Alice Neel Show at Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Diane Savona
Alice Neel - for those who don’t know her, see the 2 images below. On the left is a Mary Cassatt painting of pastel happy motherhood. On the right, Alice painted the sweaty, blue-veined, sunken-eyed reality of motherhood. Both are in the show.
Right down the hall is a show of Medici portraits - the greatest possible contrast!
Everyone knows Norman Rockwell’s depiction of Thanksgiving…..but here’s Alice Neel’s take on the holiday….
One of Alice’s most notorius paintings, along with one of the Medicis
(Below) an artist and her supportive husband
(Below) 2 smaller pieces, tucked away in a small side gallery, which I almost missed…
I recently read “Clara and Mr. Tiffany” by Susan Vreeland, which was a bit too romantized but had great descriptions of the working glass studios. So after Alice, I wandered over to the American wing. The glass is impossible to photograph well with just a phone, but this detail shot gives you some idea of the beauty….
Tiffany also did glass mosaics:
Around the corner in a dark corridor are sections from the mosaic sign which once hung in front of Tiffany Studios.
I knew that John La Farge was a competitor of Tiffany’s, but I’d never bothered to look for any of his work. This piece is on the same wall in the American wing with Tiffany - I had just never noticed. The reflections made it difficult to study closely.
Before we left, a quick stop at my favorite gallery, which used to be called Islamic Arts. Unlike other loud, crowded galleries, this one is an oasis of calm.
A few years back, artisans were hired to carve out this great arches, and the publicity brought a flutter of attention, but now all is quiet again.
(Below) The reception room, brought from arab lands and installed here. Not well known but worth seeking out.
A room with glorious carved ceiling and wonderful rugs.