Government Bureau (1956) by George Tooker
Why does George Tooker’s painting Government Bureau creep me out?
– Anonymous features, faces and figures
– Porthole windows for communications
– Fluorescent lighting, beige carpet, and a grey void
Cathedrals of Art by Florine Stettheimer
What makes Cathedrals of Art by Florine Stettheimer such an iconic painting?
– Monster in the middle
– Stettheimer as cultural iconoclast
– Bouquets as trademark – an outsider inside
Max Beckmann’s The Beginning
What’s the story behind Max Beckmann’s The Beginning?
– Chaos and control in the living room
– Puss in Boots takes one for the team
– Future fantasies behind a window
Black and Brown Blouse by Alex Katz
Why does the simple portrait Black and Brown Blouse by Alex Katz make me want to cry?
– Flat canvas full of feelings
– The unconscious pull of deep relationships
– A proprietary technique stays relevant
Joan of Arc (1879) by Jules Bastien-Lepage
Why did Jules Bastien-Lepage paint Joan of Arc in 1879?
– 400 years later – Joan of Arc became a hero
– The 100 years war parallels the Franco-Prussian war
– A saint in the backyard … surrounded by angel messengers
Stationary Figure (1973) by Philip Guston
What makes Philip Guston’s painting Stationary Figure a masterpiece?
– Passage of time and imminent death
– A child’s drawing… of pooling blood
– Preposterous solidity in a puff of smoke