John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal

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March 7, 2020

John Singer Sargent drawings — John Singer Sargent, “W. B. Yeats,” charcoal on paper, 1908, Private collection.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery presents a once-in-a-lifetime assemblage of 50 charcoal drawings by American expatriate artist John Singer Sargent. One of the most celebrated and successful portraitists of his day, Sargent abruptly stopped painting portraits in 1907 and produced them almost exclusively in charcoal from then on. He ultimately created several hundred of these highly admired but rarely exhibited works. “John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal” is the first major exhibition to focus solely on his portraits in this medium. The exhibition, which is organized by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, is on view at the Portrait Gallery through May 31.

Celebrated art historian, former museum director and Sargent descendant Richard Ormond is guest curator of the exhibition. The curator of the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery is Robyn Asleson, curator of prints and drawings. The curator of the exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum is Laurel O. Peterson, Moore Curatorial Fellow, Department of Drawings and Prints.

Born in Italy to expatriate American parents, Sargent gained international fame through his dazzling oil portraits of an elite clientele. During the early 20th century, at the height of that success, Sargent astonished the transatlantic art world by suddenly abandoning portraits in oil. For the rest of his life, he primarily explored likeness and identity through the medium of charcoal, producing several hundred portraits of individuals recognized for their accomplishments in fields such as art, music, literature, and theater. With his skill in swiftly capturing the essence of his subjects, Sargent was able to produce a finished drawing in under three hours. Often made as tokens of friendship or esteem, these portraits vividly depict some of the most original and creative figures of the early 20th century.

“The full scope of Sargent’s technical versatility as a draftsman and his unparalleled powers of observation as a portraitist are on display in these charcoal drawings,” Asleson said. “On view will be portraits of several dozen extraordinary individuals who not only shaped the world Sargent lived in but also made enduring contributions to history and culture that continue to impact us today. This exhibition will bring visitors face to face with many of the people who helped define our modern era.”

Self portraits — John Singer Sargent, “Double Self-Portrait,” graphite on paper, 1902, Private collection, Columbus, Georgia. Photo: Jim Cawthorne

The National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition will display portraits of Sargent’s contemporaries, including musicians, actors, artists and patrons, literary figures, political leaders, and tastemakers—the “influencers” of Sargent’s day. Visitors will encounter likenesses of Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), Prime Minister Winston Churchill, poet William Butler Yeats, painter Sir William Blake Richmond, actress Ethel Barrymore, civil rights attorney and activist Moorefield Storey, and avant-garde art and music patron Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Also on display will be depictions of Bostonians, the people who made up Sargent’s self-proclaimed American home, and The Souls, a group of intellectual young British aristocrats for whom Sargent served as unofficial portraitist.

Figure drawings — John Singer Sargent, “Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney,” charcoal and graphite pencil on paper, c. 1913, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Robert Gerhardt and Denis Y. Suspitsyn

This exhibition of John Singer Sargent drawings includes several loans from European private collections and works held by the Morgan Library & Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, London, and other prominent public institutions. “John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal” is organized by the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The presentation of the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery is made possible with lead funding from Ann S. and Samuel M. Mencoff. Additional support is provided by Dr. and Mrs. Paul Carter, Andrew Oliver Jr., and the American Portrait Gala Endowment.

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Bonhams Celebrates New Location

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Fine Art Today

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March 6, 2020

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Fine art auctions - Bonhams San Francisco — Bonhams San Francisco, 601 California Street

Bonhams is celebrating the official grand opening of its new space in San Francisco with an exhibition showcasing the best of its upcoming spring season of sales.

Located in the heart of the city’s Financial District at 601 California Street, Bonhams’ exhibition space and full-service office will provide world-class appraisal services, private selling exhibitions, auction highlight tours, and more. Bonhams has moved to California Street from its former premises on San Bruno Avenue and remains the only international auction house with bicoastal auctions in the United States.

Leslie Wright, Bonhams’ Deputy Chairman, USA, said, “This is a great move for Bonhams and for our clients in San Francisco and the surrounding area. From our new state of the art space conveniently located in the Financial District, our team of dedicated specialists and advisors will continue to offer the same reliable first class service that our customers have come to expect. Bonhams, and before it Butterfield and Butterfield, has been part of the San Francisco community for 150 years — in fact, our new space is steps from the original Butterfield building — and we will continue to welcome audiences and collectors, old and new to California Street.”

To mark the grand opening, Bonhams will present an exhibition of key highlights from upcoming US spring sales and it will run from March 10–16.

Highlights include:

• Walt Kuhn (1877–1949), Lady in Vest, 36 x 23 in. (91.4 x 58.4cm) ($100,000–150,000)
• Alex Prager (American, born 1979), Crystal from Polyester ($25,000–35,000)
• Wayne Thiebaud (born 1920), Four Cakes, from Recent Etchings I ($20,000–30,000)
• A Northwest Coast rattle ($40,000–60,000)
• An archaic bronze wine vessel, Shang dynasty ($50,000–70,000)
• Takase Kozan (1869–1934), a fine silver articulated model of a carp, Meiji (1868–1912) or Taisho (1912–1926) era, late 19th/early 20th century ($50,000–70,000)

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American Impressionist Society: Small Works Showcase

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Fine Art Today

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March 3, 2020

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Impressionist paintings - small works - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Nancy Bush, “Sundown,” oil, 8 x 8 in.

The American Impressionist Society recently announced its 4th Annual AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase, to be held March 6 through April 4, 2020, at RS Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas.

From the organizers:

This annual juried exhibition is held in the spring or summer to offer our members the opportunity to showcase their small impressionistic paintings (12 x 16 and under). Our goal is to showcase the finest examples of impressionism produced by today’s American impressionist artists with works smaller than are customarily featured in our annual national juried exhibition, which is held in the fall.

This year’s exhibition will feature 160 juried paintings along with 15 paintings by AIS Masters and Officers. The opening reception will be held Friday, March 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at RS Hanna Gallery, 244 West Main Street, Fredericksburg, Texas. AIS Master Nancy Bush will serve as the judge of awards. There will be a special “All Member” Paintout and Wet Wall Exhibit/Competition, as well as lectures and demos, March 4–7 in conjunction with the exhibition. There will also be a First Friday Closing Reception from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on April 3. Complete details will be available on the AIS website as they are finalized. An online catalog will be available on the AIS website at americanimpressionistsociety.org.

Related > Listen to AIS President Debra Joy Groesser on the PleinAir Podcast with Eric Rhoads:

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The Art of Still Life

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Fine Art Today

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March 3, 2020

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Contemporary still life paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Todd M. Casey (b. 1979), “A World of Ideas,” oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in.

Rehs Contemporary recently opened “The Art of Still Life: A collection of still life paintings by Todd M. Casey.” The show is on view through March 27 in New York City. (Todd Casey is also on the faculty of this year’s Figurative Art Convention and Expo, October 29 – November 1, 2020, in Baltimore, Maryland.)

While the team at Fine Art Today is doing our best to give you up-to-date information about current art shows, please also check with the individual gallery or museum to confirm that the information has not changed since it was published here.

From the gallery:

At first glance, one may make the assumption that any still life painting is just an artist’s attempt to paint an assortment of stationary objects, and while some may be nothing more than that, oftentimes there is something much greater before our eyes. Casey highlights this dichotomy with thoughtfully developed compositions — he is not just an artist but also a visual storyteller.

Early in life Casey gravitated toward the arts and was encouraged by his parents to develop his talents further. Growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts, offered a rich historical culture that profoundly impacted Casey’s understanding of art and its meaning — he shares his birthplace with notable figures the likes of James McNeill Whistler and Jack Kerouac, both of whom are widely celebrated by the city. It was in these formative years that Casey’s appreciation for historical artifacts and stories truly began to flourish — the muse for his oeuvre.

Narrative still life paintings - FineArtConnoisseur.com — Todd M. Casey, “Another Story,” oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.

Casey’s approach to painting, whether personal or historical, gives him the opportunity to tell these tales through the interaction of objects. Some of his work originates as an invented story, allowing his own interests and imagination to set the scene, such as in “The Entomologist.” In reflecting on this particular painting, Casey recalls his initial inspiration when strolling to the mailbox one morning and coming across a dead bug in his path.

Insects have always been a personal fascination for Casey, but this encounter brought his mind to a place of curiosity: “Who is the person that studies insects, and what might their workplace look like?” It is this unique interest in developing a story that elevates the work to another level — upon returning to the studio, Casey conceived an elaborate arrangement of specimens alongside bottles and notes, creating a unique space inhabited by the entomologist.

Other times Casey takes a more literal approach to his narrative, as in “Death in the Afternoon.” The inspired still life makes a dual reference the popular book by Ernest Hemingway, as well as the cocktail, which both brandish the same title. This composition is the artist’s take on what Hemingway’s desk may have looked like while he was writing. Centered in the scene is the iconic absinthe glass, with sugar cubes strewn about as if Hemingway himself had just finished preparing another glass … after all, Hemingway’s original instructions specified “drink three to five slowly.”

Regardless of the source of inspiration, through his work, Casey encourages others to be attentive and thoughtful, to consider the greater meaning of things. His approach to narrative still life painting is to create a genuine connection with the objects he portrays, such that they exist not as independent items, but as part of something more.

For more information, please visit https://rehs.com/.

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Celebrating Collectors

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Peter Trippi, Editor-in-Chief, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine

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March 2, 2020

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Collecting art - still life oil painting - FineArtConnoisseur.com — James Plumb (b. 1945), "Carduelis Carduelis," 2011, oil on canvas, 12 x 16 in.

From the Fine Art Connoisseur March/April 2020 Editor’s Note:

Celebrating Collectors

Fine Art Connoisseur magazine — On the cover: Jesus Navarro (b. 1952), “May Flowers” (detail), 2019, oil on canvas, 20 x 20 in., Lotton Gallery, Chicago

What an inspiring experience! For the past few months, our editorial team has been engrossed in learning about real-life individuals who are collecting superb contemporary realist art. Our conversations with these enthusiastic patrons — conducted via telephone, e-mail, and in person — have confirmed our belief that much energy, and considerable cash, are being expended in support of the ever-growing number of talented realist artists working among us. We are particularly delighted that these visionaries live all over the country, and that each fell in love with this field in a different way.

In preparing the profiles here, we learned that many of these collectors — sophisticated and well-connected as they are — are not accustomed to being in the spotlight. Knowing how much they value their privacy, we appreciate even more their willingness to speak with us, and we are looking forward to doing the same with a growing list of additional collectors who have kindly begun to engage in conversation with us already.

For now, we hope you will enjoy reading the profiles here, and that you will anticipate — as much as we do — those still to come in Fine Art Connoisseur. We salute those who acquire such outstanding artworks, and we extend our applause to the artists who created those works and to the dealers who sold them. Congratulations, thank you, and keep up the good work.

Speaking of collectors who stick to their (aesthetic) guns, I hope you will find an opportunity to see an exhibition that has just opened in Philadelphia. Now through July 12, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is presenting “Awakened in You,” an array of paintings, works on paper, and sculptures made by African American artists and collected by Dr. Constance E. Clayton. Just last year, she donated 76 artworks to the Academy, continuing its longtime legacy of acquiring and exhibiting African American art. Among the talents represented are Jacob Lawrence, Augusta Savage, Barkley L. Hendricks, Henry O. Tanner, and Laura Wheeler Waring.

1940 oil portrait painting — Laura Wheeler Waring (1887-1948)
The Study of a Student, c. 1940
Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in.
Gift of Dr. Constance E. Clayton in loving memory of her mother Mrs. Williabell Clayton, 2019.3.69

Throughout her career, Dr. Clayton (b. 1933) has used her platform not only to further educational opportunities for students, but also to highlight Black artists and their contributions to the wider scope of American art history. As an educator (and especially as superintendent of Philadelphia’s public school system), she has perceived the importance of arts and culture in the lives of children. Ultimately Dr. Clayton’s passion for the arts turned toward advocacy, through which she committed herself to furthering the presence of artists and scholars of color within art institutions.

We applaud the Academy, and of course Dr. Clayton, for bringing these great artworks to wider public attention, and again we salute all collectors who have the courage of their convictions.

Fine Art Connoisseur magazine Download the March/April 2020 issue here, or subscribe to Fine Art Connoisseur today so you never miss an issue.

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Featured Artwork: Erin Berrett presented by Celebration of Fine Art

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Fine Art Today

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February 29, 2020

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Texaco
By Erin Berrett
60 x 40 in.
Oil
$14,500

Painter Erin Berrett is inspired by the term “still life.” She states, “There’s a fundamental tension between the still and the life, isn’t there.” That is exactly what her work captures when she paints. Her objects are never completely motionless, or emotionless for that matter. They tremble. They vibrate. Those vibrations are produced not only by the construction of the object, but by the external forces exerted upon it — the angle of the light, for instance, and the perspective of the viewer. She captures that beautiful tension in her stunning still life works of art. Erin resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her work is currently on display, along with 100 other artists, at the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, AZ through March 29, 2020. Contact us at 480-443-7695 or [email protected].

View more of Erin’s work at www.celebrateart.com/meet-the-artists/erin-berrett.

Featured Artwork: Barbara Nuss

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Fine Art Today

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February 29, 2020

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Endless Summer
Oil on linen
14 x 24
$2600.00
Available through McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD

Endless Summer embodies much of what inspires Barbara Nuss to bring to life on the canvas…the calm and serenity often reminiscent of earlier, less hectic times. This is a consolidation from her stacks of plein air paintings from her years depicting barns, farmhouses, and other rural scenes.

Until recently, Barbara lived in the Maryland countryside surrounded by rolling hills, farms, and bucolic vistas where there was a painting around every twist and turn in the narrow roads and the small towns that dotted the land. She is attracted to the simple things: an old fence line, reflections on a pond, or even a familiar pattern of shadows. With an eye for the things we remember and savor, Barbara pays homage to the details of everyday life. She crafts her forms, creating a warm atmosphere that invites the viewers to narrate the scene with their own memories.

She is known for her popular landscape painting instruction book Secrets to Composition, which is now in its 5th printing. It features 14 easy formats for translating the landscape into eye-catching paintings, which works on everything from sunsets to trees and wildflowers.

Most recently she won Best Landscape for the painting Quiet Harmony featured in the International Guild of Realism’s Annual Exhibition at Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA.

Galleries:
McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD
Berkley Gallery, Warrenton, VA

Upcoming shows:
• Women Artists of the West (WAOW) 50th Anniversary Exhibition, Settlers West, Tucson AZ
• International Guild of Realism’s Spring On-Line Show
• National Oil & Acrylic Painters” Society (NOAPS) Best of America Small Works Exhibit, McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD

Visit her website at www.barbaranuss.com where you will see many of her paintings and sign up for her monthly newsletter. Also visit her Facebook and Instagram.

Featured Artwork: Jill Banks

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Fine Art Today

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February 29, 2020

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Dawn Rising
18 x 24 in.
Oil on linen-lined panel
$3,500
Available through the artist

Capturing Life in Oils

Artist Jill Banks says, “I paint to capture life’s magic … to transport you inside my oil paintings — to feel that breeze, hear the sounds, watch what happens, smell the beer.”

Dawn Rising was painted from the bedroom window in the South of France. Each year, Banks chooses one European destination for an extended painting adventure. Last year it was Nice/Cote d’Azur and Provence and the year before it was Paris. (Tough life, right?) Read about her 2018 personal painting trip to France in the OutdoorPainter (PleinAir Magazine’s online newsletter) blog post “A Paris Plein Air Adventure” here.

The adventures continue, deliberately and happily, year in and year out for Banks. Living fully, putting herself smack dab in the middle of new, ready-to-be-discovered territory keeps her eyes and heart open to the inspiring scenes that unfold all around. There are always strangers to meet, wandering off and on the canvas — bringing vibrancy to her work.

Join this wonderful art/life journey with her. See her website, www.JillBanks.com, to sign up for her monthly newsletter to catch the latest paintings, news, tales and fun.

You can also follow Jill on Facebook and Instagram. Plus, make sure you are the first to see fresh work by signing up for New Art Alerts here.

Another of Banks’ plein air paintings “Colorado Days” will be at Settlers West in Tucson, Arizona with the Women Artists of the West 50th Jubilee National Exhibition from March 25–April 17. Banks recently became a Signature member of Women Artists of the West and American Women Artists.

When Banks is not out and about at a plein air festival or on a painting excursion elsewhere, she can often be found at her studio/gallery at the Artists’ Atelier at 756 Walker Road in Great Falls, Virginia.

The Atelier is open Wednesdays, noon to 4pm; Saturdays, 10am to 2pm; for First Friday Art Walks from April to December, 6–8pm; and by appointment any time via email: [email protected] or phone: 703.403.7435.
Please come enjoy a visit.

Featured Artwork: Michele Byrne

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Fine Art Today

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February 29, 2020

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The Colors of Key West
24 x 36 in.
oil on linen
$4,200
Available through the artist

Each year I spend a couple of months on the tropical island of Key West, Florida, leaving behind the winter gray skies of Pennsylvania. Spending time here each year feeds my creativity and nourishes my soul. My use of color bursts through in dramatic ways, and it’s a time for exploration.

This creative escape often informs my studio process for painting the dramatic street scenes of Manhattan, Indianapolis and Charleston that I am most known for.

Eight years ago, I was awarded an Artist in Residency at The Studios of Key West, where I spent a month living in a cottage and producing an exhibit. I’ve returned each year since then to feed my soul with color and warmth, during the harsh northeast winters. I love the friendships I’ve made, and the exhibition and teaching opportunities have been life enhancing.

Excerpt from a recent quote: “Michele Byrne is widely known for her expressive plein air and studio Manhattan street scenes as well as café and beach scenes where she depicts figures full of life and movement.”

Byrne has received a great deal of recognition for her work, including recent acknowledgments:
— President’s Choice Award in the American Impressionist Society’s 2018 Annual Exhibit.
— Cover of PleinAir Magazine – January 2020 issue showing one of her rainy street scenes, along with an in-depth article explaining her palette knife technique and process.
— Liliedahl Productions has released three instructional videos of Michele’s painting process. Michele’s second video, PALETTE KNIFE Painting with Michele Byrne, was awarded Best Selling Video of the Year by Liliedahl Productions.

Michele also teaches several workshops each year.

Gallery Representation:
Eckert & Ross Fine Art, Indianapolis, IN
Reinert Fine Art, Charleston, SC

Upcoming Exhibition:
Gallery 222, Malvern, PA

View more of Byrne’s on her website.

Sign up for Michele’s newsletter.

Featured Artwork: Sue Wipf

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Fine Art Today

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February 29, 2020

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Monet’s Water Lilies
Oil on Belgian Linen Panel
12 x 16 in.
$1,300.00
Available Through Settlers West Galleries

Visiting the gardens in Giverny for the first time was a beautiful and enlightening experience for Sue Wipf. That day in early spring was cold and rainy, but yet the light brought the most striking color and atmosphere at Monet’s pond. This painting, Monet’s Water Lilies, is a moment captured on canvas.

This painting is a juried piece in the upcoming Women Artists of the West 50th Annual Invitational Exhibition, March 25 – April 17, 2020, at Settlers West Galleries in Tucson, Arizona.

Born in California and raised in Minnesota, Sue worked on her parents’ farm and spent time pondering the skies and the beauty around her. That experience continues to influence her values and her perspective on the world around her. An avid gardener today, she enjoys artistic expression through her love for nature. This has transpired to her plein air painting and studio work. Living by an environmental lake frequented by trumpeter swans, great blue herons, eagles, hawks and ducks, allows her the privilege of observing beauty every day. Sue also lives near 2,600 acres of parkland with native prairie grasses and flowers.

“Though realistic in my painting technique, I look for the wondrous abstract patterns in nature and still life, and strive for the less is more philosophy. Painting outdoors brings excitement in capturing the emotion of that moment through color and light.”

Vermeer, Sargent, Turner, and Sorolla have influenced Sue. She has studied at the Schroeder Studio and taken workshops from Master artists such as David Leffel, Sherri McGraw, Skip Whitcomb, Matt Smith, Scott Christensen, Carolyn Anderson, Mary Pettis, and others.

Sue is a member of Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, a signature member of Women Artists of the West, and an associate member of Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Artists Colorado, and the American Impressionist Society.

Please visit Sue’s website, and sign up for her e-newsletter.

While the team at Fine Art Today is doing our best to give you up-to-date information about current art shows, please also check with the individual gallery or museum to confirm that the information has not changed since it was published here.

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