Apple Up-side-down Cake!

 

St. Louis Art Museum: Ancient Egypt

 The final visit at the St. Louis Art Museum was to an oddly placed Gallery. it was accessed from the elevator foyer on the second floor.  You have to cross an open corridor with a balcony view of the Central Hall of the original building.  On the other side you arrive at a dimly lit ante-room with text describing the museum's Egyptian collection.  Then you go through a doorway that reveals a narrow and long Gallery in which you can see artifacts from their Egyptian collection.

There are plenty of statuary, two sarcophagi with mummies, pottery and bowls, and some bas-relief sculptures.  The whole experience is dark (the Galleries are painted a deep midnight/navy blue) and just such an odd one off.  I'm not a great devotee of Egyptian antiquity, and so I have to also say it was just the right size to sate my curiosity!

"Hippopotamus," 1783 - 1640 BCE

Egyptian - Middle Kingdom - Dynasty 13

"Mummy and Coffin of Henut-wejebu," 1390 - 1352 BCE

Egyptian - Thebes, New Kingdom - Dynasty 18

"Mummy and Coffin of Henut-wejebu," DETAIL

"Jar," 3500 - 2890 BCE

Gerzean (Naqada II) - Early Dynasty Period - Dynasty 1

"Fragment with Head of a Nubian Prisoner," 1550 - 1295 BCE

Egyptian - New Kingdom - Dynasty 18

"Butchery Scenes," 680 - 650 BCE

Egyptian - from the Tomb of Mentuemhat, Thebes - late Dynasty 25 -early Dynasty 26

"Butchery Scenes," DETAIL

central image: "Portrait of a Woman," 2nd century

Egyptian - Roman Period

"Mummy and Cartonnage of Amen-nestrany-nakht," 945 - 715 BCE

Egyptian - Third intermediate Period - Dynasty 22

"Funerary Stele of Thutmose," 1323 - 1295 BCE

Egyptian - New Kingdom - Dynasty 18

Three "Shabti," 664 - 332 BCE

Egyptian - late period Dynasty 26

St. Louis Art Museum: American Collection

 Going to the second floor of the St. Louis Art Museum over the west wing of the original building and you encounter the American Art Collections.  The Galleries are also thematically arranged with a rough chronological component, as well.  A smallish gallery is dedicated to the ceramic art of a local studio--very nice.  A final gallery on the far end of the area is home to Native American artifacts.  

One oddity was the inclusion of a painting by noted illustrator Norman Rockwell.  I've seen one displayed among works considered "fine art"--now museums draw a line between illustrators and painters. There were some stunning works like a "Magnolia" painting by Martin Johnson Heade, and their most renowned work, the very famous "Jolly Flatboat Men in Port," by George Calib Bingham.  I loved seeing unfamiliar works by George Inness and at least three by Albert Bierstadt.  A beautiful portrait of Aaron Burr's cousin, Thaddeus caught both mine and my friends fancy.  The sumptuous blue vest really grabs your attention, but doesn't over power the image--it's a magical balance from an artist (John Singleton Copley) whose talent at portraying fabric far out-weighs his knack at human faces (which not a criticism of his ability to paint the human face, but a nod to he excellence at painting fabric).  

Bottomline: it's a lovely collection with sweet surprises and more than a few holes (Winslow Homer, Thomas Moran, George Caitlin, Asher Brown Durand, etc) vis a vis the general cannon of American Art.

"View of St. Louis," circa 1932

Joe Jones, 1909 - 1964

"Cradling Wheat," 1938

Thomas Hart Benton, 1889 - 1975

Thomas Hart Benton is a regional artist who is in the company of others like Grant Wood, Charles Burchfield, and John Henry Twachtman.  His works are deeply associate with the state of Missouri.  The rotunda of the state capitol is adorned with murals painted by Benton.  When the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating Missouri's centennial, they chose one of Benton's paintings of settlers arriving in the territory.

"Politics, Farming, and Law in Missouri," 1935

Thomas Hart Benton, 1889 - 1975

"Cloud Trails," 1944

John Rogers Cox, 1915 - 1990

"Thanksgiving," 1943

Norman Rockwell, 1894 - 1978

"Window VIII," 1966

George Tooker, 1920 - 2011

"Rose Calahan and Her Child," 1954

Honored Desmond Sharrer, 1920 - 2009

Works from University City Ceramics

University City Ceramic fireplace

"Brown Jug," 1962

Luigi Lucioni, 1900 - 1988

Naturalized Italian

"With the 'Staats Zeitung'," 1890

William Michael Harnett, 1848 - 1892

Naturalized Irish

"Still Life," 1810

John Johnston, 1753 - 1818

"Magnolia," circa 1885 - 1895

Martin Johnson Heade, 1819 - 1904

"The Land of Evangeline," 1874

Joseph Rustling Meeker, 1827 - 1887

"The Land of Evangeline," DETAIL

"In the Roman Campagna," 1873

George Inness, 1825 - 1894

"Medway, Massachusetts," 1869

George Inness, 1825 - 1894

"Woman Standing Near a Pond," 1880

Edward Mitchell Bannister, 1828 - 1901

"Olevano," 1856 - 1857

Albert Bierstadt, 1830 - 1902

"Nooning on the Platte," circa 1859

Albert Bierstadt, 1830 - 1902

"Jolly Flatboat Men in Port," 1857

George Calib Bingham, 1811 - 1879

"Landscape," 1845

Helen Matilda Kingman, 1830 - 1912

"George Washington," circa 1845

Rembrandt Peale, 1778 - 1860

"Thaddeus Burr," 1758 - 1760

John Singleton Copley, 1738 - 1815

Naturalized English

Native American Gallery

St. Louis Art Museum: Arts of Asia

 On the far end of the St. Louis Art Museum beyond the European art is a series of 10 galleries displaying examples of their Asian Art collection.  Mostly, ceramic works, and a gallery full of bronze pieces ceremonial, utilitarian and ornamental.  Here are some highlights.

"Siva Nataraja (Siva, King of Dancers)," 12th century

Artist/s Unknown

Indian - Chola Dynasty (circa 860 - 1279)

"Head of a Buddha," 4th century

Gandharan Artist/s

Indian - Kidarite Dynasty (3rd - 5th centuries)

"Red Rash," 1990

Sasayama Tadayasu, 1939 - 

Japanese

"Set of 5 Retangular Plates (Choho-zara)," 1999

Kakurezaki Ryuichi, 1950 -

Japanese

Rectangular Plate, DETAIL

"Covered Fresh Water Jar (mizusashi)

with Design of Marbled and Ridged Surfaces (neriage shinogi mizusashi)," 2014

Ogata Kamio, 1949 - 2022

Japanese

"Flask with Flattened Sides and Design of Fish and Flowers," 15th - 16th centuries

Artist/s Unknown

Korean

"Vessel in the Form of a Tapir," 16th - 17th centuries

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)

"Bactrian Camel," 8th century

Artist/s unknown

Chinese - Tang Dynasty (618 - 907)

"Bactrian Camel," DETAIL

"Vessel in the Form of a Bird Holding a Lobed Cup with Its Beak," 7th - 8th centuries

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Tang Dynasty (618 - 907)

"Pair of Covered Cups with Design of Lotus Petals," early-mid 10th century

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Five Dynasties Period (907 - 960)

"Ewer with Design of Floral Scrolls and Spout in Form of a Lion-Dog," 10th - 11th centuries

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Five Dynasty Period (907 - 960) or Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127)

"Vase with Design of Peonies and Butterflies," mid - late 18th century

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)

"Seated Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin), 11th century

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127)

"Votive Stella of Sakyamuni Buddha and Attendant Badhisattvas," 505

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Northern Wei Dynasty (386 - 534)

"Grain Vessel (gui) with Square Base, Design of Coiled Serpents, and Handles in the Form of Dragons," early 6th century

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 - 221 BCE)

"Ornament in the Form of a Coiled Snake," Late 11th - 10th century BCE

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Western Zhou Dynasty (1050 - 771 BCE)

"Covered Wine Vessel (fang lei) with Design of Zoomorphic Masks and Animal-Headed Handles,"

late 11th century BCE

Artist/s Unknown

Chinese - Western Zhou Dynasty (1050 - 771 BCE)