1891; drypoint, color aquatint, and gold paint; 13 5/8 x 10 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and funds given by Jane and Warren Shapleigh, Mr. and Mrs. G. Gordon Hertslet, Mrs. Richard I. Brumbaugh 4:1976 In this print, two women share tea and conversation in a room depicted in soft colors. Skillful hand-inking techniques create the variety of hues and the hand application of gold paint highlights the rims of the cups and saucers. Mary Cassatt, one of the leading artists in the Impressionist movement, is known for her paintings of women and children in domestic settings. In addition to her success as a painter, Cassatt was recognized as a printmaker. Her greatest achievement in printmaking includes this image, one of a group of 18 color prints she produced during the 1890s, in which her exceptional ability is evident. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 27, 2021 Jar with Design of Flowering Plants, Grasses, and Insects Jar with Design of Flowering Plants, Grasses, and Insects, late 17th century; Japanese, Edo period; Arita ware, Ko-Imari type; porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration; 11 3/4 x 10 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. Baer 75:1968 When they were brought to Europe bright iron-red enameled wares like this one provided a refreshing change from the blue-and-white porcelains that had been exported there in such great quantity from seventeenth-century Japan. This type of jar, with its well-composed, sedate floral motifs, was far rarer than the countless blue-and-whites and stood in sharp contrast to the highly elaborate surfaces of other wares. The dense, red interlocking lattice and wave patterns of this broad-shouldered pot frame four other panels of plant life rendered in colors of pale straw, green, and blue. The treatment of the pictorial vignettes is more painterly than would be found on other export wares. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 Bibi Valentin James A. McNeill Whistler, American, 1834–1903; Bibi Valentin, 1859; etching and drypoint on chine collé; image: 6 x 8 7/8 inches, sheet: 7 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund 15:2013 The American expatriate artist James A. McNeill Whistler created this sensitive etching and dry-point image of young Bibi Valentin. She was the daughter of fellow artist Henry Augustin Valentin, who encouraged Whistler’s printmaking activities during his time in Paris. Whistler’s portrait is skillfully composed, from the girl’s fashionable high-necked dress and buttoned boots to her inquisitive, engaging face. Whistler was renowned as one of the greatest printmakers in the 19th-century, and his early prints from the 1850s often depict children, such as this example. The Museum also owns the copper plate from which this print was made. Together these objects provide insight into the printmaking process. The image is made up of lines incised onto the plate using either a sharp tool or acid; these incisions hold the ink. When the plate is printed onto a sheet of paper, the resulting image appears in reverse. The plate has been canceled, with vertical and horizontal lines struck through the image, indicating the completion of a limited edition of prints. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 Amor Caritas Augustus Saint-Gaudens, American (born Ireland), 1848–1907; Amor Caritas, 1898, cast later; gilded bronze; 40 1/8 x 17 3/8 x 4 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 54:1927 Amor Caritas features a winged figure in a loose robe holding a text consisting of the Latin words for love and charity. The female figure is an example of the melancholy type Augustus Saint-Gaudens favored. In this case, the grave expression reflects the figure’s origin as part of a tomb monument Saint-Gaudens designed. The artist created multiple versions of this subject, eventually marketing it as an independent piece. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 Toy Cradleboard Plateau artist; Toy Cradleboard, c.1890; tanned hide, wood, glass beads, and wool cloth; 14 3/4 x 6 3/4 x 2 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr. 45:2013 This toy cradle consists of hide stretched across a teardrop-shaped wooden board. Across the Plains and Mountain West, Native American girls played with toy cradles that replicated the construction and design of similar full-size works. Here, lanes of beadwork create geometric designs, adorning the hide at top. The light blue ground and abstract beading with outlined forms are hallmarks of a style called Transmontane, shared by artists from multiple Native American groups in the mountainous areas west of the Plains. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 Bactrian Camel Bactrian Camel, 8th century; Chinese, Tang dynasty; earthenware with three-color (sancai) and transparent lead-fluxed glazes over white slip; 34 x 26 1/2 x 9 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art 181:1942 This ceramic two-humped Bactrian camel was likely part of a set of objects placed in the tomb of an important person to signify wealth and position in society. The hollow sculpture was made by pressing thin sheets of earthenware clay into reusable, fired ceramic molds. Before the clay had completely dried, the sections were removed from the molds and details were incised and stamped onto them. Once the clay pieces were dry enough to support their own weight, they were joined together and attached to a flat base. The seams were trimmed, smoothed, and covered over with clay in preparation for glazing Glazes are a mixture of tiny crystals and ground minerals, which are added to create different colors. Tang dynasty tomb objects often have multicolored lead-fluxed glazes known as “three-color” (sancai) glaze, as in the vivid amber, straw, and green colors covering this camel. To apply the glaze, the object was first covered with a white slip (clay thinned with water). The glazes were then brushed, poured, or splashed over the piece and allowed to drip down before firing. When fired, the glazes melted into a hard, glasslike finish. Tang artists used lead glazes to create rich, smooth surfaces and added coloring oxides to create pure, bright colors. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 Water Lilies Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926; Water Lilies, c.1915–26; oil on canvas; 78 3/4 inches × 13 feet 11 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Steinberg Charitable Fund 134:1956 Clusters of lilies float on a watery surface composed of violets, blues, and greens in this mural–sized painting by Claude Monet. For twenty–five years Monet obsessively illustrated the aquatic flower at various times of day from his home at Giverny in northern France. This canvas originally formed the centerpiece of a triptych or three–panel work. When installed with its counterparts from The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art and The Cleveland Museum of Art, the large–scale paintings envelop the viewer in a seemingly infinite field of subtle hues and intangible beauty. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 Peace Adolphe-William Bouguereau, French, 1825–1905; Peace, 1860; oil on canvas; 33 1/2 x 42 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Miss Lillie B. Randell 304:1925 Two children embrace each other within a pastoral setting in this idyllic view. Adolphe-William Bouguereau, the prominent academic painter, showed Peace at the 1861 Salon, the official state-sponsored art exhibition, to critical acclaim. The artist produced a companion work, War (JAPS Collection, Mexico), in which the same two children are fighting. Peace had previously been identified as a copy after Bouguereau, but recent technical and provenance research has proven this to be an autograph painting. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 Saint Luke Saint Luke, late 15th century; French; limestone with traces of paint; 39 x 21 x 17 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 12:1933 Luke is traditionally shown as an evangelist, an author of a gospel account, accompanied by his symbol the ox. In this sculpture, Luke’s soft cap, voluminous cape, and belted robe portray him as a scholar—appropriate since he was also a physician. Additionally, Luke is the patron saint of artists, and in this work he may be painting a portrait of the Virgin Mary. The desk holds a panel with a curved top, suggestive of a painting rather than a text. Luke’s upturned gaze suggests observation as well as inspiration. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 Vessel in the Form of an Owl Vessel in the Form of an Owl, c.1280–1450; Casas Grandes, Mexico; ceramic with pigment; 8 x 6 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 1094:1983 Intertwining black and red spirals painted on the body of this owl contrast with more realistic facial markings. Artists associated with the ancient city of Paquime, and nearby archaeological sites in present-day northern Chihuahua, Mexico, frequently painted figural vessels with a combination of abstract and naturalistic imagery. Owls represent one form among a staggering range of Casas Grandes vessels, including humans, various animals, and an array of non-figural jar shapes. Casas Grandes ceramics reconfigure designs from older southwestern painted vessels while using inventive polychrome palettes. This artistic revival likely presented the past as an ideal age, a concept that would support leaders’ claims to distinguished ancestry. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 Charles Wheeler (1795-1873) Lucinda Redmon Orear, American, 1823–1852; Charles Wheeler (1795-1873), c.1845; oil on canvas; 35 x 31 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr. 191:1951 Charles Wheeler is shown in his library filled with law books. Born in Hancock, New Hampshire, Wheeler graduated from Dartmouth College and moved west to Troy, Missouri, to practice law. He was active in the Whig Party, and was elected to the 1845 Missouri state constitutional convention. Both Wheeler’s professional and personal identities are conveyed in this portrait. Likely the Connecticut River and White Mountains of New Hampshire are depicted outside his window, and the envelope on his desk bears the date, August 11, 1835, the day Wheeler was married. Wheeler is just the kind of self-made, rising, middle-class businessman who sought out local or traveling artists for a portrait. This task was likely easier for Wheeler than most, as his portrait and the companion one of his wife, were painted by his sister-in-law, Lucinda Redmon Orear. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 Plate, from the Charlotte-Louise Service made by Sèvres Porcelain Factory, France, founded 1756; painted by Jean-Louis Morin, French, 1732–1787; painted by Nicolas Bulidon, French, active 1763–1792; commissioned by Louis XV, King of France (1715-1774), French, 1710 - 1774; Plate, from the Charlotte-Louise Service, 1773; glazed porcelain with enamel and gilding; 9 5/8 x 1 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver R. Burkart by exchange 45:1976 This white porcelain plate is decorated with a cobalt blue border enhanced with gilding. The outer design depicts putti (small cherubs) in clouds, interspersed with baskets of flowers and laurel wreaths. In the center are interlocking floral and foliate initials. This plate comes from a service presented by Louis XV in January 1774 to Maria Carolina Louisa (known as Charlotte-Louise or Marie-Caroline-Louise), queen of Naples and the Two Sicilies, upon the birth of her second daughter, Louise, in 1773. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 Evening. Melancholy I Edvard Munch, Norwegian, 1863–1944; Evening. Melancholy I, 1896–1901; color woodcut with gouges, chisel and fretsaw; image: 15 x 18 inches, sheet: 16 7/8 x 20 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Richard K. Weil by exchange 100:1957 A brooding man’s face and hands float in the inky black of night. Made from a hand-carved block of wood, this print shows rough gouges and wood grain, techniques Norwegian artist Edvard Munch used to strengthen his art’s psychological intensity. Members of the German artist group Die Brücke (The Bridge) imitated Munch’s techniques in their early woodcuts, prompting a critic in 1908 to describe the young artists as “spirits who band together around Munch.” VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 Fishes, Wishes and Star Apple Blue Frank Bowling, British (born Guyana), born 1936; Fishes, Wishes and Star Apple Blue, 1992; acrylic on canvas; 39 1/2 × 40 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 187:2017; © Frank Bowling The title of this painting evokes a sense of childlike wonder. Frank Bowling referenced the deep indigo color of the star apple, a fruit native to the Caribbean region and reminiscent of his childhood in Guyana. The artist works the surfaces of his paintings with clear acrylic gel using a spatula and a palette knife, often mixing pearlescent and metallic pigments into the paint. After Bowling graduated from the Royal College of Art in London, he began to work with acrylic paint, which was introduced to the commercial market in the 1960s. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 The Art Dealers (The Bernheim-Jeune Brothers) Edouard Vuillard, French, 1868–1940; The Art Dealers (The Bernheim-Jeune Brothers), 1912; oil on board, mounted on canvas; 23 13/16 x 26 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Weil 66:1953 Two of the most prominent contemporary art dealers, the brothers Gaston and Josse Bernheim-Jeune, pose in the viewing studio of their galleries. Gaston perches on a chair in the foreground while Josse reads at his desk further back; high-powered picture lights are visible to the right. Vuillard was a friend of the two dealers and regularly exhibited at their gallery, enjoying considerable commercial success in the early years of the twentieth century. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 St. John the Baptist Auguste Rodin, French, 1840–1917; St. John the Baptist, 1878; bronze; height: 79 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 2:1946 Auguste Rodin depicted St. John the Baptist as a vigorous figure in motion. In fact, the sculptor requested that his model, an Italian peasant named Pignatelli, walk repeatedly about the studio so he could capture the spontaneity of the young man’s movements. Rodin’s representation of natural motion challenged conventional nineteenth century sculptural practices that conformed to an accepted canon of suitable, classical poses. For this reason, St. John the Baptist became a milestone in the development of modern sculpture. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 Colonel Mendes Cohen Rembrandt Peale, American, 1778–1860; Colonel Mendes Cohen, c.1838; oil on canvas; 30 1/4 x 25 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 53:1930 Colonel Mendes Cohen (1796–1879) sits confidently, his arm thrown back over his chair to more fully direct his attention at us. His hair is fashionably swept, and the rich white, yellow, and black of his attire complete this handsome portrait. Cohen was a member of a prominent Jewish family in Baltimore, Maryland, that lobbied for some of the earliest rights for Jews, including the right to hold state office. Artist Rembrandt Peale, one of the most sought-after portraitists of the day, painted this portrait. It hung in the Cohen family dining room from the time it was painted in 1838 until 1929, when it was purchased by the Museum. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 Red, Orange, Orange on Red Mark Rothko, American (born Russia, now Latvia), 1903–1970; Red, Orange, Orange on Red, 1962; oil on canvas; 91 3/4 x 80 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Shoenberg Foundation, Inc. 129:1966; © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York A floating field of tangerine orange is bounded at the bottom by an area of acidic orange, and at the top by a line of red. Mark Rothko stained the canvas with several layers of thin pigment, creating an effect that evokes the shimmering luminosity of dawn or sunset. Rothko’s compositions employ the elegant simplicity of rectilinear forms to express human emotions the artist believed to be “tragic and timeless.” VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 Grouping of Dancers and Musicians Grouping of Dancers and Musicians, c.300 BC–AD 300; Colima, Mexico, Late Formative period; ceramic; 5 3/4 x 11 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 306:1978 The elongated arms of 18 alternating men and women lock together to form a dance circle around four musicians holding drums and rattles. The female figures wear wrap skirts and simple banded headdresses, while the males’ attire consists of waistbands, ear ornaments, and elaborate headdresses. Detailed models such as this one provide unique insight into the costume and ritual performances of ancient West Mexico. Music and dance were central to the region’s festivals held to honor and praise ancestors, appease natural forces, and celebrate victories, marriages, and other significant events. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 Tureen Thomas Fletcher, American, 1787–1866; Sidney Gardiner, American, 1785–1827; Tureen, 1817; silver; overall: 15 5/8 x 15 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society and the Eliza McMillan Trust 15:1974a,b Thomas Fletcher and Sidney Gardiner designed this tureen for a dinner service that was presented to Commodore John Rodgers by the citizens of Baltimore to commemorate his defeat of the British at Fort McHenry in 1814. The design combines highly polished forms divided by bands of classical ornament. The tureen’s voluminous round body and the square plinth on which it rests are polished to mirrorlike perfection. Atop the lid, a fruit finial erupts from a rosette of foliage. An appliqué of scrolls punctuated by winged masks and mythological beasts encircles the rim, while pairs of eagles’ heads support the handles. Bands of textured foliage enrich the flared moldings of the stem, and winged lions’ paws elevate the base. The combination of restrained geometric forms with rich ornament embodies a French style of silver design popular in the early nineteenth century. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 Seated Vizier Seated Vizier, 1991–1783 BC; Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12; anorthosite gneiss; 18 1/8 x 6 5/16 x 12 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by David and Paula Kipnis, Friends Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Christian B. Peper, an anonymous donor, and Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr.; and Museum Purchase and gift of J. Lionberger Davis, an anonymous donor, and Clark and Marian Shay, by exchange 1:2007 A vizier held the most powerful position in Egypt under the Pharaoh. Similar to a secretary of state, the vizier was in charge of all civil affairs. This figure’s rank of vizier is confirmed by the cord around his neck from which his official badge or seal would have been suspended. The seal would have been tucked into his kilt for safekeeping. Carved from anorthosite gneiss (also known as Chephren diorite, the material associated with the Old Kingdom pharoah Chephren), the stone for this statue was limited to representing pharaonic or royal figures and could be used only by the royal workshop. It is unknown why this figure is unfinished. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 Still Life, Basket of Apples Vincent van Gogh, Dutch, 1853–1890; Still Life, Basket of Apples, 1887; oil on canvas; 18 3/8 x 21 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr. 43:1972 Vincent van Gogh suggested the bounty of nature in this view of ten apples in a wicker basket. The red outlines of the apples complement their green texture while the blue-violet shadows offset the dominant golden-yellow color of the composition. Van Gogh rarely signed his paintings, but here used only his first name as a signature, perhaps the first artist to do so in the history of Western art. This work is one of a series of still lifes that the artist painted in Paris in 1887. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 Sharecropper Elizabeth Catlett, American (active Mexico), 1915–2012; published by Taller de Gráfica Popular, Mexico City, Mexico, founded 1937; Sharecropper, 1952, printed 1970; color linocut; 21 7/16 x 20 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund 4:2008; © 2021 Catlett Mora Family Trust / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Sharecropper reveals Elizabeth Catlett’s lifelong concern for the marginalized and the dignity of women. Vivid markings create this anonymous woman’s weathered skin, textured white hair, and broad-brimmed straw hat. Fatigue is evident in her eyes, and a makeshift safety pin holds her lightweight jacket closed. She represents the many sharecroppers who rented land in an agricultural system that Catlett felt kept thousands of African Americans in a cycle of poverty. By focusing on the enduring strength of poor laborers, Catlett hoped to “find a voice to speak for people who do not have one.” In 1946, Catlett moved to Mexico City, Mexico. There, she worked with the People’s Graphic Workshop, a printmaking collective dedicated to using art to promote social change. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 Alexander Weighing Gifts for his Tutor Leonidas Jean III Pénicaud, French, died 1570; Alexander Weighing Gifts for his Tutor Leonidas, mid-16th century; enamel and gold on copper; image (by sight): 7 5/8 x 8 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 221:1923 Enthroned in the center, Alexander the Great (reigned 336–323 BC) oversees the weighing of gifts to be sent to his childhood tutor, Leonidas. The writer Plutarch recounted how, when Alexander’s army distributed the spoils gleaned from their defeat of the Persian ruler Darius III, Alexander had frankincense and myrrh sent to Leonidas. The tutor cautioned Alexander as a child to use both of these spices sparingly. Only after Alexander ruled the lands that produced them could he use these luxuries extravagantly. This account prophesized that Alexander would one day be a conqueror. This sumptuous plaque, with shields and battle implements drawn in gold behind the figures, displays the late Renaissance interest in depicting the human form. Note the fit physique of Alexander as well as his attending soldier, shown at the right with his back to the viewer. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 Girl with Mandolin Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, French, 1796–1875; Girl with Mandolin, 1860–65; oil on canvas; 20 1/4 x 15 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 3:1939 Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was nearly seventy years old and at the height of his considerable fame as a landscape artist, when he painted Girl with Mandolin. Corot employed models and directed them to strike contemplative attitudes, often holding an instrument or a book. Posing in the theatrical space of the studio, this young woman wears an Italian peasant costume and idly plucks the mandolin strings. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 Factories at Clichy Vincent van Gogh, Dutch, 1853–1890; Factories at Clichy, summer 1887; oil on canvas; 21 1/8 x 28 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mrs. Mark C. Steinberg by exchange 579:1958 Vincent van Gogh depicted an expanse of factories billowing smoke into the air in the gritty, industrial suburb of Clichy, northwest of Paris. The scene is divided into three horizontal bands of fields, factories, and sky, while in the middle distance, two tiny figures—perhaps lovers—are visible in the field. Van Gogh’s ordered system of brushwork reflects his awareness of the recent pointillist experiments of French painter Georges Seurat. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 Part of a Cover with Design of Ogival Medallions Part of a Cover with Design of Ogival Medallions, 18th century; Turkish, Ottoman period; silk and silver thread on satin (kemha); Overall: 40 1/8 x 42 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Mrs. Frank H. Cook 53:1955 The design on this pieced textile imitates the pomegranate or artichoke patterns of Turkish woven silks. In the main field are twelve units in four horizontal rows, framed at top and bottom by a narrow edging of palmettes. On the left and right is a vertical row of four units set sideways and edged on the long sides with a palmette design. The numerous colors include yellow, green, pale blue, buff, cream, and deep blue-green. There are some areas where the tarnished silver threads are visible, but many of them are gone due to use. Woven silk was an important part of the Ottoman economy and was a significant commodity yielding much income to the state coffers. It was also an indication of private wealth and ranked along with precious stones and metals as a marker of affluence. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 Betty Gerhard Richter, German, born 1932; Betty, 1988; oil on canvas; 40 1/4 x 28 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. R. Crosby Kemper Jr. through the Crosby Kemper Foundations, The Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Van-Lear Black III, Anabeth Calkins and John Weil, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wolff, the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton; Museum Purchase, Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Joseph, and Mrs. Edward Mallinckrodt, by exchange 23:1992; © Gerhard Richter 2019 The formal elegance and psychological ambiguity of this painting, which is a portrait of the artist’s daughter, combine to make it one of Gerhard Richter’s most riveting works. Captured in the act of turning away from the viewer, or perhaps looking toward an object in the distance, the young girl’s posture expresses both intimacy and withholding: while her face is averted, the figure’s torso actually leans precipitously toward the viewer. The sharp angle of her pose implies that this condition is only temporary and that the dramatically torqued body will soon relax to face us once again. Betty, like many of Richter’s paintings, incorporates an element of photographic realism, but it also documents the artist’s interest in abstraction; in fact, the dark expanse that preoccupies the girl might be one of Richter’s own monochrome paintings. This painting embodies Richter’s insistence on a practice that weds, without blurring, abstract and realist modes of representation. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 31, 2021 Interior with Young Woman Tracing a Flower Louise Adéone Drölling, French, 1797–1831; Interior with Young Woman Tracing a Flower, c.1820–22; oil on canvas; 22 1/4 x 17 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Miss Lillie B. Randell by exchange 160:1946 A young woman traces a drawing of a tulip against a windowpane; her study lies discarded on the floor, and she has been distracted by her pet squirrel perched on an armchair nearby. This painting may be a self-portrait of the artist at work in her studio. The painting was awarded a gold medal at the 1824 Salon and was then acquired for the prestigious collection of the French aristocrat, the Duchesse de Berry. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 30, 2021 Head of a Boy Head of a Boy, 1st century AD; Roman, Imperial period; marble; height: 7 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Dorothy and Kent Kreh 92:2019 This portrait head of a young boy, perhaps a toddler, captures the child with downturned eyes. His mouth slightly open in a moment of sleepy repose. His full cheeks, delicately arched eyebrows, and diminutive nose confirm his young age. The finely carved and heavy-lidded eyes confer a sense of reverie to the work, which could be a reflection of the sculpture’s original function as a funerary portrait. Images of children in antiquity are not as common as portraits and images of adults, possibly due to the high rate of infant and child mortality. However, during the Roman Republic (509 BC—27 BC) and continuing into the Imperial period (27 BC—330 AD), there is a marked increase in portraits of children, particularly boys. This increase in popularity has been linked to changing Roman funerary traditions where displaying portraits of deceased relatives and ancestors became a common practice. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 29, 2021 Card Players Charles White, American, 1918–1979; Card Players, 1939; oil on canvas; 30 x 36 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration 364:1943 Bulky, monumental figures fill the canvas of Card Players. The group occupies a cramped room lit by a single lamp, elevating the feeling of suspense as one of the men prepares to play his cards. Artist Charles White was involved with the active community of African American artists in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s. Their influence led him to create artwork that celebrates both the everyday lives and the history of African Americans. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 28, 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the midst at the March on Washington Moneta Sleet Jr., American, 1926–1996; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the midst at the March on Washington, 1963, printed c.1970; gelatin silver print; image: 11 1/8 x 17 1/8 inches, sheet: 11 1/8 x 17 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Johnson Publishing Company 397:1991; © Johnson Publishing Company Archive, Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture In the center of this photograph, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads thousands of marchers, stretching as far as the eye can see. With his arms raised and hands clasped with other prominent civil rights leaders, Dr. King energetically leads the participants forward. On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Gathering near the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Over 3,000 members of the press, including Moneta Sleet Jr., were in attendance to cover it. Sleet is one of the most recognized photojournalists of the civil rights movement. He developed a close relationship with Dr. King and photographed him numerous times throughout the 1950s and ’60s, including Dr. King’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and his leadership of the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 27, 2021 The Palais Royal Gallery’s Walk Philibert-Louis Debucourt, French, 1755–1832; The Palais Royal Gallery's Walk, 1787; aquatint and etching, printed in blue, carmine, yellow, and black ink; plate: 15 1/16 x 22 5/8 inches, sheet: 15 13/16 x 22 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mark S. Weil 35:2007 In this caricature of French society, men strut like pigeons, pick-pockets eye the jewelry of distracted ladies, and hairstyles are a yard high. The Palais Royal in the center of Paris was owned by Duke Philippe d’Orléans, the King’s cousin, who supported his lavish lifestyle by building a large gallery with shops in his palace’s garden. Considered the prototype for enclosed commercial passages, it was the most notorious and well-attended spot for fashionable crowds to parade. Philibert-Louis Debucourt was a French painter and printmaker especially known for his innovations in color printing which simulate the look of watercolor. His nuanced and delicate colors are exceptionally well-preserved in this impression. The Palais Royal Gallery’s Walk became one of Debucourt’s most successful printing ventures, leading to the creation of a companion piece five years later, The Public Promenade, also in the Museum’s collection. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 26, 2021 Box with Design of Auspicious Animals, Plants, and Flowers Box with Design of Auspicious Animals, Plants, and Flowers, late 18th–early 19th century; Korean, Joseon dynasty; painted ox horn (hwagak) and lacquer on wood, with brass fittings; 7 1/16 x 11 13/16 x 7 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Asian Art Purchase Fund and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Liddy and Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy 12:2008 This box is decorated in the typical Korean technique known as hwagak (flowery horn). Ox-horn pieces are flattened through soaking and heating and then glued onto a wooden core. Colorful designs, including most of the sipjangsaeng (Ten Symbols of Longevity), were painted on the underside of the transparent ox-horn. The most important motifs are on the lid: two dragons, two phoenixes, and two cranes carrying the fungus of immortality, all shown amidst multicolored clouds. The box was likely made as a wedding gift for a high-ranking lady of the Korean aristocracy, who would have used it to store her jewelry, hair ornaments, and finger rings in jade or amber. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 25, 2021 Elastic Chair Samuel Gragg, American, 1772–1855; Elastic Chair, patented 1808; painted and gilded oak and maple; 33 3/4 x 19 3/4 x 20 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society 18:1979 The son of a wheelwright, Samuel Gragg patented several techniques for making chairs with bentwood. Gragg’s technique used long strips of oak to form the curved back supports and the concave seat. These parts were made using steam and molds to bend the wood into exaggerated curves. According to Gragg’s patent application, the design rendered his chair “very elastic, very comfortable and agreeable to the person sitting in it.” Decoration such as the painted and gilded peacock feather on the back, and front feet painted like hooves helped this innovative design conform to the taste for classical-style furniture. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 24, 2021 Bust of an Unknown Man Bust of an Unknown Man, 2nd century; Roman, Imperial period, Antonine period; marble; 32 x 22 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 299:1923 This bust of an unidentified man exemplifies a very high standard of carving and finish—the marble skin practically glows. The sculptor took advantage of the natural properties of marble by contrasting the smooth polish of the skin with the textured matte hair. The technical skill of the artist and high quality of the marble suggest that this work was created for a wealthy patron. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 23, 2021 The Colossal Pair, Thebes Frank Dillon, English, 1823–1909; The Colossal Pair, Thebes, 1856; oil on canvas; 25 x 72 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, Count Cecil Charles Pecci-Blunt, and Mrs. Eugene A. Perry in memory of her mother, Mrs. Claude Kilpatrick, by exchange 67:1989 Frank Dillon captures the grand statues of the pharaoh Amenhotep III and his wife which still stand on the plain of Thebes (today known as Luxor) in Egypt. A sense of desolate solitude is heightened by the inclusion of a camel’s skeleton in the foreground. Dillon produced this painting shortly after his first visit to Egypt in 1854. The frame is original to the picture and is decorated with orbs and eagles’ wings at the center and corners. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 22, 2021 The Artist’s Brother Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, French, 1755–1842; The Artist's Brother, 1773; oil on canvas; 24 1/4 x 19 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 3:1940 By posing the boy looking over his shoulder and by angling his hat over his forehead, Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun achieves a lovely image of youthful bravado. The portrait—very likely the artist’s brother Etienne at the age of fifteen—is probably the one the artist described in her memoirs as “my brother in schoolboy’s dress.” She alludes to his interest in letters (he later became a celebrated writer) by including a sheaf of papers and a pen. The artist created this portrait when she was only eighteen. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 21, 2021 Headrest in the Form of a Reclining Boy Headrest in the Form of a Reclining Boy, 12th–early 13th century; Chinese, Jin dynasty; Cizhou ware; earthenware with traces of white slip; 8 1/2 x 17 x 9 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Spink Asian Art Collection, Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink 56:2014 This large earthenware headrest takes the form of a chubby boy reclining with his large head supported by a sausage-shaped pillow with flat-cut ends. The figure has a lively expression, with his open mouth showing detailed teeth and his hair gathered in three small knots behind his ears and high on his forehead. He wears a loose tunic over pantaloons and round-toed slippers as well as bracelets around his wrists and ankles. He supports a gently curved platform on his side to serve as the headrest. Traces of white slip, a mixture of clay and water, on the surface suggest that its maker intended it to resemble porcelain. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 20, 2021 Ewer and Basin Jean Fauche, French, c.1706–1762; Ewer and Basin, c.1740; silver; ewer: 9 1/4 x 6 5/8 x 4 5/8 inches, basin: 2 11/16 x 13 x 8 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 96:1939a,b The beauty of this pitcher and its matching basin is in the skillful balance of curvilinear shapes and rich ornament. The taut scrolls that form the mouth and handle of the pitcher contrast with the flowing lines of the basin’s rim. Bands of parallel grooves, called flutes, encircle the basin and the pitcher, where they also enclose curvaceous panels filled with engraved flowers. Cast foliage envelops the pierced handle, and shells and shell-like motifs ornament the lid. The ornament of shells, reeds, and cattails all evoke a water motif appropriate to the pitcher and basin’s role on the dressing table, where they were used for hand washing. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 19, 2021 The Edge of the Pond Charles-François Daubigny, French, 1817–1878; The Edge of the Pond, 1873; oil on canvas; 19 3/4 x 33 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Edward Mallinckrodt Sr. 33:1974 This painting is notable for its gestural brushwork and touches of color, as in the bright green hills in the distance. Like many of Charles-François Daubigny’s pictures, the scene is animated by the figure of a washerwoman. The artist’s paintings were often criticized for being “impressions” rather than fully realized works. Daubigny was an important early supporter of the Impressionists, and his own work suggests the influence of the younger artists. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 18, 2021 Male and Female Couple Dogon artist, Mali; Male and Female Couple, 1640–1810; wood, iron; 56 3/4 x 6 1/8 x 3 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of an anonymous donor in memory of Martin Luther King's St. Louis Speech (March 22, 1964) 257:2014 Male and female couples, as seen here, are a common theme in Dogon art, and suggest the primordial ancestors to whom all Dogon people trace their origins. The vertical orientation of this sculpture, with the male standing atop the female’s head, may serve as a link to earlier sculptures from this region made by a culture known as Tellem. Tellem sculptures, created during the 11th- and 12th-centuries, often feature abstracted couples in which one figure stands atop the other with arms raised. Radiocarbon dating places this sculpture approximately 230 years before the present. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 17, 2021 Loch Lomond Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883; Loch Lomond, 1875; oil on canvas; 48 x 75 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 88:1913 In 1873, the prolific illustrator Gustave Doré went salmon fishing in Scotland; the trip provided him with inspiration for a series of grand landscapes. This dramatic work is animated by rays of light bursting through the clouds and falling on the distant lake. A tiny figure in red on the path at bottom left provides a color accent contrasting with the dominant greens of the composition. Doré evokes a vision of the Scottish landscape as sublime and awe-inspiring. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 16, 2021 Crouching Figure John Bernard Flannagan, American, 1895–1942; Crouching Figure, 1935; stone; 15 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 232:1954 This sculpture is both rough and elegant while radically simple and powerfully emotional. It evokes both the natural form of the stone from which it is carved and the living form it represents. John Flannagan was one of the first artists to practice “direct carving,” a reaction to the increasingly elaborate casting or modeling processes traditionally used to make sculpture. Flannagan would follow the shape, structure, color, and texture of a specific fieldstone to determine the sculpture he would make from it. As he wrote, “I would like my sculpture to appear as rocks, left quite untouched and natural, and . . . inevitable.” VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 15, 2021 Parfleche Niitsitapi (Blackfeet) artist; Parfleche, c.1890; hide, leather, and pigment; 28 x 16 x 5 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr. 105:2010 A Niitsitapi woman decorated this hide while it was still moist, enabling the vivid green, gold, blue, and red paint to saturate the surface rather than remain on top. To prepare the material for painting, the artist first scraped and washed the hide, stretched it horizontally, and coated it with a glutinous wash. She painted the flat hide in specific sections that, when folded in the envelope form you see here, appear solely on front-facing planes. The painted sections align, allowing two rows of diamonds to run continuously across the top and bottom panels. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 14, 2021 New Continent Louise Nevelson, American (born Ukraine), 1899–1988; New Continent, 1962; painted wood; 77 3/4 x 121 3/4 x 10 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase, by exchange and funds given by Martha I. Love, Mr. and Mrs. George S. Rosborough Jr., the Weil Charitable Foundation, Henry B. Pflager, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, The Lea-Thi-Ta Study Group, and Nancy W. Gilmartin 14:1967; © 2021 Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Louise Nevelson assembled found architectural elements such as chair legs, balusters, and moldings within 36 wooden compartments, then painted the construction white. She juxtaposed the geometric grid of the boxes with a lyrical arrangement of curves, textures, light, and shadow. The urban environment of Manhattan provided the artist with the discarded objects that were the building blocks of her sculptural practice. She once said, “When I look at the city from my point of view, I see New York City as a great big sculpture.” VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 13, 2021 Portrait of a Musician attributed to Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, Italian, c.1505–1569/70; Portrait of a Musician, c.1540; oil on panel; 31 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 30:1922 The subject’s moody expression and delicate hands draw viewers into this portrait. Although the identity of this figure is unknown, his occupation is revealed by the instrument he rests on and the pick he holds in his right hand. Music was an important part of courtly life in 16th-century Parma, Italy, the city in which this portrait was probably painted. The musician wears a gold chain hidden by the square neckline of his sleeveless garment. This heavy gold jewelry may have intentionally been placed inside so as not to interfere with his ability to play the instrument. The artist has posed his figure in front of a wall covered in cut velvet; color variations in the background capture the effect of light upon the fabric’s nap. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 12, 2021 Covered Wine Vessel (fang lei) Covered Wine Vessel (fang lei) with Design of Zoomorphic Masks and Animal-Headed Handles, late 11th century BC; Chinese, Western Zhou dynasty; bronze; 24 5/8 x 14 5/8 x 10 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 2:1941a,b The sharp hooks, spurs, and spikes bristling from the body of this extraordinary sacrificial bronze give a sculptural force to its impressive size and architectonic structure. The vessel is further ornamented with taotie (zoomorphic masks) and low-relief dragons in distinct registers arranged in a highly symmetrical decorative order. The horizontal orientation of the ornamental bands achieves a measured, visual balance that gives the work a stateliness to complement its visually aggressive character. The body of this wine vessel is distinguished by an unusual double taotie on each side (see other views). A very rare inscription of a single character may relate to the royal grant of land to a noble. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 11, 2021 Elvira Resting at a Table Amedeo Modigliani, Italian (active France), 1884–1920; Elvira Resting at a Table, 1919; oil on canvas; 36 1/2 x 23 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Joseph Pulitzer Jr. in memory of his wife, Louise Vauclain Pulitzer 77:1968 This woman was one of Amedeo Modigliani’s favorite models, a young worker known only by her first name, Elvira. Her bright blue, almond-shaped eyes reflect the artist’s trademark interest in stylized forms. Modigliani, an Italian by birth, moved to Paris early in his career and became a central figure in the avant-garde School of Paris, an artist group based in Montparnasse. He painted this portrait the year before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 35. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 10, 2021 Saint Louis in 1846 Henry Lewis, American (born England), 1819–1904; Saint Louis in 1846, 1846; oil on canvas; 32 1/4 × 42 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 170:1955 See Detail Steamboats crowd a riverfront lined with warehouses that extend into the distance, evidence of the bustling economy in St. Louis during the 19th-century. Across the river, a wagon train has set up camp. “Bound for Oregon” is written on one of the wagons (see detail). Henry Lewis came to St. Louis in 1836 to create scenery for the St. Louis Theatre. During his stay, he made several trips to document scenes along the Mississippi River. In 1846, Lewis likely sent this painting to New York City for exhibition. He wrote, “This view is taken from the Illinois shore, and you may rely on it being a correct one of our City as I took great pains in making the sketches and also took advantage of the Daguerreotype [an early form of photography]. . . although this city now contains a population of near forty thousand souls still the opposite shore remains in all its natural wildness.” VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 9, 2021 Faux Pas Robert Blackburn, American, 1920–2003; Faux Pas, 1960; lithograph; 30 x 22 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 121:2017; © The Estate of Robert Blackburn View the Online Exhibition A visual symphony of layered colors and shapes, Faux Pas represents Robert Blackburn’s gestural mode of abstract art. Blackburn developed this approach, which he also applied to his printmaking, following a year of study in Europe on a John Hay Whitney Traveling Fellowship in 1953. A devoted advocate of the medium, he opened the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York in 1948. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 8, 2021 Model for Lobby Ceiling, American Stove Company Building Isamu Noguchi, American, 1904–1988; Model for Lobby Ceiling, American Stove Company Building, 1946–47; plaster, wire, plexiglass, and aluminum; 40 3/8 x 43 x 7 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Armstrong 86:1970; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY The biomorphic shapes that characterize Isamu Noguchi’s sculpture from the 1940s feature prominently in this model of the lobby ceiling he designed for the American Stove Company in St. Louis. The free-form contours functioned as recessed light fixtures, but they also transformed the ceiling into a sculpted landscape that guided visitors through the lobby, making them “feel better, feel happier to be there.” The American Stove Company building, designed by Harris Armstrong, and this ceiling exemplify the modern architecture commissioned in St. Louis during the mid-20th century. This model was used by plasterers to construct the actual ceiling. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 7, 2021 Delta Lynda Benglis, American, born 1941; Delta, 1974; aluminum screen, bunting, plaster, sprayed zinc, steel, tin; 41 x 34 x 9 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Barney A. Ebsworth 150:1984; © 2021 Lynda Benglis / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY A metallic tube covered in wrinkles and creases is twisted into a knot. Lynda Benglis made a series of these knots using aluminum screen covered in cheesecloth and plaster. She tied the materials while wet in a technique reminiscent of historically female modes of artistic production, such as embroidery. The knots were then sprayed with metals, sometimes by airplane technicians. In Delta, Benglis combined the industrial materials common in Minimalist, geometric sculpture of the 1970s with organic, limb-like forms that suggest the softness of the human body. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 6, 2021 Café George Grosz, German, 1893–1959; Café, 1916; oil on canvas; 19 x 12 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 889:1983; © 2021 Estate of George Grosz / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY In this satirical painting, George Grosz presents three card-playing men in a Berlin café illuminated by an eerie red glow. The bloated figures represent the well-fed, greedy leaders of capitalist society, whom the artist saw as the source of many social ills. Two of the men glance sideways with beady eyes while the third collects his winnings. Painted in the midst of World War I (1914–1918), this work reveals the artist’s keen sense of social injustice while also showing his fascination with metropolitan nightlife. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 5, 2021 Bahrām Gūr in the Green Pavilion Bahrām Gūr in the Green Pavilion, c.1548; Persian, Iran, Safavid period; ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; image: 10 3/16 x 6 inches, sheet: 11 7/8 x 7 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis 397:1952 This painting shows Sassanian king Bahrām V (r.420–438), ruler of the vast Empire of Iranians, visiting Princess Pari Naz of Khwarazm in the Green Pavilion on a Monday. A famous Persian epic tale imagined that Bahrām married seven princesses, who each lived in a colored, domed pavilion that aligned with a planet and day of the week. The pavilion here is green and corresponded with the moon, considered a planet in the 15th-century. Bahrām V and Pari Naz are seated on cushions while female attendants serve wine and play music. Other women of his court look in from upper balconies and windows. Passages of Persian script are visible above and below the image. This detached sheet is from an illuminated manuscript of the Khamsa, a collection of five long poems by Ilyas Yusuf Nizami (c.1141–c.1209) from Ganja in present-day Azerbaijan. The Khamsa includes the Haft Paykar (Seven Portraits), a narrative poem composed c.1197, describing the exploits of Bahrām V. Due to his love of hunting wild ass (gūr), he became known as Bahrām Gūr. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 4, 2021 Feather Cloak (kahu huruhuru) Maori artist, New Zealand; Feather Cloak (kahu huruhuru), early 20th century; kererū feathers, tūī feathers, kākā feathers, kākāriki feathers, candlewick thread, bast fiber (probably linen), wool; 25 9/16 x 28 3/4 x 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Paul Blackwelder in memory of her sister, Frances Del Mar 530:1957 Feathers from a variety of birds were used to decorate prestigious finger-woven cloaks, such as this one. Made without the use of a loom, but rather from a pair of upright sticks at either side, cloaks were woven by single- or two-pair weft-twining. For this cloak, made as a presentation gift, female weavers combined principally white and green kererū, or New Zealand pigeon, feathers to create a checkerboard pattern. Blue-black tūī, red kākā (parrot), and light green kākāriki (parakeet) feathers add color and beauty. The top of the cloak is trimmed with black wool. Worn by men and women, these cloaks assumed characteristics or traits associated with particular birds. Kiwi feather capes indicated prestige and rarity, while red kākā feathers alluded to fine oratory skills of the bird and the chief that wore such a cloak. According to Māori belief, birds are the children of Tāne, god of the forest, and act as intermediaries between the sacred realm of gods (atua) and the human world. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 3, 2021 Tiger Devouring a Gavial Antoine-Louis Barye, French, 1796–1875; Tiger Devouring a Gavial, 1831; bronze; 7 3/4 x 19 1/2 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 256:1915 A tiger grips its claws around a young gavial (a type of crocodile native to India) and devours it as the reptile, in agony, shows its fangs; a turtle emerges from beneath the tiger’s right foreleg. Antoine-Louis Barye carefully studied the anatomy of tigers in the Paris zoo, the Jardin des Plantes, and succeeds in rendering the tense energy of the large cat’s form. This bronze is one of several smaller versions of a successful larger sculpture. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 2, 2021 The Bull Fight Pablo Picasso, Spanish, 1881–1973; The Bull Fight, August 1934; oil on canvas; 10 3/4 x 16 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Rice 279:1957; © 2021 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY Pablo Picasso uses a tangle of black lines to describe the violent energy of a bullfight. A brown bull is flanked by a rearing stallion on the left and an angular, green matador at right. The artist admired the power and force of the bull, seeing it as a metaphor for the animalistic passions of the unconscious mind. Picasso’s inscriptions indicate this picture was painted at the artist’s chateau at Boisgeloup, just outside of Paris, on August 2, 1934. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 1, 2021 Vespers Gari Melchers, American, 1860–1932; Vespers, c.1910; oil on canvas; 21 1/2 x 22 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 228:1916 The thick layers of paint on this canvas capture the play of light and brilliant hues of stained glass on a church wall. In spite of the roughly painted surface, the attentiveness and piety of the worshippers is clear. The time of day is evident from the unlit candles, the late sunlight streaming through the windows, and the title, Vespers, which refers to an early evening prayer service. VIEW OBJECT JULY 31, 2021 Mummy Mask of Kay-neferwy Mummy Mask of Kay-neferwy, 1295–1186 BC; Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 19; plaster, linen, resin, glass, wood, gold, and pigment; 21 1/16 x 14 9/16 x 9 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Christian B. Peper, Mrs. Drew Philpott, the Longmire Fund of the Saint Louis Community Foundation, The Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation, an anonymous donor, Gary Wolff, Mrs. Marjorie M. Getty, by exchange, Florence Heiman in memory of her husband, Theodore Heiman, Ellen D. Thompson, by exchange, Dr. and Mrs. G. R. Hansen, Sid Goldstein in memory of Donna and Earl Jacobs, Friends Fund, by exchange, and Museum Purchase 19:1998 This mask has an extraordinary presence with its combination of glass inlaid eyes, gilt face with shimmering, almost lifelike translucence, and realistic wig. The craftsman who fashioned the wig out of thick resin carefully cut and modeled the plaits of hair in the latest style. The red “gold” coloring of her skin-a result of oxidation on the metal surface-may be purposeful or merely the product of the sulphurous fumes given off by the resinous wig. The band around her head, her eyes, and her nipples are inlaid with glass, surprising because glass was as costly and rare as the turquoise and carnelian for which it was substituted. The roughened surface of the mask’s lips suggests they were once covered with a heavier gold foil. In each hand she holds a wooden amulet to signify strength and welfare. A delicate scene carved in relief on her arms shows her successful ascent into the afterlife on the boat of the Great God Osiris. VIEW OBJECT JULY 30, 2021 Relay Hunting Rosa Bonheur, French, 1822–1899; Relay Hunting, 1887; oil on canvas; 18 x 26 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Justina G. Catlin in memory of her husband, Daniel Catlin 7:1917 Rosa Bonheur was known for her careful study of animals and even maintained stables at her Paris studio. She was a pioneering feminist who enjoyed notoriety by dressing publicly in men’s clothes and smoking cigars. This work represents a relay hunt whereby riders would use fresh groups of horses to relieve their exhausted animals. Bonheur has precisely rendered the anatomy of the horses’ forms as well as the sheen of their coats in brown, white, and gray. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE JULY 29, 2021 The Bronco Buster Frederic Remington, American, 1861–1909; The Bronco Buster, 1895, cast 1907; bronze; 23 x 21 1/2 x 13 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis 201:1955 The Bronco Buster depicts a cowboy breaking in a rearing horse. The horse and rider are at the extreme of a violent counterbalance, with the horse’s neck twisting to one angle in opposition to the sharp pull of the cowboy’s body. Though dramatic, the composition captures in bronze a moment of graceful suspension. The burst of energy is grounded in the many realistic surface details, such as the motion of the whip, dented folds of the hat, and bunched creases in the cowboy’s shirt. Frederic Remington’s art perpetuates notions of an “old” West characterized by conflicts between Native Americans and soldiers, and adventurous cowboys riding through unfenced land. Although this subject was common in stories romanticizing western life, by the time Remington created his works such events were long past. VIEW OBJECT JULY 28, 2021 Dalmatic Dalmatic, early 17th century; Italian, or Spanish; silk, metallic thread, metal paillettes, metal wire, and metallic fringe; 48 1/2 x 57 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 318:1915 Faded from a much deeper purple and covered in gold thread and sequins, this dalmatic, a type of Christian liturgical vestment, represents the height of 17th-century opulence. The fine interlacing bands on the tunic’s ground are called strapwork. Its cuffs and square central panel are decorated with arabesques, dense patterns of intertwining plants adopted from the Muslim world by earlier European artists. VIEW OBJECT JULY 27, 2021 Landscape with Cows, Sailboat, and Painted-in Figures August Macke, German, 1887–1914; Landscape with Cows, Sailboat, and Painted-in Figures, 1914; oil on canvas; 20 1/4 x 20 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 911:1983 A jumble of upside-down and sideways figures disrupts an otherwise pastoral scene of cows grazing in front of a distant lake. This is the only work by August Macke with rotated figures, which makes them a mystery. An X-ray of the painting shows the shadowy traces of an earlier composition. The work began as a conventional lake scene, but only two sailboats survive from this earlier state. Macke never had a chance to continue his experiment because he died two months later in World War I (1914–1918). VIEW OBJECT JULY 26, 2021 Amphora with Nike and Youth attributed to the Berlin Painter, active 500–460 BC; Greek, Attic, Classical period; Amphora with Nike and Youth, 490–460 BC; red-figure ceramic; 14 3/8 x 8 1/4 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 57:1955 View Other Side The spotlight technique—the use of a single figure featured on either side of a vessel—takes advantage of the round form of this amphora. The viewer must look at both sides (see above) to understand the full story. Here, the goddess Nike, or Victory, flies through the air presenting a musical instrument called a cithara (a type of fancy, large concert lyre) to present to the young man standing on the other side. Taken together we can interpret this scene as a celebration of the youth’s victory at a musical competition. The spotlight technique was favored by this artist, called the Berlin Painter after the city in which his style was first identified. The Berlin Painter represents a high point of ancient painting due to the precise draftsmanship and fine attention to detail especially, in the ears and eyelashes. VIEW OBJECT JULY 25, 2021 Standing Dog Standing Dog, c.300 BC–AD 300; Colima, Mexico, Late Formative period; ceramic; 11 1/4 x 16 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Famous-Barr Company 39:1970 This portly dog is probably a techichi, a breed of hairless canine. Physical details, from the alert posture of the ears and tail to the wrinkles at the corners of the mouth, are evidence of the artist’s close observation. Numerous legends from ancient Mesoamerica suggest that dogs were companions of the dead on their journeys to the afterlife, making the inclusion of such sculptures in tombs understandable. VIEW OBJECT JULY 24, 2021 Under the Awning, Zarautz Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Spanish, 1863–1923; Under the Awning, Zarautz, 1910; oil on canvas; 39 x 45 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 20:1911 A scalloped canopy shades the artist’s wife and daughters on the beach at Zarautz in northern Spain. The strong sea breeze blows back their veils in diaphanous clouds. Joaquín Sorolla painted this work outdoors on the same beach, which allowed him to capture the fleeting effects of the sun, sea, and wind. Paintings like this one earned Sorolla international fame. The Museum presented a major exhibition of Sorolla’s art in 1911, from which Under the Awning was purchased only a year after it was made. VIEW OBJECT JULY 23, 2021 Striding Male Figure Striding Male Figure, 2278–2184 BC; Egyptian, Old Kingdom, Dynasty 6; wood, ebony, plaster, and paint; height: 16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 1:1986 See Details Wooden statues from Egypt’s Old Kingdom (2686–2160 BC) were often damaged by the natural conditions of rot and insects as well as the wanton destruction wrought by tomb robbers. This fortunate survivor probably represents a nobleman or an official. Striding forward with assurance, he grasps the loose end of his kilt and pulls it aside in an elegant flourish that may represent a gesture of adoration or supplication. This delicate figure is remarkable for the subtle modeling of the body beneath the pleated skirt, the careful details in the carving of the fingernails, and the distinctive inlaid nipples of ebony (see details). Wooden sculptures of the deceased, like this one, were placed in various locations within tombs and in varying numbers, depending on the traditions that were popular during different Old Kingdom dynasties. VIEW OBJECT JULY 22, 2021 City Lights (Prophet with No Tongue) Mary Lovelace O'Neal, American, born 1942; City Lights (Prophet with No Tongue), 1988; offset lithograph and screenprint; sheet (irregular): 28 1/8 x 32 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 177:2017; © Mary Lovelace O'Neal This print is constructed of cut paper inked with colors that evoke a city skyline (zoom in). The deep blue is punctuated by bright pinks and yellows—evidence of bright lights in a bustling metropolis—and the irregular shape evokes a silhouetted cityscape. Mary Lovelace O’Neal worked primarily as a painter until 1984, when Robert Blackburn invited her to his printmaking studio. Captivated by the print medium, she created this work at the Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia in 1988. VIEW OBJECT JULY 21, 2021 Centerpiece made by Leeds Pottery, England, 1760–1820; or made by Wedgwood, Etruria, England, founded 1759; Centerpiece, c.1790; glazed earthenware with painted and transfer-printed decoration; assembled: 23 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Roland E. Jester in memory of Margo Jester 77:1985a-k The figure of Plenty holding a cornucopia and standing atop this extravagant assemblage embodies the ideal of copious display that characterized eighteenth-century dining tables. From her position above an urn-shaped bowl supported by winged figures, Plenty surveys three tiers of pierced baskets and dishes intended to contain pickles, nuts, or sweets, and pairs of cruets and casters for condiments consumed during the savory courses of the meal. The centerpiece probably matched the dishes used on the table, since it is made from cream-colored earthenware, which was both inexpensive and extremely fashionable in the mid- to late 18th-century. The architectural motifs and decoration of swags of foliage and flowers signal the reemergence of the classical style as the latest fashion in the late 18th-century. VIEW OBJECT JULY 20, 2021 Coupled-column Prayer Rug Coupled-column Prayer Rug, 18th century; Ottoman period, Turkey; wool; 72 x 48 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of James F. Ballard 113:1929 Prayer carpets are characterized by a central space featuring a mihrab, or arched niche, at one end. This carpet is distinctive for its pairs of slender columns with stepped bases and stylized capitals that support the arch. These so-called coupled columns were not a known feature of Ottoman buildings when this design was first developed in the 16th-century. Recent scholarship suggests this motif is characteristic of Nasrid architecture from Muslim Spain. It was likely brought to the Ottoman Empire via Jewish weavers who fled persecution during the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th-century. VIEW OBJECT JULY 19, 2021 Model of a House with Figurines Model of a House with Figurines, c.300 BC–AD 300; Nayarit, Mexico, Late Formative period; ceramic with pigment; 14 1/8 x 7 7/8 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 223:1957 This miniature version of a house, with a below ground space and lounging dog, conveys many details about Nayarit architecture and domestic life. The activities of the various residents and geometric exterior decoration provide insight into their daily existence. Rather than an anecdotal representation of the everyday, this scene may have had a more symbolic function. The elites of West Mexico often placed their deceased ancestors in shaft tombs populated with ceramic sculptures of humans, animals, and food vessels. The lower level of this intricate house model may link the below ground burial and ancestors with the realm of the living above. VIEW OBJECT JULY 17, 2021 I See Red: Migration Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Enrolled Salish, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, MT, born 1940; I See Red: Migration, 1995; mixed media on canvas; 60 x 50 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Siteman Contemporary Art Fund, and funds given by Gary C. Werths and Richard Frimel 325:2020; © Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, Courtesy the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York In this painting, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith combined imagery associated with Native American identity with marks reminiscent of American mid-century gestural abstraction. A stereotyped depiction of an Indigenous man, an ancient Mississippian vessel, an animal with a heart line from Great Plains paintings, and figures from Columbia River basketry and Northwest Coast textiles appear across the canvas. In I See Red: Migration, Smith layered concepts and images to address issues facing Native peoples from the 1970s to the present, including land relationships and colonial displacement. Through techniques of appropriation, she foregrounded the rich and diverse history of Native American cultural production while challenging the celebration of Abstract Expressionism as indicative of American artistic exceptionalism. VIEW OBJECT JULY 16, 2021 Walchensee, Silver Path Lovis Corinth, German, 1858–1925; Walchensee, Silver Path, 1923; oil on canvas; 23 3/4 x 35 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 878:1983 An explosion of brushstrokes hides the idyllic landscape of the Walchensee, an alpine lake located in the far south of Germany. Look closer and you might see the artist’s daughter in a white dress running past a stand of beeches at center right. Behind her, a hotel rooftop marks the edge of the lake’s expanse. The Walchensee was Lovis Corinth’s retreat in his final years and the site of his mesmerizing works that dissolve into abstraction. VIEW OBJECT JULY 15, 2021 Pollaxe (mazzapicchio) with the Arms of the City of Venice Pollaxe (mazzapicchio) with the Arms of the City of Venice, early 16th century; Italian; etched and gilded steel, brass, and wood; 58 3/4 x 9 x 4 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 44:1919 Staff weapons, popularly called polearms, were the most typical infantry weapons until well into the 16th-century. Most staff weapons evolved from agricultural or everyday tools modified for military use and simply fastened to long wooden staves. All polearms require the use of both hands and were used exclusively on foot, except for the long spear called a lance, which was used from horseback. Staff weapons were used by commoners and professional soldiers in battle, by knights in armored sporting combats, and by bodyguards of royalty. Like many other arms, staff weapons assumed a primarily ceremonial role by the mid-17th century. VIEW OBJECT JULY 14, 2021 Le Casquettador Jean Dubuffet, French, 1901–1985; Le Casquettador, November 1971; acrylic paint on Klegecell; 72 x 36 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Julian and Hope Edison 714:2018; © 2021 Estate of Jean Dubuffet, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris Painted with heavy black outlines and primary colors, this cartoonish figure is one of many unique characters artist Jean Dubuffet designed for his performance Coucou Bazar, which premiered in New York in 1973. In Coucou Bazar, life-size sculptures were propelled by motors or manipulated by costumed performers. Named for its cap, or “casquette” in French, Le Casquettador was originally mounted on wheels that allowed it to be moved. It is uncertain whether it appeared onstage, as only some of Dubuffet’s sculpted characters were ever used in productions. VIEW OBJECT JULY 13, 2021 Black Bird Benny Andrews, American, 1930–2006; printed by Springraphics, New York; Black Bird, 1980; lithograph; sheet: 30 x 22 1/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 117:2017; © 2021 Benny Andrews / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY In this lithograph, Benny Andrews depicted a bird taking flight within an ambiguous setting. The surreal landscape relates to his Utopia series, in which he imagined an idyllic world without humans—free from all kinds of discrimination. His fantastical scenes, like this one, which fluctuate between abstraction and a representational style, present poignant themes throughout his work. Here, Andrews also explored the perceived textures he could achieve in lithography. VIEW OBJECT JULY 12, 2021 Acrobat on the Trapeze Max Beckmann, German, 1884–1950; Acrobat on the Trapeze, 1940; oil on canvas; 57 3/8 x 35 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 852:1983 Beckmann’s diaries from Amsterdam recount his numerous visits to cabarets, theaters, and the circus. In this painting, an acrobat in the lofty heights of a circus tent is shown from an improbably close viewpoint. The acrobat crouches on a trapeze and seems to be waiting for the right moment to propel himself back for his next routine. Behind the sturdy figure, which nearly fills the canvas, a second trapeze artist appears in the upper right corner while an audience, suggested by dotted brushwork, fills the middle band of the painting. Beckmann’s use of bold black outlines and saturated planes of canary yellow and lush turquoise heighten the scene’s energy. To Beckmann, the acrobat’s courageous performance evoked the challenges met by every human: “We are all tightrope walkers,” he said. “We have the desire to achieve balance and to keep it.” VIEW OBJECT JULY 11, 2021 Scarf with Design of Floral Motifs Scarf with Design of Floral Motifs, late 18th–early 19th century; Ottoman period, Turkey; silk and metallic yarn embroidery on cotton; 58 x 25 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 197:1909 Small flowers and leaves sparkling with metal threads grace this delicate cotton textile. Ottoman embroiderers adopted aspects of botanical naturalism introduced through European art objects, books, and drawings imported in the early 18th-century. The cultural exchange was mutual. Just prior, in the late 17th-century, “little Muslin-Napkins, edg’d with Gold, Silver, and Silk Border[s]” were imported into Europe, along with coffee, according to the French merchant Pierre de La Roque. VIEW OBJECT JULY 10, 2021 Cascilla Valerie Jaudon, American, born 1945; Cascilla, 1979; oil on canvas; 72 x 72 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Jan and Ronald K. Greenberg 264:1995; © 2021 Valerie Jaudon / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY Spanning this entire painting, a symmetric pattern of interlocking forms in salmon pink is outlined by exposed canvas. Valerie Jaudon’s paintings evoke the motifs and embellishments of wallpaper, upholstery textiles, and decorative arts often associated with notions of femininity. Jaudon’s work recontextualizes and highlights such intricate forms, challenging long-held perceptions of their inferiority when compared with fine art, in particular the history of abstract painting. Her compositions are derived from systems of simple, repeated forms that are combined differently to create visually complex images with few colors. VIEW OBJECT JULY 9, 2021 Archaistic Tripod Censer with Cover Hu Wenming, Chinese, active c.1572–1620; Archaistic Tripod Censer with Cover, early 17th century; bronze with gold and silver inlay, wood, and agate; 8 1/84 x 5 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Robert E. Kresko 7:2005a,b Later Chinese bronzes, like this one, often recall the shape and design of vessels from the 7th through 6th-century BCE. Bronze casting in China was a complex mixture of art and artifice. New bronzes might be ordered to look old, and artists might make a reproduction bronze similar to an original ancient model in nearly every detail, including corrosion and patina. The features of the large monster mask on the body of this incense burner are enhanced with fine inlays of gold and silver in keeping with the Ming dynasty belief that ancient bronzes were set with precious metals. Although the shape of this vessel is in keeping with ancient tripods, the decorative inlays, fine wood cover, and semiprecious agate knob reveal the highly ornamental style of the late Ming dynasty. VIEW OBJECT JULY 8, 2021 The Transformed Dream Giorgio de Chirico, Italian (born Greece), 1888–1978; The Transformed Dream, 1913; oil on canvas; 25 x 59 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 313:1951; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / SIAE, Rome Giorgio de Chirico juxtaposes unusual objects within a vast, empty Italian piazza. An arrangement of fruit and a statue of the ancient Roman god Jupiter’s head in the foreground are offset in the distance by a steam train. In the years before World War I (1914–1918), De Chirico was an originator of the Italian movement, Pittura Metafisica (Metaphysical Painting), which sought to explore alternative realities behind appearances. The dreamlike qualities of the artist’s work were a major inspiration for the Surrealists. VIEW OBJECT JULY 7, 2021 The Fan Emil Carlsen, American (born Denmark), 1848–1932; The Fan, c.1919; oil on canvas; 15 1/4 x 18 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 14:1919 The subtle palette, diffused light, and exquisite objects in this painting invite the viewer to contemplate its quiet mood. The dry texture of the pods, the elegant floral design of the fan and its delicately shaped sticks, and the refined lip of the cup engage our senses. Time slows to a meditative pace. Emil Carlsen’s still lifes, like this one, express ideals of aestheticism, in which objects and paintings were admired for the refined taste they exemplified. Carlsen’s use of fine Japanese objects also reflects their popularity as decorative elements in American homes at the turn of the 19th century. VIEW OBJECT JULY 6, 2021 Punch Bowl Punch Bowl, 1695–1710; English; salt-glazed stoneware with enamel decoration; 5 5/8 x 9 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society 528:1978 In the late 17th-century, England became an important ceramic center where entrepreneurs established potteries to meet the growing demand for utilitarian and decorative wares. By the 18th-century, punch bowls had become fashionable symbols of hospitality and generosity. The colorful overglaze enamels on this punch bowl were probably the work of a German or Dutch glass painter, while the inclusion of Chinese figures reflected the Western fascination with Asia. The bowl’s brown sheen and “orange peel” texture were accomplished by throwing salt into the kiln during firing. VIEW OBJECT JULY 5, 2021 Extensive Landscape With Travellers on a Country Road Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flemish, 1568–1625; Extensive Landscape With Travellers on a Country Road, c.1608–10; oil on copper; 13 1/4 x 18 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment, Museum Shop Fund, and funds given by Christian B. Peper in memory of Ethel Peper, Museum Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr., The Labarque Charitable Trust, Malcolm W. Martin, The Martha Love Symington Foundation, The John Peters MacCarthy Irrevocable Trust, Mrs. Elmer G. Kiefer, Mr. Fred M. Saigh, the McMillan-Avery Fund of the Saint Louis Community Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. James D. Burke in memory of William Guy Heckman, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Saligman, Marlyn Adderton, W. B. McMillan Jr., and the Henry L. and Natalie Edison Freund Charitable Trust 84:1996 From an elevated viewpoint we see the city of Antwerp at the distant right, a covered wagon in the middle distance, and a marshy stream in the right foreground. The scene is filled with fauna and flora, all finished in the painstaking detail for which Jan Brueghel the Elder is known. The road at left draws us into the painting, while bands of varying greens open up the distant landscape to suggest expansive space. Travelers journey on the left while hunters stalk herons in the marshy grasses at the right. The standing dog on the lower left appears to have a second head, indicating that the artist changed its position. VIEW OBJECT JULY 4, 2021 Roman Candles Textile designed by A. Joel Robinson, American, 1915 - 2012; made by L. Anton Maix Fabrics; Roman Candles Textile, 1951–52; printed linen; 72 x 50 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund 12:2020 Fireworks—bursts of orange, yellow, and brown—shower this screen-printed linen designed by A. Joel Robinson for L. Anton Maix Fabrics. Fittingly titled Roman Candles, this textile captures the painterly sensibility and architectural training of its multifaceted designer. Robinson is one of the first African American designers to have gained national attention in the mid-20th century. A 1951 Ebony magazine article described the “youthful New Yorker” as “the most promising newcomer in the creative textile design field.” That same year, Roman Candles was featured in the Museum of Modern Art and Chicago Merchandise Mart’s Good Design exhibitions. VIEW OBJECT JULY 3, 2021 Portrait of a Woman Edmonia Lewis, American, 1844–1907; Portrait of a Woman, 1873; marble; without base: 23 x 16 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund and partial gift of Thurlow E. Tibbs Jr. 1:1997 Bust of James Peck Thomas Rounded features, a delicate lace bodice with flowers, and soft wavy hair communicate both the taste and beauty of the sitter, and Edmonia Lewis’s skill as a sculptor. The sitter may be Antoinette Rutgers Thomas, as a similarly sized portrait of her husband, James Peck Thomas, was completed by Lewis in 1874 (Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, Ohio). Antoinette was born into one of the wealthiest free Black families in St. Louis, and her husband, who moved to the city in 1857, increased that wealth through real estate. Lewis and the Thomases all had mixed-race heritage—Lewis had African and Native American parentage—and she was drawn to subjects that addressed race and gender. In 1867, Lewis moved to Rome. She worked successfully among the small group of American female sculptors who found greater renown and patronage there than they could in their own country. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 29, 2021 Flower Basket (hanakago) in the Form of a Double Gourd with Wood-root Stand Flower Basket (hanakago) in the Form of a Double Gourd with Wood-root Stand, late 19th–early 20th century; Japanese, Meiji period, or Taishō period; bamboo, rattan, rootwood; 11 x 20 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Nancy Jane Davidson Shestack Collection, bequest of Alan Shestack 232:2020 This bamboo basket is shaped like a natural double gourd. An opening in the larger section allows for the placement of a cylindrical insert to hold water and flowers. Several sections of gnarled wisteria root wood, secured to the basket with bamboo ties, form a stand while branching up and around the rear of the double gourd. Three main types of plaiting methods were used to produce this hand-split bamboo object: irregular plaiting (midare ami) in the larger section containing the opening; mat plaiting (gozame ami) in the constricted neck of the double gourd form; and pine-needle plaiting (matsuba ami) in the smaller section. Bamboo baskets of this kind were used to display seasonal floral arrangements, often in connection with Japanese tea ceremonies. They would have been placed within an alcove space beneath a painting or calligraphy scroll that was appropriate for the season. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 23, 2021 Othello Pietro Calvi, Italian, 1833–1884; Othello, c.1870; marble and bronze; height: 35 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May, Bequest of Edith J. and C.C. Johnson Spink, Gift of Margaret Donk Waters, and Gift of Professor and Mrs. Theo Haimann, all by exchange 13:2020a,b This sculpture represents the main character of William Shakespeare’s play Othello, written around 1603. The portrait captures the moment when Othello tragically realizes the innocence of his wife, Desdemona, whom he has killed out of jealousy. The handkerchief he holds was planted by an enemy as false evidence of Desdemona’s betrayal. Pietro Calvi’s dignified depiction of the distraught Othello with a tear rolling down his cheek may be based upon the famous performances of Ira Aldridge (1807–1867), the first Black actor to play Othello in England beginning in 1825. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 22, 2021 Fly Whisk (chauri) with Design of Floral and Vegetal Motifs on the Handle Fly Whisk (chauri) with Design of Floral and Vegetal Motifs on the Handle, late 18th century; Indian, Mughal period; ivory and whale baleen; length: 33 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Young Friends Art Purchase Fund 69:2004 Fly whisks were symbols of royal authority in both Hindu and Muslim courts in India; this one was made for the sophisticated Mughal court. It was probably crafted in Murshidabad, which served as the Mughal capital of Bengal and had specialized workshops for ivory and woodworking. The ivory handle of this fly whisk has three separate parts: a tip shaped like a lotus bud, a tapering ropework shaft, and a cup-shaped mouthpiece. The upper portion of the shaft and the sides of the mouthpiece are carved with flowering irises and poppies, flanked by cypress trees. The mouthpiece is surmounted by a pierced double gallery of everted petals. The parts screw together to hold the individual whisk slivers, which are made of whale baleen (keratin-based filters from the mouths of baleen whales). VIEW OBJECT JUNE 21, 2021 Dish with Design of Two Dragons Chasing a Flaming Pearl amidst Clouds Dish with Design of Two Dragons Chasing a Flaming Pearl amidst Clouds, 18th century; Ryūkyūan, Japan, Second Shō dynasty; black lacquer on wood core with mother-of-pearl inlay; 1 1/2 x 13 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Langenberg Endowment Fund 5:2020 The interior of this large circular lacquered dish is inlaid with exquisite mother-of-pearl. The bold decoration features two five-clawed dragons amidst clouds encircling a flaming pearl in the center. The rounded sides are divided into eight sections, alternately adorned with four different Buddhist emblems and with hexagonal patterns. The decorative motifs are represented with thin iridescent mother-of-pearl from the shells of abalone, which are found in the waters of the Ryūkyūs, a chain of small islands in the Pacific Ocean between Taiwan and Japan. The distinctive tradition of lacquerware, seen in this dish, developed in the Ryūkyū Kingdom (1429–1879) through its trade with neighboring countries and became an important export. A government facility in the Ryūkyū royal capital, Shuri, was responsible for managing the production of exquisite objects used as tribute gifts for the emperor of China as well as the shōgun (military dictator) and daimyō (feudal lords) in Japan. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 20, 2021 Golden and Blue Bolero Walt Kuhn, American, 1877–1949; Golden and Blue Bolero, 1946; oil on canvas; 24 × 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of John and Susan Horseman, in honor of Melissa Wolfe, Curator of American Art 101:2019 Bold strokes of red, orange, and yellow flicker across this man’s bolero vest and reflect in the shadows beneath his chin. The painting’s fiery, primary hues are at odds with its subject’s impassive expression. Walt Kuhn is renowned for his portraits of circus performers, as seen here. His figures are depicted frontally, holding a deadpan gaze contrary to their expected joyfulness. Though anonymous and mysterious, this man conveys a dignity and psychological presence often denied to itinerant performers. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 18, 2021 Untitled (Frijoles Canyon) Józef Bakós, American, 1891–1977; Untitled (Frijoles Canyon), c.1920–25; oil on board; 18 x 23 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of John and Susan Horseman, in honor of Melissa Wolfe, Curator of American Art 95:2019; © Estate of Józef Bakós A small tree stands amid a riot of strong colors and boldly outlined forms. This painting depicts Frijoles Canyon, now part of Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico (see images). Józef Bakós lived in the canyon for one year when he worked for the United States Forest Service. While most artists were inspired by the dwellings carved into the canyon’s cliffs by Ancestral Pueblo people over 850 years ago, Bakós instead was drawn to the site’s otherworldly rock formations. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 17, 2021 Landscape, Sicily, Italy Paul Strand, American, 1890–1976; Landscape, Sicily, Italy, 1953; gelatin silver print; 4 5/8 x 5 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the John Allan Love Charitable Foundation, Brian Catlin, Loring Catlin Sr., Leigh French, and Doris Yates, Gift of Stephen Bunyard, by exchange; Funds given by an anonymous donor in memory of Daniel Catlin, and funds given by Sam Weiss in memory of Jerome Levy 205:2019; © Paul Strand Archive, Aperture Foundation In this photograph taken in the south of Italy, Paul Strand framed a broad vista so that it became an intimate and self-contained world. The thin trees and their leafless branches in the foreground organize the image, tying the stone farm buildings, pathways, and cultivated plots together in a dense pattern of the organic and geometric. This view is a mediation on the potential for harmonious relationships between man and nature. Strand saw this condition as a potent alternative to the rapid changes brought on by the modern world in the mid-20th century. He had a humanistic interest in using photography to explore the distinctive character of places that he viewed as uncorrupted by industrial culture. Strand was interested in heightening our sense of reality, often favoring tightly composed views to intensify his subject’s visual significance. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 16, 2021 Seated Woman Elizabeth Catlett, American (active México), 1915–2012; Seated Woman, 1962; mahogany; 22 1/2 × 13 1/2 × 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment, Gift of Edward J. Costigan in memory of his wife, Sara Guth Costigan, by exchange, The James D. Burke Art Acquisition Fund, Eliza McMillan Trust, Funds given by the Alturas Foundation, and Museum Purchase 75:2019; © 2021 Catlett Mora Family Trust / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY A lustrous finish emphasizes the mahogany wood grain that artist Elizabeth Catlett beautifully incorporated into Seated Woman. The figure’s rounded body and firmly placed legs convey confidence and stability. A sense of naturalism merges perfectly with a simplified, abstracted form reminiscent of African masks and Mexican sculpture. Catlett, an African American artist who lived her adult life in Mexico, greatly respected these two artistic traditions. Catlett felt affirmative representations, such as Seated Woman, could support social change because they allow people who are underrepresented to see themselves depicted in art. Female subjects are predominant throughout Catlett’s work. She was moved by “Black beauty, not the female nudes of the European artists, but the women of the African wood carvers and the pre-Hispanic stone carvers.” VIEW OBJECT JUNE 15, 2021 Total Transparency Filter (Portrait of N) Stephanie Syjuco, American, born 1974; Total Transparency Filter (Portrait of N), 2017; archival pigment print; 40 x 30 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Margery Campbell Fort and Jeffrey T. Fort; Gift of Stephen Bunyard, by exchange 91:2019; Courtesy of the artist, Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco and RYAN LEE Gallery, New York In this mysterious photograph, the viewer sees a seated figure draped entirely in a gray-and-white checkered cloth. It is recognizable as the default background of image-manipulation software Photoshop—the transparency filter to which the title refers. The subject is a student in the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and through this work, Stephanie Syjuco comments on the uncertain position of immigrants in the United States. Syjuco, a Filipino-American artist, feels immigrants’ identity and path to citizenship are at risk of being erased. She uses fabric props in a way that complicates the legibility of the photographic image. The individual being photographed is present and corporeal but not completely visible. This imbues the picture with a haunting beauty that simultaneously challenges the viewer, subverting expectations of what a photographic studio portrait should convey. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 13, 2021 Charles I Kehinde Wiley, American, born 1977; Charles I, 2018; oil on linen; 96 × 72 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Gary C. Werths and Richard Frimel, Barbara and Andy Taylor, Anabeth and John Weil, John and Susan Horseman, Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg, Michael and Noémi Neidorff, David Obedin and Clare Davis, Adrienne D. Davis, Yvette Drury Dubinsky and John Paul Dubinsky, Mrs. Barbara S. Eagleton, Hope Edison, Roxanne H. Frank, Rosalyn and Charles Lowenhaupt, Jack and Susan Musgrave, Dr. and Mrs. E. Robert Schultz, Susan and David Sherman III, Pam and Greg Trapp, Mark S. Weil and Joan Hall-Weil, Keith H. Williamson, and the Third Wednesday Group 27:2019; © 2019 Kehinde Wiley, Courtesy of the Saint Louis Art Museum and Roberts Projects View Comparative Image St. Louisan Ashley Cooper stands with one hand on her hip in front of a vibrant floral backdrop that winds in front of and around her. Cooper’s pose is based on the stance of King Charles I of England in a 1633 portrait by Dutch painter Daniel Mytens I in the Museum’s collection (see image above). Artist Kehinde Wiley uses the long‑standing practice of portraiture to address absences and erasures of black individuals in European and American art history. In his paintings he replaces white figures depicted in historical artworks with images of contemporary African Americans, Africans, and people of the African diaspora. In 2017, Wiley visited neighborhoods in north St. Louis and Ferguson, Missouri, where he selected Cooper and other individuals to pose for paintings. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 12, 2021 Torah Ark Curtain (Parokhet) Simhah Viterbo, Italian, 1739–1779; Torah Ark Curtain (Parokhet), 1754–55; silk, silk and metallic thread, vellum, metal sequins, metal wire, cotton thread, velvet, metallic fringe, linen backing; 87 x 66 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Deane and Paul Shatz Endowment Fund for Judaica 2:2019 A needlework tour-de-force, the azure satin ground of this Torah Ark curtain (parokhet) is extensively appliquéd and embroidered with silk and metallic threads, pressed metal strips, spiral wire, and sequins. The silver and gold embellishment and most of the flowers are worked on thin sheets of vellum, or prepared animal skin, and in some cases padded for added volume. The textile’s opulence reflects the skill and wealth of its young maker, Simhah Viterbo. Torah curtains hang in front of the ark, a cabinet or structure that houses the sacred Torah scrolls, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. This curtain would have been visible to a synagogue’s entire congregation, including the women who occupied the elevated gallery above the main hall. Its scalloped and scrolling ornament and carefully depicted carnations, bellflowers, and roses follow a European taste for botanical naturalism. However, the curtain’s enclosed floral borders and symmetrical central composition suggest the influence of Ottoman textiles. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 11, 2021 Sunburst in the Riesengebirge Caspar David Friedrich, German, 1774–1840; Sunburst in the Riesengebirge, 1835; oil on canvas; 10 × 12 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund, Museum Purchase, Director's Discretionary Fund, the Ann Goddard Trust, and the Third Wednesday Group 1:2019 Sunlight bursts over distant hills as a blue sky dispels gathering storm clouds. The hut at top left indicates a human presence within this vast landscape. Caspar David Friedrich based this scene on the Riesengebirge, a mountain range on the present-day border of the Czech Republic and Poland. Friedrich hiked in this area in 1810, nearly 25 years before he painted this work. Elements of the landscape held strong symbolism for Friedrich and his audience. The fir tree represented life and vitality; the dead tree, mortality; and the illuminated hills, an aspiration toward the promise of eternity. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE JUNE 10, 2021 Eye Dazzler Diné (Navajo) artist; Eye Dazzler, c.1885; wool and dye; 79 3/4 x 50 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred E. Goldman 493:2018 Diamonds radiate a series of cool, serrated lines. Across the red ground, a secondary network emerges and subtly echoes the bold contours of the overall design. These nuanced shifts between a brighter tone and a darker, cool red indicate the artist used yarns from at least two dye batches. Plied, industrially manufactured fibers yield crimson while warmer scarlet hues result from wool the artist dyed and spun herself. In the last decades of the 19th century, Diné weavers used new materials to create complex, vibrant textiles such as this work. Aniline-dyed yarns initially arrived when the federal government supplied these materials to the Navajo Nation as part of annuity payments following the Treaty of Bosque Redondo in 1868. Later, weavers obtained these yarns as well as synthetic, powdered dyestuffs from trading posts on the Navajo reservation. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 9, 2021 Woman in Turkish Dress Angelica Kauffmann, Swiss, 1741–1807; Woman in Turkish Dress,1767; oil on canvas; 24 1/2 × 19 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Dr. E. Robert and Carol Sue Schultz 704:2018 Loose yet assured brushwork, seen in gold edging along the shoulders, animates this painting of an unknown woman wearing Turkish clothing. Foreign attire was popular in London throughout the 18th century, and Angelica Kauffmann painted several versions of garments that were based on clothing worn in the Ottoman Empire. Western Europeans, including the British, appropriated and exoticized Middle Eastern societies, often using stereotypes, an embodiment of a colonial outlook towards non-European cultures. For this portrait, the artist depicted a loose gown trimmed in white lace (gömlek), a more fitted long-sleeved salmon-colored garment with buttons down the front (yelek), and an outer long coat edged in lace and fashioned from plum-colored velvet (entari). Dated on the back of the canvas in what appears to be the artist’s own hand, this painting may have served as an advertisement to convince women in London society to have their portraits painted in Turkish dress. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 8, 2021 Sovereign Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds, Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations, born 1954; printed by Charles Cohan, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu; Sovereign, 2017; monotype; Overall: 44 x 120 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund 483:2018a-p; © Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds Words flow rhythmically across 16 red monotypes, each a separate unique print. A stippling effect eats away at the letters, destabilizing the initial meanings. “Talking Stick” and “Fire Rock” may seem to evoke settings and characters from Native American stories. However, the artist lifted these and other two-word phrases from Native gaming operations such as Lucky Star Casino, owned by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. In the 1980s, legal debates about Native gambling centered on the sovereign status of Native governments and reservations. Following passage of federal legislation in 1988, hundreds of Native nations opened gaming centers on tribally owned land, often along major highways in exurban areas. Casinos may fuel addiction and deepen individual poverty, though gaming profits frequently support cultural heritage programs and infrastructure projects. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 7, 2021 Levitator Abstraction Esphyr Slobodkina, American (born Russia), 1908–2002; Levitator Abstraction, c.1950; oil on Masonite; 24 × 45 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Linda and Harvey Saligman Endowed Acquisition Fund, Gift of J. Harold Pettus, Gift of Edward J. Costigan in memory of his wife, Sara Guth Costigan, Gift of August A. Busch Jr., Gift of the Estate of Moses Soyer, Gift of Mrs. Richard Meade in memory of her husband, Richard Worsam Meade IV, and Gift of Stuart M. Chambers, all by exchange 28:2019; Courtesy of the Slobodkina Foundation A cockpit and wings slowly emerge from the array of angular, abstract shapes in Levitator Abstraction. This painting was inspired by the Turboprop Skyshark, a short-lived Navy aircraft carrier bomber designed in the early 1950s. The complex interlocking forms in this work reflect a debt to the artist’s early training in engineering and architecture. However, at times they appear more like a busy scattering of paper cutouts than the volumetric parts of an airplane. This is not surprising given Esphyr Slobodkina was also an experienced dressmaker. Despite the machinelike quality, the painting playfully mimics the proportions and wood-grain surface of the actual drafting board on which she worked. Slobodkina’s creative talents extended beyond painting, dressmaking, and architecture. She was also a well-respected textile designer and children’s book author and illustrator. Her most-loved book is the classic Caps for Sale. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 6, 2021 Dish with Design of Foliate Motifs Dish with Design of Foliate Motifs, c.1600; Indian, Mughal period; mother-of-pearl over wood core; diameter: 17 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Edwin and Betty Greenfield Grossman Endowment 432:2018 This shallow dish has a thin teakwood body covered on both sides with shaped plaques of mother-of-pearl, which come from the green turban shell (Turbo marmoratus). There may also be inserts of one or two other marine shells, namely the button shell (Trochus niloticus) or the pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera), or both. The main body of the dish is decorated with a central multi-petaled flower head with radiating small-shaped plaques of increasing size. These radiating shapes are framed by a narrow circular border around the edge of the bowl. The concave sides are decorated with vertical plaques following the shape of the dish with a narrow undulating rim. Gujarat, in western India, was the center for artisanal mother-of-pearl production during the 16th and 17th centuries. The allure of this material lay in its versatility, its strength, and above all in its lustrous and beautiful iridescent surface, which reflected light and varied color. Objects covered in mother-of-pearl were given to foreign rulers as diplomatic gifts and were exported to the east coast of Africa, Turkey, and Europe. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 5, 2021 Chief-Style Blanket, Second Phase Variant Diné (Navajo) artist; Chief-Style Blanket, Second Phase Variant, c.1880; wool and dye; 47 1/2 x 58 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Elissa and Paul Cahn 225:2017 On this blanket, linear designs in a range of colors float over a red ground. The massive red bands balance against thinner stripes in creamy white and dark brown, a pattern sometimes called a chief’s blanket. This term, however, is based on a historical misunderstanding about the use of these blankets among Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains earlier in the 19th century. Rather than marking rank, these textiles furnished Native peoples beyond the Southwest with warm outerwear, striking designs, and a sense of the unfamiliar that is often associated with luxury items from distant places of origin. The green yarns here help date this blanket to the late 19th century, an era when Diné weavers continued experimenting with this long-running style. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 4, 2021 Portrait of Charlotte Cram John Singer Sargent, American (born Italy), 1856–1925; Portrait of Charlotte Cram, 1900; oil on canvas; 34 3/4 x 24 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment, Museum Purchase, and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy, Eliza McMillan Trust, Bequest of Elsie A. Kuhn, Gift of Frederick Oakes Sylvester, Gift of Edward J. Costigan in memory of his wife, Sara Guth Costigan, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Alden Sears, Gift of August A. Busch Jr., Gift of J. Harold Pettus, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Fleming, Gift of Charles F. Galt, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Shoenberg Jr., Anonymous Gift, Gift of Mr. Daniel Catlin, Gift of Miss Louisa Leete and Miss Clara Leete, Gift of William Henry Gruen, Bequest of Daniel Fitzpatrick, Gift of the Estate of Moses Soyer, Gift of Mrs. Daniel K. Catlin, Gift of Peggy Ives Cole, and the J. Herndon and Lida Wallace Smith Fund, by exchange 210:2017 John Singer Sargent painted seven-year-old Charlotte Cram in his London studio. She sits in an oversized chair with the unaffected charm of youth. The sparkle in her brown eyes, barely restrained smile, tilt of her head, and frank gaze are endearing without excessive sentimentality. Sargent perfectly captured her twisted pose and interlaced fingers, as she presses them into the wooden arm of the chair trying her very best not to squirm. Charlotte’s white taffeta dress and oversized yellow sash and bow reveal the artist’s confident ability. Sargent, one of the foremost portraitists in American art, knew exactly where to place his dramatic brushstrokes to translate the essence of a bow or ribbon or hand into paint. His exceptional technique and aesthetic sensibility were equally matched by his innate grasp of his subject’s genuine emotions. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 3, 2021 Double Exposure James Little, American, born 1952; Double Exposure, 2008; oil and wax on canvas; 39 x 50 inches; The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 190:2017; © June Kelly Gallery/James Little Bright pastel colors and repeated geometric shapes create a dynamic composition; triangular planes transform into vertical stripes from left to right. The title alludes to the photographic technique of double exposure, which combines two separate images to construct a new work. To create his colors and crisp lines, African American artist James Little painted with a heated mixture of beeswax and raw pigments, developing a version of the painting technique called encaustic first used by ancient Egyptians and Greeks (learn more). VIEW OBJECT JUNE 2, 2021 Music Stand Gustav Stickley, American, 1858–1942; made by Gustav Stickley's Craftsman Workshops, Eastwood, New York, 1900–1916; Music Stand, 1903–04; oak, poplar, copper, pewter, and wood inlay; 50 x 18 x 15 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, Museum Purchase, by exchange; the Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and Grace Lischer Brumbaugh, Funds given by Victor Porter Smith, the Mary Elizabeth Rosborough Decorative Arts Fund; and Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society, Gift of Mrs. Milton Greenfield in memory of Miss Blanche Sterne and Mrs. Louis Bauman (Maude Sterne), Gift of David A. Hanks in honor of Charles F. Buckley, Gift of Mrs. Elsie Sansbury, Gift of Berthoud Clifford Boulton, Gift of Silas Bent McKinley, Gift of Mrs. Robert Andrew Frevert in memory of Branson Frevert, Gift of the Estate of the Honorable Frank Landwehr, Gift of Jay Landesman, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Baron, all by exchange 460:2018 This cabinet for storing sheet music presents a taut arrangement of vertical and horizontal lines with clear solids and voids. The near-black finish accentuates its minimal form. Stylized flowers of colored woods, pewter, and copper inlaid in the door offer a subtle enrichment. From 1900 until World War I (1914–1918), furniture maker Gustav Stickley was a leading contributor to the American Arts and Crafts movement. During the 1880s and 90s, Stickley was a successful manufacturer of middle-class Victorian furniture. He first explored consciously artistic furniture in 1900, gradually developing radically spare forms that evoked the sentiments of English designer William Morris, for whom simplicity was the essential requirement of modern furnishings. Stickley renamed his business the United Crafts and, in October 1901, began to publish The Craftsman magazine. In 1903 and 1904, the Stickley style was further refined in favor of attenuated forms embellished with inlaid ornament, as seen in this music stand. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 1, 2021 Detached III Rachel Whiteread, English, born 1963; Detached III, 2012; concrete and steel; 77 1/4 × 67 1/2 × 115 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 35:2017; © Rachel Whiteread See and Hear More HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript Detached III gives concrete form to the empty or negative space within an everyday, prefabricated backyard shed (see and hear more above). This sculpture sums up the signature working process of prominent English artist Rachel Whiteread, which she has described as “mummifying the air.” Whiteread captures the intricate wood grain imprint of the shed’s door and sides, as well as the impression of windows. The work’s title alludes to the artist’s view of the garden shed as a space for quiet thought and reclusive study. VIEW OBJECT MAY 31, 2021 Ornamental Box with Design of Fig Leaves and Fruit Tanabe Masayoshi, Japanese, born 1911; Ornamental Box with Design of Fig Leaves and Fruit, c.1950; colored and gold lacquers over wood core; box with cover: 6 1/4 x 12 1/8 x 15 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Langenberg Endowment Fund 33:2017a-c; © Tanabe Masayoshi This covered box features an exterior design of fig leaves and fruit (ichijiku) over a beige lacquer (kawari-nuri) ground on the five visible sides. The leaves are formed of light, loose-textured textile pieces cut and applied to the base before over-lacquering in three shades of green (dark, medium, and light green). The luscious red fruits are highly polished, cut, and carved lacquer inlays, with gold lacquer applied to the carved end openings of the figs, known as the ostioles. The ingenious design is both stylized and evocative of the dense fig tree. Tanabe Masayoshi’s studio was in the small city of Kuroe, Japan, the lacquer center of Wakayama Prefecture, just south of the Ōsaka metropolitan area. His work was exhibited at the annual Japan Arts Exhibition five times between 1949 and 1958. In 1979, Tanabe received a commendation award recognizing him as a master craftsman of Wakayama Prefecture. VIEW OBJECT MAY 30, 2021 Man with a Waterskin George Minne, Belgian, 1866–1941; Man with a Waterskin, 1897, cast 1897–1903; bronze; 26 1/8 x 10 3/8 x 16 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Justina G. Catlin in memory of her husband, Daniel Catlin, and Gift of Mrs. Eugene C. Tittmann, St. Louis, both by exchange 28:2017 In this delicately balanced sculpture a slender youth stands, legs rooted to the earth, emptying a leather waterskin. Although secular in theme, this figure was originally derived from a depiction of Christian St. John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus. The sack and its contents, the element of water, retained spiritual associations of purity and closeness to nature for the artist George Minne. The abstract effect of this work is characteristic of Minne’s elongated sculptures of the adolescent body. From the 1890s, Minne’s avant-garde output won him international renown. VIEW OBJECT MAY 29, 2021 Morning Hair Torii Kotondo, Japanese, 1900–1976; Morning Hair, 1930; color woodblock print; sheet: 19 1/8 x 11 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Langenberg Endowment Fund 24:2017; ©Torii Kotondo The title of this print, asanegami, meaning “sleep-tangled hair,” alludes to a verse from the 8th-century anthology of poems Manyōshū. The poem’s main character imagines his lovelorn wife refusing to comb her hair in his absence. Torii Kotondo modernized the theme with a young, fashionably dressed woman lying in bed with unkempt hair, brooding upon her lover’s departure. The slightly risqué subject, the striking green of the mosquito net in the background, and the exquisitely detailed execution make this one of Kotondo’s most memorable prints. VIEW OBJECT MAY 28, 2021 Fresh News (Men and Machines) Rosalyn Drexler, American, born 1926; Fresh News (Men and Machines), 1965; acrylic and paper collage on canvas; 40 × 50 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Siteman Contemporary Art Fund 112:2017; © 2021 Rosalyn Drexler / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Learn more about Contemporary Art at SLAM In this image, taken from a photograph and abstracted (learn more), two men in suits supervise a new kind of commercial printing press, the Heidelberg Rotaspeed. Painting in large patches of flat, primary colors, artist Rosalyn Drexler omitted any clues to the figures’ identities, conflating these men with the machine they operate. In her Men and Machines series, Drexler demystified the promises of 1960s technological progress and corporate capitalism. Exposing lingering anxieties of the Cold War era, such as the loss of human agency in the face of industrial advances, Drexler’s paintings undercut the false confidence of postwar American society in affluence and worldwide leadership. VIEW OBJECT MAY 27, 2021 Long Chair Marcel Breuer, American (born Hungary), 1902–1981; made by Isokon Furniture Company, British, founded 1929; Long Chair, c.1936; molded laminated birch and birch plywood; 30 1/4 x 24 x 52 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and Grace Lischer Brumbaugh 31:2016 See Comparative Image With its undulating seat and supports made of molded plywood, this lounge chair is innovative for its construction and ergonomic design. The chair offered the “scientific relaxation of every part of the body.” Architect Marcel Breuer is best known for developing chromium-plated steel tubing (see image above) as a support for chairs and tables while he was an instructor at the Bauhaus school of architecture and design in Germany during the 1920s. VIEW OBJECT MAY 26, 2021 Center Table marquetry signed by Joseph Cremer, born Luxembourg, active Paris, (1811–after 1878); Center Table, 1865–75; ebonized and gilded wood, wood marquetry, mother-of-pearl, and gilded bronze; 30 1/4 x 54 1/8 x 35 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund 32:2016 A lush bouquet of flowers is the focal point of this ornamental tabletop. The floral design is composed of small pieces of wood stained with dyes and fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. This technique, called marquetry, was a specialty of Parisian craftsman Joseph Cremer, whose signature is engraved among the scrolling stems and leaves. A New York cabinetmaker imported the marquetry panel and incorporated it into this painted and gilded table made for an unknown American client. This extravagant object was intended for use in a formal interior to display ceramics, small bronze sculptures, or other precious artworks. VIEW OBJECT MAY 25, 2021 Double Diptych Icon Pendant Amhara artist, Ethiopia; Double Diptych Icon Pendant, late 17th century; wood, tempera pigment, fiber; open: 3 3/4 x 4 5/8 x 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Marilyn Heldman in memory of Louis Gilden 12:2016 Like a locket, this artwork served a public and private role for its owner. Worn suspended from the neck, the pendant’s incised crosses on the outside of the small doors proclaimed Christian identity and served indigenous beliefs for deflecting harm. Behind each closed door, vibrantly colored scenes inspired moments of personal prayer and contemplation. On one side, St. George slays a dragon opposite Mary and Jesus. On the other side, the Crucifixion appears opposite two historical Ethiopian saints. Gabra Manfas Qeddus (died c.1400), appearing with a lion and wearing a cloak made from his own hair, was a hermit and ascetic especially gifted with animals. Abuna Ewostatewos (c.1273–1352), bearing a long beard and handheld cross, founded monasteries in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Christianity in Ethiopia dates to the 4th century. VIEW OBJECT MAY 24, 2021 Pheasantry in the Forest of Compiègne Théodore Rousseau, French, 1812–1867; Pheasantry in the Forest of Compiègne, 1833; oil on canvas; 20 7/8 x 25 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy; and Gift of Justina G. Catlin in memory of her husband, Daniel Catlin, by exchange 33:2016 In this atmospheric moonlight scene, Théodore Rousseau depicted a pheasantry, or pheasant farm. Flecks of yellow paint at the bottom right suggest a pheasant in flight. The silhouetted forms of trees offer a flat, surface pattern while depth in the space is created by the detail of a cow drinking from a pond at back left. Rousseau painted this gestural work when he was only 21, demonstrating his early artistic talent. Due to his skill, Rousseau was considered the leading landscape painter of the Barbizon School, an artistic colony southeast of Paris. VIEW OBJECT MAY 23, 2021 Charger designed by Galileo Chini, Italian, 1873–1956; made by Arte della Ceramica, Florence; Charger, c.1900; tin-glazed earthenware with lustre glazes; 23 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Mary Elizabeth Rosborough Decorative Arts Fund and The Lopata Endowment Fund 71:2016 On this vibrant lustre-glazed dish, eight boats circle the rim with bright white, wind-filled sails, creating a dynamic rhythm. In the center is a whirlpool of undulating forms and linear patterning in shades of saturated blues and greens. Artist and designer Galileo Chini reimagined the historical ceramic traditions of his native Italy and the Mediterranean region with modern flair on this charger, or platter. Chini’s workshop in Florence, Arte della Ceramica, exhibited their ceramics to great acclaim at international expositions, winning a gold medal at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair and a silver medal in St. Louis in 1904. VIEW OBJECT MAY 22, 2021 Power Figure (nkisi nkondi) Kongo artist, Republic of the Congo; Power Figure (nkisi nkondi), before 1908; wood, iron, porcelain, glass, resin; height: 25 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 10:2016 . . . [T]he nganga pounds on the nkisi . . . to awaken it, that it should arise and go. —BABUTIDI TIMOTIO, 1916 With alert eyes, head raised, and right arm thrust upward, this figure embodies the character of a hunter. Each iron blade or nail across the torso attests to specific moments when the nganga, a ritual specialist, called the figure into action or “to the hunt.” Directed by the nganga, the figure served purposes of healing, protection, or resolution on a client’s behalf. The figure’s white porcelain eyes, sensitively carved face, and mirrored belly emphasize the body’s spiritual power centers according to Kongo belief. These are also the sites where the nganga inserted plant, mineral, and other matter considered to be medicinal and powerful. The mirror, suggesting the surface of water, evokes Kongo conceptualization of the ancestral realm. VIEW OBJECT MAY 21, 2021 Vase Louis Comfort Tiffany, American, 1848–1933; made by Tiffany Studios, Corona, New York, 1900–1938; Vase, 1905–10; glazed earthenware; 7 5/8 x 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Given in honor of the Docents of the Saint Louis Art Museum by Dr. Matthew and Jane Newman 165:2015 Ferns, flowering vines, and woodland plants inspired the ceramics produced by Tiffany Studios, as seen here. This vase with arrowhead plants and a snake winding through the foliage is one of their most original designs. The neck is daringly pierced to form delicate stems that support a ring of flowers around the rim. Overall, a dark umber matte-textured glaze helps to define the low-relief ornament. Louis Comfort Tiffany was renowned during his lifetime for the versatility of his firm’s creative output in the decorative arts. About 1880, Tiffany’s decorating company began to produce stained glass windows and mosaics. During the 1890s, they added blown glass, leaded glass lamps, and bronze to their lines, and beginning about 1900, ceramics. Following a few years of experimentation, Tiffany seized the spectacle of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair for the first public exhibition of their nature-inspired art pottery. VIEW OBJECT MAY 20, 2021 Sunday Morning Breakfast Horace Pippin, American, 1888–1946; Sunday Morning Breakfast, 1943; oil on fabric; 16 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Funds, Friends Fund; and Bequest of Marie Setz Hertslet, Museum Purchase, Eliza McMillan Trust, and Gift of Mrs. Carl Tucker, by exchange 164:2015 A kettle whistles on a glowing stove as two children eagerly await their breakfast in this warm family scene. The lively everyday narrative is balanced by the geometric simplicity of the door, curtained window, cupboard, and flat patterns of the apron and rugs. Horace Pippin was a self-taught African American artist who began painting after he was wounded in World War I (1914–1918). His laborious painting process involved propping up his permanently injured right arm with a poker and guiding it with his left hand. Sunday Morning Breakfast is a scene remembered from his youth in Goshen, New York. VIEW OBJECT MAY 19, 2021 Din, Une Trés Belle Négresse 1 Mickalene Thomas, born 1971; Din, Une Trés Belle Négresse 1, 2012, printed 2015; chromogenic print; 60 x 50 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Margery Campbell Fort in honor of Jeffrey Fort’s birthday 134:2015; © 2021 Mickalene Thomas / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York In this photograph, Mickalene Thomas captured the strength of the woman’s gaze, her halo of dark hair, and her made-up lips. The vibrant patterns of her dress and the wall textile background compliment her features. The model, Din, was a medical student who regularly posed for Thomas, yet the portrait depicts a character created by the artist through her staging of the setting and costume. Thus, the image becomes a more universal representation of a woman exuding sensual beauty, confidence, and self-awareness. Thomas’s title, French for Din, A Very Beautiful Black Woman, acknowledges an earlier era with its use of the historically charged term “négresse.” Yet the title demonstrates a desire to create empowering associations with such words. In particular, Thomas employed a visual vocabulary that looks back to the 1970s—an era defined by powerful new images of Black beauty found in popular media. VIEW OBJECT MAY 18, 2021 Migrant Mother, Nipomo, CA Dorothea Lange, American, 1895–1965; Migrant Mother, Nipomo, CA; 1936, printed c.1952; gelatin silver print; 13 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Charles A. Newman honoring Elizabeth, his wife and treasured guide to art 11:2014 This photograph, taken in 1936 in the central valley of California, became a symbol of the plight of migrant farm workers during America’s Great Depression (1929–1939). The image taps into both the anguish and perseverance of a mother trying to care for her children in a time of economic, social, and ecological crisis. Navigating between the artistic and the journalistic, Dorothea Lange excelled at distilling complex situations into powerful and empathetic black-and-white images with the hopes of motivating social and economic reform. Lange ran a successful portrait studio in San Francisco beginning in 1919, but with the onset of the Great Depression, she was moved to photograph people that she saw standing in breadlines due to the dire conditions. These works led her to a job with the federal Farm Security Administration, and she crisscrossed the western and midwestern United States by automobile to record the struggles of those most affected by the Depression. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE MAY 17, 2021 Ceiling Lamp, from the Francis W. Little House, Peoria, Illinois Frank Lloyd Wright, American, 1867–1959; Ceiling Lamp, from the Francis W. Little House, Peoria, Illinois, 1902–3; glass, copper alloy, and zinc; 29 x 16 x 16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and Grace Lischer Brumbaugh, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, and Friends Fund Endowment 1:2014; © 2021 Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Artists Rights Society This lamp’s shade is a complex grid of intersecting rectangles and squares overhanging a cube-shaped light box. Large and small squares of colored iridescent glass dot the shade’s perimeter and corners. In its form, the lamp embodies the home it was designed to illuminate. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School structures, like the Little House, are long and low with gently sloping roofs, sheltering overhangs, and projecting terraces. These design features echo the midwestern landscape’s “quiet level.” Leaded glass lanterns, sconces, table lamps as well as windows and screens were important elements in Wright’s Prairie School homes. These and other custom-designed furnishings, such as this ceiling lamp, developed from a shared language of motifs and produced a unified design experience. VIEW OBJECT MAY 16, 2021 Louis XIV, King of France François Girardon, French, 1628–1715; Louis XIV, King of France, 1690s; bronze; 21 1/2 x 22 3/8 x 9 7/8 inches, with ebony base: 27 7/8 x 22 3/8 x 9 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy, Friends Fund, the Edwin and Betty Greenfield Grossman Endowment, Mr. Christian B. Peper, Lisa and Allan Silverberg, and Museum Purchase, gift of Mrs. Mahlon Wallace and Leicester B. Faust, Mr. Horace Morison, Mrs. Mark C. Steinberg, Mr. Sydney Shoenberg Sr., an anonymous donor, Mr. J. Boyd Hill in memory of his wife, Barbara Johnson Hill, and Friends Fund, by exchange 1118:2010 This bronze bust presents French king Louis XIV (reigned 1643–1715) as a monarch of stately presence and imperial demeanor. The combination of turned head, diagonal sweep of fabric folds, and intricate hairstyle make for an assertive and dynamic likeness. Louis XIV established the court at Versailles outside of Paris in the 1680s, making it a model for the splendor and elegance that defined princely palaces into the following century. Sculptor François Girardon created several portraits of the king and succeeded in capturing a commanding individual. VIEW OBJECT MAY 15, 2021 Shirt Northern Plains artist; Shirt, c.1890; tanned hide, glass beads, and pigment; with arms outstretched: 27 x 58 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr. 37:2012 Every detail of this honorary warrior’s shirt signifies important artistic and cultural principles in Native Plains art. Women skillfully decorated the shoulder and sleeve strips and the triangular neck flap with beadwork. The elongated diamonds and four directional designs reflect earlier quillwork patterns and visually communicate the continuity of Native design. The shirt’s blue paint and lavish fringe convey power and force, appropriate for the most highly regarded male family and community leaders. These men possessed esteemed characteristics in Plains society—compassion, bravery, generosity, and wisdom—and earned the privilege to wear this garment. VIEW OBJECT MAY 14, 2021 Portrait of Anne Stafford Ambrosius Benson, Netherlandish (born Italy), c.1495–before 1550; Portrait of Anne Stafford, c.1535; oil on panel; 16 x 13 3/8 in. (40.6 x 34 cm) framed: 21 7/16 x 19 x 2 in. (54.5 x 48.3 x 5.1 cm); Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase by exchange, and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy in memory of Cornelia Peters Harms 154:2003 This portrait depicts Anne Stafford, a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England. Anne is shown as properly devout, holding a rosary in her lap. Her lavish attire is similar to other members of Henry’s court with like social standing. Anne’s delicate linen headscarf, secured by straight pins, her stiff bodice, and pleated sleeves with fur coverings, reflect the fashion of both Bruges (in present-day Belgium) and London, England, in the early 16th century. A companion portrait of Anne’s husband, George Hastings (first Earl of Huntingdon), also painted by Ambrosius Benson is in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (see image). VIEW OBJECT MAY 13, 2021 Bust of Emperor Caracalla Joseph Claus, German, 1718–1788; Bust of Emperor Caracalla, 1757; marble; 28 3/4 x 20 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 19:2013 This bust is modeled after a famous ancient sculpture of Caracalla, a notorious 3rd-century Roman emperor. The stern features and steely gaze embody the cruelty and abuse of power for which Caracalla was known. Creating busts of ancient rulers and dignitaries was popular among 18th-century sculptors working in Rome who made copies for English travelers. Sculpture Hall, in the center of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s main building, was inspired by the expansive Roman public baths that Caracalla built. VIEW OBJECT MAY 12, 2021 Untitled (seascape) Tom Friedman, American, born 1965; Untitled (seascape), 2012; paper; 60 x 72 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Funds 32:2012; © Tom Friedman, Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York, and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London Using only a large sheet of white paper, Tom Friedman created this view of the sea by folding the horizon line and adding smaller creases to imitate the appearance of rippling water. This work exemplifies Friedman’s practice of painstakingly manipulating whatever medium he chooses, from pencil, pen, and clay to pencil shavings, hair, and Styrofoam. Friedman, who was born and raised in St. Louis, turns the centuries-old tradition of the painted seascape on its head by creating this view without any additional media, except for the paper itself. VIEW OBJECT MAY 11, 2021 Stone Sea Andy Goldsworthy, English, born 1956; Stone Sea, 2012; Missouri limestone; courtyard: 12 feet x 73 feet x 20 feet; Saint Louis Art Museum, Commissioned by the Saint Louis Art Museum, Director’s Discretionary Fund, and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C. Taylor, Paul M. Arenberg Family, James G. and Catherine B. Berges, Mr. and Mrs. F. Gilbert Bickel III, Alison and John Ferring, Roxanne H. Frank, Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg, Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy, Pam and Greg Trapp, Anabeth and John Weil, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wolff, an anonymous donor, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Rusnack, Mr. and Mrs. David C. Farrell, Jane S. Shapleigh, Hope and Julian Edison, Eleanor J. Moore, Terry Moore Shepley, the Paul and Elissa Cahn Foundation, Mrs. Barbara S. Eagleton, Marcia Jeanne Hart, Bettie S. Johnson, Kodner Gallery, Jim and Dorte Probstein, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Judge and Mrs. Charles A. Shaw, Susan and David Sherman III, Mary Ann and Andrew Srenco, the Third Wednesday Group, Keith H. Williamson, Jerome F. and Judith Weiss Levy, Helen Kornblum; and gift of Paul and Elissa Cahn and bequest of Guy A. Thompson, by exchange 30:2012; © Andy Goldsworthy 2012, Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co., Photography by Scott Smith For Stone Sea, Andy Goldsworthy drew inspiration from St. Louis geology and the city’s underlying bedrock of limestone, formed in prehistoric times when the Midwest was covered by water. Using limestone from a local quarry, Goldsworthy constructed 25 unique arches employing ancient Roman dry-stone engineering. This dense network of stone arches each measure about 10 feet high and weigh 300 tons in total. VIEW OBJECT MAY 10, 2021 Prunus Vase (maebyeong) Prunus Vase (maebyeong) with Design of Lotus Sprays, 12th century; Korean, Goryeo dynasty; stoneware with incised decoration under celadon glaze; 12 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase, by exchange 137:2011 See Detail This bottle is beautifully formed with the classic round shoulder that gradually swells from the narrow, splayed base. The constricted neck is surmounted by a shallow, incurved, and thin lip. Although the carved decoration is subtle (see detail above), it enhances the shape, drawing attention to the curve of the shoulder with a four-trefoil cloud collar radiating from the neck. The decorative collar is infilled with leafy stems within a double-line conforming border. Four large incised floral sprays of alternating lotus and peony on thick stems are incised on the sides of the vessel. Upright overlapping leaves encircle the base above a hastily carved zigzag band. The smooth celadon glaze is a bluish-tinged pale sea-green color with an overall crackle and covers the flat base within the unglazed foot rim where the gray stoneware body is visible. VIEW OBJECT MAY 9, 2021 Jack-in-the-Pulpit Vase made by Tiffany Studios, Corona, New York, 1900–1938; Jack-in-the-Pulpit Vase, c.1905; glazed earthenware; 11 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, the E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Charitable Trust, The Lopata Endowment Fund; funds given by the Decorative Arts Society, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harvard Hecker, and bequest of Richard Brumbaugh, by exchange 12:2011 One of Tiffany’s most original ceramic designs, this cylindrical vase replicates the jack-in-the-pulpit, a native woodland plant of unusual form. Visible at each side is the projecting curved flap called a spathe that conceals a flower spike, or spadix, within a tubular sheath. That daring design element is matched by clusters of leaves around the rim, which are extensively pierced and supported only by tendril-thin stems. The vase’s pale green glaze helps to define the low-relief stems and leaves modeled on the body. Like many other Tiffany designs in glass, bronze, and enamel, nature was the starting point for their ceramics. Following several years of experimentation, Tiffany seized the opportunity of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair for the first public exhibition of the firm’s art pottery. VIEW OBJECT MAY 8, 2021 Setting Sun of Sacramento Valley Chiura Obata, American (born Japan), 1885–1975; Setting Sun of Sacramento Valley, 1922; hanging scroll: ink and color on silk; image: 80 7/8 x 56 3/4 inches, scroll: 111 5/8 x 72 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gyo Obata 187:2011 This monumental painting depicts a glowing California sunset. In 1909, Chiura Obata worked in the hops fields of the Sacramento Valley, where he was first introduced to the dramatic natural landscape he later represented in this painting. Most of the composition is devoted to the dusk sky, which is energized by flame-like clouds over a blue-tinged landscape. The slightly domed horizon emphasizes not only the vast distance between the viewer and the sunset but also the immense geographical span of the Sacramento Valley, whose terrain encompasses all or parts of 10 counties. This painting, arguably the most well-known by the artist, resonates with the work of a close contemporary, the American Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), who shared an interest in depicting desolate landscapes of the American West. VIEW OBJECT MAY 7, 2021 The Three Trees Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669; The Three Trees, 1643; etching, drypoint, and engraving; 8 7/16 x 11 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 161:2011 Three trees at the center of this composition draw the viewer’s eye as a wealth of activity unfolds around them. A bird in flight bursts out of the tree at left, and wagons, farmers, and livestock dot the low-lying fields in the middle ground (view details). Closer at hand, a man and woman fish quietly on one side of a pond. Deeply buried in the foliage along the opposite bank a pair of lovers, almost invisible to the naked eye, flirt in the darkness. Rembrandt van Rijn explored and celebrated the countryside of his native Netherlands. The Three Trees is the most elaborate of his landscape prints, rivaling the status of a painting with its ambitious composition and exceptional execution. VIEW OBJECT MAY 6, 2021 Bottle in the Form of a Fulling Block Bottle in the Form of a Fulling Block, early 12th century; Korean, Goryeo dynasty; stoneware with celadon glaze; 6 5/8 x 3 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Samuel C. Davis and Museum Purchase, by exchange 63:2010 This extraordinary early 12th-century Korean vessel is known by the Japanese term for mallet or fulling block (kinuta). In the past, Japanese and Korean women would use large mallets to pound wrinkles out of fabrics and the shape of this vessel resembles those tools. The color and quality of this vessel’s crackled glaze, which is exceptional, closely relates to examples of Chinese Ru wares (see example) of the Northern Song dynasty. This kinuta also recalls the best Chinese Longquan porcelains (see example) of the Southern Song dynasty. The elegant simplicity of this bottle, its subtle coloration, and skillful production make it one of the rarest and finest Korean objects in the Museum’s collection. It represents the highest level of design and execution among the porcelains and porcelaneous stoneware of Korea in any period. In addition, it easily holds its own against, and even challenges, the best imperial ceramic wares produced in China during the Northern and Southern Song dynasties. VIEW OBJECT MAY 5, 2021 Richard Bellamy Seated George Segal, American, 1924–2000; Richard Bellamy Seated, 1964; plaster and metal; 49 3/4 x 39 1/2 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Judith Aronson in memory of Adam Aronson 9:2010a,b; © 2021 The George and Helen Segal Foundation / Licensed by ARS, New York, NY George Segal depicted his friend and New York art dealer Richard Bellamy in a casual pose. With shoulders slightly slumped and arms and legs crossed, Bellamy’s body rests nonchalantly on a metal folding chair. This sculpture was created using Segal’s characteristic method of applying cotton bandages dipped in plaster onto the faces and bodies of his chosen models—usually family, friends, and neighbors. As the director of the short-lived but influential Green Gallery in New York, Bellamy showcased Segal and a number of Pop artists, including Andy Warhol. VIEW OBJECT MAY 4, 2021 Grey Space (distractor) Julie Mehretu, American (born Ethiopia), 1970; Grey Space (distractor), 2006; acrylic and ink on canvas; 72 x 96 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton by exchange, Siteman Contemporary Art Fund, and funds given by Emily Rauh Pulitzer 1:2010; © Julie Mehretu Brightly colored geometric forms float across this canvas, propelling dynamic motion while heightening the illusion of vast space. The artist produced such effects of constant activity and endless expansion by laboriously applying multiple layers of pigment, alternating between ink and acrylic. Through her characteristic use of drawing, the artist built up the surface, mining imagery from maps, diagrams, architectural blueprints, and corporate logos. The result is a visual collision of detailed linearity with bold color, offering the spectator distinct modes of viewing–from up close and from afar. VIEW OBJECT MAY 3, 2021 The Great Naval Battle outside the Harbor of Port Arthur: Great Victory of Our Troops on the Early Dawn of March 10, 1904 Ōkura Kōtō, Japanese, 1873–1910; Kimura Toyokichi, Japanese, active late 19th–early 20th century; The Great Naval Battle outside the Harbor of Port Arthur: Great Victory of Our Troops on the Early Dawn of March 10, 1904, 1904; color woodblock prints; hexaptych as mounted: 15 13/16 x 56 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Lowenhaupt 33:2009a-f The brutal weather conditions under which this naval battle was fought provided an opportunity for the artist to create one of the most memorable images of the war. The white of the searchlights and exploding torpedoes provide high contrast with the deep black of the night sky and the gray blue of the water. Falling snow is represented by the liberal scattering of gofun (oyster shell powder). Little is known about the artist Ōkura Kōtō, other than that he was a student of Ogata Gekkō. Following the preemptive strikes by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the Russian Pacific Fleet on February 8–9, 1904, a number of naval battles broke out in the waters surrounding Port Arthur. This six-panel print depicts the battle on March 10, 1904, outside the harbor, which resulted in the sinking of two Russian destroyers. VIEW OBJECT MAY 2, 2021 Solid C2 Chair Patrick Jouin, French, born 1967; manufactured by Materialise, Leuven, Belgium; Solid C2 Chair, 2004, manufactured 2007; painted epoxy resin; 30 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Zoe and Max Lippman in honor of Cara McCarty 12:2007; © Patrick Jouin French industrial designer Patrick Jouin uses the 3-D printing technique known as stereolithography to produce furniture such as this chair. Jouin drew the chair in a computer program which converts the design into a digital 3-D model. The computer files are then connected to a laser that “prints” the chair, layer by layer, in liquid resin. Contact between the laser beam and resin cures the resin, hardening it to produce a 3-D object that is built up in strata like a stalagmite. The poetic inspiration for C2 was nature, the patterns created by criss-crossing blades of grass that bend, twist, fold, and turn corners. VIEW OBJECT MAY 1, 2021 Arria and Paetus François-André Vincent, French, 1746–1816; Arria and Paetus, 1784; oil on canvas; 39 3/4 x 48 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy, Director's Discretionary Fund, funds given by Christian B. Peper, and gift of Mr. Horace Morison by exchange 27:2008 Arria (left) is shown visiting her imprisoned husband Paetus who had joined an uprising against the ancient Roman emperor Claudius. In ancient Rome, soldiers were encouraged to die by suicide if they were captured by an enemy. Arria reminds Paetus that suicide is the honorable option for a Roman prisoner. She will eventually demonstrate what he should do by plunging the knife into her own breast. The painting has focused on the moment just before Arria inflicts her wound. This story was the sort of subject used by artists like François-André Vincent to demonstrate their mastery of the European 18th-century art movement called classicism. Elements of classicism are evident in the artist’s use of profile poses, a stage-like setting, and carefully defined forms. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 30, 2021 Zenobia in Chains Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, American, 1830–1908; Zenobia in Chains, c.1859; marble; 44 1/4 x 14 x 18 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, American Art Purchase Fund 19:2008 The dignity of this figure’s profile, with her head held high, and the intricate details of her ancient dress testify to Harriet Hosmer’s sophisticated carving abilities. Zenobia ruled Palmyra (present-day Syria) for six years after her husband’s death in AD 267. She conquered Egypt and reigned until Roman forces overpowered her armies and captured her. Emperor Aurelian marched her in chains as part of his triumphal procession through Rome. Hosmer, one of a group of 19th century female sculptors working in Rome, held strong feminist beliefs. She saw in Zenobia an embodiment of a woman’s ability to move beyond the constraints placed on her. Zenobia’s bearing stresses her strength rather than victimization. As Hosmer wrote, “I have tried to make her too proud to exhibit passion or emotion of any kind; not subdued, though a prisoner; but calm, grand, and strong within herself.” VIEW OBJECT APRIL 29, 2021 Dish with Foliated Rim and Design of Floral Scrolls Dish with Foliated Rim and Design of Floral Scrolls, early 15th century; Chinese, Ming dynasty, Yongle period; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration; 2 3/8 x 13 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Samuel C. Davis, by exchange 13:2008 During the early 15th-century, blue-and-white wares such as this dish were made at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen, located in southeastern China. These ceramics display extraordinary whiteness of the porcelain body, elegant shapes, beautifully painted and pleasingly balanced designs, and smooth transparent glazes. The center of this dish is visually anchored by a lotus flower and surrounded by five seasonal blossoms (mallow, dianthus, camellia, lotus, and chrysanthemum), all on slender interlaced stems. Encircling the center are 12 additional sprays of flowers. The foliated rim has a frieze of breaking waves while the exterior is decorated with 12 detached floral and fruit sprays. The underglaze cobalt paint is an inky blue-black tone, with the so-called heaped and piled effect, a reference to the inkiness that results where the applied cobalt was oversaturated. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 28, 2021 Chartres, Flying Buttresses at the Crossing Charles Sheeler, American, 1883–1965; Chartres, Flying Buttresses at the Crossing, 1929, printed c.1930; gelatin silver print; image: 9 5/8 x 7 5/8 inches, sheet: 9 15/16 x 7 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Jeffrey T. Fort 6:2008; © The Lane Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Charles Sheeler found dynamic abstract beauty in the curving and intersecting forms of Chartres Cathedral in France as seen in this photograph. He capitalized on the camera’s unique ability to interpret and depict architectural geometries with extraordinary clarity and detail. His close cropping of the image creates a taut and layered design of assertive lines and spatial rhythms. This image is remarkable for its dramatic and unconventional viewpoint. Sheeler climbed around the building’s exterior with his camera to find a vantage point that would communicate the vertical thrust of the structural skeleton and the transfer of weight downward. There is a wonderful sense of energy and movement as buttresses converge on and radiate out of the central column. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 27, 2021 Twilight Sounds Norman Lewis, American, 1909–1979; Twilight Sounds, 1947; oil on canvas; 23 1/2 x 28 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy, the Linda and Harvey Saligman Endowed Acquisition Fund, Billy E. Hodges, and the Art Enrichment Fund 88:2007; © The Estate of Norman W. Lewis, Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY Strong shades of red, yellow, blue, and white punctuate the intricate vertical black lines that fill this composition. Despite its abstraction, Twilight Sounds evokes a lived experience, possibly a crowd of active and noisy figures, milling about in the early evening as the sun has just slipped below the horizon. African American painter Norman Lewis compared his working process to the creativity and spontaneity of jazz composition, improvising and riffing off what had previously been laid down on the canvas. The energetic entanglements of the lines might mimic a saxophone climbing through a scale, joined by another instrument whose sounds weave through in red, and bass drum kicks that resonate the dark spaces. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 26, 2021 The Milliners Edgar Degas, French, 1834–1917; The Milliners, c.1898; oil on canvas; 29 5/8 x 32 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum, Director's Discretionary Fund; and gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur D. May, Dr. Ernest G. Stillman, Mr. and Mrs. Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Sydney M. Shoenberg Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Irving Edison, and Harry Tenenbaum, bequest of Edward Mallinckrodt Sr., and gift of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Levin, by exchange 25:2007 HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript Two milliners in white aprons decorate a straw hat: the woman to the right holds feathers and flowers while her companion pins them in place. Edgar Degas regularly portrayed the theme of milliners and empathized with their creative abilities (hear more above). In earlier works, he used the American artist Mary Cassatt as a model, but in this late painting, his sitters have become abstract and generalized. This abstraction is evident in the flat areas of color and the line of green curling around the women’s heads. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 25, 2021 Twilight in the Wilderness Alfred Thompson Bricher, American, 1837–1908; Twilight in the Wilderness, 1865; oil on canvas; 20 1/8 x 42 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund, funds given by Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield and Eleanor Moore; bequest of Friederike Gottfried, gift of Nellie Ballard White, Whitaker Charitable Foundation, Mrs. Willard Bartlett, Howard Russell Butler Jr., and James F. Ballard, by exchange 22:2007 A stand of trees and open field are dramatically silhouetted against a vibrant sunset of orange, yellow, and purple. Most likely painted along the front range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire, this scene communicated poetic and symbolic meaning to audiences at the time rather than landscape details. Painted at the close of the Civil War, such a vivid representation of the end of day provided visual affirmation of the profound trauma Americans had endured. Simultaneously, the grandeur of the scene spoke to American democratic fervor that would carry the country through its distress. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 24, 2021 Irises and Eight-Fold Bridge Sakai Hōitsu, Japanese, 1761–1828; Irises and Eight-Fold Bridge, c.1820; two-panel folding screen: ink, color, and gold-leaf on silk; 68 3/4 x 72 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Langenberg Endowment Fund and funds given by Mary and Oliver Langenberg 20:2007 This painting on silk depicts luxuriant irises, in various stages of bloom, along a zigzag bridge. The flat surfaces of the bridge are depicted in a technique known as tarashikomi, where ink and colors are applied one over another to create pooled hues and blurred edges. Sakai Hôitsu’s focused view highlights the brilliant blues and white accents of the blossoms, the bright greens of the leaves, and the mottled browns of the bridge. Gold leaf represents the water under the bridge. The painted silk panels were mounted separately with boldly designed paper that has gold and silver sprinkled in patterns to suggest flowing water. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 23, 2021 Fading Cloth El Anatsui, Ghanaian, born 1944; Fading Cloth, 2005; metal bottle tops and copper wire; dimensions variable according to installation: 126 inches x 21 feet; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund, funds given by the Third Wednesday Group, Director's Discretionary Fund, and funds given by the Saint Louis Art Museum Docent Class of 2006 in honor of Stephanie Sigala 10:2007; © El Anatsui, Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York See Detail Hues of gold, red, yellow, and silver shimmer across the undulating surface of Fading Cloth. Although it looks like a textile, the work is actually made from discarded liquor bottle tops, flattened and stitched together with copper wire (see detail above). By repurposing metal caps, El Anatsui transformed the mundane into something visually mesmerizing. Anatsui’s materials allude to a devastating legacy: For centuries, European traders exchanged textiles and liquor in West Africa for gold and enslaved people. Fading Cloth weaves together a range of political, historical, and visual references to this region significant to the artist, who was born in Ghana and lives in Nigeria. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 22, 2021 A.Y.O.R. (At Your Own Risk) Chair Ron Arad, British (born Israel), born 1951; A.Y.O.R. (At Your Own Risk) Chair, 1990; stainless steel and lead; 36 7/8 x 19 1/4 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 6:2006; © Ron Arad A meditation on balance, this faceted steel chair tips forward like a tottering question mark. Israel-born Ron Arad developed an appreciation for humble sheet metal early in his career, creating an influential series of experimental hand-welded furniture in his London studio. This A.Y.O.R. (At Your Own Risk) Chair was meticulously crafted by Arad himself. Its highly polished seams and surface give an illusion of a sculptural whole. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 21, 2021 Draft Helen Frankenthaler, American, 1928–2011; Draft, 1969; acrylic on canvas; 93 1/8 x 61 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Louis and Mary Zorensky 47:2006; © 2021 Estate of Helen Frankenthaler / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Inspired by American artist Jackson Pollock’s technique of working directly on the floor, Helen Frankenthaler poured washes of thinned paint directly onto raw, unstretched canvas, as seen in this example. The resulting forms—broad yet carefully controlled areas of color that flood across the surface of the canvas—reveal her interest in the interaction of colors as well as the painterly gesture. The tiny area of orange at the top of the painting bursts out from the great expanse of blue beneath it. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 20, 2021 A Harbor in Moonlight Joseph Vernet, French, 1714–1789; A Harbor in Moonlight, 1787; oil on canvas; 24 x 32 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Christian B. Peper 37:2006 Joseph Vernet’s harbor view presents four distinct types of light: campfire, moonglow, lighthouse beam, and the reflection of light on the water’s surface. European art enthusiasts of the late 17th to late 18th centuries loved a mixture of the scientific and the poetic, and Vernet’s canvas provides just that. A specialist in marine pictures and imaginary landscapes, Vernet visited Naples three times during his life and drew upon his experiences there to create engaging views of the southern Italian city. The painting evokes Naples with its harbor view, lighthouse tower, and shoreline fishermen. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 19, 2021 Lake with Castle on a Hill Joseph Wright of Derby, English, 1734–1797; Lake with Castle on a Hill, 1787; oil on canvas; diameter: 23 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Christian B. Peper 36:2006 The dark tree silhouetted against the moonlight enhances the romantic drama of this isolated castle tower overlooking a lake. Joseph Wright of Derby also contrasted the glittering water surface with the softer glow of the luminous clouds. Justly famous for his ability to depict light, the artist was adept at capturing a range of effects, from the glow surrounding a volcano fire to the reflection of a gas lamp or, as here, the natural radiance of the moon. This painting was inspired by the artist’s fond recollections of a trip to Naples, Italy, in 1774. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 18, 2021 Tambour Desk made by John Seymour, American (born England), 1738–1816, and Thomas Seymour, American (born England), 1771–1848; Tambour Desk, 1804–10; mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, pine, possibly cedar, and other woods, with brass hardware and replaced velvet; 48 1/4 x 37 5/8 x 21 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Florence K. Imse in memory of Robert R. Imse, and Museum Shop Fund 48:2005a,b Named for its flexible doors that open horizontally across the top, this tambour desk was intended for letter writing and other light work. The sliding doors were made from strips of wood backed with canvas. The desk’s simple function allowed a design of slender proportions, achieved by elevating it on long tapered legs. Contrasting patterns of light-colored satinwood and darker-toned woods like mahogany, rosewood, and purpleheart enliven the surface and lighten the mass of the desk’s geometric volumes. The desk’s design, construction methods, and numerous inscriptions identify its makers as the father and son cabinetmakers John and Thomas Seymour. John Seymour was born and trained as a furniture maker in the provincial city of Axminster, in southwestern England, before he immigrated to the United States with his family in 1784. When the Seymours opened their cabinetmaking shop in Boston in 1795, they established a new standard for stylish furniture made with exquisite craftsmanship. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 17, 2021 Peter and John at the Gate of the Temple Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669; Peter and John at the Gate of the Temple, 1659; etching and drypoint; plate: 7 1/16 x 8 1/2 inches, sheet: 7 3/16 x 8 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Director's Discretionary Fund and the Julian and Hope Edison Print Fund 34:2005 This etching, based on a passage from the biblical New Testament, portrays a scene of miraculous healing. On their way to the temple, Peter and John, followers of Jesus, encounter a man unable to walk since birth asking for money. Peter says, “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” In the print, Rembrandt van Rijn showed Peter raising his hands to bless the man. The biblical passage goes on to describe how the man then stands and walks. Billows of smoke roll out of the great basin behind Peter, amplifying the miraculous force of his gesture. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 16, 2021 Gateway, Tangier Henry Ossawa Tanner, American, 1859–1937; Gateway, Tangier, c.1912; oil on canvas; 18 7/16 × 15 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund, and the Judy Glick Fund 33:2005 The blue tones and loose brushwork of this painting typify Henry Ossawa Tanner’s most successful experiments with color composition and application of paint. Tanner, an African American artist, traveled to the Mediterranean region four times, and these trips had a profound effect on his style and subject matter. During a 1912 trip to Tangier, Morocco, Tanner became fascinated with this gateway—the entrance to the casbah, or the historic city area and fortress—and he proceeded to paint the gateway from many perspectives and vantage points. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 15, 2021 Hall Chair designed by Charles Rohlfs, American, 1853–1936; made by Charles Rohlfs Workshop, Buffalo, New York; Hall Chair, c.1899; stained oak; 56 7/8 x 19 x 14 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund, The Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, Museum Purchase by exchange, and gift of Dr. and Mrs. Ernest T. Rouse by exchange 35:2004 This chair with its pierced and carved back panel, thin seat, and improbably slender legs and posts is as individualistic as its maker, Charles Rohlfs. In the late 1880s this actor, artist, and cast-iron stove designer began to make furniture for his Buffalo residence, and later for friends and other clients. Rohlfs produced multiple versions of this tall-back hall chair, each with variations in the cutout shapes ornamenting the legs, seat and crest rail, and the carved decoration. He was inspired by many design sources, including plants and other natural forms. At the base of the carved back panel, a vegetal bulb sprouts stems with unfurling leaves and fruits against a screen of bone-like spindles. Rohlfs’s furniture was recognized for its distinctive forms and fanciful carving, and was shown in several important exhibitions, including the 1902 Turin Exposition of Decorative Arts and the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 14, 2021 Apollo and Marsyas Bartolomeo Manfredi, Italian, 1582–1622; Apollo and Marsyas, 1616–20; oil on canvas; 37 5/8 x 53 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy, Phoebe and Mark Weil, and Christian B. Peper 62:2004 The ancient Greek satyr Marsyas (left), half-man half-animal, paid dearly for his arrogance in thinking he could rival a god. He found a flute and learned to play it so well that he challenged Apollo, the god of music (right), to a contest. The victorious god cut off the satyr’s skin in punishment for his pride. The surprised look on Marsyas’ face, in shadow, contrasts vividly with the calm and illuminated demeanor of the god who coolly slices the creature’s flesh. It is no accident that the earthbound satyr stands before a tree, symbolic of the woodland, while the god is silhouetted against the expansive, blue sky. Bartolomeo Manfredi may have been a student of the Italian artist Caravaggio, from whom he adapted the close-up format of the picture and the keen attention to tactile surface qualities evident in Marsyas’ fur loincloth. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 13, 2021 Tea Table, from the Dining Room of the Hôtel Guimard, Paris, France Hector Guimard, French, 1867–1942; made by Ateliers d'Art et de Fabrication, Paris, France, c.1897–1914; Tea Table, from the Dining Room of the Hôtel Guimard, Paris, France, 1907; pearwood, gilded bronze, and glass; 33 x 35 x 26 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Director's Discretionary Fund, Museum Purchase by exchange, and funds given by Susan and David Mesker and Zoe and Max Lippman 173:2003a,b Historical Image Hector Guimard animated his designs with abstract clusters of buds, unfurling plant forms, and writhing tendrils as seen on the legs of this tea table. Nature was the primary source of inspiration for Guimard, a French architect and designer, who embraced a new mode of expression that broke from historical styles. Rather than applying ornament as separate decorative elements, he worked like a sculptor, fusing structure and ornament, often creating bold, curving lines that convey movement and energy. In the early 20th century, architects such as Guimard worked in a variety of materials, designing not only entire buildings and architectural ornaments but their interiors and furnishings as well (see historical image above). To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 12, 2021 Urn designed by Eliel Saarinen, American (born Finland), 1873–1950; made by Wilcox Silver Plate Company, and International Silver Company, Meriden, Connecticut, Urn, 1934; silver plate; urn: 14 1/4 x 10 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches, heating element: 2 x 3 x 3 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund and funds given by the Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, Alice S. Gerdine, Mrs. Charles W. Lorenz, the Gary Wolff Family, Daniel Morris and Denis Gallion, Elissa and Paul Cahn, an anonymous donor, Mr. and Mrs. L. Max Lippman Jr., Dr. and Mrs. F. Thomas Ott, and the E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Charitable Trust 119:2003a-c Precise geometric forms, absence of ornament, sleek reflective surfaces, and elegant proportions characterize this urn. These elements express the new style that came to be associated with progress, optimism, and forward-looking American industrial design in the early 20th century. Finnish-born architect Eliel Saarinen first designed this urn for a 1934 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art entitled Contemporary American Industrial Art. The goal of this celebrated exhibition was to promote a new aesthetic for mass production and to help foster the development of industrial design in the United States. Saarinen was one of several leading architects in the country invited to design a furnished room for the exhibit. His Room for a Lady included furniture, textiles, fashion, and silver designs. The most famous piece from Saarinen’s installation was a silver-plated urn identical to this one, few of which were ever produced. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 11, 2021 Why Can’t I Stop Smoking? Sigmar Polke, German, 1941–2010; Why Can't I Stop Smoking?, 1964; dispersion and charcoal on canvas; 66 15/16 x 47 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bryant Jr., the Gary Wolff Family, Friends Fund, and Modern Art Purchase Fund; and gift of the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton, by exchange 15:2003; © 2021 The Estate of Sigmar Polke, Cologne / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Thinly painted on unprimed canvas, this work was created in an offhand manner consistent with the deadpan tone of the question written in English at the top. Below, a male figure in a necktie is only partially completed, as if the artist lost interest. Here, Sigmar Polke insulted the tradition of painting by using inexpensive paints on a cheap support and borrowing imagery and text from popular culture. This intentionally sloppy translation of advertising imagery suggests a sarcastic critique of the addictive nature and easy comfort of consumer culture and middle-class norms. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 10, 2021 Pheasant and Pine Kanō Kōi, Japanese, 1564/69–1636, Edo Period; Pheasant and Pine, c.1626; six-panel folding screen: ink, color, and gold on paper; 67 inches x 12 feet 5 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mary and Oliver Langenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Liddy, and Susan and David Mesker 105:2002 The pictorial clarity and crisp, clean style of this shimmering screen contrast with its dark, nighttime theme. High among the golden clouds is a tarnished silver moon, casting its frail light on a late winter scene of pink, blossoming plum flowers and a snow-laden pine. A large, male pheasant with a long, ornamental tail roosts on the trunk while four bush warblers, known for their first song of spring, perch on a bough. Just above them are clusters of soft, gold-streaked pine needles. The splendor of the painting is enhanced by the low relief of a brushwood fence in gold leaf. This fence is balanced by the swirling eddies of an azurite blue stream and a low bank of malachite green. The screen’s spare, abstract style was a particular contribution of Kanō Kōi to Japanese painting. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 9, 2021 Study for Frankenstein #1 (Study #1) Glenn Ligon, American, born 1960; Study for Frankenstein #1 (Study #1), 1992; oil stick and gesso on canvas; 30 1/8 x 22 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund and funds given by the Contemporary Art Society 70:2001; © Glenn Ligon, Courtesy of the artist, Hauser & Wirth, New York, Regen Projects, Los Angeles, Thomas Dane Gallery, London and Chantal Crousel, Paris In his paintings, Glenn Ligon reproduces literary texts that often deal with race and social invisibility. Here, Ligon quoted from Mary Shelley’s 19th-century novel Frankenstein, the tragic story of a human monster shunned by society because of his physical appearance. The words read: “Sometimes I wished to express my sensations in my own mode, but the uncouth and inarticulate sounds which broke from me frightened me into silence again.” With an oil stick, Ligon stenciled and repeated the letters, gradually obscuring legible text into an abstraction. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 8, 2021 Number 3, 1950 Jackson Pollock, American, 1912–1956; Number 3, 1950, 1950; oil, enamel, and aluminum paint on fiberboard; 48 x 96 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Partial and promised gift of Emily Rauh Pulitzer in honor of Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 1:2001; © 2021 The Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY In Number 3, Jackson Pollock layered multiple strands of paint to create an intricate web of interwoven colors. The result is an “all over” composition that prevents the eye from focusing on any single point. Three years earlier, Pollock first began to drip and splatter paint across unstretched canvas or fiberboard laid flat on his studio floor. Pollock’s creative breakthrough overturned the tradition of upright easel painting, a convention that had remained firmly established for five centuries. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 7, 2021 Fireplace Tiles, from the John J. Meacham House, University City, Missouri Frederick Hurten Rhead, American (born England), 1880–1942; Agnes Rhead, American (born England), born 1877; associated with the Art Academy of the American Woman's League, University City, Missouri, 1909–1911; Fireplace Tiles, from the John J. Meacham House, University City, Missouri, 1911; glazed earthenware; assembled: 50 x 95 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund, Friends Fund, gift of the Norman Family in loving memory of Isaac and Elva Norman, and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. L. Max Lippman Jr. 63:2001 This fireplace features a panoramic landscape of flowing lines and glowing colors. The scene was made from incised glazed tiles surrounded by a blue-green matte tile border. Agnes and Frederick Rhead created this set of tiles for the home of John J. Meacham in University City, Missouri. The expansive landscape is depicted at dusk, with a cloud-filled sky beyond a screen of trees, rocks, and plants. The tiles were installed in Meacham’s living room inglenook, a built-in seating area surrounding the hearth, which was a popular feature of Arts and Crafts homes from the 1870s until the 1920s. The graphic clarity and matte-textured glaze palette seen in these tiles are also hallmarks of Arts and Crafts design. In 1910 and 1911 Frederick Hurten Rhead, who had trained in England, joined the internationally renowned ceramic faculty of the Art Academy of the American Woman’s League in University City. He taught and worked at the school, at times with his wife Agnes, also a trained artist. The wooden benches visible in this image are reproductions of originals found in the Meacham house. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 6, 2021 Hanging Lantern, from the Hallway of the Robert R. Blacker House, Pasadena, California designed by Charles Sumner Greene, American, 1868–1957, and Henry Mather Greene, American, 1870–1954; made by Peter Hall Manufacturing Company, Pasadena, California, 1906–1918; glass made by Emil Lange, American, 1867–1934; Hanging Lantern, from the Hallway of the Robert R. Blacker House, Pasadena, California, c.1908–9; teak, leaded glass, and ebony, with copper and silver inlay, and replacement leather straps; 29 x 18 x 18 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment and funds given by the Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, the Joseph H. and Elizabeth E. Bascom Trust, the Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and Grace Lischer Brumbaugh, an anonymous donor, and the Allen P. and Josephine B. Green Foundation 62:2001 This lantern features panels of iridescent leaded glass depicting birds in flight, gently stepped contours, smooth edges, ebony pins, and a dramatic overhanging roof. These details reflect inspiration drawn from traditional Chinese furniture and Japanese prints and architecture. This lantern (and another in the Museum’s collection) were made originally for the Robert R. Blacker House, in Pasadena, California, the first of the architectural firm Greene and Greene’s “ultimate bungalows.” For this expansive home, the Greene brothers designed interior woodwork, furniture, stained glass, and lighting to create an integrated artistic environment (see images). They worked closely with skilled craftsmen like glass artisan Emil Lange and cabinetmaker Peter Hall. Their expert handcraftsmanship distinguishes the Greenes’ furnishings from any other produced during the American Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 5, 2021 The Verdict of the People George Caleb Bingham, American, 1811–1879; The Verdict of the People, 1854–55; oil on canvas; 46 x 55 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Bank of America 45:2001 Crowds gather around a courthouse to hear voting results. Everyone is here—the well-to-do farmers, laborers, merchants, kids, politicians, immigrants, veterans, women, and enslaved African Americans. The overjoyed man waving his kerchief and the inebriated man sprawled on the ground border a jumble of individuals with varied responses—elated, confounded, argumentative, jovial, intensely serious, and dejected. George Caleb Bingham, an artist and a politician himself, depicted a political process that matched both his ideal of rational discussion and his actual experience of a raucous, unpredictable electorate. The women in the balcony and the African American in the left foreground represent two populations without a voice in government at this time. These particular women are temperance, or anti-alcohol, reformers. Bingham and many Americans believed that the movements advocating for temperance and for the abolition of slavery were closely linked, as both slavery and drunkenness were viewed as destructive impositions on natural freedom. Bingham used his personal experience in the Missouri legislature as inspiration for the three-part Election Series, which illustrates various stages of the American democratic system. Political campaigning and the casting of votes are illustrated in the two other paintings of the series, Stump Speaking (43:2001) and The County Election (44:2001). To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 4, 2021 Teapot Peter Bentzon, American (born Saint Thomas), c.1783–after 1850; Teapot, c.1817; silver and wood; 7 x 12 5/8 x 6 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund, and funds given by The Equal Sweetener Foundation and the Paul and Elissa Cahn Foundation 41:2001 Simple in shape and restrained in ornament, this beautifully crafted and well-proportioned teapot reveals the skills of its maker, Peter Bentzon. Bentzon is the only early American silversmith of African ancestry whose silver has been identified. The teapot’s oval-shaped body is balanced on either side by a C-shaped handle and an S-shaped spout. The only ornamentation is an acorn finial and fine engraving. This simplicity reflects an interest in geometric shapes like circles, ovals, and ellipses, echoing the architecture and furniture popular in America from the 1780s to the 1820s. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 3, 2021 Vase designed Vlastislav Hofman, Czech, 1884–1964; made by Rydl & Thon, Bohemia, 1907–1932; workshop of Artel Cooperative, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1908–1935; Vase, 1914; glazed earthenware; 12 1/2 x 7 9/16 x 6 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Emily Rauh Pulitzer 40:2001 The shape and decoration of this vase are based entirely on the triangle. Its hand-painted, black zigzag patterns struck against a light background animate the angled planes and accentuate the vase’s diagonal thrust. Created as sculpture, the vase’s dynamic form took precedence over function or refinement of execution. In the early 20th century, an avant-garde group in Prague founded the Artel Cooperative, an association of experimental craft workshops. Vlastislav Hofman, an architect, designer, painter, and occasional costume and set designer, created several ceramic works for Artel, including this imposing vase. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 2, 2021 Sofa Sofa, c.1815–20; American, New York, New York; mahogany, ash, yellow poplar, brass, and reproduction wool moreen upholstery; 38 x 100 x 29 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Edwin and Betty Greenfield Grossman, donors to the 2000 Art Enrichment Fund, Museum Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. William R. Orthwein, the Eliza McMillan Trust, the Decorative Arts Society, the Paul and Elissa Cahn Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Sanford N. McDonnell, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, the Mary Elizabeth Rosborough Fund for the Decorative Arts, Mr. and Mrs. L. Max Lippman Jr., Mrs. Wilfred Konneker, Dr. and Mrs. F. Thomas Ott, John Roslevich, Dr. and Mrs. George R. Schoedinger III, and Mrs. Dorothy Wilson 38:2001 This sofa with scrolled arms and legs in the form of sea creatures, precisely carved from head to tail fin, represents an extraordinary vision skillfully executed. The stylized fish, commonly called a dolphin, became a popular motif in the decorative arts during an era of classical revival fueled by the discovery of artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and especially Rome. The sofa’s double-scrolled crest rail, or top rail, echoes the curvilinear shape of the dolphins. A masterpiece of American furniture, this sofa achieves a supremely dynamic and ornamental effect through a combination of exuberant design and superb carving. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 1, 2021 Ewer designed by Louis Majorelle, French, 1859–1926; modeled by Ernest Bussière, French, 1863–1937; made by Keller & Guérin, Lunéville, France, founded 1723; Ewer, c.1900; glazed earthenware; 11 7/16 x 7 5/16 x 7 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Emily Rauh Pulitzer 2:2001 Asymmetrical in form, this gourd-shaped ewer is wrapped in its own leaf, secured with twisting vines that encircle the pitcher from top to bottom. Its lush surface is decorated with a thick, putty-colored glaze that enhances its organic form. This ewer is one of the few ceramic works that Louis Majorelle, the son of a cabinetmaker and ceramist, designed. Most likely, Majorelle collaborated with his friend, the sculptor Ernest Bussière, who translated Majorelle’s drawing into a three-dimensional model, which Keller & Guérin then fabricated. Majorelle even discretely formed his initials at the end of one of the twisting corkscrew vines. Only a small number of such ewers were made, each with a different glaze. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 31, 2021 Townscape Sa 2 Gerhard Richter, German, born 1932; Townscape Sa 2, 1969; oil on canvas; 49 x 49 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Siteman Contemporary Art Fund, partial gift of John and Sally Van Doren and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald K. Greenberg, Friends Fund, and Museum Purchase 67:2001; © Gerhard Richter 2019 While this painting appears to represent an aerial view of a cityscape, Gerhard Richter actually based its composition on a black-and-white photograph of a now-lost architectural model. Appropriating that image, Richter’s painting alludes to the types of streamlined, mass-produced buildings erected throughout Germany in the 1960s following the destruction of World War II (1939-1945). Richter’s brushy, gestural paint application softens the utilitarian, geometric forms of the model buildings, such as flat roofs, horizontal windows, and white walls. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 30, 2021 Head of a Peasant Woman Vincent van Gogh, Dutch, 1853–1890; Head of a Peasant Woman, December 1884; oil on canvas; 17 1/4 x 13 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Charles H. Yalem by exchange, and funds given by Bruce and Kimberly Olson, Mrs. Alvin R. Frank, Sam and Marilyn Fox and the Fox Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Jack C. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew C. Taylor, the Ruth Peters MacCarthy Charitable Trust, The Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. David C. Farrell, The Jordan Charitable Foundation, Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas K. Langsdorf, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Rusnack, and the Gary Wolff Family 90:2000 Vincent van Gogh always felt deep sympathy for the peasant classes and here tenderly depicted the full, sunburnt features of a young Dutch peasant woman. Her cap, in subtle shades of white and blue, is pulled around her head, while her eyes are enlivened by white highlights. Van Gogh’s muted tones are very different from his later use of bright color that followed his arrival in France in 1886. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 29, 2021 Steltman Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Dutch, 1888–1964; made by Gerard van de Groenekan, Dutch, 1904–1994; made for Het Goede Meubel, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Steltman Chair, 1963; limed oak; 27 1/2 x 19 x 17 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund 85:2000; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / Beeldrecht, Amsterdam Gerrit Rietveld’s Steltman Chair is furniture as sculpture. It features an asymmetrical configuration of identical wooden planks juxtaposed vertically and horizontally into a well-balanced composition. The chair’s dynamic sculptural form does not depend on new technologies or materials but on the artistic ideals of the De Stijl movement. This influential group of artists joined forces in Holland during World War I (1914–1918) around the monthly journal De Stijl. Whether in painting, sculpture, typography, design, or architecture, the work of De Stijl artists adhered to three prevailing principles: independent planar and linear elements; primary colors; and asymmetrical compositions. Rietveld was an early member of De Stijl, and toward the end of his life, he returned to the movement’s basic tenets when he designed this chair for the Steltman Jewelry Store. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 28, 2021 Pair of Vases made by Sèvres Porcelain Factory, France, founded 1756; scene painted by Charles-Eloi Asselin, French, 1743–1804; after a painting by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French, 1725–1805; flowers painted by Jean-Baptiste Tandart, French, active 1754–1803; Pair of Vases, 1774; soft-paste porcelain, overglaze enamels, and gilding; each: 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Seek Beauty and Find Love: Jane and Whitney Harris 80:2000.1,.2 The sumptuous blue-and-gold surface of these ornamental vases exemplifies the 18th-century taste for gilded decoration and exuberant color. Rimmed in gold, the top openings resemble precious shells while the handles seem to have been formed by encasing myrtle leaves in gold. The vases carry narrative scenes based on compositions by the French painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805). Greuze’s Blind Man Fooled, 1755, in the collection of the Pushkin Museum, shows a young woman fooling her blind husband as she attempts to sneak her lover out of the basement and away before her spouse discovers her ruse. The scene on the vase at left, Mommy (La Maman), depicts a mother trying to feed her younger son while the older one grabs at the spoon intended for his brother. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 27, 2021 Landscape for Yongweng Shitao, Chinese, 1642–1707; Landscape for Yongweng, c.1687–1690s; hanging scroll: ink on paper; image: 69 7/8 x 26 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund and funds given by Mary and Oliver Langenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Whitney R. Harris, Mrs. James Lee Johnson Jr., Susan and David Mesker, an anonymous donor in honor of Sam and Marilyn Fox, and Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Luh 79:2000 In this hanging scroll, Shitao depicts a scene of friends fishing and talking quietly together on the river and again in the pavilion on the mountain. Using expressive brushwork, varied ink lines, and sumptuous texture, Shitao conveys the power of nature by contrasting monumental peaks with the small figures. The calligraphic inscription above the mountains promotes the importance of personal style—an individual pursuit of Shitao, exemplified by his production of bold landscapes that differed from contemporary styles. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Shitao focused less on the imitation or inspiration of the great artists of the past, and more on cultivating his own individualistic style that transcended tradition. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 26, 2021 Standing Male Cupbearer Standing Male Cupbearer; Sumerian, Early Dynastic period (Mesopotamian); calcite with lapis lazuli and shell inlay; 4 1/4 x 1 3/4 x 1 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Christian B. Peper, Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr., and an anonymous donor 60:2000 The large inlaid eyes of this diminutive votive statue are meant to capture the attention of the gods. Statues such as this have been found in temples and were believed to have their own life force. They functioned as an active substitute for the dedicator, whose name was often inscribed along the shoulder. Many other examples of this type of statue clasp their hands together in a gesture of prayer, but this example stands out because it holds a small bowl of lapis lazuli, a valuable blue stone. The bowl likely represents the act of dedicating a liquid offering, called a libation. Similar statues have been excavated from temples throughout the ancient Near East. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 25, 2021 Prunus Vase (meiping) with Design of Peony and Lotus Scrolls Prunus Vase (meiping) with Design of Peony and Lotus Scrolls, early 14th century; Chinese, Yuan dynasty; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decoration; 16 3/4 x 9 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Edith Spink in memory of her husband, C. C. Johnson Spink 2:2000 Broad-shouldered and narrow waisted, this vase was used to display a single spray of blossoms, traditionally from a plum tree. Bold and intricate designs of lotus and peony, painted with imported mineral cobalt blue, stand out in horizontal sections against the pure white body of kaolin clay. All design elements were fused under a hard, clear glaze. The imperial blue-and-white porcelains of the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368) were artistic and technical marvels. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 24, 2021 Father and Sons Tina Barney, American, born 1945; Father and Sons, 1996; chromogenic print; 48 x 60 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Sam Weiss in honor of Dr. Jerome F. and Judith Weiss Levy 11:2000; © Tina Barney Tina Barney photographs wealthy families in their home and work environments, as seen in this striking example. Using a large-format camera and studio lights, Barney waits for a resonant moment in the interaction between her subjects, and then asks them to hold their positions. The result is an interesting blend of document and artistic arrangement. In this image of an Italian aristocrat and his two sons, power seems to be a central theme. We are keenly aware of the father’s dominant role through his positioning within the picture and the objects at his elbow. The sumptuous interior and suave posture of the two sons in the background creates a narrative that feels familiar, as if we are watching a family drama play out. More than mere documents of a particular way of life, Barney’s images are also psychological portraits that explore the roles people play and the relationships between them. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 23, 2021 Perseus Rescuing Andromeda Cavaliere D'Arpino (Giuseppe Cesari), Italian, 1568–1640; Perseus Rescuing Andromeda, c.1593–94; oil on lapis lazuli; 7 15/16 x 6 1/8 x 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Christian B. Peper, Museum Purchase, Phoebe and Mark Weil, the Kate Stamper Wilhite Charitable Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Teasdale, the Fox Family Foundation, the John M. Olin Charitable Trust, the Scherck Charitable Foundation, the McMillan-Avery Fund of the Saint Louis Community Foundation, the Martha Love Symington Foundation, the John R. Goodall Charitable Trust, Mr. and Mrs. J. Patrick Mulcahy, Mrs. James Lee Johnson Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Knight, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Latzer, Mrs. Janet M. Weakley in honor of James D. Burke, Mrs. Ellen Langsdorf, Mr. and Mrs. William H. T. Bush, the Longmire Fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation, Eleanor C. Johnson, Alice S. Gerdine, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cramer, BSI Constructors, Inc., David R. Cole in memory of Opal Runzi, The G. A. Jr. and Kathryn M. Buder Charitable Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. William H. Danforth, Charles and Patricia Marshall, The Mungenast Foundation, Inc., Mariko A. Nutt, Robert Brookings Smith, The Sidener Foundation, an anonymous donor, Mr. and Mrs. William F. Schierholz, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Lortz, Sewell A. McMillan, Edith B. Schiele; Barbara Wohltman, Mr. and Mrs. Fielding Lewis Holmes, and Ruth Nelson Kraft in honor of James D. Burke; and donors to the 1999 Art Enrichment Fund 1:2000 In this scene, the mythical ancient Greek hero Perseus rescues Andromeda, who had been left by her father as an offering to appease an evil sea monster. Perseus, who fell in love with the young princess, prepares to plunge his sword into the creature to free her. The intense blue of the lapis lazuli stone surface represents the sky and some of the water. To honor the retirement of Brent R. Benjamin, The Barbara B. Taylor Director, from March 23 through June 30, Object of the Day will feature a selection of 100 transformative works of art acquired during his 22-year tenure at the Museum. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 22, 2021 Morning Yasuo Kuniyoshi, American (born Japan), 1889–1953; Morning, 1920; oil on canvas; 16 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of John and Susan Horseman, in honor of Melissa Wolfe, Curator of American Art 102:2019; © 2021 Estate of Yasuo Kuniyoshi / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Painted in pearlescent colors, this wooded landscape is enveloped in shimmering halos. Mottled tones emphasize flatness as they eliminate a horizon line and seem to push forward the squares of open meadow. The artist, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, merged the shifting planes of three-dimensional forms seen in 20th-century European art and the flat backgrounds of Asian art. However, the way in which objects emerge and recede as if conjured in a dream can also be found in the powerful visions and reductive forms of American folk-art paintings and sculpture, which the artist avidly collected. Kuniyoshi immigrated to the United States from Japan in 1906 when he was 13 years old. Though he actively supported the nation during World War II (1939–1945), he was classified by the government as an enemy alien, causing him great hardship. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 21, 2021 Dzunukwa Mask Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl) artist; Dzunukwa Mask, c.1870; wood with pigment, human hair, bear fur, seal skin, raffia, cloth, and metal nails; 13 x 11 3/4 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 269:1982 Planes of the forehead, cheeks, and eyes converge at a vertical axis in the center of this carving. Graphite in the paint causes light to shimmer across the surfaces, contributing to an exaggerated sense of depth. This mask portrays Dzunukwa, a giant, bearded figure who dwells in the forest, kidnaps children, and eats them. With pursed lips, the mask appears ready to project the dzunukwa’s “wuu, wuu” call. The Dzunukwa could also bestow great wealth. Kwakwaka’wakw leaders wore finely carved and painted masks such as this, called gikamhl, when displaying or exchanging coppers during elaborate feasts. The Dzunukwa mask and copper reinforced the associations of wealth and power that each object independently conveyed to its audience. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 20, 2021 Sleeping Woman with Child Käthe Kollwitz, German, 1867–1945; Sleeping Woman with Child, 1929; woodcut; image: 11 3/4 x 14 1/8 inches, sheet: 16 1/8 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Julian and Hope Edison Print Fund and Museum Shop Fund 221:1992 With incredible economy of line, Käthe Kollwitz depicted an intimate scene of a mother resting with her baby. It is a rare moment of peace among her subjects, most of which center on the war’s devastating impact on women and children. The artist’s youngest son was killed in World War I at age 18. This knowledge adds a layer of intensity to the image as a personal memory of loss. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 19, 2021 Before the Mirror Oskar Schlemmer, German, 1888–1943; Before the Mirror, 1931; oil on canvas; 25 7/8 x 15 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 937:1983 A strong light reflects off the shiny body of a strange figure. Critics described Oskar Schlemmer’s subjects as mechanical dolls for their metallic skin and segmented limbs. They resemble the costumes Schlemmer designed for dances he choreographed at the Bauhaus, where he taught theater in the 1920s. By the time Schlemmer made this painting in 1931, he described his mechanical dolls in terms of a “grand figural style,” in which the abstracted human form achieved conceptual precision. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 18, 2021 Sorcerer’s Implement (arhiye kaiyam) Lower Strickland River or middle Fly River artist, Papua New Guinea; Sorcerer's Implement (arhiye kaiyam), 19th–early 20th century; crocodile tooth, plant fiber; 4 ½ x 1 1/16 x 1 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Antonio I. Longrais, D.D.S. 61:2000 This crocodile tooth has been carved to resemble a bird’s head, possibly a Papuan hornbill. Combining traits from two animals, the fearsome crocodile that inhabits land and water, and the hornbill that flies, possibly allowed the owner of this implement to symbolically traverse both the physical and spiritual realms. Magic and sorcery once played a vital role in Melanesian society. These traditions were used to both heal and harm. Potent materials like blood or beeswax could be secretly added to the tooth. In terms of healing, a sorcerer would use the implement to find and return things lost or stolen, such as a soul to a sick owner. To inflict harm, a sorcerer would recite certain words over the implement and symbolically “shoot” it into a victim causing illness or death. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 17, 2021 Self-Portrait Sir William Orpen, Irish, 1878 - 1931; Self-Portrait, 1913; oil on canvas; 48 3/8 x 35 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 135:1915 William Orpen produced a number of witty self-portraits, most of which depicted him in his role as artist. Here, he stands with brushes in hand, posing with furrowed brow before a large allegorical canvas he produced the same year, Sowing New Seed (Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura, Australia), which is a political observation on the state of the arts in Ireland. William Orpen worked as both an official World War I artist and a fashionable portrait painter in England and Ireland, portraying wealthy and prestigious sitters in a highly polished, traditional manner. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 16, 2021 Water Jar Water Jar, c.4000–3000 BC; Chinese, Neolithic period, Yangshao culture; earthenware with impressed decoration; 19 1/8 x 6 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Edith Spink in memory of her husband, C. C. Johnson Spink 107:2002 This jar’s elegantly curving outline begins at the rim and finishes at the pointed end. Its surface is decorated with a subtle pattern made by pressing twisted cord into the soft clay body before firing. The fine markings are set at diagonals, imparting an ascendant, swirling movement to the work. Water jars like this one were bound with cord and dropped into water, where they slowly turned upright as they filled. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 15, 2021 The Calumny of Apelles Giorgio Ghisi, Italian, 1520–1582; after Luca Penni, Italian, 1500-04–1557; The Calumny of Apelles, 1560; engraving; plate: 14 1/2 x 12 11/16 inches, sheet: 14 9/16 x 12 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 96:1982 This superb impression is based on an ancient description of a lost allegorical painting by the Greek artist Apelles. The lost painting, known as The Calumny of Apelles, expresses truths about calumny, or the telling of lies to ruin someone’s reputation. Apelles painted it after he himself had nearly been put to death because of a rival’s slander. Ghisi’s engraving recreates the allegory by depicting a judge with large donkey ears sitting at right. He is advised by two female figures who represent Ignorance and Suspicion. The judge extends his hand to Calumny, who approaches with a burning torch in her left hand and with her right hand drags the youthful Innocence, who lifts his hands in despair. Envy, Treachery, and Deceit bring Calumny closer to the long-eared man. Fortunately, Truth and Time appear as two small figures in a cloud in the background, implying that the unjustly accused will be vindicated. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 14, 2021 Column with Hieroglyphs Column with Hieroglyphs, 715; Maya, Mexico, Late Classic period; limestone with pigment; 22 7/16 x 9 1/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 384:1978 The elaborately carved figures and symbols seen on this column are Maya hieroglyphs, a writing system that mixes pictorial representations with phonetic signs. Most Maya monuments focus extraordinary emphasis on chronological precision as they describe detailed political histories of competing city-states. In Maya writing, dots record single units and bars record five. Texts typically begin in the upper left, moving to the right and top to bottom in double columns. Here, the first nine glyphs record the date in an array of different Maya calendars that correspond to a day in April, 715. On that day, the ruler of Bonampak commemorated the 13th anniversary of his reign. The text goes on to document his status as the vassal of a Tonina ruler known as K’inich B’aaknal Chaak, ‘Great-Sun Bone-Place Rain God’. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 13, 2021 The Computer Moves In Sigmar Polke, German, 1941–2010; The Computer Moves In, 1983; mixed media with manganese on fabric; 102 1/2 x 122 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Dr. and Mrs. Alvin R. Frank and Friends Fund 262:1995; © 2021 The Estate of Sigmar Polke / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 2013 In this work, artist Sigmar Polke appropriated imagery from a 1983 Time magazine cover that designated the computer “Machine of the Year,” in place of Time’s “Person of the Year.” The cover reproduced a sculpture by George Segal to highlight the increasing availability and advancement of computers in America, fed by the Cold War race toward technological development. Polke’s composition echoes a computer screen: from the fabric strips that frame the central image to the dot pattern and shimmering manganese shavings that recall the pixilation of early computer monitors. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 12, 2021 Ballet Dancers in the Wings Edgar Degas, French, 1834–1917; Ballet Dancers in the Wings, c.1890–1900; pastel; 28 x 26 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 24:1935 The four women portrayed in Degas’s pastel were not the sought-after prima ballerinas of Parisian high society, but rather unglamorous junior members of the Opera ballet corps. In this drawing, they are shown out of the limelight, most slumped from exhaustion, awaiting their next cue. As a season ticket holder to the ballet, Degas was one of the few audience members allowed access to backstage scenes like this. Working in luminous pastels, Degas charged the picture with color. Rosy pinks, lemon yellows, and shimmering aquatic blues and greens energize the composition. These are not realistic colors, but vivid emanations drawn from the artist’s imagination. The composition is unusual, as the women are organized laterally in two distinct groups, creating a cascading diagonal of figures from upper left to lower right. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 11, 2021 untitled (to Ileana and Michael Sonnabend) Dan Flavin, American, 1933–1996; untitled (to Ileana and Michael Sonnabend), 1970; fluorescent lights ; length: 96 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 35:2006; © 2013 Stephen Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Three fluorescent bulbs project blue, pink, and yellow light onto the surrounding walls. In 1961 Dan Flavin began to use fluorescent fixtures as his primary medium, allowing him, as he once said, to “combine traditions of painting and sculpture in architecture with acts of electric light defining space.” Flavin referred to his colored light installations as “proposals” or “situations” rather than sculptures. This piece is dedicated to friends of the artist, the important New York art dealer Ileana Sonnabend and her husband Michael. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 10, 2021 Still Life Willi Baumeister, German, 1889–1955; Still Life, 1930; oil on canvas; 26 x 32 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 833:1983; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Fragmented shapes floating against a tan wall offer few clues to their meaning. Critics in the 1920s saw Willi Baumeister’s abstract paintings as images of the machine age and compared them to architectural plans. Baumeister also frequently depicted actual machines. In Still Life, a rectangle and three circles, at left, is likely an old-fashioned radio with three tuner knobs. Radios, telephones, and wireless telegraphy brought the latest technology into German homes, transforming daily life in the 1930s. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 9, 2021 Sachihongo Mask Mbunda artist, Zambia; Sachihongo Mask, 20th century; wood, fiber, pigment; 29 3/4 x 29 x 12 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Partial gift of Thomas Alexander and Laura Rogers, and funds given by the John R. Goodall Charitable Trust, the McMillan-Avery Fund of the St. Louis Community Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. William H. Danforth, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Langsdorf Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson Miller, Ms. Jane Stamper, the Gateway Apparel Charitable Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Knight, Mr. and Mrs. William F. Schierholz, and donors to the 1993 Art Enrichment Fund 6:1994 Incised arches across a broad forehead suggest the furrowed brow of one who is wise and fierce. This mask represents Sachihongo, a powerful character understood as an ancestral or elder chief, hunter, or diviner. Sachihongo is one of many figures represented in Mbunda masquerades to celebrate young male initiates’ return to the community following a period of seclusion for circumcision and instruction. Feathers and plant fibers were attached to holes around the edge of the mask. The masquerader wore a netted body suit and fiber skirts while dancing to a quick rhythm. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 8, 2021 Weislingen Captured by Götz’s Men Eugène Delacroix, French, 1798–1863; Weislingen Captured by Götz's Men, 1853; oil on canvas; 29 x 24 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Emelie Weindal Bequest Fund 75:1954 The knight Weislingen, wearing a yellow coat, is dramatically ambushed by three soldiers serving under his enemy, Götz. In this fictional scene from medieval Europe, Eugène Delacroix created a dynamic composition around the swirling forms of rearing and frightened horses. A great colorist, Delacroix juxtaposed contrasting colors of the blue saddle against the knight’s yellow garment and the soldier’s red tunic against the surrounding greenery. The 1773 play Götz van Berlichingen by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) inspired this painting. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 7, 2021 Titan Markus Lüpertz, German, born 1941; Titan, 1986; painted bronze; 98 3/8 x 76 1/2 x 17 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg in honor of their children, Lily and David Dulan and Mary Ann and Andrew Srenco 11:2003; © 2020 Markus Lüpertz / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York A monumental bronze figure stands with feet firmly planted and one arm raised while the other extends straight ahead. Markus Lüpertz modeled the pose of this Titan after an ancient Greek sculpture of the god Zeus preparing to throw a spear or lightning bolt. According to Greek mythology, Zeus led the Olympian gods to victory over the Titans, an older generation of mighty deities, in a 10-year battle for the control of Earth. In contrast to the balanced proportions and smooth surface of the original sculpture, this work has roughly formed features and a craggy texture that express the brute strength of the Titans. Lüpertz painted a leg and arm of the sculpture green, creating the appearance of an ancient patina (surface finish) that reinforces his references to classical art and mythology. This work of art inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Bob Hauck of Walter Knoll Florist in 2019. See the arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 6, 2021 Votive Stela of Śākyamuni Buddha and Attendant Bodhisattvas Votive Stela of Sâkyamuni Buddha and Attendant Bodhisattvas, 505; Chinese, Northern Wei dynasty; limestone with gesso and traces of pigment; 74 x 28 1/2 x 10 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 38:1936 The central figure of Sâkyamuni (Shijiamouni), the historical Buddha whose halo depicts lotus petals, dominates this stela. This main figure is flanked by the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), whose left hand holds a flask, and the Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta (Dashizhi), whose hands are held together. Each bodhisattva is supported by an open lotus blossom. The gray limestone was originally painted in vibrant colors. Eighty devotees from Chongli village, Ji county, Henan province, commissioned the sculpture as an act of piety. It is dated to 505, the second year of the Zhengshi reign period (504–508) of Emperor Xuanwu (r. 499–515). This ruler was a devout Buddhist, and during his reign, Buddhism effectively became the state religion. This work of art inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Barb Wehking of Bloomin’ Buckets in 2018. See the arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 5, 2021 St. Helena and the Emperor Constantine Presented to the Holy Trinity by the Virgin Mary Corrado Giaquinto, Italian, 1703–1766; St. Helena and the Emperor Constantine Presented to the Holy Trinity by the Virgin Mary, 1741–42; oil on canvas; 137 1/8 x 56 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 31:1963 This large sketch for a church ceiling is organized into three main groups of figures to make it comprehensible to viewers standing on the floor below. At the top, Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, holds a flag and kneels in front of a cross, a symbol of his death. Wearing bright blue in the middle, Mary looks up at her son, Jesus, as she beckons to St. Helena, kneeling at the left. The saint presents her own son, the emperor Constantine. In the lowest grouping, the archangel St. Michael vanquishes a group of heretics and topples Satan from his throne. The artist presented this finished sketch to Pope Benedict XIV (1675–1758) for approval before painting the ceiling of the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, where his work can still be seen today. The painting was a part of the pope’s effort to refurbish the Roman basilica he served before ascending to the papacy. This work of art inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Jeana Reisinger in 2015. See the arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 4, 2021 The Sentinel at the Sultan’s Tomb Jean-Léon Gérôme, French, 1824–1904; The Sentinel at the Sultan's Tomb, c.1880; oil on canvas; 32 1/4 x 26 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 77:1915 Jean-Léon Gérôme carefully depicted each colorful flag atop a sultan’s tomb as well as the varied gestures of worshippers in prayer. The artist placed his signature on a tablet at the foot of the tomb. This constructed and largely invented image was based on Gérôme’s memories of mausoleums that he had visited in Bursa, a town in Turkey. Gérôme traveled often to Turkey, where he made numerous sketches of historic architecture that informed his work. This work of art inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Trisha Haislar of Elegant Celebrations in 2016. See the arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 3, 2021 Śiva Natārāja (Śiva, King of Dancers) Śiva Natārāja (Śiva, King of Dancers), 12th century; Indian, Chola dynasty; bronze and iron; 34 5/8 x 28 5/8 x 11 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art 4:1938 Natārāja (King of Dancers) is one of many manifestations of the Hindu god Śiva. He is shown balancing on one leg as he lifts the other in his cosmic dance of creation and destruction of the universe. In his upper right hand, he carries a drum representing creation; his upper left hand holds a flame symbolizing destruction. His two other hands are positioned in gestures of comfort. Surrounded by a flaming aureole, or circle of light, Śiva tramples on the demon Apasmāra, who personifies ignorance. This sculpture is technically unusual because Śiva’s aureole was cast around a circular iron core. Such bronze images were carried around temples during festivals dedicated to Śiva. This work of art inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Nick Decker of Ken Miesner’s Flower Shoppe in 2017. See the arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 2, 2021 Le Havre, Grand Quai Maurice de Vlaminck, French, 1876–1958; Le Havre, Grand Quai, 1906; oil on canvas; 32 x 39 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur D. May 527:1957; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris Boats with orange and pale-yellow sails crowd the busy French port of Le Havre. The setting is the city’s wharf, named Grand Quai, ringed by a line of blue-roofed buildings. Critics accused Maurice de Vlaminck and his fellow artists of being fauves, or wild beasts, who shocked viewers by using unmixed oil paint straight from the tube. The red, yellow, and blue that animate the water are a good example of the strong, artificial colors that define Fauvism. This work of art inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Christine Anson of S. Finch Florist in 2016. See the arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 1, 2021 Untitled Norman Lewis, American, 1909–1979; Untitled, c.1940s; ink; 20 1/4 inches x 13 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 166:2017; © The Estate of Norman W. Lewis; Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY Short, calligraphic brushstrokes appear in this untitled drawing, reflecting the artist’s interest in East Asian scroll painting with a similar long, vertical format. Norman Lewis’ quick, gestural marks also suggest dispersing figures, like people on a crowded street. After producing artworks for the Work Projects Administration (WPA), a government-sponsored program that provided jobs for Americans during the Great Depression, Lewis migrated away from a representational style. He was among the first African American artists to be associated with Abstract Expressionism, although in early works such as this one, his abstractions still allude to the figure. The Museum’s collection includes several works by Norman Lewis, including Twilight Sounds, which inspired an award-winning floral interpretation by Ann Rabbitt of Thorn Studio, LLC in 2018. See the  arrangement and enjoy this year’s virtual Art in Bloom. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 28, 2021 Untitled Terry Adkins, American, 1953–2014; Untitled, 1979; ink and gouache with graphite; 40 x 25 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 114:2017; © 2019 The Estate of Terry Adkins / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York A vibrant celebration of color and form, Terry Adkins’ drawing features three geometric arrangements stacked along a central axis. Each is comprised of an upper arc of fanned wedges, some densely toned, and others dappled with stain, resting upon a concave curve. Together, these parts approximate a circle, a shape that remained a recurring and evocative motif for Adkins throughout his career as a sculptor and conceptual artist. For him, the circle became an indicator of sound, and in later works, he often incorporated rounded parts of musical instruments, such as drumheads and horn bells. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 27, 2021 Young Woman in Green William James Glackens, American, 1870–1938; Young Woman in Green, c.1915; oil on canvas; 25 x 30 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ira Glackens 230:1966 The pearl tones of this woman’s skin contrast beautifully with the rich jewel colors of green, orange, and red in this setting. The soft brushstrokes favored by William Glackens are equally well-suited to the plush cushion, downy blanket, and hat plume, as to the dreamy mood of the model. Glackens made a number of paintings that focus on a single female model, with a title that refers to a formal element, such as a color, in this example. In this way, the artist reinforces the poetic quality of the subject. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 26, 2021 Footed Cup Footed Cup, 1st century BC–1st century AD; Roman, Early Imperial period; lead-glazed ceramic; 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 387:1923 The distinct colors—deep green and mustard yellow—of this mold-made ceramic cup are obtained from a lead glaze developed in the 1st century BCE in the eastern Mediterranean. More fluid and less prone to cracking, this glaze was a distinct improvement over other contemporary glazing technologies. It has been suggested that these colors were specifically selected to emulate the patina of weathered bronze and gilded silver. This vessel shape is common in ceramic, glass, and metal. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 25, 2021 King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther, c.1660; English; silk embroidered with silk and metallic yarns, and isinglass; inside: 10 1/8 x 13 5/8 inches, outside: 12 3/8 x 15 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. William A. McDonnell 17:1968 This detailed textile depicts the biblical story of brave Queen Esther, seen kneeling at center right, accompanied by two attendants. King Ahasuerus of Persia, Esther’s husband, gestures toward her with his scepter and grants her permission to speak. The king’s chief minister has plotted to kill all the Jews in the kingdom and Esther is a Jew herself. Although the king issued a ruling that no one could approach him without being summoned, Esther has risked her life by entering the King’s presence uninvited in order to protect her people from death. She succeeds as the King agrees to Esther’s request and reverses his minister’s order. In this scene the central characters are dressed in court attire of 17th-century England. At this time a distinctive style of figurative embroidery emerged in England for creating small pictures and domestic objects, such as mirror covers, book covers, and small storage boxes. This example features a unique form of three-dimensional embroidery called stumpwork. The images depicted were often based on illustrated texts and engravings and were embroidered by girls and women, as well as professional male and female embroiderers. Needlework was a popular vehicle for portraying traits associated with the ideal woman who was brave, pious, and obedient. The biblical Queen Esther was seen as embodying these virtues as defined by 17th-century political and religious beliefs. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 24, 2021 Morris Louis, American, 1912–1962; Beta, 1960; acrylic resin on canvas; 102 3/8 x 144 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Marcella Brenner Revocable Trust 149:2011; © 1962 Morris Louis / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Curving rivulets of color frame a wide expanse of white unprimed canvas. Morris Louis poured acrylic paint directly onto the surface from the sides, allowing it to run off the bottom edge. Louis achieved these pastel tones by diluting his paint with large amounts of turpentine. Beta is one of the first paintings in his Unfurled series, which Louis considered his most significant artistic achievement. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 23, 2021 Wineglass (roemer) Wineglass (roemer), 1600–30; Dutch; glass; 9 1/4 x 5 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. William Orthwein, Dr. and Mrs. George R. Schoedinger III, and Museum Purchase by exchange 216:1995 The simple shape of this wine glass, a blown bowl and stem resting on a flared foot, was a popular form often included in 17th-century still-life paintings. The wide stem is typically decorated with bits of glass applied to the surface; sometimes these bits were stamped into shapes resembling raspberries. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 22, 2021 4 Muses Jörg Immendorff, German, 1945–2007; 4 Muses, 1980; acrylic on canvas; 122 1/8 x 98 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by The Jordan Charitable Foundation 5:2003; © The Estate of Jörg Immendorff, Courtesy Galerie Michael Werner Märkisch Wilmersdorf, Köln & New York HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript Jörg Immendorff, working in West Germany, depicted a fictitious art studio shared by himself and three friends: Georg Baselitz, Markus Lüpertz, and A.R. Penck. Immendorff’s painting includes numerous references to the four artists’ works, personalities, and political beliefs (hear more above). Penck, who lived in East Germany, is shown in the shadows, surrounded by imagery of Eastern Bloc communism. Baselitz, also from East Germany, is represented at a table supported by his characteristic inverted figures. Lüpertz, who moved to West Germany as a child, is well-known for engaging with Germany’s past. Here, he sits at a table that rests on heads with Germany’s flag covering their eyes. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 21, 2021 Catskill Scenery Thomas Cole, American (born England), 1801–1848; Catskill Scenery, c.1833; oil on canvas; 24 1/2 x 32 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust, Friends Fund, and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John S. Ames and Miss Elizabeth Green, by exchange 105:1970 Thomas Cole made a career painting scenes of the most popular natural locations of the American northeast. Catskill Scenery combines the rugged wilderness terrain on the left with sure signs of encroaching civilization. The farmhouse in the distance and the wooden footbridge were commonly understood by viewers as emblems of the nation’s progress and America’s economic potential. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 20, 2021 Cobalt Circle Ilya Bolotowsky, American (born Russia), 1907–1981; Cobalt Circle, 1953; oil on panel; diameter: 22 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Harvey and Linda Saligman 106:1987; © 2021 Estate of Ilya Bolotowsky / Licensed by ARS, New York, NY Ilya Bolotowsky contrasts the circular format of this painting with a rigidly angular, abstract composition in shades of teal, ochre, red, gray, and plum. Educated in Russia, Bolotowsky moved to New York in 1923. He experienced the work of artist Piet Mondrian a decade later and subsequently devoted his career to emulating the geometric, nonobjective style espoused by the Dutch artist. Bolotowsky became a pioneer in American abstraction and experimented with a range of canvas formats including diamonds, triangles, and circles. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 19, 2021 Study for the Surrogate James Little, American, born 1952; Study for the Surrogate, 2002; watercolor with graphite; sheet: 16 3/16 x 19 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 168:2017; © June Kelly Gallery / James Little Atmospheric areas of color shift from a deep shade of black to bright orange, divided by sharp diagonal lines. When working with watercolor, which provides a brilliant luminosity, James Little will often score the surface with a sharp tool to trap color. As a result, there is a satisfying play between precise geometry of straight lines and the free-form washes achieved with watercolor. Little describes his method as “painting ideas” about color and matter, and his drawings, like this one, are a critical step in this process. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 18, 2021 Cabbage Field Simone Nieweg, German, born 1962; Cabbage Field, 1990, printed 2003; chromogenic print; image: 40 3/8 x 56 1/2 inches, sheet: 42 x 58 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton 169:2003; Simone Nieweg, VG Bildkunst Green cabbages have gone to seed behind rows of purple cabbages in the foreground of this photograph. Simone Nieweg explores the German tradition of Grabeland, a unique community gardening system practiced on the outskirts of urban centers. The particular subject of cabbage, a food often identified as a staple of the German diet, recurs throughout Nieweg’s work. The only evidence of this garden’s proximity to a modern city is the solitary housing complex nestled between two trees in the upper right corner of the composition. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 17, 2021 Repose in a Park Jean-Baptiste Joseph Pater, French, 1695–1736; Repose in a Park, c.1730; oil on canvas; 21 1/2 x 25 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 13:1967 Surrounding the seated woman in pink are well-dressed members of the upper class enjoying the pleasantries of a park. Flirtations abound. The kneeling man to the left of the seated woman holds his hand to his chest to signify his affection while the reclining man in the lower right seeks to charm the young lady beside him. Known by the term fête galante, (literally “gallant party”) this type of painting depicts the intricacies of social relationships and courtship within a pastoral setting. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 16, 2021 Banks of the Oise at Auvers Charles-François Daubigny, French, 1817–1878; Banks of the Oise at Auvers, 1863; oil on canvas; 35 x 63 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment, and gift of Justina G. Catlin in memory of her husband, Daniel Catlin, by exchange 84:2007 Colorfully dressed peasants, who fish on the river bank alongside rafts of water lilies, animate this landscape. While this painting was likely completed in his studio, Charles-François Daubigny’s work was informed by devoted outdoor study; he even constructed a studio boat in 1857. Daubigny was considered the greatest river painter of mid-19th century France, and this painting is characteristic of his popular scenes of pastoral calm. The work was exhibited at the 1863 Salon, the government-sponsored art exhibition. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 15, 2021 Jar Jar, 3500–2890 BC; Egyptian, Gerzean period (Naqada II), or Early Dynastic period, Dynasty 1; limestone breccia; 3 3/4 x 3 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 208:1924 Intact for 5,500 years, this ancient Egyptian jar is among the oldest objects in the Museum’s collection. Its shape is a three-dimensional hieroglyph for ib, or “heart.” The durable stone forming the vessel guaranteed the protection of its precious contents, while the red-brown color evoked the blood of life. Typically found in wealthy burials, such containers once preserved oils, foodstuffs, and liquids meant to be used by the soul of the deceased in the afterlife. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 14, 2021 Long Live Love or Charming Country Max Ernst, German, 1891–1976; Long Live Love or Charming Country, 1923; oil on canvas; 51 3/4 x 38 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 885:1983; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / ADAGP, Paris A male and female nude are intertwined within a form resembling a hollow tree trunk. Smaller tree stumps are spread through a strange, bare landscape. Max Ernst painted this image soon after moving to Paris from his native Germany in the early 1920s. He lived in a ménage à trois relationship with the poet Paul Éluard and their partner Gala, who may be the figures depicted in this work. It is unclear whether the couple is passionately embracing or suffocating in claustrophobic proximity. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 13, 2021 Coffeepot Myer Myers, American, 1723–1795; Coffeepot, 1770–76; silver and wood; 13 7/8 x 8 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Charles H. Stix in memory of his mother, Mrs. Henry S. Stix 84:1945 This substantial coffeepot is enlivened by the undulating line of its pear-shaped body, the tight curves of its spout and handle, and the upward lift of the finial atop the lid. The dynamic interplay of curving form and line is one characteristic of silver in the rococo style. Another is the rich vocabulary of shells, acanthus leaves, and scrolls that form the cast handle sockets, finial, and spout. The coffeepot’s cast elements were tooled to sharpen the details, add textures, and enrich their surfaces. Finishing of this quality is extraordinary, even for silver made by Myer Myers, a craftsman of Jewish ancestry, who is celebrated as one of the best and most innovative silversmiths of colonial New York. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Summertime Romare Bearden, American, 1911–1988; Summertime, 1967; collage on board; 56 x 44 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund 22:1999; © 2021 Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by ARS, New York, NY This work by Romare Bearden, which belongs to a small number of large-scale collages he created in the 1960s, exemplifies the artist’s commitment to the African American experience. A woman eats an ice-cream cone in front of a brownstone, a man sits on a chair, and two oversized faces peer from behind window shades. The ice cream and open windows evoke the summer’s heat. The woman’s pose suggests a singer holding a microphone, and the title summons George Gershwin’s lyric that “the living is easy.” Yet the collage’s active pattern of materials, its overwhelming size, and the mask-like faces it presents undermine the simplicity of the scene. Within this work, Bearden successfully creates a tension between content and formal treatment that brings to mind the over-crowded and potentially explosive inner cities of the summer of 1967. Discover more works by African American and African artists in the Museum’s collection. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 11, 2021 Murnau with Locomotive Vassily Kandinsky, Russian (active Germany), 1866–1944; Murnau with Locomotive, 1911; oil on canvas; 37 3/4 x 41 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May by exchange 142:1986 Between 1909 and 1911, Wassily Kandinsky, a central figure in twentieth century art, lived and worked in Murnau, a village in the Bavarian Alps. During this period, the artist turned away from the direct depiction of nature in favor of a more abstract approach and came to believe in the suggestive power of color. In this painting of a winter landscape, however, Kandinsky restricted his palette to subtle whites, browns, pinks, and blues. The choice of subject matter and the way the paint is applied create a tension between stasis and movement in the canvas. In the foliage of the tree in the right foreground, Kandinsky applied oil paint in layers, giving the appearance of ephemeral watercolor washes. White paint mixes with color to create muted tones such as the dirty brown smoke emitted from the small locomotive chugging across the frozen valley. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 10, 2021 Hands Holding the Void (Invisible Object) Alberto Giacometti, Swiss, 1901–1966; Hands Holding the Void (Invisible Object), 1934–35, cast c.1946–47; bronze; 60 x 12 x 9 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 217:1966; © 2021 Alberto Giacometti Estate / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS, NY) Gazing into the distance with mouth open in wonder, a female figure leans forward while her long, nervous fingers encircle an empty space. Her vulnerable face evokes a sense of psychological alienation. Alberto Giacometti joined the Surrealist movement in the 1920s. Poet André Breton, leader of the Parisian Surrealists, described this work as “an emanation of the desire to love and be loved in quest of the true human object and in all the agony of its quest.” VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 9, 2021 Cradling Wheat Thomas Hart Benton, American, 1889–1975; Cradling Wheat, 1938; tempera and oil on board; 31 1/4 x 39 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 8:1939; © 2021 T.H. and R.P. Benton Testamentary Trusts / UMB Bank Trustee / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS, NY) A group of lean, muscular field hands harvest grain on a sunny hillside. The rise and bend of their activity through the undulating contours of the land emphasizes the intimate relationship between man and nature. The artist, Missourian Thomas Hart Benton, was known for elevating the life of the working class, making their everyday labors appear heroic. Benton sought to capture images of grassroots America, which he felt was rapidly disappearing due to industrialization. Certainly Cradling Wheat is nostalgic: the cradle scythe used by the farmer on the left to cut the grain would have been old-fashioned by the 1930s. In his description of Cradling Wheat Benton wrote, “Scene in the hill country of East Tennessee in 1928…doubt whether this kind of harvesting can be found anymore—anywhere.” VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Landscape with Pathos Georg Baselitz, German, born 1938; Landscape with Pathos, 1970; synthetic resin on canvas; 79 1/8 x 99 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Alison and John Ferring and Friends Fund 6:2003; © Georg Baselitz 1970 HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript With its palette of soft natural tones, this canvas first appears to be a gestural abstract painting. Upon longer study, representational subject matter becomes apparent: an upside-down landscape with the sky and clouds depicted in the lower half. Georg Baselitz inverted the image to draw attention to the painting as a material object and not merely a window into a scene. He based this painting on a black-and-white photograph capturing a landscape view of Saxony, his native region in Germany (hear more above). After inverting the photographed imagery, he added a large boulder—an artistic invention. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 7, 2021 Desk and Bookcase carving attributed to John Welch, American, 1711–1789; Desk and Bookcase, 1750–60; American, Boston; mahogany, white pine, white cedar, brass, reproduction mirrored glass, and gilding; 98 3/4 x 38 9/16 x 23 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 84:1989a,b The arched doors, flat columns or pilasters, and scrolled pediment at the top of this desk and bookcase all stem from Roman architecture. This desk is exceptional for the detailed carving of Corinthian capitals on the pilasters and the sprig of acanthus foliage above the doors. The fronts of the lower desk drawers were sawn from thick boards and carved to create a three-part rhythm of projecting and receding volumes. This desk and bookcase provided locked storage for books, business papers, textiles, and other valuables, and it provided a workspace for writing when the slanted lid was opened. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 6, 2021 Judgment of Paris Lucas Cranach the Elder, German, 1472–1553; Judgment of Paris, 1530; oil and tempera on panel; 20 x 14 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 28:1932 The seated knight at left has just finished judging a beauty contest. The story is based on the ancient myth of the Judgment of Paris in which the shepherd Paris is selected to referee an Olympian beauty contest. Cranach depicts a similar medieval legend in which Paris is a knight who goes hunting, tumbles into a bush, and dreams that the god Mercury, here clad in peacock feathers, tells him to judge. Juno (far right) glances coyly at the viewer and bobs her diaphanous wrap while Minerva (center) flirts more demurely by tilting her head. Venus, however, claims the winner’s golden orb, exuding self-assurance in the lift of her chin and her diverted gaze. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 5, 2021 Jo Baker’s Birthday Faith Ringgold, American, born 1930; Jo Baker's Birthday, 1993; acrylic on canvas with tie-dyed and printed fabric; 74 1/4 x 78 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund, the Honorable Carol E. Jackson, Casually Off-Grain Quilters of Chesterfield, Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Solon Gershman, Mr. Sidney Goldstein in memory of Chip Goldstein, The Links, Inc., Gateway Chapter, the Honorable and Mrs. Charles A. Shaw, Donald M. Suggs, the Thimble & Thread Quilt Guild, and funds given in honor of Cuesta Benberry 10:1994; © 2021 Faith Ringgold / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York This painted quilt tells a story of a fictional African American artist living in France in the 1920s. Throughout a series of such quilts, the character Willia Marie Simone encounters important European artists as well as influential African American women. Through Willia, artist Faith Ringgold reshaped the past to redress the absence of Black figures in art history. In panels of text along the top and bottom of the quilt, Willia explains that she is painting a portrait of the famous St. Louis-born dancer Josephine Baker. In the background at right is a section of French artist Henri Matisse’s painting Harmony in Red. Regarding her choice of the quilt as a medium, Ringgold has said, “Feminist art is soft art, lightweight art, sewing art…Women’s art is less rigid, and it’s open to all kinds of new innovations.” Discover more works by African American and African artists in the Museum’s collection. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 4, 2021 Actor Nakayama Tomisaburō as Miyagino Tōshūsai Sharaku, Japanese, active c.1794–1795; Nakayama Tomisaburo as Miyagino, 1794; color woodblock print with mica; image: 14 3/4 x 9 7/8 in. Sheet: 14 3/4 x 9 7/8 in. Saint Louis Art Museum Purchase 1045:1920 The subject for this woodblock print was Nakayama Tomisaburo, an eighteenth-century actor who specialized in female roles for the Kabuki theater. Known as “Floppy Tomi,” Tomisaburo was famous for his unusually flexible movements and the delicate, nimble gestures by which he conveyed his characters’ femininity. Sharaku featured “Floppy” in a remarkable total of eight print designs and character roles over six short months. In this print, Tomisaburo is portraying the avenging heroine Miyagino, who plots vengeance for her father’s murder in the lively fifth act of the play. Sharaku, who attended the performance, depicts the heroine as she contemplates the final fate of her father’s killer. For Tomisaburo’s fans, the image captured the dramatic moment and consummate skills of their favorite actor in a format made more arresting by its shimmering mica ground. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 3, 2021 Curtain Panel with Design of Horizontal Bands of Geometric Patterns and Arabic Inscriptions in Kufic Script Curtain Panel with Design of Horizontal Bands of Geometric Patterns and Arabic Inscriptions in Kufic Script, late 14th century; Spanish, Nasrid period; brocaded silk; 40 5/8 x 14 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 52:1939 From the 8th-century onward, Spanish weavers produced world-famous silks, continuing a tradition brought to Spain under Islamic-rule. The 17th-century writer Maqqar-I noted that the southern region of Spain produced silks that were exported to the far reaches of the Islamic world and beyond. This silk panel preserves a riot of controlled color and design in two joined strips with twenty-one bands of pattern. Two horizontal friezes, consisting of nine bands each, separate the two large pattern fields of elaborate eight-pointed stars in a complicated arabesque ground. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 2, 2021 Madonna Figure Katharina Fritsch, German, born 1956; Madonna Figure, 1982; painted plaster; 12 x 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Partial and promised gift of Betsy Millard, the Earl and Betsy Millard Collection 40:2003; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY Madonna Figure is cast from a small plaster statuette found in a tourist shop in Lourdes, France. Pilgrims, or people traveling to sacred sites for religious reasons, come to Lourdes in hopes of witnessing a miracle. Katharina Fritsch explores the nature of human perception and experience through sculpture. Her alterations of scale, color, and material make otherwise familiar objects seem strange. Fritsch is inspired by aspects of her native German folklore as well as broader consumer culture, which she mines for references. While objects such as this often have autobiographical significance, Fritsch also intends them to hold general, collective meanings, both as symbols of popular culture and as triggers of our own memories and associations. VIEW OBJECT FEBRUARY 1, 2021 A Blacksmith’s Shop Richard Earlom, English, 1743–1822; after a painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, English, 1734–1797; published by John Boydell, English, 1719–1804; A Blacksmith's Shop, 1771; mezzotint; plate: 23 5/8 x 17 1/8 inches, sheet (trimmed): 24 5/16 x 17 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund 15:2007 Richard Earlom’s dramatic large-scale print depicts a group of men forging iron on an anvil in an abandoned church (see detail). This is a stunning example of the mezzotint technique, popular in England in the 18th and 19th-centuries because it yielded rich and velvety blacks. This process required the entire plate to be roughened with a tool called a rocker. The printmaker then scraped and burnished the roughened surface of the plate to the desired degree of whiteness, thus working from dark to light. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 31, 2021 View from the Window Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German (active Switzerland), 1880–1938; View from the Window, 1914; oil on canvas; 47 1/2 x 35 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 902:1983 In this view from his Berlin studio window, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner deftly manipulated color and scale to create a nightmarish effect. The acid-yellow buildings loom precipitously over the pink railyard, blocking out an eerie green sky. Sheds in the foreground are artificially small and sit at a precarious angle. Kirchner aptly described his astringent palette in this period as “iridescent colors, as if seen through a nacreous mist.” VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 30, 2021 Untitled Ed Clark, American, born 1926; Untitled, 1969; acrylic and dry pigment; 22 1/8 x 27 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 126:2017; © Ed Clark Ed Clark produced bands of interfused color, such as those evident in this work, by pushing pigments across the surface with a single, swift stroke. This maneuver, often executed horizontally on a floor, offers Clark the implied motion he desires in his images—a directional force further accentuated by a shaped support. He explained, “It seemed to me that the oval as a natural shape could best express movement extended beyond the limits of the canvas.” VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 29, 2021 Bracelet Bracelet, 4th century; Roman, Syria, Late Antique period, or Early Byzantine period; gold; 1 5/16 x 4 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 54:1924 Originally part of a set (with a matching bracelet and bell, now in Berlin), this bracelet likely functioned as a betrothal or bridal gift to a woman of high social standing. The central section contains a Greek inscription that reads: “Pretty one, wear [it] in good health.” This intricate bracelet serves as a splendid example of the extraordinary craftsmanship of Byzantine artisans and their use of an open metalwork technique known as opus interrasile. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 28, 2021 Study of a Cedar David Johnson, American, 1827–1908; Study of a Cedar, c.1867; oil on canvas; 20 x 14 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, James D. Burke Art Acquisition Fund 105:2017 A massive cedar tree, scarred by peeling bark and bristling with ungainly branches, rises dramatically across this small canvas. The intimate perspective and closely observed details reflect ideas promoted by John Ruskin, a British critic who championed botanical and geological specificity. Johnson described the process of making paintings such as Study of a Cedar in Ruskinian terms: “[it is] an out-door study, painted entirely upon the spot, and is, as far as I was able to make it so, a literal portrait of the place. I placed my easel there and went to work earnestly to find out how Dame Nature made things, divesting myself of all thoughts of picture or Studio effects.” VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 27, 2021 Breaking of the Vessels Anselm Kiefer, German, born 1945; Breaking of the Vessels, 1990; lead, iron, glass, copper wire, charcoal, and Aquatec; installed: 12 feet 5 inches x 27 feet 5 1/2 inches x 17 feet; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. George Schlapp, Mrs. Francis A. Mesker, the Henry L. and Natalie Edison Freund Charitable Trust, The Arthur and Helen Baer Charitable Foundation, Sam and Marilyn Fox, Mrs. Eleanor J. Moore, Mr. and Mrs. John Wooten Moore, Donna and William Nussbaum, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Schneithorst, Jain and Richard Shaikewitz, Mark Twain Bancshares, Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wolff, Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Ackerman Jr., the Honorable and Mrs. Thomas F. Eagleton, Alison and John Ferring, Mrs. Gail K. Fischmann, Mr. and Mrs. Solon Gershman, Dr. and Mrs. Gary Hansen, Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg, Mr. and Mrs. Gyo Obata, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, Lee and Barbara Wagman, Anabeth Calkins and John Weil, Museum Shop Fund, the Contemporary Art Society, and Museum Purchase; Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Joseph, estate of Alice P. Francis, Fine Arts Associates, J. Lionberger Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B. Edison, Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May, estate of Louise H. Franciscus, an anonymous donor, Miss Ella M. Boedeker, by exchange 1:1991; © Anselm Kiefer In this work, weighing over seven tons, lead book folios and broken panes of glass fill the shelves of a monumental bookcase. The lead books reference the centrality of learning to Jewish culture, while other elements of the sculpture represent ideas put forth in the Kabbalah, a collection of ancient Jewish mystical writings. The semicircular pane of glass suspended above the bookcase represents the spirit of G-d and is inscribed with the Hebrew words Ain Soph Aur, meaning “Infinite Light.” According to kabbalistic tradition, attributes of G-d’s light were divided among 10 vessels not strong enough to hold them. The destruction or breaking of the vessels brought the Divine into an imperfect world. Anselm Kiefer symbolized these vessels through the lead markers extending from the sides of the bookcase linked with copper wire. The shattered glass projecting from the shelves and littering the floor beneath the bookcase recalls Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) in Germany, when civilians and Nazi paramilitary officers smashed thousands of synagogue windows and Jewish­-owned storefronts on November 9 and 10, 1938. Kiefer’s towering installation commemorates the persecution of Jews, and its shattered glass suggests the fragility and imperfection of human existence. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 26, 2021 Torso of a Female Figure Torso of a Female Figure, 12th century; Indian; sandstone; height: 21 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 25:1971 Without head, hands, feet, or any other attributes or context, it is quite difficult to determine the identity of this figure. Based on the posture and ornaments, it might or might not be the goddess Pārvatī, wife of Śiva. What this sculpture does convey, however, is the consummate importance of the female in Indian art. From nature spirits depicted on architectural decorations to all-powerful goddesses at the center of religious practice, females are considered to represent fecundity, creativity, and power. This figure would probably have appeared on the exterior of a temple, in a sculptural niche alongside other, similar sculptures. The use of sandstone places its origin in northern or central India, and the beautifully detailed jewelry is consistent with 12th-century design. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 25, 2021 Augustus III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland Johann Joachim Kändler, German, 1706–1775; made by Meissen Porcelain Factory, Germany, founded 1710; Augustus III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, 1736; glazed porcelain and bronze with gilding; figure and base, height: 26 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 256:1951a,b This portrait of Augustus was modeled from life. The king’s pose, gesture, and Roman-style armor are formulas of state portraiture, intended to affirm the king’s power and virtue by clothing him as a classical hero. Far from formulaic, however, is the richly modeled and chased breastplate, which reveals the king’s substantial torso, the scale-ornamented plates of his skirt, and the plumed helmet at his feet. The figure is a masterpiece of ceramic sculpture, both for its artistic virtuosity and for the technical challenge of firing so large a piece of porcelain. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 24, 2021 Untitled (Portrait of the Artist’s Father) Rosemarie Trockel, German, born 1952; Untitled (Portrait of the Artist's Father), 1995; acrylic wash and acrylic paint on paper; 12 1/8 x 9 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Betsy Millard, the Earl and Betsy Millard Collection 110:2003; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Rosemarie Trockel’s oeuvre encompasses a broad range of media and styles, but each piece focuses on a specific detail or theme that is carefully elaborated. The subjects range from hybrid fairy-tale creatures to portraits of friends and family. In this portrait, Trockel finger-painted an image of her uncommunicative father. She was inspired by Freudian therapy, which encourages patients to draw images of family members as a way of releasing hidden emotions. Trockel recalled that the making of this drawing was “pure emotion” and part of an organic process in which all parts were created intuitively. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 23, 2021 The Mississippi John Steuart Curry, American, 1897–1946; The Mississippi, 1935; tempera on canvas mounted on panel; 36 x 48 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 7:1937 An African American family and their bedraggled cat cling to the roof of a house adrift in the muddy turbulence of flood water. The father’s raised hands beseeching divine aid are silhouetted against a break of light, suggesting hope for their dire situation. The artist, John Steuart Curry, like many of his fellow American Scene artists, believed in the rural family as the bedrock of American values. This painting is based on a drawing by the artist whose title, Mississippi Noah, refers to a flood that plagued the Mississippi Valley in 1927. Covering 27,000 square miles, displacing over 200,000 African Americans and enlarging the Mississippi River to a width of 60 miles below Memphis, this flood was one of the most destructive in the nation’s history. It was, however, only one of the many floods that plagued rural populations in the 1930s. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 22, 2021 Untitled László Moholy-Nagy, American (born Austria-Hungary), 1895–1946; Untitled, c.1925; gelatin silver print; image: 9 1/2 x 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 7:1983; © 2021 Estate of László Moholy-Nagy / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn In Abstraction Laszlo Moholy-Nagy explores the formal relationships between light and dark through the photogram, a technique in which light is projected directly onto objects, both translucent and opaque, that have been placed on photographic paper. During his time as an instructor in metal arts at the Weimar Bauhaus from 1923 to 1928, Moholy-Nagy experimented with works from unusual points of view, as if seen through the eye of a worm or bird. His interest in odd perspectives is evident here, where forms appear to float in space, while the winged shape in the center suggests flight. Though he never described himself as a photographer, Moholy-Nagy produced some of the most influential photographs of the twentieth century. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 21, 2021 Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion John Martin, English, 1789 - 1854; Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion, 1812; oil on canvas; 72 1/8 x 51 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 1566:1983 The dramatic subject for this painting came from Tales of the Genii, written by James Ridley and published in 1764. Sadak is a Persian nobleman whose wife is abducted by the Sultan. In exchange for her safe return, Sadak undertakes a perilous journey to get a sample of the Waters of Oblivion. The painting depicts the nobleman clinging to a rock at the bottom of the painting, dedicating the rest of the canvas to the rocky precipices that Sadak must surmount. Rays of light emanate from the upper left, suggesting that Sadak will ultimately obtain his goal. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 20, 2021 George Washington Rembrandt Peale, American, 1778–1860; George Washington, c.1845; oil on canvas; framed: 48 5/8 x 41 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink 30:2014 Rembrandt Peale portrays George Washington in military dress, gazing resolutely off into the distance. Washington was commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and first president of the United States (1789–1797). In the decades following his death in 1799, public demand for his image grew. We know that Washington had a rather long face and pear-shaped body. In this portrait Peale has squared off the chin, broadened the shoulders, and encircled the leader in stone to better evoke his visionary strength. Peale’s efforts were successful, and over a period of 40 years, beginning in 1824, he completed 79 versions of this portrait. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 19, 2021 Steely Day Max Pechstein, German, 1881–1955; Day of Steel, 1911; oil on canvas; 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 927:1983; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / Pechstein Hamburg / Toekendorf / VG Bild Kunst, Bonn Women in dramatic primary colors of red, yellow, and blue explore a wooded setting. Max Pechstein painted Day of Steel during his second visit to Nidden (present-day Nida, Lithuania), a fishing village on the Baltic Sea. Although Pechstein lived in the metropolis of Berlin, he relished his annual trips to the seaside as opportunities to find artistic inspiration in nature. The painting’s enigmatic title may reference the steely blue sky or, more allusively, nudist bathing as a “steeling” and revitalizing activity, particularly since Pechstein wrote of the dreadful weather that he experienced during his stay. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 18, 2021 Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Singing in the Rain during the March from Selma to Montgomery Moneta Sleet Jr., American, 1926–1996; Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Singing in the Rain during the March from Selma to Montgomery, 1965, printed c.1970; gelatin silver print; 19 3/4 x 13 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Johnson Publishing Company 395:1991; © Johnson Publishing Co., Inc. At the center of this photograph, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. looks out with an expression of unflinching determination. He sings with the rest of the participants in the 1965 civil rights protest in Alabama, known as the Selma march. Photographer Moneta Sleet Jr. purposely portrayed King among the people and highlights him as a leader who walked with the masses. The rain drenches the marchers who continue on, many without any covering. By his side, his wife Coretta Scott King joins in with the singing. Sleet is one of the most recognized photojournalists of the civil rights movement. Sleet’s career began as a sportswriter for Amsterdam News before he was hired at Our World magazine where he worked for five years. When Our World shut down in 1955, Sleet went on to become a staff photographer for Johnson Publishing, home of Ebony and Jet magazines. His first assignment was to photograph the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During his career, Sleet earned a Pulitzer Prize for the outstanding quality of his work, in addition to a National Urban League award, and the National Association of Black Journalists award. Today’s Object of the Day is featured in our virtual program: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Celebration: Inspired by a Movement VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 17, 2021 New York Harbor Lillian Glaser, American, 1888–1931; New York Harbor, 1928; wool and linen; 60 1/4 x 27 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of St. Louis Weavers' Guild 141:1952 Symbols of modernity—ocean liners, airplanes, and skyscrapers—intermingle with old-fashioned sailboats and bridges in this stylized view of New York Harbor from 1928. Lillian Glaser, a native of Belleville, Illinois, wove this pictorial textile on a handloom, a slow and technically complex process. Glaser taught weaving at Washington University in St. Louis and was a founding member of the city’s Weavers’ Guild. She likely envisioned the design for this wall hanging on a 1925–26 leave of absence to pursue her artistic education in New York. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 16, 2021 St. Francis Contemplating a Skull Francisco de Zurbarán, Spanish, 1598–1664; St. Francis Contemplating a Skull, c.1635; oil on canvas; 36 x 12 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 47:1941 Saint Francis of Assisi was a 13th-century friar and preacher, famous for having had a vision in which he received the wounds of Christ. The artist has reduced his figure to simple geometric solids, their three-dimensionality enhanced by the use of stark lighting. The saint’s downcast gaze and shadowed face remove him from the viewer’s realm, making his contemplation of the skull a compelling model of religious devotion. Francisco de Zurbarán was a master of the single monumental figure, often based on models that he studied from life. Although the painting was originally part of a larger, multi-paneled altarpiece, it works effectively as a single picture. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 15, 2021 Standing Śākyamuni Buddha Standing Sâkyamuni Buddha, late 6th century; Chinese, Northern Qi dynasty, or Sui dynasty; marble with traces of pigment; 63 3/4 x 18 1/2 x 12 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 182:1919 The serene, introspective gaze of this Buddha is enhanced by the figure’s formal stance and the white, cool character of the marble. Traces of old pigment indicate that this sculpture was originally painted to show the richly embroidered, colorful patchwork silks of a priest’s robe. There are two rare features depicted in this work. The first, just under the left shoulder, is an inverted fan shape that represents the gathering of cloth in a clasp. The second, nestled between the ankles, is a fruit-like motif interpreted as a lotus bud or a wish-granting pearl (cintamani), both symbols of purity (see detail). Based on stylistic analysis and other comparable works, this statue may have been made either during the final years of the Northern Qi dynasty or the early years of the Sui dynasty. This standing statue would have been supported on a lotus pedestal that surmounted a square base, carved from the same marble. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 14, 2021 Candelabra designed by Bruno Paul, German, 1874–1968; made by K. M. Seifert & Co., Dresden-Löbtau, Germany; associated with Vereinigte Werkstätten für Kunst im Handwerk, Munich, Germany, 1897–1991; Candelabra, 1901; brass; 17 1/8 x 27 1/8 x 9 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 169:1995 This candelabra for 13 candles is often compared to the fanned tail of a peacock when the arms are aligned in this position or to a branching tree when they are rotated. Despite these subtle references to nature, the conical candle sockets and base are ornamented only with lines. They mark a departure from other Jugendstil, or Youth Style, designs that more directly imitate organic forms. Designer Bruno Paul was among the architects, craftsmen, and manufacturers who formed the Vereinigte Werkstätten für Kunst im Handwerk, or the United Workshops for Art in Craft. The United Workshops sought to produce affordable modern design and advance the stature of German art industries. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 13, 2021 Robert Hay Drummond, D. D. Archbishop of York and Chancellor of the Order of the Garter Sir Joshua Reynolds, English, 1723–1792; Robert Hay Drummond, D. D. Archbishop of York and Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, 1764; oil on canvas; 50 x 40 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of James F. Ballard 46:1930 In this monumental portrait, Robert Hay Drummond wears regalia indicating both his secular and ecclesiastical offices. His massive blue robe, tied with long silk cords, bears the insignia of the Order of the Knights of the Garter (a prestigious group founded in the 14th century in service to the king) on his right shoulder. Drummond wears the traditional linen collar favored by clergy and rests his left hand on an especially elaborate purse, symbolizing the distribution of alms to the poor, one of his duties as Royal Almoner. The frontal pose and voluminous drapery suggest a powerful individual. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 12, 2021 Zayamaca #4 Al Loving, American, 1935–2005; Zayamaca #4, 1993; collage of painted paper mounted on Plexiglas; irregular: 50 1/2 x 20 1/2 x 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 172:2017; Courtesy the Estate of Al Loving and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York © Al Loving Layered spirals—a signature motif for Al Loving—create a dynamic vertical composition, which seems to sprout new forms as it ascends the wall. Since his early career, the artist created sprawling configurations of repeated shapes large enough to take over walls. Loving, along with contemporaries such as Sam Gilliam, was interested in producing art that rejected traditional supports such as wooden stretchers or frames (learn more). For this work, he constructed a Plexiglas backing, which gives the collage a free-floating sculptural presence. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 11, 2021 Carpet with Hexagonal Compartments Carpet with Hexagonal Compartments, early 19th century; Ottoman period, Turkey; wool; 71 1/4 x 49 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of James F. Ballard 89:1929 The incredibly thick and lustrous wool pile of this rug is typical of Yürük products. Yürük, the Turkish word for “wanderer,” has been used to identify the nomadic people of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Yürük rugs made from local wools are very lightweight for their size. Given the sheen and difference in color saturation when viewed from opposite ends, this rug almost appears to be silk. The design is reminiscent of octagonal ceramic tiles, with interlocking octagonal medallions separated by a twisted-ribbon band in light blue. Connected to this band are rectangular boxes containing smaller hexagonal compartments filled with highly stylized insect forms that may have developed from a floral motif of projecting leaves. Geometric shapes, some with legs, and amulet shapes fill the larger octagonal spaces between the boxes. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 10, 2021 The Rainbow’s Source John Henry Twachtman, American, 1853–1902; The Rainbow's Source, c.1890–1900; oil on canvas; 36 x 25 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 124:1921 This painting is one of many that John Henry Twachtman painted of Horseneck Falls, the waterfall on his property in Greenwich, Connecticut. Twachtman nearly fills the canvas with the image of the waterfall tumbling into the streambed below. The rough texture of the paint vividly captures the movement and misty spray of the water, and the artist was able to create the impression of a vaporous atmosphere that could at any moment reveal a brilliant rainbow. Twachtman used the Impressionist technique of combining multiple brushstrokes of varying color to produce transient, shimmering light effects. He repeatedly painted this waterfall and other subjects on his property, exploring various light and weather conditions. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 9, 2021 Daphne Renée Sintenis, German, 1888–1965; Daphne, 1930; bronze; 56 7/8 x 2 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 672:1949; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Renée Sintenis was a prominent sculptor in early 20th century Germany. In this mythological subject, she depicts Daphne changing into a tree. The nymph’s hair turns to leaves while foliage appears around her legs and sprouts from her armpits. Daphne was pursued by the Greek god Apollo and was transformed into a tree in order to escape the god’s unwanted advances. Sintenis affirmed, “I tried to capture the beginning of this magic transformation in plastic form.” VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 8, 2021 Table Lamp made by Pattyn Products Company, Detroit, Michigan; Table Lamp, c.1935; aluminum, plastic, brass, and fiberglass; 19 3/4 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Victor Porter Smith 30:2017 This table lamp’s piston-like aluminum base and ribbed fiberglass shade look like spare machine parts. Spurred by a fascination with modern factories, designers and home furnishing manufacturers between World War I and II embraced the pure geometry and honest materiality of industrial forms. Stacked and repeated cylinders and spheres, which supplanted the earlier trend for triangular forms, epitomized American “Machine Age” design. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 7, 2021 St. Ives Cornwall, Composition Ben Nicholson, English, 1894–1982; St. Ives Cornwall, Composition, 1934; oil on canvas mounted on board; 21 1/2 x 25 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 118:1969; © 2021 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / DACS, London Overlaid planes of bright color evoke the sea, sand, and brilliant light of the coast in Cornwall, England. This landscape was an important retreat for Ben Nicholson throughout his life. The same year in which Nicholson painted St. Ives Cornwall, Composition, he visited the studio of Piet Mondrian, where he was deeply affected by the older artist’s careful arrangement of strict, geometric forms. This work highlights the nature-inspired and lyrical elements which were distinctive to Nicholson’s abstract compositions. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 6, 2021 Adoration of the Magi follower of Hugo van der Goes, South Netherlandish, c.1440–1482; Adoration of the Magi, c.1505; oil on panel; 50 3/4 x 40 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 93:1926 Before a magnificent landscape of hills and cliffs, three opulently dressed Magi present the Christ Child with exotic gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The flamboyant kings contrast with the two simple shepherds who strain to observe the scene as they peer on either side of the half column behind the Holy Family. The three different ages and nationalities of the Magi, as well as the distinction between the poor shepherds and wealthy kings, symbolize the universality of Christ’s mission. Following Northern traditions of architectural symbolism, the dilapidated building at right denotes the collapse of a previous religious order. The stone steps on which Mary and her baby sit suggest the foundation of a new one. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 5, 2021 Headrest in the Form of a Theater Headrest in the Form of a Theater, late 13th–mid-14th century; Chinese, Yuan dynasty; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with carved and applied decoration under bluish-white (qingbai) glaze; 6 3/4 x 12 x 6 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Spink Asian Art Collection, Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink 148:2014 This is a rare porcelain headrest in the form of a theater with a surrounding balustrade. The object is modeled in high relief on all four sides with figural and architectural details (see detail). The shaped top is slanted toward one of the long sides and decorated with a design of interlocking coins within an undulating border. During the Yuan dynasty, drama attained such a high point in the history of Chinese literature and performing arts that theatrical structures inspired the production of ceramic headrests. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 4, 2021 Siempre (Always) Frank Wimberley, American, born 1926; Siempre, 1998; collage of cut painted paper with pastel; 22 1/4 x 27 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 184:2017; © Frank Wimberley Energetic gestures of vivid red, yellow, white, and silver seem to fight in a messy brawl against a black background. To achieve this effect, Frank Wimberley incorporated cut pieces from other examples of his work. This technique was utilized by some of the earliest collage artists in the 20th century. Deckled edges, splattered paint, and scratches into existing brush marks (see detail) add further dimension to the varied surface. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 3, 2021 Infant , mid-1st century BC–mid-1st century AD; Greek, Late Hellenistic, or Roman, Imperial period, Egypt; bronze with silver inlay; height: 24 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 36:1926 This sculpture’s sturdy figure, solid stance, and mature face are at odds with the idea of a helpless, innocent child. Made at a time when accurate depictions of age, both old and young, were popular, this sculpture seems somehow supernatural and suggests a mythological figure rather than an anonymous depiction of an infant. Zeus, king of the gods, had two sons, Herakles and Dionysus who were sometimes depicted as babies. The infant, Herakles survived an assassination attempt by gleefully strangling the snakes sent to his bed. Baby Dionysus was fostered as an infant far from the prying eyes of Zeus’s jealous wife, Hera. Without the arms or any characteristic attributes, it is impossible to securely identify who this sculpture represents. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 2, 2021 Christ and the Sinner Max Beckmann, German, 1884–1950; Christ and the Sinner, 1917; oil on canvas; 58 3/4 x 49 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Curt Valentin 185:1955 HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript In this unconventional depiction (hear more above), Jesus stops an angry mob from stoning a woman to death. The biblical story’s message of non-violence expresses Max Beckmann’s pacifism after his wartime service. Beckmann volunteered as a medical orderly during the war, but constant exposure to dead and dying soldiers traumatized him. This is one of the first paintings he made after his discharge in 1917. Twenty years later, Christ and the Sinner appeared in the infamous Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art) show, a propaganda exhibition organized by the Nazi government to indoctrinate Germans against Expressionist and abstract art. VIEW OBJECT JANUARY 1, 2021 Reliquary Guardian Figure (mbulu ngulu) Kota artist, Gabon; Reliquary Guardian Figure (mbulu ngulu), late 19th–early 20th century; wood, copper, brass, iron; 25 1/2 x 16 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by The May Department Stores Company, and gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin S. Novack, Morton D. May, Ernest Anspach, Thomas Alexander, Michael Roth, J. Lionberger Davis, Jerry O. Wilkerson, and bequest of Morton D. May, by exchange; Museum Purchase and Friends Fund 23:1989 Kota reliquary guardian figures (mbulu ngulu), such as this one, are unique among African sculptural forms in their combination of wood and hammered metal. It is thought that the figurative form of the mbulu ngulu was intended to reinforce and communicate the reliquary’s intense power. The Kota used reliquary guardian figures to protect and identify the revered bones of family ancestors. The Kota believed that the relics of important men and women retain power after death, providing protection and good fortune to an individual’s descendants. The remains were preserved in containers made of bark or basketry. The mbulu ngulu stood atop this bundle, bound to it at the figure’s lozenge-shaped base. Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 31, 2020 Puppet Bamana artist, Mali; Puppet, 1960s; wood, pigment, animal hair, metal, cloth, fiber; 24 x 36 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Partial gift of Thomas Alexander and Museum Shop Fund 189:1994 This puppet is constructed with moveable joints, allowing both the horse and rider to strike a variety of gestures and poses. Puppeteers work from behind a cloth screen to operate the puppets, up to five feet from the ground. Part of a genre known as “the animals come forth” (sogo bò), this puppet was used to entertain children and young adults. Sogo bò is a tradition shared among several cultural groups in the Ségou Region of central Mali. This type of puppetry, which originated prior to 1890, is particularly suited to inventiveness and change, and continues to evolve through new performances into the present day. Secular in character, the performances are owned and enacted by members of the kamalen ton, the young men’s society. Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 30, 2020 Crown (adenla) Yoruba artist, Nigeria; Crown (adenla), 20th century; glass beads, cotton fabric, rattan; 34 x 8 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey and Jackie Hammer 52:2009 Lavish glass beading on this crown emphasizes the wealth and power of a Yoruba oba (king). Glass beads, imported from eastern Europe and northern Italy via transatlantic trade, became an important signifier of wealth. This crown’s veil concealed the face of the oba; the luxury of bountifully beaded ornamentation further underscored the separation between a semidivine king and his constituency. The crown’s principal conical shape highlights the significance of an oba’s ori inu, the “inner head,” which in Yoruba belief holds one’s character, intellect, destiny, and spiritual essence. The ori inu takes precedent over the ori ode, one’s physical “outer head.” Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 29, 2020 Chief’s Chair Chokwe artist, Angola; Chief's Chair, 19th century; wood, brass, hide; 29 1/4 x 11 x 17 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 7:1943 This chair is a symbol of political power and social hierarchy. The top of the chair back features the heads of five Chokwe chiefs in royal headdresses. Below the chiefs, on the lower back are carved images of three initiates of the young men’s masking society (see detail), an association controlled by the chief. Underneath the initiates, on one side are a pair of musicians who carry and play a wood slit drum. On the opposite rung are two women with tall pestles pounding food in a mortar. The other two rungs feature carvings of scenes from Chokwe life, including a man leading a cow. From the 16th century, Portuguese traders imported European-style joinery chairs and presented them as gifts to their African trading partners. As the chairs were traded into the interior, they became prestige objects and eventually served as prototypes for chairs used by Chokwe chiefs. Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 28, 2020 Crest Mask (ci-wara kun) Bamana artist, Mali; Crest Mask (ci-wara kun), early 20th century; wood, pigment, metal tacks; 17 1/2 x 25 x 3 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 68:1998 This headdress, called ci‑wara kun, primarily represents an antelope, an important animal in Bamana culture. The antelope’s power is a metaphor for the successful farmer who tirelessly tills his fields. Worn on the heads of male dancers, these headdresses are always performed in pairs­—one male and one female—to symbolize the fertility of both land and animals. A male mask such as this would have been joined by a female mask and danced together to the sound of drums in order to bring forth the rain, clear the fields, and harvest the crops. Music and entertainment by the masked performers would inspire the young men to work efficiently and in harmony. Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 27, 2020 Veranda Post Yoruba artist, Nigeria; Veranda Post, 20th century; wood; 82 11/16 x 5 1/16 x 3 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 273:1972 The warrior-hunter, recognizable by his gun and long-tailed headdress, appears twice on this veranda post, standing atop a ram’s head above, and with his feline prey below (see detail). The sculpture communicated that its owner was a cosmopolitan individual who honored Ogun, the Yoruba god of warriors and chiefs, observed Islamic teachings, and maintained political ties with the British colonial administration. A Muslim teacher below is identifiable by the turban he wears and the Koranic writing board and prayer beads he holds. Above him, carved in relief, is a seated European colonial official, recognizable by his pith helmet, pipe, and book. Thus, leadership, in the forms of warriorhood, education, and politics, represents the values of the owner whose residence this post once adorned. Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 26, 2020 Shrine Object Yoruba artist, Nigeria; Shrine Object, first half 20th century; wood, leather, cowrie shells, glass beads, fiber, metal bells; overall height: 27 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Dr. William Harvey 18:1983 These figures, one male and one female, suggest the Yoruba god Eshu’s ability to bring opposites and complementary entities together. Eshu is known as the messenger between this world and the spiritual realm of the orishas and ancestors. The figure pair also emphasizes the duality inherent in Eshu’s personality. Known as a trickster, Eshu represents unpredictability and uncertainty in the universe. When this object was not set up as a shrine dedicated to the god, a devotee danced with it, activating its dangling bells and shells, at Eshu festivals held in the marketplace. Eshu is also considered the guardian of the markets and crossroads. Throughout this week, Object of the Day will feature a series of African works of art in celebration of Kwanzaa. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 25, 2020 Madonna and Child Enthroned with Sts. Peter, John the Baptist, Dominic, and Nicholas of Bari Piero di Cosimo, Italian, 1461/62–1521; Madonna and Child Enthroned with Sts. Peter, John the Baptist, Dominic, and Nicholas of Bari, c.1481–85; tempera and oil on panel; 105 1/4 x 63 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 1:1940 In a lifelike rendering, this large panel portrays a sacra conversazione (holy conversation) where saints surround the Madonna and Child in a unified pictorial space. Saint Peter presents the kneeling Saint Dominic (left) while Saint John the Baptist announces Christ’s ministry, and Saint Nicholas kneels in devotion (right). The three smaller panels, called a predella, depict scenes from the lives of Saints Dominic, John, and Nicholas (see detail). The Pugliese coat of arms adorns the frame, identifying the Florentine family who commissioned the work for its private chapel. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 23, 2020 Untitled Sam Middleton, American, 1927–2015; Untitled, 1990; collage of cut and torn printed and painted papers, with paint and graphite; 19 3/8 x 25 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 174:2017; © Sam Middleton estate, courtesy of Spanierman Modern This work is populated with layered references to the artist’s life in the Netherlands, where he relocated in 1961 (see detail). Cut and torn ephemera form a textured collage: stamps, receipts, and musical scores with Dutch text, along with a small black-and-white image of windmills and a map of the Netherlands. The primary colors—blue, red, and yellow refer to important Dutch artists active in the early 20th century. The underlying blue and image of a seagull suggest traditional Dutch seascapes. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 22, 2020 Sallet Helmet Sallet Helmet, c.1480; probably Austrian; steel, iron, and leather; 9 3/4 x 9 x 15 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 58:1939 Characterized by their horizontal profile and long pointed tail, helmets known as sallets cover the upper half of the face. They were often supplemented with a bevor, a separate guard that protected the chin and throat. This helmet was beaten from one large sheet of metal, requiring great skill and finesse to hammer the smooth sweeping form. The pristine curve of its surface deflects weapons and, pierced with a vision slit, the sallet exudes a mysterious, mask-like presence. Although a helmet was only one element of a knight’s armor, it was the crowning glory of military garb, and its form, construction, and decoration provide clues to its use, date, and place of manufacture. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 21, 2020 Flask with Flattened Sides and Design of Fish and Flowers Flask with Flattened Sides and Design of Fish and Flowers, 15th–early 16th century; Korean, Joseon dynasty; buncheong ware; stoneware with incised and sgraffito decoration under transparent glaze; 8 7/8 x 7 3/8 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 253:1919 The flattened sides of this flask are boldly decorated with fish in the sgraffito (scratched) technique. The outlines were incised through the white surface to reveal the darker body below. The narrower sides have stylized floral motifs produced in reverse through removal of the white surface over the body, along with some incised details. The term buncheong is a contraction of bunjang hoecheong sagi. First used in the 1930s by Korea’s earliest art historian Go Yuseop, it means “gray-blue (or gray-green) stoneware with powder.” The “powder” refers to the layer of thin white clay brushed onto the formed vessels before they are decorated with painted, incised, or stamped designs. The pale shade of blue or green comes from iron in the glaze applied prior to firing. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 20, 2020 Venus Anadyomene Arnold Böcklin, Swiss (active Germany), 1827–1901; Venus Anadyomene, 1872; oil on panel; 23 1/4 x 18 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Brauer, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence E. Langsam, an Anonymous Friend, and Mr. and Mrs. Christian B. Peper 45:1993 The newborn Venus, ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty, rises from the waves on the back of a sea monster. Cupids with butterfly wings clothe her in sea foam and crown her with a wreath. The Swiss artist Arnold Böcklin worked in Germany intermittently throughout his career, spending several years in Munich. His light, frothy brushwork and imaginative depictions of mythology made him one of Germany’s most popular painters. Böcklin’s success inspired younger German artists to paint scenes from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 19, 2020 Fowler after Giambologna (Jean Boulogne), Flemish (active Italy), 1529–1608; probably cast by Antonio Susini, Italian, active 1580–1624; Fowler, late 16th–early 17th century; bronze with gilding; 11 1/2 x 4 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 284:1951 Cautious and alert, the fowler prepares to cage a bird using a small lamp and a stick (originally a racquet) to flush them from their nests. Among one of the best examples of the approximately ten variations of the subject known today, this bronze cast has a meticulously crafted surface, and shows the artist’s great attention to details and sensitive modeling. This version was probably cast by skilled bronzeworker Antonio Susini. Susini assisted Giambologna, a renowned Flemish artist born in Douai, Flanders, in the 16th century (now Douai, France) who spent most of his career in Italy. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 18, 2020 Little Briar-Rose, from the Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm Eugen Napoleon Neureuther, German, 1806–1882; Little Briar-Rose, from the Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm, 1836; etching; 27 x 21 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund 1:2003 An impenetrable wall of thorns encloses a castle where everyone is asleep except for a prince poised to kiss the sleeping princess (see detail). Eugen Napoleon Neureuther’s print illustrates the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Little Briar-Rose, more familiar to Americans as Sleeping Beauty. The Brothers Grimm recorded their fairy tales, first published in 1812, in an effort to document Germanic folk stories. Neureuther’s print shows the growing popularity of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Without political unity, Germans embraced art, literature, and folklore that reflected a common cultural heritage. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 17, 2020 Urbis II Joseph Beuys, German, 1921–1986; Urbis II, 1972; chalk on blackboard with wood stand; chalkboard and stand: 70 7/8 x 58 1/2 x 23 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Donald L. Bryant Jr. Family Trust 189:2003; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript Words and arrows flow across the surface of this blackboard. Joseph Beuys used it during one of his legendary “chalk talks,” performances and lectures he gave throughout the 1960s and 70s (hear more above). Beuys understood his presentations on European politics and society as works of art—particularly as sculptures. He held a strong conviction that ideas, and not objects, were the most important form sculpture could take. Already notorious for his use of materials like felt and fat, Beuys turned to words to mold and express his creative goals. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE DECEMBER 16, 2020 Birch Trees at Dawn on Lake George Georgia O'Keeffe, American, 1887–1986; Birch Trees at Dawn on Lake George, 1925; oil on canvas; 36 x 30 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Ernest W. Stix 14:1964; © 2020 Georgia O'Keeffe Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York In this painting, curving, tubular shapes and light colors evoke not only breeze-struck birch trees in early morning light but the sensuous lines of the human torso as well. Georgia O’Keeffe developed a personal language of semi-abstract forms to suggest the moods of nature. Her in-laws kept a summer home at Lake George in upstate New York, which was the site for the imagery seen in this work. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 15, 2020 View of the St. Anne’s River Robert Seldon Duncanson, American, 1821–1872; View of the St. Anne's River, 1870; oil on canvas; 21 1/4 x 40 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 163:1966 Pervasive golden light, reflected in the smooth surface of the river, establishes the tranquil mood of this landscape. A small herd of cattle wades in the shallow water, undisturbed by the fishermen in the distance. Robert Duncanson created this painting from sketches he had made on a trip to Canada in 1869. Duncanson was one of the first African American painters to experience success not only in the United States, but in Canada as well. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 14, 2020 Moonlight Coastal Scene Robert Salmon, American (born England), 1775–after 1845; Moonlight Coastal Scene, 1836; oil on panel; 16 5/8 x 24 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and funds given by Mr. and Mrs. Duncan C. Dobson, the Eliza McMillan Trust, and anonymous donors in memory of Henry B. Pflager 95:1973 Robert Salmon was hailed for his masterful renditions of moonlight as it permeates moist sea air. The effect imbues this port scene with a quiet solitude and sense of mystery. The fishermen, absorbed in the practical tasks at hand, seem indifferent to the romance of distant travel that the merchant ships in the misty distance evoke. Salmon, known as an eccentric, solitary man, had a studio overlooking Boston Harbor during its heyday as a shipping and trade center. Salmon’s patrons were wealthy men, mostly engaged in the merchant trade that moved through the port from all parts of the globe. It is easy to see how a painting such as Moonlight Coastal Scene would appeal to their tastes. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 13, 2020 The Silver Goblet Jean-Siméon Chardin, French, 1699–1779; The Silver Goblet, c.1728; oil on canvas; 16 7/8 x 19 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 55:1934 This seemingly simple still life features a silver goblet, a subject Jean-Siméon Chardin painted often. The dark background contrasts with the goblet’s polished surface, which reflects the objects clustered around it. Chardin produced many evocative still-life paintings in which individual elements contribute to a feeling of quiet solitude and ethereal beauty. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 12, 2020 Maquette for Sculpture Screen at Lambert-St. Louis Airport Terminal Harry Bertoia, American (born Italy), 1915–1978; Maquette for Sculpture Screen at Lambert-St. Louis Airport Terminal, 1954–55; metal and paint on metal; 8 x 48 x 2 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mrs. Charles W. Lorenz, the E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Charitable Trust, and the Gary Wolff Family 39:2001; © 2020 Estate of Harry Bertoia / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York This scale model is of a sculpture that was designed by Harry Bertoia for the Lambert-St. Louis Air Terminal when it opened in 1956. The 48-foot-long screen delineated the space between the main lobby and the Kitty Hawk dining room. Vividly colored panels suspended within the screen’s framework appeared to flutter as people walked by, creating a delightful sense of rhythm and movement. On one side the panels were painted in oranges, reds, and yellows; the other side had cooler reds, blues, and fuschias. The screen was removed from the terminal sometime between 1965 and 1967 when the airport expanded. This maquette is the only surviving document of both the sculpture and the original paint scheme. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 10, 2020 Prunus Vase (meiping) with Design of Scattered Peach Blossoms Prunus Vase (meiping) with Design of Scattered Peach Blossoms, 13th–14th century; Chinese, Southern Song dynasty, or Yuan dynasty; Jizhou ware; stoneware with biscuit-reserved decoration and dark brown glaze; 11 x 6 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Samuel C. Davis 947:1940 Visible in white against the dark brown glaze, 24 stylized peach blossoms, each with five petals and five glaze dots to mark the stamens and pistils, embellish this vessel’s exterior. This vase was wheel-thrown in sections that were luted, or joined with a slurry of water and clay before they were fired. Once the vessel was assembled, the 24 discrete stencils of cut paper that produced the design were affixed to its surface, and it was immersed foot-first in the glaze slurry. The bottom of its foot-ring was then immediately wiped free of glaze. When the glaze had stabilized but was still moist, the stencils were removed, leaving the reserved decoration. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 9, 2020 Landscape Helen Matilda Kingman, American, 1830–1912; Landscape, 1845; oil on canvas; 22 7/8 x 29 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch 79:1968 An artist balances his sketchbook as he captures a scene filled with the red glow of dusk. This landscape presents a sense of both the exotic, with tropical plants and palm trees, and the pastoral, as canoes and sailboats dot the river. Helen M. Kingman signed the back of the canvas with her name, the date, and her age—15. This is the only painting from her brush that is known to survive. In the same year it was painted, the itinerant portraitist Susan Catherine Moore Waters (1823–1900) had visited the Kingman family in New York. She likely inspired Helen to show off her sure hand at drawing and her fondness for rich jewel tones. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 8, 2020 St. Lawrence Distributing the Riches of the Church Bernardo Strozzi, Italian, 1581–1644; St. Lawrence Distributing the Riches of the Church, c.1625; oil on canvas; 48 3/8 x 64 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 37:1944 Through vivid color contrasts, selective highlights, and the saint’s extended left hand, the artist draws us into this scene where the third-century martyr St. Lawrence distributes the Church’s treasures to the poor. Strozzi has captured our attention through the sumptuous grouping of richly ornamented objects that almost burst out of the pictorial space into our world. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 7, 2020 Journey Signs Frank Wimberley, American, born 1926; Journey Signs, 1993; acrylic on canvas with collage; 32 x 34 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 194:2017; © Frank Wimberley This seemingly simple work actually contains many layers of paint and fabric (see detail). Scratches through the black on the left reveal a ground of bright orange, also evident under white areas in the lower half. The white rectangle in the center is built up from layers of cut canvas, and its side shimmers with iridescent pinks and gold. Frank Wimberley’s approach to assembling these elements was improvisational and inspired by jazz. In turn, it was appreciated by musicians such as Miles Davis, who collected his work. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 6, 2020 Village on the Sea Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, German, 1884–1976; Village on the Sea, 1913; oil on canvas; 30 1/4 x 35 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 939:1983; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Zigzags and stripes resolve into the triangular rooftops of houses, balloon-like poplar trees, and rolling pine forests. The Baltic Sea appears as a backdrop to the fishing village and artist colony of Nidden (present-day Nida, Lithuania), where Karl Schmidt-Rottluff stayed with Max Pechstein for four months in 1913. The paintings Schmidt-Rottluff made at Nidden transformed his art. Inspired by the landscape, he began to outline his motifs in black and repeat them as generic types for natural objects, giving his art a more patterned look. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 5, 2020 Diogenes Ugo da Carpi, Italian, active c.1502–1532; after Parmigianino (Francesco Mazzola), Italian, 1503–1540; Diogenes, c.1527–30; chiaroscuro woodcut; sheet (trimmed to image): 19 x 13 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund 23:1984 This remarkable woodcut by Ugo da Carpi presents the fourth-century BCE philosopher Diogenes in a spiraling, muscular pose. Having relinquished all earthly goods, Diogenes is seated naked and immersed in thought with his few possessions: three books, a wooden tub, and a cloak. The plucked chicken at right also appears as an attribute, since Diogenes had mocked Plato’s definition of man as a featherless biped. Ugo da Carpi introduced to Italy the chiaroscuro woodcut, which was developed to suggest the effect of a tonal drawing. He produced this print from four interdependent woodblocks that form a composition when printed together. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 4, 2020 Bust of Zeus Serapis Bust of Zeus Serapis, mid-2nd–mid-3rd century; Roman, Imperial period; bronze with silver inlay; 6 3/4 x 5 1/8 x 1 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 69:1923 As today, individuals in antiquity found ways to express their devotion to the gods. Whether maintaining a small altar at home for the worship of a particular deity, or presenting gifts called votives, at sanctuaries or graves, many of the objects that survive from antiquity served a ritual function. This bronze bust represents Zeus Serapis—a hybrid deity. The pharaohs of Egypt introduced Zeus Serapis in the third-century BCE to unify competing Greek and Egyptian pantheons. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 3, 2020 The Active Voice René Magritte, Belgian, 1898–1967; The Active Voice, 1951; oil on canvas; 39 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 4:1960; © René Magritte, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY/ADAGP, Paris Precisely depicted in shades of gray and taupe, an isolated stone hovers before a solid orange background. Without any other objects to reference for scale, it is impossible to know whether this rock is a tiny pebble or a massive boulder. René Magritte, a prominent member of the surrealist movement, painted disorienting and dreamlike subjects in a style of meticulous realism. The artist’s choice of title here may be an ironic play on the pervasive sense of silence in this painting. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 2, 2020 Bottle Bottle, 18th century; Indian, Mughal period; zinc alloy with silver inlay; height: 10 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 80:1923 The silver inlay on this bottle is brilliantly highlighted against the black background. The bottle is composed of a zinc alloy that turns black when bathed in an acidic solution. Originating in the city of Bidar in India, this type of vessel is known as Bidri ware. It bears the type of floral decoration that is a major theme in the arts of the Islamic courts of India. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 2, 2020 Untitled Chakaia Booker, American, born 1953; Untitled, 2014; woodcut and lithograph with chine collé; image: 19 3/4 × 13 7/16 inches, sheet: 28 9/16 × 20 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 122:2017; © Chakaia Booker Chakaia Booker combined overlapping shapes produced with relief printmaking and lithography techniques to create this enigmatic image. The arranged and collaged printed papers relate to Booker’s sculpting process, in which she assembles large-scale works from cut recycled tires. Some of the elements in this work, especially the repetitive patterns in an inky palette, resemble tire treads or perhaps their imprint. VIEW OBJECT DECEMBER 1, 2020 LS #17 Beate Gütschow, German, born 1970; LS #17, 2003, printed 2012; chromogenic print; image: 45 1/2 x 66 1/2 inches, sheet: 48 1/2 x 78 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Jeffrey T. Fort, the St. Louis Friends of Photography, the Anne L. Lehmann Charitable Trust, Mr. Sam Weiss; and gift of Stephen Bunyard and Museum Purchase, by exchange 24:2012; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript Reminiscent of a 17th-century Dutch landscape painting with a distant, low horizon and clusters of figures, this photograph is a meticulous simulation. Beate Gütschow digitally combined dozens of images of mundane, unrelated places, such as public parks and construction sites (hear more above). This blending references earlier traditions of European landscape pictures, in which the countryside vistas depicted were also artificial fabrications. The printing information visible at the right deliberately erodes trust in the photographic illusion by hinting at the process of its construction. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 30, 2020 The Laundresses Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French, 1732–1806; The Laundresses, c.1756–61; oil on canvas; 28 3/4 x 24 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 76:1937 Two women in bright white and yellow form the focal point of this composition. They toil within a stifling atmosphere of dense steam clouds in a laundry. Jean-Honoré Fragonard, a favorite artist at court, often chose working class people as subjects. Here he captures the demanding physical labor that washing required, most notably in the figure carrying a heavy bundle. The artist makes visible the intense heat of the kettle; contemporary laundry treatises recommended a seventeen-hour process with temperatures near boiling. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 29, 2020 To Cover the Earth with a New Dew Roberto Matta, Chilean (active France and United States), 1911–2002; To Cover the Earth with a New Dew, 1953; oil on canvas; 79 3/4 x 114 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 396:1955; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY/ADAGP, Paris In this hallucinatory landscape, the sun rises over a scene of swarming white insects and bizarre green-and-pink orbs. Roberto Matta moved to Paris in 1935 and became a prominent figure in the Surrealist movement. This later work showcases his continued interest in Surrealism’s automatic drawing and painting, where the hand moves freely, uninhibited by conscious thought. Matta described his paintings as, “the subconscious in its burning, liquid state; a conscious daytime substitution of the phenomena of dreams.” VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 28, 2020 Our Web Herbert Gentry, American, 1919–2003; Our Web, 1990; gouache; image: 25 5/8 × 22 1/4 inches, sheet: 29 1/2 × 22 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 151:2017; © Mary Anne Rose and the Estate of Herbert Gentry Herbert Gentry created dream-like fantasy worlds, populated by totems and mask-like faces emerging from a tangle of color contours. A devoted abstractionist, Gentry studied with the French cubist painter Georges Braque and American abstract expressionist artist Beauford Delaney. Gentry retained the figure as a means “to see form.” Above all, Gentry insisted his images be allowed to unfold freely without plan, relying on “a certain spontaneity” where his “subconscious plays a great role.” VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 27, 2020 Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 2 Henry Moore, English, 1898–1986; Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 2, 1959–60; bronze; sculpture: 49 1/2 x 101 1/2 x 42 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard F. Baer 68:1970a,b; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY Henry Moore produced an extensive sculptural series of the abstracted human body in two parts. Moore’s reclining forms can be compared to eroded cliffs, an association enhanced by the work’s carved and pock-marked surface. The artist found in these sculptures “a metaphor of the relationship of humanity with the earth.” VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 26, 2020 Ice Bag–Scale B Claes Oldenburg, American (born Sweden), born 1929; Ice Bag–Scale B, 1971; nylon, fiberglass, mechanism, paint, lacquer, blowers, anodized parts, steel, zipper, acrylic, muslin, Velcro ; diameter: 48 1/4 inches, height, variable: 35 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Nancy Singer 11:1975; © Claes Oldenburg Claes Oldenburg took a distinctive approach to sculpture, recreating everyday objects such as typewriters, hamburgers, and ice bags, as shown here. He enlarged these familiar items far beyond their actual size, describing them as “monuments to everyday things.” Using fabric materials, such as nylon and vinyl, Oldenburg gave his works their characteristically “soft” appearance. Oldenburg intended for this ice bag to be kinetic, twisting and inflating in order to give the appearance of being filled with ice. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 25, 2020 The Two Sisters Henri Fantin-Latour, French, 1836–1904; The Two Sisters, 1859; oil on canvas; 38 3/4 x 51 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 8:1937 Henri Fantin-Latour painted this double portrait of his sisters when he was only 22 years old. He presents the two young women in the intimate setting of their home. This double portrait shows the two younger sisters of the painter; Marie reads on the right while Nathalie embroiders on the left. The subdued tones of this bourgeois interior are offset by the colorful yarn on the embroidery frame. The picture is notable for an unspoken psychological tension between the two sitters. An unsettling note in Nathalie’s face hints at her depressive illness which would soon confine her to a mental institution for the rest of her life. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 24, 2020 Olevano Albert Bierstadt, American (born Germany), 1830–1902; Olevano, 1856–57; oil on paper mounted on canvas; 19 3/4 x 27 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 150:1953 Painted from a hill overlooking the Italian town of Olevano Romano, this oil sketch presents a panoramic view of stucco buildings, the rustic countryside, and the distant ruins of a castle at the right. Along the bottom of the painting, Albert Bierstadt recorded the names of nearby locations and later used them as reference points for a larger painting based on this sketch (see detail). Olevano Romano’s great cliffs and distinctive architecture attracted many tourists and artists in the mid-19th century. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 22, 2020 World Receiver Brüsselerstrasse Isa Genzken, German, born 1948; World Receiver Brüsselerstrasse, 1992; cast concrete and telescoping radio antenna; 40 9/16 x 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Partial and promised gift of Betsy Millard, the Earl and Betsy Millard Collection 42:2003; © 2020 Isa Genzken / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript The familiar sight of a raised chrome antenna transforms this concrete block into a silent radio. Isa Genzken used concrete as a medium to reference the cold, raw material used in postwar German reconstruction (hear more below). World Receiver Brüsselerstrasse is subtitled with the name of a street (Brüsselerstraße in Berlin) and an international city (Brüssel, or Brussels), evoking the global nature of radio transmission. Radio waves cannot be blocked by borders or walls, so radio programs became a site of propaganda transmission during the Cold War. The work is part of a series begun by the artist in the early 1990s. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 21, 2020 Landscape Hine Taizan, Japanese, 1813–1869; Landscape, 1864; hanging scroll: ink on silk; image: 22 1/4 x 34 1/4 inches, scroll: 63 x 40 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art 132:1984 This wide-format hanging scroll depicts a foreground spit of land in monochrome with trees and rocks projecting diagonally from middle right to lower left. A barely discernible far shore in pale gray washes appears from the middle left to middle right. Hine Taizan, a masterful painter with an eccentric personality, was among the most important Japanese literati artists of the 19th century. Taizan’s inscription is written in columns from right to left, as is typical in East Asian writing, across the top of the composition. It includes a poem composed by the 14th-century Chinese scholar and painter Chen Ruyan (c.1331–before 1371), who had originally inscribed this poem on a landscape painting depicting spring mountains. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE NOVEMBER 20, 2020 Bathers Erich Heckel, German, 1883–1970; Bathers, 1912–13; oil and encaustic on canvas; 33 x 37 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 892:1983; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn The turn of the century saw a vogue of Freikörperkultur (Free Body Culture) in Germany, a movement which emphasized the health benefits of nudist activity within nature. Erich Heckel here represents an aerial view of naked bathers, probably on Hiddensee Island off the north German coast. The bathers are rendered in angular lines, mirroring those of the jagged lake shore. Heckel depicted water here in a dense, repetitive pattern and affirmed that he “wanted to paint the way one would knit.” VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 18, 2020 Still Life with Strawberries Hannah Brown Skeele, American, 1829–1901; Still Life with Strawberries, 1863; oil on panel; 17 x 21 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Purchased in memory of Rose Allen Valier by her friends and Mr. and Mrs. Biron A. Valier 83:1974 This careful presentation of ripe strawberries, prickly skinned pineapple, and the shiny reflections of elaborate silver and glass speak to the owner’s taste for luxury. The pineapple, an exotic fruit imported into New Orleans and shipped along the Mississippi River, was available only in limited quantities. Wealthy families proudly served it on special occasions. This painting would have adorned the walls of an upper-class dining room, and affirmed social and economic status. Still life was considered an appropriate subject for female artists, who otherwise were excluded from more lucrative painting subjects and formal training in America in the 19th century. Hannah Brown Skeele worked in St. Louis in the 1860s. She was considered an amateur artist, though her works won considerable acclaim. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 17, 2020 The Man of Confusion Paul Klee, Swiss, 1879–1940; The Man of Confusion, 1939; oil on canvas; 26 1/4 x 19 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 410:1952 Parts of the human body, including a wide-eyed face and two hands, float amidst amorphous flesh-toned forms. After Paul Klee was forced to leave Germany and return to his native Switzerland during the Nazi regime, he became afflicted with scleroderma, a chronic disease affecting the skin and organs of the body. Man of Confusion, painted a year before Klee’s death from the disease, presents a self-portrait of the artist in a state of mental and bodily distress. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 16, 2020 Christina’s Day Off (Down in the Dumps II) Robert Colescott, American, 1925–2009; Christina's Day Off (Down in the Dumps II), 1983; acrylic on canvas; 84 x 72 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Brooke and Carolyn Alexander 213:1993; © 2020 Robert Colescott / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York A woman named Christina poses in front of what appears to be a towering heap of trash. On closer inspection, desirable consumer goods, such as a pink car, are identifiable among the rubbish. The title of this painting refers to American artist Andrew Wyeth’s realist painting Christina’s World from 1948, in which a White woman crawls up a grassy hill toward a barn in the distance. In contrast, Robert Colescott represented Christina as an African American woman standing boldly upright and smiling. A wet paintbrush at Christina’s feet reminds us of the artist’s role in reimagining her story. In this work, Colescott both appropriated and critiqued stereotyped imagery, prompting difficult conversations around ideas of consumerism, race, gender, and desirability. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 15, 2020 Beaker Beaker, second half 13th or 14th century; Syrian, Mamluk period; glass; height: 4 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 52:1921 Glass-making in the Islamic world reflects a vibrant tradition dating from ancient times. The Romans first discovered how to blow glass on a rod, while the Iranians in late antiquity specialized in molded glass with wheel-cut decoration. Roman traditions in glass-making also continued for centuries. As late as the 13th century, glass from Egypt and Syria exhibited Roman decorative techniques to incorporate contrasting colors. Such techniques can be seen on this small beaker. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 14, 2020 Portrait of a Woman Nicolas de Largillière, French, 1656–1746; Portrait of a Woman, c.1696; oil on canvas; 64 1/4 x 51 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 3:1943 Surrounded by luxurious objects that enhance her beauty and define her good taste, this unknown woman threads the satin ribbons from a string of crystal beads into her hair. The lavish marble-top table with its putto base, the imported Chinese porcelain vase, and the opulent fabrics were frequent motifs in Largillière’s art and were particularly popular among the moneyed society that employed him. In a court where nobility vied to be present when the king dressed in the morning, intimate images like this one, set in the bedroom or boudoir, were appropriate for the display of wealth and power. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 13, 2020 Approach to the Mountain Pass at Donzère, from the album “The Northern Railway from Paris to Lyon and the Mediterranean” Édouard-Denis Baldus, French (born Prussia), 1813–1889; Approach to the Mountain Pass at Donzère, from the album The Northern Railway from Paris to Lyon and the Mediterranean, c.1861; albumen print; image: 12 11/16 x 17 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 195:1977 The spread of the railways across Europe and America was one of the enduring preoccupations of nineteenth-century photography. Édouard-Denis Baldus produced this striking photograph of a line near the Rhone River for an album documenting a new service from Lyon to the Mediterranean Sea sometime around 1859. Made up of finely detailed contact prints, it has been described as the most beautiful photographic album of the nineteenth century, and this image, which shows the recently constructed tracks and an accompanying telegraph line, is one of the finest prints from the album. As with most early photographs, the chemistry used to make this image was overly sensitive to ultraviolet light. This caused the sky to appear white and featureless in the picture. Baldus knew how to use this limitation to his advantage. The sky becomes a strong graphic element in the picture: a powerful, abstract form echoing the shape of the land. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 11, 2020 Thanksgiving Norman Rockwell, American, 1894–1978; Thanksgiving, 1943; oil on canvas; 41 x 31 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Edith J. and C. C. Johnson Spink 26:2014; Image © SEPS This somber but hopeful painting served as the cover illustration for the November 27, 1943 edition of the The Saturday Evening Post. Norman Rockwell chose to paint a young girl in World War II-ravaged Italy draped in the coat of a passing United States soldier. Through his image, appropriately named Thanksgiving, Rockwell asked Americans to remember others less fortunate than themselves on a holiday devoted to gratefulness. Rockwell’s career with The Saturday Evening Post lasted nearly 50 years, resulting in 321 original covers that made him a household name. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 8, 2020 Ölberg Gerhard Richter, German, born 1932; Ölberg, 1986; oil on canvas; 118 1/2 x 98 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 107:1987; © 2013 Gerhard Richter To create this abstract painting, Gerhard Richter dragged and scraped a spatula over thickly applied pigments, allowing multiple layers of paint to shine through. What appears to be a spontaneous composition was actually laboriously worked by the artist to achieve the desired effects. While Ölberg can be read as a luscious, brilliantly colored painting in the style of American Abstract Expressionism, Richter’s cool, methodical approach challenges the emotionally charged, spiritual expression of that abstract tradition. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE NOVEMBER 7, 2020 Still Life with Mice Lodewik Susi, Flemish, active 1616–1620; Still Life with Mice, 1619; oil on panel; 13 3/4 x 18 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 50:1949 The artist has assembled sweets and fruits, including apples, sugared almonds, gingersticks, a lemon, and an orange, in a way that seems casual but was actually the result of careful planning. Diagonals echo other diagonals while the apple and reflective plate are offset by the citrus fruits. The picture may refer to the vanity of the physical world since the ripened apple exhibits decay and mice sometimes symbolize death or sin. It could also be a celebration of costly confections. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 6, 2020 Page from an Album made for Jahāngīr painted by Keshav Das, Indian, active c.1570–1605; Page from an Album made for Jahāngīr (verso), c.1590; Indian, Mughal period, reign of Akbar; ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; image: 8 1/2 x 4 13/16 inches, sheet: 16 5/8 x 10 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis 403:1952 This painting was made by the Hindu court artist Keshav Das, who worked for the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542–1605). It shows the Old Testament character Joseph recounting the prophetic dream in which his family as “the sun and the moon and the eleven stars” bowed to him in reverence. The composition is adapted from a 1544 engraving by the German artist Georg Pencz (c.1500–1550) entitled, Joseph Telling His Dream to His Father, which Jesuit missionaries disseminated in India during the mid-16th century. The scene is on the back of a sumptuously illustrated page (see recto) with a poem by Mir Ali, who was famous throughout the Persian-speaking world as a calligrapher. Both painting and calligraphy were collected by Akbar’s son and successor, Jahāngīr (1569–1627). He ordered the pages to be assembled in a special album and given elaborate borders of scenes from a hunt by an unknown but highly skilled court artist. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 4, 2020 The Mother Pablo Picasso, Spanish, 1881–1973; The Mother, 1901; oil on cardboard mounted on panel; 29 1/2 x 20 1/2 in.ches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 10:1939; © 2020 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY This work, painted by Pablo Picasso when he was just 20 years old, features a mother who grasps her toddler by the hand and holds her infant high against her shoulder. The woman stands resolute on the outskirts of a town or city, looking upon her surroundings with a determined gaze. The blue-gray tone of her skin is a precursor to Picasso’s Blue Period, during which time he depicted several downtrodden members of urban society in a palette of cool colors. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 3, 2020 The County Election George Caleb Bingham, American, 1811–1879; The County Election, 1852; oil on canvas; 38 x 52 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Bank of America 44:2001 A large group of citizens gathers to place their votes in an election. Campaigning politicians anxiously press their party tickets toward individuals. One of the newest citizens, an Irish immigrant, is taking an oath that he had not voted elsewhere, just as one of the oldest, a Revolutionary War “76-er” veteran, is descending the steps. Merchants in top hats discuss the issues with laborers in shirtsleeves, an example of the rational exchange that sustains democracy. Other individuals present a less responsible and informed perspective. One drunken citizen, unable to stand, is nonetheless dragged to cast a vote. Another sits on a bench to steady his head, his clarity evidently lost in a brawl. Two boys on the ground play mumblety peg, a knife game that progressively increases in risk. George Caleb Bingham revealed what every American supportive of an election understands: that the democratic ideal must be embraced even though uninformed votes could prevail. VIEW OBJECT NOVEMBER 2, 2020 Bowl Rudolph Walton, 1867–1951; or Augustus Bean, 1856–1926; Bowl, c.1900; stained wood, abalone shell, glass beads, and ivory; 7 x 6 x 17 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 275:1982 The artist who created this bowl carved recognizable bears at each end while the side of the bowl features a “formline” design. For over a millennium, Native artists in coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska have used sinuous lines with ovoid and u-form shapes to create imagery. This visual vocabulary is now called formline. Historically, artists learned formline carving and painting through apprenticeship with a master. At the end of the 19th century, territorial governments in Alaska and British Columbia imposed restrictions on ceremonial life, which had provided a major context for production of formline designs. In the first years of the 20th century, Native artists began to reconstruct formline vocabularies on their own based on observations of historic artworks rather than training through apprenticeship. This object is featured in our current engagement activity Vote Your Art. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 31, 2020 The Clenched Hand Auguste Rodin, French, 1840–1917; The Clenched Hand, c.1885; bronze; 18 1/8 x 10 3/8 x 8 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Lanlee Realty Company 3:1957 Auguste Rodin often produced fragmentary studies of individual anatomical features, and stated, “I have always had an intense passion for the expression of the human hand.” In this work, the boldly modeled swellings and depressions of the hand suggest a sense of agitated anguish. This sculpture is probably related to Rodin’s grand project, The Burghers of Calais, in which a group of elderly men face the prospect of impending death (see related object). VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 30, 2020 Grasshopper Floor Lamp Greta Magnusson Grossman, American (born Sweden), 1906–1999; made by Ralph O. Smith Manufacturing Company, American, c.1949–1954; Grasshopper Floor Lamp, 1947–48; enameled steel, enameled aluminum, brass; 50 1/4 x 15 x 15 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Ruth Kelso Renfrow Art Club 80:2019 The imaginative assembly of simple materials—two lengths of tubular steel and a bullet-shaped shade—gives this floor lamp its distinctive, animated form. Designed by Greta Magnusson Grossman in 1947, the aptly titled Grasshopper Floor Lamp was featured in a number of the Swedish-born architect’s own residences. Perched high on Los Angeles hilltops, the open-plan houses outfitted with multi-functional furnishings epitomized the casual, indoor-outdoor ethos of California modern. This object is featured in our current engagement activity Vote Your Art. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 29, 2020 Deer Pendant Deer Pendant, c.700–800; Maya, Late Classic period, Guatemala; shell; 2 15/16 x 4 7/8 x 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May  1317:1983 This pendant shows a deer posed mid-stride, frozen at a specific moment in time. The animal’s head is curved back with its legs pulled close to the body, as though looking and leaping to evade a predator. Carved from an exotic marine shell, the pendant was perhaps a piece of personal jewelry for a Maya noble. Images of deer frequently occur in depictions of hunting as well as sacrifice. The pendant may have been bestowed to a young Maya hunter as a token of his achievements. This object is featured in the Museum’s current engagement activity Vote Your Art. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 28, 2020 Half Circle Red Sam Gilliam, American, born 1933; Half Circle Red, 1975; acrylic on canvas; 78 x 33 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 189:2017a,b; © Sam Gilliam / David Kordansky Gallery Sam Gilliam’s Half Circle Red combines separate pieces of canvas, which gap, bulge, and double over. Without a traditional mount or frame, they are pinned in place directly to the wall. Interested in how his paintings interact with the surrounding space, Gilliam jettisoned stretchers—typically wooden rectangular support structures—altogether during the late 1960s. Instead, his relaxed, undulating canvases suspend from the wall or ceiling to create “drape” paintings. This method, along with his drip and stain painting technique, emphasized the intrinsic properties of his materials—how acrylic pools and canvas sags, for example. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 27, 2020 Road Down the Palisades Ernest Lawson, American (born Canada), 1873–1939; Road Down the Palisades, c.1911; oil on canvas; 40 3/4 x 50 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 57:1916 The curve of a road directs our attention deep into the landscape, past a screen of wiry trees to the Hudson River beyond. The bright spots of blue and red invigorate the rather dreary cloud-filled sky and dirty patches of snow. The thickly applied paint, strong outlines, and areas of bold but harmonious unmixed color, are all characteristics of Ernest Lawson’s best landscapes. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 26, 2020 The Flute Lesson and The Grape Eaters made by Sèvres Porcelain Factory, France, founded 1756; after François Boucher, French, 1703–1770; The Flute Lesson, 1757–66; porcelain; 8 3/4 x 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches; The Grape Eaters, 1757–66; porcelain; 8 11/16 x 9 1/4 x 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, the Mary Elizabeth Rosborough Decorative Arts Fund, and The Lopata Endowment Fund 2:2012.1-2 This pair of porcelains, based on a 1752 comic operetta, represents the romance between a shepherd (unnamed) and a shepherdess (Lisette). In one, the shepherd teaches Lisette to play his flute—he fingers the notes while she blows into the instrument. In the related piece, the shepherd feeds grapes to his beloved. Shepherds and shepherdesses in amorous couplings appear frequently in the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the 18th century. Mme Du Pompadour, the favorite mistress of Louis XV, owned examples of this pair. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 25, 2020 Ostend Fisherman Constantin Meunier, Belgian, 1831–1905; Ostend Fisherman, 1890; bronze; 31 3/4 x 11 3/8 x 8 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 54:1914 A fisherman in rubber boots, oilskin jacket, and hat opens his mouth as though shouting to a distant comrade. A marine ray at his feet suggests the nature of his profession. Constantin Meunier may have modeled this figure after laborers he observed at the wharf at Ostend, a Belgian coastal city. Meunier became well-known late in his career for sculptures of workers at docks, mines, and forges and in agriculture and domestic occupations. Despite this fisherman’s grueling employment, his upright posture and muscular physique lend dignity, even heroism, to his labor. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 24, 2020 Distant Road II Araki Minol, Japanese (born China), 1928–2010; Distant Road II, 1979; ink on four paper panels; overall (all four panels together): 36 3/16 inches x 16 feet 9 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the artist 149:2003a-d; © Minol Araki, licensed by David Frank and Kazukuni Sugiyama Related Exhibition This painting depicts an expansive landscape splashed in ink across four paper panels (zoom in). Land, water, and natural features are represented from a high perspective. Reading from right to left, the first panel depicts an open expanse of water; the second panel, an extended isthmus or peninsula. The third features dense hills and mountains ranging beyond the tops and branches of evergreens; the fourth panel shows an opening expanse of water. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 23, 2020 Solidus of Byzantine Empire with Bust of Jesus Christ, minted under Justinian II Solidus of Byzantine Empire with Bust of Jesus Christ, minted under Justinian II, 692–695; Byzantine, Turkey, Justinian II; gold; diameter: 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase, by exchange 1:2012 A particularly important moment in the history of Christian art is depicted on this gold coin. A bearded image of Christ Pantokrator (Ruler of All), inspired by earlier Greco-Roman images of the god Zeus, dominates the obverse (front). In his left hand, Christ holds the book of Gospels; his right hand is raised in a gesture of benediction. On the reverse (see image), the emperor Justinian, rendered at a smaller scale, identifies himself as a “servant of Christ.” This imagery represents the first time in the history of the Byzantine Empire that Jesus Christ appears as the preeminent image on coinage, with the emperor relegated to subservient status on the back. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 20, 2020 The Red Stairway Ben Shahn, American (born Lithuania), 1898–1969; The Red Stairway, 1944; tempera on Masonite; 16 x 24 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 25:1945; © 2020 Estate of Ben Shahn / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY A crumbling environment and a figure with one leg convey the wreckage that war, in this case World War II (1939–1945), leaves behind. The space within the ruined building remains unresolved as does the destination of the man on the red stairs, visually suggesting the senselessness of war. The artist himself wrote of this painting, “to me this is both the hope and the fate of man, you know. It’s obvious almost that he seems to recover from the most frightful wars, the most frightful plagues, and goes right on again when he knows full well that he’s going into another one; but that’s the eternal hope in the human being.” VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 19, 2020 Spouted Vessel with Painted Motifs Spouted Vessel with Painted Motifs, c.1500–1700; Quapaw, Phillips County, Arkansas; ceramic with pigment; 10 1/2 x 11 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Director's Discretionary Fund 65:2005 The bold interlocking swirl of red and white symbolizes worldly dualities: peace and war, light and dark, earth and sky. The Quapaw are known for beautifully painted vessels using the colors red, white, and black. Migrating from the Ohio valley to the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers, the Quapaw flourished late in the Mississippian period, around the 16th century. The Quapaw continued to inhabit what is now Arkansas through the early 19th century. They have since relocated to Oklahoma, where they still reside today. It is likely this teapot form was based on vessels introduced following the arrival of Europeans in the mid-16th century. Quapaw teapots typically lack an elaborate handle. They instead feature a small node opposite the spout. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 18, 2020 Lady in White Thomas Wilmer Dewing, American, 1851–1938; Lady in White, c.1901; oil on panel; 20 1/8 x 15 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and the Eliza McMillan Trust 102:1988 An elegant woman artfully poses in profile. Though the painting’s small size and our close view would suggest a certain intimacy, she seems quite remote and absorbed in her own thoughts. In late 19th-century America—the Gilded Age—women were understood to maintain ideals of truth and beauty. In this painting, the woman embodies a timeless, unattainable beauty. She is presented to us more as an object to be enjoyed for its refinement, like the graceful Empire chair and her antique gown. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 17, 2020 Giant Three-Way Plug, Scale A Claes Oldenburg, American (born Sweden), born 1929; Giant Three-Way Plug, Scale A, 1970–71; Cor-Ten steel and bronze; 57 x 116 x 78 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Shoenberg Foundation, Inc. 21:1971; © 1971 Claes Oldenburg Claes Oldenburg produces monumental sculptures of everyday consumer objects. Just outside the Main Building, an enormous three-way electrical plug lies partially buried in the ground. The artist has described it as resembling “an implement left over from a war, returning to nature.” Oldenburg first installed the sculpture in this location in 1971, noting that the plug reminded him of historic architecture. Here, its arching lines and recessed spaces complement the classical design of the Museum’s Main Building by architect Cass Gilbert. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 16, 2020 Two Girls in Front of Birch Trees Paula Modersohn-Becker, German, 1876–1907; Two Girls in Front of Birch Trees, c.1905; oil on cardboard; 21 3/4 x 13 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 914:1983 Two girls with striking green eyes stand within a wooded area. Paula Modersohn-Becker developed a deliberately straightforward style of flat color and strong outlines that reflects her awareness of avant-garde French painters. Modersohn-Becker was a prominent figure within a rural colony of artists at Worpswede in northern Germany, and produced work with a deep sympathy for the local peasantry. She died young in childbirth. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 15, 2020 In the Roman Campagna George Inness, American, 1825–1894; In the Roman Campagna, 1873; oil on canvas mounted on board; 26 x 43 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 115:1946 In the Roman Campagna is a scene of the Italian countryside awash in diffuse light. In this landscape, George Inness included appealingly pastoral and picturesque details, such as the flock of grazing sheep and the simply dressed woman near the brook. The architectural ruin in the foreground and the caves in the distance were intended to call to mind Italy’s ancient past. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 14, 2020 The Wounded Seagull Jules Breton, French, 1827–1906; The Wounded Seagull, 1878; oil on canvas; 36 1/2 x 30 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Justina G. Catlin in memory of her husband, Daniel Catlin 27:1917 Jules Breton regularly visited the coastal region of Brittany in the west of France and here represented an idealized Breton peasant in profile against the wind. The artist was fascinated by the “mystic wildness” of Breton women and focused on this peasant’s compassion for a wounded bird while other healthy birds glide in the distance. This work was shown in 1881 at the first special exhibition of the newly founded St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, the predecessor of the Saint Louis Art Museum. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 13, 2020 The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene Francesco Albani, Italian, 1578–1660; The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene, 1640s; oil on copper; 16 9/16 x 10 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy in memory of Ruth Peters MacCarthy 512:2018 Mary Magdalene, a Christian saint popular in the 17th century, is being carried into the sky by angels. According to a 13th-century account, she retired to a cave in southern France near the end of her life. Her daily prayer ritual, depicted here, included an ascent into heaven facilitated by a group of angels who carried her aloft. Francesco Albani trained in Bologna, Italy, where artists utilized drawings made by sketching live models. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 12, 2020 Ceremonial Seat (duho) or Platter Taino artist, Dominican Republic; Ritual Seat (duho), c.1315–1416; wood; 6 5/8 x 8 x 24 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund and Primitive Art Society Fund in honor of Morton D. May 168:1981 This extraordinary sculpture is carved from incredibly dense guaiacum wood, its form is likely an actual tree branch. The artist used the natural angles to define the bent legs of the human figure. The figure’s arms are curled up behind the head, while a shallow curved surface dominates the emaciated body. (The figures ribs can be seen on the bottom.) This depressed area led early scholars to identify the object as a duho, or ritual seat, but it may instead have functioned as a ceremonial platter during a ritual feast. This work represents a masterpiece of the Taino civilization that thrived in the Caribbean in the 14th and 15th centuries. Such objects were collected by 19th-century businessmen working in Santo Domingo, who often signed them to establish ownership and document their history. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 10, 2020 Pair of Torah Finials Wilhelmus Angenendt, Dutch (born Germany), 1737–1817; Pair of Torah Finials, 1778; silver with gilding; height (with base): 20 3/8 x 5 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Deane and Paul Shatz Endowment Fund for Judaica 108:2000.1,.2 Finials (rimmonim in Hebrew) were among the most elaborate objects wealthy Jewish patrons commissioned for Torahs in the 18th-century Netherlands. In the Jewish faith Torahs contain the law of God revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures. The finial bells would have signaled the Torah scroll’s approach as it was carried in a procession that made its way through the synagogue. The silver cylinder supports feature stamps and a Hebrew inscription. The stamps confirm a date of 1778, and the inscription commemorates the gift of Yaakov Gedalja, born in the Hague (in present-day Netherlands) in 1760, the son of Tanchum Pos. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 9, 2020 Teasing Franz von Stuck, German, 1863–1928; Teasing, 1889; oil on canvas; 19 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund Endowment, and Gift of Frances H. Thomson in memory of her husband, John Edwin Thomson, Bequest of Ruth Sudholt Wunderlich, Museum Purchase, Bequest of Mrs. Sophia M. Wolf, Gift of Mr. Louis Werner, Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Overton Busch and Mrs. Thomas Curtis Adams in memory of their mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pope O'Fallon, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, Gift of Nellie Ballard White, Gift of Miss Ella M. Boedeker, Bequest of Eleanor Lacey, all by exchange 484:2018 In Teasing, the thick trunk of a tree conceals a smiling female figure from the faun who playfully pursues her. Franz von Stuck often depicted the mischievous antics of fauns, mythological creatures that were part goat, part human. Here Stuck created the shaded forest landscape surrounding this tryst with small dabs of paint in contrasting colors, exhibiting an engagement with the painting techniques of pointillism. Stuck worked in illustration, decorative art, and sculpture but is best known for his allegorical and mythological paintings suffused with drama, sensuality, and humor. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 8, 2020 Dining Chair, from the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois Frank Lloyd Wright, American, 1867–1959; Dining Chair, from the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois, designed c.1903; oak with replacement synthetic leather upholstery; 56 x 17 1/16 x 18 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society 239:1977; © 2020 Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Artist Rights Society. The simple, elegant form of this chair does not depend on ornament or carving but on the rhythmic play of lines and shapes. Like all of Frank Lloyd Wright’s furniture, it was intended to harmonize with the home for which it was designed. Its high back contrasted with the dining room’s horizontal orientation and also served as a partition: when the six chairs were pulled up around the table, the dining ensemble became an intimate room within a larger space. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 7, 2020 The Deposition Stephen Greene, American, 1917–1999; The Deposition, 1947; oil on canvas; 59 1/4 × 33 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 529:1957; © The Estate of Stephen Greene, Jason McCoy, Inc., New York Ladders surround a cross where seven figures remove the body of Jesus. The delicate human bodies and angular limbs interlock with the ladders. In addition, their sad expressions and striped garments, reminiscent of prison clothing, convey a sense of entrapment. Stephen Greene was an instructor for one year, in 1946, at Washington University in St. Louis. During that time, he began to produce a group of paintings representing episodes from the life of Jesus. As Life magazine noted in 1950, “Greene’s canvases are not ingratiating. Peopled by sad, manikin‑like men, they have a strained and morbid cast…. Greene does not call himself a religious man, but because biblical stories are universally recognized and easily understood, he used them to communicate his own feelings on the state of modern man—a state Greene considers to be chaotic and insecure.” VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 6, 2020 Untitled #45 Leonardo Drew, American, born 1961; Untitled #45, 1995; wood, rust, fabric, string, feathers, and mixed media; installed: 15 feet 8 inches x 37 feet x 5 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Bryant Jr. 63:1997; © Leonardo Drew, Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. In this wall-mounted sculpture, Leonardo Drew arranged over 300 wooden panels covered with fabric, string, feathers, and other discarded objects, which he then burned, rusted, and stained. According to Drew, his art is rooted in his experiences of living and growing up in New York City, where daily life involves navigating the city’s gridded streets and organic decay. He also cites other inspirations such as the history of African Americans in the United States and a trip to Senegal where he visited a former slave trading post. Despite such specific sources, Drew likes to keep his work open to interpretation: “I think that these pieces should become mirrors. They should be a collection of ideas and never a one-sided issue.” VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 5, 2020 Miniature Two-handled Jar (amphoriskos) Miniature Two-handled Jar (amphoriskos), mid-2nd century BC–early 1st century AD; Greek, Eastern Mediterranean, Hellenistic; glass; 5 3/16 x 1 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 77:1921 Despite the beauty of this container, it was the contents inside that were truly valuable. Luxurious oils and sweet-smelling unguents were coveted and used by both men and women. The ancient Greeks even used olive oil as a soap by spreading it on their skin and scraping it off with a metal tool called a strigil. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 4, 2020 Panoramic Landscape with Shepherds Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch, 1620–1691; Panoramic Landscape with Shepherds, 1640–45; oil on panel; 30 1/4 x 42 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 23:1967 The flat horizon line and the subtle tones of the sky and reflective water surfaces are the major focus of this painting, rather than the humans or their bovine companions. Aelbert Cuyp uses delicate shifts in the color of the sky as well as a limited amber palette to describe the land and its inhabitants. While some of his contemporaries depicted a cloudy and misty sky, sunlight is often an important element in Cuyp’s pictures. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 3, 2020 For the Wind to Tear Kay Sage, American, 1898–1963; For the Wind to Tear, 1955; oil on canvas; 16 1/8 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Kay Sage Tanguy 17:1964; © 2020 Estate of Kay Sage / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York An ambiguous, angular form is set against an expansive gray background. Its shape can be read as a mountaintop seen from a distance or a gathering of fabric viewed at close range. This painting’s muted palette and sense of mystery are hallmarks of the American Surrealist Kay Sage. For several years, this work hung in the home of the artist, where she lived with her partner Yves Tanguy, a fellow Surrealist painter. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 2, 2020 Fans and Stream Sakai Hōitsu, Japanese, 1761–1828; Fans and Stream, c.1820–1828; sliding door panels (fusuma) mounted as a pair of two-panel screens; ink, color, gold, and silver on silk; right screen: 65 11/16 x 68 3/4 inches; left screen: 65 5/8 x 68 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 140:1987a,b Pictures in the shapes of fans strewn across empty space and swirling eddies of gold define this pair of stunning decorative screens. The opened fans, brightly painted with traditional themes of landscapes, birds, and flowers, subtly reveal the four seasons, from the plum blossoms of early spring on the right to the snow-covered cypress of winter on the left. Scattering fans is associated with the art and culture of the ancient capital Kyoto and a particular outing of aristocrats and ladies along the scenic mountains of Arashiyama. As the procession crossed the Sugagawa River near Tenryuji Temple, the fan of a young courtier was caught by a sudden gust of wind and drifted down into the waters below. Delighted and inspired by the beautiful and poignant image, others threw their fans over the bridge to watch them float on the breeze into the flowing stream. VIEW OBJECT OCTOBER 1, 2020 The Tenth Street Studio William Merritt Chase, American, 1849–1916; The Tenth Street Studio, 1880; oil on canvas; 36 1/4 x 48 1/4 inches; Bequest of Albert Blair 48:1933 Sumptuous tapestries, exotic metalwork, imported porcelains, fine art, and elegantly adorned patrons were sure to be found in the studios of artists at the end of the 19th century. This painting depicts the studio of its artist, William Merritt Chase, one of the most successful painters of the era. Appreciating—and being seen appreciating—such exquisite finery was an important cultural and social marker for both patron and artist. An invitation to a reception at Chase’s studio (sure to be in the society news) was the most sought after in New York City. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 Breath Kenneth Noland, American, 1924–2010; Breath, 1959; acrylic on canvas; 66 1/8 x 65 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 262:1982; © 2020 The Kenneth Noland Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artist Rights Society (ARS), NY A freely painted area of sky blue surrounds green and gold concentric rings and a solid blue circle at center. The edge of the outer blue area appears to undulate, creating the effect of counterclockwise rotation. Kenneth Noland produced his characteristic target-like format by staining thinned paint directly onto raw unprimed canvas, leaving some areas unpainted. The gestural perimeter of blue contrasts with the meticulously painted circular rings. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 Travelers Awaiting a Ferry Philips Wouwerman, Dutch, 1619–1668; Travelers Awaiting a Ferry, 1649; oil on canvas; 26 x 32 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Given anonymously 159:1998 The juxtaposition of steep mountains and peaceful river, combined with the foggy mist above the water, creates a mood of mystery and nostalgia. Philips Wouwerman has created a fanciful place. We know that such topography does not exist in the regions in which the artist worked. His evocative rendering combines the careful structure of Italian landscapes with precise markers to indicate specific depths (here suggested by different rocky outcroppings) with the atmosphere of an alpine scene. The white horse, seen in profile, occurs frequently in Wouwerman’s landscapes. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 Superbox Wardrobe Ettore Sottsass, Italian (born Austria), 1917–2007; Superbox Wardrobe, 1968; plastic laminate on particle board; 78 1/2 x 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund 46:2005a,b; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris A simple rectangular wardrobe achieves a ritual significance when enlarged and adorned with graphic red and white stripes. Ettore Sottsass, the influential Italian designer who later founded the design group Memphis in 1981, developed his Superboxes as part of a limited-edition furniture series. Drawing on the spirit of contemporary artistic movements, this functional sculpture, meant to be displayed in the center of the room, is Sottsass’s cheeky “altarpiece for the domestic liturgy.” VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 Slightly Off Keel #60 Nanette Carter, American, born 1954; Slightly Off Keel #60, 1999; oil on Mylar; 35 7/8 × 36 1/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 124:2017; © Nanette Carter Slightly Off Keel #60—a title referring to a sailboat’s delicate balance as it speeds through water—consists of multiple mark-making types, both structured and loose. Moving away from canvas in the late 1990s (learn more), Nanette Carter adopted Mylar, a translucent polyester film, as her support of choice, which she admired for its potential to be used on both sides. The material is frosted on the surface, providing a satisfying tooth to hold oil paint, which she applies by brush or sometimes through printing (zoom in). VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 Still Life with Guitar Juan Gris, Spanish, 1887–1927; Still Life with Guitar, October–November 1920; oil on canvas; 19 13/16 x 24 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 9:1940 Interlocked in a harmonious geometric pattern, patches of subdued shades of brown, green, and blue give form to a guitar, a sheet of music, a bowl of grapes, a goblet, a carafe, and a table. Juan Gris developed a distinctive Cubist style, in which abstracted forms retain their volume through the integration of light and shadow. Here the areas that depict the grapes, table, and carafe suggest three-dimensionality, offering a dynamic balance between representation and abstraction. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 Coal Elevators Ralston Crawford, American (born Canada), 1906–1978; Coal Elevators, 1938; oil on canvas; 36 1/4 x 50 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Fisher 92:1976; © 2020 Estate of Ralston Crawford / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY The smooth geometric forms, cool palette, and industrial subject are characteristic of “precisionist” paintings. These paintings were made during the 1920s and 1930s when the nation’s technological and industrial might was celebrated. The repetition of gray silos across the bulk of the painting seems adamantly impersonal. Ralston Crawford explained that, “I have painted many pictures which utilize something I can call a ‘blank center’…Coal Elevators is probably close to one of the best in this category.” VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 Model of a Pharaoh’s Head Model of a Pharaoh’s Head, 332-30 BC; Egyptian, Ptolemaic Period; limestone; 4 ½ x 3 3/8 x 2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 214:1924 View Back Heads of a king, like this one, became popular in the Late and Ptolemaic periods, but it is unknown whether they were actual models used by sculptors or offerings, since many have been found in temples. The back of this unfinished bust contains a grid (see above). The Egyptians divided the human body into 18 (and later 21) equal squares from the feet to the head, ensuring that the proportions of a figure would be uniform, regardless of its size. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 Martial Memory Philip Guston, American (born Canada), 1913–1980; Martial Memory, 1941; oil on canvas; 40 1/8 x 32 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 115:1942; © 2020 Estate of Philip Guston These resourceful children have turned the urban debris around them into the equipment of war. Their solemn faces, compressed angular forms, and implied violence of their play yield a tension that brings to mind the stress of World War II (1939–1945), then ravaging Europe. Artist Philip Guston depicted the children not in the heat of battle but rather in a moment of solemn conference. Their grave manner reflects the seriousness that underlies every human conflict and provides a view into the deep emotional crisis of their war torn world. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 Banquet Table (kakeban) with Design of Clouds and Chrysanthemums Banquet Table (kakeban) with Design of Clouds and Chrysanthemums, late 16th century; Japanese, Muromachi period, or Momoyama period; wood, lacquer, gold, and silver; 7 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John Peters MacCarthy and Director's Discretionary Fund 109:2002 The sumptuous gold-lacquer chrysanthemums decorating this serving table celebrate the beauty and abundance of autumn. Revealed among delicate, lacy leaves, a profusion of blossoms in low relief is echoed by spiraling clouds of swirling gold and silver flake, all against a gold-dusted, “pear-skin” ground (see additional views). The raised, neatly indented corners on the top complement the four finely proportioned legs, the taut, curving shapes of which give the table an elegant and dynamic form. In style and technique, this table closely conforms to work from sixteenth-century Kyoto, especially the costly commissions for the nobility and the ruling military class. Beautifully set with gourmet morsels before an honored guest, the table would exemplify the lavishly ornate high aristocratic style of later Japan under the rule of the shoguns VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 Bust of a Man Melchior Barthel, German, 1625–1672; Bust of a Black Man, 1660s; marble; 24 1/2 x 17 x 8 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. R. Crosby Kemper Jr. through the Crosby Kemper Foundations 54:1990 This sensitive portrait of an unknown man stands as one of the most dignified representations of a Black African from 17th-century Europe. It is the only secular work known to have been sculpted by Melchior Barthel. The bust exemplifies the artist’s mastery of expressive carving and bold contrast of color and material. Barthel’s greatest achievement was the completion of the Venetian tomb of Doge Giovanni Pesaro (died 1659), which includes colossal muscular figures who stand with the weight of the upper tomb on their shoulders. Bust of a Black Man probably records one of the models who posed for that project. Carved in black serpentine, the sculpture has been oiled to give it both greater luster and higher contrast with the white marble clothing. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 Temptation Marc Chagall, French (born Belarus), 1887–1985; Temptation, 1912; oil on canvas; 65 1/2 x 46 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 74:1954; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / ADAGP, Paris In this narrative scene, Eve grasps the forbidden apple, which she will hand to the golden figure of Adam on the left. Animal figures are dotted throughout the composition, including a bird perched on the antlers of a deer to the bottom right. Chagall treated this traditional subject in a highly modern, Cubist style, which he encountered after moving to Paris in 1910. Forms are broken down into faceted planes; the Cubist device of the split face allows Eve to look at both the apple and its destination. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 Cockfight David Smith, American, 1906–1965; Cockfight, 1945; steel; 45 x 21 3/4 x 10 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 188:1946; © 2020 The Estate of David Smith / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY The deadly combat that locks these two roosters together can be read as an allegory for the World War II (1939–1945) battles raging in Europe at the time this sculpture was made. The roosters are silhouetted in space, their forms created through outline rather than three-dimensional volume. The hand wrought steel plates point in different directions and shift behind each other—creating an energetic, explosive sense of action. The arc welded steel of Cockfight is a hallmark of David Smith, who worked for many years as a factory welder. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 The Conversion and Baptism of St. Augustine by St. Ambrose Juan de Valdés Leal, Spanish, 1622–1690; The Conversion and Baptism of St. Augustine by St. Ambrose, 1673; oil on canvas; 65 1/8 x 43 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 1:1964 Energetic brushwork, rich color contrasts, and an angled view into the church interior enliven this image of two important events in a saint’s life (zoom in). The painting was one of seven canvases portraying the life of St. Ambrose (c.334/340–397), bishop of Milan, painted by Juan de Valdés Leal and formed part of a decorative cycle for the lower oratory of the Archbishop’s Palace in Seville. It depicts St. Ambrose converting St. Augustine to Christianity (foreground) and Augustine’s subsequent baptism on April 24, 387 (background at right). VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 The Three Princesses Carlos Mérida, Guatemalan (active Mexico), 1891–1985; The Three Princesses, 1955; lacquer, casein on parchment, laid down on laminated wood; 16 1/8 x 12 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 167:1959; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City In this composition, intersecting lines create an irregular grid of triangles, curves, and unique shapes. These colorful components form the bodies and clothing of three female figures. Artist Carlos Mérida advocated a type of abstraction based on the bold, geometric patterns and vibrant colors of Maya textiles and other Indigenous Latin American arts. Mérida, a Guatemalan artist who lived much of his life in Mexico, sought to establish a uniquely American form of abstract art in conversation with contemporary European artistic developments. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 Rain Drops on Lupin Leaves Laura Gilpin, American, 1891–1979; Rain Drops on Lupin Leaves, c.1931; gum platinum print; image: 9 1/8 x 13 inches, mount: 10 13/16 x 14 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 31:1945; © 1979 Amon Carter Museum of American Art In 1940, at about the same time it started to collect photographs, the Saint Louis Art Museum began to host an annual competition called the Saint Louis International Salon of Photography. Laura Gilpin was one of its most distinguished contributors, and her photograph entered the Museum’s collection as a result of the event. Gilpin’s warm-toned black and white photograph captures young lupin plants before they erect the showy spikes of flowers that are their most obvious feature. Their tender leaves, sprinkled with raindrops, form a sunburst-like pattern across the image. The immature plants speak of rebirth, growth, and potential, while the water droplets on their leaves suggest purification. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 Coffee Table Frederick Wallace Dunn, American, 1905–1984; Coffee Table, c.1938; painted wood, pewter, leather, and brass; 12 1/4 x 24 9/16 x 24 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of William C. Sherman in memory of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Sherman 221:1980; © Frederick Wallace Dunn This sleek, luxurious table combines unconventional materials for furniture—polished and engraved pewter, brass, and leather—with glossy black-painted wood. Its style is a blend of modern and traditional elements. Concentric squares inside a frame with projecting corners engraved on the top evoke historical architectural forms with modern simplicity. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 Charing Cross Bridge Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926; Charing Cross Bridge, 1903; oil on canvas; 28 3/4 x 41 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 22:1915 In this scene, a train puffs across the bridge as sunlight falls through the mist and creates shimmering patterns on the river surface. Claude Monet painted a series of about 30 paintings of the Charing Cross railroad bridge spanning the River Thames, each highlighting different light and weather effects. Monet was a noted Anglophile and painted this view on one of three visits to London between 1899 and 1901. He noted, “I love London…what I love, above all, is the fog.” VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 Relief with Winged Genie Relief with Winged Genie; Assyrian, Neo-Assyrian period, associated with Ashurnasirpal II; alabaster; 59 1/2 x 35 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 186:1925 The carved image in this relief may represent a mythical being known as a winged genie. The figure ensures fertility and stability by pollinating a sacred tree with a cone and situla, a bucket with a handle. The cuneiform inscriptions over the surface of the sculpture expound the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II’s splendid endeavors and exploits. In the heart of his empire in the northern part of present-day Iraq, King Ashurnasirpal built huge royal palaces that were guarded by colossal statues of man-headed bulls. Endless reliefs decorating the interiors of the palaces portrayed the glory of the king and the mighty deities who protected him and his vast holdings. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 The Charm of Subsistence Martin Puryear, American, born 1941; The Charm of Subsistence, 1989; rattan and gumwood; 84 5/8 x 66 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Shoenberg Foundation, Inc. 105:1989; © Martin Puryear, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery Martin Puryear created this work by weaving heavy rattan and building the sculpture up from its wooden base. From 1964 to 1966, Puryear spent two years with the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where he was exposed to the Indigenous craft traditions of a pre-industrial society. In his subsequent sculptures, the artist drew inspiration from the buildings and shelters of this country VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 Builders #1 Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000; Builders #1, 1972; watercolor, gouache, and graphite; 22 7/16 x 30 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 93:1972; © 2020 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York A carpenter sits at a workbench surrounded by a fantastic array of tools and fasteners. The mountains behind him mirror his strength. The moment portrayed here, however, is not an act of construction but of preparation, as the builder sits sharpening a chisel. Wood as a building material is almost completely absent. He is alone and reflective, weighing the projects ahead. Jacob Lawrence is known for his bold use of flat planes of color, a technique he first developed as a member of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s. In this work, he softened his vigorous application of gouache, an opaque water-based paint, with transparent watercolor. Lawrence’s Builders #1 presents a window within a window and a hopeful allegory of African American life. This is the first expression of a theme that Lawrence would return to for the rest of his career. His builders serve as metaphorical figures, simultaneously evoking artistic creation and social struggle. Like the people who won the hard-fought battles of the civil rights movement, the craftsman stands for the potential of all African Americans. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 The Dovecote François Boucher, French, 1703–1770; The Dovecote, 1758; oil on canvas; 18 5/8 x 28 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 75:1937 See Details Although evocative of the natural world, this painting represents a fantasy of the picturesque. Doves fly in and out of the dovecote while a man and child watch from a rickety bridge (see details above). The blue-green color and benign decay of the various structures present a romantic notion of the outdoors, reflecting contemporary ideas about nature. François Boucher was the favorite painter of Louis XV’s mistress Madame de Pompadour who, with her friends, enjoyed playing at being shepherdesses and milkmaids in charmingly idealized country settings similar to the one portrayed here. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 Woman with Butterfly Tie Woman with Butterfly Tie, c.1830–35; American, New York; oil on linen; 16 3/16 x 12 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch 13:1981 This young woman’s fashionable dress has diagonal pleats to emphasize shoulder width, ballooning “leg of mutton” sleeves, and a full skirt, all designed to accentuate her diminutive waistline. The perspective of her nose and brow line and overly small hands lack realistic proportion, but they create a rhythm of curving lines when paired with the locket chain, belt, and lace. The cost of a portrait painted by a pre-eminent artist was beyond the reach of many middle-class families. Consequently, they turned to the plentiful, less expensive self-taught artists who traveled from town to town to record their likenesses. These transient artists stayed in one spot only long enough to complete whatever work they could find before moving on to the next town. The output of these artists ranges from crude portrayals to the charm seen in this portrait. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 Amphora with Herakles and Apollo attributed to the Antimenes Painter, active 530–510 BC; Amphora with Herakles and Apollo, 530–510 BC; Attic Greek, Archaic period; black-figure ceramic; 15 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 39:1921 The scene on this vase shows an argument between siblings: the mortal hero Herakles and his divine half-brother Apollo. Enraged that Apollo’s priestess at the sanctuary of Delphi would not provide him with an answer to his question, Herakles tries to steal the sacred tripod. Here we see the brothers struggling to hold on to the tripod. Each is flanked by a female supporter: at left Artemis accompanies her twin brother Apollo, and Athena, patron and protector of Herakles, is shown at right. These figures are identifiable by a series of attributes or accessories (zoom in). Herakles has his wooden club and lion skin, Apollo has his quiver of arrows, and Athena has her helmet. White paint was used to distinguish the female characters. VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 Textile Anna Maria Garthwaite, English, 1688–1763; woven by John Sabatier, English, 1712-13–1780; Textile, 1752; silk; 19 × 35 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund  116:2016 Large hibiscus-like blossoms with furling leaves and a shimmery chevron ground lend this damask, or figured, reversible fabric, an uncommon air. Designed by Anna Maria Garthwaite in October of 1752, it shows her expertise in faithfully representing nonnative, newly introduced flowers. Garthwaite was one of the most prolific and successful designers in Spitalfields, England’s silk weaving center in east London. While few details are known about Garthwaite’s personal life, scholars believe she was part of a circle of influential naturalists. This group included the botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708–1770) and the merchant and plant collector Peter Collinson (1694–1768). Though botanical illustrations are known to have inspired some of Garthwaite’s designs, it is also likely she visited gardens and “greenhouses, stowed and crowded with vast varieties of exotic plants of surprising oddness and beauty.” VIEW OBJECT SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Out into the Open Stanley Whitney, American, born 1946; Out into the Open, 2000; acrylic on canvas; 53 1/2 x 60 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie  193:2017; © Lisson Gallery / Stanley Whitney In this painting, squares of bold colors form a loosely organized grid. Stanley Whitney’s travels abroad and the architecture he encountered influenced his work significantly. Visiting Rome in 1992, he admired the blocks used to construct monumental ancient structures. Later, in 1994, he said, “I went to Egypt—the pyramids and all the tombs. I realized that I could stack all the colors together, and not move the air. I realized in Egypt—it just came to me—that I could get the kind of density I wanted in the work.” VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 31, 2020 The Account Keeper Nicolaes Maes, Dutch, 1634–1693; The Account Keeper, 1656; oil on canvas; 26 x 21 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase  72:195 A woman dozes off as she updates her account books. Carefully defined horizontals (the desktop and wainscoting) contrast with verticals (the cabinet door, the pillars adorning the desk front), to create a carefully structured composition. The paired inkwells on the table echo the spheres on the map, and the bowls on the shelf are seen in both profile and full-interior views, all suggesting deliberate planning rather than casual observation. Such conscious order is in risk of collapse since the ledgers seem on the verge of toppling to the floor. The painting was undoubtedly intended to invite reflection, although we don’t know whether this woman represents a widow struggling to make ends meet, an elderly woman evaluating her life, or the sin of sloth. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 30, 2020 Still Life John Johnston, American, 1752–1818; Still Life, 1810; oil on panel; 14 7/8 x 18 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given anonymously 218:1966 Still Life revels in the textures of translucent grapes and fuzz of peach skin. The unadorned background emphasizes the delicate silhouette of grape leaves and tendrils. The bee and caterpillar add a sense of the momentary to an otherwise seemingly timeless theme. These details draw us closer to the image, increasing our sense of intimacy with it by inviting careful observation. This work is one of the earliest still life paintings made in the United States. The artist, John Johnston, worked in his father’s engraving and decorative painting business. He served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and was injured and imprisoned by the British for over a year before returning to Boston to open his own studio. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 28, 2020 Disc for Armor, Chest or Back Plate Disc for Armor, Chest or Back Plate, 7th–early 6th century BC; Italic, Orientalizing period; bronze; diameter: 9 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 53:1922 See Related Objects The design on this armor features a fierce wolf-like beast that fills the space, bares its huge teeth and darts its tongue out like fire. Its tail terminates in a serpent’s head that has large ears; its legs end in huge, three-talon claws. Bold armorial decorations, probably originally painted in bright, simple colors, would have struck fear in enemy soldiers. The disc is one of three bronze discs in the Museum’s collection that were hammered with remarkable repoussé decoration and may have been the central elements of a set of body armor or shield bosses, the strong outward-projecting covers mounted in the center of shields. Each disc was affixed to a leather or wooden substructure with a series of large decorative rivets that embellished the circumference. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 27, 2020 Camaret, Moonlight and Fishing Boats Maximilien Luce, French, 1858–1941; Camaret, Moonlight and Fishing Boats, 1894; oil on canvas; 28 1/2 x 36 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase, Museum Shop Fund, and funds given by Gary Wolff, the Stephen F. Brauer and Camilla T. Brauer Charitable Trust, the Pershing Charitable Trust, the Kate Stamper Wilhite Charitable Foundation, the William Schmidt Charitable Foundation, the John R. Goodall Charitable Trust, Nooter Corporation, Eleanor C. Johnson, Mrs. Winifred Garber, Hunter Engineering, the Joseph H. & Elizabeth E. Bascom Charitable Foundation, the Stephen M. Boyd Fund, Robert Brookings Smith, Irma Haeseler Bequest, BSI Constructors Inc., Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Latzer, Samuel C. Davis Jr., Dr. and Mrs. William H. Danforth, Mr. and Mrs. George Conant, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cramer, Dr. and Mrs. David M. Kipnis, Mr. and Mrs. John O'Connell, Edith B. Schiele, and donors to the Art Enrichment Fund 29:1998 In this atmospheric nocturnal scene, Maximilien Luce painted the fishing port of Camaret in Brittany in the far west of France. The artist emphasizes a sense of geometric structure by repeating the diagonal lines of the boats while using a palette of blues and violets to offset the intense yellow of the moon. Luce turned to Pointillism as a technique in 1887 and became a prominent figure in this group of neo-Impressionists who meticulously built up their canvases with thousands of dots and flecks of paint. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 25, 2020 The Greyhounds of the Comte de Choiseul Gustave Courbet, French, 1819–1877; The Greyhounds of the Comte de Choiseul, 1866; oil on canvas; 35 1/4 x 45 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mrs. Mark C. Steinberg 168:1953 Gustave Courbet spent the summer of 1866 in Deauville on the Normandy coast of France as a guest of the young Comte de Choiseul. While he was there, the artist painted this commissioned portrait of his host’s two greyhounds. Courbet emphasized the elegant appearance and high breed of the dogs by portraying them from below, as if they were looking down on the viewer. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 23, 2020 Enthroned Virgin and Child Enthroned Virgin and Child, 12th century; French; wood with traces of paint; 36 x 14 x 13 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 279:1952 The seated Virgin Mary assumes a rigid pose that echoes the shape of her chair, making her a throne for her son. Sermons and religious writings of the 11th and 12th centuries describe Mary as the “Throne of Wisdom” or the “Throne of Solomon”. The latter alludes to the Old Testament king known for wisdom. During a later period, a chamber was carved into the figure’s right shoulder to serve as a container for relics. Although insect damage and structural repairs are evident throughout this work, the shallow cascading drapery folds on the chest and at the Virgin’s feet make this a superior example of French medieval sculpture. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 22, 2020 Watts 1963 Kerry James Marshall, American, born 1955; Watts 1963, 1995; acrylic and collage on canvas; 115 3/8 x 135 7/8 inches Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund 190:1995; © Kerry James Marshall, Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York This colorful, mural-sized canvas depicts Nickerson Gardens in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Artist Kerry James Marshall’s family lived there for two years after moving from Birmingham, Alabama. Marshall created Watts 1963 as part of his Garden Project, a series of five paintings that considers the irony of garden-named housing projects in Los Angeles and Chicago. The only autobiographical work of the series, Watts 1963 illustrates the artist at age eight, with his brother and sister. The children are placed under a festive banner carried by bluebirds of happiness bearing Alabama’s first state motto: “Here We Rest.” This painting reflects both the early optimism of the housing projects and the conditions of poverty, despair, and violence that eventually arose. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 21, 2020 Old Homestead Connecticut Willard Leroy Metcalf, American, 1858–1925; Old Homestead Connecticut, c.1914; oil on canvas; 26 x 29 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 253:1915 Cool, bright moonlight bathes the Selden homestead, built before the Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The large tree—as old as the house—casts its long shadow over the buildings, as the stars in the clear sky twinkle through its wide, protective branches. The homestead is located in Hadlyme, Connecticut, only 10 miles from where Willard Metcalf spent his summers painting as a member of the well‑known art colony in Old Lyme. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 20, 2020 Plate with Design of Arabic Inscription in Kufic Script Plate with Design of Arabic Inscription in Kufic Script, 10th century; Persian, Iran, Samanid period; glazed and slip-painted earthenware; 1 3/4 x 14 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 283:1951 Painted in the long, elegant strokes of Kufic script, this plate’s inscription is among the most beautiful examples of calligraphy from the early Islamic period. The elegant inscription decrees that “Planning before work protects you from regret.” The plate is one of a group of vessels that admonish the owners and their guests to be assiduous, careful, and virtuous in simple yet profound mottoes by which one might live a good life. The white slip body on which the calligraphy appears is related to Chinese porcelains and stonewares imported to Baghdad, the seat of power and commerce in the early Islamic world. The white slip, or liquefied clay, was painted over the surface of the vessel to suggest coveted Eastern porcelains. Applying ornamental calligraphy to the expansive white surface created designs that were bold and appealing. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 18, 2020 Chief-Style Blanket, Second Phase Diné (Navajo) artist, Chief-Style Blanket, Second Phase, c.1880; Southwest United States; wool and dye; 71 1/4 x 55 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Elissa and Paul Cahn 221:2017 In this blanket, charcoal-gray bars and dashes float on a red ground, establishing massive patterned bands that balance against the dominant white-and-black stripes. This type of textile captivated 19th-century Native peoples from the Plains and Mountain West, who valued these striking blankets not only for their unusual form and materials, but also because they originated far away, as is often the case with luxury items. Diné peoples traded blankets like this one with neighbors in the Pueblos of Pecos and Taos, centers for Native trade networks. Starting in the 1820s, American traders also transported blankets from the Southwest to a series of commercial forts across the Plains. By the late 19th century, when the railway brought waves of travelers to the Southwest territories, these blankets circulated in the developing national market for Native art. Thomas Dozier, an art and curio dealer based in the rail town of Española, New Mexico, displayed this blanket at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 17, 2020 Permelia Redmon Wheeler (1816-1881) Lucinda Redmon Orear, American, 1823–1852; Permelia Redmon Wheeler (1816-1881), c.1845; oil on canvas; 35 x 27 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr. 190:1951 See Companion Image Permelia Wheeler gestures gracefully to the rose pinned to her bodice; its color is echoed in her book. The palette of pinks and blues, and the elegant patterns and curves throughout the portrait, establish a unified, delicate tone. Permelia’s sister, Lucinda, created both this image and its companion portrait of Permelia’s husband, Charles Wheeler (see image above). Permelia and Lucinda’s family had moved from Kentucky to St. Charles, Missouri, where they owned land next to Linden Wood School for Girls, now Lindenwood University. The Wheeler portraits reveal typical signs of a self‑taught artist, such as inconsistencies in anatomy, perspective, and shading. Nevertheless, their refined charm and competence suggest Lucinda may have developed her natural ability through study at the nearby school, which offered art instruction—a rare opportunity for a woman at that time. Permelia’s grandson donated both portraits to the Museum. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 16, 2020 Chrysanthemums and Autumnal Plants Chrysanthemums and Autumnal Plants, late 17th–early 18th century; Japanese; six-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper; 66 1/2 x 136 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of William K. Bixby 962:1920 This screen features chrysanthemums (kiku in Japanese) and autumnal plants (akikusa, literally “autumnal grasses”) against a gold background enlivened with golden clouds. The chrysanthemums are shown in three distinct colors: white, orange, and red. The petals of the white chrysanthemums were painted in a raised technique called moriage. The white-flowering variety of the bush clover (shirohagi; Lespedeza japonica) in the lower right corner, a favorite motif among Japanese poets since ancient times, is associated with melancholy and unrequited love. Blue Chinese bellflowers (kikyō; Platycodon grandiflorus) also animate the lower right while clumps of delicate Japanese silver grass (susuki; Miscanthus sinensis) emerge from behind the chrysanthemums at the back. Together, the bush clover, Chinese bellflower, and Japanese silver grass are three of the so-called “seven grasses of autumn” (aki no nanakusa) and reinforce the seasonal theme. At the lower left corner is a round I’nen seal impressed in red. Tawaraya Sōtatsu (1570–1643), one of the founders of the Rinpa school, first used this seal, and it continued to be used by successive artists in his workshop. This screen was the first Japanese painting to enter the Museum’s collection in 1920. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE AUGUST 15, 2020 The Basket of Fruit Pierre Bonnard, French, 1867–1947; The Basket of Fruit, 1922; oil on canvas; 19 7/16 x 13 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Weil 581:1958 Pierre Bonnard represents a basket of apples and pears within a geometrical framework created by the diagonals, horizontals, and verticals of a tabletop. Bonnard wrestled with the complexities of white as a color throughout his career; here, the nuanced pale tones of the wall and tablecloth serve as a counterpoint to the brighter color accents of the fruit. Bonnard was a founding member of the Nabis group of painters who emphasized the importance of decorative pattern making in their compositions. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 14, 2020 Betalo Rubino, Dramatic Dancer Robert Henri, American, 1865–1929; Betalo Rubino, Dramatic Dancer, 1916; oil on canvas; 77 1/4 x 37 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 841:1920 Confident brushstrokes and bold color, as seen here, are hallmarks of Robert Henri’s best work. A reviewer commented, “one is struck immediately with the strength of the artist’s color, and if one may say it, the daring of it.” Henri was captivating as a teacher and painter. He advocated his students search for subjects in the city streets, which were teeming with the vitality of working-class and immigrant crowds. Henri lectured, “What we need is an art that expresses the spirit of the people of today.” The flamboyant persona of Betalo Rubino, a Spanish dancer living in New York City, was a perfect fit for Henri’s dramatic palette. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 13, 2020 Floral Still Life with Shells Balthasar van der Ast, Netherlandish, 1593/4–1657; Floral Still Life with Shells, 1622; oil on copper; 13 3/16 x 8 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 172:1955 Flowers that bloom for a very short time and exotic shells arouse the sensual pleasures of sight, smell, and touch. Fifteen separate blossoms represent twelve different species in this still life (zoom in). Balthasar van der Ast is credited with inventing the type of flower painting that included shells, and this early example is so exact that specialists can identify specific varieties. These blossoms, however, do not flower at the same time, reminding us that this seemingly realistic depiction is actually a lovely contrivance only possible in the painter’s fantasy realm. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 12, 2020 Aviatic Evolution Paul Klee, Swiss, 1879–1940; Aviatic Evolution, 1934; oil on canvas mounted on Masonite; 16 3/8 x 19 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 233:1954 Paul Klee shows a bird in flight with a tiny head, deep red neck, and wide outstretched wings rendered in sweeping veils of color. The artist associated birds and their free movement with detachment from earthly concerns; he even compared them to angels. Klee used the coarser, reverse side of a commercially prepared canvas, contrasting its rough surface with thin, translucent paint glazes. Inspired by the drawings of children, Klee explored the unconscious as a means to access primal artistic impulses VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 7, 2020 An Island in the Lagoon with a Gateway and a Church Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), Italian, 1697–1768; An Island in the Lagoon with a Gateway and a Church, 1743–44; oil on canvas; 20 1/8 x 27 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 12:1967 Seemingly a painting of a specific spot on the Venetian lagoon, this picture is actually a fanciful confection composed of elements that Canaletto sketched during several walking tours near Venice. The painter has combined the lagoon with buildings from nearby Padua and a bell tower from yet a third location to create this subtly balanced poetic grouping of simple structures. A specialist in views of Venice, Canaletto sold his paintings to English travelers eager for mementos of their Italian trips. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 6, 2020 Driftwood on the Bagaduce Marsden Hartley, American, 1877–1943; Driftwood on the Bagaduce, 1939–40; oil on canvas; 30 3/16 x 40 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 387:1955 The dry branches of driftwood and harsh black outlines give this image an angular and frenetic energy. Artist Marsden Hartley reduced nature to essential forms and a stark color palette. In 1937, Hartley returned to Maine, his native state and the location of the Bagaduce River represented in this painting. Hartley asserted, “I wish to declare myself the painter from Maine.” His subsequent works, like this one, explored the landscape, seas, and natural elements that characterize the state. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 5, 2020 Isot Kivet Textile Maija Isola, Finnish, 1927–2001; Isot Kivet Textile, 1959; screen-printed cotton; 215 x 48 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Marimekko Oy 163:1971; © Maija Isola, courtesy of Marimekko Corporation The clipped curves of these monumental black dots lend an organic edge to this highly graphic textile. Designer Maija Isola created this simple but striking design with paper cut-outs, looking to the irregular shape of stones—kivet in Finnish—for inspiration. Isola’s outsized, abstract patterns helped catapult Finnish textile and fashion company Marimekko to international fame in the 1960s. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 3, 2020 At the Suresnes Ball André Derain, French, 1880–1954; At the Suresnes Ball, 1903; oil on canvas; 70 7/8 × 57 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 172:1944; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / ADAGP, Paris A man in an infantry uniform dances with a taller woman, the splayed fingers of his white-gloved hand sharply illuminated against her green skirt. Three fellow soldiers observe in the background; the tallest may be a self-portrait of André Derain who painted this work during a year of military service. The artist takes a humorous approach to his subject, presenting the dance as an awkward social ritual. This early picture is notable for its areas of bold, flat color, anticipating Derain’s experiments with Fauvism. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 2, 2020 Cradleboard Tsistsistas/Suhtai (Cheyenne) artist, Cradleboard, c.1890; Great Plains, United States; tanned hide, rawhide, glass seed beads, cotton cloth, silk, wood, metal tacks, and metal bells; 44 × 13 1/2 × 11 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr. 80:2012 This cradle features allover beadwork with repeating geometric patterns organized around mirrored triangles and diamonds. The focal point of each beaded design gives way to a profusion of silk ribbons, large beads, and brass bells. This approach to materials exemplifies the historic Plains aesthetics of excess, where artists created powerful assemblages using diverse textures, colors, and objects that produce sound. Cradles swaddle babies tightly and furnish a secure place to keep children while adult relatives work. At its back, this cradle attaches to a wooden framework that provides structural support for mounting to hooks or resting against vertical surfaces. Today, many Tsistsistas/Suhtai families cherish cradleboards as heirlooms. VIEW OBJECT AUGUST 1, 2020 Pilgrim Flask Antonio Patanazzi, Italian, active by c.1570; Pilgrim Flask, 1599–1600; tin-glazed earthenware with pewter stopper; 16 3/8 x 10 7/8 x 5 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 37:1925a,b See Additional Views With gold hues and blue accents, a whirling design of fantastic creatures flanks a central coat of arms representing the Spanish nobleman Fernando Ruiz de Castro, (1548-1601). The patterns reflect the wall decorations from the ancient Palace of Nero, unearthed in Rome in the late 15th century. VIEW OBJECT JULY 31, 2020 Woman’s Tubular Skirt (kain sarung) with Design of the “Thousand Boxes” (kotak seribu) Motif Woman's Tubular Skirt (kain sarung) with Design of the "Thousand Boxes" (kotak seribu) Motif, mid-19th century; Javanese, Indonesia; plain-weave cotton with hand-drawn wax-resist decoration (batik tulis) with natural dyes and applied gold leaf (prada); 43 1/2 × 84 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 110:1922 A three-part panel known as the kepala, or head section, occupies the central portion of this textile. This area contains triangles placed in rows facing each other and narrow vertical rectangular bands flanking the triangles (zoom in). The batik’s beautifully worked diagonal lattice pattern on either side of the head features animal and floral motifs. This intricate design testifies to the precise waxing skills of batik artists from Indramayu, a city on the north coast of West Java province. The fine diagonal dotting pattern on the background is called cocohan and resulted from a block with fine metal pins piercing the waxed ground before dyeing (learn more). The application of gold leaf across most of the textile likely indicates this garment was intended for a bride to wear at her wedding. The narrow band at the top has no gold decoration, because it would not be visible when the garment is rolled and tucked at the waist. Gold was expensive and was not applied where it would rub off. VIEW OBJECT JULY 30, 2020 Dog and Serpent Rufino Tamayo, Mexican, 1899–1991; Dog and Serpent, 1943; oil on canvas; 34 1/8 x 44 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 234:1954; © 2020 Tamayo Heirs / Mexico / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York See Example Object In a rocky landscape, a short dog bares its teeth, ready to pounce on a fanged serpent. Artist Rufino Tamayo modeled this native Mexican hairless dog after a type of Mesoamerican, canine shaped funerary vessel (see example above). Spending extended time in New York City during World War II (1939–1945), Tamayo became keenly aware of this conflict, in which the United States had become involved (read more). This impending struggle between two wild animals represents an allegory for the unprecedented violence then occurring in Europe. VIEW OBJECT JULY 29, 2020 Woman Standing near a Pond Edward Mitchell Bannister, American (born Canada), 1828–1901; Woman Standing near a Pond, 1880; oil on canvas; 16 1/4 x 22 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Minority Artists Purchase Fund 21:2007 A simply dressed woman passes through a country landscape. Luminous, still waters reflect an atmospheric sky, suggesting the serene spirituality the artist perceived in nature. Edward Mitchell Bannister, an African American, stated that the discrimination he experienced because of his heritage multiplied his artistic struggles tenfold. Despite such obstacles, Bannister became one of the premier landscape artists of his day, earning a bronze medal for another oil painting at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. VIEW OBJECT JULY 27, 2020 Two-Handled Cup and Cover Charles Frederick Kandler, English (born Germany), active c.1735, died 1778; Two-Handled Cup and Cover, 1749–50; silver; cup and lid: 16 7/8 x 14 x 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton J. May 252:1952a,b Covered with rich embellishments, including cherubs, grapevines, goats, bees, and shells, this opulent object was intended for ceremonial display. Its decoration celebrates Bacchus, the ancient Roman god of wine. The sheer exuberance of the forms, most notable in the arching figures that almost break free of the cup’s surface, exemplifies the joyous revelry of 18th-century rococo art. This lavish cup and cover were cast in silver and then finished by adding texture to the grape leaves, the goats’ fur, and the other ornamentation. Although based on forms in the everyday world, the final ensemble is definitely not something found in nature. VIEW OBJECT JULY 25, 2020 View on the Upper Mississippi John Frederick Kensett, American, 1816–1872; View on the Upper Mississippi, 1855; oil on canvas; 18 1/2 x 30 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 22:1950 View Details An expanse of glassy, unruffled water and silvery evening light evoke a seemingly impenetrable stillness. Though a group of Native Americans push their canoes off a sandy spit of land (see details above), they are dwarfed by the massive scale of the outcropping behind them. Their movements carry no sound, and only the birds in the foreground appear capable of breaking the silence. This landscape depicts Lake Pepin, located along the widest part of the Mississippi River at a point that is now south of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The artist, John Frederick Kensett, made sketches of the site when he accompanied St. Louis businessman Pierre Chouteau Jr. on one of his trading expeditions. VIEW OBJECT JULY 24, 2020 Panel Panel, c.650–900; Wari, Middle Horizon, Andaray, Peru, South America; feathers and cotton; 26 15/16 x 82 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 285:1949 This beautiful panel was made from thousands of feathers from blue-and-yellow macaws, painstakingly tied in overlapping rows to a cotton backing. The panel was found with dozens of others at a site in southern Peru, hundreds of miles from the macaw’s tropical habitat. The entire offering consisted of perhaps a million individual feathers. The function of these panels is not clear; they may have served as architectural decor, bringing the realm of the rainforest to an arid domain. VIEW OBJECT JULY 23, 2020 Morning Choice Anne Truitt, American, 1921–2004; Morning Choice, 1968; acrylic on marine mahogany plywood; 72 x 14 x 14 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Marcella Louis Brenner 42:1969; © annetruitt.org / Bridgeman Images Anne Truitt painted horizontal bands of orange, fuchsia, blue, and lime green onto a rectangular column made of sanded plywood. Through her characteristic vertical forms, Truitt investigated the boundary between painting and sculpture. She described her freestanding painted objects as color “set free into three dimensions.” Inspired by the simple geometry of Barnett Newman’s paintings, Truitt applied elements of painting, such as composition and color, to her sculptural works. Truitt’s use of reductive, rectilinear forms associates her work with the minimalism art movement of the 1960s. VIEW OBJECT JULY 22, 2020 Chair Carlo Bugatti, Italian, 1856–1940; Chair, 1898–1902; wood, parchment, brass, zinc, pewter, and original silk tassels; 58 3/4 x 17 1/4 x 16 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given in memory of Alfred Landesman and Museum Purchase 68:1979 Painted vellum (goatskin), pewter inlay, and silk tassels are some of the unusual materials used for this highly original chair by the Italian architect and furniture designer Carlo Bugatti. The design also combines Japanese elements, such as painted grasses and an asymmetrical back, with clustered Middle Eastern columns and abstract inlays. Bugatti’s eclectic design is a very personal expression of the art nouveau movement from the turn of the 20th century. VIEW OBJECT JULY 19, 2020 Statuette of Lady Itef Statuette of Lady Itef; Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12; limestone; height: 6 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 30:1924 Itef, whose name is inscribed on this sculpture’s base, stands at attention with her long, delicate arms held at her sides. Her voluptuous figure is accented by a gossamer linen dress, its wide straps covering her chest and shoulders. An enormous spiral wig associated with the goddess Hathor, popular in the Middle Kingdom, cascades down her back in undulating curls and frames her delicate face with two bound tresses that tuck behind her ears. During the Middle Kingdom women were rarely portrayed as individuals, and inscriptions were notoriously sloppy. Despite an inscription that identifies this female figure by a man’s name and a dedication from “his” mother, this is most likely a funerary sculpture commissioned by a mother for her daughter. VIEW OBJECT JULY 17, 2020 Pair of Dolls Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) artist, Pair of Dolls, c.1900; Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota; cotton cloth, hide, wool cloth, glass beads, silk, human hair, fur, feather, and pigment; each 19 × 8 × 2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Donald Ayers Herbst and Danielle Foster-Herbst in loving memory of Donald Frederick Herbst and Barbara Ayers Herbst 202:2017a,b When outfitting these dolls, the artist miniaturized earlier garment styles. The cut of leggings, calico shirt, and breechclout, or loincloth, on the male doll were popular in the early- and mid-19th century. The female doll features a strap dress, which Anishinaabe women wore with increasing rarity by 1900. The abundance of fabric used here and on similar full-size dresses signaled the wearer’s great wealth, a message heightened by the multiple necklace strands. Anishinaabe finery changed through the 19th century along with the character of diplomatic meetings and religious ceremonies, two principal occasions for wearing exquisite apparel. By recreating regalia from a more ideal past this artist subtly resisted external pressures for cultural reform. VIEW OBJECT JULY 16, 2020 Pair of Doors Pair of Doors, 15th–16th century; Spanish, Mudéjar; painted wood, iron, and gilding; 179 1/8 x 106 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 81:1937 This grand pair of doors most likely came from the convent of Santa Isabel in Toledo, Spain. The large doors would be opened only on special occasions, while the smaller sets of double doors in the lower half of each panel were for daily use. The inlaid design covering their surface is comprised of expanding and interlocking ten-pointed stars. Originally, the huge iron throw-bolts and studded rivets were covered with gilt decoration. These doors are a magnificent example of the style known as mudéjar, a term used to describe Spanish Muslims living under Christian rule. The intricate inlay on these doors, created from small pieces of wood pieced together in complex geometric shapes, is a technique originating in the Islamic world that remained popular in Spain for centuries after the political defeat of Muslim rulers. Such inlay was considered especially suitable for religious buildings of every persuasion because of its conspicuous expense and visual appeal. VIEW OBJECT JULY 14, 2020 Eiffel Tower Robert Delaunay, French, 1885–1941; Eiffel Tower, 1924; oil on canvas; 63 5/8 × 38 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May 536:1956 Robert Delaunay’s Eiffel Tower represents this famed Parisian landmark, which was a symbol of modern technology in the early 20th century. The dark steel structure has been transformed into rich tones of yellow, orange, and lavender; the surrounding gardens are abstracted patterns of green and yellow. Influenced by fauvism, an art movement that championed the use of vivid colors, Delaunay affirmed that “everything is color in nature.” The artist used an aerial viewpoint, probably informed by his own background as an early aviator. VIEW OBJECT JULY 12, 2020 Reliquary Arm Reliquary Arm, 1100–1150; French; wood and sheet gold; 21 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 75:1949 Some reliquaries contained actual relics, the material remains of a saint, no matter how tiny, while others held a strip of linen (called a brandea) that had touched a relic and was believed to have the same power. By the 12th century, these receptacles sometimes were given the form of the relic they contained. The conical chamber cut into the core of this arm reliquary once contained a bone fragment of a saint’s arm. The fingers form a blessing gesture. VIEW OBJECT JULY 10, 2020 Still Life with a Basket of Fruit Severin Roesen, American (born Germany), 1816–after 1872; Still Life with a Basket of Fruit, c.1850–70; oil on canvas; 30 1/8 x 40 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 2:1970 Tendrils of grapevine playfully coil around a profusion of grapes, peaches, watermelon, plums, cherries, strawberries, an apple, and even a bird’s nest that cradles three delicate eggs. Miniscule dewdrops reward careful exploration. Artist Severin Roesen created this painting as a feast for the eyes. Hung in well-to-do parlors and dining rooms, paintings such as this celebrated the nation’s abundant natural resources, a source of pride and optimism for the future. Bountiful resources were especially appreciated in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the German-born artist worked. This “Lumber Capital of the World” produced 350 million board feet per day, creating more millionaires per capita than any other city in the mid-19th century. It was hard for those Americans, whose wealth was increasing so dramatically in the decades before the Civil War, to imagine that such resources could be depleted. VIEW OBJECT JULY 9, 2020 Mantle Mantle, c.200 BC–AD 100; Paracas, Peru; camelid fiber; 50 x 102 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase, Friends Fund, and funds provided by the Maymar Corporation 21:1956 Cats abound on this enormous textile, occupying open space within and between other cats. Angular outlines of felines repeat in linear formation with remarkable consistency, but their forms are somewhat obscured by the overall geometry and rhythm. Cats best seen in the top and bottom horizontal borders express duality as two-bodied beings (read the blog). Follow the serrated outline of a cat’s back to see how its tail turns a corner and becomes the tail of another cat. This mantle does not show signs of frequent wear, which suggests it was made for the exclusive use of wrapping the dead prior to burial in the coastal desert. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE JULY 7, 2020 The Reader Édouard Manet, French, 1832–1883; The Reader , 1861; oil on canvas; 39 1/4 x 32 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 254:1915 View Details Edouard Manet represented his elderly friend, the painter Joseph Gall, absorbed in reading a large book. The ledge in the foreground serves as a barrier, establishing distance between the sitter and the viewer. The artist’s palette is muted and restrained. Although Manet never participated in any of the Impressionist exhibitions, he was closely associated with the group; his lively, inventive brushwork is evident in the sitter’s left hand, depicted with a few rapid and abstract brush marks (see details above). VIEW OBJECT JULY 6, 2020 Hippopotamus Hippopotamus, 1783–1640 BC; Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 13; faience; 3 3/4 x 7 1/4 x 2 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Martha I. Love 242:1952 This figure of a hippo was molded in faience, a crushed quartz glazed and fired at a relatively low temperature. Copper salts in the glaze impart the bright blue or blue-green color so characteristic of faience objects. Over the animal’s naturalistic shape, the craftsman painted lily plants that appear as a giant tattoo. Small sculptures of hippos such as this one were placed in tombs in ancient Egypt as reminders of the Egyptians’ love of hunting. Each of the sculpted hippo’s legs was ritually broken in order to render it harmless in the afterlife. In ancient Egypt herds of hippos were a constant threat to farmers’ fields. The first pharaohs hunted hippos in the marshes and eventually drove them far south into Upper Egypt. Hippos became associated with chaos, and the hunt for hippos became a metaphor for how the pharaohs of ancient Egypt could conquer evil. VIEW OBJECT JULY 5, 2020 The Church Supper James Baare Turnbull, American, 1909–1976; The Church Supper, 1934; tempera on plywood; 36 1/4 × 30 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. James Baare Turnbull 1894:1981; © Estate of James Baare Turnbull View Historical/Contemporary Images Townspeople eat supper, converse with friends, rest and feed table scraps to their pets in this depiction of a church social. James Baare Turnbull included a representation of himself at the right, leaning against a tree. Turnbull gained acclaim in the 1930s and 40s for his depictions of rural and small-town life in the Midwest, seen at the time as quintessentially American. In 1938 he was named Director of the St. Louis WPA Art Project and during WWII worked as an artist-correspondent for Life magazine. The church depicted is St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, on the corner of Manchester and Ballas roads in Des Peres, Missouri. Long-time church members recall fondly the many Sunday afternoon picnic suppers, held outdoors because the church lacked a basement social hall. The steepled red brick church was built in 1867 and replaced in 1938 with the current church building (see images above). The smaller structure behind the church was the congregation’s school, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1883 and replaced in 1952 by their current school. VIEW OBJECT JULY 4, 2020 Buzz Aldrin and the U.S. Flag on the Moon Neil Armstrong, American, 1930–2012; Buzz Aldrin and the U.S. Flag on the Moon, 1969; chromogenic print; 8 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Ronald and Mary Jo Anderson 132:2015.2 View Related Images This color print was taken during the July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 landing on the moon, one of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Commander Neil Armstrong was tasked with documenting the moon walk, and took views of fellow astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin standing with the Eagle landing capsule and conducting scientific experiments (view more above). The most famous of these images shows Aldrin with the United States flag after it had been planted on the lunar surface. Since there are no air currents on the moon, the flag had to be stiffened with a rod to make it appear as if it were waving. While untrained as a photographer, Armstrong quickly became adept at using a specially made Hasselblad camera that could be operated in outer space. He exposed several hundred negatives and the results are equally important as historic, scientific, and aesthetic statements. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE JULY 1, 2020 Club (‘u’u) Club ('u'u), early–mid-19th century; Marquesan (Te ‘Enana), Marquesas Islands; wood and plant fiber; 7 7/16 x 4 x 51 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 128:1952 Reading the sculpted motifs on both sides of this club creates a complex visual game. At first glance, the head of the club takes the form of a face. However, closer looking reveals a multitude of additional faces. There is a face on the upper crest of the finial; two others form the pupils and irises of the eyes with radiating striations; a fourth face appears in place of the primary face’s nose; another is evident on the lower band. There is no specific Marquesan explanation of this interlocking imagery. However the Marquesan word atua, meaning both “eyes” and “ancestors,” suggests a striking interpretation for this proliferation of eyes and faces: The ancestors are watching. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 26, 2020 Frontlet Nuxalk (Bella Coola) artist, Frontlet, c.1870; British Columbia; wood, pigment, copper, abalone shell, and mirrored glass; 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 272:1982 Worn on a dancer’s forehead, this carving featured additional components that moved. Sea lion whiskers extended from the crown and waved with the dancer’s motion. Additionally, a veil-like panel of swan skin or canvas streamed from back. This panel covered the dancer’s head and shoulders, as well as a mechanical apparatus that distributed eagle down. The carving represents a raven. With outstretched wings, the raven grasps a ball—which represents light—in its mouth. This frontlet illustrates the key moment in a Native Northwest Coast story when the trickster bird steals the sun, moon, and stars to illuminate the world. When a dancer wore the frontlet, abalone-shell inlays and mirrored eyes reflected firelight. This effect lent the carving a sense of animism and demonstrated the narrative of raven bringing light. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE JUNE 25, 2020 The Fairman Rogers Four-In-Hand (A May Morning in the Park) Thomas Eakins, American, 1844–1916; The Fairman Rogers Four-In-Hand (A May Morning in the Park), 1899; oil on canvas; 23 3/4 x 36 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 92:1954 This painting was completed in grisaille—in black and white—for reproduction in a horse carriage coaching manual. The horses’ legs are depicted as stopped in their movement, but oddly the carriage wheels are not. Thomas Eakins consulted newly invented stop motion photographs to accurately depict the leg positions, something greatly debated before photography. Eakins’s concern for uncompromising, scientific realism brought him little success. As one reviewer noted, “the result may be scientifically true; but it is . . . artistically false. [One wishes] Mr. Eakins had denied himself the pleasure of a fascinating little experiment, and had painted his horses in the time worn way.” VIEW OBJECT JUNE 24, 2020 Portrait of a Woman Frans Hals, Dutch, c.1582/1583–1666; Portrait of a Woman, c.1650–52; oil on canvas; 40 3/8 x 35 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase and funds given by the John M. Olin Charitable Trust, Friends Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Sydney M. Shoenberg Sr., Stella Kuhn and Effie C. Kuhn, Mrs. Clifford W. Gaylord, Mr. Joseph L. Werner, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel K. Catlin, Martha I. Love, Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. Pflager, The Steinberg Charitable Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Lansing W. Thoms, the Weil Charitable Foundation, Mrs. Arthur C. Drefs, and Mr. and Mrs. John P. Meyer 272:1955 View Companion Painting This portrait of a married woman displays dazzling technique in the freely painted details of her lace collar, and cuffs— signs of her family’s prosperity. Very little can be seen of her surroundings, merely the suggestion of a corner to the right and her shadow cast upon the wall. As a result, she is moved back into the fictional realm of the painting, making her presence seem less assertive. Frans Hals, a leading 17th-century Dutch painter, made more conservative portraits during the 1650s, limiting his use of color and controlling the extraordinarily sketchy brushstrokes for which he is famous. This work was intended to hang together with an image of the woman’s husband (see above), a portrait that is in the collection of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 23, 2020 Palisades, from “The Hudson River Portfolio” William Guy Wall, Irish, 1792–after 1864; printed by John Hill, American (born England), 1770–1850; Palisades, from The Hudson River Portfolio, 1823–24; hand-colored aquatint, etching, and engraving; image: 16 x 21 1/4 inches, sheet: 19 1/8 x 25 3/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund, Director's Discretionary Fund, and funds given by the estates of Babette T. Putzel and Louis R. Putzel, James and Joan Schiele, Paul M. Arenberg, an anonymous donor in honor of Nancy G. Rosenbaum, Mr. and Mrs. David C. Farrell, Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg, and Charles and Jane Walbrandt 5:2008.25 A steamboat full of tourists gliding along the Hudson River gives a sense of scale to this view of the dramatic bluffs known as the Palisades. These cliffs rise as high as 550 feet above the water of the river only a few miles north of New York City. This image serves as reminder to city dwellers of nature’s wonders that lay just beyond their doors. After its initial release, The Hudson River Portfolio quickly made its way into American popular culture. The images inspired an upsurge of illustrated guidebooks that were pervasive in mid-19th century America. The sketches were even reproduced on the surfaces of dinnerware—Staffordshire Pottery’s Picturesque Views—which was sold commercially. The portfolio was so popular that a second edition was published between 1828 and 1833 with a run that numbered in the thousands. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 22, 2020 Room 112 Philip Guston, American (born Canada), 1913–1980; Room 112, 1957; oil on canvas; 62 x 68 1/2 inches Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. 249:1966; © 2020 Estate of Philip Guston Clustered networks of blue, green, red, black, and ochre converge in this canvas as if drawn together by a gravitational force. Room 112 represents Philip Guston’s distinctive approach to Abstract Expressionism. After leaving his teaching post at Washington University in St. Louis in 1947, Guston set aside figural painting to pursue gestural abstraction, as seen here. Guston would later grow disenchanted with abstraction, eventually returning to representational imagery. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 21, 2020 Father & Mother—Tintype Walter Ellison, American, 1899–1977; Father & Mother—Tintype, 1939; oil on canvas; 24 3/16 x 20 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration 358:1943 Walter Ellison depicts his parents, Sidney Ellison (1875–1926) and Rosa Lee Ellison (1882–1964). Throughout their 30-year marriage, Sidney worked as a laborer on farms and railroads to support his family. In the mid-1920s, the Ellison family moved from Georgia to Chicago, joining the millions of African Americans who moved from south to north as part of the Great Migration. Sadly, Sidney passed away soon after their arrival in this new city. Walter Ellison remembered his father with this portrait, painted 13 years after Sidney’s death and based on an earlier photograph of his parents. Ellison painted not just a portrait but also a comment on the inequities of African American life. Though his parents are tastefully dressed in their Sunday best, they seem oblivious to the decay and disrepair around them. The carpet is torn and the studio backdrop sags to the point of nearly draping their shoulders. This dilapidated environment seems at odds with his parents’ upright character. Rather, it is symbolic of the often unjust and inequitable conditions faced by many African Americans. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 20, 2020 Lip Plug in the Form of an Eagle Head (teocuitcuauhtentetl) Lip Plug in the Form of an Eagle Head (teocuitcuauhtentetl), c.1200–1521; Mixtec, Late Postclassical period, Mexico; gold; 9/16 x 1 1/8 x 1 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 275:1978 With its exquisitely detailed feather arrangement around the head, prominent eyes, and menacing claw-like beak, this beautifully cast gold eagle head was worn by a warrior preparing for battle or ritual ceremony. The labret was inserted through a hole in the lower lip, with the radiance of the metal reflecting the light of the sun. Metalworking in central Mexico was probably introduced to the Mixtecs as a fully developed art from South America sometime in the 13th century. The neighboring Aztecs purchased such objects from their neighbors to use in sacred and political rituals; they called such objects teocuitlacuauhtentetl. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 19, 2020 Douglass Square Allan Rohan Crite, American, 1910–2007; Douglass Square, 1936; oil on canvas-covered artist's board; 23 1/2 x 27 inches; Gift of the Federal Works Agency, Works Projects Administration 354:1943 In 1979, the African American artist Allan Rohan Crite explained his preference for the kind of everyday neighborhood scene like Douglass Square. He said, “I was living here [Boston] in the South End with a lot of black people around me. I was painting them as I saw them as human beings, just ordinary human beings, having ordinary lives. In the twenties and thirties the image of black people was distorted, to put it mildly. We had an . . .entertainer or a traumatic figure out of the ghetto or a social problem. But the ordinary human being who goes to the store, comes home, washes dishes, all the homely things—he just wasn’t registering. I felt it important for me to present that life of black people as part of the Christian dignity of man.” VIEW OBJECT JUNE 17, 2020 Eames Storage Unit (ESU) Charles Eames, American, 1907–1978, and Ray Kaiser Eames, American, 1912–1988; made by Herman Miller Furniture Company, Zeeland, Michigan, founded 1923; Eames Storage Unit (ESU), designed 1949–50; birch plywood, zinc-plated steel, perforated metal, plastic laminated plywood, lacquered Masonite, and rubber; 58 11/16 x 47 1/16 x 16 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 17:1994; © Eames Office, LLC. Charles and Ray Eames are among the most important industrial designers of the 20th century. This storage unit epitomizes the Eameses’ goal for most of their work-to-design mass-produced furnishings to be beautiful and affordable to the average consumer. The Eames Storage Units (ESU) are a system of lightweight modular cabinets and desks with prefabricated, interchangeable parts: shelves, perforated metal backs, panels, and sliding doors and drawers, all in various materials and color combinations. No attempt was made to conceal the structural elements. To simplify shipping, this cabinet with steel-angle corner legs was originally conceived as knockdown furniture. Design as the rearrangement of industrial parts was a constant that the Eameses executed in varying scales throughout their work. In concept and aesthetic this unit is a small-scale version of their famous 1949 Case Study House in Pacific Palisades, California. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 13, 2020 Incense Burner in the Form of a Bird Incense Burner in the Form of a Bird, 12th century; Persian, Iran, Seljuk period; bronze; 7 1/8 x 3 3/8 x 8 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Eliza McMillan Trust 245:1952 This life-sized sculpture of a bird is an incense burner. A small drawer within its chest opens to hold incense. Once lit, the smoke would emanate from pierced holes in its neck. The incised patterns on the wings are a mixture of realistic feathers and interlocking circles, a combination that stems from an aesthetic appreciation of geometric patterns rather than from a desire to avoid life-like realism. Before the late 18th century, all Islamic art objects were functional in some way. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 11, 2020 Reliquary Guardian Figure Unidentified Fang artist (Betsi subgroup), Gabon or Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa; Reliquary Guardian Figure, before 1910; wood, brass, iron, and palm oil; figure: 19 1/2 x 6 1/4 x 6 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 23:1942 The bright, inset eyes of this figure suggest the ability to see past the earthly realm. The Fang attached figures such as this, with the feet dangling down, to the lids of cylindrical containers that preserved the skulls and bones of important ancestors. These figures symbolically evoke the ancestor and guard the relics within. These sculptures may reflect Fang ideas about death and rebirth in the use of infantile forms—such as a high, bulging forehead and shortened limbs—combined with more mature characteristics. Spiritually empowered by the bones and relics, these reliquary figures could also be placed in and around the houses of the extended family for protection. Such mobile reliquaries were an innovation developed to meet the needs of a migrant community, as villages periodically relocated due to the vagaries of the difficult forest environment. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 10, 2020 Portrait of a Lady, probably Camilla Martelli de’Medici Alessandro Allori, Italian, 1535–1607; Portrait of a Lady, probably Camilla Martelli de'Medici, 1570s; oil on panel; 27 x 23 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Plant Faust 9:2017 This exquisite ensemble indicates the sitter was a woman of wealth and importance (read more on the blog). Gold disks decorate the edge of her collar while rubies and emeralds adorn her hair. She wears an extravagant necklace with a large cut diamond and luxurious pearl. The fashion suggests the portrait was made in the 1570s. It is possibly a representation of Camilla Martelli, mistress and then second wife of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de’ Medici. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE JUNE 5, 2020 Nepcetaq Mask Yup’ik artist, Nepcetaq Mask, c.1900; Nunivak Island, Alaska; wood, pigment, and feathers; 10 1/2 x 25 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Margaret Cohen Voss and Bernhard Voss 99:2013 A Yup’ik artist from Alaska has gracefully manipulated wood and paint to show a powerful vision. In the central carving, an angalkuq (shaman) stares intently through two bentwood rings, which represent layers of the universe. As mediators between worlds, shamans have the ability to travel beyond the everyday realm. Feathers and wooden carvings of hands, feet, fish, and a bird radiate beyond the second, outermost ring. With hands and legs matching the tone of his face, the angalkuq seems to reach across the boundaries of the world. He touches that which we cannot see, the inner life of things. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 4, 2020 You Can’t Lay Down Your Memories Chest of Drawers Tejo Remy, Dutch, born 1960; You Can't Lay Down Your Memories Chest of Drawers, designed 1991, made 2005; vintage drawers, maple frames, and jute strap; approximate: 56 x 56 x 23 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. L. Max Lippman Jr. 78:2005a-u; © Tejo Remy This playful assemblage of mismatched drawers is piled in an asymmetrical configuration and bound together with an upholstery strap. The grouping offers an alternative to the traditional compact, upright chest form. All the drawers are salvaged scrap and each chest in this limited series is unique. In fact, brave owners can create their own compositions by stacking and rearranging the drawers at will. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 3, 2020 The Little Mountain Goats Franz Marc, German, 1880–1916; The Little Mountain Goats, 1913–14; oil on canvas; 23 7/8 x 16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 912:1983 In this charming work by Franz Marc, two green goats float above a landscape of spiky mountains. Marc was a member of the Der Blaue Reiter (Blue Rider) expressionist artist group and was renowned for his paintings of animals. He found animals to be lovely and pure and represented that purity with prismatic forms painted in transparent layers of glowing colors. Marc’s death in World War I (1914–1918) shocked his fellow expressionists and effectively disbanded the Blue Rider group. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 2, 2020 Magnolia Martin Johnson Heade, American, 1819–1904; Magnolia, c.1885–95; oil on canvas; 15 x 24 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Alden Sears 172:1986 This voluptuous blossom, with its flawless petals and leaves, conveys the flower’s symbolic sensuality. In 1954, a curator described Martin Johnson Heade’s magnolia paintings as, “the fleshy whiteness of magnolia blossoms startlingly arrayed on sumptuous red velvet like odalisques [reclining nudes] on a couch.” Heade became fascinated with this flower in the 1880s when he moved to Florida. His magnolia paintings were sought after by wealthy tourists, who displayed them in their homes upon return. VIEW OBJECT JUNE 1, 2020 Whistle in the Form of Two Human Figures Whistle in the Form of Two Human Figures, c.700–400 BC; Tembladera, Early Horizon, Peru, South America; ceramic with pigment; 7 5/16 x 3 9/16 x 1 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 186:1979 In this ceramic whistle, the figures of a man (left) and a woman (right) join together to make music. These two individuals share a single body, each contributing an arm and a leg, creating a balanced whole. The male and female halves are distinguished by their clothing, which differs according to fit and decoration. Their facial painting, which may designate their ethnic affiliations, is also reminiscent of textile patterns. VIEW OBJECT MAY 31, 2020 Helmet Helmet, 525–500 BC; Greek, South Italian, Archaic period; bronze with ivory and bronze restoration; 19 3/8 x 12 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 282:1949.1 The size of this ram’s head helmet indicates that it was meant to be worn for ceremonial purposes rather than in actual battle. It was created by hammering a single sheet of bronze, which makes it extremely light and unsuitable as actual armor. Decoration was added using a series of common metalworking techniques such as repoussée, punching, tracing, and engraving. The ram’s head on top, whose horns, ears, and eyes have been restored, is mirrored by the attached ram’s head cheek pieces. The selection of the ram to adorn a military-style helmet is fitting since the animals have a double-layered skull which helps protect them from injury. Elaborate helmets such as this are quite rare. VIEW OBJECT MAY 30, 2020 Portrait of a Young Woman Unknown; Portrait of a Young Woman, late 18th century; pastel; 16 x 12 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 186:1951 HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript This pastel depicts a young woman with her face turned slightly toward the viewer, revealing a warm expression. Her head is covered with a light‑colored wrap decorated with a sheer pattern. She wears a pair of small gold earrings, a pearl choker necklace, and a dress with an embellished scoop neckline. Both the woman and the artist who portrayed her remain unidentified. A recent Google image search produced nearly 5.7 billion results with no clear answers to the artist’s and sitter’s identities. Useful clues may lie in the woman’s attire. Some scholars believe her head covering reveals Caribbean origins. This drawing’s blue paper contains a clue—a watermark is revealed when the sheet is held up to light. Watermarks contain information about when and where the paper was made. This one spells out E V Orspronk, a Dutch paper manufacturer active in the 18th century. Who is the captivating young woman in this pastel? Hear Judith W. Mann, curator of European Art to 1800, discuss (above) the mystery of her possible identities, from Phillis Wheatley to Dido Belle, and what we have learned so far about the unknown subject of this portrait. VIEW OBJECT MAY 29, 2020 Pictorial Board and Dice Game Kobayashi Kiyochika, Japanese, 1847–1915; published by Inoue Kichijirō, Japanese, active late 19th century; Pictorial Board and Dice Game: Magic Lantern of the Subjugation of China, 1894; color woodblock prints; 31 1/8 × 29 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Lowenhaupt 837:2010a-g To play this sugoroku, a board game similar to western chutes and ladders, players begin in the rectangular box at the bottom. Players compete to reach the rectangular finishing point at the top, captioned “Conference of Commissioned Officers,” by rolling a die. The 20 places between start and finish take the form of circular images on a black ground that evoke magic lantern slides, a popular toy in Meiji period Japan (1868-1912). Each image is accompanied by a label containing a title and a key dictating where players should move next. VIEW OBJECT MAY 28, 2020 Wall Clock, from the Casa Milà, Barcelona, Spain Antoni Gaudi, Spanish, 1852–1926; Wall Clock, from the Casa Milà, Barcelona, Spain, c.1909; gilded wood and plaster, brass, and metal; 51 x 18 x 7 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and in honor of Grace Lischer Brumbaugh, and funds given by the Pulitzer Publishing Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. William R. Orthwein, the Decorative Arts Society, Mrs. Charles W. Lorenz, Mr. and Mrs. David Mesker, Roxanne H. Frank, Nancy and Kenneth Kranzberg, Mrs. Eleanor J. Moore, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, donors to the 1996 Annual Appeal; and Museum Purchase, by exchange 2:1997 This clock is one of several similar versions made for the Casa Milà apartment building in Barcelona, Spain. Like the building’s undulating façade, the clock appears as a malleable mass, stretched downward by the pull of gravity. Its asymmetrical distortions create an illusion of movement: the clock could, in fact, be a commentary on time, and even on life itself. For his Casa Milà apartment building, Antoni Gaudi designed furnishings, ceramic floor tiles, and wrought-iron window grilles in addition to clocks that complement his sculptural treatment of the building. Many of these forms were inspired by aquatic themes. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Gaudi did not copy nature but sought its essence. VIEW OBJECT MAY 27, 2020 Basin Basin, mid-14th century; Egyptian, Mamluk period; brass with silver and gold inlay; 9 1/4 x 21 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 50:1927 This magnificent basin was used for washing, in conjunction with a pitcher. The teeming fish swimming around the bottom of the interior reflect its function, as the water would splash over them. The stately Arabic inscriptions encircling the exterior of the basin and its interior rim indicate it was created for a high-ranking officer of the Mamluk ruler al-Malik al-Nasir (ruled 1293–1341). The Mamluks ruled Egypt and Syria from 1250 to 1517. In 1322 they signed a peace treaty with the Mongols, opening the way to trade with China. Contact with China introduced new motifs, such as the lotus flowers in the roundels on this basin. VIEW OBJECT MAY 26, 2020 Christ Presented to the People (“The Ecce Homo”) Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669; Christ Presented to the People (The Ecce Homo), 1655; drypoint; sheet: 15 3/8 x 17 7/8 in.; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund, Friends Fund, and funds given in honor of James D. Burke, Museum Director from 1980 to 1999, by Mr. and Mrs. Lester A. Crancer Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Christian B. Peper, the Ruth Peters MacCarthy Charitable Trust, an anonymous donor, Mary and Oliver Langenberg, Phoebe and Mark Weil, Sam and Marilyn Fox, The Sidney S. and Sadie Cohen Print Purchase Fund, the Julian and Hope Edison Print Fund, Margaret Grigg Oberheide, an anonymous donor, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Teasdale, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Bachmann, the Anne L. Lehmann Charitable Trust, Anabeth Calkins and John Weil, Mrs. James Lee Johnson Jr., Suzanne and Jerry Sincoff, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Weiss, Mr. and Mrs. Martin E. Galt III, and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew B. Craig III 1:1999 Silhouetted by a dark arch, the three main figures in the print from the Christian New Testament, Pontius Pilate (prefect of the Roman province of Judea), Jesus, and the thief Barabbas, stand on the podium before a large civic building. Pilate, wearing a turban, has already asked the crowd before him: “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” The crowd shouts, “Barabbas!” Rembrandt captures the moment when Pilate, pointing towards Jesus, asks them the next question: “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” The crowd shouts back, “Let him be crucified!” Surrounded by an extraordinary architectural setting, soldiers, and the surge of the crowd below him, Jesus looks helpless and isolated. This is one of Rembrandt’s most celebrated prints because of its size, rarity, and complex composition. The work is also one of the few that Rembrandt did exclusively in drypoint, a process in which a sharp point is used to scratch a line directly into the copperplate. VIEW OBJECT MAY 24, 2020 The Dreamer Pierre-Auguste Renoir, French, 1841–1919; The Dreamer, 1879; oil on canvas; 20 1/8 x 24 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 5:1935 This vibrant, colorful work depicts a young, unidentified model that Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted at his studio in the Montmartre district of Paris. He used his characteristically feathery brushwork, particularly in his representation of the background floral wallpaper. The mild eroticism of the sitter’s gaze—the English painter Walter Richard Sickert later described this as a “saucy” portrait—is enhanced by the way in which she idly places her finger in her mouth. VIEW OBJECT MAY 23, 2020 Figurehead (pakoko or tete) from a fishing canoe Figurehead (pakoko or tete) from a Fishing Canoe, 18th–early 19th century; Maori, New Zealand (Aotearoa); wood; 15 3/8 x 8 7/16 x 16 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 1558:1983 Appearing defiant with a thick protruding tongue, this tiki head was attached to the bow of a waka tete, or fishing canoe. Its aggressive face would have pointed outward, parting the sea with its powerful force. The curved and spiral patterns around the mouth likely represent moko, intricate tattoos that communicate personal history as well as tribal status. The eyes of the head were once inlaid with iridescent shells. VIEW OBJECT MAY 22, 2020 Head of Simone in a Green Bonnet with Wavy Brim (No. 2) Mary Cassatt, American (active France), 1844–1926; Head of Simone in a Green Bonnet with Wavy Brim (No. 2), c.1904; pastel on paper; 16 x 17 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mr. and Mrs. John E. Simon 23:1957 See Related Image Mary Cassatt was celebrated during her lifetime as a painter of children, and often portrayed girls in frilly dresses with oversized hats. This pastel drawing depicts Simone, a young girl from the village where Cassatt lived, wearing a large, floppy bonnet. Cassatt skillfully used pastel to explore different textures, from the smoothness of Simone’s skin, to her light wisps of hair, to the soft velvety contours of the hat. This work is part of a group of related pictures of young girls in large hats (learn more), including another pastel drawing called Head of Simone in a Green Bonnet with a Wavy Brim (No. 3), in the Davis Museum at Wellesley College (see image above). Despite the similarities in titles and the hats depicted, closer inspection reveals that the sitters are actually different girls: one with blonde hair and the other younger, with dark hair. Cassatt often selected the hats for her sitters, sometimes reusing a particular hat in multiple images, as may have been the case here. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE MAY 21, 2020 Seated Figure of the Official of Earth (Di guan) Seated Figure of the Official of Earth (Di guan), 16th century; Chinese, Ming dynasty; bronze with gilding; 71 x 48 x 38 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 169:1919 Poised to hold a now-missing sacred tablet, this larger-than-life bronze sculpture is from a set of identical deities that sat in a temple. The large size and fine quality of this work required that it be constructed from intersecting pieces like a big puzzle. But despite its great weight of over 2,000 pounds and its overwrought scale, this sculpture is finely proportioned and beautifully composed. Although seated in a formal manner, the figure is animated by the flow of its voluminous robes from shoulders to feet. The deity’s eyes, lips, and clothing retain touches of gold. VIEW OBJECT MAY 20, 2020 To Encircle Base Plate Hexagram, Right Angles Inverted Richard Serra, American, born 1938, photographed by Peter Moore, American, 1932-1993; To Encircle Base Plate Hexagram, Right Angles Inverted, 1970; hot-rolled steel; diameter: 25 feet 4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald K. Greenberg 152:1984; © 2020 Richard Serra / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY, photo © 2020 Estate of Peter Moore / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY See Installation Views Embedded into the road between the Saint Louis Art Museum and Art Hill (see installation views above), this large circular sculpture is barely apparent at street level. The work is comprised of two identical steel semi-circular components—one upright, the other inverted. In each a horizontal metal plate is joined to a vertical outer band forming an L-shape in profile. On the upright half of the circle the plate is buried under the pavement, while on the inverted half the plate sits flush with the surface of the road. The title of this sculpture both describes its form and suggests the goals it is intended to achieve: to encircle, contain, and define space. “Base Plate” refers to the enclosed pavement as if it were a plate of steel. “Hexagram” describes the six surfaces of the sculpture: the outside and inside of the outer band and the top and bottom of each of the two plates. “Right Angles Inverted” points to the positioning of the upright and inverted L-shaped bands. Richard Serra’s first public artwork in the United States, this sculpture was originally installed in the Bronx, New York, from 1970 to 1972 (as depicted above in the photograph by Peter Moore). Serra meant for viewers to walk and drive over the work and, through this process, to become more aware of the street itself and the sculpture’s relationship to it. VIEW OBJECT MAY 19, 2020 Half Armor Half Armor, 1600–10; Italian; steel with gilding, modern leather, and fabric; 26 1/2 x 27 1/2 x 12 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 230:1923a-g This half armor was made for sporting combat on foot “at the barriers,” a friendly competition in which individuals or teams of armored contestants used swords and spear-like pikes to score points for hits delivered. The barriers was a waist-high fence that kept the fighters separated. Since the barriers protected the fighters below the waist, leg armor was unnecessary in these contests. The ceremonial and sporting aspects of the armor are accented by the overall decoration of gold crescents. VIEW OBJECT MAY 18, 2020 Landscape with a Horse Edward Middleton Manigault, Canadian (active United States), 1887–1922; Landscape with a Horse, 1912; oil on canvas; 27 × 33 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of John and Susan Horseman, in honor of Melissa Wolfe, Curator of American Art 105:2019 The golden, glowing sky sets the tone for this visionary scene. A horse, castle, and foliage emerge from the darkened, jewel-toned landscape, whose trees cast anxious silhouettes. Edward Middleton Manigault is known for his insistent experimentation. His works are remarkable for their decorative sense and imaginative, otherworldly spirit, as seen here. Manigault later served as an ambulance driver in World War I (1914–1918), where he was exposed to mustard gas. In the years following his discharge, he began fasting as an attempt to “approach the spiritual plane and see colors not perceptible to the physical eye.” VIEW OBJECT MAY 17, 2020 Copper Northern Northwest Coast artist, Copper, c.1870; British Columbia or Alaska; copper with pigment; 43 3/4 x 30 x 1 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 268:1982 View the Back of Object Scratched from the blackened surface with a fine-pointed tool, the image of a bird spans the convex top of this copper. Many Northwest Coast groups made coppers for display, and an unattributed master artist worked this sheet of rolled copper in the typical manner: flaring its top, hammering the edges, and beating it over a form to achieve ridges at bottom. As representations of immense wealth, coppers appeared in elaborate performances at feasts. The large size and painting on back (see image above) distinguish this copper. When compared to decoration on the front, the style of this painted bird indicates the labor of a second, more southerly artist. Coppers circulated between rivals and allies, their value increasing as they changed hands. The accumulation of imagery here likely relates to a long history of exchange, where a new owner added his own design to this copper. VIEW OBJECT MAY 16, 2020 Stairway at Auvers Vincent van Gogh, Dutch, 1853–1890; Stairway at Auvers, July 1890; oil on canvas; 19 11/16 × 27 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 1:1935 The expressive, swirling lines of the foreground road move backward to the center of this composition. The road joins the base of a stairway on which an elderly man with a stick descends. Chestnut trees are in flower to the right and left, while two pairs of women walk along the road. Vincent van Gogh’s work is of a compact, almost claustrophobic density and the sky is barely seen. In one of his final letters, Van Gogh described Auvers as “of a grave beauty, the real countryside, characteristic, and picturesque.” VIEW OBJECT MAY 14, 2020 Vase Adelaide Alsop Robineau, American, 1865–1929; with the Art Academy of the American Woman's League, University City, Missouri, 1909–1911; Vase, 1910; glazed porcelain; 6 1/16 x 2 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Elsa K. Bertig in memory of Joseph and Elsa Bertig, by exchange 471:1979 Yellow blossoms surround the top of this vase, while simplified green stems divide the lower body. The areas in between were pierced, then filled with a blue translucent glaze. Adelaide Robineau was known for exacting technical work, often carving into the vessel walls to achieve extraordinary thinness and translucency. VIEW OBJECT MAY 12, 2020 The Besieged Elephant Jan van Doetechum the Elder, Dutch, active 1554–1605 and Lucas van Doetechum, Dutch, active 1554–1572; after Alart du Hameel, Netherlandish, 1449–1507; The Besieged Elephant, c.1563; etching and engraving; sheet (trimmed between image and platemark): 15 5/8 × 21 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Anonymous Gift 647:2018 View Comparative Image The elephant at the center of this oversize print bears the weight of an entire army. Dozens of helmeted soldiers armed with crossbows, swords, and projectiles are ensconced in a fantastical turreted structure fastened atop his back (read excerpt below). Even the elephant has gone on the defensive and seized an opponent forcefully in his massive trunk. The print’s overarching message seems to warn mankind to beware of the dangers of extreme aggression. Although an inscription on the print identifies Hieronymus Bosch as its “inventor,” no such composition by the celebrated Netherlandish painter survives. Rather, this print’s inspiration came from a now-rare engraving by Bosch’s contemporary, Alart du Hameel (view comparative image above). Hameel may well have adapted imagery from Bosch’s devilish inventions. Created decades later, this print was one of many that reinterpreted and updated Boschian themes for a new generation. In one such update, the many animals fighting alongside soldiers in the earlier version by Hameel are absent here, and all focus turns to the challenges of humanity. Excerpt from the Museum publication Beyond Bosch: The Afterlife of a Renaissance Master in Print: The image of the battle elephant goes back to antiquity and remained a popular subject throughout the Middle Ages and into the 16th century. The description of elephants armed for battle derives from the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus whose Library of History describes a battle undertaken by Alexander the Great during his campaign in India. The animals were outfitted by the enemy army with towers on their backs, such that together they looked like a giant city, and the infantry was placed on the ground between them. Siculus describes how, when the fighting began, the elephants trampled some of Alexander’s soldiers and lifted up others with their trunks to dash them against the ground. Ultimately, however, Alexander’s army weakened the animals with their spears, and the elephants were put into disarray. Marisa Bass, “The Besieged Elephant,” in: Marisa Bass and Elizabeth Wyckoff, Beyond Bosch: The Afterlife of a Renaissance Master in Print (St. Louis: Saint Louis Art Museum, 2015), cat. 15, 141-142. VIEW OBJECT MAY 10, 2020 A Young Mother Bessie Potter Vonnoh, American, 1872–1955; A Young Mother, 1896; bronze; 14 1/4 x 12 1/4 x 15 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Given in memory of Henry B. Pflager from his friends and wife, Katherine King Pflager, by exchange 134:1985 Although there is a convincing sense of the female body in this sculpture, the abundant fabric serves to soften the form emotionally. The mother’s facial features are simplified, but her tender gaze upon her child conveys the intimacy of their relationship. Bessie Potter Vonnoh was well known for her small bronze sculptures of everyday subjects. A Young Mother is considered one of the most sensitive studies of the mother and child theme in American sculpture. VIEW OBJECT MAY 9, 2020 Album Quilt Album Quilt, 1848; American, Baltimore; cotton; 100 1/4 x 100 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Stratford Lee Morton 1:1973 Album, or friendship, quilts are among the most beautiful and sophisticated American quilts produced in the 19th century. This style of quilt was made in Baltimore between 1846 and 1852. They were stitched by groups of women to commemorate special events, to honor a prominent community member, or to remember someone relocating in this period of westward expansion. This quilt was made as a tribute to Elizabeth Morrison by a group of Methodist church women. It is inscribed, “Presented to E Morrison By Ladies of Baltimore, MD.,” and has eight signatures. Two other inscriptions begin with the words “Friendship’s Offering” and “Friendship’s Gift.” An additional message offers an insight into political events of the time: “From one of the Rough & Ready To the Worthy President Mary Ann Hudgins, 1848.” U.S. Army General Zachary Taylor, who became the nation’s 12th president in 1849, was known to his troops as “Old Rough and Ready.” VIEW OBJECT MAY 8, 2020 Wrapper (adire eleko) Unidentified Yoruba artist, Nigeria; Wrapper (adire eleko), mid-20th century; indigo-dyed cotton; 65 x 79 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of William C. Siegmann 1165:2010 Adire eleko refers to hand-painted designs typically applied by women, as seen on this wrapper. Adire is the name for any indigo resist-dyed Yoruba cloth produced through a variety of techniques such as tying, knotting, binding, stitching, freehand painting, or stenciling. The artist painted these motifs on commercially-produced cloth using cassava starch paste as the resist material, dyed the cloth in an indigo bath, then washed away the starch. The central double-foliate motif is identified as the Olokun pattern, named after the Yoruba goddess of the sea and of wealth. Both women and men wore adire wrappers as everyday dressing cloth until the mid-20th century, after which multi-colored factory-produced fabrics became more fashionable. Contemporary women artists have revived adire in traditions-based as well as inventive designs and styles. VIEW OBJECT MAY 7, 2020 Judith and Holofernes Giorgio Vasari, Italian, 1511–1574; Judith and Holofernes, c.1554; oil on panel; 42 1/2 x 31 3/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund and funds given in honor of Betty Greenfield Grossman 2:1982 The biblical heroine Judith’s strong arms and angled shoulders create lively diagonal lines that enhance her exaggerated musculature. Judith came to the rescue when General Holofernes and the Assyrian army laid siege to her city of Bethulia. Boldly infiltrating the Assyrian camp, Judith dined with Holofernes and, once he was drunk, she beheaded him with the help of her maid Abra. Vasari portrayed Judith as a physically powerful woman, a visible indication of her inner courage. VIEW OBJECT LEARN MORE MAY 6, 2020 Spectrum II Ellsworth Kelly, American, 1923–2015; Spectrum II, 1966–67; oil on canvas; 80 inches x 22 feet 9 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Shoenberg Foundation, Inc. 4:1967a-m; © Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery As the title indicates, this work relates to the color spectrum. Ellsworth Kelly, however, questions the predictability of the standard red to violet progression, instead offering a passage that begins with one shade of yellow and ends with another. The search for specific color is central in Kelly’s art. He once explained, “It’s very difficult to do a spectrum because each color has to be the right red, the right purple, and they have to blend together.” Here, the artist has joined 13 individually painted canvases producing a work almost 23 feet long. Through this painting, Kelly has both reinvented the early European medieval tradition of the polyptych (joined multi-panel painting) and challenged the modern convention of the single canvas. VIEW OBJECT MAY 5, 2020 Female Figure Female Figure, c.1350–1450; Aztec, Late Postclassic period, Mexico; wood, plant remains, and pigment; 20 11/16 x 8 7/8 x 4 5/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 381:1978 The traces of black and blue pigment seen on the headdress and skirt of this extremely rare wood sculpture are indicative of the Aztec goddess of water known as Chalchihuitlicue. The name means “she of the precious jade skirt.” For the Aztec and other Mesoamerican civilizations, jade and other greenstones symbolized the life-giving power of water. Chalchihuitlicue presided over aquatic rituals, particularly in late spring; the plant remains found in the round disc over her chest may be evidence of these rites. Although the stiff pose is typical of Aztec art, the figure’s face is finely modeled. This suggests a dynamic tradition of wood carving that is now almost completely unknown, as many fragile wooden sculptures were either destroyed during the 16th-century Spanish invasion or have decayed through the centuries. VIEW OBJECT MAY 3, 2020 Burning Rods Anselm Kiefer, German, born 1945; Burning Rods, 1984–87; oil, acrylic emulsion, and shellac on canvas with lead, copper wire, straw, iron, and ceramic; 130 1/4 inches x 18 feet 3 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer Jr. by exchange 108:1987a-c; © Anselm Kiefer See Details To create this vast, charred landscape, Anselm Kiefer combined paint with the unlikely materials of lead, copper, and straw. Blackened furrows extend toward a distant horizon while a rusty ice skate and a porcelain shard, both placed in the foreground, emphasize the surface of the painting. In this ravaged vista, Kiefer merges ancient mythology with the realities of modern technology. The 14 rods at the center of the composition allude to the Egyptian myth of Osiris, a god who was torn into 14 pieces before being reassembled by his sister-wife, Isis. Burning Rods also refers to fuel rods used in nuclear power plants, such as the one at Chernobyl that catastrophically failed in 1986. The monumental size and imposing physical bulk of this work are matched by Kiefer’s ambition to address the profound issues of death, destruction, and renewal that continually confront humanity. VIEW OBJECT MAY 2, 2020 Martingale Martingale, c.1900; Apsáalooke (Crow), Great Plains, United States; tanned hide, wool and cotton cloth, glass seed beads, and brass bells; 37 × 16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr. 80:2010 Martingales, like the one seen here, hang from a horse’s neck and cover its chest. Among the Native Americans living on the Plains, horses were a source of both honor and currency. The best horses were decorated for special occasions like parades and celebrations, a tradition that continues to this day among the Apsáalooke (Crow) in south-central Montana. VIEW OBJECT MAY 1, 2020 Laylá visits Majnūn in the Wilderness Laylá visits Majnūn in the Wilderness, c.1660; Indian, Mughal period, reign of Aurangzeb; ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; 12 x 7 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis 401:1952 This miniature watercolor illustrates a scene from the epic Persian poem Laylá and Majnūn, a poem of 12th-century romance and forbidden love. Since these two star-crossed lovers were forced apart by their families, the heartbroken hero, Majnūn, retreated to the wilderness. There, he lived a strict life of an ascetic, while his beloved Laylá was forced to marry another. In this painting, Laylá has come to visit and comfort Majnūn. The scene is dark and moody, reflecting the separation and suffering endured by the lovers. Laylá is shown richly dressed and in the worldly company of handmaidens and servants. Separated from her by a small stream, the lonely Majnūn is dressed in only a loincloth and befriended by a lowly hound. The spiritual bond that unites the lovers is revealed in the pairing of beasts and fowl, animals that accompany and protect Majnūn in his reclusive life. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 29, 2020 Hollyhocks John La Farge, American, 1835–1910; Hollyhocks, window from the Frederick Lothrop Ames House, Boston, Massachusetts, 1882; leaded glass; 87 1/4 x 37 1/4 x 2 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by the Decorative Arts Society in honor of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Friends of the Saint Louis Art Museum 31:1972.1 View Other Panel This window is one of a pair (view other panel above) created for the redesign of the Frederick Lothrop Ames house in Boston. The windows contain John La Farge’s revolutionary use of opalescent glass, significant because of the effects this “glowing white glass” had on light, color, and depth. The asymmetrical compositions and ornate floral patterns seen in these windows were inspired by La Farge’s paintings and his enthusiasm for Japanese art. La Farge was an important painter, muralist, and decorator who shifted his interests to the artistic possibilities of glass. His innovation lies in the way he exploited the characteristics of glass itself, manipulating, casting, and layering it to create myriad hues, textures, and depth, eliminating the traditional need for painted details. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 25, 2020 The Land of Evangeline Joseph Rusling Meeker, American, 1827–1887; The Land of Evangeline, 1874; oil on canvas; 33 1/8 x 45 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Wright Prescott Edgerton in memory of Dr. and Mrs. W. T. Helmuth by exchange 163:1946 See Detail Cypress trees draped with moss frame this view of a young woman, Evangeline (see detail above), resting during her search for her missing fiancé. This painting depicts a scene from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem “Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie” from 1847. During the Civil War, artist Joseph Meeker joined the Union Navy and served on a gunboat that patrolled the Mississippi River Delta. There, he became fascinated by the beauty of the bayous, a subject he favored in the postwar paintings he created in St. Louis. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 24, 2020 Madame Roulin Paul Gauguin, French, 1848–1903; Madame Roulin, 1888; oil on canvas; 19 7/8 x 25 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mrs. Mark C. Steinberg 5:1959 This contemplative woman, Augustine Roulin, was a local postman’s wife in Arles, in the south of France. Paul Gauguin focused on her ruddy complexion and reddish-brown hair in this portrait. Gauguin painted areas of flat, abstracted color and the sitter’s form is strongly outlined in Prussian blue, while a schematic version of one of the artist’s own pictures, Blue Trees, is visible on the wall behind. Gauguin produced this portrait during a tempestuous two months spent in the company of Vincent van Gogh at Arles. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 23, 2020 Lords John and Bernard Stuart Thomas Gainsborough, English, 1727–1788; Lords John and Bernard Stuart, c.1760–70; oil on canvas; 92 1/2 x 57 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Jackson Johnson in memory of Mr. Jackson Johnson 15:1943 View van Dyck Portrait Lords John Stuart (1621–1644) and Bernard Stuart (1623–1645), depicted here, died fighting for the Royalists against the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War, 1642–1651. They were memorialized in a famous painting by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641) (view above). Like many English painters of his day, Thomas Gainsborough was a great admirer of Van Dyck. In copying Van Dyck’s portrait of the Stuart brothers, Gainsborough undoubtedly admired the earlier artist’s brilliance in handling the two-figured composition, a far more challenging task than painting a single figure or a group of three. Like Van Dyck, Gainsborough echoed the bent right elbow of Lord John with the bent knee of his brother. Both artists also varied the height and orientation of the two young men to make a pleasing and graceful composition. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 21, 2020 Heliogabal Anselm Kiefer, German, born 1945; Heliogabal, 1974; watercolor and oil paint on paper; 11 3/4 x 15 9/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Wooten Moore 58:2001; © Anselm Kiefer In this vibrant watercolor of a sunset, Anselm Kiefer refers to the ancient Roman Emperor Heliogabal, who was born in Syria. Kiefer painted the emperor’s name between the sun’s rays and connected the seemingly benign sunset to a historic individual. Heliogabal imposed, among other things, the worship of the sun god Baal as the state religion. The emperor’s reign was short lived from AD 218–222: the imperial family ordered his death by drowning at the age of 18. This sunset not only symbolizes Heliogabal’s murder and the end of his revolution but it also alludes to the fleeting authority of emperors and other leaders. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 20, 2020 Treasure Box (wakahuia) Treasure Box (wakahuia), early 19th century; Maori, New Zealand (Aotearoa); wood, shell, and greenstone; 4 9/16 x 4 x 19 15/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 203:1975a,b Lavishly carved, the rich and fluid relief sculpture adorning this lidded box reveals male and female ancestral figures. On the base, shown to the right of the lid, two male figures flank a female figure at center. Their heads extend from either end of the container to form knobs, which allowed the box to hang from the rafters of a Maori home. Household residents typically viewed the boxes from below (see multiple views). Created primarily to hold the white-tipped black feathers of the now-extinct huia bird, these boxes also stored personal adornments made of materials such as wood, bone, greenstone, and whale ivory. Although a container for taonga (treasures), a wakahuia such as this was itself a cherished object. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 18, 2020 Circus Rider (recto), Dancers with Castanets (verso) Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German, 1880–1938; Circus Rider (recto), 1914; oil on canvas; 79 x 59 7/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Morton D. May 904:1983 A rearing horse and rider dominate the center of this canvas. A clown in white makeup and red cap hurries by amidst green and yellow stage lights. The ringmaster stands at bottom right while the viewer is positioned as a member of the audience behind a row of fellow circus-goers. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was attracted to the bohemian atmosphere found at the circus. In this flattened and compacted composition, he evoked the thrilling energy and vitality of the circus arena. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 17, 2020 The Country School Winslow Homer, American, 1836–1910; The Country School, 1871; oil on canvas; 21 1/4 x 38 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 123:1946 Students sit, some attentive and some distracted, their benches and desks worn smooth with use. Fresh flowers grace the teacher’s desk, a few wilted blooms scatter on the floor, and a green hill beckons from outside. A gentle sunshine unifies all these details. Every former schoolchild can relate to these students’ struggle to study despite the lure of sunshine, spring grass, and outdoor play. Such closely observed realism was natural to Winslow Homer, whose career began as an illustrator documenting daily life with troops in the Civil War (1861–1865). This painting participates in both the nostalgia for one-room schoolhouses—fast disappearing after the war—and the arrival of a modern, post-war world. Young women, with little hope of marriage given the deaths of so many young men, began to fill teaching and manufacturing positions. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 12, 2020 Black-Tailed Hare John James Audubon, American (born Saint-Domingue, now Haiti), 1785–1851; Black-Tailed Hare, 1841; ink, ink wash, and chalk; 15 3/4 x 22 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 72:1948 Its hind legs tensed like a coiled spring and its long ears pulled back ready for flight, this black -tailed hare expresses the dynamism so prized in the work of John James Audubon. This drawing reveals critical aspects of Audubon’s working methods. Known for his exhaustive travels, he was famed for his exacting attention to detail and his practice of depicting animals in their native habitats. In this case, the aging Audubon did not see the animal in the field but relied instead on memory, second-hand accounts, and preliminary sketches made by his son. The colors and textures were drawn from pelts. This may account for the slightly unnatural appearance of the animal, particularly in the awkward separation of its toes. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 11, 2020 Large Fragmentary Ushak “Quatrefoil” Carpet Large Fragmentary Ushak "Quatrefoil" Carpet, 16th century; Anatolian, Turkey, Ottoman period, 1281–1924; wool; 119 x 90 1/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of James F. Ballard 98:1929 HEAR EXPERT COMMENTARY Audio Player 00:00 Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. Transcript This carpet features striking blue quatrefoil, or four-lobed, medallions on a brilliant red central field, elements characteristic of Ushak weaving. Woven with seven colors of wool, this is the only known carpet to bear this particular type of quatrefoil design. Curving arabesque forms and floral motifs fill the remaining spaces. The town of Ushak in western Anatolia (present-day Turkey) has been known for its carpet weaving since the 15th century. This carpet is one of 110 textiles donated to the Museum from the collection of St. Louisian James F. Ballard. Originally about 16 feet in length, this carpet was cut down prior to Ballard’s purchase. Ballard is recognized as one of the most significant American carpet collectors of the early 20th century. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 10, 2020 Christ Shown to the People (Ecce Homo) Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), Italian, c.1485-90–1576; Christ Shown to the People (Ecce Homo), c.1570–76; oil on canvas; 43 x 37 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 10:1936 By the glow of blazing torchlight, Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of Judea, presents Jesus to an unseen crowd who will decide his fate. Pilate’s extravagant fur-lined cloak and the young page’s opulent jewelry contrast with the nearly naked Jesus. The distinction between simplicity and splendor underscores the poignancy of the humiliation Jesus endured. Evidenced by the sketchy application of paint in the upper left, this work was unfinished at Titian’s death. During his long life, Titian had become one of the most celebrated artists of his day, recognized and sought after by popes and secular rulers. Qualities such as the assured, powerful brushwork, sensitive modeling, subdued palette, and emotional depth characterize Titian’s late style. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 9, 2020 Lotus, Pagoda Lamp Louis Comfort Tiffany, American, 1848–1933, made by Tiffany Studios, Corona, New York, 1900–1938; Lotus, Pagoda Lamp, c.1900–1905; bronze and leaded Favrile glass; 31 1/2 x 26 1/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Marjorie Wyman Endowment Fund, the Richard Brumbaugh Trust in memory of Richard Irving Brumbaugh and in honor of Grace Lischer Brumbaugh, the E. Reuben and Gladys Flora Grant Charitable Trust, and funds given by Mrs. Charles W. Lorenz, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Teasdale, Mrs. Ruth Goldstein and Sidney Goldstein in memory of Chip Goldstein, Dr. and Mrs. F. Thomas Ott, Dr. and Mrs. George R. Schoedinger III, Jane and Warren Shapleigh, the Fox Family Foundation, the Paul and Elissa Cahn Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Martin E. Galt III, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Graham, Betty Greenfield Grossman, Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Hermann Jr., Katharine W. Hoblitzelle, Mrs. James Lee Johnson Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Alan C. Kohn, Mrs. Clinton W. Lane Jr., Mary and Oliver Langenberg, Mr. and Mrs. L. Max Lippman Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Nusrala, Mrs. William R. Orthwein, Dr. Alan Pestronk, Mrs. Mason Scudder, Barbara Shortridge, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Thomas Jr., and the Decorative Arts Society 68:1997 Working in bronze and stained glass, Louis Comfort Tiffany designed lamps that often imitated nature at its most elaborate. This elegant, lotus-inspired lamp is a remarkable achievement of complex form and workmanship. Measuring 26 inches in diameter, the lamp’s expansive shade demonstrates the spectral qualities of Tiffany glass. Unlike many Tiffany lamps in which bases and shades were interchangeable, this piece was conceived as a single, unified floral form. The faceted structure of the parasol-like shade depicts the lotus’s foliage, and the base suggests the plant’s stem and roots. As in many of Tiffany’s works, the selection of the lotus and its integration into his design evoke a Japanese aesthetic. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 8, 2020 Young Men by the Sea Max Beckmann, German, 1884–1950; Young Men by the Sea, 1943; oil on canvas; 75 3/8 x 39 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 106:1946; © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, NY / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn Watch: Living St. Louis | Max Beckmann Four men gather at the seashore on a small strip of sand. Their statuesque bodies and ornamented wraps evoke figures from antiquity. The beach setting along with the flute played by one of the men and the flagon of wine in the hands of another suggest ritualistic revelry. Any sense of gaiety is dampened, however, by the painting’s somber tones and the rigid clustering of the men’s bodies within the narrow space of the canvas. The tightly crossed arms of the central figure underscore the isolation despite the improbable proximity of all four men. In 1947, just two months before he emigrated to the United States, Max Beckmann received an anonymous poem from St. Louis about the painting. Beckmann expressed surprise at the accuracy of the interpretation in which the central figure, described as a mystic, speaks, saying, “The sea and the shore and the sky and we, shall never be bound, nor ever set free.” VIEW OBJECT APRIL 7, 2020 Storybook Hour – Saint Louis Moneta Sleet Jr., American, 1926–1996; Storybook Hour - Saint Louis, 1954, printed c.1970; gelatin silver print; 14 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Moneta Sleet Jr. 452:1991; © Estate of Moneta Sleet Jr. In 1954, St. Louis schoolchildren, both black and white, sit side by side while eagerly listening to story time. That year the United States Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional, making photojournalist Moneta Sleet Jr.’s choice of subject matter particularly relevant. This everyday classroom scene was part of Sleet’s assignment for the African American magazine Our World. His work was featured in an article titled “St. Louis’ Small Fry,” which highlighted the city’s children. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 5, 2020 Fish Swimming amid Falling Flowers attributed to Liu Cai, Chinese, active c.1080–1120, Northern Song dynasty or Southern Song dynasty; Fish Swimming amid Falling Flowers (detail), 12th century; ink and color on silk; 10 3/8 x 100 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art 97:1926.1 The delicately painted silk surface of this handscroll presents a lively aquatic scene. The story unfolds along the scroll from right to left, as delicate pink flower petals drift into the pool, attracting the attention and appetites of slender silvery fish swimming below. One lucky fish with a petal in its mouth flees from envious pursuers down toward the depths and an underwater world teeming with life. Spiny rock fish dance among the water weeds that hide spidery shrimp and swarms of small fry while large carp and goldfish swim fluidly along. Vivid movement and the watery environment of marine life were specialties of the artist Liu Cai, a court painter who was renowned for representing his subjects down to the “very scales of a fish’s tail.” Although the scroll is unsigned, the painting is an acknowledged masterwork by Liu Cai and among the great rarities in Chinese painting. VIEW OBJECT APRIL 2, 2020 Ballgame Vessel Ballgame Vessel, c.700–800; Maya, Guatemala, Late Classic period, 600–909; ceramic with slip; 9 1/16 x 6 7/8 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Morton D. May 216:1979 View Additional Scenes This unusually large Maya vase provided the artist a generous surface on which to paint a detailed narrative of a ballgame. Like the Maya ballgame itself, the narrative is not seen all at once, but unfolds in sections as the viewer moves around the vessel. The animated scene shows ballplayers on the field and spectators in the tiered stands. One player wearing protective gear and headdress slides on the ground, trying to block or propel the large ball. Three spectators appear to be having an animated discussion about the game. For the Maya, the ball’s movement back and forth on the court celebrated the sun’s journey across the sky and the eternal cycle of life and death. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 31, 2020 Mary, Lady Guildford Hans Holbein the Younger, German, 1497/98–1543; Mary, Lady Guildford, 1527; oil on panel; 34 1/4 x 27 13/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 1:1943 Preparatory Drawing Holding her prayer book and turning to face the viewer, this 27-year-old is the very image of matronly propriety. Hans Holbein added fashionable Renaissance architectural elements, based on forms he knew from Italy, together with green ivy and a favorite blue to create a background of considerable beauty. The preparatory drawing for this painting shows a winsome charmer who glances off to the side. The artist, however, changed the direction of her gaze to suggest a more mature and serious woman. This alteration was very likely at the request of her husband, Henry Guildford, who was comptroller to King Henry VIII. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 30, 2020 Little Dancer of Fourteen Years Edgar Degas, French, 1834–1917; Little Dancer of Fourteen Years, c.1880, cast c.1920; bronze, gauze, and satin; 38 1/2 x 16 1/4 x 13 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Mrs. Mark C. Steinberg 135:1956 This study of a young ballerina standing in a relaxed fourth position was the only sculpture Edgar Degas exhibited in his lifetime. Degas challenged the prevailing conventions of sculpture by dressing his original wax statue in a fabric tutu, a doll’s wig, and by adding a silk ribbon to her hair. The work shocked the critics, who remarked on her “instinctive ugliness” and on “the vicious muzzle of this little flower of the gutter.” These strong responses suggest Degas’ desire not only to capture the awkwardness of the student dancer but also to convey something of her probable future, as ballerinas were often extremely poor, and many led difficult lives. With this approach Degas combined the beauty of the dance with the harsh realities of modern life. Degas was a flaneur, a kind of dandy and aesthete who had an eye for the subjects of contemporary Paris. He was attracted to the ballet as a spectacle that, like art itself, required discipline and the perfection of skill. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 28, 2020 Head of a Buddha Head of a Buddha, 4th century; Gandhāran, Pakistan, probably Kidarite dynasty, 3rd–5th century; stucco with traces of pigment; 18 x 11 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 43:1931 This head of a Buddha bears the distinguishing marks of an enlightened being. On his head is an usnisa, a topknot-like protuberance. In the middle of his forehead lies an urna, a circular tuft of hair. Long earlobes, stretched by weighty jewelry, reveal a former life as a prince. Additionally, the figure’s half-closed eyes represent a constant state of meditative equanimity. The gracefully idealized facial features represent a mixture of influences from Greece, Rome, Persia, and Central Asia. While the hair and some other aspects of this head were modeled by hand, the face was shaped in a mold. Examples of these molds have been excavated at Gandhāran monasteries, indicating that sculptures such as this were produced at the sites where they were installed. Originally richly polychromed, only traces of red, blue, and black remain. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 26, 2020 Helmet Mask Oduntan Aina, Yoruba, Nigerian; Helmet Mask, early–mid-20th century; wood, pigment, fiber; 13 1/2 x 10 1/8 x 8 11/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Shop Fund 67:1995 Gelede masks such as this one are worn by male Yoruba dancers. Through their movements, gelede dancers, who always dance in pairs of male and female characters, express Yoruba ideals of male and female behavior. Gelede masks are worn at festivals honoring the women of the community—living and dead. These performances are particularly aimed at appeasing the powerful Great Mothers, including both the elderly women of the community and the ancestors of Yoruba society. The Great Mothers have the capacity for bringing either great fortune or great trouble to the community if not pleased. The gelede performances entertain and educate, and document elements of everyday life. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 25, 2020 Raftsmen Playing Cards George Caleb Bingham, American, 1811–1879; Raftsmen Playing Cards, 1847; oil on canvas; 28 1/16 x 38 1/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Ezra H. Linley by exchange 50:1934 Raftsmen Playing Cards is an idealized scene of river life in Missouri. It depicts a quiet moment of leisure among six raftsmen aboard a simple flatboat. While most of the men are preoccupied with the card game, one man gently glides the boat along the calm, mirrored surface of the water while another seems absorbed in thought. Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham began his career as an essentially self-taught portrait painter, but eventually turned to genre painting, such as this scene, which he saw as an outlet for his fascination with the subjects found along Missouri’s rivers. Always attentive to detail, Bingham emphasizes the casual atmosphere by depicting two of the men barefoot, with a pair of discarded shoes visible at right, and the charred remains of the previous night’s fire in the foreground. The artist even invites the viewer to participate in this intimate occasion by placing the viewer at the foot of the flatboat. Although Bingham aspired to paint everyday life in America, this romantic view of man in harmony with nature actually looked back to earlier days before steamboats dominated the waters. VIEW OBJECT MARCH 24, 2020 Bearded Bull’s Head Bearded Bull's Head, 2600-2450 BC; Sumerian, Iraq, Early Dynastic III period; copper with lapis lazuli and shell inlay; 9 1/4 x 9 1/16 x 4 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Friends Fund 260:1951 This powerful head of solid copper is brought to life with inlaid eyes of lapis lazuli and shell. It was probably part of a copper relief or a three-dimensional figure that protected the facade or interior of an ancient temple. The bull’s massive head is emphasized by a stocky muzzle and shortened horns. The addition of a curled, wide beard looks curiously natural on an animal that symbolized the Sumerian sky god, An. As the embodiment of fertility and power, the bearded bull served as an ever-present symbol of divine protection and royal might through centuries of ancient southwest Asian art. 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