Anne Kindl, “Amaranth and Gold,” pastel, 18 x 24 in.
An exhibition at Fuller Art House (Ohio) features five pastel artists known throughout the region and on a national level. Artists Anne Kindl, Ed Kennedy, Jill Wagner, Vianna Szabo, and Deb Buchanan are exhibiting. Of the gallery’s first all-pastel exhibit, the organizers at Fuller Art House say they are honored to bring this talented group together: “Many in this group have been recognized and awarded high honors throughout the country. Most notably, the International Association of Pastel Societies and the Pastel Society of America.”
Jill Wagner, “Mawby Horizon,” pastelVianna Szabo, “Where She Lived,” pastel, 6 x 8 in.
Taking Flight
By Rebecca Pashia
36 x 60
Oil
$5,600
Rebecca Pashia’s paintings capture the emotion and the atmosphere in a way that draws the viewer in. She uses large brushes and palette knives to move the color across the canvas, laying the background atmosphere in first and then honing in on the focal point. She says, “I love painting atmosphere, and I love using color to convey emotion. I try to paint soul and light into every one of my paintings, to connect with the viewer in a positive way.” 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].
Variously cast as a wastrel, builder of the Brighton Pavilion, or a slow-witted dupe, King George IV (1762–1830) is one of British history’s least understood figures. The exhibition “King George IV: Royalty, Racing and Reputation”, explores his legacy as not only a great art collector, but also as a prominent patron of horse racing.
All but one of the 42 artworks featured — including portraiture, etchings, and trophies — are being lent by Her Majesty The Queen. Palace House (The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art) is an appropriate setting, as it was founded by King Charles II in the 1660s for his horse racing activities.
This show runs through April 19, 2020 and coincides with the exhibition “George IV: Art & Spectacle” on view at the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace through May 3 (and then at the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh).
Leo Mancini-Hresko, “Nahant Clouds,” oil on linen, 8 x 10 in.
Preview Leo Mancini-Hresko’s impressionistic landscapes in oil, to be shown at Williams Fine Art Dealers.
About the Artist:
Leo Mancini-Hresko grew up in Boston and attended classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Rhode Island School of Design. He eventually ended up at the Florence Academy of Art, where he studied and taught. Leo now works and teaches out of his Waltham studio.
Leo’s work can be found in private collections worldwide, and his work was recently acquired by the New Britain Museum of American Art.
Leo Mancini-Hresko, “Greensboro,” oil on linen, 10 x 12 in.
“The most important element in painting is the creation of imagery,” Leo says. “A beautiful image must be considered in composition, color, drawing, and execution; it is not enough, however, to just make an image including all four elements. Already that is well difficult. A painting should be painted, you must see the process, the brushstrokes, creation of the ground, glazes, and impastos. No two inches of any picture should be treated the same. What always drew me to painting was the contrast between rough and smooth, harsh and subtle. That is where beauty is. I hope to draw the viewer in, to see the world a moment in the way I do.”
Leo Mancini-Hresko, “Rockport Headlands,” oil on linen, 12 x 16 in.
“Modern Impressionism: Works by Leo Mancini-Hresko” is on view through March 27 at Williams Fine Art Dealers (Wenham, MA). To learn more, please visit www.williamsfineartdealers.com.
Cecilia Beaux (American, 1855–1942), “Twilight Confidences,” 1888, oil on canvas,Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Museum purchase with funds provided by the William Underwood Eiland Endowment for Acquisitions made possible by M. Smith Griffith and the W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation. GMOA 2018.117.
The Georgia Museum of Art (GMA) at the University of Georgia has launched a new series of long-term exhibitions installed in its permanent collection. The “In Dialogue” series creates focused, innovative conversations around a single work of art from the permanent collection. The first “In Dialogue” runs through November 15, 2020, and features Cecilia Beaux’s painting “Twilight Confidences” alongside three studies on loan from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
The museum acquired “Twilight Confidences” in 2018 due to a stroke of good luck. The painting’s whereabouts were unknown for much of the 20th century. It resurfaced in 2007, when art historian Sylvia Yount was conducting research for the High Museum’s retrospective on Beaux. Jeffrey Richmond-Moll, the museum’s curator of American art, expressed delight about the opportunity to present this painting to visitors. Richmond-Moll said, “The ‘In Dialogue’ series offers us a unique opportunity to highlight new discoveries about important additions to the Georgia Museum of Art’s permanent collection, and I am thrilled to inaugurate this series with an exhibition on Cecilia Beaux’s ‘Twilight Confidences.’”
Richmond-Moll believes that, by pairing works from the permanent collection with related studies, new documentary sources, works by influential peers, or examples from later periods, the museum can give visitors an exciting glimpse into an artist’s creative process or new pathways to unfamiliar or hidden histories.
Created during a summer on the French coast in 1888, “Twilight Confidences” is Beaux’s first major exercise in plein air (or “open air”) painting, artfully and exquisitely juxtaposing the figures and the seascape. The preparatory studies on view demonstrate Beaux’s efforts to capture the fleeting seaside twilight as it danced across the figures, coast, and sky and signal her discovery of the expressive power of light and color for her art.
Orphaned as a child, Beaux was raised by relatives who encouraged her to pursue a career as an artist. During her life, she received many prestigious awards, including the Chi Omega fraternity’s gold medal for being “the American woman who had made the greatest contribution to the culture of the world,” presented by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Beaux is considered one of the finest portrait painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was also the first woman to teach at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the oldest art museum and art school in the United States.
“In Dialogue: Cecilia Beaux” runs through November 15, 2020. For more information, please visit georgiamuseum.org.
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.
John Singer Sargent, “Portrait of Eugenia Errázuriz,” charcoal on board, c. 1905, Private collection, Columbus, Georgia. Photo: Jim CawthorneJohn Singer Sargent, “Kenneth Grahame,” charcoal on paper, 1912, the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, JL478.
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.
John Singer Sargent, “Marchioness of Cholmondeley (Sybil Sassoon),” charcoal on paper, 1912, Private collection. Photo: Christopher CalnanJohn Singer Sargent, “Eleonora Randolph Sears,” charcoal on paper, 1921, Private collection, Columbus, Georgia. Photo: Jim Cawthorne
“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.”
John Singer Sargent, “Lady Helen Vincent,” charcoal on paper, c. 1905, York Museums Trust (York Art Gallery)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.
John Singer Sargent, “Lady Diana Manners (Lady Diana Cooper),” charcoal on paper, 1914, Private collection. Photo: Christopher CalnanJohn Singer Sargent, “Daisy Fellowes,” charcoal on paper, c. 1920, Private collection, Columbus, Georgia. Photo: Jim CawthorneJohn 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.
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)
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:
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.
Todd M. Casey, “Country Lemons and Silver Bowl,” oil on panel, 16 x 24 in.
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.
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.
Todd M. Casey, “The Entomologist,” oil on panel, 12 x 18 in.
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.”
Todd M. Casey, “Death in the Afternoon,” oil on panel, 12 x 12 in.
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.
Todd M. Casey, “The Plan,” oil on panel, 9 x 16 in.Todd M. Casey, “Bottle with Letters, Glasses and Pen,” oil on panel, 7 x 14 in.
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
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.
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.
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