A Few of our favorite Things

Each month, a staff member at the Florence Griswold Museum offers his or her thoughts on an intriguing item in the Museum's collection.

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Staff Favorites

David Rau Director of Education and Outreach Lilian Westcott Hale (1880-1963) Woman Resting, ca. 1942 Oil on canvas Gift of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company

One of my favorite objects in the Museum’s collection is "Woman Resting"
(ca. 1942) by Lilian Westcott Hale. I am happy that it is featured in
the current exhibition The Finishing Touch: Understanding the Techniques
of American Impressionist and Tonalist Painters on view through April 27th.
The painting shows a young woman with rosey cheeks lying atop a made bed.
Dressed in near black clothing and contorted into nap position, the woman is
in stark contrast to the bright yellow chenille bedspread and yellow walls.

As a young artist, Hale won a scholarship to study painting at the school of
the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She studied with Boston painter Philip
Hale whom she later married (and then surpassed in talent and prestige).
This real-life story reminds me of the Victorian novel "The Story of Avis"
(1877) by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps that I read in graduate school. In the
novel, the main character Avis (which is Latin for bird) has to struggle
between soaring as an artist or being caged with her domestic duties as wife
and mother. Likewise, Hale was celebrated with solo exhibitions and medals
from international expositions, but continued to can vegetables and make
jellies and jams for her family.

"Woman Resting" inspired me to try to create a "tableau vivant" or living
painting. I convinced Lisa Kenyon, my co-worker at the time, to be my
creative accomplice. On a stifling hot summer day we gathered our costumes
and props and crafted a comparable composition in my guest bedroom.

The Museum also owns "Agnes and Her Cat" (1917), a second painting by Lilian
Westcott Hale, depicting a girl with flowing black hair seated with a cat
upon her lap. This painting would be another great "tableau vivant," but I
would most likely substitute Maevis or Hector, one of my longhaired
dachshunds, for the cat, or I’d never hear the end of it!

Donna Carlson Assistant to the Director Star Block Quilt (82’ x 79.5”) Red & White Cotton Late 19th c. Donor & Maker Unknown

Last fall I had the great pleasure of helping decorate the Griswold House for the holiday season. This allowed me to spend some extended time in the Artist’s bedroom admiring and appreciating the antique quilt that covers the bed.  As I looked at the beauty and workmanship of this late 1800’s red and white star block quilt, I could not help wondering about the woman who created it. Though the maker is unknown, in my mind’s eye, I see her sitting in her workroom, planning the pattern and creating the templates, choosing the fabrics that she will use, carefully piecing the blocks and joining them together.   I see her sitting for hours, alone or with family or friends, stitching the layers together in her chosen design in order to make it strong and lasting as well as beautiful. Once finished, she folds it carefully preparing it to be wrapped, and with a smile, thinks about the person she has made it for.

Quilts to me are more than utilitarian; they are expressions of love, hope, and good wishes. It was common for a solider, during times of war, to carry into the battlefield the quilt that was made by his mother, sister, or wife, not only to keep him warm but also to remind him he has someone at home who cares for him and is waiting for his safe return.

They are commemorative, marking important events and personal accomplishments. Over time quilts have been used variously to express the maker’s political views, to address issues of social injustice, and to convey patriotic feelings.   Others were made to raise funds to further the causes of women and the poor. And they are works of art, allowing the artist to be creative using fabric as the canvas and the paint, and thread to create shadow and depth.  Quilts seem to have always been with us and each is as unique and individual as the person who made it.

Chris Kullstroem Fundraising Office Coordinator Arthur Heming (1870–1940) Aurora Borealis, 1906 Oil on canvas board Gift of Helen D. Perkins

 
Heming creates a breathtaking viewpoint of a wolf in the wild, his freedom
evident in his stature high on the mountain, the outstretched landscape
below him his vast territory. Despite the dazzling northern lights
overtaking the sky (and most of the painting), the wolf’s interest lies
solely on the men below and the dogs they have enslaved with harnesses and
whips for their own personal gain.
 
Barely visible, the sledders are a minimal focus in the painting, showing
how small people truly are in the world, but also their frightening power,
as each man bears control over roughly a dozen sled dogs. Comparing such
freedom of the wolf in all the beauty in nature to the seemingly civilized
lives of the men below makes a human’s exist appear trivial and, as forceful
as he is, out of touch with his surroundings.

Please Note: This painting is on view through July 1 , 2007 in the exhibition,
A Circle of Friends: The Artists of the Florence Griswold House.

Nicole Wholean Registrar Elizabeth Enders (b. 1939) Maine Series II, 1987 Watercolor on paper Gift of the artist

As someone who appreciates contemporary art I was thrilled to see Maine Series II by Elizabeth Enders enter the Museum’s collection last year.  For a short while this picture sat on the fireplace mantle, just outside my office.  I often use the space for cataloguing new additions to the collection. The eye-popping, bright blue color beckoned my attention throughout the day and I sometimes became distracted by its visually transporting quality.
I admire the depth of the blue, which is particularly rich for a watercolor.  Enders’ work is abstract with focus on nature and the rich colors and horizontal brushstrokes are evocative of the chilly Northern Atlantic.  I feel serenity when I look at this work and while the artist’s technique may seem effortless to some, I find beauty in its simplicity.

Lois Bordner Museum Shop Manager Henry Rankin Poore Beagle Hound

In my 20 plus years at the Museum, the collection has changed and grown and I’ve had the opportunity to have many favorite things. At one time, it was the Portrait of Elizabeth Perkins Ely, a grand portrait of a simple woman.  Also on my favorites list is the Portrait of Harlan Page, the wild haired man who is portrayed so full of passion that it looks as if his head might burst into flames. Until I started writing this, I didn’t realize that so many of my favorites were portraits. Today, Henry Rankin Poore’s Beagle Hound is my favorite work of art in the Museum’s collection.  It is a dignified, well-executed portrait of, well, a beagle. The expression on the dog’s face is so somber. The artist’s approach to the subject is so serious and utterly without irony. The surrounding frame is so sumptuous. It might as well be a portrait of a bank president or noted professor. I’m drawn to the picture because of my deep affection for animals, and I sense in the beagle a certain self-awareness as if he knows that sitting for one’s portrait is a serious occasion and that this is his shot at immortality. Beagle Hound makes me smile every time I look at it.

Please Note: This painting is on view in the Florence Griswold House

Shawn Savage Membership Coordinator Ivan Olinsky (1878-1962) Red-Headed Woman, circa 1918 Oil on canvas Gift of Leonore O. Miller, John L. Miller, and Richard H. Miller, the daughter and grandsons of the artist, 1999

Upon opening the doors of the Krieble Gallery, I cannot help but be intensely struck by the grace and vibrancy of Ivan Olinsky’s Red-Headed Woman.  My eye is drawn to her each time I pass through the gallery, whether I’m shuffling through on my way to the next appointment or taking a moment to step away form my office for a change of scenery; she always moves me. As an amateur artist myself who is fascinated by the human figure, I feel a personal connection to this painting on many levels.

On first impression, I appreciated this piece for its use of elements and principles of art -- A figure bathed in sunlight combined with rich hues of complementary reds and greens, creating an elegant movement across the canvas. The transparency of the curtain paired with the ivory tone of the woman’s skin is simply striking, offset by her fiery red locks and deep emerald skirt.  Upon closer examination, I am awestruck by Olinsky’s use of paint. How does he create such delicacy with his purposeful brushstrokes?  The empathy this piece evoked within me enriches my experience.  If you close your eyes, do you feel the warm sunlight on your back, too?

And lastly, as I walk away, I always wonder who this woman was -- the personal way in which she was captured on canvas suggests to me that there is more than meets the eye.  A little bit of mystery will stop me in my tracks each time she catches me passing by.
Please Note: This painting is on view through March 25, 2007 in the exhibition,
A Collective Endeavor: Three Decades of Acquisitions.

Tell Us Your Favorite

My favorite painting is Winter Evening by Leon Dabo in the Hartford Steam Boiler Collection. When I first saw Winter Evening at an exhibition a few years ago at the Florence Griswold Museum I was immediatley struck by its unique presence in the exhibition room. This luminious painting, full of light and color effects, conveyed a peacefull atmosphere, serene mood, and poetic vision. It still haunts me to this day. Brian M. Hunter, New York
Bathers at Griswold Beach is my favorite painting because of the way William Chadwick captured the beauty of the ocean and the elegance of the time period as well as the grace of the ladies at the beach. Angela Olsen
My favorite is Red-Headed Woman too. I agree with Shawn on the mysterious connection between the artist and the model. I find it to be very relaxing and pleasing to the eye. I am also partial to red-headed women because my sister has the same red hair and beautiful ivory skin. Vickie Michael, North Carolina