Alfred Stevens at The Clark Museum

Last weekend, when I was home, I went to see the collection of art at The Clark Museum up in Williamstown, MA (the town where Williams College is). The art was amazing, but one artist in particular really struck me. Alfred Stevens was an amazing Belgian painter from the mid 1800s. At first the paintings seemed like your typical portraits of beautiful women in beautiful dresses, but if you look closer there is something different about each woman. Some of them have a look of regret, some of loss, some of insecurity. Take a look at some of the ones I like the best.

The Blue Dress.
This dress is obviously gorgeous but you look closer and see so many things in this painting: the tiny footstool peaking out from under the dress, how in her haste, the woman has only taken off one glove to read this letter, and in person how beautiful and delicate that screen is behind her.

Pleasant Letter
Another painting of women reading a letter which was a popular subject of the time. I especially love the screen in the background and then the lacquer chest off to the left.

Summer
What a pretty pink dress. This painting is from a series that Stevens did called The Four Seasons. They are installed in a round shaped room in the Clark Museum which used to be a house.

Winter
Another beautiful woman from the series of four paintings. Such an elegant pose as we see this woman looking at herself in a similarly elegant full length mirror. I love the lighting in this painting too and the wall paper.

Hesitation
Hesitation? Why? I love how each of these have a narrative that makes you want to know more about the woman. What is her story? Doesn't she have everything? The colors in these paintings are also very beautiful. They don't come across as strongly in the Internet, which is a bummer. Anyway, the colors are brilliant and very deep. I'd love to have a door like that in my house someday.

I was also drawn (obviously) to the beautifully rendered interiors spaces. I was surprised that the artist took such care in this and I found out through some reading that his father was an interior designer(though other sources say that he was just an artist). No wonder I had such a strange fascination to this painter. If you're ever in the area, I would highly recommend going to the Clark Museum. Sterling and Francine Clark had such a grand and extensive collection of paintings.


Alicia B.

Paul Philp

Vase No. 1

About two years ago, I attended a small art show at one of my favorite to the trade antiques stores on Manhattan, Dillingham & Co. The artist who was featured was a ceramicist, Paul Philp. I was immediately impressed with his work, which is ceramic vessels and sculptures. Paul Philp is a Welsh artist born in 1941. In doing a search on him he is also selling via his gallery, Hedge, on 1st Dibs! If you're lucky enough to live in California, Hedge is in San Francisco and you should definitely take a look at his work in person, as an image could never do as well as the real thing.

Chalice No. 41

Sculpture No. 42

Vessel No. 22

Sculpture No. 2

What do you think? I really love the neutral colors of the pieces at first glance but if you look closer they are so dynamic and have little bits of other colors in them. I also love how the shapes are so smooth and beautiful, but the surface has more of a rough texture. Interesting juxtaposition, YAH??

Alicia B.

Hanging vs. Leaning.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when you see a beautiful or even not so beautiful art propped up against a wall instead of hanging. To me, it takes away from the value of the art to have it casually sitting there rather than displayed up on the wall. I know it has been a big trend and I see it everywhere but finally yesterday I was validated on this sentiment by designer Keith Irvine! There was an article about him (he's 80 and still amazing!) in the New York Times yesterday and he said, "the modern habit of propping pictures against the wall. It's A, sort of pretentious and B, tentative." GOOD POINT Mr Irvine! I think the fact that it's "tentative" makes me feel unsettled and unfinished.

On the other side of this, people enjoy the temporary aspect of leaning the art. It can be seen as casual and you are able to move it about. Derek Larson says, "Leaning art feels effortless and casual. And it makes it easy to rotate pieces in your collection."

In Domino, the art is hanging and leaning. I do like the gallery style on the back wall though--look how low those pictures are!

Living etc. A framed poster (inexpensive art!) is propped on this mantle.

Adore this white washed brick but one of these pictures is being blocked!

Leaning art on the floor. I don't feel well.

Bravo on committing! From Domino.

Even if you're going for a less formal look, you can still hang the art! This is from a Robin Bell house in House Beautiful.

We all know how I feel. What are your thoughts?

Alicia B.

More Etsy Sellers

Yes, I'm obsessed with Etsy. This seller that I saw on More Ways to Waste Time blog is so amazing. The store is http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=15595 here. She uses embroidery in her prints. LOVE.

Grasses and Shells, 5 x 7 $10

Red Coral, 8 x 10 $20

Shells and Dunes, 5 x 7 $10

Also there is this kinda cute shop GoGoAbigail http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5042068 I love the little brass section all vintage and i love brass and the way it ages. She also has a blog which i adore http://gogoabigail.com/blog/

Brass Duck $10

I'm sorry but who doesn't need a brass duck? SO CUTE.

Lion Paperweight, $15

I love how feisty this lion is too.

More to come later on today...

Alicia B.