Aaron M. and Clara
Weitzenhoffer Collection
Gallery Guide
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Cover: Pierre-Auguste Renoir (France, 1841–1919) Les Roses [detail], 1878 Oil on canvas Facing: Francis Wheatley (England, 1747-1801) Harvest Dinner, 1792 Oil on canvas
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma
Aaron M. and Clara
Weitzenhoffer Collection Gallery Guide
Overview Welcome to the Aaron M. and Clara Weitzenhoffer Collection, housed in a replica of the family’s Nichols Hills residence in Oklahoma City. Generously gifted to the museum in 2000, this bequest includes twenty-two paintings and eleven works on paper spanning 1850-1940 in addition to 18th and 19th century decorative arts including porcelain and English furniture. The Weitzenhoffer Collection can be described as an ideal teaching collection because it provides a visual timeline of important French artists predating, including, and following the Impressionist movement.
Pre-Impressionism
What’s in the Galleries? The gallery immediately beyond the entryway is inspired by the Weitzenhoffer library, and includes influential Pre-Impressionist artists such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, a leader of the Barbizon School, which is known for painting directly from nature, and Eugene Boudin, pictured at top right, another plein air (outdoor) painter who frequently recorded scenes from contemporary life. These artists made a significant impact on Impressionist artists such as Camille Pissarro and Claude Monet, also featured in this gallery.
Impressionism
Across the hallway of European Art, the Weitzenhoffer Collection continues in the living room. Works from the Impressionist movement, which began in the 1870s, are hung alongside Post-Impressionist paintings. Paul Gauguin’s Winter Day, an early work from 1886, pictured in the middle, exemplifies the hallmarks of Impressionist style, including a lighter palette, an emphasis on color over form, and a seemingly quick, sketchy style. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s 1892 painting Portrait of a Girl, pictured at lower right, reflects evolving individual interests during the Post-Impressionist movement. Along with Vincent van Gogh, artists from this period wanted to move beyond Impressionist values and often sought to develop original styles by expressing emotion through color or abstract form. Examples of various French styles after Impressionism can also be found in the dining room. 4
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Post-Impressionism
Weitzenhoffer Entryway Originally born in Illinois, Clara Rosenthal married Aaron Weitzenhoffer, a native Oklahoman and a founder of the Davon Oil Drilling Company, in 1938. The couple became noted leaders in philanthropic organizations around the state, including the University of Oklahoma. Clara Weitzenhoffer’s family came to the United States from Germany around 1790. Her grandparents and great-grandparents are shown in the portraits along the entry staircase.
Building a Collection After they married, Aaron took Clara to Europe for the first time, where she cultivated a passion for art and antiques. The first painting in her collection by British artist Francis Wheatley, which can be found beneath the entry staircase, reminded her of their Englishstyle home and furnishings in Oklahoma City. She shifted her focus in the 1950s to the French artists featured in the Weitzenhoffer galleries. The Weitzenhoffers’ only child, Max, graduated from OU in 1962. Thirty years later, he established the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre. He continues to patronize the museum and has gifted more than 30 works, including the Barbara Hepworth sculpture Two Figures, located in the lobby. Max’s portrait is at the top of the staircase. There is only one work in the collection that was not purchased by Clara. Claude Monet’s Riverbank at Lavacourt, hanging over the library fireplace, was selected by Aaron Weitzenhoffer. Opposite top: Eugène Boudin (France, 1824–1898) People on the Beach, (Personnages sur la plage, Trouville) [detail], 1866 Watercolor on paper Opposite middle: Paul Gauguin (France, 1848–1903) Winter Day [detail], 1886 Oil on canvas Opposite bottom: Henri de Tolouse-Lautrec, (France, 1864–1901) Portrait of a Girl [detail], 1892; Oil on canvas
Top: W. Frederick Seely (U.S., 1886-1959); Portrait of Clara, n.d.; Oil on panel Above: W. Frederick Seely (U.S., 1886-1959) Portrait of Aaron, n.d. Oil on panel Right: Nancy Harris (U.S., 2003) Portrait of Max Weitzenhoffer [detail] Oil on canvas
Aaron M. and Clara Weitzenhoffer Collection
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Weitzenhoffer Library The Impressionists were a group of artists, including Claude Monet, PierreAuguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, who were drawn together through shared interests in the 1860s. They met regularly at local cafés and members’ studios; exhibiting together for the first time in 1874. Some developed mentorship roles and lifelong friendships that often exerted a strong influence over the development of each other’s work.
Friends and Mentors Mary Cassatt first met Edgar Degas in 1877 after she settled in Paris. Impressed with her work, Degas invited the American artist to participate in the fourth Impressionist exhibition. Their mutual interests, including an emphasis on female subjects, are evident in the two pastel drawings behind the sofa. Cassatt’s sketch, which she considered a finished work, was certainly influenced by Degas’ observational style.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet often are referred to as the great colorists of the core Impressionist group. Their friendship began in their early twenties, in the studio of Charles Gleyre, a professor at the École des Beaux Arts. Thereafter, they often painted side-by-side, working from the same subjects to create identical works. Although their styles diverged and they no longer painted together after the mid 1870s, they maintained a lifelong friendship until Renoir’s death in 1919. Renoir’s works can be seen in the living room and dining room.
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Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Top: Edgar Degas (France, 1834–1917); Dancer at the Bar (Danseuse à la barre), c. 1885; Charcoal with pastel and white chalk on paper Left: Claude Monet (France, 1840–1926); Riverbank at Lavacourt (La Berge à Lavacourt), 1879 Oil on canvas
Above: Mary Cassatt (U.S., 1845–1926); Sara in a Dark Bonnet Tied under Her Chin, c. 1901 Pastel on paper
Where Are the Books? Although the Weitzenhoffers kept books in their home library, the museum opted to showcase Clara’s porcelain collections instead.
Porcelain Mr. and Mrs. Weitzenhoffer had Dalmatians as pets beginning in the 1940s. The dogs were very important to Clara and always traveled with her. She collected porcelain figurines from the Staffordshire region of Great Britain. Staffordshire figurines depict animals, politicians, royalty, and even some buildings. Rarity is key to their value. Spaniels, for instance, were very popular and several were produced, while fewer Dalmatians were created, making them more unique. Clara owned a substantial collection of 18th and 19th century Chinese export porcelain, which was produced specifically for trade between China and the West. The main pattern in the Weitzenhoffer collection is called Canton, a style developed in the mid-19th century with a simplified pattern featuring depictions of tea houses, bridges, trees, and other natural forms. Examples include the platter and teapot pictured at left. There are also several examples of Delftware, which is named after the production site near the town of Delft in the Netherlands. This blue and white pottery imitated Chinese export porcelain patterns while emphasizing floral motifs, as in the round plate pictured at lower left.
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Weitzenhoffer Living Room & Dining Room The Life of a French Artist To become an artist, an apprentice studied under a master in a studio. The goal of this training was to compete for a place at the École des Beaux-Arts and, eventually, for the Prix de Rome, a prize that provided for a traditional Italian art education. Although the life of an artist appealed to many young men as a romantic lifestyle, it was particularly alarming to families who had concerns about supporting an unstable career. Artists who came from modest backgrounds, like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Vincent van Gogh, faced significant financial struggles during their careers. Three of Renoir’s works can be found on the left upon entering the living room, while a fourth, Clara’s favorite painting Les Roses, is situated next to the Van Gogh above the fireplace.
The Importance of Patronage Many of the artists in the Weitzenhoffer Collection were dependent on private collectors and dealers. Due to an initially hostile critical reception, the early decades of the Impressionist movement were characterized by infrequent support. Early Impressionists like Monet, Renoir, and Cassatt launched their careers via the first Impressionist art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel. Top: Above: After the 1890s, the ImpresPierre-Auguste Renoir Vincent Van Gogh sionist market greatly im(France, 1841–1919) (Netherlands, Coco (Claude), c. 1905 1853–1890); Portrait of proved. Post-Impressionist Oil on canvas Alexander Reid, c. 1887 artist Edouard Vuillard, for Oil on panel example, was represented by Bernheim-Jeune, a Parisian art dealing firm. His friend and muse, Lucy Hessel, the subject of the portrait on the far wall of the living room, was married to a partner in the firm.
Three additional Vuillards can be found in the dining room above the buffet.
Vuillard, Edouard (France, 1868–1940); Madame Hessel and Lulu in the Dining Room at the Chateau des Clayes (Madame Hessel et Lulu dans la salle a manger des Clayes), c. 1935-38; Pastel on paper
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Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Sitting Pretty: The Furniture of the Weitzenhoffer Collection Before she cultivated a love of art, Clara collected 18th and 19th century furniture including Queen Anne (1702-1714) and Georgian (1714-1810) style pieces. A few exceptions in the Weitzenhoffer Collection include the Regency style (1790-1840) folding library steps, the mahogany bed steps in the library, and, pictured at left, one of a pair of Louis XV style beechwood fauteuils (n.d.) in the living room, located beneath the three Renoir paintings. Regency style, named after the reign of Prince George as Regent, took inspiration from classical Greek and Roman furniture. The Queen Anne period corresponds to the reign of Queen Anne. Defining characteristics of this furniture include curvilinear forms, a focus on silhouette, and the use of walnut. Examples include the settee with needlepoint seat (pictured below) and four Chinesestyle mahogany chairs in the entryway, as well as the walnut settee (c. 1710) in the center of the library. Georgian style prevailed in Britain in the 18th and early 19th centuries and was named after the rules of George I, II, and III, also known as the Early, Middle and Late Georgian periods. Emerging from the Queen Anne period, designers began to make more elaborate furniture pieces through carving and embellishment. The flowing lines in some pieces can be attributed to the influence of French Rococo. This mahogany double gate-leg drop-leaf dining table is an example of George II from the mid-18th century. Georgian pieces make up the majority of the Weitzenhoffer furniture collection.
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French Styles After Impressionism Post-Impressionism encompasses a wide range of subjective styles that respond to or surpass the Impressionist movement. While Impressionists were focused on the effects of light and color, Post-Impressionists looked more deeply at the expressive qualities of line, pattern, form, and color, beginning in the 1880s. Pointillism: Founded by George Seurat and Paul Signac, this technique separated color into component parts and applied paint to the canvas in tiny dots. When viewed from a distance, the viewer’s eye mixes the colors optically. The Signac can be found beside the Van Gogh in the living room. The following works are located in the dining room. The Nabis: This group of painters, including Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard, was influenced by Paul Gauguin and the flat fields of color found in Japanese prints. Their name is taken from a Hebrew word for “prophets” and emphasizes devotion to their quasi-mystical brotherhood. Fauvism: Inspired by Henri Matisse, color became the most important element and the primary conveyer of meaning for this group, nicknamed in French “the wild beasts” for their eccentric use of pure color. The impact of the Post-Impressionists reached far into the 20th century and influenced modern movements such as Expressionism and abstract art. A Fauvist seascape by Raoul Dufy, a member of the shortlived movement from 1904– 1908, can be seen above the fireplace in the living room.
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Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Top: Paul Signac (France, 1863–1935); Coast Scene [detail], 1893 Oil on canvas Left: Raoul Dufy (France, 1877–1953) The Beach of Sainte Adresse, (La Plage de Sainte-Adresse) [detail], 1905; Oil on canvas
Above: Edouard Vuillard (France, 1868–1940) Woman with Hat, 1892 Oil on board
Learn More All works included herein belong to the 2000 Aaron M. and Clara Weitzenhoffer bequest. Learn more about the Weitzenhoffer Collection online at fjjma.ou.edu. Share your favorite work with us via Instagram @fjjma!
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Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma fjjma.ou.edu 555 Elm Ave. Norman, OK 73019-3003