Nov 5
Norman Rockwell, “Triple Self Portrait”, 1960 (Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA)
It’s the beginning of November and time for the monthly ArtSmart Roundtable in which several art history-loving travelers post on a theme. You can see links at the bottom to the other posts in the group. I’ve always loved portraiture, but for November’s ArtSmart Roundtable on art genre’s, I am going to focus on a special kind of portrait – the self-portrait.
I should preface this by saying I really did try an learn some Turkish before visiting Istanbul and the western coast. I had some language podcasts and a phrase book. There were times when that was great, times when the basics and hand gestures were enough and a couple times when conversation wasn’t even needed but I still felt like I was following story. This is one example of the latter.
Happy Halloween! New England seems to decorate for the Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving really well – maybe it has something to do with our close proximity to Salem and Plymouth. I particularly like these pumpkin-headed scarecrows in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The entire downtown is decorated with these 8 feet tall, black clad, wiry fellows. They’re spooky but not very much, since some of them are dressed in old black concert tees.
Oct 25
While in Maine, we hiked through Bradbury Mountain State Park. The trails were incredibly well marked and mildly to moderately difficult depending on which legs and loops you choose to take. It was such a gorgeous, clear day – perfect for being outside which you can hopefully see from the pictures below. I had so much fun hiking in the woods that I entirely skipped the outlet shopping haven of Freeport just 6 miles away. (Like I said, it was a gorgeous day!)
Recently, I took some time to explore Southern Maine. Besides great fall foliage, hiking and lobster (which were all also part of my trip!), the state is known for its majestic lighthouses. I was able to visit a few including the beautiful one at Cape Elizabeth outside Portland. This lighthouse in particular may already be familiar to lovers of American art.
American realist painter Edward Hopper (1882-1967) may best be known for his psychological urban scenes (like Nighthawks and Chop Suey) but he also painted lovely landscapes. Over the course of nine summers between 1914 and 1929 spent in Maine, he produced numerous oil sketches and watercolors exploring the coastline and its small villages. These soft and calm images seem somewhat incongruous with what I encountered in Maine where the coastal environment was rocky, rough and stark.
Do you think this is this Montana, Arizona or in fact Rockland, Maine? – Edward Hopper, Lime Rock Quarry II, 1926, watercolor, private collection
Daydream Tourist 