Saturday, August 31, 2024

Breakfast: Homemade Frittata Bites and Fresh Eastern Shore Maryland Peaches with Greek Yogurt

Of course, it's Saturday so spending time with some of the NYTimes puzzles is as essential as the food!
If someone would have told just how amazing (and honestly sensual) an experience the Peaches and Yogurt was going to be, I might just have doubled it and skipped making the Frittata Bites!

Monday, August 26, 2024

My Little Garden Zoo: The Ungulates

 Sometimes referenced at the "hoofstock," I chose ungulate because my post includes members of the family Camilidae which do not, in fact, have hooves.  Of these sturdy four-legged beauties, I have many more species than I can present and so try to rotate at least some of the lesser known varieties in and out from year to year.  Enjoy!

THE AMERICAS

ALPACA
Lama pacos

AMERICAN BISON
Bison bison

PRONGHORN ANTELOPE
Antilocapra americana

Not on display: Caribou, Elk, Moose, Mule Dear, Musk Oxen, White-tailed Deer

EUROPE

Not on display: Moose, Red Deer, Reindeer

AFRICA

GEMSBOK
Oryx gazella

OKAPI
Okapi johnstoni

PLAINS ZEBRA
Equus quagga burchellii

RETICULATED GIRAFFE
Giraffa reticulata

THOMSON'S GAZELLE
Eudorcas thomsonii

Not on display: Addra Gazelle, Blue Wildebeest, Common Eland, Eastern Mountain Bongo, Hirola, Impala, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck

ASIA

BACTRIAN CAMEL
Camelus bactrianus

CHIRU [Tibetan Antelope]
Pantholops hodgsonii

DROMEDARY CAMEL
Camelus dromedarius

MARKHOR
Capra falconeri

NILGAI
Boselaphus tragocamelus

PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE
Eguus ferus przewalskii

SAIGA ANTELOPE
Saiga tartarica

Not on display: Himalayan Tahr, Scimitar Oryx, Yak

Thursday, August 22, 2024

Philadelphia Museum of Art: European Art 1850 - 1900 (Impressionism)

 My final stop at the Phila- delphia Museum of Art was the collection of galleries on the second floor dedicated to European Art from 1850 to 1900 (Impressionism).  Lots of new works rotated in from last long ago visits back in 2009 and 2012.  Here are some highlights, images that caught my attention and with which I spent extra time.  Enjoy!
 
BARBARO AFTER THE HUNT
circa 1858
Rosa Bonheur, 1822 - 1899

BASKET OF FRUIT
circa 1864
Edouard Manet, 1832 - 1883

STUDY OF THREE HEADS
circa 1870
Henri Regnault, 1843 - 1871


HIGHWAY OF COMBES-LA-VILLE
1873
Giovanni Boldini, 1842 - 1931

MOORING LINES, THE EFFECT OF SNOW AT SAINT-CLOUD
1879
Alfred Sisley, 1839 - 1899

YOUNG GIRL WITH BASKET
1892
Berthe Morisot, 1841 - 1895


THE MEAL
1899
Edouard Vuillard, 1868 - 1940

THE MERRY JESTERS
1906
Henri Rousseau, 1844 - 1910

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Philadelphia Museum of Art: American Art 1850 - 1950: 10 Views +2 from American Art 1650 - 1850

 Once I'd finished touring the Special Exhibition: "Mary Cassatt At Work," I had to decide how to spend my limited time (approximately 2 hours).  My first Choice was the nearby section of galleries featuring American Art from 1850 to 1950, and then tagged on the rest of American Art in galleries featuring works created between 1650 to 1850.

With so many amazing works of art to consider, I just let myself adhere to images and objects that caught my eye and then spent extended time considering them and their connection to me.  The first ten are from the second floor galleries, and then I tag on two more from the first floor galleries.

A COMING STORM
1863
Sanford Gifford, 1823 - 1880

There is a concept within landscape painting that was uniquely elevated by the Hudson School of Landscape artists.  It's known as the "sublime".  It is a quiet, grandeur, a sense of greatness that inspires awe.  Sometimes it's the result of the overwhelming scale and/or exoticism of the subject matter.  Sometimes it's captured in a sense of mystery and foreboding.  You know it, when you see it.  Of all the works I know by this personally favored artist, I see it, and I know it more in this painting than in any others of his oeuvre.

ORCHIDS IN THE JUNGLE
circa 1870
Martin James Heade, 1819 - 1904

VALLEY OF CADORE, ITALY
1873
George Inness, 1825 - 1894

STILL LIFE FOR NATHAN FOLWELL
1878
William Michael Harnett, 1848 - 1892

This painting, typical of this artist's subject matter, was so exquisitely rendered with such fine details.  I had to just highlight a few.



PROFESSIONALS AT REHEARSAL
1883
Thomas Eakins, 1844 - 1916

HUNTSMAN AND DOGS
1891
Winslow Homer, 1836 - 1910

THE ANNUNCIATION
1898
Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1859 - 1937

Henry Ossawa Tanner is one of my favorite American Artists, and this is his masterwork in my opinion.  There is so much to consider.  The utter humility expressed in the portrayal of Mary--and yet, she projects a purity of faith wrapped in innocence.  But the most amazing aspect is the Holy Spirit.  Not a form like those of god we see everywhere as the old silver-bearded European.  Instead, Tanner paints the Holy Spirit as simply Light.  It's revolutionary.

PERTAINING TO YACHTS AND YACHTING
1922
Charles Sheeler, 1883 - 1965

Sheeler is one of the Great American Regionalism Artists. Painters who reflected in their work the essence of their geographical origins.  He is deeply well known for his industrial geometric paintings, as well as some amazing interior drawings Shaker simple in their composition.  This work was like NOTHING I'd ever seen by Sheeler before.  I was gobsmacked by the combination of geometric forms and shading to accentuate multi-dimensionality.  The color palate, the movement, the forms everything just sings to me.

JAM SESSION
1943
Claude Clark, 1915 - 2001

PORTRAIT OF JAMES BALDWIN
1945
Beauford Delaney, 1901 - 1979

An excellent choice for public viewing on the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the Greatest American Novelists, Essayists and Intellects: James Baldwin (1924 - 1987)

From the second floor, I went to the first floor to check out the Cafe.  I was hoping to eat at the museum.  Unfortunately, the Cafe was booked.  I looked at the self-serve offerings and eschewed that option when weighing the price point versus quality.  I'm sure the museum feels it can charge above market rate prices because there are no other options; however, you always have the option to say, "No, Thank you."

From there I visited the other American Art galleries featuring works from 1650 to 1850.  Here's my "plus 2" selections.

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
circa 1750
anonymous (painted in Peru)

There is this whole arena of Spanish-American art with religious intentions that was created by European immigrants from Chile to New Mexico and everywhere Spain planted its colonial foot.  It is largely ignored when contextualized within the traditional oeuvre of American Art.  I was blissfully ignorant of this until I visited the Denver Museum of Art back in 2017.  It was a revelation!  Seeing this work in these galleries at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was so affirming.

PEACHES COVERED WITH A HANKERCHIEF
1819
Raphaelle Peale, 1774 - 1825