2013: It Came From the Vault Catalog

Louis Aston Knight American (born France), 1873–1948 A Gray Day on the Riviera, Cap Ferrat, no date Opaque watercolor on paper laid down on canvas Gift of E. Franklin Brewster, 13.2

Louis Aston Knight was born of American parents in Paris, but didn’t visit the United States until 1905, by which time he was already an established painter. Two years later, he married a distant cousin, Caroline Ridgway Brewster of Rochester.

Best known for bucolic Normandy landscapes in a style that Thomas Kinkade would appropriate many decades later, this particular view of the rocky French coastline east of Nice is unusual within the artist’s oeuvre in its muted palette and absence of picturesque old dwellings. Knight and his wife took refuge in New York City for the duration of WWI, and he lectured here at MAG in 1918.

3

Eugen Bracht German, 1842–1921 Morning Star, about 1900 Oil on board Gift of Emily Sibley Watson, 13.10

This work was selected for the show by Debora McDell-Hernandez, community programmer in MAG’s Education Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #3.

4

Colin Campbell Cooper American, 1856–1937 Stairway of Francis I at Blois, 1900 Oil on canvas Gift of Hiram W. Sibley, 14.5

American-born painter Colin Campbell Cooper infused life into his paintings with an impressionist’s sense of air and light. After training in Philadelphia and Paris, he married fellow-artist and Rochester native Emma Lampert and the couple travelled around Europe and much of the world. Cooper painted subjects ranging from the Taj Mahal in India to the Main Street Bridge in Rochester, and was represented in MAG’s inaugural exhibition in 1913.

5

Unknown, Chinese Lotus Shoes, no date Silk Gift of Lewis E. Jewell, 14.58

Lotus shoes were worn by Chinese women with bound feet. The pair shown here was given to the Gallery in 1914. We do not know the region or the time period in which they were made, as the practice of foot binding was followed in many provinces, and it lasted for over a thousand years.

6

Paul Dougherty American, 1877–1947 Coast of Cornwall, Near St. Ives, about 1915 Oil on canvas Gift of George Eastman, 15.1

In 1915, Memorial Art Gallery mounted an exhibition of seascapes by a leading American marine painter of the time, Paul Dougherty. After the show was already open to the public, the artist sent an additional canvas, Coast of Cornwall, Near St. Ives, which he considered his best work to date. George Eastman had expressed interest in purchasing a Dougherty for the MAG collection. This painting was a top contender but several members of the Art Committee requested director George Herdle to ask the artist to rework the foreground. Reluctantly, Herdle complied and the mystified Dougherty politely asked him exactly what he would like done. In the meantime, Herdle sought the opinion of painter Elmer Schofield, who “thought the criticism not well made.” The director quickly assured Dougherty that all was well, overrode the Committee’s objections, and acquired this painting with funds donated by Eastman.

7

Rudolph Ruzicka American, 1883–1978 Palisades, 1917 Wood engraving Gallery Purchase, 17.11

In October of 1917, George Herdle brought to MAG an exhibition of prints made by members of the newly-formed Painter-Gravers of America. Among the over 90 prints was Rudolph Ruzicka’s Palisades, which was purchased for the collection for $10.80. With a minimum of colors and lines, the artist created an arresting image of a Hudson River scene, familiar and yet in his hands almost exotic.

Interest in his work remained keen in Rochester, and he was given a solo exhibition at MAG the following year.

8

Margaret Lial Freeman American, 1893–1942 Venetian Doorway, no date Monotype Gallery Purchase, 19.28

9

Emma Lampert Cooper American, 1860–1920 The Breadwinner, 1891 Watercolor on paper Gift of Colin Campbell Cooper, 20.3

Emma Lampert of Nunda, NY, studied at the Art Students League and taught at Mechanics Institute (now RIT) before marrying the well-known painter, Colin Campbell Cooper. This view of a Dutch interior was exhibited widely both here and abroad; it garnered several awards, including a medal at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

10

Unknown, First Nations Basket, no date Cherry bark Gift of Mrs. Henry A. Strong, 22.12

In 1897, after her first husband deserted her and her child, a young nurse named Hattie Lockwood pooled her resources with another friend in Tacoma and determined to build a hospital for injured miners in Skagway, Alaska. On the voyage north, their ship was wrecked in a blizzard; all their building and medical supplies were lost, and the women barely escaped with their lives. After three grueling years in the Alaskan wilderness, Lockwood returned to the United States and eventually married Henry Strong, the first president of Eastman Kodak Co. This and several other baskets the new Mrs. Strong had acquired during her youthful sojourn were later donated to MAG. The “chainsaw” pattern was designed after First Nations people in British Columbia became aware of logging operations near the Fraser River. The red portions are natural-color cherry bark; the black is cherry bark darkened from being buried in “muck and charcoal.”

11

Alice Worthington Ball American, 1869–1929 Blue Hydrangeas, no date Oil on canvas Gift of the artist, 22.37

Alice Worthington Ball studied in Paris and lived variously in Boston, Baltimore, and Gloucester. In 1910, the Christian Science Monitor offered her this early if somewhat backhanded praise: “Miss Ball has mastered the craft and paints like a man.” Four years later, the Boston Evening Transcript was more specific: “Miss Ball is not a timid painter. She wields an emphatic brush.” At the conclusion of her one-person exhibition at MAG in April 1922, she presented this large, harmonious canvas as a gift.

12

Unknown, Egyptian Pair of Ears, no date Wood Gift of Dr. and Mrs. William R. Taylor, 23.19

These undated right ears may have been attached to statues or coffin masks of substantial size.

13

Ivan Meštrović American (born Croatia), 1883–1962 Madonna and Child, 1917 (cast 1925) Bronze Subscription fund contributed by a group of donors, 25.35

Examples of prehistoric cave painting and rock art indicate humans have always recognized the divine bond between a mother and her child. With his austere modernist figures, Ivan Mestrovic sought to capture a universal spiritual feeling.

His unique style clearly affected the many Rochesterians who donated money to purchase this piece from a popular exhibition of the artist’s sculpture held at the Gallery in 1925.

14

Alfred Hartley British, 1855–1933 Stone Pines in Moonlight, about 1925 Aquatint Gallery Purchase, 26.3

15

Alice D. Laughlin American, 1895–1952 Children of the Park, no date Wood engraving Gallery Purchase, 27.38

16

Unknown, Egyptian Black Topped Jar with Flat Bottom, before 3400 BCE Ceramic The C. Herbert Ocumpaugh Collection, 28.104

Unknown, Egyptian Pair of earrings, 3rd century BCE Brass, glass and faience The C. Herbert Ocumpaugh Collection, 28.244

This ceramic vessel and ornate pair of earrings are only two of the over 500 artifacts given to MAG by Rochester businessman C. Herbert Ocumpaugh in 1928, when he donated his entire collection of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern antiquities to the University of Rochester. Although he was not an archeologist—he had never traveled to these areas of the world—he developed a lifelong fascination with ancient cultures fueled by many visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Aided by archeologists and museum directors, he spent 25 years amassing objects as diverse as iridescent glass, bronze figures of gods and goddesses, and richly-painted Greek ceramics. Ocumpaugh’s donation formed the core of MAG’s ancient collection; today, over 50 objects from this group are included in the exhibits of the Helen H. Berkeley Gallery of Ancient Art on the second floor.

17

Unknown, Egyptian Mummy Portrait, no date Plaster on linen The C. Herbert Ocumpaugh Collection, 28.356

18

Unknown, Egyptian Possibly the Lid of a Canopic Jar, 1550-1185 BCE Painted wood The C. Herbert Ocumpaugh Collection, 28.396

During the mummification process, ancient Egyptians removed the organs of the deceased and stored them in separate canopic jars. At the time MAG’s example was made, the lids of the jars generally depicted the heads of the four sons of the sun god Horus, each of whom represented one of the cardinal compass points.

Three of the sons were animal-headed; only Imseti, who symbolized the south, had human features. Jars featuring his likeness housed the liver.

19

Unknown, Egyptian Lamp Fragment with Isis Nursing Horus, Greco-Roman, 2nd century Terracotta The C. Herbert Ocumpaugh Collection, 28.416

Creation myths often begin with the miracle of a birth. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Isis was described as “She who gives birth to heaven and earth.” She was mother to Horus, god of sun, war, and protection, who she conceived with her brother Osiris, god of the underworld. Isis’s breast milk was believed to have magical, curative powers, and she is often depicted nursing Horus in images similar to later depictions of the Virgin with the Infant Jesus.

20

Jan Theunis Dextra, for De Griekse A (“The Greek A”) Workshop Dutch (Delft), workshop active 1657–1818 Plate, about 1759–65 Tin-glazed earthenware Gift of Mrs. John W. Oothout, 29.41

Delftware is a generic term that describes a type of tin-glazed earthenware made in The Netherlands. The industry was based in the small town of Delft near the city of Rotterdam, a major seaport accessed by canals from all directions. This degree of access was critical to the industry’s success, as plates, vases, and all forms of pottery were exported widely throughout Europe and as far afield as the Middle East. The industry reached its height in the 1680s, when about 2,000 potters were employed by over 30 manufactories—all in a town with a population of only 24,000.

The mass production of Delftware emerged in the early 1600s because of the strong trade between The Netherlands and China. The Dutch East Indian Company imported millions of pieces of Chinese porcelain; they were, however, affordable to only the wealthiest Europeans. Delftware, much of which mimics the patterns and blue and white color schemes of eastern porcelain, was a less expensive and more easily obtainable substitute.

21

Cornelius De Berg, for De Ster (“The Star”) Workshop Dutch (Delft), workshop active 1660–1804 Plate, about 1725 Tin-glazed earthenware Gift of Mrs. John W. Oothout, 29.44

Mrs. John Oothout’s fine collection of Delftware was well-known in part because it contained several examples purchased from the French writer Emile Zola, also a connoisseur of the pottery.

22

Robert Lee MacCameron American, 1866–1912 The Absinthe Drinker, 1912 Oil on canvas Gift of Mrs. John Van Voorhis, 29.62

Robert Lee MacCameron was well-known for two very different kinds of paintings: society portraits of people like President Taft, Auguste Rodin, and Lady Astor, and depictions of the sordid demi-monde of his adopted city of Paris. The Absinthe Drinker, completed in the year of the artist’s death, is an excellent example of the latter. Despite the painting’s poor condition, the sitter’s ghastly complexion and stooped posture evoke the fate of those who lost themselves to “the green fairy,” as the potent and inexpensive spirit was sometimes called.

MacCameron married Louise Van Voorhis, a member of one of Rochester’s most prominent families. Her mother donated this painting to MAG many years after the painter’s death at age 46.

23

Italian, made in Rome Micromosaic Jewelry Set: Brooch, Drop Earrings, and Necklace with Two Extra Links, about 1840 Glass, gold, and onyx Micromosaic Cuff Bracelet with Interchangeable Plaque, about 1840 Glass, gold, and onyx Gift of Miss Mary Wright, 29.77, 29.78a/b, and 29.79a/b/c, 29.76a/b

This intricate souvenir jewelry set features 15 different Roman architectural wonders commonly visited by Grand Tourists, including the Pantheon, the Colosseum, St. Peter’s, the Forum Romanum, and the Column of Trajan. The small scenes are produced in micromosaic, using tiny oblong tesserae of glass and stone in numbers up to 1,400 per square inch. Micromosaic jewelry remained fashionable in Europe through the mid-1870s.

24

Hiram Powers American, 1805–1873 Francis Granger (1792–1868), 1837 Marble Bequest of Antoinette Pierson Granger, 30.73

“Now then for a small piece of vanity—Powers, the sculptor, is taking me in clay, to be wrought in marble in Italy next summer. If he does not get a perfect head, it will be his first failure.”

New York Congressman and Canandaigua resident Francis Granger was one of many prominent American politicians to sit for a classical-style portrait bust by Hiram Powers. Many Grand Tourists made Powers’ sculpture studio (see inset) in Florence, Italy, a stop on their travels, to witness the artist at work, view his latest creations, or commission a personal artwork.

25

Edgar Degas French, 1834–1917 Dancers, about 1900 Pastel and charcoal on tracing paper, mounted on wove paper, mounted on board Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Babcock, 31.21

When asked by Mrs. Horace Havemeyer, an American collector, why he so often portrayed dancers, Degas replied “Because I find there, Madame, the combined movements of the Greeks.”

This pastel was produced late in the artist’s life when his eyesight had begun to fail. It is possible that his diminished vision resulted in the heavy contours that surround the dancers and give only the barest suggestion of their facial features.

Rather than attempting great detail, he concentrated on mapping out the unpredictable effects of theatrical lighting on the forms of the figures.

26

Edward Hopper American, 1882–1967 Night in the Park, 1921 Etching Granger A. Hollister Fund, 31.26

In 1921, when this print was created, Edward Hopper was a relatively unknown artist who had sold a few paintings but had not begun to receive the acclaim that would be his within a few years. By 1931, when it was exhibited at MAG and acquired with funds donated by a relative of the Watson family, Hopper had become HOPPER; the Museum of Modern Art had purchased one of his paintings the year before. While MAG does not own any of his canvases, we are fortunate to own this print and one other from Hopper’s decade of printmaking, 1915–1924.

The cinematic quality of Hopper’s paintings is evident even in his etchings. A shadowy figure placed at the far end of a line of benches could easily be a character from a Hollywood “film noir.”

27

Janina Konarska Polish, 1900–1975 Tennis, 1931 Woodcut Gift of Miss Helen Ellwanger, 31.30

In 1932, the year after she completed this print, Janina Konarska won a silver medal for Poland in the art competition at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Athletes engaged in their sports were among her favorite subjects.

28

Arthur B. Davies American, 1862–1928 Oxen Under Trees, about 1927 Graphite and watercolor on paper Gift of Emily Sibley Watson, 32.3

This work was selected for the show by Cindy Culbert, curatorial consultant for MAG’s Curatorial and Exhibition departments. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #7.

29

John F. Flanagan American, 1898–1952 Aphrodite and Swift Runners Medal, 1932 Bronze Gift of Edward G. Miner, 32.21

This bronze medal is the sixth issue by the Society of Medalists, which from 1930 to 1995 released 129 limited-edition medals to subscribing members. In the words of artist John F. Flanagan: “This medal gets its inspiration from classical antiquity . . . the Swift Runners grasping the torch from the failing hands of the runner exhausted in the race is derived from the Lampadedromia, the Greek and Roman torch foot-race, in which the light is passed from one runner to the next waiting relay, competing with other lines of racing torch bearers.”

30

Tadeusz Kulisiewicz Polish, 1899–1988 House on the Mountains, no date Woodcut Gift of Mrs. James Sibley Watson, 34.8

Three Sundays in October 1934 were dedicated to Polish music and dance in celebration of the exhibition Peasant, Decorative and Graphic Arts of Poland at MAG. Organized by the International School of Art in New York City, which was founded to preserve and promote the fast-disappearing folk arts of European countries, the exhibition was said to be the first exhibition of Polish art in America.

Tadeusz Kulisiewicz was affiliated with the Warsaw Academy of Art. After spending time in the small village of Szlembark, he created a series of prints based on the mountain culture there. Mrs. James Sibley Watson, MAG’s founder and a print collector in her own right, followed her usual practice of acquiring work from exhibitions to add to the permanent collection.

31

Embroidery workshops of Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan Ceremonial Horse Cover Presented to the Russian Imperial Court by the Emir of Bukhara, about 1860–1917 Gold and silk embroidery on fabric Gift of Mr. Benjamin Forman, 36.26

When the Russian Imperial Army conquered the Emirate of Bukhara, one of three Uzbek dynasties, in 1868, only Bukhara retained a degree of independence as a Russian protectorate. Lavish ambassadorial gifts from the emirs to the tsars were obligatory, a diplomatic tradition that had developed over centuries. Examples included textiles, furniture, and weapons; among the most luxurious offerings were ceremonial horse covers and blankets embroidered in gold by the elite craftsmen of the Bukhara court.

This elaborate horse cover, which is lined with a traditional ikat-patterned fabric from Uzbekistan (see inset), was probably presented by the emir of Bukhara to the Russian imperial court during the late 1800s. The images of the sphinx and cannons embedded within the golden embroidery and floral patterns quite likely reference famous imperial landmarks in the Russian cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

32

Attributed to the Master of Herzogenburg Austrian (probably Tirol), active late 1400s Christ on the Mount of Olives, about 1490 Oil on panel Purchased with the Helen Barrett Montgomery Bequest, 36.52

Originally part of a larger work, this late medieval panel painting depicts Christ, accompanied by three of his disciples, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem. While he prays for the strength to accept his predestined death, his disciples, whom he has asked to keep watch, fall asleep. Although the painting is unsigned, scholars identify its artist as the “Master of Herzogenburg” because of striking visual similarities with another late medieval altarpiece from the Austrian village of Herzogenburg.

The many pieces of tissue on the painting’s surface were applied by a conservator decades ago to secure unstable and flaking paint. Other issues include cracking in the upper right and center of the panel. MAG staff is now in the process of working with the University of Buffalo conservation program to conduct X-ray and infrared analysis; this should allow us to see the drawing below the painted surface.

33

Jean François Millet French, 1814–1875 The End of the Workday (La fin de la journée), 1865–70 Pastel and crayon on paper George Eastman Collection of the University of Rochester, 36.74

On one of their many long, evening walks, Millet said to his brother Pierre: “It is astonishing toward the approach of night, how grand everything on the plain appears, especially when we see figures thrown out against the sky. Then they look like giants.”

The End of the Workday showcases Millet’s fascination with the hour of twilight, which moved him by its power to transform human and other natural forms into strange shapes, evocative of dreams. The pastel, which shows a peasant silhouetted against the fading sky, putting on his jacket after a day of labor, is classic Millet.

Best known as a painter of peasants, a politically and socially complex subject matter in France of the 1800s, his scenes of rural life focused on the human figure as much if not more than the landscape.

34

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Käthe Kollwitz German, 1867–1945 Maria und Elisabeth, 1928 Woodcut Estates of Maurice R. and Maxine B. Forman, 37.11

This work was selected for the show by Barbara Stewart, administrative assistant in MAG’s Advancement Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585627-4132, stop #13.

35

Rufus J. Dryer American, 1880–1937 Portrait of the Duchess, 1920-34 Oil on canvas Gift of Miss Leora Dryer, 37.15

Rufus K. Dryer was born into a well-to-do Rochester family of politicians and businessmen. Like many aspiring artists of the day, he studied with Robert Henri in New York City. And like many free spirits of means, he soon after moved to France to pursue his career, returning home only three years before his death.

Nothing is known of the pensive woman wearing a fashionable cloche and fur whom Dryer painted in tones of blue and peach against a wildly-patterned wallpaper backdrop. This canvas appeared in the artist’s memorial exhibition here at MAG in 1937, shortly after which it was presented to us as a gift from Dryer’s sister, Leora, also an artist.

36

Unknown, French Leaf from a Book of Hours, about 1425 Brown and black inks, gouache and gold on vellum Gift of Emily Sibley Watson, 37.55

Books of Hours are Christian prayer books that, beginning in the 1200s, were used in the private devotional practices of the laity. They had several components, including a calendar, the four Gospel Lessons, the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Cross and Holy Spirit, special prayers to the Virgin and saints, and the Office of the Dead. Some Books of Hours were special commissions, created by artists attached to royal courts; others were standardized “stock” that were ordered and then personalized for individual patrons.

This leaf is the first page of the Hours of the Cross, which traditionally opens with an illuminated initial letter, an illustration of the Crucifixion, and the accompanying prayer: “Lord, open Thou my lips and my mouth shall show forth Thy Praise.”

37

Spanish, attributed to designs by Jan Gossaert (Flemish, about 1478–1532) Chasuble, probably 1520s Gold and silk embroidery on fabric Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Lovejoy, 39.2a-b

A chasuble is the outer garment worn by a priest or bishop when celebrating the Mass, the core sacred ritual of the Roman Catholic faith. The embroidered bands down the front and back, called orphreys, depict events from the life of the Virgin Mary.

Clues to the origin and date of the chasuble emerge from both the medium and the design of the orphreys. While the gold thread and velvet suggest a Spanish origin, the designs themselves have been attributed to the famous Flemish artist Jan Gossaert. The designs may have been commissioned by a Spanish patron. Such an alliance is well imaginable, as during the 1520s both Spain and the Netherlands were ruled by the Hapsburg family; trade, both artistic or mercantile, flourished between the two territories.

38

Sir Joshua Reynolds British, 1723–1792 Mrs. Thomas Orby Hunter, 1758–59 Oil on canvas Gift of Mrs. John Gade, Mrs. O’Donnell Iselin and Mrs. F. Harper Sibley, in memory of their father, Hiram W. Sibley, 39.11

Sir Joshua Reynolds, the foremost portraitist in 18th-century England, painted members of the aristocracy as well as the newly-rich mercantile class. The first president of the Royal Academy in London, he did more than anyone to raise the status of art and artists in Britain. Reynolds.

The information attached to this painting when it entered MAG’s collection in 1930 identified the sitter only as Mrs. Thomas Orby Hunter, wife of an important Member of Parliament and a Lord of the Admiralty. Orby Hunter lost his first two wives to early deaths, probably in childbirth. Based on stylistic grounds that suggest a date of the late 1750s, we speculate that the sitter is Thomas Orby Hunter’s third wife, Marion Cunningham, whom he married after his second wife’s death in June of 1756.

39

Josiah Wedgwood British, 1730–1795 Copy of the Portland Vase, 1790 or after Ceramic jasperware Gift of Mrs. C. Schuyler Davis in memory of her father, Dr. Howard Osgood, 39.12

The original Portland Vase, an astounding work of 2,000-year-old ancient Roman cameo glass, was a must-see masterpiece on the Grand Tour. In 1783 the vase’s new owner brought it to England and caused a sensation. Josiah Wedgwood, founder of the Wedgwood potteries, spent over three years attempting to create a perfect copy in his trademark jasperware, and released a subscription-only edition of 50 replica vases in 1790. Continued popularity of classical and neo-classical art, of jasperware in general, and of the Portland Vase in particular, inspired the Wedgwood factory to continue production of Portland Vase replicas for decades. Our vase replica is one from these later editions, possibly as late as the 1830s.

40

Whitney Hoyt American, 1910–1980 Abandoned Railroad, 1940 Oil on canvas Purchased through Anonymous Gift and Gallery Funds from the Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 42.20

Rochester artist Whitney Hoyt skillfully used light, line, and composition to create this moody rumination on the relationship between technology and nature. Decades after he painted Abandoned Railroad, Hoyt continued to find his muse in the landscape. He wrote in November 1966, “I enjoy walking in the woods and fields.

The mood, the atmosphere of things growing, of things decaying delight me . . . At heart I am a pantheist. Despite the computer, humanism is not dead.”

41

Unknown, Flemish Armorial Panel, no date Glass, enamel, paint, and lead Bertha Buswell Bequest, 42.31

Unknown, German Armorial Panel, early 1600s Glass, silver stain, enamel, and lead Bertha Buswell Bequest, 42.34.3

Unknown, Flemish Armorial Panel, no date Glass, enamel, paint and lead Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.98

Small glass panels showcasing the coats of arms—specially-designed, unique combinations of lines, colors, and symbols that represent an individual or family— were especially popular among American collectors. While many were original, others were legitimate copies used to replace broken originals or decorate new and renovated buildings in the medieval or Renaissance style. There was also a large market for modern forgeries made specifically to serve an ever-growing market of collectors.

Of these three armorial panels, the only early example is the piece with the motto Bibe Si Sapis, which means “If thou art wise, drink.” The other two, both of which have women holding coats of arms, are modern, probably made in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.

42

Unknown, Austrian Three Panels with Classical Male Figures, no date Glass and vitreous paint Bertha Buswell Bequest, 42.33.1-3

The history of European stained glass in American museums is by its nature a history of fragments, as these works are completely removed from their architectural context. Determining their date and nationality is further complicated by the popularity that stained glass enjoyed in the post-Renaissance period as well as the disastrous impact of revolution and on the windows of European homes and churches.

The painted panels with classical figures were never intended to represent medieval or Renaissance glass, as were those on the previous page; the figural style suggests an origin in the 1800s.

43

©Disney

Walt Disney American, 1901–1966 Happy, about 1937 Paint on celluloid Gift of Miss Anne Cassebeer, 44.18

Anne Cassebeer may have been MAG’s youngest donor of art. Nineteen years old when she donated Happy, she was a student at Pembroke College and the daughter of artist and architect Walter Cassebeer, a member of MAG’s board.

We wish we could tell you the story of how Anne came to own a production cel depicting Happy, one of the Seven Dwarfs but, as often happens, the circumstances were not recorded at the time she made the gift. A good deal more is known about the Walt Disney film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937. It was the first full-length animated feature film with an official sound track. MAG’s Happy was one of 1,500,000 drawings and watercolors that were photographed to create Snow White.

44

Darrel Austin American, 1907–1944 The Garden, 1941 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 45.59

This bizarre, spectral landscape was purchased from the Gallery’s 1945 exhibition The A B C’s of Modern Art, organized to foster a more liberal point of view amongst the Gallery’s audience. Painted in thick layers with a palette knife, Darrel Austin’s primordial visions were often peopled by predatory cats and shimmering female figures, as in The Garden. A frank reviewer in the Art Digest wrote in 1942, “It’s hard to explain Darrel Austin’s art, because he can’t explain it himself .

So the most sensible approach for the viewer is just to enjoy them without thinking too logically.”

45

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Käthe Kollwitz German, 1867–1945 Mothers, 1919 Lithograph Marion Stratton Gould fund, 46.17

Five years before Käthe Kollwitz created this print, she lost her son Peter in the First World War. Jessica Marten, MAG’s curator of American art and a mother of two, observed when she selected this work for the exhibition: “To mother is to experience love, anxiety, joy, and sacrifice. To mother during wartime must be hell.”

46

Ralph Avery American, 1906–1976 New Hope Skyline, 1936 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 46.45

Ralph Avery is well-known locally for his views of downtown Rochester. In this early painting, however, he depicts the Stockton Avenue Bridge crossing over Ingham Creek in the vibrant artists’ colony at New Hope, PA.

47

Maxim Kopf American, 1892–1958 Jacob and the Angel, 1945 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 47.29

This Genesis story is a common subject in Western painting, depicting the biblical figure of Jacob wrestling with an angel and receiving a blessing. Like Jacob, Maxim Kopf struggled mightily in his life and then was blessed, having spent two and a half years in internment camps in Europe before coming to the United States in 1941.

In 1947, MAG director Gertrude Herdle negotiated to purchase this painting, thinking “it one of the most important contemporary American paintings which we could add to our collection at this time.” Sixty-five years later, Kopf is no longer regarded as a major contemporary artist. However, as tastes change over time, a painting that was held in high esteem by one director may be well-regarded by another in the future. For that reason, museums approach the process of deaccessioning with great care.

48

B. J. O. Nordfeldt American, 1878–1955 Starlings Flocking, 1947 Oil on canvas Gift of Whitney Hoyt in memory of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Martin B. Hoyt, 48.1

A Rochester artist, Whitney Hoyt (also represented in this exhibition), purchased Starlings Flocking from a show in New York and immediately presented it to MAG. The Swedish-born B. J. O. Nordfeldt was recognized as a master of Expressionism and in her letter of thanks to the donor, Gallery director Gertrude Herdle Moore waxed rhapsodic in describing her reaction to his painting: “I cannot tell you whether I am hearing or seeing it more—or whether I have ever before been caught up into such a dynamic sensation of movement sweeping through space. The Van Gogh Starry Night did the same thing to me . . . [Those starlings] fill the air about you with their darting wings and cut it as if it were a visible substance . . . I have begun to hear a pulsating beat in the spiraling motion of the design and to feel surrounded by its luminous planes.”

49

George T. Deming American, 1868–1948 Portrait of Daniel Webster (after F. DeBourg Richards), about 1900 Oil on cardboard Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 48.52

Orator, lawyer, statesman, and senator Daniel Webster (1782– 1852) was the subject of many portraits, but none more charming than this one, informally titled Dan. Information on the back says the painting was copied from an engraving, which was no doubt itself a copy of an 1840s daguerreotype by F. DeBourg Richards (see inset).

Chief curator Marjorie Searl has determined that the original attribution to G. K. Merrick is incorrect. Markings on the back of the portrait were misleading; the signature for Merrick, an attorney in Wellsboro, PA, probably indicated ownership.

Another inscription, “painted from an engraving by George Deming, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania,” most likely led to the interpretation that Deming was the engraver and Merrick was the painter. Thanks to the internet and Ancestry.com, we can now safely say that Deming was the painter, and we can speculate that Merrick purchased it from him.

50

Unknown artist Figure of a Horned Animal, no date Bronze Gift of Dr. Alvah S. Miller, 48.57

In her letter to the donor of this sculpture, then Gallery Director Gertrude Herdle Moore thanked him for the “prehistoric bronze handle in the form of a horned animal.” There is no record as to what the figurine might have been a handle for. It was initially thought to be from the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago southwest of Great Britain, but inquiries to scholars in that region revealed otherwise. The culture and date of origin for the little bronze animal remains unknown.

51

William Ehrich American, 1897–1960 The Provider, no date Limestone Gift of a Friend of the Gallery, 49.56

William Ehrich became a major contributor to the art community in western New York after arriving in Buffalo from Europe in 1929. He established a successful sculpting career despite the onset of the Great Depression, and taught both ceramics and sculpture at Memorial Art Gallery and the University of Rochester.

MAG owns 13 Ehrich sculptures; The Provider showcases the closed-form, simplified, and idealized style of early modernism. The lamb may have held special significance to Ehrich, who was a practicing Methodist.

52

Grigor of Tarsos Armenian, active 1215–1255 The Gospels, 1218 Ink, tempera and gold on parchment Marion Stratton Gould fund, 50.8

Illuminated manuscripts introduced the Byzantine style to most of Europe. This beautifully illustrated version of the Gospels comes from Armenia in modern-day Turkey. It was commissioned by a priest and written by the scribe Grigor of Tarsos; an unknown artist created the four illuminations of the Evangelists at a later date. The fragile manuscript traded hands during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, and came into Memorial Art Gallery’s collections in 1950, where conservators have treated it in hopes of preserving it for generations to come.

53

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Max Weber American, 1881–1961 Discourse, 1940 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 51.13

54

Rosalie Macgill Carey American, born 1898 House in the Trees, no date Etching Gift of the Estate of Emily and James Sibley Watson, 51.77

55

Unknown, American Medallion Rug, late 19th century Wool, cotton, and burlap Gift of Mrs. Ernest L. Woodward, 52.5

Hooked rugs are among the most enduring forms of American folk art. Although commercial pattterns became available in the late 1860s, earlier designs were the product of the maker’s own imagination and circumstances. The rugs were typically crafted by women, often using worn scraps of material and homemade dyes, who sometimes copied examples made by friends and neighbors. We can imagine that the person who designed this particular rug was a farmer’s wife, proud of her livestock and the variety of flowers she grew in her garden. The fact that some of the medallions have lost their edges suggest that it has been cut down from its original size due to wear.

56

Paul S. Berry American, life dates unknown Fishwife, 1950–52 Oil on canvas Art Patrons’ Purchase Award, 1952 Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition, 52.50

For many years, works from the annual Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition were purchased by MAG for the permanent collection. Fishwife, by Syracuse artist Paul S. Berry, is an example of such an acquisition made from the 1952 show. Its survival may rest on the fact that it entered the museum’s collection so soon after it was painted, as every August the artist would evaluate the contents of his studio and destroy anything that wasn’t up to his exacting standards.

According to Berry’s widow, Fishwife is painted in a style quite different from most of his work. A turbaned Haitian woman lifts an enormous, wide-eyed fish from a wicker basket; the diagonal line of her muscular arm echoes the ramshackle roofline of the building behind her. The influence of photography is seen in the arm of a third person poking in from the left side of the composition.

57

Benjamin Pyne British, 1653–1732 Cup: “Saltby Plate”, 1710 Gilded silver Gift of Mrs. Ernest L. Woodward, 54.13

58

Unknown, American Vorschrift: George Washington, 1808 Watercolor and ink on paper R. T. Miller Fund, 54.54

A vorshrift was a writing exercise, common within Pennsylvania-German communities, that typically included an ornate introductory letter, a selection of Bible text and/or poetry, and examples of the alphabet. They were often presented as gifts; this one is dedicated to “Joseph Hofman” and is notable for the portrait of George Washington rendered at the bottom.

59

Unknown, German Saint Barbara, 1470s–1480s Wood, polychromy, and gilding Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.46

According to Christian legend, Saint Barbara was the beautiful daughter of a wealthy pagan named Dioscorus, who lived in Nicodemia (present-day Turkey) during the 3rd century.

Fearful of losing Barbara to the outside world, her father kept her locked in a tower.

She secretly converted to Christianity; when she told Dioscorus of her new-found faith, he reported her to the authorities. She was sentenced to torture and beheading—a decree carried out by her father himself.

In Christian art, Barbara is usually shown holding the tower in which she was imprisoned and a book, which represents the teachings that led to her conversion. Here, she also wears fine clothing that represents her wealth. A purse hangs from her belt, and she wears a golden crown.

This sculpture originally formed part of a larger late medieval altarpiece that included other solitary or grouped figures. Although beautifully carved, the last 500 years have taken their toll on both her appearance and structure. Old repairs have broken off or splintered, and both original and later paint and gilding are flaking, making her too unstable for continuous display. MAG staff is working to identify funds for her treatment so that she can be returned to permanent exhibition in the medieval galleries.

60

Unknown European, possibly Italian Man of Sorrows, Seated, possibly 1600s Glazed terracotta, polychromy, and gilding Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.48

The Christian image called the “Man of Sorrows” originated in German art during the 1400s in response to late medieval devotional practices. The image came not from stories of the life of Christ, but from passages in the Old Testament, in particular Isaiah 53, which theologians saw as foreshadowing the coming of the Messiah: “He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”

This statuette is difficult to localize or date. Depictions of the Man of Sorrows took many forms and were created in many cultures and media. These images were transmitted across Europe through highly portable prints as well as by itinerant artists. Although not definitive, the medium here of glazed terracotta suggests a southern rather than northern European artist.

61

After Daniele da Volterra Italian, 1509–1566 Death of a Nun, probably 1700s Red chalk on paper Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.73

This drawing entered the collection as an original study signed by the Italian Renaissance artist Daniele da Volterra. Research shows that the composition is actually a reversal of figures at the lower left of the artist’s most famous altarpiece, The Descent from the Cross (see inset), commissioned around 1545 by the Orsini family for their chapel in the church of Trinità dei Monti in Rome.

Two elements support the theory that the drawing is not an original design for the painting, but a study or copy. First, the artist has scored the drawing, which would greatly assist in transferring a large image into a smaller format. Second, the reversal of the figures suggests that the artist was not working from the original painting, but from a print, which would have shown the painting itself in reverse.

62

Thomas Wilmer Dewing American, 1851–1938 Head of a Young Woman, about 1895 Silver point on coated paper board Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.79

Head of a Young Woman is the only silver point drawing in MAG’s collection. It is also the only American artwork that was given to the Gallery by Bertha Buswell, whose taste ran nearly exclusively to European fine and decorative arts.

Unfortunately, we do not know anything about how or why she acquired such an anomaly, albeit a beautiful one, for her collection.

Silver point was a technique used extensively in the Renaissance and revived in the United States in the late 19th century. Every line was created by dragging a silver stylus across the surface of a specially-prepared paper. The stylus left a trail of silver on the paper, requiring perfect control by the artist, as this was not a forgiving medium where mistakes could be corrected with an eraser. With exposure to the air, the silver tarnished and created a warm brown tone. Because of the fragility of the silver and the paper, this lovely work is rarely exhibited.

63

Unknown Italian (Murano) manufactory, possibly Salviati Copy of the Barovier Wedding Goblet, early 1900s Glass, enamel, and gilding Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.97

The Barovier “Coppa Nuziale,” or wedding goblet, was made by the Venetian master glassmaker Angelo Barovier during the late 1400s. Originally designed for the marriage of the Duke of Ferrara, the piece is one of the most famous and frequently reproduced works of Renaissance glass in existence. The images on the bowl include wedding portraits of the bride and groom. A group of women on horseback ride toward a fountain in which, on the other side of the goblet, they are shown bathing nude.

Reproductions of this iconic Renaissance work represent the revitalization during the late 19th century of Murano’s centuries-long fame as a glassmaking center.

One of the earliest figures in this effort was Antonio Salviati, whose adaptation of traditional skills to modern manufacturing processes promoted ornate and highly decorative glass as an accessible art form rather than one limited to the very wealthy. Many of the existing copies are attributed to his manufactory.

64

Unknown, Italian Madonna and Child, 17th century Wood, polychrome, and gilding Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.106

At the First Council of Ephesus in 431 CE, Mary’s divine status was confirmed by church leaders. After this, images of her as the mother of Christ became icons of Catholic art and faith. Some depictions include elaborate groupings of angels and saints while others, such as this sculpture, focus our attention on their corporeal bond as mother and child. Images of Jesus in Mary’s arms, both as an infant and as an adult man, permeate the history of western art.

65

Unknown, Spanish Lectern, 15th century Wrought iron Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.126

This lectern probably held a Bible during religious services. It features two candleholders that could be swiveled closer to the text if more reading light was needed in the darkened interior of a church.

66

Unknown, Austrian or Flemish Glass Medal of Otto IV, 17th century After a woodcut medallion portrait by Hubert Golzius (Netherlandish, 1526–1583) Glass, paint and enamel Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.170.6

This small glass roundel, probably created for an armorial window, depicts Otto IV of Brunswick (1175–1218), who served as the King of Germany, the King of Italy, and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Although Otto lived during the middle Medieval period in Europe, the artist has shown him in the guise of an emperor of ancient Rome.

67

William White American, born 1918 St. George and the Dragon #1, no date Bronze Presented in memory of Giovanni Polizzi by a group of his friends, 55.178

Although both casting and forging are ancient metalworking techniques, there was a period during the 1950s and ‘60s when it became quite fashionable to combine them in a single piece. This was the first example of a cast and forged sculpture to enter MAG’s collection. It was given in memory of Giovanni Polizzi, a young sculptor and member of the Arena Group who was killed in an auto accident at the age of 34.

68

François Lemoyne French, 1688–1737 Charity, no date Oil on canvas Gift of Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Constantin, 55.179

69

Don Manfredi American, 1930–2000 Skull, 1948 Crayon on paper Gift of a Friend of the Gallery, 55.248

The year before Don Manfredi drew Skull, the New York Times singled him out in its review of an exhibition at the Weyhe Gallery: “The star here is young Don Manfredi, aged 16 . . . highly imaginative and very expert in his novel geometricizing, so to speak, of landscape.” Although he continued to paint and draw for the rest of his life, by the mid-1950s he was designing sets for Broadway productions as well. Those who met him after he arrived in Rochester in 1968 remember him as a conservator of paintings; MAG was among his clients. A few years before his death, Manfredi moved to the Italian Riviera, where he felt he would once again have time to pursue his own art.

70

Unknown, Italian Lace Collar, 1565–1635 Needle lace with linen thread Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.269

71

Hans Jaenisch German, 1907–1989 Green Landscape, no date Tempera on board Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 56.7

The self-taught Hans Jaenisch was a member of Germany’s “November Group,” a revolutionary band of “cubo-futo-expressionists” whose company included Max Pechstein, Wassily Kandinsky, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Kurt Weill, and Lyonel Feininger. Jaenisch was a prisoner of war from 1943–46, first in the U.S. and later in Scotland, where he was the camp’s head painting instructor. After the war, he taught at the Berlin Art Academy for over two decades. Green Landscape was from a series of abstract aerial topographies he completed in the early 1950s. MAG purchased it from a traveling exhibition titled German Painting Today that came to Rochester in 1955.

72

Edward Workman Irish, active early 18th century Beer Jug, 1734 Silver Bequest of Mrs. Edith H. Woodward, 56.15

73

Peter Archambo British, active 1720–1767 Coffee Pot, 1732 Silver and ivory Bequest of Mrs. Edith H. Woodward, 56.17

74

Isaac Dighton British, active 1673–1707 Two-Handled Cup, 1706–07 Silver Bequest of Mrs. Edith H. Woodward, 56.23

In 18th-century Britain, sterling silver was the “coinage of the realm,” and literally worth its weight. The ownership of silver goods, however, was more than a display of wealth; it was also an expression of a patron’s taste, education, and power. The government recognized the importance of the silversmiths’ trade to the economy, and closely monitored the quality and hierarchy of British artisans through requirements for silver weights and hallmarks. Their wide variety of goods found markets at the royal court, among a growing professional and merchant class, and through expanding international trade.

Quality British silver of this period has long been a favorite of private collectors.

The majority of MAG’s collection of continental and English silver comes from the Woodward family, who donated over 70 pieces in the 1950s.

75

Jorge Rigol Cuban, 1910–1991 Nude, 1953 Woodcut Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 56.56

76

Karl Knaths American, 1891–1971 Lilacs and Books, 1955 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 56.60

Karl Knaths seldom left his home in Provincetown, where he primarily painted familiar Cape Cod scenes: the rambling lilac bushes that overtake the island in the summer months and the local fishermen and their gear. The 1956 exhibition from which the Gallery purchased Lilacs and Books received a glowing review in the New York Times that predicted, “Knaths’ work may well be part of the work of our time that is likely to endure.” Despite his popularity in the 1950s, his lyrical style was eclipsed in the annals of history by the muscular, dripping abstractions of Jackson Pollock and other Abstract Expressionists.

77

Vaclav Vytlacil American, 1892–1984 The Alhambra, 1955 Oil on paper on board Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 57.1

Vaclav Vytlacil was at the epicenter of the American modernist movement. A student of Hans Hofmann, his own star pupils included Cy Twombly, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, and Louise Bourgeois. In 1936, he co-founded the American Abstract Artists Group with his friends Arshille Gorky, Byron Browne, and Willem de Kooning. The New Yorker reviewed his 1956 exhibition of “engaging, atmospheric abstractions” of the Alhambra, from which MAG purchased this painting. It was not MAG’s first choice, but unfortunately the artist had just presented that one to his wife for Christmas and was reluctant to ask her to give it up. The energy and spontaneity of our painting, however, is an excellent example of his work from this period.

78

William Congdon American, 1912–1998 Eiffel Tower #1, 1955 Oil and mixed media on composition board Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 57.3

Once a prominent member of the New York School, William Congdon’s name has drifted into obscurity. His youthful wanderlust led him to Italy, France, Mexico, Turkey, Cambodia, and Africa on painting expeditions. Eiffel Tower #1 shows his characteristic use of a jack knife or the edge of a spatula to incise energetic lines into his paint, here suggesting the lacy ironwork of the French icon. In 1959, after years of emotional and creative turmoil, he retreated from public view and spent the last decades of his life as artist-in-residence at a Benedictine monastery near Milan. Shortly after his death, the New York Times wrote that “Most museums store their Congdons with countless other works deemed too marginal to show and too meaningful to sell.”

79

Wilhelm Schimmel American, 1817–1890 Eagle, about 1870 Pine and paint R. T. Miller Fund, 57.28

This work was selected for the show by Marlene Hamann-Whitmore, acting director of MAG’s Education Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #17.

80

Giacomo Manzù Italian, 1908–1991 Maternity, 1956 Bronze R. T. Miller Fund, 57.32

The remarkable bond between a mother and her child begins with gestation and continues after birth through touch. Our first lessons on how to interact with our world and the people around us begin in our mother’s arms. Giacomo Manzù captured this intensely physical relationship in a series of sculptures of women with their children in various states of embrace and caress. This sculpture was never put into production, and the chalky remains of the casting process remain on its surface.

81

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Paul Klee Swiss, 1879–1940 Fairy Tales (Märchen), about 1920 Watercolor and gouache on paper Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 57.37

This work was selected for the show by Colleen Griffin-Underhill, manager of MAG’s Gallery Store. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #12.

82

Edmond Casarella American, 1920–1996 Rock Cross, 1955 Collagraph Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 57.56

Edmond Casarella used cardboard carved in relief to create this print. It follows from preliminary sketches he made of rocks along the Maine coast.

83

Francis Coates Jones American, 1857–1932 Ready for the Fête, 19th century Oil on canvas Gift of the Albert Eastwood Estate, 58.6

Francis Coates Jones was born in Baltimore and studied at the Académie Julian and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He spent much of his life in New York City, where he was the treasurer of the National Academy of Design and a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His Neoclassical style references the traditions of ancient Greece and Rome as well as the Italian High Renaissance. This painting demonstrates his mastery of texture and surface design in the rich drapes and folds of the woman’s robe.

84

William C. Palmer American, 1906–1987 Spring through the Willows, 1957 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 58.17

Early in his career, William Palmer was a muralist for the WPA, earning $24 a week for his hospital and post office commissions. He went on to found the School of Art at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, and became a highly regarded painter of colorful, abstract New York landscapes.

85

Unknown, Indian Kali, Goddess of Destruction, 17th–18th century Brass R. T. Miller Fund, 58.41

A mother goddess of fertility and creation figures prominently in many belief systems. Although this sculpture has long been named Kali, Goddess of Destruction, an identification of this Hindu goddess has not yet been confirmed.

She holds on her hip a small child and is accompanied by another. In her left hand is a cup and in her right, possibly a weapon.

Kali is a paradoxical figure: wild and destructive, yet also maternal. One story tells of Kali on the battlefield, dancing and rampaging wildly, drunk on the blood of her victims. In an effort to protect the world from her chaotic energy, her partner Shiva turns into a crying infant; Kali’s maternal impulses prevail and she calms down to soothe and nurse the child in need.

86

Ludwig Bemelmans American, 1898–1962 Cemetery, Père Lachaise, about 1950 Watercolor on paper Anonymous gift, 58.65

Perhaps best known as the illustrator of the popular Madeline books, Ludwig Bemelmans breathes unexpected life into Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

Established by Napoleon in 1803, the 125-acre cemetery is the final resting place of such famous figures as Héloise and Abelard, Honoré de Balzac, Frederic Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison. At least six gendarmes are depicted in this watercolor, most giving directions to bewildered tourists and one giving chase to a dog on the loose.

87

Celia or Clarissa Burt American, life dates unknown Mourning Painting, no date Watercolor and gouache on silk and chenille Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 59.60

This work was selected for the show by Susan Nurse, visiting lecturer in MAG’s Education Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #4.

88

Arthur William Heintzelman American, 1891–1965 Leisure, 1918 Etching Gift of Louis W. Black in memory of his parents, Abram and Anna Black, 59.133

89

Tetsuro Sawada Japanese, 1919–1986 Waterfall, probably 1950s Gouache and sumi ink on paper Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 60.42

Tetsuro Sawada was born and studied in Japan. Drafted into the Japanese army in 1945 and detained in Siberia after the war, he returned to his art after his release from prison in 1947. He attained international prominence in January 1960, when he had a solo exhibition at the Meltzer Gallery in New York. His one-man show was reviewed by the well-known New York Times art critic John Canaday, who wrote glowingly that the artist was well on his way to “converting the abstract idiom of our decades into a generally comprehensible expression of nature.”

MAG purchased three of his works, including Waterfall, directly from the 1960 Meltzer exhibition.

90

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Sydney A. Weinberg American, 1910–1977 Prolate #2 Brass Gift of a Friend of the Gallery, 62.12

91

Arthur B. Davies American, 1862–1928 At the Gates of Morning, about 1925 Wool Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Niles Meriweather Davies, 62.23

Arthur B. Davies was the driving force behind the 1913 Armory Show which introduced Americans to radical European abstract art, but his own style remained representational throughout his career. This tapestry of the artist’s signature lyrical nudes dancing in the landscape was one of 36 tapestries he designed and had woven by the famous Gobelins factories in France. Only six were sold during his lifetime; the rest were later destroyed in a fire.

92

Birger Sandzen American, 1871–1956 In the Nevada Desert, 1917 Oil on canvas Gift of G. S. Soderlund, 62.33

This work was selected for the show by Marie Via, MAG’s Director of Exhibitions.

To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #16.

The painting during its recent treatment. The lighter area at the top has been cleaned.

93

Jack Wolsky American, born 1930 Axial Structure #5, about 1962 Lacquer on Masonite panel Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 63.18

Jack Wolsky studied art at the State University College at Buffalo and was a professor of art at the State University College at Brockport for 35 years. Form is the subject of his paintings, and he cites many artists who inspire his nonrepresentational style, including Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, and Lyonel Feininger. In Axial Structure #5, layers of lacquer glazes create textural details on a scaffolding of symmetrically arranged forms.

94

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Louise Nevelson American (born Russia), 1900–1988 Totem, 1958 Wood and paint R. T. Miller Fund, 61.4

95

Norman Daly American, 1911–2008 Ceremonial Desert Form, no date Marble Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 64.4

Decades ago, one of the prizes awarded at the Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition was a one-person show the following year. Norman Daly, a professor of art at Cornell University, received that honor in 1963 and this double-faced marble tablet was purchased for the permanent collection. It prefigures Daly’s greatest achievement: his invention, in 1972, of an entire civilization and an exhibition based on artifacts supposedly excavated from its ruins. Always interested in the art produced by ancient cultures, Daly created fragments of wall paintings, votives, tools, weapons, jewelry, and other objects from the mythical civilization of Llhuros, many of which resembled our double-sided Ceremonial Desert Form. The upward-reaching figure is a recurrent motif in his work.

96

Warren Brandt American, 1918–2002 The Bath—Watermill (Berta’s) (2), 1964 Oil on canvas Gift of Mrs. Albert List, 64.11

Warren Brandt’s obituary in the New York Times described him as “a painter whose dalliance with Abstract Expressionism gave way to a style of realism and domestic warmth.”

97

Unknown, Spanish Portrait of a Child with a Dog, probably mid-1600s Oil on canvas Gift of Miss Helen C. Ellwanger, 64.51

Portraits often include visual elements similar to those used by other painters of the period. The landscape and the rich drapery behind the child suggest a Spanish origin. Based on these elements as well as the treatment of the child’s face, one scholar has suggested that MAG’s Child with a Dog could be the work of Juan Battista Martinez del Mazo, the son-in-law of the most famous Spanish painter of the mid-1600s, Diego Velázquez. After his father-in-law’s death, Mazo succeeded Velázquez as the official painter to the royal family; many of his portraits were of children, and many made use of similar background landscapes and drapery. We believe now that this work is by a painter active among the Spanish nobility during the mid-17th century, a period marked by prosperity and a flourishing of the arts known as Spain’s Golden Age.

98

Kurt Feuerherm American, born 1925 Honeoye #11, about 1962-64 Oil on canvas Anonymous gift through the American Federation of Arts, 64.66

As a 25-year-old student at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Kurt Feuerherm was represented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s first U.S. painting competition by a powerful depiction of a Mexican meat market that showed a crucifix hanging with butchered animal carcasses. Life magazine illustrated the work in a January 1951 article about the new generation of contemporary artists. In 1953, after graduating from Yale School of Art, Feuerherm moved to Rochester and taught, over the years, at Rochester Institute of Technology, MAG’s Creative Workshop, Monroe Community College, and Empire State College. Recently, he and three of his past students were featured in RoCo’s annual Makers and Mentors exhibition.

99

Edward John Stevens American, 1923–1988 Jungle Harbour, 1946 Gouache on paper Gift of Mrs. Ann W. M. Wolf, 64.112

Described as a “most unusual personality,” Edward John Stevens, Jr. was only 23 and primarily self-taught when he attained acclaim in the competitive New York City art world. After participating in his first group exhibition at the Weyhe Gallery in 1943, he was awarded with annual one-man shows over the next four years, from which every painting was sold. His imaginary scenes of fantastical animals and environments showed the influence of African and Pre-Columbian art, and modernist styles such as Cubism and Surrealism. He painted Jungle Harbour after his first trip to Cuba. The meticulously-detailed surface demonstrates horror vacui (from the Latin “fear of empty space”), a characteristic common in art made by untrained artists.

100

Unknown, American Tilt-top Table, 19th century Papier-maché, mother-of-pearl, and gold leaf Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Hoeing, 65.13

Between 1750 and 1850, furniture and decorative objects made from papier-maché enjoyed great popularity, especially in France and England. Multiple layers of macerated paper pulp mixed with a binder such as glue or flour were pressed into a mold to dry. After it was baked at a temperature of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, the substance was strong enough to saw and shape like wood. Extremely thin slices of mother-of-pearl were applied to the surface of the finished piece and the entire surface was “japanned” (coated with asphaltum, amber, linseed oil and rosin in turpentine) until it was smooth again. Finally, the varnish covering the glistening bits of shell was sanded away, creating the effect of expensive inlay.

101

Robert Marx American, born 1925 Woman in a Cloak, 1961 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 65.22

Painter-printmaker Robert Marx taught at the State University at Brockport from 1970 to 1990. His figures personify the frustrating, hurtful, and dysfunctional aspects of the human condition in relation to authority, personal relationships, and oneself. He invites the viewer to meet the gaze of his subject, stating, “If I am successful, my people will make eye contact with you and a dialogue will begin.”

102

Henry Benbridge American, 1743–1812 Portrait of a Man, 18th century Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 66.24

This portrait was attributed to the German artist Johann Zoffany when it was acquired by Memorial Art Gallery in 1966. Prompted by MAG director Harris Prior, Smithsonian curator Robert Stewart investigated further and came to the conclusion that the American-born portraitist Henry Benbridge was the true artist.

Shortly thereafter, this portrait was loaned to an exhibit of Benbridge’s work in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. Stewart described it as “one of the nicest of what I call his ‘portraits in the small.’” The elongated forehead, proportionately small body, and decorative plant matter in the foreground are hallmarks of Benbridge’s style.

103

Arthur B. Davies American, 1862–1928 Child’s Portrait, 1926 Oil on canvas Gift of the Estate of A. David Davies, 67.7

104

Attributed to Vincenzo Onofri Italian, active 1493–1594 Portrait Bust of a Man, late 15th-early 16th century Terracotta with traces of polychromy Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 68.4

105

Unknown, British The Sailor’s Farewell, ca. 1785 Ceramic Bequest of Leora M. Dryer, 68.57

“Cottage ornaments” or “chimney pieces,” cheap versions of more expensive porcelain sculptures, were manufactured by the thousands by companies such as Staffordshire. The Sailor’s Farewell was a popular theme: a downcast young man with a bundle of belongings at his feet says goodbye to his fashionably-dressed sweetheart.

106

Unknown, American “Mary Gregory” Vases, no date Glass Bequest of Leora M. Dryer, 68.58.1-.2

“Mary Gregory” glassware became popular in the 1920s and continues to be sold today. Supposedly the work of a single woman employed at the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company in Cape Cod, it featured white enamel scenes and figures painted on colored glass vases, plates, pitchers, and goblets. This attribution turned out to be a marketing scheme designed to sell work produced by many companies based on 19th-century English cameo glass.

107

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Mark Tobey American, 1890–1976 Prairie Red, 1964 Tempera on paper Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 69.43

The artist wrote, “For me, the road has been a zig-zag into and out of old civilizations, seeking new horizons through meditation and contemplation. My sources of inspiration have gone from those of my native Middle West to those of microscopic worlds. I have discovered many a universe on paving stones and tree barks. I know very little about what is generally called <<abstract>> painting. Pure abstraction would mean a type of painting completely unrelated to life, which is unacceptable to me. I have sought to make my painting <<whole>> but to attain this I have used a whirling mass. I take up no definite position. Maybe this explains someone’s remark while looking at one of my paintings: <<Where is the centre?>>”

108

Ernst Barlach German, 1870–1938 Dance of Death II (Totentanz II), plate 4 of 7 from the portfolio The Transformations of God: Seven Woodcuts (Die Wandlungen Gottes: Sieben Holzschnitte), 1922 Woodcut Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 70.26

Ernst Barlach was an Expressionist sculptor, printmaker, and playwright who worked in a wide range of media. Like many other German artists of the period, he initially believed that war could serve as a catalyst that would disrupt the artifice and spiritual complacency of contemporary German society. His time in the military exposed him to the horrors of war, an experience that frequently emerges in the dark intensity of his later work.

In the early 1920s, Barlach began to experiment with the medium of woodcut, looking back to the late medieval period for both style and subject matter.

109

Luvon Sheppard American, born 1940 Marcus Garvey, 1970 Ink wash on paper Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 71.11

Now a professor of art at RIT, Luvon Sheppard was MAG’s coordinator of neighborhood services when he drew this portrait of the controversial Jamaican orator and activist. Marcus Garvey was perhaps best known for founding the Backto-Africa movement, which called for a return of the African diaspora to its ancestral homelands. He famously feuded with W. E. B. DuBois, another activist and the first African American to graduate from Harvard, who described him unsympathetically as “a little, fat black man; ugly, but with intelligent eyes and a big head.”

110

Unknown, Indian Illustration from a Hindu Manuscript: Vishnu Seated in a Garden, about 1794 Ink and color with silver and gold on paper Gift of Miss Margaret M. Whalen, 72.31b

According to Indian Hinduism, three gods comprise the Trimurti, or sacred trinity: Brahma, the Creator; Shiva, the Destroyer; and Vishnu, the Preserver. In this illustration from an illuminated Hindu manuscript, the god Vishnu is shown in a contemplative pose, seated on a throne within a walled garden.

In religious art, most figures can be identified by their attributes, or distinctive physical characteristics or objects. The preserver god Vishnu, who has skin “the color of dark clouds,” is traditionally shown with four arms holding sacred and symbolic objects. His front arms signify his activity in the physical world; those in back, his role in the spiritual realm.

111

Joan Lyons American, born 1937 Untitled, 1961 Oil and pastel on paper Gift of John Funt, 73.73

Joan Lyons founded the Visual Studies Workshop Press in Rochester in 1971 and she remains one of the nation’s most dedicated advocates of small edition artists’ books. A visual artist herself, she graduated from Alfred University. This colorful early drawing might be read as an aerial view of the landscape. It was donated by John Funt, an artist and the son of Candid Camera host Alan Funt.

112

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Henry Spencer Moore British, 1898–1986 Seated Figure, 1970–71 Gouache, pen, crayon, and wash on paper Joseph C. Wilson Memorial Fund, 73.105

113

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

James Rosenquist American, born 1933 A Pale Angel’s Halo, 1973 Lithograph and serigraph Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 73.113

Poet and art critic Nicolas Calas wrote of this image when it was published as part of a portfolio titled Reality and Paradoxes in 1973: “An inward image, transmitted verbally, has the power to transform a common image into an exceptional one.

Blue, yellow and red express a divine utterance in primary colors: ‘pale angel.’

Suddenly the yellow is apprehended as gold, the ground as heavenly blue, the handle as the outline of a halo, and also of the back of an angel’s head and ears.

The cut away space of the pail’s body recalls the ethereal quality of angels.”

114

Philip Pearlstein American, born 1924 Nude on Silver Bench, 1972 Etching and aquatint Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 73.133

Philip Pearlstein began his career as a landscape painter but by the 1960s had become recognized as one of the foremost painters of the contemporary nude. Art critic and historian Sidney Tillim wrote that Pearlstein “paints the nude not as a symbol of beauty and pure form but as a human fact—implicitly imperfect.”

115

Peter Berg American, 1948–1991 Potato Salad Man, 1973 Pen and ink on illustration board Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 74.32

Peter Berg, one of Rochester’s most beloved artists, graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology the same year he drew Potato Salad Man. At the time of his death at age 43, he was an instructor of painting and drawing at MAG’s Creative Workshop. Visitors who remember his subject, the poet and former MAG educator Jim Lavilla-Havelin, will attest to Berg’s ability to render both the physical appearance and the emotional presence of his sitters.

116

Unknown artist Label Designs for Japanese Tea, no date Watercolor on paper General Acquisitions Fund, 74.50.13 and 74.50.29

These works were selected for the show by Meg Taber, development program assistant in MAG’s Advancement Department. To hear her thoughts on them, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #22.

117

Unknown artist Label Designs for Japanese Tea, no date Watercolor on paper General Acquisition Fund, 74.50.33 and 74.50.42

Shown here are two examples from a portfolio of 44 tea label designs. Each includes spaces to accommodate the name of the distributor and its brand of imported Japanese tea.

The Western-style shoe on the samurai’s left foot suggests that these images may have been drawn by a non-Japanese artist (the footwear on his right foot has some resemblance to the traditional woven sandal). In fact these images may be works by an early graphic designer in Rochester. Then director Harris K. Prior wrote in his correspondence to the previous owner of the portfolio, “I think that, in view of the fact that they relate to a Rochester artist we should take advantage of your generosity and acquire them for the collection.” The letter does not mention the name of the artist.

118

James Lechay American, 1907–2001 Table with Roman Colors, no date Oil on canvas Gift of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Childe Hassam Fund, 75.2

James Lechay played a notable role in the tradition of avant-garde painting in New York City, where his circle of friends included Milton Avery, Mark Rothko, and Arshile Gorky, and later in the Midwest, where he taught at the University of Iowa for nearly three decades. “A serious painter is what I like,” he said in an interview in 1995 at the age of 89. “Whether I like his work or not has nothing to do with it, but I like the fact that he’s serious and struggling and trying to find something. A carefully done, precise, boring rendition copy, that shows no search, I’m not interested in that, and I don’t think that goes anywhere. But the person who has all the wonderful mistakes of a human being, his work is wonderful because it has wonderful errors in it, it’s full of life. I mean that a cadaver is perfect, it doesn’t make any mistakes, but it’s also dead.”

119

Daniel Arthur Allen American, 1946–1974 Sunny Ducks, 1973 Acrylic on board Gift of William Whiting and the Allen family in memory of Danny Allen, 75.12

This work was selected for the show by Kerry Donovan, secretary in MAG’s Education Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #6.

Nearly 40 years after it entered MAG’s collection, Daniel Allen’s tiny painting was re-discovered by an intern updating records for the museum website. Its quirky sense of humor and mysterious narrative caught her eye. Intern Sarah Gerin says: “Sunny Ducks’ intrigue lies in its ambiguity. It is kind and comforting, yet still forlorn and remote. In the painting, there is no context for what interaction is taking place, where it is taking place, or even its significance. With its enigmatic imagery and striking sense of both kindness and solitude, this scene reveals a clever and playful approach to the universal themes of isolation, alienation, and human relationships.”

120

Jacob Keller German, life dates unknown Chair, about 1900 Wood Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arden K. Buchholz, 75.22

The property of a patrician family in Nuremberg, this chair was part of a dining set that survived the World War II bombing of that city, in which 86% of all buildings were destroyed. In the 1960s, a young man in the American armed forces purchased it from a second-hand shop, whose owner had rescued it from the curb after a younger generation of that wealthy family decided to modernize. The chair was shipped back to the U.S., where it soon came under assault from the soldier’s growing children. He offered one chair to the Memorial Art Gallery and another to the Art Institute of Chicago; the fate of the other three chairs, the dining table, and the matching cupboard is unknown.

121

Albrecht Dürer German, 1471–1528 The Great Horse, 1505 Engraving on laid paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 75.35

With his extensive knowledge of science, anatomy, and the natural world, Albrecht Dürer epitomized the ideals of the Renaissance. He was the greatest artistic genius of his time and essentially changed the conception of printmaking in Germany.

Dürer learned the techniques for engraving from his family of goldsmiths, but was later apprenticed to Michael Wolgemut, a well-known Nuremberg painter and maker of woodcuts. He was uniquely placed to learn and work in engraving, woodcut, and painting, although without his brilliance, these opportunities would have been unfulfilled.

122

Attributed to Hans Springinklee German, 1490/1495–about 1540 The Women’s Bath (reverse copy after a drawing by Albrecht Dürer), no date Woodcut Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 75.45

Public baths for both men and women enjoyed great popularity in Renaissance Germany; women’s baths in particular were frequent subjects of artists like Albrecht Dürer and his followers. Images of female nudity often carried erotic overtones, as seen here in the woman at center, who gazes directly at the viewer while turning her body in a frontal pose. These depictions of the female nude sometimes carried moral and menacing messages, as they were also used to portray women as prostitutes and witches.

123

Unknown, American Roman Scene, 19th century Embroidery on silk with watercolor Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Topham, 75.137

This detailed but unidentified scene incorporates distinctive characteristics from ancient Roman culture, including an army legionary standard topped with an eagle at top right, men dressed in bronze armor and helmets, and women in classical drapery.

124

© Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein American, 1923–1997 Temple, 1964 Offset lithograph The Charles Rand Penney Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery, 75.243

125

Thom O’Connor American, born 1937 Mystic, no date Lithograph The Charles Rand Penney Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery, 75.264

This work was selected for the show by Kathleen Nicastro, Library Assistant at MAG. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #25.

126

Edward Ruscha American, born 1937 Ultra, 1970 Pastel on paper The Charles Rand Penney Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery, 75.289

For a year, this drawing resided in the home of Vice President and Mrs. Walter Mondale, part of a group of 75 works of art from museums in the Northeast borrowed for the official residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in Washington. In a letter dated April 26, 1979, Joan Mondale wrote to Director John Mahey, “Having spent many of my working years in museums, I know that lending works of art brings mixed feelings—the pleasure of sharing, pride that the work has been sought, and the apprehension for one’s treasures. Be assured, your generosity in loaning works to the Vice President’s House is gratefully appreciated.” (Did Mrs. Mondale know that Pop artist Ed Ruscha’s lover was named Ultra Violet?)

127

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Helen Frankenthaler American, 1928–2011 Air Frame, 1965 Serigraph The Charles Rand Penney Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery, 75.329.3

This work was selected for the show by Patti Giordano, assistant director for public relations, marketing and revenue in MAG’s Advancement Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #9.

128

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Robert Motherwell American, 1915–1991 Untitled, 1964 Serigraph The Charles Rand Penney Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery, 75.335.5

This work was selected for the show by Samantha Clay Reagan, morning registrar in MAG’s Creative Workshop. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-6274132, stop #14.

129

Leslie Krims American, born 1943 Winners of Little People of America King and Queen Contest, about 1970–71 Sepia-toned silver print The Charles Rand Penney Collection of the Memorial Art Gallery, 75.404

The iconoclast photographer Les Krims, who has taught at SUNY Buffalo since 1969, has been the subject of both admiration and indignation. His staged tableaux, which he calls his “fictions,” have been influenced by Lenny Bruce, Rube Goldberg, Willem deKooning, and Peter Saul, among others. Much of his work has been an overt criticism of social documentary form and content. The portfolio from which this photograph comes was made over the course of two national conventions of the Little People of America. “These people annihilated the stereotype of ‘dwarf’ delivered by art history and socially concerned photography,” Krims says. “I thought my pictures rightly showed them as normal people who possessed oversized amounts of strong, straight, American character, and much courage.”

130

David Hockney British, born 1937 Mirror, Luca, 1973 Crayon on paper Gift of Dr. Frank W. Lovejoy, Jr., in memory of Suzanne Trimble Lovejoy, and Women’s Council Lecture Fund, 75.422

David Hockney is one of the most versatile and popular British artists of the 20th century. His work as a painter and printmaker brought him international fame in the 1960s, especially after his move from England to Los Angeles in 1963. In the 1970s, he became renowned for his stage designs for some of the world’s premier opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Mirror, Luca, which depicts a French dressing mirror draped with men’s neckties, suggests Hockney’s preoccupation at the time with costume- and theater-related themes.

131

F. Heineke, for Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur German (Berlin), workshop active 1763–present Ornamental Urn, 1893 Porcelain Gift of Mildred C. Reif, 75.426

The Königlichen Porzellan-Manufactur was established in Berlin by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The king imposed new laws governing the production and sale of competing porcelains in his country, allowing KPM to flourish as a maker of luxury goods. This monumental urn features Cupid with a basket of flowers on one side, flowers and butterflies on the other, and elaborate handles in the shape of gryphons.

132

Marcello Boccacci Italian, 1914–1996 Untitled (Woman Seated at Table), no date Oil on board Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice R. Forman, 76.9

In a New York Times review of the Florentine artist’s exhibition at the Contemporaries Gallery in 1958, critic Dore Ashton wrote: “Boccacci’s chief theme seems to be the isolation of the individual. Again and again, he presents a single figure, often sheathed in shadow, staring vaguely into gloomy spaces.”

133

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Hans Hofmann American, 1880–1966 Untitled, 1946 Gouache on 2-ply board Gift of Mrs. Joseph C. Wilson, 77.17

134

Ralph Avery American, 1906–1976 Jonathan Child House, South Washington Street, Rochester, no date Watercolor and gouach with graphite on paper Gift of the Estate of Ralph Avery, 77.152.51

This 1837 “Greek Revival” mansion is actually designed in the style of a Roman temple, with large Corinthian columns defining the front façade. Like innumerable structures found across the U.S., it represents the American fondness for adopting classical architecture styles for important buildings of political power and prestige.

135

Ralph Avery American, 1906–1976 Back Female Nude, 1949 Watercolor and graphite on paper Gift of the Estate of Ralph Avery, 77.152.230

Ralph Avery graduated from Mechanics Institute (now RIT) in 1928 and taught there for over 25 years. He achieved local acclaim for his watercolor depictions of our city, particularly its Third Ward, as it was being forever changed by urban renewal in the 1960s. But his national commissions were equally impressive, helping to blur the distinction between illustration and fine art; his landscapes and city views were featured on the cover of Reader’s Digest 14 times. Avery bequeathed the contents of his studio to MAG. Among the works that entered the collection was this uncharacteristic but very beautiful sketch of a female nude.

136

W. Elmer Schofield American, 1867–1944 Devon Countryside, no date Oil on canvas Anonymous gift, 77.204

This work was selected for the show by Mary Ann Monley, MAG’s administrator of volunteer services and tours. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-6274132, stop #18.

137

Thomas R. A. Gainsborough British, 1727–1788 Portrait of Mrs. William Provis of Bath, 1766 Oil on canvas George Eastman Collection of the University of Rochester, 78.1

A founding member of the Royal Academy, Thomas R. A. Gainsborough was a premier 18th-century English portraitist whose upward trajectory to fame began with a strategic move to Bath, a town with many portrait-commissioning British gentry. This particular portrait captures Bath resident Ann Pigott in her lonely and isolated youth. At 17, she married a much older William Provis and was left alone and childless while he lived at his country estate. As British gentry were selling family art collections in face of financial strain from estate taxes implemented in 1894, newly-wealthy Americans were building art collections. George Eastman acquired this portrait in 1912 in that manner and later bequeathed it to the University of Rochester.

138

Pierre Mignard French, 1612–1695 Head of St. Cecilia, about 1663 Red, black and white chalk on paper Marion Stratton Gould fund, 78.53.1

This preparatory study of Saint Cecelia was referenced by Pierre Mignard when he painted The Glory of the Blessed inside the dome of the Val-de-Grace church in Paris. Mignard, also known as “Le Romain” or “The Roman,” studied the works of Renaissance and contemporary Italian masters while living in Rome. Louis XIV, upon desiring a skillfully executed Italian Baroque-style portrait, summoned Mignard back to Paris, where he completed his first portrait of the king in three hours. After the death of his rival Charles Le Brun in 1690, Mignard became the court’s official painter.

139

Wen Ying Tsai American, 1928–2013 Double Level Diffraction, no date Stainless steel Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David W. Bermant, 78.73

Wen Ying Tsai was trained as both an engineer and an artist and his cybernetic sculptures are a fusion of technology and aesthetics. The stainless steel rods, topped with round optical devices, are wired to vibrate at a constant rate. They are subjected to a flashing strobe light that is triggered by ambient sound, such as a voice or a hand clap. When the frequency of the flash matches that of the rods’ vibration, the sculpture appears stationary. As the rate of flash is changed, the effect alters from a slow and undulating motion to an agitated one.

Unfortunately, Double Level Diffraction malfunctioned shortly after it was presented to MAG. The highly delicate nature of the mechanism has defied even the artist’s attempts to repair it.

140

Jon Carsman American, 1944–1987 Melon Glow, 1977 Watercolor on paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Harrison H. Shoulders, 78.75

This work was selected for the show by Colleen Piccone, curatorial assistant in MAG’s curatorial department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-6274132, stop #5.

141

Unknown, American Deco Table, no date Wood General Acquisitions Fund, 78.85

This table belonged to Rochester patron of the arts Charlotte Whitney Allen, for whom MAG’s library is named. It is a lovely example of the Art Deco style that flourished in Europe and America between the World Wars. Symmetrical and rectilear, this aesthetic represented the ultimate in modernity and luxury at the time.

142

David Heath American, born 1931 From “A Dialogue with Solitude,” 1952–1962 Silver print Gift of the Genesee Valley School Development Association, 78.133

The world feels safer in Mother’s lap. David Heath’s tightly cropped photo highlights the intense need of this child for the nurturing only her mother can provide. His book of photography, A Dialogue with Solitude, captures the intimacy and alienation of modern life. Heath’s preface states, “Out of acceptance of this truth: that the pleasures and joys of life are fleeting and rare, that life contains a larger measure of hurt and misery, suffering and despair—must come not the bitter frustration and anger of self-pity, but love and concern for the human condition.”

143

Darryl Abraham American, born 1948 Eva May, 1970 Mixed media Gift of Benjamin P. Nicolette, 79.23

This work was selected for the show by Dan Knerr, registrar in MAG’s Exhibitions Department. To hear his thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #26.

144

No photograph available

Tadaaki Kuwayama American (born Japan), born 1932 Untitled, 1968 Acrylic on canvas with aluminum strips Gift of Benjamin P. Nicolette, 79.28

When Tadaaki Kuwayama arrived in America in 1958, Abstract Expressionism dominated the art scene and he found himself rebelling against that aesthetic.

“When I started my practice,” he said in a recent interview, “I felt the age of painting was over, and I wanted to make things that had no trace of painterliness in them, things that existed in a different dimension.” He cites his friendships with Donald Judd and Frank Stella as a powerful influence.

145

Patricia Tobacco Forrester American, 1940–2011 Grove of Alder Trees, 1979 Watercolor on panel Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 79.62

146

Lynn Chadwick British, 1914–2003 Black Beast, 1960 Bronze Gift of Charles Rand Penney, 80.41

The British sculptor Lynn Chadwick trained and worked as a draftsman until after World War II, when he began to experiment with openwork metal in the form of mobiles. After taking a welding course in 1950, he moved to the production of solid sculptures in bronze. His primary subject matter during this time was the human figure; he also made a number of large-scale bronze sculptures of abstract aggressive, angular creatures such as MAG’s Black Beast.

Although easily recognizable as an animal form, the roughened bronze lacks specific naturalistic features such as ears, eyes, and hooves. Chadwick focuses instead on expressing the beast’s massive, dynamic brute force through the sculpture’s surface texture and form. The areas of discoloration on Black Beast’s surface are not the original intent of the artist, but a result of the many years the sculpture stood in MAG’s old sculpture garden on the north side of the building.

When conservation funds permit, the stained areas will be treated and the sculpture applied with a protective coating suitable for outdoor display.

147

Graham Marks American, born 1952 Untitled, about 1980 Clay Marion Stratton Gould Fund; Memorial Art Gallery Purchase Award, 1980 Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition, 80.45

Graham Marks’s ambiguous ceramic work triggers associations with familiar forms: squishy cerebral folds or the hard, ragged interior of a nut. In 1980, Marks came to Rochester to teach a semester at Rochester Institute of Technology and this piece was awarded the purchase prize at the Gallery’s Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition. The same year he was featured in the national Ceramics Monthly and was quoted as saying, “Clay is a material that is engaging to me because of its resistance to the imposition of monologue and its insistence on dialogue. I inform it as much as it informs me.”

148

Ramón Santiago American, 1944–2002 Childhood Fantasy, 1974 Oil on canvas Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis M. Clark, Jr., 80.71

Rochester artist Ramón Santiago was described, in his obituary in the New York Times, as “an artist known for his flamboyant portraits of clowns and sultry women.” At the time of his death from lung cancer at age 58, his posters and prints were a mainstay of the local art scene, and his paintings were in the collections of numerous celebrities, including Paul Newman and Mel Gibson.

149

No photograph available

Jeanne Watson Quackenbush American, 1921–1991 Lady Madeline Usher, 1981 Pastel on paper Gift of the artist in memory of her father, James Sibley Watson, Jr., 82.22

The artist imagined Lady Madeline Usher for her father, James Sibley Watson, Jr., who had made a number of experimental films in Rochester during the 1930s, one of which was based on Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.

150

Unknown, American Portrait of Children with Dog, no date Oil on canvas Gift of the Estate of Peter Barry, 82.25

This painting was in the collection of Peter Barry, mayor of Rochester from 1955 to 1961. He was the grandson of Patrick Barry, co-founder of the Ellwanger and Barry Nurseries in the Mt. Hope section of the city.

151

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Man Ray American, 1890–1976 Hildegard Watson, about 1920-29 Gelatin silver print Gift of the estate of Helen C. Ellwanger, 82.46

Man Ray was the only American who was intimately tied to the Surrealist group in Paris. During the 1920s, his photographic portraits were highly sought after, by the bohemian crowd as well as the social elite. Thwarting expectations causes a sense of tension that was one of the aims of the Surrealists; here, the inclusion of the mannequin arm is intended to disturb and disorient the viewer. Man Ray used the false arm in another portrait in 1932, that of fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.

The subject here is Hildegarde Watson, daughter-in-law of the museum’s founder.

She was a philanthropist, singer, painter, writer, photographer, and active preservationist.

152

Eugene Speicher American, 1883–1962 Clarence J. McCarthy, about 1907 Oil on canvas Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Byrne in memory of Walter B. Byrne, 82.51

The handsome young man in this portrait is Clarence J. McCarthy (1887–1953).

McCarthy met Eugene Speicher, the artist, while both were studying at the Albright Art School in their native Buffalo. The two also studied together at New York City’s Art Students League under Robert Henri.

Speicher went on to become an important portrait and figure painter and McCarthy a significant illustrator. Family legend has it that the handsome “Mac” McCarthy served as one of the models for his friend J. C. Leyendecker’s Arrow Collar advertisements (see inset). The fictional Arrow Collar man embodied style and sophistication and was so popular that he received his own fan mail.

153

Eugene McCown American, 1900–1966 The Picador, 1928 Oil on canvas Gift of Helen Ellwanger, 82.54

When he turned 19, aspiring artist Eugene McCown said goodbye to Missouri and made his way to Paris, where he fell into a social circle that included Virgil Thompson, Gertrude Stein, Peggy Guggenheim, Marcel Duchamp and other luminaries of the bohemian scene. In the City of Light, he was able to live openly as a gay man and acquired a reputation as a bon vivant. It’s unclear how much time he actually spent painting, as only a handful of his works are known today. From existing photographs of those, The Picador seems typical in terms of the elongated figures and slightly surreal setting, if not in homoerotic content.

154

Hilda Altschule Coates American, 1900–1983 Untitled, 1939 Oil on canvas Anonymous gift in memory of Willson H. and Hilda Altschule Coates, 83.12

From her limited formal art training, Hilda Altschule Coates evolved a personal and expressive style. What could Coates have embedded in this seemingly symbolladen still life arranged in a corner of her apartment on Alexander Street? The initial sensation the viewer experiences is vertigo due to the dizzying perspective of the table and the white lily leaning towards the open third-floor window.

Curiosity comes next. Who are the seven glasses for? Shouldn’t the lemon be in the empty fruit bowl rather than on the precipitously-tilted table? And why a white lily, traditionally a symbol of purity located near the Virgin Mary in paintings of the Annunciation? Unfortunately, a personal interpretation is lost to us as this painting was given to the Gallery after the artist’s death in 1983.

155

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Pablo Picasso Spanish, 1881–1973 The Frugal Repast (Le Repas Frugal), 1904 Etching and drypoint on wove paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 83.120

With its iconic image of a man and woman sitting at a table in a wine shop, a sharp realism evoking the couple’s poverty and despair, The Frugal Repast is Picasso’s most famous print. It is especially remarkable because, at the time he created it, the artist had no formal training in printmaking. Beyond its emotional appeal, the fineness of technique is a testament to Picasso’s genius and ability to master a new medium so quickly.

Picasso produced only a few copies of this etching and drypoint when he created it in 1904. Almost ten years later, his dealer Ambrose Vollard, well known for his marketing and financial skills, bought the copper plate, strengthened it with steel facing, and, along with 14 smaller etchings, produced an unsigned edition of 250.

This series, known as the The Saltimbanque Suite, assured Picasso’s reputation not only as painter, but master printmaker.

156

Michael Watson, Jr. American, born 1948 Table, 1975 Yellow birch Gift of the artist in memory of Hildegarde Watson, 84.3

157

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Richard Diebenkorn American, 1922–1993 Ochre, 1983 Color woodcut General Acquisitions Fund, 84.16

158

Winslow Homer American, 1836–1910 Paddling at Dusk, 1892 Watercolor with graphite on wove paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 84.51

The remote North Woods Club in the Adirondacks was a favorite retreat for Winslow Homer. There, he painted over a hundred oils and watercolors and found congenial friends, including 22-year-old Ernest Yalden, son of members of the club and the subject of this painting. Yalden recalled Homer’s interest in capturing the play of light flashing off the blades as he paddled his own self-built, lightweight canoe.

The year after Homer painted him in his canoe, Yalden graduated with a civil engineering degree and started a trade school in New York City for uneducated Jewish immigrants. He founded the Mineralogy Club of New York and trained men to be navigators during World War I. An authority on sun-dialing, he became an accomplished amateur astronomer who built an observatory in his back yard.

159

Unknown, British Stumpwork Panel with Figures and Animals, 17th century Embroidery on satin with seed pearls, beads, and wire Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Milford Cliff, 84.62

This work was selected for the show by Nancy Norwood, MAG’s curator of European art. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #21.

160

Esther Rolick American, 1922–2008 Nuns and Priest Pass by Ruins, Florence, 1948–49 Oil on canvas Gift of the artist in memory of Emil P. Maurer, William Ehrich, and Hildegarde Watson, 84.71

Esther Rolick was born in Rochester, and most likely studied art at Franklin High School with Emil Maurer and at the Memorial Art Gallery with William Ehrich, based on the credit line for this painting. In 1946, Rolick spent time at Yaddo, a retreat for artists in Saratoga Springs, where she met Truman Capote, who referred to her in his letters. In 1948, she took her first trip to Europe, perhaps supported by Hildegarde Watson, who provided financial backing for many local artists.

Esther Rolick in Florence

161

Mary Lou Dooley American, born 1936 Silver Surge, 1983 Oil on canvas Purchased in tribute to Bret Waller, Gallery Director 1980–1985, through the Padelford Fund, 85.23

Painter Mary Lou Dooley is the wife of MAG’s fifth director, Bret Waller, so it seems especially appropriate that one of her canvases was purchased to honor his service to the museum. In describing Silver Surge, she says: “It is a gestural painting related to my interest in calligraphy and movement. It also relates to the influence of two former professors who studied with Hans Hofmann. My intent is to achieve what appears to be a spontaneous result even though the painting has been reworked a number of times.”

162

No photograph available

David Cummings American, born 1937 Untitled, 1984 Watercolor on paper Gift of Richard Roepke, 85.26

163

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Rufino Tamayo Mexican, 1899–1991 Quetzalcoatl, 1979 Mixograph Hilda Coates Fund, 86.8

Rufino Tamayo is considered by many to be the father figure of contemporary Mexican art. Although he lived in New York City and Paris for many years, Tamayo’s work was always informed by his deep affinity for his own Zapotec Indian culture. The subject of this print is Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent who in Zapotec mythology was the god of the winds. Tamayo, a master printmaker, found mixographs particularly suited to his personal style. Using a wax slab rather than a conventional metal plate or stone, the mixograph technique allows the artist to create a painterly, textured surface.

164

John C. Menihan American, 1908–1992 Boston Harbor, about 1937 Lithograph Tribute Fund, 86.106

165

Justus DaLee American, 1793–1878 Mrs. Rachel Tooker, 1845 Watercolor, ink and graphite on paper Gift of Robert and Diane Tichell, 86.129

Justus DaLee, a former professor of penmanship in nearby Palmyra, was an itinerant painter of small portraits, always in profile. By 1840, he was working in Rochester, taking advantage of the population and economic boom that had come with the opening of the Erie Canal 15 years earlier. Nothing is known of the sitter, Mrs. Rachel Tooker, aged 69, of Pittsford. Within a couple of years of painting her likeness, DaLee had moved to Buffalo, where his occupation was listed as “grocer.”

166

Joyce Treiman American, 1922–1991 The Plumed Helmet: Study for The Parting, 1982 Graphite and pastel on paper Anonymous gift, 86.131

This work was selected for the show by Grant Holcomb, director of the MAG. To hear his thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #20.

167

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Jerome Witkin American, born 1939 St. Fichera, 1977 Oil on canvas Gift of Eric Greenleaf, 86.135

This work was selected for the show by Jessica Marten, MAG’s curator of American art. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #24.

168

Francis Wheatley British, 1747–1801 The Death of Richard II, about 1792–93 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 87.1

Francis Wheatley was best known for his historical paintings, scenes of daily life, and portraits. He trained at the Royal Academy in London and became the director of the Society of artists in 1774. Debts and an unfortunate affair with the wife of a colleague led to his abrupt departure from England to Ireland. He returned in 1783, when he began painting illustrations for works by contemporary authors. The success of these “painted illustrations” led to major commissions, including the one for this monumental painting from the print publisher Robert Bowyer.

One of Bowyer’s most ambitious projects was an illustrated edition of David Hume’s The History of England. It comprised not only a lavish publication, but the creation of a “History Gallery” for the public display of the original paintings.

According to Bowyer’s prospectus, the paintings were intended “to rouse the passions, to fire the mind with emulation of heroic deeds, or to inspire it with detestation of criminal actions.”

Wheatley responded to this challenge by depicting the more dramatic version of Richard’s death, in which he was beheaded rather than starved in prison. The theatrical gestures and expressions, lurid coloring, and bold brushwork serve to heighten the violent drama of the events. In the end, the project was a financial disaster; the paintings from the gallery, including Wheatley’s The Death of Richard II, were sold in a lottery in 1807.

169

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn Dutch, 1606–1669 The Goldweigher’s Field, 1651 Etching and drypoint on wove paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 87.63

This landscape is of a real place: the city of Haarlem with the spire of the Grootekerk can be seen at the left and the church tower of Bloemendaal is in the right middle ground. Rembrandt has subtly manipulated the scene into a carefully composed and extended horizontal panorama. He uses diagonal lines to indicate divisions in the fields. Horizontal lines showing property divisions and the woods also serve to slow the viewer’s gaze. The addition of drypoint, or lines scratched in the plate without the use of acid, heightens the contrast between light and shadow.

The title for this print comes from the author of a 1751 catalogue of Rembrandt’s prints. He mistook this landscape for the property of the goldweigher, the Receiver General Jan Uytenbogaert, who was the subject of one of Rembrandt’s portraits.

The Goldweigher’s Field actually shows the estate of the merchant Christoffel Thijs, who sold Rembrandt his house in 1639 and to whom Rembrandt was in debt.

170

Edgar Degas French, 1834–1917 Dancer, Seen from Behind, about 1878-81 Black chalk and pastel on paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 87.65

171

Ivan Olinsky American, 1878–1962 A New Arrangement, about 1920 Oil on canvas Gift of Richard H. Miller, John L. Miller, and Leonore O. Miller, 88.24

Ivan Olinksy, a Russian who arrived in New York City at age 13, was for many years the studio assistant of John LaFarge, the celebrated muralist and stained glass designer. After LaFarge’s death, Olinsky became a well-known painter in his own right, and George Herdle included his work in MAG’s inaugural exhibition of 1913. In attempting to trace that painting for the Gallery’s 75th anniversary show, MAG made contact with Olinsky’s daughter and grandsons. Serendipitously, Olinksky’s great-grandson had just graduated from the University of Rochester, and the family generously donated A New Arrangement to the permanent collection.

172

Thomas Moran American, 1837–1926 The Pass at Glencoe, 1885 Etching with roulette Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 88.35

This landscape is one of several works that were the result of a trip Thomas and Mary Moran made to Scotland in 1882. It shows the Bridge of Three Waters, near the site where members of the MacDonald clan were massacred by solders from a Campbell regiment in 1692.

173

William Keyser American, born 1930 Pair of Liturgical Candlesticks, about 1963 Rosewood and bronze Gift of Rev. Robert F. McNamara, 89.18

Around 1962, the Rev. Robert McNamara commissioned six candlesticks for the high altar at St. Bernard’s Seminary in memory of his mother. Liturgical changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council excluded traditional candlesticks set upon altars, so two were moved to a shrine of remembrance in the seminary chapel.

When St. Bernard’s closed in 1981, all six were returned to Rev. McNamara, who donated a pair to MAG. The artist, along with Wendell Castle, was one of the founders of the woodworking department at RIT’s School for American Craftsmen. “I’ve always believed in the presence of a . . . supreme craftsman,” he said in a 2003 interview for the Archives of American Art. “And I’ve come to believe that whatever I’ve been able to achieve has been His work more than mine, that I’m just a vehicle.”

174

Walter Rauschenbusch American, 1861–1918 Romantic Scene with Ruined Castle, about 1880 Charcoal and chalk on board prepared with marble dust Anonymous gift, 89.31

Sometimes, complete mysteries present themselves at MAG. How did a drawing

by Walter Rauschenbusch, a giant among theologians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, come to MAG? No paperwork exists to tell us the story.

Drawings like these, incorrectly called “sandpaper drawings,” were done as art exercises in the 19th century. Usually, the student was given the task of copying a popular print onto specially prepared board. Perhaps Rauschenbusch, who grew up in Rochester, went to a school that taught this technique. Perhaps he kept the drawing with him throughout his life; his signature is on the back, along with the word “Lent.” Perhaps, when he died, the drawing was put out with unwanted papers, or it may have been passed along to a family member, a neighbor, or a friend. At some point, the drawing was brought to MAG, but the trail, such as it is, ends there. And perhaps a visitor to our exhibition will be able to shed some light on this mystery!

175

Odilon Redon French, 1840–1916 Geraniums, 1902 Pastel on pasteboard Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 89.50

This work was selected for the show by Shirley Wersinger, editor and graphics coordinator in MAG’s Advancement Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #15.

176

Charles Gruppe American, 1860–1940 Dutch Landscape, no date Oil on canvas Sara Quinlan Bequest, 91.32

This work was selected for the show by Sheri Burgstrom, senior financial accountant in MAG’s Administration Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #10.

177

Thorkild Olsen Danish, 1890–1973 Untitled, 1955 Color woodcut Gift of Sylvia Davis in memory of Alan Davis, 91.53

178

Eugène Boudin French, 1824–1898 People on the Beach at Trouville (Personnages sur la plage à Trouville), 1864 Watercolor over pencil on laid paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 91.79

Boudin’s method of painting beach scenes en plein air (“in the open air”) is linked to the work of the Impressionists. His attention to rendering the changes in natural light caused by weather and the time of day had a particular influence on the early work of Claude Monet.

Although best known for his paintings of vacationers on the beaches of the village of Trouville, he was somewhat ambivalent about his subjects. The true focus of his paintings was natural light. As he wrote in a letter to a friend upon his return from Brittany, where he had painted peasants laboring in the fields: “Should I confess it? This beach at Trouville which used to be my delight, now, since my return, seems like a frightful masquerade…When you’ve just spent a month among people devoted to the rough work of the fields, to black bread and water, and then you see again this bunch of gilded parasites who have so triumphant an air, it strikes you as pitiable and you feel a certain shame in painting such idleness. Fortunately…the Creator has spread out everywhere his splendid and warming light, and it is less this society that we produce than the element which envelops it.”

179

Stefano della Bella Italian, 1610–1664 The Sun King (Le Roi Soleil), about 1650 Ink and chalk on paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 91.86

This delicate drawing shows Louis XIV, King of France, participating in a court ballet. Although highly decorative, it is an elegant and detailed portrait of a young man who, despite his age, has a commanding presence. It is also a romantic portrait of The Sun King, as he was called, who would ultimately become the most famous of French monarchs.

Born into a family of painters, sculptors, and goldsmiths, Stefano della Bella was quite possibly the most important Florentine artist of the 1600s. In 1633, he was sent to Rome to work for the wealthy and powerful Medici family, great patrons of the arts. Six years later, he traveled to Paris with the Medici ambassador to the court of King Louis XIII; his patrons included members of the French royal family, nobility, and publishers.

180

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Italian, 1696–1770 Caricature, no date Ink and wash on paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 91.88

By comically exaggerating or distorting physical features, artists create caricatures for the express purpose of satirizing or ridiculing their subjects. Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary; during the 1700s, the caricature became connected with journalism and was used extensively in the political arena.

Although known primarily for his superb paintings, Tiepolo was also a prolific draftsman who created enough caricatures to fill three albums. In this drawing, the artist represents his subject, surely a well-known Venetian nobleman, with humor although not with kindness. The combination of smooth pen lines with subtle wash shading emphasizes the figure’s pronounced hunchback, long spindly legs, large nose, and excessively high forehead. A very short shadow that defines the ground on which he stands rescues him from floating aimlessly in the blank space of the paper.

181

Unknown, Spanish Lace-Trimmed Handkerchief, 1890–1920 Linen and lace Gift of Dwight Van de Vate, John L. Van de Vate and David S. Van de Vate in memory of Helen Hagood Van de Vate, 91.103.4

What are called “the needle arts,” in particular embroidery and lace-making, were the domain of women throughout centuries of European and American history. As early as the 1500s, a young girl was trained in these arts by nuns, tutors, and her female relatives; her prowess was often a measure of both her breeding and suitability for marriage.

The making of lace, which developed from the art of embroidery, was intimately tied to fashion and social status. The addition of lace to collars, handkerchiefs, and other costumes established the wearer as a person of wealth. The industrial revolution transformed the lace-making industry; although elaborate handmade lace was still a mark of status, mass production also made it available to those of lesser means.

182

Unknown, Mindimbit, New Guinea Mask, about 1950 Raffia, bamboo, grass, shell, ivory, and feathers Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Cowgill and Dr. Ruth and Dr. Seymour Schwartz, 92.27

Today, the country of Papua New Guinea is largely Christian. Masks remain a part of its culture as vestiges of earlier animist and ancestor worship religions.

Although the modern versions are made to be sold to western tourists, the artists use the same centuries-old materials and techniques of the traditional forms. This mask contains an interior armature to rest on the wearer’s shoulders. Thatches of red grass on either side obscure hand holes to allow the wearer to manipulate the mask without detection. Its pristine condition exposes the mask’s function as an aesthetic object made for sale, rather than a ritual one made for use.

183

Georg van Vliet Dutch, about 1610–after 1635 After Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn Dutch, 1606–1669 Bust of a Man (“Bust of Doctor Faustus”), 1630–33 Etching printed with plate tone on laid paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 92.63

Johannes van Vliet worked for Rembrandt in the late 1620s and 1630s. For the most part, he prepared Rembrandt’s painted compositions for production as prints; he also made direct copies of the master’s prints.

Van Vliet created etchings after his own designs as well, although many derive thematically from work by Rembrandt. Scenes of everyday life, peasants, card players, and beggars were his subject matter of choice.

184

William Stewart American, born 1941 Fork and Rake, 1991 Ceramic Gift of the Dawson Gallery, 92.84, 92.95

These works were selected for the show by Paul Harp, ceramics studio manager in MAG’s Creative Workshop. To hear his thoughts on them, please dial 585-6274132, stop #19.

185

Dorothy Hoyt American, 1909–1996 Winter Gorge—Ithaca, 1957 Etching with relief Anonymous gift, 93.33

186

Whitney Lee Savage American, 1928–1998 Paint Jar, 1961 Oil on paper mounted to composition board Gift of Ann Prior Whitcomb, 94.74

W. Lee Savage was painter who achieved later acclaim as a filmmaker and animator, particularly through his work on the pioneering television show Sesame Street. This atmospheric still life, done early in his artistic career, was given to MAG by the widow of its third director, Harris Prior.

187

James Rosen American, born 1933 Homage to Poussin (Et In Arcadia Ego), no date Crayon on paper Tribute Fund, 95.9

James Rosen’s poetic works often reference Renaissance masterpieces that deal with religious themes. Here he reinterprets the figures from a painting titled Les Bergers d'Arcadie (Et in Arcadia ego) by the 15th-century master Nicolas Poussin (see inset), in which the shepherd’s tracing of his shadow on the stone tomb face is traditionally interpreted as man’s creation of his first image. The drawing in our exhibition is a study for one of Rosen’s layered wax paintings owned by The Rooms, the largest public cultural space in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the artist now resides.

188

Keith Haring American, 1958–1990 Apocalypse, 1988 Serigraph Gift of Sharon and Neil Norry, and Lewis Norry and Jill Katz Norry, 96.5.18

Artist and activist Keith Haring gained fame during the early 1980s with his thenanonymous graffiti drawings in the New York subway system. Shortly after he was diagnosed with AIDS, he collaborated with the Beat writer William Burroughs to create the Apocalypse portfolio from which this print comes. Likening the epidemic to the end of the world, Haring’s disturbing imagery combines with Burroughs’ stream-of-consciousness poetry to produce a sense of the catastrophe wrought by the tiny virus. The artist died two years later, at the age of 31.

189

Richard Hirsch American, born 1944 Altar Bowl with Weapon Artifact #2, 1995 Earthenware Purchased by the friends and family of Robert W. and Judith-Ellen Brown, 96.32

For three decades a professor at RIT’s School for American Crafts, Richard Hirsch is one of the acknowledged masters of contemporary ceramic art. His own collection of Asian ritual containers and stone tools inspired the series from which this piece comes. The forms hint at ritual sacrifice or other kinds of human ceremonies, while the surfaces allude to ancient weathered stone and bronze.

190

Unknown, Chinese Woman and Child on a Verandah, 19th century Colored inks on glass Estates of Maurice R. and Maxine B. Forman, 96.65

Reverse glass painting is a technique by which the artist applies paint, usually oil, on the back of a clear glass panel. The pigment adheres to the smooth surface of the glass, retaining a fresh color similar to that of enamels. The glass becomes part of the picture by providing the ground for the paint as well as the cover for the artwork.

Although examples of this technique exist from the Roman period of European history, reverse glass painting was first introduced into Asia in the early 1700s. By the early 1800s, there was a large market for these paintings among European and American traders and travelers to China; most were made by Chinese artists specifically for export to the West. The most popular subjects were portraits, images of children playing at the Imperial palace, and landscape and harbor scenes.

191

Unknown, Thai or Burmese Hands from Buddhist Sculptures, no date Bronze over black earth Estates of Maurice R. and Maxine B. Forman, 96.74, 96.75

These works were selected for the show by Monica Simpson, registrar in MAG’s Curatorial Department. To hear her thoughts on them, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #23.

192

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

e e cummings American, 1894–1962 Charlie Chaplin, about 1945 Pen and ink on paper Gift of Dr. Michael L. Watson, 97.14

193

Frans Wildenhain American, 1905–1980 Near the Pond, 1950s Ceramic and wood Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Watson in memory of Gertrude Herdle Moore, 97.16

Possibly a reference to the pond near his home and studio in Pittsford, this work is one of Wildenhain’s earliest two-dimensional mural forms. Wildenhain, who founded and then taught at RIT’s School for American Crafts from 1950 to 1970, was godfather to the donors’ daughter Anastasia. She remembers visiting his studio as a child and playing with clay on his potter’s wheel. Anastasia also recalls Wildenhain complaining, while pounding his heart, that Watson, a scientist, thought with his brain while he, an artist, thought from his heart.

194

Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese, 1769–1825 A Scene of Cherry Blossoms in the New Yoshiwara, 1811 Color woodcut Transfer from the Art Department of the University of Rochester, 97.43

The Edo period of Japanese history (1615–1868) ushered in an era of relative peace and stability after centuries of war. Urban merchants used their new-found wealth and leisure time to patronize the courtesans, teahouses, and theaters of the city’s pleasure quarters.

The New Yoshiwara entertainment quarter was one of two famous “evil places” in Edo (present-day Tokyo). The five prints that make up A Scene of Cherry Blossoms in the New Yoshiwara show a view along Nakanochō (Main Street) beginning from the Ō-mon (Great Gate) on the far right, during the popular spectacle of the cherry blossom season. The Great Gate, the quarter’s only entrance and exit, was closely guarded; the main street, with its central aisle of cherry trees and lanterns, was thronged on both sides with chaya, or “tea-houses.” Courtesans, identified by their high special wooden clogs, elaborate dress, and retinues of women attendants, servants and small girls-in-training, are easily distinguishable from the geisha, or entertainer, with her two black instrument cases.

195

Kikukawa Eizan Japanese, 1787–1867 Beauties Enjoying the Breeze with Child Treasures, 19th century Color woodcut Transfer from the Art Department of the University of Rochester, 97.100

Kikukawa Eizan was the most well-known artist of bijin-ga or “prints of beautiful women” in early 19th-century Japan. He also celebrated the beauty of women in their role as mothers. The artist has chosen to depict an unexpected moment as this fashionable mother supports her young son so he may relieve himself. These small, rather unglamorous moments are the fabric of motherhood.

196

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Karel Appel Durch, 1921–2006 Yellow Face, 1970 Color serigraph Gift of Ron Kransler in memory of Karl W. Taylor, 97.181

197

Unknown, French Leaf from an Antiphonary: Music for the Office of Matins, 1400s or 1500s Black and colored ink on vellum Transfer from Study Collection, 98.23

The early Christian church continued the ancient Jewish practice of reciting prayers at predetermined hours of the day and night. Called the “Divine Office” or the “Liturgy of the Hours,” it consists of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. Together with the Office of the Mass, this repetitive daily cycle constitutes the official public prayer life of the Roman Catholic faith.

This decorated page is a leaf from an antiphonary, which is the volume containing the antiphons, or responses, and verses sung at the services of the Divine Office.

The page is large and the text clearly written so that the choir could read from a single page. The smaller red text on this leaf, an abbreviation of the Latin words ad matutinum invitatorum, indicates that what follows is the music to begin the Office of Matins, celebrated at either midnight or 2:30 a.m.

198

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Jean Dubuffet French, 1901–1985 Affairements, 1964 Color lithograph Gift of Mary Orwen, 98.31

This work was selected for the show by Carol Acquilano, preparator in MAG’s Curatorial Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #8.

199

Walter Tandy Murch American, 1907–1967 Resting Rock, 1961 Oil on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 98.78

Walter Murch’s poetic depictions of everyday objects—clocks, gears, light bulbs, mechanical devices, tools, stones—defy easy categorization. They have been variously labeled Realist, Magic Realist, and Surrealist. “A painter paints what he thinks about the most,” he said. “For me, that is about objects from my childhood, present surroundings, or a chance object that stimulates my interest . . . I suppose you could say I am more concerned with the lowly and forgotten object, the one people discard because they are finished with it.”

200

Eugene Higgins American, 1874–1958 Nude, about 1905 Charcoal on paper Gift of Grant Holcomb, 99.10b

201

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

George Rickey American, 1907–2002 Two Lines [Small Series], 1963 Stainless steel Bequest of Mildred Baker, 99.32

Careful observers may recognize that a similar but much larger sculpture marks MAG’s front entrance, where its blades move gracefully in the breeze. MAG director Grant Holcomb met Mildred Baker, the donor of this work, a number of years ago and the two became friends. When she died, MAG received 14 works of art from her collection, including Two Lines, which she had acquired directly from George Rickey.

Lifelong experience as a sailor observing the forces of the wind, combined with training as an engineer, gave Rickey the skills and insight to assemble perfectly balanced elements that float through the air to achieve his goal of isolating “motion as a visual component and design with that.”

George Rickey adjusting and testing the balance and movement of a maquette.

(Courtesy Snite Museum)

202

John Latham British, 1921–2006 Skoob, no date Mixed media Bequest of Mildred Baker, 99.36

John Latham was a conceptual artist both acclaimed and vilified during his lifetime. In the early 1960s, he began working with books as his medium (“skoob” is “books” spelled backward). Infamous for a performance piece in which he turned a tower of books into a raging inferno, he also created relief structures with cut and burned books emerging from plaster on canvas. Skoob was bequeathed to MAG by Mildred Baker, a patron of the arts who lived at the legendary Chelsea Hotel on 23rd Street in New York City for over 50 years.

203

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Jasper Johns American, born 1930 Untitled, 1999 Color etching with spit bite aquatint, sugar lift, soft ground, and drypoint Given in memory of Dorothee Schwartz by her family and friends, and Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 99.55

Dorothee Schwartz, in whose memory this print was given, was one of MAG’s most dedicated patrons. A 1930 graduate of the University of Rochester, she no doubt began her relationship with MAG as an undergraduate on the Prince Street campus. Her connoisseur’s spirit was evident in the home she designed with architect James Johnson and which she furnished with work by School for American Crafts artists.

When she died in 2000, her family and friends wished to commemorate her long relationship with MAG with an acquisition that Dorothee would have found visually engaging and challenging. This complex print by Jasper Johns is part of his Catenary series, a group of works that are unified by the catenary, a curved form created when a string or chain is suspended at both ends.

204

Charles Demuth American, 1883–1935 Art Class Penn Academy, 1906 Watercolor and graphite on paper Nancy Turner Fund, 2000.28

Charles Demuth’s most famous paintings are in a hard-lined and tightly-controlled industrial style called Precisionism, which he helped develop, but his watercolors of people, fruit, and flowers are loose, sensuous, and evocative. This casual study of a woman in a studio at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art was made when Demuth was a student there. Based upon a somewhat illegible inscription on the back, this figure may be Helen Torr, a modernist artist who ran in the same circles as Demuth and eventually married the artist Arthur Dove.

205

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Fernand Léger French, 1881–1955 After the Flood (Après le déluge), 1948 Gouache and ink on paper Anonymous gift, 2000.34

This drawing is a design for publisher Louis Grosclaude’s 1949 luxury edition of the 19th-century poet Arthur Rimbaud’s famous volume of prose poetry, Les Illuminations. Grosclaude commissioned the well-known artist Fernand Léger to create 15 lithographs for the book.

After the Flood, the opening poem, begins: As soon as the idea of the Flood was finished, A hare halted in the clover and the trembling flower bells, and said its prayer to the rainbow through the spider’s web.

Leger’s illustration reflects the notion of the day after the flood with a rapidlydrawn landscape: a shining sun, a rainbow, and trees and flowers rooted in a green ground. A man gazes on the scene with a detached, somewhat impenetrable expression. Many scholars consider Rimbaud’s dreamlike and visionary prose poems the foundation of modern European poetry. Léger’s symbolic and referential illustrations seem particularly fitting as complements.

206

Note: Due to copyright restrictions, only a thumbnail of this image can be used in this online catalog.

Robert Motherwell American, 1915–1991 Night Music Opus #21, 1989 Acrylic and rice paper on canvas Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 2001.3

Collages hang on refrigerator doors and the walls of museums. Tearing and cutting paper, positioning and repositioning the pieces, and layering them on top of each other until they create a satisfying composition—these are practices that preschoolers and the most sophisticated artists share.

Artist Robert Motherwell worked in collage in preparation for some of his larger paintings, and he also created collages that were finished works of art themselves, such as his Night Music series. About the colors, one writer described “the ochre and the black of ancient cave paintings, charred by fire, darkened by age; and there are earth colors, of clay and soil. And there are the lighter, fragile eggshell colors of day. These are all offered up, in the bands and layers of their forms, whether perfect in their angles, or incomplete, ragged.”

207

Hananiah Harari American, 1912–2000 House and Trees, 1938 Soft-ground etching Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 2003.37

Born Richard Falk Goldman here in Rochester, Hananiah Harari studied at MAG’s Creative Worskhop, which he described as “a haven, and my first venture into the world of art.” He assumed his new name in 1935, about the time he became active in leftist politics. The cartoons he contributed to the publication The Masses caused him to be blacklisted in the 1950s during the McCarthy era.

208

John C. Wenrich American, 1894–1970 Clock, about 1919 Opaque watercolor and charcoal on paper Gift of John A. and Jeanne P. Wenrich, 2003.97

In 2003, the Gallery received 50 drawings and watercolors that Rochester artist John C. Wenrich painted in France after he served in the First World War. This group includes both sketches and more fully developed images, like this one of Le Gros Horloge, or The Great Clock, in Rouen, France. Wenrich’s paintings show his fascination with the culture, history, and architecture of France. The pedestrian street below this clock links the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431 with the cathedral Claude Monet painted repeatedly, in different seasons and weather, during the 1890s.

209

George L. Herdle American, 1868–1922 Spring, no date Oil on canvas Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.5

George Herdle was the first director of the Memorial Art Gallery and an accomplished painter in his own right. From early watercolors of windmills in the Dutch countryside to later oils of the area around the family’s summer home on Conesus Lake, his work was typically more traditional than that of the artists he championed in Gallery exhibitions, including George Bellows, Robert Henri, and other modernists. Although undated, this landscape appears to be from the late teens, when illness caused his hands to become unsteady and he began laying paint onto the canvas with a palette knife.

210

Carol Acquilano American, born 1960 North River, Marshfield, MA, 2003 Sumi ink and acrylic wash on paper Purchased with funds contributed in memory of Gallery friend Frank Zahniser, 2005.11

This work was selected for the show by Sue Cook, corporate relations manager in MAG’s Advancement Department. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-6274132, stop #27.

211

George M. Haushalter American, 1862–1943 Portrait of James Sibley Watson, Jr., 1899 Oil on canvas Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Watson, 2005.13

This work was selected for the show by Marjorie Searl, MAG’s chief curator. To hear her thoughts on it, please dial 585-627-4132, stop #11.

212

Irving Ramsey Wiles American, 1861–1948 Portrait of Michael Watson, 1921 Oil on canvas Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Watson, 2005.18

In April of 1921, Emily Sibley Watson commissioned this portrait of her young grandson from the prominent New York City painter Irving Ramsey Wiles for $1,500. She lent it to Wiles’ one-man exhibition here at MAG the following month.

213

George M. Haushalter American, 1862–1943 Portrait of J. S. Watson, 1899 Watercolor and chalk on paper laid down on artist’s board Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Watson, 2005.19

214

Alexis Jean Fournier American, 1865–1948 Landscape, 1914 Oil on panel Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Michael L. Watson, 2005.26

Alexis Fournier was known as the “Court Painter” during his many years at Elbert Hubbard’s Roycroft community of artists and craftsmen in East Aurora, New York. The murals he painted of the great cities of the world still grace the walls of the main salon at the Roycroft Inn. He was also active in Minneapolis and the artists’ colony at Brown County, IN. Sometimes referred to as “the last American Barbizon,” his landscapes were reminiscent of the mid-19th-century French painters who championed a new realism in art. This lovely canvas was donated by the grandson of MAG’s founder.

215

Edna Weeks Smith American, life dates unknown Third Ward Patterns, no date Color serigraph Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.39

Edna Weeks Smith taught for many years at MAG’s Creative Workshop. It was largely through her efforts that the Gallery’s annual Clothesline Festival came into being back in 1957.

216

Thaddeus Kolacki American, 1936–2000 Untitled, no date Woodcut Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.61

During his years as an art student at RIT, Thaddeus Kolacki was an award recipient in the annual Western New York Art Exhibition at the Albright Art Gallery (now Albright-Knox Art Gallery) in 1958 and 1959.

217

Edythe Shedden American, born 1921 Turkish Harbor, about 1978 Woodcut Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.135

Edythe Shedden, at the age of 91, remains one of Rochester’s most respected artists. A lifelong traveler, she journeyed to Turkey four times. This print was inspired by the harbor at Marmaris, a popular port that hugs the coastline of the Turkish Riviera. Shedden never made this image available for sale, so MAG’s example, a bequest from her friend Isabel Herdle, is a rare treasure indeed.

218

Unknown, possibly Inuit Bird, no date Bone Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.144

This unsigned and undated bird came from the estate of Isabel C. Herdle (1904– 2004), Curator Emeritus of the Memorial Art Gallery. Judging from the size, it may have been carved out of whalebone, a material widely used by Native American and First Nations people of the Pacific Northwest. MAG received several Inuit artworks from Miss Herdle’s estate.

219

Liberty and Co. Twin-Handled Flower Vase, before 1938 Pewter Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.178

Liberty & Co., founded in London by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875, was a purveyor of Japanese objects, exotic fabrics, and Art Nouveau silver and pewter.

This vase is #030 in Liberty’s “Tudric” line of pewterware, introduced in 1901 and manufactured for them by W. H. Haseler, a Birmingham jeweler and silversmith.

The stamp on the bottom tells us that it was made prior to 1914. The unplanished hammer marks are typical of the aesthetic of the time, which celebrated the mark of the craftsman’s hand.

220

No photograph available.

Robert Marx American, born 1925 Man in a Hooded Cap, 1963 Bronze and wood Gift of Susan E. Schilling, 2005.210

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Circle of John Vanderlyn American, 1875–1852 Portrait of Aaron Burr, no date Oil on canvas Gift of Rochester Area Community Foundation from the Collection of Elizabeth Gibson Holahan (1903–2002), 2005.248

Thomas Jefferson’s vice president, Aaron Burr (1756–1836), is notorious for having killed his political rival Alexander Hamilton in an illegal duel. Despite his reputation for a hot temper and a host of sensual vices, Burr was an early advocate for women’s right to vote and the abolition of slavery.

This painting is a copy after a well-known portrait of Burr by John Vanderlyn in the collection of the New York Historical Society, but a definitive attribution has proved elusive. The beautifully-painted face is surrounded by crudely-painted areas of the background and clothing which may be by a later, less-skilled restorer. This portrait was deaccessioned from the Washington University Art Museum in 1962 and sold to the Kennedy Galleries in New York City. It came into the collection of Elizabeth G. Holahan, long-time president of the Landmark Society of Western New York and the Rochester Historical Society, who bequeathed it to the Gallery in 2005.

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No photograph available

Clifford Ulp American, 1885–1957 Untitled, no date Oil on board Bequest of Sylvia Davis, 2006.21

Clifford Ulp began teaching at Mechanics Institute (now RIT) in 1913, the same year the Memorial Art Gallery came into being. As president of the Rochester Art Club from 1928 to1932, he was well-known for his paintings of upstate New York scenes, although we have no information about the location depicted here. Over the years, the surface of this work has darkened with accumulated grime in several spots and would benefit from a professional cleaning.

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Hilda Altschule Coates American (born Russia), 1900–1983 Untitled, 1956 Ink, gouache and pastel on paper Bequest of Sylvia Davis, 2006.24

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Eddie Arning American, 1899–1993 Untitled, no date Pastel on paper Bequest of Sylvia Davis, 2006.33

Born into a Texas farming family, Eddie Arning spent most of his adult life in hospitals and institutions with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In 1964, at the age of 66, he was given crayons and paper as part of an early art therapy project. Over the next nine years, he produced more than 2,000 drawings, many based on magazine advertisements he ripped out and saved. His hostile attitude caused him to be removed from the mental hospital in 1973; he lived the remainder of his life in a nursing home without ever again creating a piece of art.

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No photograph available

Nicolas Africano American, born 1948 Untitled, 1983 Oil on canvas Gift of Benjamin P. Nicolette, 2006.46b

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Georgia O’Keeffe American, 1887–1986 Over Blue, 1918 Pastel on paper Bequest of Anne G. Whitman, 2006.77

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Lowell Blair Nesbitt American, 1933–1993 Interior Scene, 1966 Graphite on paper laid down on linen Gift of Ron Kransler in tribute to the most important woman in my life, Marilyn Feagles Kransler, my mother, 2007.51

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Unknown, Mexican Chest, no date Wood Bequest of Mabel Coleman, 2008.8

According to family lore, this chest was removed from the cathedral in Puebla, Mexico, in 1910 by Lord Cowdray, a British petroleum magnate, and later sold to the donor’s aunt, who was a nurse in Mexico. Whether or not this provenance is accurate, it is a beautiful and puzzling piece. MAG consulted an expert on Hispanic furniture, who called it “a quality antique piece of authentic craftsmanship” but was unable to confirm its origin. She cited similar styles prevalent throughout Latin America and noted that sometimes artisans used old wood and primitive tools, even distressing and rusting the materials to appear older. Her best guess was that the chest was made in the 19th century, possibly in Peru, considering the fine and profuse carving. However, she noted that the eyelet hinges did indeed look Mexican. Such are the mysteries that museum curators sometimes research for many years without reaching a definitive conclusion.

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Josephine Tota American, 1911–1996 Untitled, 1987 Egg tempera on masonite Gift of Rosamond Tota, 2011.56

The remarkable paintings of Rochester artist Josephine Tota were private reflections, often resulting from dreams or memories. Her unique style was influenced by medieval paintings. As in traditional Catholic altarpieces, the small figure (the artist) prays on her knees, beseeching help from the larger figures. This image may reference her 1984 cataract surgery and the resulting complications that had her dependent upon and possibly resentful of her doctors. Of painting, Tota said, “It doesn’t get rid of the demons, it just exposes them. Because I’m in control of my paintings, I can confront death and violence in them.”

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Tom Phillips British, born 1937 Opus 18: Last Notes from Endenich, 1975 Color lithograph Anonymous gift, T382

Prior to this exhibition, the only information that accompanied this print was an undecipherable signature. Recently, MAG librarian Lu Harper identified the artist, the title, and the date of the work by utilizing Google Images, which allowed her to drop an image into the search box. The advancement of information technology provides new venues for research in many fields, including visual art.

The original drawing was one of many graphic musical scores created by British artist Tom Phillips. This rendition triggered him to think of the German composer Robert Schumann (1810–1856). “As I worked on it in trance-like fashion,” he wrote, “I was reminded of Schumann’s final years in the asylum at Endenich [Bonn, Germany] and the many fragments of music he made there . . . ”

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Homer C. Ledford American, 1927–2006 Dulcimer, 1968 Wood Anonymous gift, T52.2

MAG has no documentation on the provenance of this dulcimer. According to the inscription on the inside of the instrument, it was made by Kentucky dulcimer maker and musician Homer C. Ledford, who made several thousand musical instruments in his lifetime.

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