I have to be honest this was my first time visiting the Hunter Museum of American Art. And I was somewhat nervous because most of the art museums I have visited in the past I found intimidating. But the Hunter Museum was quite and empty when I visited and for some reason I felt comfortable to roam alone without feeling like I was in the way of another visitor's view. I appreciated the silence so I could focus in on each individual work of art. There were so many different kinds of pieces as I went from room to room, I became disappointed that this was only my first time visiting the Hunter Museum. I look forward to my future visits.
Whenever I really like an artist's work I can automatically tell because I am pulled to it. I feel the gravity of the piece and I do not want to move. I have to force myself to walk away from the painting and take in other pieces.
Robert Henri (1865-1929) Pet, (1927) oil on canvas
The first painting that grabbed my attention was Pet by Robert Henri. I think it might of been the color of her cheeks, but what's funny is I thought it was a little boy until I read that the painting was also known as Wee Annie Lavelle. I think I love the idea of children more than I actually love children to be honest. Childhood is something I think we as adults idolize, the days before we lost our innocence. So what grabbed me, about this painting, might have been due to the fact that somewhere in history children were expected to act as adults. And while this little girl has a serious tone on her face you know she still has her innocence. Simply due to the fact of her age, the age I would love to go back to. It may be because currently I am a junior in college and wondering where the time went, but for sure I loved taking in the view of this painting.
You could tell the paint was laid on thick and I love that you can sense where the brush made its mark. I love the texture a paint brush leaves on a painting. I understand certain techniques require a smooth texture but I personally prefer to see what the artist used to create something wonderful. This painting is obviously representational because it is a portrait. A painting that focuses on the face can hold a lot of emotion or assumption. I think Henri did an excellent job with this because he made the little girl's face the focal point of the canvas. You can tell by how he used the light to draw the viewer's attention there first before they noticed anything else about the painting. By light I mean warm colors, which he frames with cool colors. This is where I will tie in my abstract painting in comparison. The use of warm and cool colors together in one space helps define the piece.
George Cress (1921-2008) I-75, (1970) acrylic on canvas
Originally I thought I was going to choose a different abstract piece but then saw this while wandering on my way out. At first I thought it was a butterfly and then I thought it might be a girl dancing? But then once I read the title my whole view changed, I can see maybe a busy road disappearing into the hills in the distance.
Yes this painting is mostly cool colors but so is the Henri, although in the Henri you are directly pulled to the warm colors on the canvas. In this abstract painting the lines pull you more to the triangular shape in the front. Which is actually what I thought was the butterfly wing. The warm colors to the left are what I thought could be a girl dancing. This is where my eyes went second after looking at the painting. I think it is important to pay attention to what draws the eye in each piece you look at because when you try to describe it to someone else that is the part of the puzzle you should describe first so that they can picture it the same way you did yourself.
Both these pieces have in common that they are each a painting and each on canvas. But the realistic Pet is done with oil paint, giving Henri the opportunity to work on it at different times and still have it be wet while he is painting it. From my own experience oil paint blends more so on the canvas than acrylic. Acrylic paint kinda has to be layered on top of itself which is good because if you mess up you can always paint over it once it dries. Acrylic paint dries considerably faster than oil paint. The textures of each of these paintings are unique when compared to each other. You can tell that the Cress is done in acrylic paint because it does not have the same glossy finish as the Henri.
Overall I really did enjoy my visit to the Hunter Museum, I love the variety of works that they have there. I am not sure why but when I think of "American Art" I think of maybe folk art or southern landscapes. That's just the first thing that comes to mind. But like when you view a painting once you read the title or actually go inside the museum your whole assumption can change. I made my assumptions on the paintings based on what I saw and how they made me feel when I visited them in person. The pictures don't really do them justice.
And of course I could not leave without taking my selfies!
Alli Taylor
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