Innholdsfortegnelse for Jan/Feb 2015 i Fine Art Connoisseur

Until modern times, inbred prejudice, ignorance, and complacency obscured the talents of women in almost every field of activity. The Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1651/53) became the first female recognized for contributing profoundly to the art of her time. However, more than 200 years would pass before American women were acknowledged as being able to compete with or outperform their male peers.1 The wealthy expatriate Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was the first American woman widely accepted as an equal. In 1866, she left the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and sailed for Paris to study. At the Salon of 1872, her canvas On the Balcony (now in the Philadelphia Museum of Art) caught the eye of Edgar Degas. Although it was considered improper for women to fraternize publicly with men…

ARTISTS & GALLERIES Tiber & Hudson Publications has released a book by the architect and painter Tony Winters, Atelier: Building the Visual Arts Studios of the 21st Century. Dismayed by the poorly performing studios being built nationwide, Winters has shared key principles and technical criteria to benefit readers on all budgets. He also deconstructs America’s best studios, from the 19th-century Tenth Street Studio Building up through the New York Academy of Art, Grand Central Academy, and spaces used by artists Marc Dalessio, Erik Koeppel, Ed Mell, and Lauren Sansaricq. Information: tonywintersfineart.com Sarasota February 19-March 1 A range of activities have been scheduled to delight collectors and raise funds toward restoring the almost century-old Edson Keith Farmhouse in the 60-acre Phillippi Estate Park.The Light Chasers initiative features a week-long opportunity for…

On view through March 8 at Southern California’s Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) is an intriguing exhibition that helps visitors rethink a seemingly familiar theme, even as they enjoy unprecedented access to the private collection from which the museum has borrowed. NAKED: 20th Century Nudes from the Dijkstra Collection is the second exhibition the OMA has mounted as part of the Collectors Initiative it launched in 2012. The owners are San Diego residents Bram and Sandra Dijkstra, who have generously loaned 59 paintings, drawings, and photographs acquired over three decades. Though the female form predominates, a few male bodies are visible, too. In addition to those whose works are illustrated here, the checklist includes a rich array of artists, many of whom were (or are) Californian and widely known: James…

There has always been something compelling about the American artist James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903). Even now, when the public’s interest in 19th-century art has ebbed in favor of the contemporary, Whistler is riding a new wave of popularity, celebrated for his own achievements and cited by artists and designers as an ongoing source of inspiration. Why and how has this come to pass? For one thing, Whistler was a global citizen before that term was coined. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to the pious mother later painted so famously in her white bonnet, he grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia, where his father worked as a railroad engineer. After an uncomfortable stay at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, young Whistler found his groove studying art in bohemian Paris. In…

One would be hard-pressed to find two objects as different as the Cloisters Cross and George Washington’s false teeth. The cross, which is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters branch in upper Manhattan, dates to the 12th century and features biblical scenes. The dentures were crafted 600 years later and are kept at Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in northern Virginia. Popular misconceptions abound about the first president’s teeth being made of wood; in fact, they consist of cow, horse, and human teeth, as well as elephant and walrus ivory. The last happens to be the same material used in the cross. Prized throughout history as a material that allows simultaneously for intricate, compressed detail and beautiful luminosity, ivory can be found in countless artistic and historical treasures.…

What an inspiring experience! For the past few months, our editorial team has been engrossed in learning about the real-life individuals who are collecting superb contemporary realist art right across America. Our conversations with these enthusiastic patrons — conducted via telephone, e-mail, and in person — have confirmed our belief that huge energy — not to mention cash — is being expended in support of the ever-growing number of talented realist artists working among us. In preparing the two dozen 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…