Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Before the Mirror
Edouard Manet
scandalized Paris with his
paintings of prostitutes
and courtesans. This pri-
vate scene is of a partially
undressed woman, an
actress perhaps, contem-
plating her image.
Haere Mai
Gauguin made his first
trip to Tahiti in 1891 in
search of a paradise un-
tainted by Western culture.
This idyllic village land-
scape (below) was painted
during that trip; the rich
hues and flattened forms
show the simplicity he
sought. The phrase “Haere
Mai,” (“Come Here”) is
painted into the left corner.
Mountains at Saint-Remy
Van Gogh was recovering from an attack of
mental distress when he painted this scene in
July 1889, one year before his suicide. The
subject was the low range of the Alpilles
mountains in southern France, visible from his
hospital grounds. The
bold brush strokes are
characteristic of van
Gogh's later work.
Still Life: Flask,
Glass, and Jug
Paul Cézanne's later
style, based on the
interplay of surface
and depth, is shown
in this 1877 painting.
His mastery of space
and depth, as seen in
the mottled apples
in the foreground,
make him the foremost
precursor of Cubism.
Bibémus
In Bibémus, the aban-
doned quarries outside
Aix-en-Province, France,
Cézanne found a man-
made landscape that
suited his increasingly
geometric style. He paint-
ed many variations of this
scene from 1895-9.
Frank Lloyd
Wright
Though Wright (1867-
1959) designed many
public buildings, he
was best known for
residential designs,
“organic architecture”
that followed the nat-
ural contours of the
land, and tradition-
breaking open interior
spaces that have had
lasting worldwide
influence. The Gug-
genheim, one of his
last projects, was a
complete departure. So
intent was Wright on
his spiral design that
when told some walls
were too short for
large works, he report-
edly responded, “cut
the paintings in half.”
The Hermitage at Pontoise
This unsentimental rendering (above) of the village
where Pisarro lived on and off from 1866-83 empha-
sizes the use of light and shade. The depiction of vil-
lagers was thought vulgar by some painters of the day.
Black Lines
Kandinsky want-
ed the undulating,
richly-colored ovals
and animated black
brushstrokes to elicit
specific reactions
from viewers. Black
Lines (1913) is one
of his best-known
nonobjective works.
Paris Through the Window
Painted after Chagall moved to Paris from Russia
in 1910, the scene reflects the latest avant garde
styles. The Eiffel Tower seen in the distance is a
metaphor for Paris and for modernity.
For more on New York's art scene See pp42-3
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