Church hats

Church hat are common place when you visit any African American church which is rich with history.

Such a celebration of culture and history.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0385500866

Who is Janet Yellen?

Government is something someone should always be mindful of. The new Federal Chair of the Federal Reserve is Janet Yellen. Let's find out a little more about her.

http://www.biography.com/people/janet-yellen-21362135

French Novelist George Sand

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ro-Sc/Sand-George.html

http://www.biography.com/people/george-sand-9470791

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/books/review/Mallon.t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Who is George Sand?

Piano lessons always lead to interesting topic to talk about. Frederick Chopin female companion who many say was a better piano player than Chopin was George Sand. She wore men's clothes and went by a the George Sand.

http://www.michael-lunts.co.uk/georgesand.htm

Calligrapher Tuesday: Karen McMannon

http://karenmcmannon.com

What elements contribute the Federal Period?

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fede/hd_fede.htm

What exactly was the Hudson River Valley School?

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hurs/hd_hurs.htm

Badminton Cabinet

My research about Thomas Gainsborough, lead me to an interesting story about one of most expensive objects of furniture made in history. The Badminton chest was commissioned by 3rd Duke of Beaufort. The Badminton cabinet was owned by one family till the 20th century.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56502-2004Dec10.html

Frida Kahlo Private Wardrobe Gives Insight about the Artist

After many years of being closed up behind locked doors, access to Frida Kahlo personal items has been granted. 

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/uncovering-clues-in-frida-kahlos-private-wardrobe/

What is a Betty lamp?

Before innovation in lighting, the Betty lamp used a iron or brass base and put animal fat trim in the container to burn and use as the source of lighting. 18th and 19th century lighting history is interesting and truly tells the story of those who came before us.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-betty-lamp.htm

Did Bob Evans' Sausage come first or the Restaurant?

Meal time in the Kristof household sometimes interesting questions emerge,  which are to fun to not share. This morning the amazing taste of Bob Evans's sausage caused such a question.
Which came first, Bob Evans's sausage or the restaurant?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Evans_(restaurateur)

Art of Boxing and George Bellows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3OmAaasGnA

Civil War Saturdays at the Taft Museum of Art

Conservation of Lincoln Courting Couch by the Conservation Center: Lincoln Art Association

Imagine what it would take to conserve the couch which Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln sat on when they were dating in 1830's.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962800909/restore-the-lincoln-courting-couch?re

19th Century African American Photographer: James Presley Ball

Did you know the Museum Center Library and Archives houses a collection of photographs from 19th century photographer James P. Ball?

http://library.cincymuseum.org/ball/jpball.htm

Black Women's Think Tank

I will be giving a presentation about collecting decorative arts at the Black Women's Think Tank next month.

If you are interesting follow the link.

http://www.sinclair.edu/corpcomm/ties/thinktank/

January 2014 Ikebana floral arrangement

I have been studying Japanese floral arranging for three years. Enjoy the January arrangement. I love the contrast between the white mums and the the berries.

Point Breeze and Joseph Bonaparte

When Napoleon was in exile away from France, his relatives left France also. Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's older brother, moved to America. Follow the link for more information about Point Breeze, the home of Joseph Bonaparte.

http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/biographies/c_joseph.htmlhttp://www.napoleon-series.org/research/biographies/c_joseph.html

Allan Edson

Another Canadian painter in which Robert S. Duncanson taught is Aaron Allan Edson.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/m/article/aaron-allan-edson/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/m/article/aaron-allan-edson/

Otto Reinhold Jacobi

Robert S. Duncanson during the Civil War went to Canada and he taught and influenced a whole generation of Canadian landscape painters. One of the painters in Canada in which Robert S. Duncanson influenced is Otto Reinhold Jacobi.

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/jacobi_otto_reinhold_13E.html

Louis Guerineau Myers

I attend Winterthur Institute in 2011 and was very fortunate to have access to all the correspondence between Louis G Myers and Henry DuPont. For those who are unsure who Louis G Myers, he is the furniture collector in which Taft Museum of Art brought a larger group of furniture from his estate. Henry DuPont also has some of his furniture at Winterthur as well.

Enclosed is a picture of the phone message given to Henry DuPont regarding Louis G Myers' death.

The Wymans and Baldwin Piano

The research to find out more information about the previous owners of our piano was one in which the true person who helped the resource was Mrs. Wyman. After join the Multicultural Awarness Council for the Symphony, I soon found out that Mrs. Wyman served as Chair of the Symphony Volunteer Organization.

From the Indian Hill Bulletin 10/7/11 

Among the illustrious families who lived in Indian Hill for decades were the Philip Wymans. Their large farm at (then) 8450 Shawnee Run Road encompassed all of current day Wyman Lane and Miralake Drive. Mr. Wyman, Vice- President of the Baldwin Piano Company, and his wife Frances Perin Wyman were widely known socially and in civic circles in Cincinnati and New York City. Mrs. Wyman was an enthusiastic horsewoman. Mr. Wyman was devoted to the musical world and became President of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1933. Their farm was named Sleepy Hollow. Known to many as Uncle Phil and Aunt Fran, the Wymans gave memorable large parties for the Symphony Orchestra and guests, and used their large lawn as a parking lot.

, 

Alison Saar

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/arts/saar.html

Calligraphy Tuesday: Holly Monroe

Every Tuesday, I will be posting information about calligraphers in Cincinnati.

I will start with a cruise that is happening this summer with local calligrapher, Holly Monroe.

http://www.hollymonroe.com/portfolio.php

June 21-28 Holly Monroe is hosting a Cruise to Alaska

http://www.hollymonroe.com/classes.php?p=cru

What is a netsuke?

Some objects of decorative arts are from a time that is different then now. Netsukes are such an item. These objects of art interesting and each one is very unique. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictonary this is what a netsuke is. 

Netsuke

Pronunciation: \ˈnets-(ˌ)kā, -kē, -kealso ˈnet-sü-\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural netsuke ornetsukes

Etymology: Japanese

Date: 1876

: a small and often intricately carved toggle (as of wood or ivory) used to fasten a small container to a kimono sash.

Who would think an object which holds a small container to a kimono could be so interesting.

Edmund De Waal wrote a book which tells the story of a diplomatic family who had a collection of netsuke which was owned for generation by the family.

The name of the book is 

The Hare with Amber Eyes.

http://page247.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/the-hare-with-amber-eyes-by-edmund-de-waal/

Gropius House in Lincoln MA

The founder German Bauhaus moved to American and taught at Harvard School of Design and inspired a new generation of artists and architects who embraces streamline form 

and design. Enclosed is an article about his 1938 home in Lincoln, MA which is a historic landmark and Gropius sample of how you can live surrounded by Bauhaus design principles.

I am currently researching for a presentation about one of Gropius's students, Fran Porges Hosken.

http://www.historicnewengland.org/historic-properties/homes/Gropius%20House

Franz Liszt Liebestraum No 3

Today's conversation at piano lesson started out with Mahler, but Jasmine's teacher pointed out this work by Franz Liszt which is written about love which will never be realized. Enjoy Lang Lang who will be performing next season at the CSO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgvoLpwewLo

Who is Alma Mahler?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/02/alma-schindler-problem-gustav-mahler

Just a little more information about Robert S Duncanson from Smithsonian Magazine 10/19/11

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/americas-forgotten-landscape-painter-robert-s-duncanson-112952174/

Sande Sociey

The Sande Society is the only order which masks are made by men and wore by female leaders in Africa.  The Bundu mask is used for coming of age rituals for the women.  

http://academics.smcvt.edu/africanart/Sonja_Cole/Sande_Society_Temp.htm

Camille Doncieux and Claude Monet Timeline

http://www.intermonet.com/exhibit/bremen/biography.htm

Elizabeth Nourse: Ritual of Passage on Exhibit at the Cincinnati ArtMuseum

This evening I spend some time with the the painting in the special exhibit Elizabeth Nourse: Ritual of Passage.

This is an exhibit every student of Cincinnati art history should visit.

http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/explore/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/details/178-elizabeth-nourse-rites-of-passage

Women Who Modeled for Impressionist Painters

http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2010/04/the-women-who-modeled-for-the-impressionists.html

Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh

I think one of the most interesting friendship which affect the history of art in a huge way is the relationship between Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Theo who was Vincent Van Gogh's brother paid Paul Gaugin to move in with Van Gogh.

Some people said the myth of Van Gogh cutting his ear off was a result of a fight with Gauguin.  

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=7506786

Photojournalist Melvin Grier

http://melvingrier.com

Milliner Lady Linda Crawford

See what happened to the hat created for the invitation of the 2013 Taft Museum Duncanson Society Hats and High Tea by Lady Linda Crawford.

http://www.hatlife.com/newsletters/2013/may13_2/art10.htm

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Everyone has heard Beyoncé new album and one of the featured artist on the album is Chimamanda Adichie. Her stories tell life as it is for the masses.

http://www.konnectafrica.net/2013/04/10/chimamanda-adichie-a-nobel-laureate-in-the-making/

Collecting Fine Art: The Cone Sisters

Etta Cone started collecting art in 1898 and the collection grew to 3000 objects. 

With her sister, housed in their Baltimore apartment a collect was born.

http://www.artbma.org/collection/overview/cone.html

Impressionist Print Maker and Painter Berthe Morisot

Several women were active in the French Impressionist  movement. Here is a little information about Bertha Morisot.

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/morisot/

English Poet Charles Baudelaire and his Muse Jeanne Duval

James MacManus wrote a book in 2010 that looks at the life and relationships of English Poet Charles Baudelaire and his primary mistress Jeanne Duval. Jeanne Duval was of mixed heritage and was a long time figure in the life of the poet. Many see her as a tragic figure but I would like to find more information out before passing judgement.

http://www.jamesmacmanus.com/pages/news/index.asp?NewsID=39

Manet's favorite Model Victorine Meurent

When you see a Manet painting, many of the faces of the women appear to be similar. One of Manet's favorite model when on to be a acclaim painter who work was exhibit in the Salon as well.

Enjoy this interesting article.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/03/women.manet

Boston Furniture from Winterthur Museum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAao2Zjqupo

Belle Marion Greener and the Morgan Library

The Morgan Library in New York is amazing building which any lover of books and collector of decorative arts would relish visiting.  The first librarian who help with what items to include in the collection was an African American women. Others were unaware she was Black because she passed.

Enjoy an amazing history about Belle Marion Greener and JP Morgan's work as a collector of fine and decorative art.

http://www.anb.org/articles/17/17-01223.html

The Private Lives of Impressionist by Sue Roe

The current book of many I'm reading is a book about the lives of Impressionist painter for the Cincinnati Art Museum Docent book club.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/aug/26/art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art looks at the History of the Dressing Table through April 13, 2014

http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/press-room/exhibitions/2013/metropolitan-vanities