Last Call: Caspar David Friedrich at the Met, closing Sunday, May 11; "Superfine" Red Carpet Today at 6 pm

Caspar David Friedich, Wonderer Among the Fog, c. 1817

All eyes are on the Metropolitan Museum's red carpet this evening as their annual Gala showcases the most creative and often outrageous couture on the face of the planet.  This year's Costume Institute's exhibition is called Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.  You may not be present, but you can watch the event from the comfort of your home, live-streamed from the Met's website, beginning at 6 pm ET.

When the Met reopens tomorrow, only members will have access to the show. The general public can visit Superfine from May 10 through October 26, 2025.

However, for the rest of this week you are more than welcome to visit the unique experience of Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul in Nature, located in the galleries near the Greek vases, closing this Sunday, May 11th at 5:30 pm.  I have visited twice and intend to go once more before this rare CDF opportunity fades away. 

Caspar David Friedich, Self-Portrait, 1800

Georg Friedrich Kersting, Caspar David Friedrich in His Studio, 1811

I discovered Caspar David Friedrich in Albert Boime's graduate course on 19th century art almost 50 years ago  His theme for this segment of the curriculum was melancholy and the moon.  We studied numerous artworks that featured a full moon or a phase of the moon, which Prof. Boime described as the way people understood their "passions" (what we call our moods or psychology).  I am writing this post on Monday. the Moon's Day or Luna's Day, the second day of the week according to most calendars. The word "lunatic" comes from the notion that the moon brings about the darker side of our nature.  We fear strange and dangerous circumstances might arrive during a full moon. People in CDF's day thought melancholy was triggered by the phases of the moon. 

Caspar David Friedrich, Moonrise over the Sea, 1822

In these paintings, we see CDF's meditation on the moon's attributes - its dreaminess, its radiance, and its mystery.  The moon may seem ominous, proof of Mother Nature's power over us, her most vulnerable creations.  Romanticism emphasized the overwhelming influence of Mother Nature on the environment and the source of our individual natures, our personalities, and the lack of control we might have over both of them.  The previous movement, The Age of Reason (aka The Enlightenment) believed that studying and adhering to God's Laws would make our existence better and better.  Case in point: The US Constitution.  Well, the Romantics decided that humans could not wrangle Mother Nature. We're unpredictable and weird. Hence the popularity of the Gothic novels Frankenstein by Mary Shelly (1818), Dracula by Bram Stroker (1897), and the many creepy short stories by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).

Caspar David Friedich,, Two Men Contemplate the Moon, 1825-30 (Met Museum)

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Caspar David Friedrich, Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon, 1824

My favorite CDF in this exhibition is Monk By the Sea, where a tiny spiritual being stands alone within the vastness of nature laid out before him. There is the open sea and the limitless sky. His puniness seems to represent us, minuscule and fragile within a universe far greater than we can ever imagine, even today with all our sophisticated telescopes.  And yet, as the curators have insisted in their tour, CDF's work returns again and again to his meditation on nature as he experienced it. Through his eyes and dedication to details, we feel "the sublime," a sense of greatness, extraordinary beauty, and occasionally, terror or dread in the face of it all.  

Caspar David Friedrich, Monk By the Sea, 1808-10

The key to understanding and appreciating Caspar David Friedrich's paintings and drawings is to accept the invitation from the artist to become his companion within a specific landscape. He is sharing his viewpoint and his feelings about what he sees  The figures whose backs are toward the viewer indicate you belong to this space where they stand or sit gazing at nature in awe,  meditating on the capriciousness of Mother Nature herself.  These Rückenfiguren have their backs toward us as if we were standing behind them or arriving on the scene to stand right next to them on the bluff or at the window to bear witness with them. Together we commune as only mere mortals can in the presence of eternity.

Caspar David Friedrich, Woman at a Window, 1822

Caspar David Friedrich, Woman Before the Rise or Setting Sun, 1818-24

Unfortunately, my favorite CDF is not in the show, which caused a great deal of melancholy once I realized the curators did not include this magnificent work of art. Sea of Ice is the star of my lesson on Romanticism. In the wake of the cool, controlled certainty of the Neoclassical movement, we see Mother Nature triumph over the temerity of humans invading her most challenging region, the Arctic.  Its original name was The Polar Sea.  We can imagine the icy wind, subzero temperature, and terrifying fear visited upon those who perished in this tragic scene. It is monstrous and arrestingly beautiful at the same time - arguably, Caspar David Friedrich's most successful expression of the Sublime.

Caspar David Friedrich, Sea of Ice, 1823-4

(not in this exhibition)

So - hurry to the Met before the Caspar David Friedrich exhibition closes on Sunday, May 11th.

And, please save some energy for the new Sargent in Paris (closing on August 3rd).

Happy Spring-Summer Art Season - it's only just begun . . . .

Beth

Beth Gersh-Nesic, PhD

Director/Owner

New York Arts Exchange, LLC

"Zing!" Loft Artists Association Spring Exhibition Opens on Saturday, April 26, at 4-6 pm; Artists Talk on May 2nd at 2 pm

 Dear Friends,

It's been a pleasure and an honor to serve as the juror for "Zing! Expressing Joy and Positivity Through Art."  

Thank you so much, Emi Subotovsky, a New York Arts Exchange member, and Soledad Bence, both Loft Artists Association members and co-chairs for this year's Spring Juried Exhibition, for inviting me to jury this show. It's been fabulous to work with you!

Please join me today, Saturday, April 26, from 4 - 6 pm at Loft Artists Association's opening for "Zing!"   

And/or on Saturday, May 10th, for the Artists Walk and Talk at 2 pm.

Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 1 - 4 pm, through June 8th.

Loft Artists Association, 575 Pacific Street, Stamford, CT

I look forward to seeing you there!

Warm wishes,

Beth

Beth S. Gersh-Nesic, PhD

Director/Owner, New York Arts Exchange, LLC

 

Happy Passover and Easter! Happy Spring!

 Dear Friends,

Claude Monet, Bouquet of Mallows 1880

Wishing you and your families a very happy and healthy Passover and Easter, and a glorious Spring!

With love and hugs,

Beth and the New York Arts Exchange

Last Call: Barbie at MAD through Sunday, March 16th

Dear Friends,

Are you ready for a few hours of pure joy?  If so, rush over to the Museum of Art and Design off Columbus Circle before 6:00 pm on Sunday evening to stroll down Memory Lane with our American sweetheart Barbie. More than a review of this iconic doll's history and cultural impact, this dazzling exhibition offers a mini-history of the fashion trends over the last 65 years. 

Here is a review written by art historian Carol Ochman that is excellent - lots of photographs and insight.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend - 

Love and hugs,

Beth

Last Call: Orphism at the Guggenheim closes Sunday, March 9th

 

Robert Delaunay, Simultaneous Contrasts: Sun and Moon, 1912-13

Museum of Modern Art, NYC

Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910-1930, the Guggenheim's mammoth effort to explain the movement Orphism to a general audience will close on Sunday, March 9, 2025.  Most of the reviews have been unflattering. It's a messy show for the novice.  The New York Times, ArtNews, Hyperallergic, etc. seem to agree that this "ambitious" show is about a movement that "never" or "hardly" existed. And yet, the name came into existence when the poet/art critic Guillaume Apollinaire invented his Cubist categories in his essays and subsequent book The Cubist Painters (Paris: Falguière, 1913).  Apollinaire called this tendency "Orphic Cubism," tying together the artists Robert Delaunay, Fernand Léger, Francis Picabia, and Marcel Duchamp. Among these four artists, only Robert Delaunay and his wife Sonia Delaunay deserve full recognition as Orphists. Frantisek Kupka was a close friend and ally of the Delaunays, often considered a full-fledged Orphist, but he rejected being classified under this label. His exploration of color and "thought-forms," gleaned from theosophy, most likely influenced the Delaunays rather than the other way around. Meanwhile, Léger, Picabia, and Duchamp belong to the Cubist criteria of structure and space ordering the composition.  Orphism (aka Simultaneous Contrasts) concentrates on tonal vibration and luminosity generated by juxtapositions, form, texture of the brushstroke, and intensity of the hue. 

Sonia Delaunay in her Simultaneous Dress, 1913

But what is in a name, William Shakespeare asked?  If we follow Roland Barthes and his acolytes, you know that to name is to bring a thing or a concept into existence. Therefore, regardless of what our contemporary art critics say, Orphism existed and continues to exist for those who understand the Delaunays' and Apollinaire's criteria. The burden of proof became the raison d'être of the current Guggenheim show.

Sonia Delaunay, Poster for Dubonnet, 1914

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reine Sofia, Madrid

The name "Orphism" appears in Apollinaire's article "Modern Painting," published in the February 1913 issue of the German art journal Der Sturm (February 1913).  Here Apollinaire wrote: "Delaunay believed that if a simple color really determines the complement, it does so not by breaking up light into its components but by evoking all the colors of the prism at once. This tendency can be called orphism. . . . [a] dramatic movement in art and poetry . . . ":  Apollinaire then goes on to name the artists whose work exemplifies this "sensibility": Fernand Léger and Francis Picabia. He continues:  "The most interesting German painters also instinctively belong to this movement: Kandinsky, Marc, Meidner, Macke, Jawlensky, Munter, Otto Freundlich, etc." (translated by Susan Rubin Suleiman in Apollinaire on Art: Essays and Review, 1902-1918, edited by Leroy C. Breunig, DaCapo Paperback, 1988, p. 270).

Fernand Léger, The Smokers, 1911-12

The Guggenheim Museum

In an earlier article, "Reality, Pure Painting," published in Der Sturm (December 1912), Apollinaire enthusiastically praised Delaunay's art and quoted the artist himself:  "Simultaneous contrast ensures the dynamism of colors and their construction in the painting; it is the most powerful means to express reality." That is to say the reality of colors in our world (especially the modern world) and the reality of the paint itself, its material properties. Occasionally, images of modern life, such as the Eiffel Tour, airplanes, and electricity make cameo appearances as they blend into the abstract elements of the compositions.

Francis Picabia, Edtaonisl (Ecclesiastic). 1913

The Art Institute of Chicago

Given this perspective of Orphism, we can talk about what the exhibition accomplishes and what it does not.  On the whole, it's vast (casting a wide net for its thesis), and yet it falls short, missing an opportunity to follow Robert Delaunay's dictum and Apollinaire interpretation through focused curation and installations.  Notice the title of Delaunay's painting, featured in the first room of the Guggenheim exhibition: Simultaneous Contrasts: Sun and Moon.  This painting alone offers a coherent understanding of Apollinaire's "Orphism," a specific kind of Cubism that calls attention to the properties of color within a celestial setting.  It's a signal to consider the spiritual as well as the physical.   

Frantiszek Kupka, Discs of Newton, Study for a Fugue in Two Colors, 1911

Czech Center Museum, Prague

The curators' choices and juxtapositions may not articulate these criteria effectively.  Nevertheless, the exhibition introduces you to dozens of paintings and a few Alexander Archipenko sculptures that generate their respective joyfulness through their color and form. On that score, it's a satisfying show for most visitors. However, the curators' title and thesis Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910-1930 oftentimes put together works that don't help each other at all or muddy the waters.  I would have installed the Delaunays together to demonstrate their individuality as well as their commonalities. I would have exhibited more of Kupka's work chronologically together in a mini-retrospective of his oeuvre.  The introduction to French chemist Michel-Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889) and his influence on the Neo-Impressionists (aka Pointillists) at the beginning of the exhibition makes sense. Hurray for that!  

Morgan Russell, Cosmic Synchromy, 1913-14

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

And then there are the misfires, such as the Synchromists Morgan Russell and Stanton MacDonald-Wright who invented and promoted their own movement that emerged parallel to the Orphists' efforts.  Apollinaire called Morgan Russell "vaguely orphic" in 1913. but Russell and his fellow American Stanton MacDonald-Wright did not acknowledge the Delaunays and Kupka as their influence. Gail Levin, in her Whitney Museum catalogue Synchronism and American Color Abstraction 1919-1925 (1978) claims that Russell and MacDonald-Wright "actually developed their intense interest in color theory and its application in the classes of Percyval Tudor-Hart at his school of painting in Paris, which they attended during 1911-13." (p. 14)

Chevreul's Chromatic Circle, 1861

At least, if you know nothing about Synchromism before you enter the Guggenheim's Orphism show, you'll certainly benefit from an ample introduction by the time you leave the show. The last tier of the ramp is loaded with Russell and MacDonald-Wright.  Tired as you might be at this point, try not to tune out. These lovely symphonies of color are what Apollinaire meant by his reference to Orpheus, the Thracian poet, musician, and husband to the ill-fated Eurydice, who died twice: once from the poison of a snake bite and again when Orpheus, who tried to retrieve her from Hades, turned back to look at her too soon, thus failing to follow the rules to save her. She was supposed to exit completely from Hades before he could gaze upon her once more. The Sun god Apollo gave Orpheus a golden lyre and with this gift, the mortal bard enchanted beasts and birds with his songs.  Orphism, coined by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki, who also gave himself a classically inspired sobriquet Guillaume Apollinaire, imagines this combination of abstract color and form achieves a purity similar to the immateriality of music. Orphism was, in Apollinaire's opinion, the visual manifestation of harmonious sound. 

Neo-Impressionist 

Paul Signac, Portrait of Félix Fénéon: 

Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, 1890. Museum of Modern Art, NYC 

Was Orphism really a movement?  Yes, it was real for Apollinaire. And, thanks to his art criticism, we must acknowledge its existence within the highly diverse and complicated Cubist movement. Moreover, we must remember that most artists do not self-consciously create an art movement.  Rather, the artists accept the repetitious use of one art critic's spontaneous quip which eventually enters into the art history lexicon. These snide remarks brought us the names Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism, among others. By naming a recognizable, stylistic effort, the notion of a coherent movement organizes the experience of viewing and talking about art. 

With that thought in mind, beware! Not all the works of art in the Guggenheim exhibition Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910–1930 are bona fide Orphism. But don't trust me. Go see for yourself by March 9th!

Artists Opportunity: "Zing! : Positivity in Art," The Loft Artists Association Annual Spring Juried Exhibition - I am the juror :)

 

CALL FOR ARTISTS ANNUAL SPRING JURIED EXHIBITION Beth Gersh Nešić, visiting juror, seeks traditional and unusual artworks that are inspired by positive energy, and celebrate joy, excitement, and humor. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS APRIL 6, 2025 MORE INFORMATION AND SUBMIT Visit our Website

Loft Artists Association | 575 Pacific Street | Stamford, CT

Berthe Weill Exhibition at Grey Art Museum - a conversation with co-curator Lynn Gumpert on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 4 pm ET

 

A conversation with Lynn Gumpert, Director of the Grey Art Gallery and Co-Curator of Make Way for Berthe Weill, and Beth Gersh-Nesic, on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 4 pm ET, 1 pm PT, 2pm MT, 3 pm CT, 9 pm UK time, 10 pm France

Hosted by the AFUSA on Zoom. Registration here

Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde, currently at the Grey Art Museum, New York University (through March 1st), shines a bright spotlight on an unsung hero who believed in the emerging artists of the early 20th century, even when she earned very little for her efforts. Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Fernand Léger, Diego Rivera, and Raul Dufy are among the best-known artists in this exhibition. However, there are many lesser-known artists among the 110 paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures, as well as photographs, catalogs, and other archival material illustrating her life and gallery.  This homage to Berthe Weill (1865-1951) also reintroduces numerous gifted women artists: Suzanne Valadon, Emilie Charmy, Jacqueline Marval, and Hermione David, among many others. 

A conversation with co-curator Lynn Gumpert, Director of the Grey Art Museum, and art historian Beth Gersh-Nesic, will shed light on Berthe Weill's biography, the artists included in the exhibition, and the fascinating backstory for this show, which took over a decade of dedication from a brilliant team of women arts professionals. The exhibition will be on view at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art from May through September 2025, and then in Paris at the Musée de l'Orangerie, from October 2025 through January 2026. 

Lynn Gumpert

Museum director, curator, administrator, and art historian, Lynn Gumpert has overseen and organized exhibitions on four continents. For more than 25 years, she has served as Director of New York University’s Grey Art Museum, formerly known as the Grey Art Gallery. During her tenure, the Grey has presented over 75 exhibitions. Among them are: Americans in Paris: Artists Working in Post-War France, 1946-1962 (March-July 2024); Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s 1980s (2020); The Beautiful Brain: The Drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (2018); and The Downtown Show: The New York Art Scene, 1974–1984 (2006). Gumpert received a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MA in art history from the University of Michigan. The French government honored Gumpert with the distinction of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1999.

Beth S. Gersh-Nesic

Art historian, Beth Gersh-Nesic is the Director of the New York Arts Exchange, an arts education service, and she is a staff writer with Bonjour Paris, an online arts and culture magazine.  Her books and articles focus on Picasso, the School of Paris, women artists, and the poet/art critic André Salmon, who wrote about several artists on view in the Berthe Weill exhibition at the Grey.  Her translations of Salmon's books include André Salmon on French Modern Art (Cambridge University Press, 2005), and Pablo Picasso, André Salmon and “Young French Painting” (Za Mir Press, 2022). She recently retired from teaching undergraduate and graduate art history courses.

To register for this Zoom event click here , as a friend of the speaker.

Berthe Weill image credits: * Émilie Charmy, Portrait of Berthe Weill, 1910-1914, in the exhibition “Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde.”Credit: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Alberto Ricci; Photo by MMFA, Julie Ciot