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I THE METROPOLITANMUSEUM OF ART BULLETIN
FALL1992
Recent
Acquisitions: A Selection
1991-1992
THE METROPOLITANMUSEUM OF ART
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TheMetropolitan Museumof ArtBulletin Fall1992 VolumeL, Number2 (ISSN 0026-1521) Publishedquarterly? 1992 by The MetropolitanMuseumof Art,1000 Fifth Avenue, New York,N.Y.10028-0198. Second-class postage paid at New York, N.Y.,and AdditionalMailingOffices. The MetropolitanMuseum of ArtBulletinis providedas a benefitto Museum members and availableby subscription.Subscriptions$22.00 a year. Single copies $5.95. Fourweeks' notice requiredfor change of address. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Membership Department,The MetropolitanMuseum of Art,1000 FifthAvenue, New York, N.Y.10028-0198. Back issues available on microfilmfromUniversityMicrofilms, 300 N. Zeeb Road, AnnArbor,Mich. 48106. Volumes I-XXXVII(1905-1942) availableas a clothboundreprintset or as individualyearlyvolumes fromAyer CompanyPublishers,Inc.,50 Northwestern Drive#10, Salem, N.H.03079, or fromthe Museum, Box 700, Middle Village,N.Y.11379. General Manager of Publications:John P. O'Neill.Editor in Chief of the Bulletin:Joan Holt. Assistant Editor:ToniaPayne. Production:MatthewPimm. Design: MalcolmGrearDesigners. MahrukhTarapor,MarthaDeese, and Sian Wetherill,Coordinators. Allphotographs,unless otherwise noted, by the staffof The PhotographStudio of The MetropolitanMuseumof Art.Photographers:Joseph Coscia Jr.,Katherine Dahab, Anna-MarieKellen,Oi-Cheong Lee, Bruce Schwarz, Eileen Travell, KarinL. Willis,and CarmelWilson. Othersources: AliElai,p. 15; Malcolm Varon,p. 44; AmonCarterMuseum,Ruth Ann Rugg, p. 52 (1991.338);Anthony d'OffayGallery,London,p. 71; D. James Dee, p. 74 (1991.102);Sheldan Collins, p. 85 (1991.253.38).
2
CONTRIBUTORS
entriesby:JoanAruz, World Ancient AncientNear AssistantCurator, EasternArt.DorotheaArnold, in LilaAchesonWallaceCurator Art.CarlosA. Charge,Egyptian inCharge,andJoan Picon,Curator R.Mertens,Curator, Greekand RomanArt. Islamentriesby:DanielWalker, inCharge;MarieLukens Curator AssociateCurator; Swietochowski, andAnnemarie Schimmel,Consultant,IslamicArt. Medieval entriesby:William Europe D.Wixom,Chairman; TimothyB. CharlesT. Husband,Curator; HelenC. Evans, Little,Curator; AssistantCurator; andKatharine R.Brown,SeniorResearch Associate,MedievalArtandThe Cloisters.
entriesby: Renaissance Europe Armsand StuartW.Pyhrr, Curator, M.Griswold, AssisWilliam Armor. tantCurator, Drawings.Keith Christiansen, JayneWrightsman WalterLiedtke,Curator; Curator; andAndreaBayer,SeniorResearch Assistant,EuropeanPaintings. JamesDavidDraper,Curator; Jessie McNab,AssociateCurator; andAliceZrebiec,AssociateCurator,EuropeanSculptureandDecorativeArts.SuzanneBoorsch, andElizabeth AssociateCurator, Curatorial Assistant,Prints Wyckoff, Books. andIllustrated
United States1780-1900entries by:DavidW.Kiehl,Associate PrintsandIllustrated Curator, Books.H.Barbara Weinberg, KevinJ. Avery,Assistant Curator; CarrieRebora,Assistant Curator; andManager, TheHenry Curator R.LuceCenterfortheStudyof American Art;andDaleT. Research Johnson, Associate, AmericanPaintingsandSculpture. H.Heckscher,Curator; Morrison AsAliceCooneyFrelinghuysen, sociateCurator; CatherineHoover AssistantCurator, Voorsanger, American Decorative Arts.
1700-1900 entriesby:Helen Europe B. Mules,AssociateCurator ActJames inginCharge,Drawings. DavidDraper,Curator; Clare LeCorbeiller, James Curator; William Parker, Curator; Rieder, AssociateCurator andAdministrator;andClareVincent,Associate Curator, EuropeanSculptureand Decorative Arts.Katharine Baetjer, andGaryTinterow, Curator, AssociateCurator, Engelhard EuropeanPaintings.ColtaIves, inCharge,PrintsandIllusCurator tratedBooks.MalcolmDaniel, Curatorial Assistant,Photographs. P.Rose LaurenceLibin,Frederick MusicalInstruments. Curator, CarolineGoldthorpe, Assistant Costume Institute. Curator,
Twentieth entriesby:Maria Century Morris and Curator, Hambourg, JeffL.Rosenheim,Research Sabine Assistant,Photographs. Rewald,AssociateCurator; LoweryStokesSims,Associate LisaM.Messinger, Curator; AssistantCurator; andJ. Stewart forDesign Johnson,Consultant andArchitecture, Twentieth CenturyArt.
andtheAmericas Africa,Oceania, entriesby:JulieJones,Curator; Heidi KateEzra,AssociateCurator; King,ResearchAssociate;Florina ResearchAssistant; H.Capistrano, andSusanBergh,Janeand WhitneyFellow,Artsof Morgan Africa,Oceania,andtheAmericas. Asiaentriesby:JamesC.Y.Watt, BrookeRussellAstorSeniorCuraSuzanne tor;Martin Lemer,Curator; G.Valenstein,ResearchCurator; BarbaraB. Ford,AssociateCurator;MaxwellK.Heam,Associate andStevenM.Kossak, Curator; AsianArt. AssistantCurator, Morihiro Ogawa,ResearchAssociJ. Kenneth ate,ArmsandArmor. Musical Moore,AssociateCurator, Instruments.
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DIRECTOR'SNOTE
This year's issue of the Bulletindevoted to recent acquisitions has been redesigned to present the works of art in a more livelymanner, organized not in the somewhat restrictiveformatby department but in groups withinbroader historicaland geographical categories. The commentaries have been shortened to allow for more photographs,which betterillustratethe range and diversityof the Museum's acquisitions and allow us to acknowledge the generosity of a greater numberof donors. We cannot include in this publicationevery work given or purchasedwithcontributedfunds duringthe past year, butwe are no less gratefulto those donors. A complete list of acquisitions is included in the AnnualReport for 1991-1992. The powerfulimage adorningthe cover of this Bulletinis froma twelfth-centurySpanish Beatus manuscript,a workof such importance that three years of Cloisters acquisitions funds were set aside for its purchase. Because general funds were also used, its splendid pages willbe shown in the main buildingas well as at The Cloisters. Atthe beginning of this publicationyou willfind a delightfulancient bestiary:an Egyptianantelope head and a lifelikecrocodile; a tiny, exquisite East Greek monkey;and a flock of Italicamber quail. There are other animal subjects to be encountered as well, including HabTbAllah'sSafavid stallion, Sesson's gibbons, and Degas's racehorses.
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On the cover:
froma BeatusManuFrontispiece of Godbeforethe script:TheLamb CrossFlanked byTwoAngels Spanish (BenedictineMonastery of San Pedro de Cardeia), late
12thcentury.See also p. 20. TheCloisters Collection, Purchase, andHarris Brisbane Dick Rogers Funds,andJosephPulitzer Bequest, 1991 1991.232.1v
Drawingsare well represented by a notable purchase: a head of a woman by Guido Reni. Althoughthe Museum was the successful bidder X ~ on three majorworks at the Londonsale of drawingsfrom 'Holkham
Hall,an export license was granted only to this study for the paintingJudith with the Head of Holofernes. This drawingnow
joins another study forthe same picturealready in our collection, the figure of Holofernes. Twooutstanding paintings, by Bartholomeus Breenbergh and BernardoBellotto,entered the collection thanks to the generosity of two of our greatest donors, The Annenberg Foundationand the WrightsmanFund. Inthe field of nineteenth-centuryFrench painting our holdings willbe considerably strengthened by the distinguished group of Impressionistworks presented by Mr.and Mrs. David Rockefeller,Janice H. Levin,and Mr.and Mrs.Douglas Dillon.These pictureswillmake theirdebut at the Metropolitanin the fallof 1993, when we inauguratethe new galleries for nineteenth-century European paintingsand sculpture.
3
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worksareagainthe mostnumerousinthispubliTwentieth-century cationbecause thereare morecollectorsinthisfieldthaninany other.Themostsignificantpurchaseis ourfirstpaintingbythe Neue SachlichkeitmasterOttoDix,a strikingportrait of the early1920s. Ouralreadysubstantialholdingsof Americanprewarartwerefurther increasedbya majorbequestfromEdithAbrahamsonLowenthal, of worksof artfromthe Edithand MiltonLowenthal Collection, whichincludeCharlesSheeler's1931Americana,a landmark of twentieth-century paintinginthe UnitedStates. Twolong-timebenefactorshavefurtherenhancedthe Museum's Precolumbian andAfricancollectionsthroughtheirmostdistinguishedgifts.Pauland RuthW.Tishmanhavegivenan exceptionallyfineivorysaltcellarfromSierraLeone,datingto the latefifteenth to mid-sixteenth century.Fromthe collectionof Jan Mitchelland Sons the Museumhas receiveda largegroupof first-classPrecolumbiangoldornamentsthatraisethe Metropolitan's holdings inthisareato a positionof preeminence.Mr.Mitchellhas also GoldTreafundsforthe redesignof the Precolumbian contributed this sury,whichis due to open inearly1993andwillincorporate majorgift. Finally,inadditionto the acquisitionof a veryrarefourteenth-century of AsianArthas Chinesesilk-tapestry mandala,the Department been handsomelyenrichedbya rosterof faithfuldonors.Included amongthemarethe Tangfamily,whopresenteda numberof remarkableChinesepaintings,andthe LitaAnnenbergHazenCharitable stone Vishnuand Trust,whichprovidedfundsfora largePre-Angkor forthe finestJavanesebronzenowinthe collection,Krishnariding Garuda.Tothese donorsandto the manyotherswhomIcannot mentioninthislimitedspace, Iextendmymostprofoundthanksfor to the acquisitionsprogram,whichremainsat theircontributions the veryheartof the Museum'smission. de Montebello Philippe Director
4
ANCIENTWORLD
Cylinderals God or Kingwith Harp6 (Sickel Sword), LionMan and BullMan, OfferingBearer before Sun God Mesopotamiaor northernSyria (Old Babylonian),ca. 18251750 B.C. Hematite 1 x3/8 in. (2.4 x1.2 cm) KingApproachingDeity Seated Above Human-headed Bulls, Male Sphinx, Goat, Griffin-Demon Terminal Syria (Classic Syrian I),ca. 1825-
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1750B.C. 3/4 3/ in. (1.9 x1.2 cm) Goddess Leading Worshiperto Seated Figure,Contest, BullGod, Humanand AnimalHeads Anatolia(AssyrianColony period),ca. 1920-1840 B.C. Green quartzite /8 x 1/2in. (2.2 x 1.4 cm)
and Purchase, Raymond Sackler 1991 Gift, Beverly 1991.368.1,5, 3
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These seals, formerlyin the Mrs. H. MooreCollection, . represent the finest traditionsin hum~ av Mesopotamian, Syrian, and seal carving and have unparalleledin our collection. Two hematite examples exhibit a fullymodeled style and unusual iconography:one has deities and demons; the other, a god witha frontalface seated above human-headedbulls.A third, of green quartzite,is a rare example of the seals used by central Anatolianmerchants on economic documents duringa periodof
ofthe metals Assyriandomination trade. While adoptingthe Meso-
potamiancylinderseal formand presentationtheme, its Anatolian characteristicsinclude the linear ........._ ~ __? ;3i~'=L~--=
decorative style, figures in different orientations,and the bullgod image. JA
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ReliefSlabsfromAmarnaTemples Egyptian(Dynasty 18), reignof Akhenaton,ca. 1340-1330 B.C. Limestone L. (each) 211/8in. (53.5 cm) Purchase,LilaAchesonWallaceGift, 1991 1991.240.1,4
The upper reliefdemonstrates the potentialof such fragments for reconstructinghithertounknown scenes. The straight,broad neck of the royalpersonage depicted here cannot belong to Akhenaton or his heirs, whose necks are usually shown thinand curving. This king must be Akhenaton's father,Amenhotep Ill.His size tells us that the old kingwas portrayed in a majorscene, perhaps in a place dedicated to his memory. In the lower relieffestively dressed
courtierspreparefor an offering ceremony,exemplifyingthe Amarna artists'abilityto create an atmosphere of religiousemotion through fluidlines and gentle gestures. DoA
7
Headof an Antelope Egyptian(Lateperiod, probably Dynasty27), 525-404 B.C. Graywacke,inlaidalabaster and agate eyes L.57/8in. (15 cm) Purchase,RogersandFletcherFunds andJosephPulitzerBequest,1992 1992.55
This head is an outstanding example of animalsculpturefrom Egypt's Late period.The subtle renderingof the delicatebone structure, lean musculature,and soft flesh vividlycharacterizes the swift desert creature.The impactis heightened by the eyes, inlaidwith alabaster and skillfullycut agate, which is miraculouslypreserved in the righteye. The roughened area aroundthe horns (originally of real horn,ivory,or alabaster) was perhaps overlaidwithgold, a feature indicatingpossible Achaemenid influence.The head probablyadorned the prowof a boat shrine made for Sokar, god of the desert region around the pyramids. DoA
Crocodile Egyptian,1st century B.C.1st centuryA.D. Granite L.421/2in. (108 cm) Purchase,TheBernardandAudrey AronsonCharitableTrustGift,in memoryof herbelovedhusband, BernardAronson,1992 1992.13 This sculpture is a fine interpretation of the crocodile's physical peculiarities.The hornyback contrasts expressively withthe fleshy folds aroundthe neck and eyes. The tense posture of the plump legs suggests the weight of the beast. Althoughthe crocodile is frequentlydepicted throughoutthe Pharaonicperiod, the naturalism of this specimen is an artistic achievement of late Ptolemaic art. A close parallelto this piece was found in the main Isis sanctuary in Rome, and it is quite possible that our crocodile, although certainly carved by an Egyptiansculptor, adorned a similarmonument, representing the land of Egyptabroad. DoA
8
PerfumeVase in the Shapeof a SquattingMonkey East Greek, 1st quarterof the
6thcenturyB.C. Terracotta H. 3%/8in.(9.3 cm) Purchase,SandraBrueGift,1992 1992.11.2 Whileperfumecontainers of simian shape may ultimatelyderive from Egypt,there is nothingderivative in the representationhere. The monkey squats on a small oval base in a thoroughlyhuman position, its forepaws on its knees. Whilethe expression mightbe characterizedas pensive, the eyes, heightened withwhite, and the carefullymodeled ears convey acute alertness. This particular figuremay be the example in the
Vogellcollection,whichwas sold in 1908. JRM
9
CarvedAmbers Italic,7th-5th centuryB.C. Amber L.of quails (each) approx.3/4in. (2 cm); L.of necklace 135/8in. (34.5 cm) Purchase,ReneeE. andRobertA. Belfer,Mrs.PattiCadbyBirchand TheJosephRosenFoundation,Inc. Gifts,andHarrisBrisbaneDickFund, 1992 1992.11.3-57 These examples are froma collection of about 615 individualcarved ambers, which are exceptional in terms of quality,rarity,type, and condition.As is usual withearly Italicambers, the pieces are for the most partpendants from necklaces, belts, or fibulae.They range fromsimple beads to elaborate ornaments. Notable among the figuredambers are several human heads, a hippocampus,and a thunderbolt,as well as a remarkable arrayof animals. The bulkof the ambers may be assigned to the late sixth and fifthcenturies B.C. CAP
FemaleHead Greek, end of the 6th centuryB.C. Marble H. 9 in. (22.8 cm) HarrisBrisbaneDickFund,1991 1991.11.7 Thoughconsiderablyworn,so that only the hairand portionsof the face of a youthfulfemale figureare preserved, this head fromthe collectionof Joseph Brummerdisplays all the essential qualitiesof the best Greek marblesculptureof the late Archaicperiod.The tresses are held by a diadem that was originallypainted.The holes behindeach ear served to attach ornaments in metal or marble.The mass of hairat the back swings gentlyto the left, indicatingthat the head belonged to a figurein motion, probablya Nike.The style and technique pointto a Cycladic or Northlonianworkshop. CAP
Pairof DrinkingCups Roman, 2nd halfof the 1st centuryB.C. Silverwithgilding H. (each) 25/8in. (6 cm) ClassicalPurchaseFund,1991 1991.11.6.1,2
Althoughthe very shallow bowl of these cups represents an unusual variantin examples fromthe first century B.C.,the Roman date is assured by the specific formof the handles as well as by the treatment of the interiorof the bowls. (The handle and foot missing from one piece have been restored based on the other,which is complete.) Incontrast to the almost austere lines of the shape and interiorornament,knownespecially from Roman Republicansilver,is the delicate handle palmette,which perpetuates a floralmotiffavored in virtuallyevery mediumof Hellenisticart. JRM
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Reliefwithan ArchaisticHermes Roman, 1st centuryA.D. Marble H. 263/4in. (67.9 cm) HarrisBrisbaneDickFund,1991 1991.11.8 The messenger god Hermes wears a shortcloak pinned at his shoulder and holds his identifyingattribute, a herald'sstaff. The figure is represented in the archaisticstyle, a retrospectivemannerthat incorporatedcharacteristicsof Archaic Greek artof the sixth centuryB.C. intonewlycreatedfigures and compositions.The style flourishedfrom the late second centuryB.C.onward,fulfillinga demand fordecorativeneo-Atticart.This particular image of Hermes, attested in at least eight other archaisticreliefs, is extractedfroma well-knownand much-copiedcompositionshowing a procession of fourgods: Hermes, Athena,Apollo,and Artemis. CAP
VeiledHeadof a Man Roman,2nd halfof the 1st centuryA.D. Marble H. 10 in. (25.5 cm) ClassicalPurchaseFund,1991 1991.11.5 InRoman artpriests at sacrifices are invariablydepicted withveiled heads. The protectivespiritof the livingemperor (Genius Augusti) is also represented veiled, wearing a toga and holdingimplementsof sacrifice and often a cornucopia, symbol of fertilityand abundance. Inaddition,men of every rank,from imperialprinceto freedman, had honoraryportraitsmade showing them performingsacrifices. This head must come eitherfromone such portraitstatue or, as the figure'shighlyidealizedface suggests, froma statue representingthe Genius of the livingemperor. CAP
13
ISLAM
detail
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Carpetrragmentwitha Compdrbment Design Iranian,16thcentury Woolpile on cotton, silk, and wool foundation,462 Persian knots per square inch 1083/ x 31 in. (276.2 x 78.7 cm) FletcherFund,1991 1991.154 This well-preservedfragmentis one of only two pieces knownto survivefromwhat must have been an extraordinaryPersian carpet; the other,slightlysmallerfragment was acquired by the Kunstgewerbemuseum,Berlin,in 1898. The subdivisionof a rectangulararea intoa repeatingpatternof cartouche and medallionunitswas popularin Persian artfromthe fifteenthwell intothe seventeenth century.Compartmentdesigns were probably developed by artistsworkingon royalmanuscriptsat the Timurid courtatelierin Heratand were seen firstin bindingsand panels of illuminatedbooks butwere later used in carpets and textiles as well. DW
HabibAllahof Savehor Mashhad AStallion Iranian(Safavid period), late 16thcentury Opaque watercolorand gold on paper Page 8 x117/8in. (20.3 x 30.1 cm) Purchase,LouisE. andTheresaS. Seley PurchaseFundfor IslamicArt, TheEdwardJosephGallagherIIIMeJ. Gallagher, morialCollection,Edward Jr.BequestandRichardS. Perkins andMargaretMushekianGifts,1992 1992.51
The horse was so centralto the life of the rulingelite in Iranthat favorite stallions were frequentlyportrayed in the single-page paintings that were popularfromthe late sixteenth throughthe seventeenth century.This paintingis a superb example of the supreme refinement, delicacy, and sensibilityof courtstyle. Even turn-of-the-century the gold plants and clouds of the neutralbackgroundand the offcenter placement of the stallion add to the overallelegance. While survivingworks by HabibAllah are relativelyfew, his "Congregation of the Birds"from'Attar's MantiqAt-tairis also in the Museum's collection. MLS
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Dish Turkish(Ottomanperiod, Iznik), ca. 1580 Composite body, engobe, cobaltblue underglaze painting Diam.13 in. (33 cm) Giftof Philippeand Edith de Montebello,1991 1991.172
Iznikceramics are knownforthe whiteness of theirbodies and their clear uncrackledglaze. This dish belongs to a groupof predominantly blue and white wares with radiating abstract designs that were produced fromthe 1570s to the early 1580s. Theirmotifswere drawn fromboth Chinese and traditional Turkishsources, often used together, and many of the patterns convey a kaleidoscopicimpression. The decoration seen here, while traditionallyIslamicin the abstraction of forms and geometrically balanced organization,harks back to Chinese ceramics of the Yuandynasty. MLS
RoundelwithRadialInscription Indian(Bijapur,Deccan), 1st half of the 17thcentury Wood, gesso, silver,gold, and pigment Diam.197/8in. (50.5 cm) Purchase,RichardS. Perkinsand AlastairB. MartinGiftsandRogers Fund,1991 1991.233 Inthe center the roundelcontains an Arabicinscriptionin high relief consisting of the invocationYa
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Hayy,Yaqayyum (0 Living, O Everlasting)in eightfoldmirror images of Thuluthcharacters. The words are fromthe Ninety-nine Most BeautifulNames of God and formthe beginningof Sura 2:255 of the Koran,the so-called Throne verse, to which special blessing and protectivepower are ascribed. Traces of gildingand paintreveal that the piece must have been quitecolorful.The roundelhas three holes that served to attach itto a wall, perhaps of a mausoleum or saint's shrine. AS
detail
Partof a Hangingor Curtain Indian(probablyAhmedabad), ca. 1600 Silk, satin withweft- and warppatternedstripes 673/4x 4358 in. (172.1x 110.8 cm) TheAliceandNasliHeeranlaneck Collection,Giftof Alice Heerananeck,1991 1991.347.1
A substantialbody of textiles, of which some have only recently come to light,can be tentatively assigned to one of the imperial workshops established by the MughalemperorAkbarduringthe late sixteenth century.Although similarin material,colors, and structure,these textiles have highly varied patterns.Some conformto
IndianMuslimtaste, withlarge-scale elegant figures or central medallions or flowers.Ourexample, however, has a Hindudesign, with friezes of stridingRajputwarriors and ridersframedabove and below by joined bordersfeaturinglotus medallions. Such pieces may have been woven forAkbarhimself,who was sympathetictowardHinduism. DW
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MEDIEVALEUROPE
EarlyChristianFriezeSarcophagus Italian(Rome), 1st thirdof the 4th century Marble L. 84 in. (213 cm) Giftof Josef and MarsyMittlemann, 1991 1991.366 This boldly carved section of a recently rediscovered frieze sarcophagus is an outstanding example of the Constantinianstyle of sculpture in EarlyChristianRome. The sarcophagus is one of a select group that juxtaposes on the face Roman legends from the life of Saint Peter-in this case the Drawingof Waterfrom a Rock and the Arrest (illustratedat the left)with scenes from the life of Christ. These scenes foreshadow the future importance of Peter in Western Christianart as the symbol of the primacyof Rome. On the ends of the sarcophagus appear the Three Hebrews in the Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3:24-27) and Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:6-24). HCE
BoxBroochand Pairof Boar's-Head Brooches Viking(Gotland),late 8th-9th century Copper alloy Box brooch: Diam. 17/8 in. (4.9 cm). Pairof brooches: L. (.2) 13/4in. (4.5 cm); L. (.3) 113/16 in. (4.6 cm) PfeifferFund,1992 1992.59.1-3
These three brooches are typical of those worn by women in Gotland. Boar's-head examples would have been paired on tunic straps, while box-shaped ones would have secured a shawl at the collarbone. The tactile appeal of these boar's-head brooches, withtheir smoothly modeled surfaces, contours suggested by fine cast beading, and subtly recessed
eyes, is enhanced by a glossy patina. The box brooch, covered with a wide arrayof animals and bird-headed creatures with elongated extremities, represents the culminationof the Scandinavian animal interlace style together with elements of one of the first properlyrecognized Vikingstyles that followed. KRB
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CapitalwithAdorationof the Magi French (Provence), 2nd halfof the 12thcentury Limestone H. 11/2 in. (29.2 cm) CapitalwithChristGivingthe Keysto SaintPeter Southwestern France, 2nd halfof the 12th century Limestone H. 91/8 in. (23.3 cm) Giftof MeyerandLillianM.Schapiro, 1991 1991.417.1,2 The massive proportions,strong projection,and thickcarved, ribbed folds of draperyof the seated Virginand Childare virtuallyall thatsurviveof this once-impressive narrativecapital. Clearlypartof a largersculpturalcycle, it is closely related in style and composition to the late twelfth-centurycapitals depictingthe infancyof Christin the Cloisterof Saint-Trophimeat Aries. The other newly acquiredcapital bears only one identifiablesubject, ChristGivingthe Keys to Saint Peter (Matthew16:19),and has its closest parallels in the sculptureof the Cloisterof Saint-Etienne in Toulouse and that fromthe region of Narbonne. CTL
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Leaffroma BeatusManuscript: Christ in MajestywithAngelsand(below) the Angelof GodDirectsSaintJohn to Writethe Bookof Revelation Spanish (Benedictine Monastery of San Pedro de Cardena), late 12thcentury Tempera,gold, and inkon parchment H. 175/8in. (44.8 cm) Purchase,TheCloistersCollection, RogersandHarrisBrisbaneDick Funds,andJosephPulitzerBequest, 1991 1991.232.3r About776 an Asturianmonk, Beatus of Liebana,compiled passages fromthe Apocalypse with his interpretations,whichwere cast as Christianallegories. Beatus manuscriptswere as importantin Spain as Gospels and Bibles were elsewhere in Europethroughthe Romanesque period.This leaf and thirteenothers now in the Metropolitancame froma manuscriptbrokenup in the 1870s and dividedbetween museums in Madridand Gerona. The pictorial style, notableforvibrant,dramatic colorcontrasts and refinedlinear treatmentof figures and draperies, is characteristicof the European transitionalstyle of the late twelfth century. WDW
SupportFigureof a Seated Friar or Verger French(Reims?), ca. 1280 Leaded bronze, cast in the lostwax technique, mercurygilding H. 2/8 in. (6.7 cm) TheCloistersCollection,1991 1991.252
This statuette depicts a young clericwearinga full-skirtedcassock and tightcap. The pose and torsion suggest that it once supported the corner of a great weight, possibly a large architecturalshrine, as is indicatedby the deep, diagonally placed indentationcast intothe back. Twocomparable figures in other collections suggest that this cleric was one of several such Gothictelamones. Bending under theirformerburdens, these figures steady themselves in varying ways by placing their hands upon theirthighs and knees. Their subtle plasticity,clarityof form,and dramaticposes are importantextensions of the style of the console figures of about 1274-75 on the west facade of Reims Cathedral. WDW
21
ThreeApostles:SaintsPeter, Andrew,and Jamesthe Great South Netherlandishor northeast French,mid-15thcentury Gypsum (alabaster) H. (withoutbases) 13-133/8in. (33-34 cm) Giftof Mrs.ErnstPayer,1991 1991.416.1-3 These heavilydraped apostles belong to a largerseries partially represented in the LehmanCollection, in whichthere are fouradditionalapostles and a figureof Christ.Except for Peter,who is portrayedin typicalfashion with squarish head, curlyhair,and cropped, curlybeard, each apostle stillbears an identifyingattribute. They are assigned to the southern Netherlandsor northeasternFrance because of the type of stone used and because theirstyle reflects that of the Masterof the Rimini Altarpiece,who was active about 1430 in the Lille-Arras-Tournai vicinity.Grisaillerepresentations of statuettes such as these appear frequentlyon the outer shutters of paintedNetherlandishaltarpieces. WDW
22
Pax(Monile) South German (Nuremberg?), ca. 1515-20 Silver,silvergilt, rubies (orspinels), and rockcrystal 61/4x47/8 in. (15.8 x 12.5 cm) Purchase,TheMichelDavid-Weill FoundationGift,1992 1992.57
Unusuallyornate, this pax is one of a handfulshaped as a hexalobe. Althoughintaglioengravingon rock crystalwas known in the late MiddleAges, survivingexamples are exceedingly rare. Engravedon the back are the Virginand Child flankedby Saint James the Great and a female saint, perhaps Dorothy.Whether it originallycontained a relic, an Agnus Dei, or some other object is unknown.An inscriptionon the inside of the back indicates that the pax was given to the church in Blonie, a town near Warsaw,by a Jacob Ostrofski in 1529. TBH
AltarFrontalwiththe Manof Sorrows,the Virgin,andSaintsJohn the Baptist,Johnthe Evangelist, andJerome South German (Nuremberg), ca. 1465 Tapestryweave, wool and silk on linen 351/4x 651/2in. (89.5 x 161 cm) TheCloistersCollection,1991 1991.156 The bloodied body of Christflanked by accompanying iconic figures, set against a pomegranatepatternedbackground,creates a strikingdevotional image. The bold linearoutlines and weighty figures reflectthe stylistic influence of both contemporarysingle-leaf woodblocks and panel paintings. The coats of arms at the bottom are those of MartinPessler (d. 1463), dexter,and Margarete Topple(d. 1469), sinister,who had marriedin 1449. Afterthe death of her husband, Margaretecommissioned altarfrontalsfor seven of the nine altars in the Lorenzkirche; this example may have been one of them. TBH
23
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herethedragonis portrayed as the devil himself. The monster has a human face on its chest, recalling descriptionsof men withtheirheads beneath their shoulders who were
thoughtto existatthe outermost reaches of the world. As grapes and grain symbolize the Eucharist, the inscription"SaintBernardprotects the wine and corn"denotes the saint as protectorof the Church. The hand of God also intervenes,
reachingdownfroma bandof storm clouds.
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 速 www.jstor.org
JanGossaert(called Mabuse) Netherlandish,ca. 1478-1532 Virginand ChildSeated at the Foot of a Tree 1522 Engraving Sheet 47/8x 31/2in. (12.3 x 8.8 cm) TheElishaWhittelseyCollection, TheElishaWhittelseyFund,1991 1991.1167 Among Gossaert's scant, experimental outputof prints,this image reveals most clearly both his northernroots and his renowned encounter withthe ItalianRenaissance. Althoughhe observed and drew classical statuarywhile in Rome in 1508, his interpretations of the antique were modeled on
Titian(TizianoVecellio) Italian,ca. 1488/90-1576 Landscapewitha Goat Pen and brownink 37/8x 6 in. (9.7 x 15.3 cm) Giftof Mr.andMrs.PaulL.Herring andJohn0. Herring,1991 1991.462
contemporarysources, including, notably,AlbrechtDOrer,whose trip to the Netherlands in 1520-21 sparked Gossaert's surge of printmakingactivityand whose graphic systems he emulated in various printmedia. Michelangelesque forms, likethe ChristChild's,and almost unseemly sexuality, suggested here in the ardent embrace of motherand child, are recurrent motifs in Gossaert's mythological and religiousworks. EW
Drawingsby Titianare exceedingly rare,and this splendid study is one of very few sheets that can plausiblybe attributedto him. Althoughit has been trimmed(the fragmentat the upperleft has been interpretedin variousways but surely represents the lowerhalfof the head of a bearded man), the sketch is a fine example of Titian's powerfuland evocative drawing style. The poetic treatmentof the landscape reflects the influenceof Giorgione;the sheet may therefore date fromrelativelyearly in the artist'scareer, perhaps about 1511. WMG 25
TheLastSupper AfterLivioAgresti Italian,ca. 1510-ca. 1580 ProbablyNetherlandish,dated 1582 Repousse copper 253/4x 173/8in. (65.4 x 44.1 cm)
Giftof LoisandAnthonyBlumka,in memoryof VictoriaBlumkaNasatir Goldberg,1991 1991.413 The little-studiedclass of objects to which this repousse relief belongs may have been developed as an aftereffectof copperplate engraving. The image's source is a Manneristfresco by LivioAgresti in the Oratoriodi Santa Luciadel Gonfalone,Rome, thatwas disseminated in an engraving of 1578 by Cornelis Cort.Glimpsed through the twisted columns is a vignette of Christwashing Saint Peter's feet. Ourartisanfurtheractivated the composition withtorch-bearingangels at the top and withthe florid patterningof the figures'draperies. 26
JDD
Master19V Activeca. 1540-50 TheBurningof Catania AfterFrancesco Primaticcio Italian,1504-1570; active in France, 1540-70 Etching Plate 151/4x 12 in. (38.7 x 30.5 cm) Purchase,Dr.andMrs.GoodwinM. BreininGift,1992 1992.1014 Intriguingsubjects and a livelystyle of etching characterizethe prints produced at Fontainebleauduring the 1540s, probablyat the instigation of Francesco Primaticcio, one of several Italianartistswho accepted the invitationof King Francis Ito decorate his newly enlarged chateau. This print,here attributedto the so-called Master I9 V, reproduces-in reverse and withsome additionsin the background-a drawingby Primaticcio now in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. SB
27
Cigoli(LudovicoCardi) Italian(Florentine),1559-1613 TheAdorationof the Shepherds,with SaintCatherineof Alexandria 1599 Oilon canvas 1213/8 761/4in. (308.3 x 193.7 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright):LC [monogram]/1599 Inscribed(on banderole):Gloriain Excelsis Deo GwynneAndrewsFund,1991 1991.7 This is the largest and most important Florentinepictureto enter the MetropolitanMuseum in many years. Likehis contemporaries AnnibaleCarracciand Caravaggio, Cigolispearheaded a movement to reformpainting,championing the study of nature and the workof the High Renaissance masters as a remedy against the excesses of Manneriststyle. TheAdoration of the Shepherds was painted at the height of Cigoli'scareer. Destined for an as-yet-unidentified church in Tuscany,it combines the emotional warmthof Federico Barocci'sfinest workwiththe fused color of Titian'slate canvases and sets the stage for Florentine Baroque painting. KC
28
CiroFerri Italian,1634-1689i TheCircumcision Pen and brownink,brownwash, heightened withwhite, over black chalk, on lightbrownpaper 143/8x 91/2 in. (36.6 x 24 cm) Giftof JacobBean,in memoryof DonaldP Gurney, 1991 1991.184.2 This highlyfinished drawingby the most talented of Pietroda Cortona'smany pupils is a study foran illustrationin the Missale Romanumof Pope AlexanderVII. Ferri'sdesign was engraved in reverse by Fran(ois Spierre, and the missal was published in Rome in 1662. Of the fifteenfull-pageprints in the book, five were designed by Ferri;the Museumalso owns a study by himforthe plate illustrating the Last Supper, which was engraved by Cornelis Bloemaert (acc. no. 68.38).
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This sheet fromthe collection of the earls of Leicester isa study for the head of Judithin a paintingof Judithholdingthe severed head of Holofernes.The paintingwas executed by Reni about 1625-26 and
Purchase,LilaAchesonWallaceGift, tion, Geneva. The sketch corresponds closely to the finishedwork, althoughthe jeweled knotof hair clearlyvisible on top of Judith's head in the paintingis here summarilyindicatedwithjust a few strokes of chalk. The Museum also owns Reni'sstudyforthe headless body of Holofernes (acc. no. 62.123.1). WMG
29
DomenicoFetti Italian(Rome), 1588/89-1623 TheParableof the Moteand the Beam Oilon wood 241/8x173/8in. (61.3 x 44.1 cm) RogersFund,1991 1991.153 An outstandingpainterof the early Baroque, Fettisucceeded Peter Paul Rubens as court artistat Mantua.Between 1618 and 1621 he producedfor FerdinandoGonzaga a celebrated and much-copied series of thirteenworkstreating Christ'sparables. The Parable of the Mote and the Beam illustrates the admonitionof Christ,"Forwhy beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother'seye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matthew7:3). This arresting picture,fromthe Spencer collection at Althorp,England,is the primeversion; at least ten replicas are known. AB
30
BartholomeusBreenbergh Dutch,1598-1657 ThePreachingof SaintJohnthe Baptist 1634 Oilon wood 21/2 x 295/8in. (54.6 x 75.3 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright): B.B.f.A 1634 Purchase,TheAnnenbergFoundation Gift,1991 1991.305
Breenbergh,a contemporaryof Claude Lorrain,settled in Amsterdamabout 1630 aftera decade in Rome. He combined drawingsof ruinsand of the Italiancountrysidewith ideas adopted fromAdam Elsheimerand other northernpredecessors to forma stately image of antiquity. However,Breenbergh'sfigures' exotic costumes and operatic poses owe more to the mannerof Rembrandt'steacher, Pieter
Lastman. Rembrandtin turnfound inspirationin this picturefor his grisaillepaintingof the same subject, now in the Gemaldegalerie, Berlin.The Baptist'sorations were often interpretedby Protestants as an analogy to theirown clandestine gatherings underSpanish rule. WL
31
KrugwithSaintAugustineanda Child German(Frankfurt),dated 1684
AhasuerusandVashti English,late 16th-early 17thcentury Valance, silk and wool tent stitch embroideryon canvas 183/8x 825/8in. (46.5 x 209.9 cm) Giftof Wm.RichardAppleby,in memoryof GerdaAppleby,1991 1991.316
Faience, high-temperature colors paintedand firedwithglaze, silver-giltmounts H. 103/4in. (27.3 cm) in Bequestof LolaKramarsky, 1991 memoryof SiegfriedKramarsky, 1991.149.6 Krugewere used to serve wine and were filleddirectlyfromthe barrel or froma large containerstanding in a cistern of cool water,as is frequentlyshown in genre paintings. This krug probablybelonged to an Augustinianmonastery near Frankfurt.The painteddecoration refersto a story about Saint Augustine.Once, whilewalkingbeside the sea, wrestlingwiththe mysteryof the Trinity,the saint came upon a childspooning water intoa bucket.When told it is impossibleto convey allthe sea into the bucket,the child responded that it is equally impossible to comprehend the Trinity.
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The scenes illustratethe biblical account of KingAhasuerus and Queen Vashtias told in the Book of Esther.Ahasuerus commanded Vashtito show her beauty to those gathered at a feast. She refused and was banished. Although this story was rarelydepicted, that of Esther,Vashti'ssuccessor, was a particularlypopularsubject in sixteenth- and seventeenthcenturyembroideries. Intendedfor a bed, this valance was most likelypartof a set showing scenes fromthe story of Esther.The contrastingexamples of a willfuland a virtuouswife lead one to conjecturethat the set was a wedding gift. AZ
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32
detail
WenceslausHollar 1607-1677; born in Prague, worked in Englandand Holland VolutaebraeaL., froma Set of Thirty-eightShells 1640s Etching Plate 33/4 x 55/8in. (9.5 x 14.1 cm) TheElishaWhittelseyCollection, TheElishaWhittelseyFund,1991 1991.1301 A vogue for shells, similarto the better-knownone fortulips, flared brieflyin seventeenth-century Europe, and Hollar'sset of etchings-as meticulouslyrendered as any scientific illustrationsmay well have been connected withthis phenomenon. Although Hollarworked much of his life in England, he was in Antwerpfrom 1644 to about 1650, and the etchings were probablymade there. The shells may have belonged to his principalpatron,the earl of Arundel.The printsare extremely rare;this is the firstto enter the Metropolitan'scollection. SB
EUROPE1700-1900
BernardoBellotto Italian,1721-1780 Pima: TheObertorfromthe South Oilon canvas 181/4x 303/4in. (46.4 x 78.1 cm) Fund,1991 Wrightsman 1991.306
Bellottowas a nephew of the Venetian painterCanaletto. Summoned to Dresden in 1747, Bellotto served for eleven years as court artistto ElectorFrederick Augustus IIof Saxony. Between 1753 and 1756 Bellottopainted nineteen large horizontalviews of Pirna,a town on the Elbe near Dresden: eleven of these belonged to Frederickand eight others were
commissioned by the elector's primeminister,Count Heinrich Bruhl.Bellottopainted this reduced replicashowing the Obertor(the town-wallgate) for an unknown privatepatron in the mid-1750s or 1760s. The number and arrangement of the figures differslightly in each canvas. KB
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 速 www.jstor.org
GiuseppeCades Italian,1750-1799 Virginand Child Blackand red chalk, stumping throughout 151/4x 97/16in. (38.6 x 23.9 cm) HarryG.SperlingFund,1992 1992.68 Giuseppe Cades was one of Rome's most brilliantNeoclassical historypaintersduringthe late eighteenth century.A virtuoso draftsmanknownprimarilyfor his elegant and highlymannered pen drawings,Cades was equally accomplished when workingin chalk. The sublimebeautyof this enchanting Virginand Child,conceived in the grand mannerof the High Renaissance, shows the artistat his best. Anotherversion-of inferiorqualityand possibly a copy-is preserved in the Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen. HBM
35
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detail Lorenzode Ferrari(designer) Italian(Genoa), 1680-1744 Pairof DoubleDoors Genoa, ca. 1743-44 Gildedlindenwood, mirrorglass, pine, the backs paneled in walnut H. 109 in. (277 cm) RogersFund,1991 1991.307a,b The centralportion(left)of this pair of doors illustratesan extraordinary minglingof styles: Baroquesolidity in the lowersection risingto sinuous Rococo extravagance above. The pairis partof a set of four double doors providedforthe Golden Galleryin the Palazzo Carrega-Cataldi,now the Chamber of Commerce, Genoa. The ceiling and wall paintingsforthis large, sumptuous roomwere by the relativelyunknownGenoese artist Lorenzode Ferrari,who also designed the plasterwork,woodwork, and furniture.Allthe doors were purchased and broughtto New Yorkin the late 1890s by the American architectStanfordWhite.
BendixGijsen Danish, active by ca. 1765, d. 1822
JP
andFichu OpenRobewithUnderskirt ProbablyEuropean,ca. 1798 Fine cotton withsilk embroidery L. (center back) 711/4in. (181cm) Purchase,IreneLewisohnand AliceL.CrowleyBequests,1992 1992.119.1a-c
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i4\ Itis the combinationof elements withinthis costume that makes it so unique. Embroidered,openfrontedrobes withmatchingunderskirtsare more usually associated withthe 1760s to 1780s, but the trainand the tinybodice, only 21/2inches fromnecklineto waist, precludea date earlierthan about 1795. The matchingfichu is exceptionallyrare. Each piece is embroideredwithvariationson the floraldesigns, ratherthan mere duplications.The robe is believed to have belonged to Catherine Beekman (1762-1839), wife of ElishaBoudinot,of Princeton, New Jersey. CG
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SugarBowl Copenhagen, 1804 Silver,partlygilt H. 133/8in. (34 cm) Purchase,Friendsof EuropeanSculptureand DecorativeArtsGifts,1991 1991.242a-m This type of vessel was developed in France and Englandlate in the eighteenth century.Whether intended forsugar or preserves, such containers with a stand for spoons became popularin Scandinavia and were a specialty of this silversmith. The elegant Neoclassicism of our example is enlivened by gildingon the twelve spoons and on the lower half and the interiorof the bowl. When the buttonabove the disk at the top is pressed, the domed cover springs open. CLC
37
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used by Viennese furnituremakers in the early nineteenth century), as well as the qualityof the inlay and carving, elevate it above the
furniture usualtypeof Biedermeier made forthe bourgeois home. The prominentcoat of arms on the fall front,tentativelyidentifiedas that
oftheGermancountsof Monsheim,I suggestsa commissionfroma noblepatron.Withitselaborate andmanysecretcompartinterior ments,itis a tour ausu de ieemir forceof untr ingeniouscabinetmaking. WR
38
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Alexandre-Evariste rragonard (designer of model) French,1783-1850 JacobMeyer-Heine (painter) French,1805-1879
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Vase, Oneof a Pair Sevres, 1832 (manufacture) and 1844 (decoration) Hard-pasteporcelain H. 133/4in. (34.9 cm) Fund,1992 Wrightsman 1992.23.1 Copernicus is one of fourscientistinventorsof the MiddleAges and early Renaissance portrayedon these vases, enframed by a wealth of Gothictraceryand delicate foliage. The others are Johannes Gutenberg,Roger Bacon, and FlavioGioja(erroneouslythought to have inventedthe compass). The intricacyof the decoration is dramatizedby the grisaillepainting on a darkgroundin imitationof sixteenth-centuryLimoges enamels paintedon copper. The year afterour vases were completed the painterbecame head of a studio at Sevres that was established to revivethis enameling technique. CLC
Pierre-JeanDavidd'Angers French, 1788-1856 TwoReliefFiguresof Fame ca. 1831-35 Terracotta Left:101/4x 83/4in. (26 x 22.2 cm); right:103/8x 91/8in. (26.4 x 23.2 cm) Purchase,Friendsof EuropeanSculptureand DecorativeArtsGifts,1992 1992.49a,b Davidd'Angers, usually encountered as a makerof portraitmedallions, was no less successful as a sculptorof monuments. Here, he advocates the "Attic"style in relief, accentuating contours and flattening forms, much as his friendIngres did in painting,while adding vigorously ribbedsurfaces that presage those of modern sculptors such as Bourdelle.The figures of Fame forwhich these served as models fillthe spandrels, separated by a keystone, above the Porte d'Aix, a triumphalarch in Marseille. The arch, commemorating French militaryvictories, was inaugurated in 1835. JDD
39
Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse French,1824-1887 FatherTimeon a 1lebe (design for a clock) Red and black chalk, heightened withwhite chalk, gray wash, on beige paper 211/4x161/2in. (54.1 x 41.9 cm) Purchase,DavidT.Schiff Gift,1991 1991.266 Carrier-Belleuse Albert-Ernest (designer) Guiretfrires (cabinetmakers) French,1853-ca. 1900 AtelierCartierand Vincentiet Compagnie (clockmakers) French,1860-90 and 1850-60 Clock Paris, dated 1863 Walnut,glass, bronze, and steel H. 203/4in. (52.7 cm) Purchase,DavidT.SchiffGift,1991 1991.261 Carrier-Belleusewas not only capable of executing commissions for publicmonuments and creating full-scale Salon pieces, his studio also produced small decorative sculptureforcollectors and limited editions of high-qualityobjets d'art. Inaddition,he supplied designs for porcelains and luxuryobjects in metal to many other producers of the decorative arts, among them Sevres, Minton,the founder FerdinandBarbedienne, and the jeweler Lucien Falize. Carrier'sdesign forthe clock (above), which is also in the Museum's collection, was executed by the Parisfirmof Gueret freres, specialists in furniturewithcarved wooden ornament.
40
AlphonseBlondel French, active by 1839 UprightPiano Paris, ca. 1860 Variouswoods, iron,brass, and tortoiseshell H. 48 in. (122 cm) Purchase,Mr.and Mrs.GabrielRayes Gift,in honorof Dr.J. M. Rasmussen,and ClaraMertens Bequest,in memoryof AndreMertens, 1991 1991.310
Boulle work and ormolu mounts embellish this piano, inscribed over the keyboard, "Medailled'Or/ AlphseBlondel/Facteur de I'AcadieImplede Musique/53, The piano rue de I'Echiquier/Paris." the Smithsonian in resembles one Institutionby the Erardfirm,with which Blondel's familywas closely associated. Such small pianos were intended for domestic use. This instrument,reflecting Blondel's ingenuity-he was awardedseveral patents-is more sophisticated than a smaller Erarduprightof about 1840 in our collection (acc. no. 1988.335). LL
41
Baldus Edouard-Denis French,bornin Prussia, 1813-ca. 1890 Entranceto the Portof Boulogne 1855 Salted paper printfrompaper negative x171/8in. (28.8 x 43.5 cm) 115/16 LouisV.BellFund,1992 1992.5000
42
Boulogne-sur-Mer,the terminus of the railroadline from Paris, was the gateway fortrade and travel between VictorianEnglandand Second EmpireFrance, as well as the arrivalpointfor Queen Victoria'sstate visit in 1855. This exceptionallyrich,subtle print comes froman album commissioned by BaronJames de Rothschild,owner of the line, for presentationto the imperialcourt
on that occasion. Baldus's photograph, showing the elegantly engineered jetties that guided vessels fromthe Channel past the scruffyshoreline and intothe protected harboralongside the Boulogne station, masterfullyrenders the soft lightand atmosphere pursued by Impressionistpainters a decade later. MD
EdouardManet French,1832-1883 TheRabbit 1866 Etching,drypoint,and bittentone, printedon laid (Hudelist)paper Plate 51/4x 4 in. (13.5 x 10 cm) Purchase,TheElishaWhittelsey Collection,TheElishaWhittelsey FundandDeraldH.andJanet RuttenbergGift,1992 1992.1002 Manetmay have intendedto insert this miniaturestilllife intothe brochure that accompanied his oneman exhibitionin 1867. His much largerpainting,of which the etching is a memento, was completed in 1866. Althoughmonochromatic and sketchy,the print,which reverses the compositionin oil, is more tactileand intimatethan the paintingand thus suggests more effectivelythe rabbit'svulnerability.Degas owned one of the five impressions that survivefrom Manet'setching plate;this velvety example was retainedby the artist's technicaladviser and printer, FelixBracquemond. Cl
Nadar(Gaspard-FelixTournachon) French,1820-1910 EugenePelletan ca. 1855 Salted paper printfromglass negative 91/4X 615/16in. (23.5 x 17.6 cm) Purchase,TheHowardGilmanFoundationGiftandRogersFund,1991 1991.1198
No portraitistin any medium better renderedthe spiritand intellectof his subjects throughtheirphysiognomies than did Nadarin his photographs of the leading figures of the Second Empire.This fine example, an unretouchedprintin pristine condition,is the firstimportant portraitby himto be acquired by the Metropolitan.The glaringeyes, tousled hair,and deliberate pose of Pierre-Clement-EugenePelletan (1813-1884) vividlysuggest the fiery,passionate prose of his essays on art, philosophy,history, social issues, the natureof progress, and liberty. MD
43
EdouardManet French,1832-1883 TheBrioche 1870 Oilon canvas 255/8 x 317/8 in. (65.1 x 81 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright): Manet1870 Partialand PromisedGiftof Mr.and Mrs.DavidRockefeller,1991 1991.287
44
Itseems naturalthat Manet,who lavished attentionon the painterly qualityof his pictures, should be attractedto the workof Chardin, a master of illusionistictexture. AlthoughManet made several large-scale still lifes of fruitand fish in the mid-1860s, this work,of 1870, was inspiredby the arrivalat the Louvreof Chardin'spainting of a brioche. LikeChardin,Manet surroundedthe butterybread with things to stimulatethe sensessoft peaches, frosty plums, a glinting knife,a precious box-and topped the brioche, followingthe Frenchfashion, witha sweetsmelling flower. GT
EdgarDegas French,1834-1917 Portraitsat the StockExchange ca. 1878-79 Pastel on paper,pieced and laid down on canvas 283/8x 227/8in. (72.1 x 58.1 cm) Signed (lowerright):Degas PartialandPromisedGiftof JaniceH.Levin,1991 1991.277.1 This pastel is a two-thirds-scale studyof a portrait,now inthe Musee d'Orsay,Paris, of the financier ErnestMay.Ina letterDegas described May,his new patron:"He is gettingmarried,and is going to take a town house, and arrangehis littlecollectionas a gallery.... He is a man who is throwinghimself intothe arts."Mayhas just been handed a document;a colleague, thoughtto be named Bolatre,looks over his shoulder.Shown at the 1880 Impressionistexhibition,the relatedpaintingis one of Degas's most importantportraitsof an individual in a professionalenvironment. GT
45
CamillePissarro French,1830-1903 Cotedes Grouettes,nearPontoise ca. 1878 Oilon canvas 291/8x 235/8in. (74 x 60 cm) Partialand PromisedGiftof Janice H.Levin,1991 1991.277.2 Pissarroworkedin Pontoise and its surroundingsfrom1866 through 1883. He loved the varied countryside-the rollingfields cut by the blue sliver of the Oise-but above all he was moved by the people. Almost all his views are animated by the simple, ruralfolkwho worked the land or lived in the village. In this fine canvas, probablypainted in Mayor June of 1878, the blue patch of lupineor delphiniumis repeated in the blouse of the peasant woman, a visual clue to the fact that Pissarro considered woman and flowerequal embellishments of nature. GT
46
AlfredSisley British,1839-1899 SahursMeadowsin MorningSun 1894 Oilon canvas 283/4x 361/4in. (73 x 92.1 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright): Sisley 94 PartialandPromisedGiftof Janice H.Levin,1991 1991.277.3
By the early 1890s Sisley's Impressionist colleagues Monet, Renoir, and Degas had achieved genuine criticalsuccess and financialindependence. Sisley's work,however, remainedon the marginsof popularacceptance. Worse than that, his health was fragile.One of the great comfortsof Sisley's declining years was his friendshipwith Francois Depeaux, a richNorman
industrialist.Depeaux commissioned a numberof views of the Coteaux de la Bouilleand the Sahurs meadows adjacent to his native Rouen, and this workis the finest in the series. GT
47
AlfredSisley British,1839-1899 TheSeine at Bougival 1876 Oilon canvas 181/4x 241/8in. (46.4 x 61.3 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright): Sisley. 76 PartialandPromisedGiftof Mr.andMrs.DouglasDillon,1992 1992.103.4
48
John Rewaldwrote in The History of Impressionismthat Sisley's best workwas done in and aroundMarly in 1876. His bright,chalky colors createdbeautifullyresonantchords, and his compositionsbecame more self-consciously structuredand architectonicthan they had been. This V-shaped stand of trees at Bougivalwas verysimilarto a group at neighboringPort-Marly,which
Sisley also painted. Inboth instances he used the trees to make a dynamic shape across the middleof the canvas. Since the leaves have just begun to thin and turnyellow,the paintingwas probably executed in early autumn. GT
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BertheMorisot French,1841-1895 YoungWomanSeated on a Sofa ca. 1879 Oilon canvas 313/4x 391/4in. (80.7 x 99.7 cm) Signed (lowerleft):Berthe Morisot PartialandPromisedGiftof Mr.andMrs.DouglasDillon,1992 1992.103.2
Morisotwas at her apogee when she paintedthis model in her Paris apartment.By then she had melded the bravurabrushworkadopted fromher mentorand brother-in-law, EdouardManet,withher own opalescent palette. When she showed similarcanvases at the 1880 Impressionist exhibition,some critics dislikedtheirlack of polish, butone, CharlesEphrussi,understoodthem:
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"She grindsflowerpetals onto her palette, in orderto spread them lateron her canvas withairy,witty touches.... These harmonize, blend, and finish by producing something vital,fine, and charming that you do not see so much as intuit." GT
49
CamillePissarro French,1830-1903 TheGardenof the Tuilerieson a SpringMorning 1899 Oilon canvas 287/8x 361/4in. (73.3 x 92.1 cm) Signed and dated (lowerleft): C- Pissarro.99 PartialandPromisedGiftof Mr.andMrs.DouglasDillon,1992 1992.103.3
Pissarrowroteto his son Lucienin December 1898 about his apartment on the rue de Rivoli.The locationwas so extraordinarythat it inspiredhimto paint"... a superb view of the Garden,the Louvreto the left,inthe backgroundthe houses on the quais behind the trees, to the rightthe D6me des Invalides,the steeples of Ste. Clothildebehind the solid mass of chestnut trees." He paintedtwo series of canvases: in 1898-99 and in 1899-1900. This magnificent workfromthe firstcampaign joins two others fromthe same series already in the Museum. GT
50
EdgarDegas French,1834-1917 ThreeJockeys ca. 1900 Pastel on tracingpaper, laiddown on board 191/4x 241/2in. (48.9 x 62.2 cm) Stamped (lowerleft):Degas PartialandPromisedGiftof Mr.andMrs.DouglasDillon,1992 1992.103.1
This is the last of three variations of a composition made by Degas over about twelve years. Having found an interestinggroup, he would returnto it in a different mediumor, in this case, more stridentcolors. Althoughhe had alreadyworkedout the figures' relationships,he attackedthis pastel as if itwere the first,revisingthe forms untilthey locked intotheir jigsaw-puzzlepattern.Infact, the horse and riderat rightwere added afterthe picturewas largelycomplete. An extraordinarylate pastel, this workis the firstDegas jockey scene to enter the Museum's collection. GT 51
UNITEDSTATES 1780-1900 NathanielRogers American, 1788-1844 UnidentifiedGentleman ca. 1825 Watercoloron ivory x 5.4 cm) MariaDeWittJesup Fund,1992
211/16x 21/8 in. (6.8
1992.71 This portraitis the Museum's finest example of Rogers's delicate and sophisticated technique, which presents the sitter in a highly individualized, direct, and forceful manner, using a subdued palette of grays and blues. One of New YorkCity's most successful miniaturistsduring the early nineteenth century, Rogers began as an apprentice to Joseph Wood, paintingprincipally clothing and backgrounds. He opened his own studio and, after Wood moved to Philadelphia, quicklyattained prominence for his portraitsof the fashionable citizens of his day. Rogers was a founding member of the NationalAcademy of Design. DTJ
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 速 www.jstor.org
Chestof Drawers American (Rhode Island,probably Providence),ca. 1790 Mahogany,white pine W.42 in. (106.7 cm) Giftof BenjaminandCoraGinsburg, 1991 1991.222
Thishandsome chest perfectlycombines Rococo form(serpentine front,claw-and-ballfeet) and Neoclassical ornament (lightwood stringingand inlays),capturingthat time in America,about 1790, when the one style was givingway to the other.The shaped top and inlay motifsare design featurescharacter-
istic of Rhode Islandworkmanship; add to this a Providence family historyand the chest's likelyplace of originis clear. MHH
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SimonWillard American,1753-1848
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Roxbury,Massachusetts, ca. 1825 Mahogany,white pine, brass, glass H. 291/2in. (74.9 cm) Giftof MaryB. Walton,in memoryof husband,JohnS. Walton,1991 1991.185 Willardwas propelled intothe first rankof Americanclock makers by the success of his banjo-shaped wall clock, the "ImprovedTimepiece"he patentedin 1802. Another of his inventions, patented twenty years later,was a shelf clock in the shape of a lighthouse. Lighthouse clocks did not sell so well-hence their raritytoday. However,superiorexamples, likethe Museum's recent acquisition,are notable for theirstrikingdesign and for the use of superb figuredveneers and fine brass fittings. MHH
SeymourJosephGuy American,1824-1910 TheContestfor the Bouquet:The Familyof RobertGordonin Their NewYorkDiningRoom 1866 Oilon canvas 25 x 30 in. (63.5 x 76.2 cm) Signed (lowerleft):SJG [monogram]UY N.A. [National Academician]1866 Purchase,Giftof WilliamE. Dodge, by exchange,and LilaAcheson WallaceGift,1992 1992.128 A financierand artcollector, Gordonwas a foundingTrustee of the MetropolitanMuseum and the donor of works of art. Withprecise detail and high finish, Guy presented a sentimental narrativerevolvingaround Gordon'sprecious possessions-his family,his furniture,and his art collection. While his wife and young daughter look on, three older childrenwho are ready to leave for school vie for a small corsage. The setting is the Gordons' first-floordining room at 7 West Thirty-third Street. The room, Rococo Revivalwith Renaissance Revivalembellishments, is echoed by the AmericanWing's MeridenRoom (1869-70). HBW
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GlassCompany Dorflinger (manufacturer) American(WhiteMills, Pennsylvania) Wineglass 1876 Glass H. 5 in. (12.5 cm) Giftof JuneDorflingerHardy,1991 1991.369 The factoryfounded in 1865 by ChristianDorflinger,trainedas a glassmaker in Alsace, has a well-earned reputationfor its richly cut productsof the late nineteenth century.This glass is froma set of thirty-eight(one for every state in 1876) that Dorflinger'sfirm made for display at the 1876 Centennial Expositionin Philadelphia. Each is deeply cut and engraved withthe state's coat of arms, motto, and governor's name, in this case, Michiganand GovernorJohn J. Bagley.The glass was donated to the Museum by a descendant of Dorflinger. ACF
Ottand Brewer(manufacturer) American(Trenton,New Jersey) Pitcher 1883-90 Porcelain H. 6/8 in. (17.5 cm) TheFlorenceI. Balasny-Barnes Colof Florence I. Gift lection, BalasnyBarnes,in honorof herbrother, RaymondL. Balasny,1991 1991.370.14 Inits asymmetricalformand geometricdecoration of overlapping circles, the pitcherreflects the rage forthe Japanesque duringthe late nineteenthcentury.Itis exceedingly strikingin its simplicityand presages the more streamlined ceramics of the decades to come. Atthe time this pitcherwas made the Ottand Brewerfirmwas one of the leading manufacturersof porcelain in this country. ACF
TuckerFactory(manufacturer and decorator) American(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Vase, Oneof a Pair 1828-38 Porcelain H. 63/4in. (17.2cm) Purchase,TheHoraceW.Goldsmith Foundation Gift,1991 1991.325.1 The firmfounded by WilliamEllis Tuckerin 1826 was the first Americanporcelainfactoryto achieve any commercialsuccess, lasting an unprecedentedtwelve years. Unlikethe more typical painteddecorationof bouquets or generalized landscapes often foundon Tuckerporcelain,the pair, one of whichwas probablymade in France butdecorated by Tucker, exhibitselaborate geometric and stylized floraldesigns in gold and two differentgreens. The ornamentationmay be attributedto Thomas, William'syoungerbrother, because it matches Plate No. 1 of a survivingpatternand recordbook paintedby Thomas Tuckerand preserved in the Philadelphia ArtMuseum. ACF
GreenwoodPottery(manufacturer) American(Trenton,New Jersey) Vase 1883-86 Porcelain H. 9516 in. (23.7 cm) Fund,1991 Sansbury-Mills 1991.327 Workersfromthe Royal Worcester PorcelainCompany in England were hired by the Greenwood Potteryduringthe early 1880s. Indeed, on this vase the richmazarine-blue groundand the fluidtreatmentof the chrysanthemums, in theirdelicate shading fromgold to dark bronze and in the graceful calligraphic line traced by theirstems, are reminiscentof Royal Worcester counterparts.Consistent withthe eclectic and exoticdesigns thatwere in vogue duringthe early 1880s, the shape of the vase is Islamic in inspiration. ACF
57
Lockwoodde Forest(designer) American,1850-1932 Screen Carved in Ahmedabad, India, assembled in New YorkCity, ca. 1885 Teak, plaited basketry materials, mixed metals H. 65 in. (165.1 cm) Giftof Priscillade ForestWilliams, 1992 1992.43
58
De Forest became involved in interiordecoration when he formed Associated Artists(1879-83) with Louis ComfortTiffanyand two other artists. In1881 he established workshops in Ahmedabad, where woodworkwith indigenous designs, likethe frame of this screen, was produced for use in America. The unusual combinationof patterned, plaited mattingand redlacquered Japanese mixed-metal
finialswiththe carved teak frame epitomizes the 1880s taste forexotic styles and unconventional materials. This piece descended in the familyof de Forest's brotherRobert, president of the Metropolitan Museum from 1913 until1931. CHV
WilliamTrostRichards American,1833-1905 SketchbookVII:AmericanRural andCoastalScenes 1886 Forty-eightleaves withdrawings and sketches in graphiteand inkon off-whitewove paper 5 x71/2in. (12.7x19.1 cm) Inscribed(lowerleft):CharlesRiver/ June 22 '86 Purchase,Giftsin memoryof StephenD. Rubin,1992 1992.2.1 The additionto our collection of two sketchbooks by Richardsvirtuallycompletes a representation of the range of this artist'sachievement. The books are remarkable forseries of both highlyfinished compositions, likeCharles River, and rapidnotes taken duringa single strollthroughthe countryside. The pages testifyto Richards's tireless pleasure in observing nature,to the sketchbook's utilityas a rehearsal place for his hand, and to the vividimpressions he could producewiththe simplestof means. Not least of all, they offera key to the artist'suncannyfacilityin his better-knownpaintingsand watercolors. KJA
JamesMcNeillWhistler American,1834-1903 TheFruitShop,Paris 1892-93 Etching Sheet 5 x 815/16in. (12.7 x 22.6 cm) TheElishaWhittelseyCollection, TheElishaWhittelseyFund,1991 1991.1162
The FruitShop, Paris is the finest of Whistler'sParis etchings of 1892-93. His deft use of a flickering line delineates an everyday scene of women shopping at a neighborhood market.The image is suffused withbrilliantlight.Whistlerreferred to his etchings and lithographsof the 1880s and early 1890s as draw-
ings; indeed The FruitShop, Paris displaysthe economy of draftsmanship associated withquickjottings in an artist'ssketchbook. Whistler pulledfew impressions fromthe Paris plates, as the felicityof his wife and home, his painting,and a new interest in lithographyleft littletime to workon the press. DWK
59
TWENTIETHCENTURY
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve, and extend access to The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 速 www.jstor.org
EugeneGaillard French,1862-1933
Rogerde LaFresnaye French,1885-1925 Artillery 1911 Oilon canvas 511/4x 623/4in. (130.2 x 159.4 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright): R de la Fresnaye 11 Anonymous Gift,1991 1991.397 La Fresnaye could often have observed such militaryreviews near Les Invalides,in Paris. Here, artilleryofficerson horseback accompanyan ammunitionwagon carrying soldiers and pullinga field gun. Holdinga tricoloraloft, a band in red and blue infantryuniforms marches in the background.Considered the artist'smasterpiece, Artilleryevokes patrioticfervor,motion, and sound. Paintingit during the year he became associated withCubism, La Fresnaye reduced all formsto theirgeometric core and aligned them along a rigorous diagonal axis. Completedthree years before the outbreakof World WarI,the picturealso appears
Side Chair 1900 Walnutand leather H. 37 in. (94 cm) TheCynthiaHazenPolskyFund,1991 1991.269 Samuel Bing's influentialParis gallery,LArtnouveau Bing, which specialized in decorative and finearts objects, became synonymous withthe ArtNouveau style of the turnof the century.This chairwas designed as partof the furnishings of a model diningroom in the gallery'sambitiouspavilionat the Paris ExpositionUniverselle Internationaleof 1900. The fluidlines of the chair'sframeand the embossed traceryof whiplashcurves on its amber leather back epitomize ArtNouveau.
prophetic. SR
61
EugeneAtget French,1857-1927
AugustSander German, 1876-1964
15rueMaitre-Albert 1912 Matte,gold-toned silver printfrom
Man,Cologne Unemployed 1928 Gelatinsilver print 91/16x 611/16in. (23x17 cm) Purchase,TheHoraceW.Goldsmith FoundationGiftandSamuelJ. Wagstaff,Jr.Bequest,1991 1991.1232
glass negative 93/16x 7 in. (23.3 x17.7 cm) RogersFund,1991 1991.1233
62
Eloquenttestimony of Atget's regardfor expressions of common folk,this photographwas partof a self-assigned survey of storefronts and commercialsigns. The shop is distinguishedby its simplicityand by the lingua franca of the sign painterwho misspelled "grocer" "greengrocer"in proudmajuscules. Inanother's hands, the modest facade and rudimentarydisplay (coveredfor lunchhourand against the middayheat) mightbe only charming;but so precisely are they framedand litthat they yield a handsome geometryof forms.Atget thus ennobled the littlegrocery and withdrewitfromthe predictable realmof the picturesque.
This photographis the finalplate in Antlitzder Zeit (Face of the Time, 1929), Sander's typologicalstudy of German citizens. A poignant image of disempowerment,the picture reveals Sander's prescient understandingof the social and economic forces at workin the WeimarRepublic.TakingSander's sympathetic portrayalof Germans of all occupations and ethnicities as a serious threat,the Fascists destroyed the printingblocks and most copies of this book in 1934. This printof the whole negative, showing both the "last"man and his desolate corner,is the only one knownto survive.
MMH
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OttoDix German,1891-1969 TheBusinessmanMaxRoesberg 1922 Oilon canvas 37 x 25 in. (94 x 63.5 cm) Signed and dated (lowercenter): DIX/22 Purchase,LilaAchesonWallaceGift, 1992 1992.146 Dixwas the best-knownpainterof the 1920s movementtowarda deadpan, matter-of-factrealismthat became knownin Germanyas Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity).The diabolicalcandor that infuses Dix's laterworks is absent in this early commissioned portrait. Fastidiouslygroomed, Roesberg exhibitsa keen alertness. Picturesque detailsanchorthe sitterfirmly in his business activities:the wall clock, the dailytear-offcalendar, and the mail-ordercatalogue of machine parts he holds. The sleek desk telephone, while adding a cosmopolitanflavor,mockingly alludes to the eagerness and ambition of this provincialbusinessman. SR
63
WaltKuhn American,1877-1949 TheWillowTreeand the Cow 1923 Oilon canvas 30 x 25 in. (76.2 x 63.5 cm) Giftof JaneandRobertE. Carroll, 1991 1991.175.3 TodayKuhnis best knownas a principalorganizerof the 1913 ArmoryShow in New York,which presented the most avant-garde Europeanand Americanart, and as the painterof stylized portraits of circus performersin the 1930s and 1940s. The WillowTreeand the Cow, however,is a rareearly landscape that combines the influence of Cezanne and Matisse, in its thinpatches of paintand flatly simplifiedcolor areas, withthe naivete of Americanfolkart.The scene may depict a seaside farm in Ogunquit,Maine,where Kuhn owned a summer house. LMM
64
JeanChariot American,1898-1979; bornin France,workedin Mexico TheAccident 1924 Oilon canvas 11x14 in. (27.9 x 35.6 cm) Signed and dated (upperleft): jean charlot/24 ArthurHoppockHearnFund,1991 1991.157
Chariotwas an importantfigure in the Mexicanmuralmovement of the 1920s, primarilyas a chronicler of the dramaticevents that he witnessed there between 1922 and 1929. He was also an able painter who assisted Diego Riveraon the NationalPreparatorySchool murals in MexicoCity(1922-23). Thissmall paintingis crowded with narrative detail, showing the funeralcar of a derailedtrainspillingout its grisly cargo-a smilingcorpse, a casket, and hystericalmourners.The farcical subject relates directlyto the printUn MuertoMaltratadoby Jose Guadalupe Posada, whose work Chariotadmiredand popularized. LMM
BillTraylor American,1854-1947 KitchenScene, YellowHouse 1939-42 Pencil and colored pencil on cardboard 22 x14 in. (55.9 x 35.6 cm) Purchase,AnonymousGift,1992 1992.48 Traylorwas eighty-fivewhen he began to draw.His long life on a plantationin Alabama, where he was borna slave, became the wellspringfor the naive narrativesthat he produced between 1939 and 1942. Inthe two scenes of this image, of wildlydifferentscale, Traylormay have been comparing indoorand outdoorlife.The kitchen in the upper register,complete with stove, kettles, pots, pans, two servants, and an observant dog, signals the safety of domestic life. The dangers lurkingoutside, shown below, appear in the guise of a chicken thief, a club-wielding assailant, and a bitingdog. SR 65
CharlesSheeler Americana 1931 Oilon canvas 48 x 36 in. (121.9x 91.4 cm) Edithand MiltonLowenthalCollection, Bequestof EdithAbrahanmsoi Lowenthal,1991 1992.24.8 Likesome of his contemporaries, Sheeler strove for a marriagebetween Modernisttechniques and formalconcepts to convey an American spirit.Americana is one of seven paintingsexecuted between 1927 and 1931 of the interiorof Sheeler's house in South Salem, New York.Here, the furnishings create a balanced composition of rectangles offset by curvilinear elements. CertainlyCubism influencedthe artist'sapproach, but more important,his choice of objects reflects the 1930s interest in Americanfolkart, evidenced by the rugs flankinga Shaker table and benches. LSS
CharlesSheeler American,1883-1965
66
TheOpenDoor 1932 Conte crayonon paper, mounted on cardboard 233/4x 18 in. (60.7 x 46.7 cm) EdithandMiltonLowenthalCollection, Bequestof EdithAbrahanison Lowenthal,1991 1992.24.7
These works by Sheeler demonstrate how his photography informedhis paintingand drawing. The Open Door, drawnin 1932, is based on Sheeler's 1917 photographentitledDoylestown House -Stairway, Open Door. Itis one of approximatelysixteen views taken of the stairwells,doorways, and centralstove in a stone house in Bucks County,Pennsylvania. Each
shot was dramaticallylitto achieve sharp contrasts of darkness and lightand the formalinterestafforded by stronglydelineated shadows on various surfaces. Inthe drawing Sheeler has shifted our view so that we see more of the latched door leading to the outside and less of the stairwellat the right. LSS
67
Elainede Kooning American,1920-1989 Untitled,Number15 1948 Enamel on paper, mounted on canvas 32 x 44 in. (81.3x111.8 cm) Purchase,IrisCantorGift,1992 1992.22 Duringthe summer of 1948, at Black MountainCollege, in North Carolina,de Kooningproduced seventeen enamel paintingson paper that are adventurous explorations of AbstractExpressionist ideas. Untitled,Number 15 is one of the largest and most complex of this series. Its biomorphicimagery, quick,broad brushstrokes,and
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bright,shiny colors-predominantly hot pinks, mustardyellows, greens, and blues-are loosely organized aroundan architecturalunderstructure. De Kooningcontinued to be involvedin the New Yorkart scene throughthe 1980s, both as a painter and as a writer,but her later representational styles never showed the same daring or intensity as this
early abstraction. LMM
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JoanMitchell American,born1926; works in France "LaVieen Rose" 1979 Oilon canvas 110/8 x 2681/4in. (280.4 x 681.4 cm) Signed (lowerright):Joan Mitchell Giftand Purchase,Anonymous GeorgeA. HearnFund,by exchange, 1991 1991.139a-d
Workingin New Yorkin the 1950s, Mitchelladoptedthe gesturalbrushworkof AbstractExpressionism. The approach continued to inform her nature-inspiredpieces, even aftershe moved permanentlyto France in 1959. "La Vieen Rose" is a twenty-two-foot-longcomposition, painted across fourjoined canvases, in which black, gray, and lavenderbrushstrokesebb and flowover a lilacground. Its imagery is both lyricaland troubled. Mitchellsays thatthis abstractpainting is likea poem, conveying the wide range of feelings she experienced followingthe terminationof a long-termpersonal relationship. LMM
69
BillJacklin British,born1943; works in the UnitedStates Incidenton 42ndStreet 1988 Oilon canvas 78 x 120 in. (198.1x 304.8 cm) Signed and dated (lowerright): Jacklin88 Inscribedon each panel (on the reverse): Incidenton 42nd Street/ Jacklin88 Giftof Mr.andMrs.IrvingMathews, 1991 1991.396 A recent resident of Manhattan, Jacklinfinds exoticism in places most New Yorkersavoid:the bookPrecinct; ing desk of the Thirty-fifth the GrandCentralwaitingroom at night;the meat-packingdistrict; Forty-secondStreet interiors.As the largestworkin the artist'sUrban Portraitsseries, this diptychshows similarlygrittymotifs:a black-andwhitetiled corridorleading intoa peep show; blazing lightsand suggestive signs; a colorfulcrowd includinga bum and a prostitute.The policeman on his horse, the blond woman, and the turbanedman seem to pass before our eyes twice, adding a dreamlikequalityto this prosaic scene. SR
70
YvonneJacquette American,b. 1934 TokyoStreetwithPachinkoParlorI 1985 Pastel on paper 201/8x13 in. (51.4 x 33 cm) Giftof Jane and RobertE. Carroll, 1991 1991.175.2 This view of Tokyoat nightwas executed in 1985 duringJacquette's second visit to Japan. The lights fromstreet lamps, bridges, and cars, seen froma dramatic,high angle, seem particularlysuited to Jacquette's stitchlikehandlingof the pastels. Here, the individual lights assemble in an impressionistic view of street life.This is the firstand more loosely rendered of two versions of this scene. The unidirectionalorientationof the pastel strokes enlivens the image with a sense of motion. Pachinko-a formof pinball-is a favoritearcade sport in Japan, and its devotees often play all night. LSS
GilbertandGeorge British,b. 1943 and 1942 Here 1987 Hand-dyedphotographs,mounted and framed in thirty-fiveparts 119x 139 in. (302.5 x 353.1 cm) Dated and signed (lowercenter): 1987/Gilbert+ George Gift,1991 Anonymous 1991.210
Since meeting in Londonin the late 1960s, Gilbertand George have been inseparable. They have turnedthemselves into "living sculptures"and made their lifethe stuffof theirart. Sportingworsted suits, garish ties, nylon shirts, and deadpan expressions, they evoke modern-dayversions of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. As such, they appear in many of their large,
multipaneledphotomontages commentingon sex, religion,and other mattersclose to their hearts. In Here, partbillboard,poster, movie still,and stained glass, they express dismay over a litter-strewn section of working-class London. They probablyheld Mrs.Thatcher responsible forthe mess. SR
71
DougandMikeStarn American,b. 1961 Horses 1985-86 Collage of ten copper-tonedgelatin silverprintsand cellophane tape 431/2x125 in. (110.5x 317.5 cm) Giftof BarbaraandEugeneSchwartz, 1991 1991.1324 In1985-86 Doug and MikeStarn producedan editionof photographs froma single negativeof two horses' heads. Itwas a tourde force of ingenuityand iconoclasm; instead of aimingfor uniformity,they concocted 100 wildlymanipulated, variouslytoned prints,some pieced togetherwithtape. Wreakinghavoc upon photographicprecepts of objectivityand precious craft,those small printswere "sketches"for this monumentalwork,which derivesfromthe same negative. Part Rorschachtest, partseismograph, Horses is a watershed: it posits photographyas perpetualmorphosis, and the photographeras heroiccreatorof vast new spaces for the visual imagination. MMH
72
DeborahButterfield American,b. 1949 Vermillion 1989 Paintedwelded steel H. 75 in. (190.5 cm) Giftof AgnesBourne,1991 1991.424 The artistkeeps, trains, and rides horses in Montana.Forthe last two decades she has also singled out the horse as the subject of her scrap-metalsculpture.Herintimate knowledge of the animals is reflected in the lifelikepostures of her life-size abstract beasts, an effect she achieves mainlythrough the placement of their heads and necks, areas she works on last. The artistconsiders Vermillionso titledbecause of its shades of red-her most "cubist"horse, relatingthe "rectilinearand geometricqualities"to her "dressage ridingat the time." SR
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R. B. Kitaj American, born 1932; works in England Portraitof LucienFreud 1991 Charcoal and pastel on paper 301/2x 221/2in. (77.5 x 57.2 cm) Signed (lower right):Kitaj Giftof the artist, 1992 1992.41
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In1974, in Paris, Kitajagain saw the pastels of Degas. The experience proved a revelationfor the artist,who has lived in London since 1958 and is well known for his paintings inspired by literature, film,poetry, and history.Kitajset to perfect his draftsmanship ...out and succeeded in applying the lessons of Degas to his own works. In this fluidlydrawn, large pastel he shows his friend,the painterLucien Freud, flippingthrough a book. It seems odd that Freud, who always draws in the presence of a model, should ignore the partiallydraped one glimpsed at the left. SR
LucienFreud British,b. 1922 =
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Headand Shouldersof a Girl 1990 Etching Sheet: 303/4x 247/8in. (78.1 x 63.2 cm) Signed in pencil (lower right corner): L.F. Numbered in pencil (lower left corner): 30/50 Purchase,AnonymousGift,1991 1991.102
74
Itmightnot be by chance that Freud, grandson of the founder of psychoanalysis, concentrates almost exclusively on the human figure. His portraitsand especially his nudes are marked by an unflinchingrealism. Freud likes to capture his models in unusual close-up views, recording their every blemish. In his paintings these bluntlyexposed naked bodies often create a sense of unsettling physicality;not so in this etching, dominated as it is by the sinuous contours of the girl's unusual pose. SR
KatsuraFunakoshi Japanese, b. 1951 Numberof WordsUnarrived 1991 Pigmented camphorwood and marble H. 355/8in. (90.5 cm) Purchase,AnonymousGift,1992 1992.21 Funakoshi'srecent figures continue an honored traditionof portrait sculpture in Japan that goes back to the twelfthcentury,when Buddhist deities, warriors,and priests were depicted in heroic carvedwood sculptures with inset crystal eyes. Number of WordsUnarrived is one of two pigmented camphorwood portraitsof the Britishsculptor AnthonyCaro that Funakoshi made in 1991. Caro wears a brown jacket, a shirt,and a tie, and his head tilts slightly in a characteristic pose. The figure is half length, but conveys a startlinglikeness and presence enhanced by the lifelike gaze of the marble eyes. LMM
75
Terence Main b. 1954 American, "Fourth Frond" Chair 1991 Castbronze H.34 in.(86.4cm) Giftof Loretta 1991 Michaelcheck, 1991.441.3 Main'sside chairevokestheskeletalstructure commonto plantsand animals,the shapeanddecoration of itsseat andbacksuggesting bothleafformsandribcages. Every surfaceof thechair-even the undersideof itsseat-is covered withbolddesignsthatarefurther accentuatedbythecontrast betweenareasof polishedand patinatedbronze. JSJ
76
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EdwardMcNightKauffer American,1890-1954; workedin
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Carpet 1929 Wool and jute 823/4x 461/8in. (210 x117 cm) TheCynthiaHazenPolskyFund,1992 1992.64 The abstract geometric design of this rug, with its overlappingrectangles and bands of color,places itfirmlywithinthe Modernistmovement that increasinglyengaged avant-gardeartistsduringthe 1920s and 1930s. Kauffer,best knownfor brilliantposters and book illustrations,here adapted flat patterns to household furnishings.This carpet complements a still life in oil by Kaufferalready in the Museum (acc. no. 1987.5).
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Dove Arthur American,1880-1946
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TheInn 1942 Oil,wax emulsion, and aluminum painton canvas 241/8x 27 in. (61.2 x 68.5 cm) EdithandMiltonLowenthalCollection, Bequestof EdithAbrahamson Lowenthal,1991 1992.24.5 TheInnis an importantlate work by the ModernistArthurDove, who began in 1910to abstractforms fromnature.Althoughthe images here are difficultto decipher,they suggest an aerialview onto a landscape froma window,perhaps in one of the two inns that were near Dove's house in Centerport,Long Island.The Museum's collection is richin Dove's workon paper, but untilnow has lacked a majorabstractionon canvas fromhis last years. The Innis a superb culminationof Dove's experiments with unusual media and his discovery of essential forms. LMM
77
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Saltcellar SierraLeone(Afro-Portuguese), late15th-mid-16th century Ivory H.113/4in.(29.9cm) Giftof PaulandRuthW.Tishman, 1991 1991.435a,b ivoriesweremade Afro-Portuguese African artists forPortuguese by traders,thefirstEuropeansto excoast.This ploretheWestAfrican saltcellar's formresemblesits Europeansources,yetitsdecorationis distinctly African.Figures wearinglocaldressarecarvedin reliefonthebase. Snakesdangling betweenthemconfrontdogsthat havebaredteeth,laid-back ears, fur.Exceptforthe andbristling roseson thelidandfinial,the patternsusedto definesections aretypicalofAfrican art.AfroPortugueseivoriesarerareexemand plarsof theskilloffifteenthAfrican artistsand sixteenth-century theirabilitytoadaptto newpatrons. KE
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MaleFigure Papua New Guinea (probably LowerSepik-Ramu Riverarea), 19thcentury Wood, pigment H. 181/2in. (47 cm) Giftof JudithSmallNash,in honorof DouglasNewton,1992 1992.93 Sculpturefromthe Sepik River region of New Guinea firstbecame knownin the West in the 1890s, when carved standing figures, suspension hooks, and flute stoppers began to appear in European collections. Figures such as this often represent deified ancestors. Toolmarksand traces of pigment are evident on the surface. The figure holds an elongated object behind his neck. Because of the diversityof Sepik Riverstyles, it is difficultto determinethe village where this piece originated,butthe renderingof the head and face and the figure'sproportionssuggest a northerncoastal provenance. FHC
79
MaskedFigurePendant Costa Rica(Chiriqui), 11th-mid-16th century Gold H. 41/4in. (10.8 cm) JanMitchellandSons Collection, PartialandPromisedGiftof Jan Mitchell,1991 1991.419.3 Isthmiangold objects cast in the lost-waxtechnique are invariably ornamentsto be wornon the chest, presumablysuspended froma cord or thong. The pendants depict a varietyof animals and humans and frequentlycombine the two, as here. A male humanfigurewearing a deer mask witha large snout and two pairsof shortantlersstands between two horizontalelements. His feet have fourlong toes, possibly representingthe frontfeet of a tapir,while his hands are shown withconcentricsemicircles and manyfingers in the stylized fashion typicalof Chiriquiartfromthis area.
LimeContainer(Poporo) Colombia (Quimbaya), 5th-10th century Gold H. 9 in. (23 cm) Jan MitchellandSons Collection, Partialand PromisedGiftof Jan Mitchell,1991 1991.419.22 The ritualuse of coca leaves was widespread in the highlands of South America in Precolumbian times. Standardcoca-chewing paraphernaliaincludeda small bag forthe leaves and a containerand spatulaor spoon forpowderedlime. The utensils could be quite elaborate and precious. Limecontainers fromColombia,knownas poporos, were often cast in gold in the form of flasks ornamented on both sides with nude human figures in relief. This tall shouldered bottle displays exceptional elegance in outline and outstandingcraftsmanshipin manufactureand in the depiction of detail.
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Pairof EarOrnaments Peru (Chimu),12th-15th century Gold Diam.51/4in. (13.3 cm) JanMitchellandSons Collection, PartialandPromisedGiftof Jan Mitchell,1991 1991.419.67,68
Among the most impressive of the gold objects created in the ancient New Worldare largeear ornaments that were worn by high-ranking men in Peru. The faces of these ornaments were often decorated withcomplex scenes, as on this pairworkedin repousse and cutout sheet gold. A Chimi lordstanding on a littersupported by two
attendantswears a tunic, ear ornaments, and a headdress. He holds a beaker in one hand and a fan in the other.The frontalimages mirroreach other,a convention introducedby the Moche more than six hundredyears before this pairwas made. HK
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Vessel withSerpent Stirrup-Spout Peru (Moche), 2nd-3rd century Ceramic H. 73/4in. (19.7 cm) Giftof ConnyandFredLandmann, 1992 1992.60.9 The ceramic stirrup-spoutvessel was an importantformfor ritual use among peoples of the northern Peruviancoast. The creature portrayedon this example is similarto a mythologicalreptileknown as the eared serpent, whose head assumed felinetraitssuch as whiskers. However,the ears inthis image are not pronounced,perhaps because it is an early version of the beast. In laterMoche painted scenes, the eared serpent appears in a minorrole, typicallyadorning the ends of objects such as clubs and belts. Itsrepresentationalone and in reliefis unusual. SB
CylindricalVessel Mexico (Maya),8th-9th century Ceramic H. 91/2in. (24.2 cm) Purchase,JosephPulitzerBequest,
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The scene incised on the outer surface of this tall ceramic vessel underscores the substantialauthorityvested in the figuredepicted. An elegantly dressed Maya lord sits cross-legged upon a bench and wears a loincloth,jewels, and a feathered headdress. A deity's profilecentered on the lord'sforehead is partof the headdress and is one of many indicationsof the sacred natureof his power.A large cushion immediatelybehind him denotes his high status, while in frontof him a hieroglyphicinscription speaks of "his"vessel and gives his title. JJ
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Mandala Vajrabhairava Chinese (Yuandynasty), ca. 1328 Silk tapestry (k'o-ssu) 967/8x 82 in. (246.1 x 208.3 cm) Purchase,LilaAchesonWallaceGift, 1992 1992.54
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This k'o-ssu is very importantbecause of its fine quality,unusual size, and historicsignificance. It is woven in the formof a Tibetan mandala withVajrabhairavaas the central deity surroundedby related minorgods. At the lowercorners are portraitsof TughTemur (r.1328-32), the Mongolemperor who ruledfrom Peking as Emperor Wen-tsung of the Yuandynasty, his brother,and their respective wives. Probablycopied froma painted mandala used in a Buddhist initiationceremony, it is the only knownsurvivingtextile produced by imperialcommission in officialworkshops withinthe Mongolempire. JCYW
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Tankard Chinese (Mingdynasty), early 15th century Porcelain, painted in underglaze blue H. 35/8in. (9.3 cm) Giftof StanleyHerzman,in memory of AdeleHerzman,1991 1991.253.38 Sixty-twoceramics given to the Museum in 1991 by Stanley Herzman significantlyenriched our holdings in several key areas, particularlyin the wares of the T'ang (618-906) and Ming(1368-1644) dynasties. This type of Mingporcelain tankardwith a fish-dragon handle was produced in China only duringthe early fifteenthcentury. The shape appears to have come fromthe Near East. Minusa handle, it is known in twelfth-, thirteenth-,and fourteenth-century Islamic metalwork.Witha handle, it appears in Persian jade about 1420; in Persian inlaidbrass jugs duringthe mid-fifteenthcentury; and in inscribed early-sixteenthcentury Persian inlaidjade tankards. SGV
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ChungLi Chinese, active ca. 1480-1500 a Waterfall ScholarContemplating Mingdynasty (1368-1644) Hangingscroll, inkand color on silk 691/2x 40/ in. (176.4 x 103.1 cm) Fromthe P.Y.andKinmayW.Tang FamilyCollection,Partialand PromisedGiftof OscarL.Tangand JackC. Tang,1991 1991.438.4 This rare, large-scale composition by the MingAcademy artistChung Lifollowsthe style and subject matterof the Southern Sung academician MaYuan(active ca. 1190-1225). The presence of a servant, some potted plants, and an ornamentalrockenclosed by a tile bordermakes it clear that this is not a wilderness, but a reference to the mindlandscape of the scholar's garden. The fantastic characterof the scenery is brought home by the bold brushworkand gravity-defyingpines, which grow straightdown fromthe overhanging rockfaces of the cliff. MKH
86
TaiPen-hsiao Chinese, 1621-1693 TheStrangePines of MountT'ien-t'ai Ch'ingdynasty (1644-1911), dated 1687 Hangingscroll, inkon paper 671/4x 30 in. (170.8 x 76.2 cm) Giftof Marie-HeleneandGuyWeill, in honorof DouglasDillon,1991 1991.256
GiuseppeCastiglione(LangShih-ning) Italian,1688-1766; lived in China 1716-66 OneHundred Horses Ch'ingdynasty (1644-1911), ca. 1728 Handscroll,inkon paper 37 x 3103/4in. (94 x 789.3 cm) Purchase,Friendsof AsianArtGifts, in honorof DouglasDillon,1991 1991.134
Prized as a place of scenic beauty and refuge since the fourthcentury,MountT'ien-t'aiis a legendary dwellingplace of Buddhistholy men; its stone bridgeis a fabled pointof connection between this worldand the paradise of the immortals.TaiPen-hsiao, whose Ming loyalistfathercommittedsuicide afterbeing injuredin a battleagainst the invadingManchus,here focuses on the mountain'spines. Symbolic of survivalin times of adversity,the threatened trees reflectthe artist's uncertaintyat being able to find sanctuary in a worldfromwhich he feels alienated. MKH
Duringthe eighteenth centurythe ManchuCh'ingdynasty sponsored a revivalof courtlyart,which attained a new monumentalscale, technicalfinish, and intricatedescription.The Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglionehelped create this hybrid style, combiningWestern realism withtraditionalChinese brushwork. As a finaldraftto be traced on silk, this cartoonfor One Hundred Horses, his masterpiece of 1728 in Taipei,displays figures and scenery rendered boldlyin the European mannerwitha quillpen rather than a brush.Western-styleperspective is used, figures are often dramaticallyforeshortened, and vegetationis depictedwithspontaneous arabesques and cross-hatching. The largescale of the painting also shows Europeaninfluence. MKH
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on a DistantMountain MistyBalmboo Ch'ingdynasty (1644-1911), dated 1753 Fourhanging scrolls, inkon paper 267/8x 701/2in. (68.2 x 179.2 cm) Fromthe P Y.andKinmayW.Tang FamilyCollection,Partialand PromisedGiftof OscarL.Tangand JackC. Tang,1990 1990.322a-d
Bladefora Dagger(Tanto) Kamakuraperiod, late 13th-early 14thcentury Steel L.91/2in. (24.1 cm) Inscribed:Rai Kunitoshi Giftof Mr.and Mrs.RobertAndrews Izard,1991 1991.373 The Rai school of swordsmiths, founded by Kuniyukiin Kyoto, flourishedfromthe middleof the Kamakura(1185-1333) throughthe Nambukuchoperiod (1333-92). One of the most famous of these smiths was Rai Kunitoshi,whose dated works fall between 1290 and 1320. This tanto, among Kunitoshi's finest, is typicalof his work,witha narrow,straightshape, a surface resembling compact wood grain witha loose-grained area near the tang, and an edge tempered in a straight-linepattern.Once owned by the Tokugawashoguns, it was presentedto a memberof the Arima family,the daimyo of Kurumeon
Inthis masterpiece by one of the majorfigures in eighteenth-century Chinese painting,the shallow pictorialspace is dramaticallydefined by the placement of the stalkswhichjut intoview fromthe bottom of the composition,climbup the paper as if ascending a slope, and extend well beyond the top edge. The veilingeffects of a dense mist are suggested by graded ink washes that range frompale gray to jet black.The artisthas inscribed the paintingtwice:first,in the upper right,withthe titleand date, and second, at the lowerleft,with his signatureand seals.
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Studioof KanoMotonobu Japanese, 1476-1559 FourWorthy Accomplishments Muromachiperiod (1392-1568), mid-16thcentury Pairof six-foldscreens, inkand pigmenton paper Each screen 67 x 150 in. (170.2 x 381 cm) Dr.andMrs.RogerG.GerryCollection, Giftof Dr.andMrs.RogerG. Gerry,1991 1991.480.1,2
The FourWorthyAccomplishments -proficiency in calligraphy,painting, music, and the game of goreflectedthe synthesis of Taoist ideals of reclusion and harmony withnaturewiththe Confucianprecept of personal cultivationas trainingfor worldlyresponsibility. Such aspirationswere also at the heartof the ideology embraced by the Ashikaga shoguns underthe tutelage of Zen monks. This theme frequentlyappeared in paintings
on sliding doors in reception rooms of Zen temples and samurai mansions. The formal,angular brushworkand the integrationof figures intothe foregroundof a landscape are characteristicof the officialstyle developed by Kano Motonobu. BBF
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Attributedto Sesson Shukei Japanese, 1504-1589? Gibbonsin a Landscape Muromachiperiod (1392-1568) Pairof six-panelscreens, inkon paper Each screen 62 x 137 in. (157.5x 348.9 cm) Purchase,RogersFundandThe VincentAstorFoundation,Mary LivingstonGriggsandMaryGriggs BurkeFoundationandFlorenceand HerbertIrvingGifts,1992 1992.8.1,2
These screens depictinggibbons cavortingalong a stream represent an importanttype of Far Eastern animalpainting,as well as Sesson's idiosyncraticoeuvre. Gibbons, native to the forested mountainsof southern China, were known in Japan only in poetryand painting. Rarelyseen, the gibbon has been celebrated in Chinaforover two thousand years as a noble creature. Itscry is believed to convey the purityof solitude and an abundance of "life-spirit" (ch'i).
These traditionswere introduced to Japan throughZen Buddhism, which adopted the gibbon as a religiousmetaphorforthe underlyingunityof all sentient beings. BBF
91
KrishnaBattlingthe HorseDemon, Keshi Indian(UttarPradesh, Gupta period), 5th century Terracotta 21 x 16 in. (53.3 x 40.6 cm) Purchase,Florenceand Herbert IrvingGift,1991 1991.300 The Gupta periodwas the classical age of Indiancultureand witnessed the firstfloweringof Hindu art.This superb plaque, which decorated a bricktemple's exterior,is the only large Gupta terracottain our collection. Itis a significant additionto our holdings of Gupta art,the majorityof which are single, hieraticfigures in stone or bronze. The relief'sdynamic poses and vigorous modeling show a differentside of the tradition.The combatants glare at each other witheyes bulging:Krishna'sfrom the intensityof battle, Keshi's from the realizationof defeat, perhaps indicatedby a horse's (Keshi's?) corpse below. SMK
Damaru(Waisted Drum) South Indian,18th century Ivoryand silver H. 63/4in. (17.2 cm) Purchase,RogersFundand Clara MertensBequest,in memoryof AndreMertens,1992 1992.26
92
Shiva, inventorof the drum, plays the damaru when he appears as Nataraja,lordof dancers. He twists the drum,causing pellets, attached by strings at its waist, to strikethe skin heads. Throughoutsouthern and central Asia members of every social stratum use a wood or metal damaru. This rare ivoryexample displays incised and carved bands, some with beading or remnants of silver beads. Crisscross and parabolic patterns resultingfromthe lathe's changing cutting angle appear beneath a deep reddish-brown patina. The drum's interior,usually blocked fromview when covered by skin membranes, is concentrically grooved. JKM
Vishnuas VaikunthaChaturmurti Indian(Kashmir),ca. 2nd halfof the 8th century Stone H. 411/8in. (104.5 cm) Purchase,FlorenceandHerbert IrvingGift,1991 1991.301 VaikunthaChaturmurtiis a fourfaced formof Vishnuwiththe head of a lion (left) and of a boar (right) flankinga human head. Carved in low reliefon the back of the halo is a demonic, grimacingface with fangs and a verticalthirdeye on the forehead. The small attendant on Vishnu'sleft is Chakrapurusha, the personificationof the war discus, originallybalanced on his right by Gadadevi, the female personificationof Vishnu'sbattle mace. The upper halfof Prithvi,the earth goddess, stands between Vishnu's legs. Fromthe eighth throughthe tenthcentury,VaikunthaChaturmurtiwas the most importantcult icon in Kashmir. ML
Vishnu StandingFour-Armed Vietnamese (MekongDelta area), 2nd half of the 7th century Stone H. approx.41 in. (104 cm) Purchase,LitaAnnenbergHazen CharitableTrustGift,1992 1992.53 This outstandingVishnu is carved in a style associated withthe PreAngkorperiod (sixthto the beginning of the ninthcentury)priorto the establishment of the Khmer capital at Angkor.Itpreserves a flavorof Indiansculpture, particularlyin the full,roundforms of the face. The deity is easily identified as Vishnu. He wears the orthodox high miterand holds a conch in his raised left hand and a war discus in his right.His lowered left hand rests on the remains of a battle mace and would have been paired witha righthand holdingan orb, symbolizingthe earth. ML
Krishnaon Garuda Indonesian(Java,CentralJavanese period),2nd halfof the 9th century Bronze L.157/16 in. (39.2 cm) Purchase,LitaAnnenbergHazen CharitableTrustGift,1992 1992.86 InJavanese artthe solar bird-deity Garudais sometimes portrayed stealing the elixirof immortality (amrita),protected by serpents, fromthe gods. Here, Garuda clutches the snakes in his hands and carries the amritavessel on his head. A youthfulKrishnarides Garuda, his bulgingeyes and arched eyebrows conveying subtle anger and resoluteness. His left hand makes a gesture of warning or menace while his rightholds a wardiscus. This sculpturewas the central partof a hanging object, almost definitelyan oil lamp. There would have been an oil reservoir beneath Garudaand a chain attached above Krishna. ML
95
LineagePortraitof an Abbot Tibetan,ca. last quarterof the 13th
96
century Ink,opaque watercolor,and gold on cloth 301/2x 235/8in. (77.5 x 59.7 cm) Purchase,MiriamandIraD. Wallach FundGift,1991 Philanthropic 1991.304
The Museum has acquiredan importantcollection of early Tibetan thankas over the last decade. One significantcategory unrepresented untilnow was lineage painting:the portraitof an abbot surroundedby his spiritualpredecessors, usually formerabbots of his monastery, mahasiddhas (great tantricgurus), and deities. The genre was probably inventedin Tibetto establish
and validatethe spiritualrightsof nascent monasteries. This imposing, brilliantlycolored paintingis particularlyinterestingbecause it combines the Tibetanversion of the IndianPala style withelements derivingfromthe Nepalese tradition, which gained prominence in Tibetduringthe fourteenthcentury. SMK
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