Ford Madox Brown Exhibition at Manachester Art Gallery

This exhibition is currently on show at Manchester Art Gallery www.manchestergallaries.org and ends on the 29th January 2012.

The exhibition itself is showing on the top floor of the galley in a large bright open area that allows for close examination of the pictures but also viewing from a distance.

The exhibition is broken down into a number of themes

• The Artist and his Family
• The Early Period
• The Change of Direction
• The Draughtsman
• The Landscape Painter
• The Painter of Modern Life
• The Storyteller
• The Portrait painter
• The Designer
• The Manchester Period

There is a complimentary exhibition being held at Manchester Town Hall, where the murals he was commissioned to paint are on show. (Selected Sundays throughout the time of the exhibition)

A free exhibition guide was available. (This will form part of my ongoing development of a exhibition\gallery portfolio) 

One of the most useful aspects of the guide relates to his piece entitled Work.

The piece is large piece of work and is extremely detailed, and at the time Madox Brown painted it, he produced a pamphlet describing the characters.



Work 1852 - 1863
Oil on canvas
Manchester City Galleries

The exhibition guide nicely describes the following characters;

• The 'Brainworkers' (Thomas Carlyle and Rev. Frederick Maurice)
• The Navvies
• The Poor Children
• The Chickweed Seller
• The Rich Ladies
• The MP and his Daughter
• The Beer Seller
• The Irish

An example of a character description is produced below

Details of a navvy in work
oil on canvas
1852 - 1863

The navvies are the workmen digging the road. Brown placed then in the centre

of the painting to underline the central contribution their physical work makes to society. Each navvy is engaged in different tasks - digging, sieving earth, carrying bricks, pausing for a drink, mixing cement - and each is different in age, character and physique. Brown wrote that the young navvy on the left 'occupies the place of the hero' of the group. (Taken from the exhibition guide)



Not only did this type of description greatly assist with the exhibition visit but has provided a model for annotations of large complex and detailed paintings.

One of the challenges I face is interpreting aspects of paintings that may be repeated in different pictures.
For example in the painting The Last of England, the mother is holding the hand of a young child - we do not see the child(apart from their hand ) as they are wrapped up in their mothers shawl, protected from the weather. The information presented next to the painting suggested that by just showing the fingers of the hand Madox Brown was pointing to the vulnerability of the child.

Compare that to The Irish Girl, she has wrapped herself up in a shawl, with the fingers of her left just showing as she holds a small bunch of blue flowers (Cornflower?)

Image of hands from The Last of  England

 Image of from an Irish Girl

Both are vulnerable - the baby at sea with it's parents and the Irish Girl, looking away from the viewer. Is the use of showing partial hands a tool the artist use to indicate vulnerability?

The Irish Girl was displayed next to The English Boy and I have included post cards of these paintings in my annotation log, together with my observations and the gallery notes.

I thought two of the paintings exhibited (Walton on the Naze 1860 and The Hayfields 1855 ) showed an'impressionist' style, could this be because of his 'European' artistic education, he attended the Bruge, Ghent and Antwerp Academies and not the Royal Academy London as did may of his English contemporaries.

The gallery notes accompanying the respective paintings indicate his interest in 'light' similar to the impressionists.

Walton on the Naze
1860

 'the clear warm afternoon light, the rainbow, the moon and the mirage like reflection of the ship sails in the clouds give a dream like serenity'.

The Hayfields
1855

 'what a wonderful effect I have seen this evening in the hay fields, the warmth of the uncut grass; the greeny grayness of the unmade hay in furrows or tufts with lovely violet shadows'.



Lever Art Gallery

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ladylever/

The first annotation exercise was to annotate a Greek vase;  via the Internet I identified that The Lady Lever Art Gallery had a number of Greek artifacts so I paid it a visit to undertake this exercise.(See Annotation Book)

As part of this developing blog I thought it would be useful to provide some basic information in respect of the gallery (link attached) together with some images linked to the first part of the course.

The gallery was commissioned by Lord Leverhulme (1851 - 1925). Leaving school at 16 he went to work in his fathers grocery shop. He saw an opportunity to produce and sell soap in individual blocks and being the entrepreneur he was, he went on to establish the firm Lever Brothers.

He was a forward thing man and was concerned for the welfare of his employees, building Port Sunlight, a village, providing high quality accommodation for his staff, together with a library and village hall.

As his fortune increased so he was able to purchase art works, which he wished to share with the public. The amount of art to be shared with the public soon out grew the 'gallaries' used, so the local library and Hulme hall, both located in Port Sunlight, became the temporary home for his collection.

He saw the need to build a purpose build venue for his art, and subsequently commissioned ,William and Sagar Owen from Warrington to design, what is now the Lady Lever Art Gallery. 

Lord Leverhulme had travelled extensively in America and was influenced in his choice of design by American business men who had or were building art galleries in the 'classical style'.         

The Lady Lever Art Gallery

The foundation stone was laid on 25th March 1914 and the gallery was opened on 16th December 1922. This gallery was to house the best of his collection, and at his speech on the 25th March he reiterated his belief that art enriched individuals and communities, stating that 'art and the beautiful civilize and elevate because they enlighten and enoble' (Liverpool Museums web link)

The gallery contains work by;

• Reynolds
• Gainsborough
• Stubbs
• Turner
• Millias
• Burne-Jones
• Lord Leighton
• Rossetti
• Alma-Tadema
• Holman Hunt
• Waterhouse

In addition there is a collection of Greek Vases, sculptures and a Wedgwood gallery.

An interesting aspect of the building design are the circular rooms built to hold various sculptures, see image below. The perimeter of the room has a number of busts on display but the center piece of this room is the statue of  Antinous. This statue, carved after his death is based on a classical Greek prototype of the 5th Century.

As can be seen from the image, the roof is supported by a number of Ionic columns.

Antinous
c130 - 138BC
Marble

I based my self in the room that contained a number of Greek artifacts, making sketches and notes for the annotation exercise (please see related books). There were a large number of items to chose from, and I focused on one that I thought I could more easily sketch, given what are my limited sketching skills.

I took photographs of some of the others items, and have incorporated them into this blog. One thing that I did find strange was a Wedgwood Basalt Vase on display in the same room, given the fact there is a room dedicated to Wedgwood.

I have incorporated an image of the vase and it can be seen that there is a direct correlation between the design of the original Greek Vases and this piece of Wedgwood, evidencing in part the impact of the 'classical canon' on 18th century design.

Apillian Red figure
3rd 1/4 of the 4th Cent. BC

Attic Black Figure
Last 1/4 of the 6th Cent BC

Attic Black Figure
Last 1/4 of the 6th Cent

Wedgwood Basalt vase
painted in 'Encaustic' colour
1780 - 1800

A Crisis of Brilliance - David Boyd Haycock

This book by David Boyd Haycock, focuses on the lives of Stanley Spencer, Paul Nash, Mark Gertler, Richard Nevinson and Dora Carrington. All attended the Slade School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture in London. Henry Tonks, their Professor of Drawing later described them as the the schools second and last 'crisis of brilliance'.

The book is made up of 18 chapters and an epilogue, and is, I have to say one of the most engaging biographical texts I have read.

The first five chapters introduces the reader to the main 'chaaricters', the middle chapters deal with the relationships between the five artists with each other as well as the wider art world, and the later chapters deal with the impact of the 1st World War on their work and their involvement in it.

The stand out chapter for me is Chapter 6, Roger Fry and the Post-Impressionists.

Having just written notes on 'the cannon', reading a chapter that so concisely describes the tensions between the social unrest at the time, the influence of European art on the Slade students and the accepted 'order of things' helped to put neatly into focus what I was trying to say in that exercise.

Reading, in effect five biographies in one, presents the reader with the opportunity to understand some of the dynamics that influenced each artist and how complicated and damaging their relationships with each other were, all of which contributed to the art that they produced.

I thought that each artist was given equal weight through out the narrative, and was the the sort of book that was hard to put down, The Guardian, stated that 'Haycock's narrative of this entangled, war-defined group is so strong that it often has the force of a novel'



La Miltrailleuse
Richard Nevinson
1916
Tate

The Merry-Go-Round
Mark Gertler
1916
Tate



Exercise - Thinking about the canon

What is the main problem with the idea of a body of great works that other artists try to emulate?
Does the idea of a canon have any relevance today?
Reflect on the quote from WHA(p.139) - Does this imply that idealisation of the human form is in some way dangerous? Why do you think this might be?
'The canon is an important concept but one that can be quite hard to get your head round '(Understanding Art 1 - Western Art. pg.17. OCA). Having spent the past few weeks trying to respond to this exercise, more and more this quote seems to hold true - for me anyway.


There appear to be a number of issues with the idea of  'a body of great works' the first of which is, who decides what great art is and by what authority.
Is it the church deciding the style and content of religious paintings and sculptures, or the ruling elite wanting to use art as propaganda or facilitating the re-writing of history?

However, having a 'body of great works' does allow for a starting point for a 'rebelion' against the perceived wisdom of what 'great art ' is - would we have had the Impressionists if it were not for the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, created in 1684 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert to give the French state direct control over art and artists.
The Impressionists had 'no intention of spending hour after hour and month after month copying the masterpieces of the past' (The Impressionists, 2001 published by Mondadori and in the UK by Collins 2002)


Even when the 'revoloution' had taken place there was in some quarters a reluctance to accept a deviation from the 'norm'

For example in November 1910 Roger Fry put on an exhibition titled Manet and the Post-Impressionists, showing works by Manet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gough and Matisse. 'The show was going to be an eye-opener for an insular audience that had been brought up on the realism of the classical tradition'(pg.84 A Crisis of Brilliance by David Boyd Haycock - Old Street Publishing 2009)

That view was not far from the mark as it received scathing reviews with one reviewer, Ross, stating that the exhibition revealed 'a wide spread plot to destroy the whole fabric of European painting' (pg 85 a Crisis of Brilliance)

However having a 'conon' can form a touch stone for artists and there are a number of 'modern' artists who have in some way returned to the 'classical style'

Weeping Woman Picasso1937
Oil on canvas
Tate

For example the painting Weeping Woman can be viewed as a typical painting by Picasso. 'This painting employees a complex visual language developed from cubism which Picasso had invented with Georges Braque two decades earlier. Through cubism he discovered a means of interrogating form by depicting the subject from more than one view point. The Weeping Woman is shown simultaneously from the front and in profile. This endows the figure with a sculptural presence, and also suggests that time has elapsed as she turns her head away from the viewer. The fragmentation and reconstruction of the face in sharp angular planes also contributes to an image of intense emotional pain.' (Gallery notes Tate Liverpool October 2011)

Seated Women in a Chemise Picasso 1923.
Oil on canvas
Tate

Compare the Weeping Woman (1937) to  the Seated Women in a Chemise,(1923) two vastly different pictures, however, ' along side his most radical experiments with the figure during his cubist period, Picasso also developed an interest in classical art, to which he returned throughout his career, particularly in his drawings. The stylised facial features and drapery of the seated figure recall the elegant composure of fifth-century Greek sculpture, yet the massiveness of the Mediterranean woman's limbs and her swarthy complexion are at odds with the classical ideal of semi-clad bathers. This is typical of Picasso's love of incongruity and his mixing of historical and modern references in his images.'

 (Gallery notes Tate Liverpool October 2011)

In relation to the relevance of the 'canon' today I think that to understand how 'schools and movements developed' there is a need to be aware of how art has developed together with the influences that contributed to different styles, for example what influenced the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) and what were they rebelling against, if anything.

How were Spencer, Nash, Gertler, Nevinson and Carrington (described by Henry Tonks at the Slade School of Art as the school's  last 'crisis of brilliance') influenced by the PRB and previous art movements. 

Given that the 'classical canon' has has an immense influence upon the development of art understanding it's contribution is essential but to be restricted by it would limit creativity in the arts.

In relation to Fry's 1910 exhibition, Haycock (pg 86) staes that 'the hostile response of the older critics and public must be set not just against the ongoing revolution in the arts, but also against the wider contexts of contemporary Britain. Socially and politically speaking these were years of crisis and anxiety'.

I would suggest that a similar view hold true today. The  influence of  the 'canon' should not be seen as only influencing art and architecture but has a direct link on how people see themselves in today's modern world. Foe example the whole issue of body image, the removal of 'imperfections', the millions spent of physical enhancements are as a result of a view expounded as to what is 'beautiful'. People have to be the 'right shape and in proportion', glossy magazines promote the 'perfect image' and in striving for such an ideal the  cosmetic industry is making a fortune.

There are victims in this, as can be seen by the rise in teenagers and adults with eating disorder - I know the issue of eating disorders is extremely complex but for a significant number the primary issue is a perception of body image.

Art is not something that stands outside of society but is very much part of it and can have a significant influence how society sees itself.

 

Getting started - Workplan

The challenge I face in undertaking this course, is that, because it is 'distance learning' with no face to face tutorials either on an individual or group basis my usual inclination of  'I can put this off until tomorrow' may prevail.

I am going to have to develop systems that will enable me to keep on track with the work required, making sure that deadlines are met.

I have produced a time table (copy below) for 'project one'. I filled in the weekly tasks by working backwards from my first assignment date to the date in September, when I would actually start the course.

This style timetable/work plan will be evaluated at the end of project one.

OCA Understanding Art 1: Part 1
Project 1 – Ancient Greece
Week beginning	Annotation	Drawing	Read and record in learning log	Visit	Research point	Assignment due
19th September			Thinking about the canon		Research the roman occupation in the local area
26th September				Extra visit to the Tate with Steve and Dave
3rd October	Annotate a Greek sculpture or vase painting			Visit Lady Lever Gallery

OCA Understanding Art 1: Part  1
Project 2  Rome
Week beginning	Annotation	Drawing	Read and record in learning log	Visit	Research point	Assignment due
10th October	Annotate a roman bust portrait bust			Visit  to Chester - Romans	Research the roman occupation in the local area
17th October		Draw a classical figure sculpture		Visit St George’s Hall – guided tour 19th Oct

OCA Understanding Art 1: Part 1
Project 3 Religious Art
Week beginning	Annotation	drawing	Read and record in learning log	Visit	Research point	Assignment due
24th October			Pugin on Gothic		Research on Romanesque and or medieval Gothic buildings in Britain
31st October	Annotate a Gothic image			Gothic church – Manchester Cathedral

OCA Understanding Art 1: Part 1
Project 4 The Renaissance
Week beginning	Annotation	drawing	Read and record in learning log	Visit	Research point	Assignment due
7th November	Annotate a Renaissance image		Humanism		Research the theory and practice of linear perspective and provide examples in sketch book	Review formal text -  500 words Send two annotated images Drawing of a classical sculpture or the report to a Gothic church
14th November	Develop annotations
21st November						24th November

Introduction

Knowing where to start is not always easy; I was at a watercolours class for beginners recently and the teacher gave every one a pencil, a sheet of A4 paper and a flower with the instruction 'draw the flower'.

 I looked at the flower, paper and pencil for some time, ending up holding the pencil above the paper not knowing where to make the first mark.

Starting this course has been a little bit that, what do I do first, do I produce a hand written Learning Log or as I am doing now an electronic one, annotations raise anxieties as my hand writing can be illegible at times (some would say most of the time) and as for the sketch book, well I can not draw, I know lets have an other coffee and things will be clearer!!!

Starting has been put of so many times but the time has actually come for action, hence this introduction.

I thought it would be useful to say at the beginning of a Learning Log a little bit about my interest in art, why I have chosen to do this course and what I hope to achieve by the end of it, the latter will form the the basis of the final reflective activity for the Learning Log.

I first went to a major art gallery some 23 years ago forming judgements very quickly as to what I liked and did not, and have I think developed a view that 'I know what I like, and like what I know'.

Joan Miro, messager from a Friend. Oil on canvas 1964. Tate

For example, on my first visit to the
Tate I saw Joan Miro's
Message from a Friend and was instantly taken by it,why I'm not sure, was it the bright red and yellow, the huge black whale looking shape in the middle and after all those years I am still trying to work out the message!
What I did that day was to discover an artist whom I had had never heard of and have subsequently visited the Jon Miro Foundation in Barcelona twice and more recently The Ladder of Escape exhibition at Tate Modern.

What followed were several visits to major galleries both at home and abroard, when on holiday. I am sorry to say that I think I developed a very blinkerd view of what I liked.

Henry Fuseli Titania and Bottom c1790. oil on canvas. Tate

I would walk pass Henry Fuseli's Titania and Bottom, too dark to hold my interest, though I am sure there is much to see in it.

Some paintings may catch my eye and I might stand for a short while for a look but not linger, for example, Proserpine by Rossetti. The facial expression is engaging but I had no awareness of the social conext of the time when it was painted so a limited understanding of the influences on Rossetti.

Dante gabriel Rossetti, Proserpine
Oil on canvas 1874

Some years ago Tate Liverpool opened and I have visited on many occasions. If I remember correctly at the opening exhibition Magritte's Man with a Newspaper was on show, now that drew me in like a shot, and having seen it again more recently at the Rene Magritte, The Pleasure Principle exhibition  held at Tate Liverpool, it still facinates me as much now as it did then.

Rene magritte, Man with a Newspaper.
Oil on canvas 1928 Tate

 I think that over the years I have allowed myself to develope a very narrow appreciation of art and have consequently dismissed much of what is 'good' in favour of, as I said previously, 'I know what I like and like what I know'




That I suppose neatly leads me on to why this course?

 Having enjoyed a number of major exhibitions, seeing work in either a chronological order ( Miro at Tate Modern) or in a social context (Picasso at Tate Liverpool) there is much I do not know or understand about various styles or movements and how they interrelate or have impacted upon each other. In addition I am not to sure how good I am at looking at pictures, sculpture or architecture and as a consequence miss out on much that is on offer to the truly observant viewer.

In the most simplest of terms buy the time I finish this course I hope to;

• have a better understanding of the relationship between styles and movements
• understand how and why styles and movements developed
• understand and appreciate the impact of styles and movements in the wider society, and most imprtanly of all,
• learn how to look at art