PHL 301 Broadwell: San Diego Museum of Art

I traveled to the San Diego Museum of Art for my art blog.

James Hyde Middle Station-Luminous Platforms and Relaxed Seating 2006

This was the most interesting piece that I saw. It was a display that took up the whole room. There was a foam chair covered in plastic, four metal chairs, two lighted platforms in white and another in orange. The whole piece was very modern. Although it is made for relaxed seating, it does not look as if it would be comfortable to sit on.

George Bellows Three Pigs and a Mountain Oil on board, 1922

It is not the subject of the painting that interested me, but rather the shading that caught my eye. It looks as though you could see the sun shining on the pigs. Also, the way the forest is built up until it thins down at the top and the different colors involved looks really amazing.

George Bellows Winter Road Oil on canvas, 1912

Although the shading was not as obvious as in Three Pigs and a Mountain, it is still there, kind of like it is his signature. I think that the most interesting thing about these paintings is the subject matter. They are both of the “old-time” countryside.

Childe Hassam Stone Bridge, Old Lyme, Connecticut Oil on canvas, 1905

This painting was really striking because the brush strokes are so evident. You almost have to unfocus your eyes in order to see the whole picture, rather than just the individual brush strokes.

Further into the museum there was another painting that reminded me of this style. It was painted in the same era as Stone Bridge, but rather than being of the countryside, it was of Notre Dame.

Maximilien Luce Notre Dame Oil on canvas, 1900

The main difference between these paintings is the size of the brush strokes. The Stone Bridge painting has rather large brush strokes while the Notre Dame painting’s strokes are smaller, but still noticeable. You can see the overall picture very easily in Notre Dame. I love how the violet colors make me think that this was painted just after twilight.

Maurice de Vlaminck Village with a Church Oil on canvas, 1910

The vibrant colors in this painting really stood out to me. Also, the severity of the angles and how the angles are continued into the sky. The church is where your eyes are drawn to because it is taller than all the other buildings.

William Merritt Chase An Afternoon Stroll Oil on canvas, 1895

This painting really stood out to me because it reminds me of Anne of Green Gable.

I’m not sure who the painter had in mind when painting this, but it reminds me of Diana, Anne’s friend strolling along the shore. The interplay of light and shadows is really striking.

Looking at a close up of the figure, the way the artist gets across the expression on the woman’s face is amazing.

Finally, the museum had a room devoted entirely to comparing the works of a master and one of his students. They had many sketches by both Ferdinand Bol and Rembrandt Van Rijn.