Other Art at National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

After seeing a bunch of sacred art, I also saw some secular art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Side entrance to the National Gallery of Art

When we visited, the gallery had a special exhibit on German Expressionism in print, paintings, and drawings. I love a bunch of silent-era German films that use expressionism in their visuals (Metropolis, Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari being the most famous examples). I was naturally interested in the exhibit.

The intro graphic

 Self Portrait in Profile, Facing Left, While Drawing, is by Kathe Kollwitz in 1933.

Self Portrait in Profile, Facing Left, While Drawing, click to enlarge (hereafter CTE)

Most Expressionistic art is in black and white, probably to provide stark contrast. A sense of melancholy or stress is often found in Expressionism, this piece leans towards melancholy.

Umbra Vitae, which translates as "Shadow of Life," is the title of a book with two drawings (the title page and the red and black image) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. He paired the drawings (along with other drawings inside the book) with poems by Georg Heym, whose work had a haunting effect on Kirchner.

Title page from Umbra Vitae

This example is more of what I expected. The blocky images provide more stress and surreality. The character's shadows suggest their inner feelings in high contrast. The weird images are fascinating and captivating.

Frau im Wald (Woman in the Woods) is a woodblock print by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff in 1921. 

Frau im Wald

The weird angles and harsh visuals give the sense that this walk in the woods is full of danger and anxiety. This is not a happy woman or a safe place to be.

A lot of the other art in the exhibit is more graphic and bleak. The experience made me want to stick with the films!

Outside, the gallery has larger sculptures in a garden setting. Wandering Rocks is a set of abstract 3D geometric shapes crafted in 1967 by Tony Smith.

Wandering Rocks

To me, they seem like 3D tangrams, like a visitor should be able to put them together to make other figures or images. Of course, visitors are not supposed to touch the works and they are all over 360 pounds, so a lot to lift or move, even if you were allowed to do such things.

Spider by Louise Bourgeois in 1997 is a bit creepy, not the sort of thing you want to see in a dark alley in the dead of night.

Spider

Back inside, I went downstairs to the sculpture area for a change from the paintings above. Sculptures are fascinating to me because seeing pictures of them does not do justice to the work. Since it is three-dimensional, the sculpture needs to be seen from more than one angle for full appreciation. A good example is Venus and Cupid, crafted by followers of Giovanni Bologna in 1575.

Venus and Cupid, CTE

Venus and Cupid, CTE

The statue is meant to be part of a fountain, so Venus's hair probably would be dripping into Cupid's conch shell. She has a classical look while her son has more of a playful, outdoorsy feel that goes with a fountain. One has a hard time seeing all the rich detail with just photos.

Another example of "it needs to be seen in person" is Veiled Bust (The Veiled Nun), after the style of Giuseppe Croff, sculpted in 1863.

Veiled Bust

The delicate marble carving suggests a translucent cloth across the face of a woman. The effect is amazing. From every angle it looks like a sheer veil. From a distance, one might think someone threw a veil over the bust. I spent quite a while admiring the craftsmanship.

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin is a famous sculpture with many copies all over the world. The gallery has one as well.

The Thinker

The statue was originally made to be part of a larger "Gates of Hell" composition that was never completed. Intended to represent the poet Dante, it became a universal figure for contemplation.

In the halls downstairs, I spotted this Degas painting called Four Dancers from 1899.

Four Dancers

The painting shows the joyous preparation, maybe for a stage performance or an outdoor performance. Whether the back dancer's hand is on a prop or on an actual tree is unclear. They have energy and elegance, making a delightful scene.

Sacred Art at National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

My church sponsored a tour of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. First, we traveled to Mary Mother of God Church (only a few blocks from the NGA) where the pastor gave us an overview of art creation and appreciation. Then we walked down to the gallery to view some works. The pastor gave us handouts with general principles for prayerfully experiencing art works. The handouts also provided write-ups about eight of the works.

Gallery exterior

The first work is the The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew by Duccio di Buoninsegna, circa 1308. 

The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew (Click to enlarge, hereafter CTE)

This famous scene has some nice little details. Peter represents the Western church with a latin-style beard. Andrew's long beard imitates the Greek style of eastern monks. They both hold onto the net full of fish, symbolic of the entire Christian church.

Next (and not on the pastor's sheet) is Madonna and Child with Two Angels, 14th century by a Veronese sculptor (there's a lot of anonymous works to go along with the vague dates that things were painted or sculpted). 

Madonna and Child with Two Angels, CTE

I was struck by how piercing all the eyes are on this sculpture. The adult-faced baby Jesus is very common in art works, especially in earlier, less naturalistic renditions like eastern icons.

Next up is Madonna and Child with God the Father Blessing and Angels, circa1370 by Jacopo di Cione.

Madonna and Child with God the Father Blessing and Angels, CTE

A more humble setting for the most popular duo in art, Mary is seated on the ground holding the baby Jesus. Jesus obviously wants to nurse from His mom which rich women often did not do, leaving the task to wet nurses. This reinforces her humility and her affection for her Son. The prayer book on the bottom right shows she's not uneducated. God the Father looks like an adult Jesus which makes a lot of sense theologically.

Madonna and Child with Saints Andrew, Benedict, Bernard, and Catherine of Alexandria with Angels  was created around 1387 by Agnolo Gaddi.

Madonna and Child with Other Saints, CTE

This work is a triptych, a three-part image. In the center is Mary and the infant Jesus with some angels at their feet. On the left is Saint Andrew (holding his cross, the tool of his martyrdom) and Saint Benedict (holding his rules for monasticism, since he is the father of western monasticism). On the far right is Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. Saint Bernard is the founder of the Cistercians; he also holds his book of monastic rules. I like the parallelism of the books and the pink garments from Andrew and Catherine, along with angels and Jesus. Also, there's the Annunciation depicted on top with the angel on the left and Mary on the right.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, circa 1335 by Bartolomeo Bulgarini, gives the saint a solo presentation. 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, CTE

Saint Catherine was an Egyptian martyr whose death involved a spiked wheel, often shown in depictions of her. She was from a royal family and was supposed to marry Emperor Maxentius but she converted to Christianity after a dream where Jesus gave her a ring. Philosophers were sent to try to talk her out of it; she argued them down easily. She was supposed to be martyred between two spiked wheels but they burst into flames. She was beheaded. The icon shows her regality and a bit of humor, with her using the spiked wheel as a holder for her book. 

A popular juxtaposition is shown in The Annunciation and Expulsion from Paradise, circa 1435 by  Giovanni di Paolo.

The Annunciation and Expulsion from Paradise, CTE

Mary and the Archangel Gabriel have their famous scene in the center where Mary says yes to the will of God. On the left, Adam and Eve have said no to the will of God and are cast out of Eden by an angel. Tucked away on the right is Joseph, foster father of Jesus, warming himself by a fire--maybe he's getting ready for the Nativity in a winter cave? I am not sure why he was added, though the diagonal from God the Father to the foster-father of Jesus is interesting.

An especially famous image is Adoration of the Magi, circa 1492 by Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi. 

Adoration of the Magi, CTE

Fra Angelico did not finish it before dying, so Fra Filippo Lippi finished it. The Magi lead a procession that winds its way back through an arch, around the hill, and extends to the top right part of the image. Everyone honors Jesus! Florence, the town where the artists worked, had a massive procession every five years in honor of the Magi, so this reflects that tradition.

Saint John in the Desert, circa 1445 by Domenico Veneziano shows a stark image of John the Baptist.

Saint John in the Desert, CTE 

John sheds his fine clothes and puts on the rough skins that will identify him in his role as the Baptist. The path ahead, up the mountain, is strewn with rocks, symbolizing the hard road ahead. But the path also has a small stream next to it, so a source of life-giving water is at the top of that path too. 

The Annunciation, circa 1445 by Fra Carnevale, is another take on the meeting of Gabriel and Mary.

The Annunciation, CTE

The outdoor location is unusual as is the angel coming with a flower, which I suppose symbolizes the glad tidings. Viewers get a good sense of Mary's humility in acceptance.

Perhaps the most famous portrait in the National Gallery, Ginevra di Benci was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1474. The work is covered with protective glass and is difficult to photograph (click the link above to get a clearer look).

Ginevra di Benci

The outdoor setting and the more casual style (three-quarter facing, no jewelry or fancy clothing) marks off young Leonardo's shift into a more realistic style. Mona Lisa would be painted thirty years later and become the iconic female portrait. 

The portrait is unusual because it has been painted on the reverse or back side, including the motto "VIRTUTEM FORMA DECORAT," which means "Beauty Adorns Virtue." The center sprig is juniper, suggesting the subject's name since the tree is ginepro in Italian. The laurel and palm branches indicate moral and intellectual excellence.

Back of Ginevra di Benci (the painting's back, not hers)

Pieta (The Dead Christ Mourned by Nicodemus and Two Angels) was painted by Filippino Lippi (who is a different artist from Fra Filippo Lippi) around 1500. 

Pieta, CTE

Nicodemus, the member of the Sanhedrin who was secretly a follower of Christ, tenderly holds Jesus's body as the angels take away the instruments of torture. While no Scriptural basis for Nicodemus being at Christ's burial exists, it makes an interesting subject. His turban is the same color as the angels' robes, making a subtle connection between the creatures mourning their Creator.

Fillipino Lippi has another Biblical scene on display: Tobias and the Angel, painted around 1475.

Tobias and the Angel, CTE

Tobias is Tobit's son. He is instructed by the angel (recognized as Archangel Raphael in Christian tradition) to use a fish's organs to cure his father. Again, Lippi connects the angel and the man through their clothes, though the angel is much more at peace than the man. The fish is rather small, almost invisible. 

Sandro Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi, circa 1478, is another classic image. 

Adoration of the Magi, CTE

The cave of the Nativity becomes ancient Greek ruins, showing the end of pagan worship and a link between ancient and Christian thinking. The crowd is smaller than in Fra Angelico's work above. The people are more reverent too. Here is an act of worship more than a spectacle.

A more rare topic is the Visitation, where the Blessed Virgin meets her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Piero di Cosimo painted The Visitation with Saint Nicholas and Saint Anthony around 1489. 

The Visitation with Saint Nicholas and Saint Anthony, CTE

When works were commissioned, often the artist was asked to add in some favorite saints. Thus Nicholas and Anthony are in the foreground with similar postures forming the base of a triangle with Mary and Elizabeth's heads at the top. The vibrant youth of Mary shows in her cloak, while Elizabeth is reminiscent of an elderly nun. 

Downstairs, in the sculpture gallery, two items caught my eye. First is Madonna and Sleeping Child by an unknown Italian artist around 1500. 

Madonna and Sleeping Child

The nonchalant Jesus has fallen asleep in Mary's lap in a charming pose. She strikes me as praying for her child to stay asleep. I've had this pose with my infant children many times, so I can identify with this work.

David Triumphant was sculpted by Thomas Crawford in 1848.

David Triumphant

Young David, before he was king of Israel, has slain and decapitated Goliath, champion of the Philistines. His casual pose includes leaning on a harp, a bit of bronze added to the marble statue emblematic of his future writing Psalms. A lot of detail is packed in one work (he's even standing on Goliath's shield!), making it fun to contemplate and admire.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden is the outdoor part of the gallery and has some intriguing works on display. We wandered through on one of our trips to DC.

Six-Part Seating is a work conceived in 1985 by Scott Burton but not made until 1998, nine years after his death! The seats are made form polished granite. J wanted to sit down but a sign said that we shouldn't touch the sculptures (plus, there's that rope).

Six-Part Seating by Scott Burton

Aurora is an intriguing steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero. At first glance it's quite industrial looking, but the angles and curves make it more thought provoking. As a comic book fan, I see some Avenger-style As in it, though surely that can't be intentional. Looking at it more, it seems like all the letters from its name are there.

Aurora by Mark di Suvero

Puellae (Girls) by Magdalena Abakanowicz also brings out the comic-book sensibility in me, suggesting an undead horde on the move. The starkness of the bodies and the lack of heads misled me!

Puellae (Girls) by Magdalena Abakanowicz

House I is a fun trompe l'oeil in aluminum that looks like a house facing different ways depending on the location of the viewer. The intersection of the roof and two walls in the middle is an odd angle that looks normal from the right angle. It was modeled by Roy Lichtenstein but only made in 1998, a year after his death.

House I looks normal here

Quite different from over here

Spider is a bronze sculpture by Louise Bourgeois that captures the creepiness of the arachnid.

Spider by Louise Bourgeois

Graft is a stainless steel tree made in 2009 by Roxy Paine. I'd enjoy this even more in the winter.

Graft by Roxy Paine

There is another work I don't have the title for but it was interesting enough for me to take a picture. I am not sure what to make of it. It's sort of industrial, sort of spiderish. It's the kind of abstract work that exercises my mind but does not provide a satisfying conclusion.

Another sculpture

Nearby the garden (or at least they are within viewing distance) are some other famous buildings.

National Archives

Smithsonian Castle

Capitol Building

Trafalgar Square, London

Trafalgar Square in London is a famous spot thanks to Nelson's Column and the National Gallery, both of which we visited.

We walked through the Gallery, ostensibly to find a bathroom for the children while we secretly tricked them into seeing great works of art. We didn't stay very long but I was able to see the Raphael Pope Julius II painting which I've seen so many times in other areas. We came out of the Gallery onto the Square proper with a magnificent view of Nelson's Column.

Trafalgar Square seen from the National Gallery

We went into the square and enjoyed seeing all the people and the fantastic statues. Lots of people were climbing on the lions underneath Nelson, so J and L got into the act.

People lion around

Boosting J

Us and the lion

The base of Nelson's column has some nice bas relief.

Napoleonic shenanigans

Also in the square was another pedestal with a giant blue cock on it.

Insert Watchmen gag here

A more interesting and historically significant statue is this one of Sir Henry Havelock who served in India in the 1850s.

Havelock Statue

The fountains were also interesting to the kids.

Why no statue here?

We left the square through another arch.

Good Trafalgar!