We made two visits to the Met Museum this month. The first was to see the very large and comprehensive exhibit of Winslow Homer’s work. A New Englander by birth, Homer (1836-1910) lived in Boston and then in 1859 moved to New York. Although associated rightfully with his portrayals of the sea, his work was much more than that. He captured returning soldiers from the Civil War, both Black and white, and showed women at work or enjoying a day at the beach. Added to that are his luminous watercolors depicting scenes from his trips to the Bahamas, Florida, and other islands. It’s a wonderful exhibit!
On our second visit, the Chief Penguin re-visited the Homer exhibit and spent time in the Annenberg Wing admiring the simply marvelous collection of Impressionist paintings. I missed seeing the first part of the Costume Institute’s fashion exhibit for 2021 but decided to tour this year’s part two which is housed in the American Wing.
I had never spent any time in this section, but it consists of a series of period rooms from the early 19th century to the 1950’s. For this exhibit, various curators have dressed manikins in fashions related to the rooms’ furnishings from Shaker Retiring Room to Richmond parlor to 20th century ballroom. This is not as showy exhibit as some of those of previous years, but interesting, nonetheless. With the right inclination, one could spend a fair bit of time reading all the information about the setting of the room itself and then the fashion-related labels.
Shaker Woman, early 1800’s
High style in the 1950’s
Note: Header photo is Winslow Homer’s Oranges on a Branch, 1885. Photos by JWFarrington.
Roughly every two years since 1932, the Whitney has presented a survey of contemporary American art. This year’s exhibit occupies two floors of the museum and includes more women than some years and, overall, a very diverse set of artists. Viewing the exhibit, one might ask, what makes something art? Here is sculpture, painting, film, and all sorts of strange and exotic arrangements. One floor is white-walled and quite bright. The other floor is black throughout and very dark.
Detail of Row Houses…by Rick Lowe
Lots of the works did not appeal to me either aesthetically or otherwise, but I think that is part of the point—pushing beyond what many of us expect. There were striking pieces like the representation of a woman standing in a sea of spent bullet shells or whimsical ones like the Palm Orchard of yellow trunked palm trees with colored spikes. Here are a couple examples.
Thanks to my friend, Patricia, I got onto this compelling 6-part series. Based on a novel by Sarah Vaughan, it’s the account of a British cabinet minister facing trial for a rape charge brought by an associate with whom he had an affair. James Whitehouse, the politician, is handsome and polished with a picture-perfect family—his blond wife Sophie and two young children. The attorneys are both women, Angela Regan, for the defense and Kate Woodcroft, very precise and measured as the prosecutor. What is truth? In the courtroom and in life? And what constitutes a definition of rape?
How each of these principals, James, Sophie, and Kate, handles the unfolding scandal and recalls their past histories, provides plenty of fuel for this gripping drama. Michelle Dockery of Downton Abbey is the impressive Ms. Woodcroft. For mature audiences. Recommended!
A British spy on the outs with MI6 decamps to Umbria for her niece’s wedding. No stranger to intrigue, Sylvia Fox suspects trouble with the fiancé and gets herself embroiled in a complicated criminal case. Emilia Fox (who starred in the chef restaurant series, Delicious) is masterful as a former spy who finds herself settling into village life midst family and new friends.
The beautiful Italian scenery is as much a character as are Sylvia’s sister Isabel, her brother-in-law Matteo, niece Alice, and the regional police chief, Giovanni Riva. Each of the three episodes (only three, alas) is an hour and a half. The pacing is somewhat leisurely, and there is a warmth and delight to the interrelationships. Crime yes, but lots of local color too. Highly recommended!
WOMEN WARRIORS IN THE AIR
A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
Jacqueline Winspear has now churned out (although they don’t feel churned at all) seventeen Maisie Dobbs mysteries. This latest one features Jo Hardy, a WWII female pilot who ferried fighter planes and other aircraft to where they were needed. It was a dangerous exercise and not for those lacking in daring do. When Jo approaches Maisie about an unsuccessful shot at her plane and another tragic incident, Maisie swoops into action. A soldier is missing and there is a plot to harm First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Her sidekick Billy provides reliable assistance, and her family and friends, along with new husband Mark Scott, play their familiar roles. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest adventure with Maisie.
Note: All photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
The Red Studio is a fascinating exhibit. Seeing Matisse’s painting of his studio with the deep red background and then seeing many of the actual paintings and other works depicted there right in the MOMA gallery was somewhat mind-blowing. The explanations (they were more than just labels) provided the locale for each work and some details on what Matisse was looking at or doing in the art. It’s one of the best art exhibits I’ve been to in a long time. Sheer pleasure!
Cyclamen, 1911
Large Red Interior, 1948
The Blue Window, 1913
EASY READING
The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor–the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown
If you want all the juicy details of the past twenty years of the British royal family, then Tina Brown’s latest work is for you. In The Palace Papers, no one, except perhaps the Queen herself, is left unscathed. Many readers will be very familiar with Princess Diana’s history, but this book provides much in the way of backstories on Camilla, Prince Andrew, Prince William, and Kate, and more about Prince Harry and Meghan than has appeared in the American press.
As a Brit and someone who has covered and spent time with some of these royals, Brown is overall fair and balanced in her account. It’s a long book, but I was quickly immersed in it for several days.
This three-part historical series is about another scandalous divorce, this one that of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. Margaret Campbell was Duke Ian Campbell’s third wife. Their marriage was a tumultuous one to say the least. Margaret liked the company of men, lots of men, and may have had affairs with many of them. Ian was volatile, physically aggressive, short of cash, and probably also adulterous.
The real Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll (National Portrait Gallery)
Their divorce trial in 1963 was a scandal more for what it revealed, or at least presented as truth, about Margaret Campbell. Neither character is likable, but Claire Foy is excellent as the wife and a far cry from who she was as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown.
Note: Photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is Matisse’s Still Life with Geraniums.
After our abbreviated visit in December, we’re back in Manhattan for several weeks. Being here this time of year is a tradition, and we always anticipate the colorful tulips along Park Avenue, in Jefferson Garden, and in small beds encircling sidewalk trees. Despite cold and extremely windy weather, there were tulips in bloom, and even some that hadn’t yet been blown apart. And we spied some bright daffodils. It felt more like brisk March than almost May, making me very grateful for my down jacket and several layers of fleece.
Daffodils on a Manhattan street
Our first night’s dinner is always at Sel et Poivre, a cozy French restaurant on Lexington. The Chief Penguin orders his favorite Manhattan (we are in Manhattan after all) and I a glass of Chardonnay. The prix fixe menu is still a good deal, and he went for the green bean salad, roast chicken, and, of course, profiteroles. This time I opted for simplicity with the chicken paillard accompanied by dressed greens and fries. Then I tacked on a scoop of raspberry sorbet with chocolate sauce! This was the perfect ending to a trip that began in 80+ Sarasota and ended in chilly New York.
HOLBEIN: AN ART LOLLIPOP
Erasmus of Rotterdam
One of the several current exhibits at the Morgan Library is Holbein the Younger’s works and it’s appropriately called, Capturing Character. Hans Holbein excelled at expressive portraits of noted figures of the day such as Erasmus. He also painted merchants, members of the Hanseatic League, and other upper-class men and women. Active in the early 1500’s, he also produced drawings for early books, images for jewelry, and rondels for society’s elite.
Two of Holbein’s contemporaries are also included, Jan Gossaert and Quentin Metsys. The real treat for me was seeing up close Holbein’s portrait of Sir Thomas More, previously viewed at the Frick Collection, but from a greater distance. Here, one really appreciates Holbein’s depiction of facial expression and the rich colors of clothing and drapery.
Simon George by Holbein ca. 1535-40
FASCINATING NOVEL: THE SHAPE OF DNA
Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
Marie Benedict specializes in historical fiction about under-appreciated and overlooked talented women. This latest novel, Her Hidden Genius, is a fascinating account of scientist Rosalind Franklin’s career. She leaves her job studying the properties of coal in an English lab for a position in Paris. There she gains high praise and respect for her skill and aptitude in using X-ray crystallography to see patterns and shapes others don’t. Her parents don’t fully understand or appreciate her chosen path of career instead of marriage and, partly due to their pressure, she returns to her native England.
Suffice it to say that this British lab is very male and highly competitive. The work she now undertakes on the structure of DNA puts her in contention with Watson and Crick. Benedict’s novel paints a picture not only of scientific rivalries, but also of the dismissive and discriminative treatment of women during the 1950’s. Only years after her death did Dr. Franklin begin to get the recognition she deserved. A good read!
