My trip to the Bruce Museum

Angela Thigpen
AH 251
March 7, 2009
Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum is located in Greenwich, Connecticut, and was a private home until the early 1900s when Robert Bruce the owner willed the home to the Town of Greenwich with the stipulation that it be made available to the public, and used as a Natural History and Art Museum. The Museum is set upon a hill, and has a very tranquil yet distinguished atmosphere.
Visiting the Bruce Museum in Greenwich gave me an opportunity to ponder many things as I viewed the environmental, historical, and modern exhibits: As I viewed the environmental exhibits I was able to appreciate earth and all the beauty and resources that were created for each inhabitant, not only man, but animals and those living in the air and sea. I also came to comprehend in greater depth how truly connected and dependent we are upon each other. Planet earth is about 4.55 billion years old, and man is in a sense the preserver or keeper of earth. The earth is filled with countless minerals and natural resources, many of which were on display. I also viewed the taxidermy exhibit featuring a red fox, American eagle, and beaver, just to name a few and learned how they lived and occupied the beautiful landscape. There was one of the first typewriters on display, as well as apparatus cobblers used to make shoes.
I also viewed a private collection of Modern Art, and was impressed with the exhibits: the first display was a sculpture entitled the Cement Worker by Duane Hanson, 1925-1996. Hanson was an American sculptor who held a degree in Art from Macalaster College in St. Paul, MN, and a MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Hanson moved to West Germany in the early 1950s, and taught Art, and later relocated to Munich working as a sculptor in many media outlets. The medium was polyester and fiberglass, poly-chromed in oil with accessories. The Cement Worker was about the height of the average man, and was dressed like the typical man in the early 1970s in blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and natural hair, and appeared to be leaving the construction site after a long work day.
The next Modern exhibit was entitled the New Barbarians by Tim Noble and Sue Webster; Noble 1966, Webster 1967. Noble was born in Stroud UK, and Webster was born in Leicester UK. Both artists hold Degrees in Fine Art from Nottingham Polytechnic, and met while studying there. Noble and Webster are life partners as well as professional partners. The sculpture New Barbarians is a self portrait of the artists as Neanderthals. Although this couple appears naked and shorter than the average man and woman there was much talent and skill placed in this amazing work of art. The medium is fiberglass and translucent resin. The naked couple appear oblivious and without fear: the male and female’s facial features; eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are perfectly crafted. The skin appears lifelike, the veins appearing in the arms, the fingers and toes, rib cage and navel, breast and nipples, penis and scrotum. This display left me in awe.
The center of the Bruce Museum displayed the Setting the Stage: Twentieth Century Theater Model winning exhibits. The model that I was able to photograph was Mario Sala’s set model for Carmen, 1914, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, made of paper and mixed media. The winning selections chosen for display, and are used to help plan and design the stage for Broadway plays. Mario Sala was born in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1965, and currently works and resides there.

Photos of my trip to Wadsworth Atheneum

Angela Thigpen
AH 251
Wadsworth Atheneum


I visited the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, and had an extremely fascinating experience. There was a variety of artwork on display, especially historical in nature; such as a handwritten letter written by Abraham Lincoln on his thoughts about slavery and the Civil War, and many pieces furniture dating back a few centuries. There was also a beautiful oil on canvas of the The Charter Oak by Charles de Wolf Brownell this tree housed the Connecticut Charter hidden by Joseph Wadsworth, a descendant of one of the founder’s of the Wadsworth Atheneum, which was stored in the hollow part of the tree for safe keeping from the British government. I chose to focus on two pieces of art; the first is an oil on canvas by Frederick Lord Leighton entitled Hercules Wrestling with Death for the Body of Alcestis. The second is another oil on canvas by Salvador Dali entitled Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach.
Frederick Leighton (1830-1896) was an English painter and learned how to draw when he was a young boy while in Rome. His family decided that he would become an artist, unlike his father and grandfather before him who were physicians. He started painting pictures at 18, and by 19 was studying in Paris and within a few months started taking art more seriously after it was discovered that he was a talented artist. Although Leighton was German he favored Italian art. As he progressed in his skill, he was not arrogant and was always willing to help his fellow artists no matter how inexperienced or seasoned they were. Leighton traveled throughout Europe, and was well liked and received by all that he met. As Leighton traveled he made sketches and paintings journaling all of his travels, similar to what one would do with a camera today, and decorated his home studio. Leighton was well recognized and highly honored; he became a Baron in 1886, and held many other prestigious honors before his death in 1896.
Leighton created many sacred paintings; one of which is a stunning painting entitled Hercules Wrestling with Death for the body of Alcestis: this classical art tells a lot about the artist, and displays Leighton’s skill and high quality elegance; the details of this painting leaves you in awe. The rich colors are beautiful – I never thought a painting could speak, but this depiction is voluminous! You can feel the movement and force as Hercules in muscular masculine form strong and brave wrestles with the dark dismal death angel. The muscle and perfect form of Hercules’ body exhibits his strength and courage. As they struggle Hercules refuses to allow death to win. There is a lion which I believe also symbolizes force and strength. The grip of death the dark winged dismal angel is fighting back against Hercules. The mourners shield themselves from the force are arrayed in soft pastels, the rich blue sea in the background, the white clouds displayed in the sky, Alcetis arrayed in her white resting garment, adorned with incense and myrrh. The white bearded older man protecting one of the women. The detail placed on the mourners from their garments to their facial expressions and hair is absolutely awesome.
The intertwining of scared beauty and spiritual force is amazing, this painting makes one believe that anything is possible, even defeating death. This quality creation speaks volumes about the creator/artist Leighton.
The second painting I chose is another oil on canvas by Salvador Dali (1904-1989), entitled Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach. Dali was born in Northern Spain, and also like Leighton started drawing at a very early age. Dali studied art at the Royal Academy of Art in Madrid, but was expelled on several occasions and never completed art school. Dali traveled to Paris as a young man and met other painters and started to focus on the impression and surreal form of art. Dali focused on the unconscious form of art; surrealism or things that one would dream about, and this is depicted in the Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach.
Dali was friends Alfred Hitchcock, and I can understand how they would have things in common, they seemed to think alike. Dali stopped painting surreal art, and started painting historical art. He was stricken with palsy in his later years and was forced to stop painting altogether. He is also the only known artist to have two museums dedicated solely to his work while alive, and two museums are named after him: The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida and in Figueres, Spain. Dali lived in the tower of his art museum and also died in his museum in 1989.
As I approached the oil on canvas painting, my initial thought was this is a confusing display, but as I looked over the painting I was able to relate: everything is displayed in color, and you immediately see two eyes, a nose and mouth, and then you see a fruit bowl filled with olive colored pears. I also saw the side view of a dog one eye, nose, and mouth. The dog is wearing a collar which is also a bridge. The horizon is beautifully displayed in the background with white clouds and a mountain to the right. There is a naked man holding an object in his hand, and a broken rope and piece of clothing on the sand, probably belonging to the man. Although things appear confusing, I was able to comprehend this piece of art because this is what happens when one dreams; one’s collections of thoughts don’t always make sense. This also answers the question that many ask; do we dream in color? I believe we do.