It’s Polite to Stare
When we thoughtfully run our eyes over a great painting, we carry with us something we didn’t have before. We take with us the artist’s way of looking at the world. Why is this valuable? Because it increases our potential to see the world, and human experience, in different ways.
Thank you for spending time on this site. I promise to regularly post stories about some great paintings….
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Stuart Davis is hip to the jive
At critical moments in his career, Stuart Davis took his inspiration from jazz. But can a painter take the same passionate risks as a jazz musician? Conversely, can a jazz musician like Wynton Marsalis transform the colors, lines, and layers of a painting into live music? Here’s a rare opportunity to find out.
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Charles Sheeler and machine-age anxiety
Precisionist painter Charles Sheeler and Mexican muralist Diego Rivera never crossed paths at The Rouge, even though both men were deeply affected by what they saw at Henry Ford’s iconic manufacturing complex. Do their paintings celebrate the liberating potential of technology? Or warn us about tech’s dark side?
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Who cancelled Berthe Morisot?
Berthe Morisot’s unusual brushwork was audacious, even for a French Impressionist. Despite her radically new style of painting, most contemporary critics reviewed her work favorably. But today she is the least-known member of this beloved group of painters. The lady vanished. Where did she go?
The Shy Museumgoer 