An Intern’s Perspective: On Parade by Louis Stone

November 30th, 2011
Louis Stone, On Parade, n.d., oil on canvas, H.40,25 x W.60 inches. James A. Michener Art Museum. Gift of Janet L. and Lawrence C. Stone.

Louis Stone, On Parade, n.d., oil on canvas, H.40,25 x W.60 inches. James A. Michener Art Museum. Gift of Janet L. and Lawrence C. Stone.

It’s hard to believe that we are already at the end of November, and I am embarrassed to say that we were delayed in revealing September’s Mystery Image. This image is a section of a larger painting entitled, On Parade by Louis Stone. I asked our Education Intern, a student from the University of Pennsylvania, to write about this work. Thanks Ali for taking the time to look closer at On Parade! – Adrienne N. Romano, Director of Education and New Media

What do you see in this work? I spy a cupcake. I spy a pair of blue eyes and two Groucho Marx eyebrows. I spy a smile, a swooping arm and a mitten-hand. No one sees the same thing and that is what makes it fun to look at a work like this! Read More »

Posted in Artworks, Internships, Mystery Image, Permanent Collection | Tagged

The Industrial Landscapes of Charles Rosen

November 10th, 2011
Charles Rosen (1878-1950), The Roundhouse, Kingston, New York, 1927, oil on canvas, H. 30.125 x W. 40.25 inches, James A. Michener Art Museum. Gift of the John P. Horton Estate.

Charles Rosen (1878-1950), The Roundhouse, Kingston, New York, 1927, oil on canvas, H. 30.125 x W. 40.25 inches, James A. Michener Art Museum. Gift of the John P. Horton Estate.

For those of you who were stumped on October’s mystery image, it is the painting The Roundhouse, Kingston, New York by Charles Rosen.

At first glance, this work is an industrial scene set in Kingston, New York. Among the other buildings shown in the painting, a roundhouse sits in the foreground, which was a building used for servicing locomotives. They were built as early as the 1830s and few remain today.

In looking closer, this work really isn’t about the subject matter; it’s about the interplay of forms and lines.  With the use of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, Rosen is creating movement between the forms. The composition is balanced, all the while giving us a slightly awkward perspective of the scene below. The combination of these forms and lines creates a painting alive with order and rhythm. Read More »

Posted in Artworks, Mystery Image, Permanent Collection | Tagged

November’s Mystery Image!

November 3rd, 2011

November's Mystery ImageHere is this month’s mystery image!  The first person to answer correctly with the full title and artist’s name of this work will win two free general admission passes to the Museum. Answers must be received through this blog posting.

Hint: Do you hear music?

Good luck!

Posted in Artworks, Mystery Image | Tagged

October’s Mystery Image!

October 5th, 2011

October's Mystery ImageHere is this month’’s mystery image! The first person to correctly name the title and the artist of this work in response to this blog posting will win a pair of general admission passes to the Michener.

Hint: This work references a city in New York that was a transportation hub in the 19th century.

Have fun guessing and good luck!

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Director’s Spotlight: Naming Opportunities

September 28th, 2011
Colossal bust of Ramesses II, the 'Younger Memnon' From the Ramesseum, Thebes, Egypt 19th Dynasty, about 1250 BC. One of the largest pieces of Egyptian sculpture in the British Museum Weighing 7.25 tons, The British Museum, Room 4. Author/Photo by: Mujtaba Chohan. Source: British Museum Visit. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Colossal bust of Ramesses II, the 'Younger Memnon' From the Ramesseum, Thebes, Egypt 19th Dynasty, about 1250 BC. One of the largest pieces of Egyptian sculpture in the British Museum Weighing 7.25 tons, The British Museum, Room 4. Author/Photo by: Mujtaba Chohan. Source: British Museum Visit. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Courtesy http://commons.wikimedia.org/.

In the early 1990s, my wife and I traveled to Egypt and spent three glorious weeks touring the ancient monuments. While there were many memorable sites and experiences, one discovery was of particular interest and connected to my work at the Michener Art Museum.

Ramesses II ruled Egypt for 66 years, from 1279 BC – 1213 BC, and was over 90 when he died. He was the great builder who filled the kingdom with monuments from Abu Simbel to Luxor. In almost countless locations all across ancient Egypt, you can find Ramesses’ cartouche prominently displayed. The graphic symbol of his royal heritage is engraved on many buildings and serves as an ever present symbol of his greatness.

I learned from this experience that the desire for immortality is a human trait that goes back thousands of years. The effort to put one’s name on a building has a long history and it is just as strong today as it was in ancient Egypt. We may no longer wrap our dead in specially treated cloth to preserve their physical being, but we are still attaching our names to buildings and institutions in an effort to be remembered and to be honored. Read More »

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