Karizma and the British Art

Karizma Schloss

My trip to the Yale Center for British Art was followed by a very busy day at work. A co-worker who overheard me speaking about my planned visit volunteered to come along with me. She informed me that she used to visit the Center frequently but hadn’t done so in a number of years and would enjoy a recent experience. She and I arrived and immediately went through our recollections of visiting the Center as children and commented to each other about the structure of the building. The Yale Center for British Art began construction in the City of New Haven in 1966 when Philanthropist Paul Mellon endowed the structure and various works of art. Architect Louis I. Kahn was responsible for the design of the Center, which houses four floors of artwork, and completed construction in 1974. The exterior is constructed of matte steel and reflective glass. Kahn created a geometric design for the building that makes use of natural materials and provides efficient application of natural lighting to highlight its contents. The Yale Center for British Art received the American Institute of Architects Twenty Five Year Award in 2004, signifying that the design has withstood its function over time. As a result of my visit I can attest to the continued modernity of the buildings architecture.

As I traveled to the fourth floor of the center I began to grow excited about what I would find. After perusing the sculpted busts I came upon a collection of oil paintings by various artists. My friend admires horses but I don’t share the interest and continued on to the next room to find various family portraits. I admired the colors and details on the faces of the family members and the detail of the room designs from each era represented. On to the next room I was stopped in my tracks and felt as though I were suddenly inside of a cave peering out to the bright sky. Cavern Near Naples, by Joseph Wright of Derby (1776) literally blew me away. The artist painted it large enough so when you stand in front of it you get the experience of being inside a cave. This photo doesn’t do justice to the detail of the rock and the use of lighting.

Further exploration of the gallery brought me into an area where I noticed this painting from the corner of my eye. I didn’t select it to focus on but I have to include some commentary because I was drawn to it from the complete other side of the room and I thought a woman was actually standing there. The painting is titled Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie of Studley Royal, Yorkshire by Thomas Hudson (1749). The details included in this painting are amazing. If you look at the dress up close you truly want to touch it an pull out the wrinkles from the skirt.

Though somewhat fascinated with Portrait of a Woman, I chose to focus on an oil painting on panel, about 24” x 36”, by Frederick Sandys titled Grace Rose (1866). Grace Rose is a portrait of the wife of Sir William Anderson Rose. The information provided about the painting mentions the use of Japanese artistic influence apparent in the background of the painting, which is an embellished screen that stands behind Grace. This particular painting was able to evoke an emotional response from me at first glance. I felt as though Grace was in a window arranging her flowers

to keep her mind off some other thing and I was walking by and could smell their fragrance.

I am in awe of the softness of the brush strokes that make all the elements in the picture appear so lifelike. Her hair looks like you can touch it and feel its softness, and her hands are painted with such detail you can see the veins in them, and her jewelry is almost three-dimensional. The colors and texture of the flowers make you immediately recall the last time you experienced floral fragrance in reality. There were numerous oil paintings in the gallery that were beautiful and the medium could be immediately identified. I selected this work by Sandys because it made me look very closely to make certain it was indeed an oil painting. There was truly no evidence of the brush being lifted from and returning to the panel. It is mentioned that this technique is similar to early Neverlandish and Pre-Raphaelite works, which I read were of great interest to Sandys during this timeframe of his career.

Anthony Frederick Sandys was born in Norwich, England in 1829. His father was an artist and painter who introduced him to various art mediums. At age 17 he attended the Norwich School of Design and was quickly recognized for his talents by the Society of Artists. His work was very popular in the 1850’s and 1860’s where he found himself commissioned by many, including those who lived the bohemian lifestyle. He embraced and adapted himself to this type of lifestyle and changed his name from Sands to Sandys. His caricature titled “A Nightmare” (1857) gave him fame with the Pre-Raphaelites, who were fixated on artistic revitalization. This movement inspired his future production of paintings suited for this style, which brought him further success. It is recorded that by the late 1860’s he engaged in gambling and heavy drinking, which may have contributed to his filing of bankruptcy in 1873, 1884, and 1899. Frederick Augustus (Sands) Sandys died in 1904.

Sources :

http://www.sandys.norfolk.gov.uk/fsbiog4.htm

http://www.artifact.com/artist/sandys-frederick-af5zn6twdk

http://www.ycba.yale.edu/information/info_architecture.html