The Armory Show at 100 at the New York Historical Society displayed various types of artwork that were all connected to a similar historical context.  These pieces were originally displayed in 1913, and were created close to that year.  One part of the show that stood out to me was the original floor plan of the Armory Show as it was in 1913.  This is not considered an art piece; however, the added element of the show’s history allowed the viewer to develop a better understanding of just how important these works were, and still are, to modern and post-modern society.

“Leopard and Deer” 1912

The painting Leopard and Deer by Robert W. Chanler was one of the first pieces that the gallery had featured.  The most stunning aspect of this piece is the contrast in colors.  It is evident that the artist viewed the deer as the innocent animal who was ruthlessly attacked by the leopard, as the deer is painted white and the leopard is black, which represents evil.  The color of the trees in the background are also intriguing.  The trunks of the trees are blue, which is an unusual change from the traditional brown.  Further research showed that Chanler used unique colors to capture the “true spirit of nature.”  This piece stood out because of the color, which conveyed the motif of good versus evil, which is essentially how nature truly works.

“Circus” 1912

The other work of art that was alluring was Circus by George Bellows.  Unlike Chanler’s Leopard and Deer, this piece is a lot softer and much more appealing.  It conveys the childlike excitement of the circus through specific details throughout the painting.  Bellows painted facial expressions on certain circus performers and members of the audience in order to show the emotion that each individual is feeling.  The woman standing on top of the white horse is smiling because she has to; her profession requires her to entertain and be energetic.  The other performers’ and audience members’ facial expressions differ from hers.  While some are intrigued by the stunt in front of them, others appear to be frightened, such as the woman in the bottom right-hand corner.  Bellows attended this circus because his wife had organized it, but it was a “financial flop.”  He painted the circus from the perspective of a spectator, which is why it can be a bit overwhelming with mass amounts of performers on the stage, as well as different performances going on at once.  In addition to the woman on top of the horse, there are also trapeze artists dangling from the ceiling.

The part of the Armory Show that I enjoyed was that even though the paintings and sculptures all varied in mediums and motifs, they all stemmed from the same historical context.  This allowed the viewer to understand the purposes behind each piece of artwork and led to a deeper understanding of the messages conveyed.