On Friday we drove up to Brisbane to visit Picasso & His Collection at the Gallery of Modern Art. As it turned out Picasso himself wasn’t able to attend due to his being largely indisposed (chuckles)… but nonetheless we enjoyed High Tea without him in the Gallery Cafe before viewing the show.
High Tea!
This was an exhibition of Picasso’s personal collection “on tour” from the Musee National Picasso in Paris. It included not only Picasso’s own works but many important pieces acquired throughout his life from artist friends and colleagues… and included paintings, drawings and prints by artists such as Chardin, Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, Rousseau, Miró, Modigliani (just one) and Braque as well as a selection of Oceanic and African works.
Gallery Cafe @ GOMA Brisbane
Although exceptionally well put together I initially found it difficult to get excited about much of the art. However… as this was Picasso’s personal collection I tried my best to understand what might have compelled this man to collect these particular works.
The conclusion I came to was that the collection comprised works that had “meaning” for him… works by friends and colleagues who had shared the same time and place in history… and a common experience of life in early 20th century Paris. Once I reconciled this… I found a new appreciation.
I admire Picasso’s work but none of it has ever really moved me. Perhaps this could be perceived as some grave failure on my part… but I do know what I like! So for me… only one painting in the whole collection truly resonated. Interestingly… it was the only Modigliani in the collection.
Poorly reproduced here – this image bears little resemblance to the original
Modigliani’s “Seated Dark Haired Girl” (painted in 1918 two years before his untimely death and acquired by Picasso two years after it) literally sucked me in from across the room and held me spellbound.
So simply executed… so profoundly beautiful… so “achingly” human.
I have long admired Modigliani’s work… the big shapes… the deceptively simple execution… but never before had I so completely “got it”. The emotional content was palpable. Tears welled in my eyes. Odd that they did… for Modigliani wasn’t given to painting eyes! But in this painting there was something about them…
The story goes that when Jeanne Hebuterne (Modigliani’s beautiful companion and muse) asked him why he never painted her eyes… Modigliani enigmatically replied
“I will paint your eyes when I know your soul”
I wonder though if this really explains it. Why would a painter choose not to paint his sitter’s eyes? (especially when his earlier work proved him more than capable of doing so.
To me… there seems to have been a creeping cynicism in the artwork from around this time. And this exhibition showed it was not isolated to Modigliani’s work either.
For Modigliani… a potent combination of illness poverty and substance abuse had created a pervasive atmosphere of despair and competitive rivalry with his peers (in particular Picasso). He was reportedly burned out by this time in his career… and through the haze of substance abuse (perhaps) he grew tired and cynical… too tired to look his subjects in the eye… let alone look deeply into their souls!
I believe this is what makes this particular painting all the more extraordinary. It’s as though the artist dug “especially deep” to produce it. How amazing that a stranger might stand before it all these years later and feel the impact of that struggle!
I cast my eyes around the room searching the walls of perfectly rendered images that said… virtually nothing to me… and never before had I been so acutely aware that it matters not what subject the painter paints… nor how technically correct the rendering might be… nor how zealously or slavishly he or she pursues literal perfection, detail or correctness.
What matters most of all is that the work captures the soul of the subject and the spirit of the artist [within it]. When those two forces meet the earth moves and the heavens open up!
To me… that is what is essential. And in the end it’s the only thing that matters… and the only thing worth striving for.
Only rose petals left… (grin)
I should have liked it if Picasso and Modigliani could have joined us for tea (or perhaps in their case something just a tad stronger)… but nonetheless we ate all the sandwiches and cakes… drank copious quantities of coffee and tea and toasted those raucous heady days in the cafes of Montparnasse and the times that defined them all!
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I own two small Picasso sculptures produced in a limited edition. I have admired many of his paintings but I particularly like the designs he did of pots etc. And of course his monumental sculpture in Chicago. He descrided it as a woman. Chicagoans call it The Dog and I think of it as Pegasus.
Hi Roger. It looks like Picasso’s “bull” motif to me! It’s not really my cup of tea but then it doesn’t have to be… as long as ’someone somewhere’ loves it! (grin) He did create an enormous and extraordinary body of work over his lifetime though. This is probably the thing that astounds me the most… how one person could do all that!
I had my eye on that cold glass of white wine! [grin]
Excellent report, Jean. I only wish I could’ve been there, not just to see the paintings but to chat about them with you afterwards. I fell in love with Picasso when I was about 10 and was taken to the Museum of Modern Art in NY. Before we left I insisted on buying two small reproductions, one of “Girl Before a Mirror” and the other of a rooster. My mom had them framed for me and they hung in my bedroom for years. A few years later I was studying there at the museum and regularly dropped by to visit with the real thing.
Thanks John
I’m happy to report that the glass of champagne tasted as good as it looked! LOL
How wonderful that you were able to have such easy access to such a wonderful resource as MOMA… and from such an early age as well. Your mother must have been a very wise woman! It’s important for kids to have exposure to art music and theatre as early as possible. Such an enriching experience. Interestingly that it was E who poured for hours over the walls of historical detail recreating the timeline of Picasso’s career. I sat down exhausted at that point… (but then I guess by that time it could have just been caffeine withdrawal!) (((LOL)))
One day i hope to make it to MOMA… but for now shall have to content myself with the collections that reside here on this side of the lake… along with those that travel here from far flung places.
It’s interesting that this particular exhibition has only ever been shown before in Paris Munich and Barcelona… so it was quite a coup to have it come here to Queensland under the curatorial expertise of Anne Baldassari, Director, musée Picasso Paris as General Commissioner and Curator of the exhibition and Philippe Saunier, Curator, musée Picasso, Paris as the Curatorial Project Coordinator.
In this we have been artistically blessed!
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful at all… for it was (in fact) a beautifully curated exhibition which masterfully displayed the rich tapestry of detail hallmarking the lives of the artists and the circumstances surrounding each of the works.
It’s just that I have such a soft spot for Modi… and once my eyes latched onto that painting… all else was lost on me!
Hi Jean..many apologies for my tardiness here, its a matter of being able to sit and read and then write!
Picasso never really struck a chord with me either, only that he was one of a kind that certainly changed the perceptions of “art” and opened doors to future artists. Modi portrays deeper meaning for me too. My mother once painted a copy of a nude of his and then gave it to my brother (who loved it!). It was seeing this that brought my attention to what the artist was saying…or mores the point “feeling”. I think that it is such a special thing to be in a position to view the originals and soak up what ever there is that can be absorbed. I went to Norman Lindsays studio and home (many moons ago!) and was just totally spellbound with the whole experience of being “within” his world for just a short time.
No worries Jools… it’s a busy life we’re in and there’s not always time to “do it all”!
Yes… to give Picasso his due… he was an exceptional artist. But not only that… he was also smart. While other artists of the time languished about living a spartan existence… Picasso was able to bend and shape his work to meet the market… and managed to survive and thrive throughout a very long and successful career. Cubism was born out of this circumstance. How incredible (and ironic) that a period of such significance in art history… was founded entirely upon economic need!
I sometimes wonder if it was because of his immense suffering (sickness/poverty/addiction) that Modigliani was allowed the insight to make art of such profound emotional depth.
I think that his suffering certainly did come out through his art Jean. I am certainly not going to suggest that my art comes anywhere near his…but, it is because of my dark and gloomy days that I strive for colour and cheerfulness. Because I am not wanting to suffer anymore – I cheer myself up. Some artists would perhaps paint the mood that they are in, rather than trying to hide it or change it ..like me. Its strange what comes to mind when you are viewing art, wether you know the story or not – a “mood” usually pervades.
You do put your best foot forward Jools. And it shows in your paintings. It’s a credit to you that you are able to put everything aside and create such happy art!
And you’re right that some artists paint the mood (or pain) they’re in. One such famous artist was Frida Karlo. The congenital defects in her spine and subsequent injuries suffered in a tram crash early in her career were to eventually define her… not only as a person… but also as an artist. In one of her most famous paintings The Broken Column painted in 1944 she depicts herself with a column running through her spine and nails in her skin. I find some of her work difficult to look at even in reproductions. Her pain is so (excruciatingly) evident!
I watched a video about her not that long ago Jean (Called “Frida”) and yes she certainly did paint with much emotion and depicted her personal life through symbolism..I don’t know if I could do that. I would rather keep that part of my life personal, its a bit too hard for me to relive! But I do have admiration for those who can pour out their pain the way they do.
Thankyou Jean for your comment about my art…I do not know what I would do without it!!!!
The thing about Modigliani… the emotions he evokes in his paintings are, I feel sure, quite unconscious. It’s a subtle “state of being” that influences his work… rather than a deliberate purging of emotions (as in Kahlo’s work) I think that’s what is so appealing to me. It’s not so much the suffering we see… as the “effect” of that suffering upon the artist… who then paints with deeper insight.
I agree with you Jean. There is an essence of pain…but not the pain itself. To be able to weave that into a painting consciously or not is a skill, something that cannot be taught I think! To be able to capture any emotion with the flick of a sable brush is the talent. Is it the combination of the line with the colours used, or is it something much, much deeper than that? The connection made between artist and viewer surely has to be the sharing of intent. I mean, do you have to know the story of the artist to be able to pick up on the content of the topic? Or…perhaps the content is most obvious through the style….hmmmm, I think I shall have to go and ponder that one Jean..Lol!
Do you have to know the story of the artist? No I don’t think so. The ability to capture and convey feeling in a painting is both an acquired skill and an intuitive gift. Artists can learn the skill… but without the intuition cannot give the picture “life”. Modigliani captured feeling through gesture and body language… that’s why his portraits without eyes still work. We still get a sense of the person in the picture. But in Dark Haired Girl where he also captures the eyes… wow…
I guess then, Modiglianis work is a study of human nature rather than a study of human form? I like to think that my best work is work of something that I love and know well. Something that I have gazed upon and knew the lines in my head before I painted them. I like to paint “big” as I feel I am being more honest and the close up of what I have done makes the topic more enjoyable. I hope that my connection with any audience is to see much, much more than just a flower or a sunset. It was not until someone walked into my studio and stood gazing at the walls, then said “Wow, what a lovely place to be..you must be so happy when you come out here!” that I realised just what it was that I was creating. My pain was not being able to garden, but then it dawned on me that I still was!!!! My most favourite artist would have to be Monet…for me it is clear that he adored his garden as well as the countryside that he lived in. He painted what was in his heart.
I must have a closer look at Dark Haired Girl!
More snow again last night!!
Can’t even begin to imagine it Jools! LOL Our cold snap which lasted precisely one week is long gone and now summer’s rolling in fast. I sometimes think it would be nice to live somewhere that had (at least) a two week snap… (grin)
Aha Jean…snap is the word!! Claire and I had a snow fight and built a snow man this morning (Noodle copped a few snowballs too!! Lol) and now as I look out the window, I am watching even more snow clouds darkening the sky! Just stick your head in the freezer as it is pretty close to the same temperature as here!!! I am enjoying the snow…but cabin fever is a very real thing! To be “confined to barracks” is a very testing experience! My mother, after having lived in the tropics in New Guinea, has often said how much she enjoys having 4 distinct seasons…a change is as good as a holiday!
Perhaps Jean…you should pack some warm clothes and get yourself down here!!!
Warm clothes? What warm clothes… (((chuckles))) Gosh Jools… don’t know how I’d manage in cold like that… but maybe I will take you up on it and come for a visit. Might wait till high summer tho if that’s okay with you?
LOL
New Guinea is an interesting place. Where my family lived was almost on the equator… which should have made it hot… but because of the altitude it was actually quite cool. A beautiful climate really… all year round warm sunny days around 27C followed by an afternoon shower at 3 pm sharp.. and a cool evening to follow. (We had a fire place in the house up on the mountain and most nights we needed it). Two seasons… wet and dry… but I could never tell the difference… (kids aren’t generally interested in such things!) grin
Lol Jean..I don’t blame you! I do like to see the snow and watch the girls playing in it together, but I’m afraid the “novelty” has worn off for me! We are now in day 6 of snow – we had more last night, with more for today! It is FREEZING!!!!
I remember my mother telling me about the 3pm alarm clock…time to get the washing off the clothesline before it rained – every day! We lived in Port Moresby, Lae, Rabual and Mt Hagen. The things that Mother did not like were the rhinocerous beetles, the smell of sulphur, the earth tremors and the fact that she had blonde hair and the natives used to stare at her (it was between 1963 and 1968 that we were there.)! But she certainly loved the lifestyle. Another thing that pops into my mind with this topic is how she used to order a box of apples from Australia every now and then, as they were as rare as hens teeth up there! My father made himself a vegie garden, much to the disbelief of the locals…they warned him that the soil was just too fertile and the vegies would go to “seed”..they were right! He also bought a garden hose, but it did not last long as our ‘house boy’ at the time thought it was a snake and sliced it into pieces!!! It frightened the hell out of my mother when she learned that the family were moving to New Guinea, but..it ended up being the highlight of her life!
I think this was the experience of many expats in New Guinea, Jools. It was an adventure for sure…. but not always a welcome one in the beginning! But it proved to be an enchanted time… esp. for the kids who grew up there! Had to laugh about your houseboy cutting up the hose! LOL And your mention of rhinocerous beetles reminded me of the one that got ensnared in my hair (and had to be snipped out) on a roadtrip down to Lae… and the earth tremors… now they were fun (in a totally freaked out kind of way!) (((chuckles)))
Lol..there are lots of “freaky” things in PNG Jean!!! I had a tiny little Christmas beetle caught in my hair once ..and that was bad enough, but to have had a rhinocerous beetle would be the living end!!! Just the thought of it is chilling me to the bone!! Mum said she chased one around the house with a golf club once! Lol!!!! My mother would love to talk to you Jean!!!
That would be really nice Jools. We could swap “guria” stories! (((LOL)))
…”guria’s” being earth quakes… (for the unititiated! LOL)
Jean..she would be in “her” paradise once again! Gurias…I did wonder how that was spelt!!!
What was your family doing in PNG Jean? My father was the manager of “New Guinea Company”..hence the moving around from town to town.