I visited the New Britain Museum of American Art on Wednesday, April 13th with my mom. Our intention was to travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on this date but circumstances prohibited the long travel.
However, we enjoyed our visit to New Britain instead. We were given visitor passes that granted us free admission so I knew it was going to be a good day. It was rainso I really didn't get all the shots of the outside that I intended but I took one that I will post shortly. As soon as I entered I knew the piece I wanted to write about.
It's small sculpture that measures about twelve inches from tip to tip
but the size in no way takes away from its detail or impact. Interestingly I saw another edition of this at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. This bronze edition of 20, titled Flight of Night was sculpted in 1916 by Paul Howard Manship (1885-1966). He is an American sculptor who began his art school background at age 7 at the Institute of Art in St. Paul, Minnesota. While his schooling began in Minnesota he went on to further his artistic education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and honed his talents and earned a scholarship to attend The American Academy of Rome at age 24. It is recorded that this is where he developed his style with the influence of Ancient Greek sculpture. He is regarded for incorporating modern themes with classical sculpture. His defined style of streamlined forms is apparent in the work I've highlighted. Manship is responsible for many artistic expressions that range from gardens, exhibitions featured in the New York Zoological Park and the Prometheus Fountain in Rockefeller Center. Manship has been bestowed many awards for his creativity and artistic renditions, including the Helen Foster Barnett Prize from the National Academy of Design, the American Independent Artists Medal, the J. Sanford Saltus Medal of the American Numismatic Society, the Gold Medal of Philadelphia Art Week and many, many others. His ability to bring a polished finish to sculpture is what attracted me to Flight of Nigh and it was interesting to read abou this as a technique he mastered with precision.
However, we enjoyed our visit to New Britain instead. We were given visitor passes that granted us free admission so I knew it was going to be a good day. It was rainso I really didn't get all the shots of the outside that I intended but I took one that I will post shortly. As soon as I entered I knew the piece I wanted to write about.
It's small sculpture that measures about twelve inches from tip to tip
but the size in no way takes away from its detail or impact. Interestingly I saw another edition of this at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford. This bronze edition of 20, titled Flight of Night was sculpted in 1916 by Paul Howard Manship (1885-1966). He is an American sculptor who began his art school background at age 7 at the Institute of Art in St. Paul, Minnesota. While his schooling began in Minnesota he went on to further his artistic education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and honed his talents and earned a scholarship to attend The American Academy of Rome at age 24. It is recorded that this is where he developed his style with the influence of Ancient Greek sculpture. He is regarded for incorporating modern themes with classical sculpture. His defined style of streamlined forms is apparent in the work I've highlighted. Manship is responsible for many artistic expressions that range from gardens, exhibitions featured in the New York Zoological Park and the Prometheus Fountain in Rockefeller Center. Manship has been bestowed many awards for his creativity and artistic renditions, including the Helen Foster Barnett Prize from the National Academy of Design, the American Independent Artists Medal, the J. Sanford Saltus Medal of the American Numismatic Society, the Gold Medal of Philadelphia Art Week and many, many others. His ability to bring a polished finish to sculpture is what attracted me to Flight of Nigh and it was interesting to read abou this as a technique he mastered with precision. Around the bend in the center of the hall stood this bronze sculpture: 
Sioux Indian Buffalo Dance by Solon H. Borglum,created in 1902. As I admired it something further down the hall caught my eye. Blue and Beyond in glass by Dave Chihuly (2006) 
hangs suspended from the ceiling. It is inspired by the form of sea creatures and I absolutely appreciate that interpretation. Thomas Hart Benton has a section within the museum of wall murals that feature oversized oil paintings. I photographed two that I enjoyed. This is The Arts of Life in America: Indian Arts 1932.
And this one, also painted in 1932 titled The Art of Life in America: Art of the South.
It made me think of artwork that was depicted on the show Good Times painted by the character Jay-Jay. I must include this very unique project, The Gravity of Color (2008) by Lisa Hoke. 
Yes it is constructed totally from plastic and paper cups, with the use of paint and hardware. 
This was a favorite of moms so I had to include her photo, "Hi Mom!"
It was very interesting to view this oil on canvas painting of West Rock in New Haven from 1849 by 
Frederic Edwin Church. The ability to make historical comparisons is just one aspect of art appreciation. Isamu Noguchi's The Balance Stone (1978) was also 
a piece I contemplated researching 
further to highlight. The close of our visit ends with my photograph of the Thinker by David Aronson (1964-1968).
Again we can see the artist technique of creating a gloss finish on bronze art. The New Britain Musuem of America is a modern building with a modern scuplture on the exterior that I could not gain details on due to weather
. The museum is housed within a stone mansion, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, endowed to the original Culturual Center for expansion of the art display in 1934. The design of the mansion was transformed and opened to the public in 1937 for art viewing. The exterior stones have a nice finish and as you walk in you're greeted by the large modern sculpture where outdoor seating is available. The building definitely put me in the frame of mind for the art that I experienced on the inside.
Sioux Indian Buffalo Dance by Solon H. Borglum,created in 1902. As I admired it something further down the hall caught my eye. Blue and Beyond in glass by Dave Chihuly (2006) 
hangs suspended from the ceiling. It is inspired by the form of sea creatures and I absolutely appreciate that interpretation. Thomas Hart Benton has a section within the museum of wall murals that feature oversized oil paintings. I photographed two that I enjoyed. This is The Arts of Life in America: Indian Arts 1932.
And this one, also painted in 1932 titled The Art of Life in America: Art of the South.
It made me think of artwork that was depicted on the show Good Times painted by the character Jay-Jay. I must include this very unique project, The Gravity of Color (2008) by Lisa Hoke. 
Yes it is constructed totally from plastic and paper cups, with the use of paint and hardware. 
This was a favorite of moms so I had to include her photo, "Hi Mom!"
It was very interesting to view this oil on canvas painting of West Rock in New Haven from 1849 by 
Frederic Edwin Church. The ability to make historical comparisons is just one aspect of art appreciation. Isamu Noguchi's The Balance Stone (1978) was also 
a piece I contemplated researching 
further to highlight. The close of our visit ends with my photograph of the Thinker by David Aronson (1964-1968).
Again we can see the artist technique of creating a gloss finish on bronze art. The New Britain Musuem of America is a modern building with a modern scuplture on the exterior that I could not gain details on due to weather
. The museum is housed within a stone mansion, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, endowed to the original Culturual Center for expansion of the art display in 1934. The design of the mansion was transformed and opened to the public in 1937 for art viewing. The exterior stones have a nice finish and as you walk in you're greeted by the large modern sculpture where outdoor seating is available. The building definitely put me in the frame of mind for the art that I experienced on the inside.Sources:
IAN CHILVERS. "Manship, Paul." A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Art. 1999. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/105-ManshipPaul.html
Art Paul Howard Mandship Biography. National Museum of Wildlife Art. Retrieved from http://www.wildlifeart.org/Artists/ArtistDetails/index.php?aID=251.
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