Picasso was a genius. Monet revolutionized art. Rodin reinvented emotion.
Perhaps these revelations aren’t new or quite newsworthy, but they should be. Regardless of how well-known the great artists of the 18th and 19th centuries are, you can never know them well enough. The current exhibit at the Phillips Gallery, Corot to Picasso: European Masterworks from the Smith College Museum of Art, provides a refreshing re-introduction to the great movements and masters of European art.
It is a good thing we have these amazing museums at our disposal there in Washington, or we might be regretting not attending Smith. But it is good to know that even in the Middle of Nowhere, Mass. they are not deprived of remarkable art. Thanks to the vision of Smith’s first president, the college has acquired an unusually diverse collection of the biggest names in 18th, 19th and even some early-20th century artistic movements. The collection is touring the United States while the facilities at the college are being redone.
Why, you might ask, should I spend seven dollars to see this collection when I can get my fill of most of these artists at the National Gallery for free? Because, if you truly care about understanding, appreciating or even learning from the art you observe, this exhibit offers a few aspects to the art observing experience that browsing the National Gallery does not.
The exhibit is an intriguing new and different look at old, established masters. It contains early works, studies and even some unfinished work that offer a new view of the artists and the movements they were embracing. You probably know Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. This exhibit contains a study, The Woman with a Monkey, which the artist used in preparation for his larger success, offering a rare look into the artistic process. The sculptural highlight is one of Rodin’s earliest works, Man with a Broken Nose. The piece is considered his earliest triumph, containing the unparalleled emotion and character that would define and shape his later work. In addition, there is Chavanne’s The Poor Fisherman, a piece especially influential to the modernist movement and probably the best chance you have at really experiencing this artist without visiting Paris. Works such as these capture as much as the artist’s later masterpieces, yet are new and different.
Some of the paintings add otherwise- unrecognized plurality to the skills and accomplishments of artists well-known for certain subject matter. You think Degas?you think ballet. Though his dancers are represented, so is an unfinished work depicting a story from the Old Testament. Likewise, names like Corot, usually associated with landscapes, are found next to portraits. The exhibit’s diversity expresses itself threefold: in a multitude of movements, a comprehensive list of artists and different combinations of surprising subject matter.
Some pieces, however, stand alone in providing surprising insight into how artists and movements changed and influenced each other, such as the Landscape with Haystack, Asheham. No, it is not Monet’s work. It is the work of Vanessa Bell, a lesser-known British artist who took the influences of artists like C?zanne and incorporated them into her modernist landscapes. Classic portraiture is reinvented in Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson’s Portrait of a Youth, which overwhelms the observer with the dynamic, intense tension and emotion that defined romanticism.
Some of the greatest treasures come from artists whom you would expect to deliver. Of Monet’s three works on display, the two boasting his well-known subject matter of poppies and the Rouen catherdral are surprisingly outshined by his earlier work The Seine at Bougival, a singular reason for Impressionism fans to attend the exhibit. While this landscape is not Monet at his most developed, it is certainly Monet at his best, boasting the light, color and composition that transformed his canvases into pure artistic stimulation.
Picasso’s Table, Guitar, and Bottle is one of the most famous works in the collection, but more importantly, don’t miss his heart-wrenching Figures by the Sea, an emotional and captivating representation of his blue period. Kirchner’s Dodo and Her Brother is easily one of the best reasons to attend. Bold, expressive and revolutionary, it is one of the best representations of the German’s contribution to expressionism, demonstrating the awesome power of color. Two smaller works also worth a closer look are Kandinsky’s Autumn Impression and Mondrian’s Trees by the River. Both abstracted landscapes are simply and pleasantly inviting. Other significant and recognizable artists represented are Millet, Rousseau, Manet, Renoir, Ingres and Gris.
The show successfully represents most post-revolutionary major European movements, and the combination provides a nicely rounded but not overwhelming breeze through the major periods. For art students, or art aficionados, it’s a perfect opportunity to investigate how artists and movements influenced each other. Though the neo-classical period, for example, is less well represented than, say, the romantic or modernist movements, the collection in its entirety is still a fluid survey of the relationship between these major trends.
As for those who are less familiar with art history the comprehensive nature of the exhibit provides a dainty but often delectable introduction to art and artistic change. Think of it as a nice, leisurely stroll through the modern history of western art. It is certainly a lot more palatable than attempting all the rooms in the National Gallery. The gems to be found, which are easy to pick out, make up for the few disappointing pieces.
One of the greatest strengths of the exhibit is its diversity. The massive amounts of artwork exhibited at the National Gallery can easily be overwhelming or even static, as the viewer fails to get a sense of any complete history or continuity. Additionally, it provides standard subject matter of the sort that is exhibited at most major museums. Corot to Picasso, however, provides a refreshingly new, yet at the same time classic, survey of major European art and artists in an ideal format for a pleasant visit. Essentially, all the greatest artists and genres are brought together in a rare and unique gallery-going experience.
Given that the collection belongs to a college, it is no wonder it is perfectly suited for students. With all the different movements included, there is something for everyone. If you can’t handle an art history class, or even a museum overload, Corot to Picasso provides a nice, easy art lesson to swallow. More importantly, it is also visually remarkable and refreshingly diverse. You cannot go wrong with such established artistic genius, and you know you’re dealing with genius seeing artwork that was never even intended to be seen, or finished in the first place.
The Phillips Collection is located at 1600 21st St., N.W.
