Cultural Activity

Student Name Assignment Three Museum Visit

HUM112

Dr. McGeehan

Date

Introduction

For this assignment, I went to the museum with my professor. It was a wonderful experience especially since I have not been to a museum for a long time and she was already a member. The museum we chose to explore was The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Because she was a member, I only had to pay $10 for the entrance fee which was a nice discount. When we first walked in, I was overwhelmed because I was excited and anxious to see all the different works of art. The exhibits we saw were Modern Times, Art Splash and Face to Face.

Face to Face

As I start to think back, I did not take any pictures in the Face to Face exhibit. This exhibit had so many people, I couldn’t and would not dare take my phone out because I probably would have dropped and broken it. It’s interesting to have seen so many people since all that was in the room were the artist's self-portraits and brief descriptions. But that is what amazed me, seeing that people still appreciate others and what they’ve done is extremely motivating to me. In our World Cultures textbook, the majority of what was read was filled with cruelty and hate which still goes on today but seeing us as individuals overcome the hatred and honor those in our past is nothing less than a miracle I was able to witness in person. If I were thinking, I could have taken a photo of the exhibit to express the appreciation of today’s society looking back at yesterday’s heartaches and pain.

Art Splash

The second exhibit was called Art Splash. The museum stated that it was an “imaginative play for kids and their grown-ups” which was suitable due to the beautiful vibrant colors and even still-life paintings of light. The two pictures I chose were of Charles Sheeler and Joseph Stella. The Swan, which was created around 1924, was a painting that caught my attention as soon as I entered the room. The energy was warm, welcoming and fun as the colors made the Modern painting come alive. He gives people a sense of hope in the era of the Italian Renaissance which is what many of them needed. In Art Splash, I also admired the painting of Joseph Stella, The Cactus, because I enjoy seeing him show the reflection of the lights in this painting. What really catches my attention is how there are reflections, but it doesn’t show where the light is coming from. If you investigate the picture, the stand-up light isn’t plugged in! He’s really making you use your imagination to figure out where the light is coming from because it doesn’t show light coming from the lamp above the cactus either. These two artists are taking you to different places; Sheeler is taking you to a fairyland while Stella has you in a magician’s house. These two paintings are full of life, and I loved looking at them. (Philadelphia Art Museum, 2)

Modern Times

The exhibit Modern Times was my all-time favorite! I am far from being an artist but to see what people can paint, sketch or draw is breathtaking. I was able to see some of the works of artists we talked about in our class, such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edouard Manet. While looking at the different paintings, I started to get confused because their still life paintings and portrait paintings were almost identical as if they were the same artist. Another artist who was in this era was Alfred-Emile-Leopold Stevens. His painting was called “Departing for the Promenade (Will You Go Out with Me, Fido?) I chose this picture because it holds the true signature of the 1800s, a lady with the hate and a dog. I still don’t understand why many artists place dogs in their paintings, but they all do it no matter what breed. (Philadelphia Art Museum, 2)

Pictures from Textbook

I chose this picture because of the beautiful glowing lights and tall buildings. It takes place in New York City and reminds me of the Harlem Renaissance. All you see are lights because it was such a fast pace environment at the time when everyone was trying to advance in their lives. But it also reminds me of life today; everyone is so focused on doing things they don’t have time to stop and enjoy the actual outcome of the issues they’ve resolved to make life easier. Happiness is attainable, but will you really stop to enjoy the moment?

The next two pictures I chose are of the “Prometheus” Vase and Horses at a Fountain. I admire the vase because of its detailed sleek structure. There is a lot of beauty in this piece and basically flawless. Though this piece was not created by the artists who were reviewed in the textbook, we learned of Prometheus through George Gordon, Percy Shelley, and Mary Shelley’s work. They were writers who told stories of Prometheus. Mary Shelley wrote a play called Prometheus Unbound which I find ironic because, in this piece, Prometheus is bound. Prometheus is at the top of the vase in chains along with his men on the sides of the vase to reenact the story of Zeus’ punishment when the eagle comes to eat his ribs every night, and they grow back the next day, just so he can have them eaten again and again; very harsh punishment. The other piece with the horses is by Eugene Delacroix. I chose this piece because it reminds me of another piece by Delacroix called Scenes from the Massacres at Chios on page 932. These pieces were made 30years apart, but they both remind me of the western movies. (Sayre, 1)

Other pieces of work

The next two photos were chosen because it seems whenever there are paintings, a piece of sadness is always involved. These two pieces show what a lot of artists went through in those times - depression. The Blue Devils represent all the negative thoughts that bothered the artists until it was too late. Thoughts of suicide and pain because there was not a lot of talk about being treated for bipolar conditions or anxiety. Many artists just had to deal with the life they were given with no help and no one to turn to for help. The other painting Swallowing a Pill represents the era people used opium without knowing the negative effects if mistaken or abused. There were many tragedies in that timeframe that would have been handled a lot differently if it were today. I cannot imagine living in those times without the advancement of medicine and technology we have today.

The final piece I have chosen is Red Port in Winter. I chose this piece because even though there were many artists with mental issues, there were also artists with hope. This piece reminds me of the end of autumn and beginning of winter based on the autumn colors of red, orange and brown and the snow on the ground. It gives a sense of tranquility because of the beauty of the snow, not too much where you must shovel and just enough to see the pure whiteness once the snow first falls. This is a piece I would hang in my home just to admire the peace it shows. (Philadelphia Art Museum, 2)

Conclusion

These pictures were chosen because they all spoke to me. I love every piece in this assignment because of its beauty, and most of it is surrealist. I understand this type of art the most because it shows everyday life and what people normally see. The other styles of art are more challenging for me to understand because I believe imagination is the key characteristic you need to fully appreciate those types of artwork, which I do not have. The trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art was worthwhile. I enjoyed seeing the many pieces of art by various artists.

Sources

1. Henry Sayre, 2015, The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change, 3rd ed. ed., vol. 2, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education

2. Philadelphia Art Museum (2018). Live visit and website information

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