Woman with a Crow

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)
Woman with a Crow, 1904
Charcoal, pastel, and watercolor on paper
Toledo Museum of Art 1936.4
Check out the TMA link above, I can't like to the work itself so check under Works on Paper.

I'm back! By both request and need (I really missed this). I do hope I can keep it up! Thanks so much to those who follow the blog and let me know how much they enjoy it. That is exactly what I hoped for when I started it. Yay!

The TMA has an endless array of incredible works of art. Normally I wouldn't be one to pull out a Picasso as being one of the best. Yes, yes too typical I often feel. I adored Picasso when I was in high school, but quickly realized that it wasn't such a stretch to be a fan of Picasso and I distanced myself while I learned and fell in love with a greater world of art. I've come back a bit and discovered so much more than the cubist paintings I spent so much of looking on.

The thing that is incredible about artists like Picasso is their artistic range. Picasso went through many periods in both his art and the world of art he was a part of. This gorgeous drawing/watercolor was made when he was only 23 during what is now considered his blue period (noting not only the more melancholy feeling of the work but also the predominant use of the color). I've seen many a Picasso over the years, but this easily ranks up there as a favorite.

Lonely Ones

To mennesker. De ensomme (Two Human Beings. The Lonely Ones), 1899
Edvard Munch (1864-1944)
Woodcut
Image and owner: Museum of Modern Art

I think this is my first repetition of an artist (See Munch) I discovered this wonderful woodcut today. A bit moody, a bit sad, I still find the image beautiful. The mood of the image is perfectly equal to Munch's preoccupation with dark themes in direct opposition to Impressionism. Munch, through simple forms (most specifically in his prints), creates strong emotions and attachment to basic themes such as love, death and anxiety.

The woodcut lends itself to a "cutting out" of the figures, similar to a jigsaw puzzle. Each is solidly their own as if they could be plucked out of the landscape. This, along with the moody desolation of the landscape, and the very specific space between them enhances the stark contrast between the land and the water. The image remains seamless where we still see two human beings in one moment despite their separation. Munch reused elements of his works, like the woman in this print. We also see her in the lithograph, Young Girl on the Shore, 1896.

I had a recommendation for a theme week of art recently. If there is anything that you would like to learn more about and discover more of (a movement, period of time, type of media, subject matter...) please leave me a comment, or email at alisonlilith@gmail.com. Don't forget to take advantage of the tags at the bottom of each post to see previously posted art that is connected to what you are looking at.

Construction

Wall Painting (Night), 2008
Bruce Robbins
acrylic, resin on jute on panel
84 x 84 in.

I was drawn to Robbins work (discovered in a current catalog at work) by its construction and color. His earlier work focuses on actual physical construction of works from pieces of walls to form a new grid. He later on ventured into creating these construction through a painting process. Buildings are still his primary subject matter. The dimension in the work cannot be scene in this digital image, but consider the materials used, acrylic, resin and jute, with resin becoming glossy and thick, and jute potentially adding texture to the work.

Check out the full range of this artist's work, each area of creation and production informing the other.