The Art of Modern Women: A Gallery Guide

GALLERY 201

THE DAYTON ART INSTITUTE Continue to Gallery 201, where Alison Van Pelt’s painting of the sculptor Louise Nevelson resides, placed near Nevelson’s 1985 assemblage sculpture to the right. How does the appearance of this painting change when viewed from a distance and up close? Van Pelt’s aim for this painting, and others in her series The Women, makes a striking comparison to Art Nouveau representations: “As a society we are presented with a narrow scope of beauty, exalting nubile women. I wanted to paint the faces of these women [artists] and explore their physical beauty, a result of their experiences.”

COVER: Alphonse Mucha (Czechoslovakian, 1860–1939), Lefevre-Utile Flirt Biscuits, 1899 (detail), color lithograph on paper, 11 3/4 x 25 1/4 inches. Dhawan Collection.

3. Gaston La Touche (French, 1854–1913), Dinner at the Casino, c. 1906, oil on canvas, 39 x 37 5/8 inches. Gift of Mrs. Rober t Schermer, 1975.53

1. Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) (Japanese, 1786–1864), Actors Kawarazaki Gonjūrō as Jiraiya, Iwai Kumesaburō III as Ushiwaka Kozō Denji, Sawamura Tanosuke III as Ōtomo Wakan-hime, Arashi Hinasuke VII as Awa no Jūrobei, and Ichikawa Kodanji IV as Oniazami no Seikichi, 1863, woodblock print, ink and color on paper, 9 3/8 x 3 1/2 inches. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Harrie G. Carnell, 1958.43

4. Jean Jacques Henner (French, 1829–1905), Head of a Woman, c. 1900, oil on canvas, 16 1/2 x 12 3/4 inches. Gift of Mrs. Stephen Patterson Moorehead, 1957.6

2. François-Raoul Larche (French, 1860–1912), Loie Fuller, c. 1896, gilt bronze, 18 1/3 inches. Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, 1998.27

5. Harriet Whitney Frishmuth (American, 1880– 1980), Joy of the Waters, 1917, bronze, 63 1/2 inches. Gift of Mrs. Harrie G. Carnell, 1919.1 6. Alison Van Pelt (American, born 1963), Louise Nevelson, 2001, oil on canvas, 108 x 84 inches. Gift of Paul Rusconi, 2004.13

T H E DAY TO N A R T I N S T I T U T E 456 Belmonte Park North Dayton, Ohio 45405 937-223-4ART (4278) | www.daytonartinstitute.org

The Art of

Modern Women

A Gallery Guide In the 2017 exhibition Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau, Selections from the Dhawan Collection, representations of alluring women promoted theater productions, actors, commercial products, and much more. This gallery guide to The Dayton Art Institute’s collection explores the artistic and cultural context for Mucha’s prints of modern women.

Gallery 212

Gallery 105

Start in Gallery 105. In Japan during the 1800s, woodblock prints were an affordable way for people to obtain images of popular figures of the time, including kabuki actors.These prints helped advertise and commemorate performances, and were extremely popular among kabuki fans. Observe how the vivid colors and diverse compositions convey a sense of the flamboyant performances, which together with the crisp lines and complex patterns inspired printmakers in France. In contrast to Mucha’s frequent representation of women, all kabuki actors were male, even for female characters.

In Gallery 212, another example of visual spectacle appears in Gaston LaTouche’s Dinner at the Casino (around 1906). Compare this painting to Mucha’s Lefevre-Utile Flirt Biscuits (1899) on the cover of this guide to observe the prevalence of provocative themes during this time. Fireworks and candle-lit tables illuminate the scene and highlight various relationships among the figures. If this were a movie, what do you imagine the characters would say or do next? Compose your script with details about the sensations of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell that the artist suggests in this scene. Gallery 212

Look to your right in Gallery 212 to find Jean Jacques Henner’s Head of a Woman (c. 1900). How does this figure represent the opposite of the lighthearted, seductive women portrayed by Mucha? The phrase femme fatale (French: disastrous woman) described women who could lead people astray, from flirtation to moral and physical demise, and some were depicted ominously. With the emergence of the New Woman – understood to be those who pursued social and professional independence – as well as increasing debates about women’s rights around 1900, these then unconventional paths for women were considered by some people to threaten cultural norms.

The Lange Family Experiencenter

Next, find François-Raoul Larche’s sculpture of the American dancer Loie Fuller (around 1896), in The Lange Family Experiencenter through November 26 and then returning to Gallery 212. In the 1890s, only a few years after Mucha moved to Paris, Fuller’s performances captivated Art Nouveau artists, as the abundant fabric of her swirling skirts embodied the lively lines so characteristic in their work. When portraying Fuller, these artists favored movement and effects of colored light projected from below her more than accurately rendering her appearance. Likewise, Roche idealized Fuller, yet hid the source of illumination for this lamp within the flowing fabric.

Gallery 206

Cross the Great Hall to locate the only sculpture in Gallery 206, Joy of the Waters (1917) by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth. Previous works of art in this guide highlight women portrayed by men – what differences do you perceive in this representation of a woman by a woman? Like many Art Nouveau images, this figure conveys energetic movement using the lines of the body via the positions of the limbs. Frishmuth was among the first female sculptors to establish a career in a male-dominated profession, especially as she created lifesize figures and not just small, decorative ones.