Look and Look Again: “The Sisters” by Rembrandt Peale

Picture of “The Sisters”– Rembrandt Peale, as depicted in the Brooklyn Museum. (Image collected from Google Arts & Culture)

First Look

 

  • A collection of warm and inviting colors towards the middle, surrounded by a trimming of darker material colors
  • Clearly defined textures and varieties of cloths/furs
  • The sisters are shown looking almost directly into the eyes of the painter, with a direct focus of view
  • The brush strokes transfer great detail: strands of curly hair, wrinkles in the dresses of the female characters, contrast and softness of skin, glassines in the eyes of the girls
  • It is almost eerie the way their eyes focus, staring so intently, it is as if they watch you whenever as you move, tracking your eyes as you watch theirs

 

Second Look

 

 

  • There is a clear sense of color, the dark blacks, deep reds and luxurious golds, but a closer look shows green of deep emerald (towards the bottom left)
  • There is a paintbrush in the first sister’s hand, and the paint palette shows those same green colors, as if she was painting and was caught off guard- or staged to look so by the painter
  • There is a whimsical and soft look from both of the sisters, but a slight curve is seen in the lips of the second (maybe younger) sister whereas a more “maternal” feeling is portrayed through the eyes and the facial feelings of the first sister
  • These sisters exhibit an almost “Siamese twin” vibe, due to their similarity in appearances; as well as the illusion of them almost being connected in body- as if this painting was slightly expressing one person with two heads and two personalities.
  • It is almost as if the sisters are trying to discern what you are thinking about them, as you do the same with respect to them

 

 

 

Look then Look Again

 

Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare

This piece was of a mummy’s coffin. My first impression of the coffin was that it was very intricate. The coffin was covered in tiny hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphics showed images of birds, knives, and bowls. Aside from the head

of the main figure, there were also images of people all over the coffin. It is not hard to tell that someone spent a lot of time and efforton this particular piece. Hints of orange stood out from the white-brown background.

My second impression of the piece was pure fascination. I got to thinking about what the purpose of a coffin actually was back then. Not only were coffins used to preserve the dead bodies but they were also used to show wealth and power. It was  fascinating for me to see how people put so much effort into how they present themselves even after their life is over. King Nespanetjerenpare made it clear that he wanted it to be known that he was a prestigious, well-respected person of his time period. But it was interesting to me because no matter how lavish someones lifestyle was, their body still ends up in the same place. The corpse could be covered in a beautiful coffin buried in the Egyptian pyramids but at the end of the day it’s still just a corpse. Theres nothing special about it. Life hasn’t changed hundreds of years later. Some people still demand this kind of attention and power. Despite the time difference, certain people still demand to be seen as powerful and almighty, similar to the kings in the coffins.

Look and Look Again: Making Babies for the Indian Market

I was walking in the “Arts of the Americas” gallery when I stumbled upon this piece. It is a ceramic sculpture titled Making Babies for the Indian Market, created by artist Roxanne Swentzell. At first glance, I was intrigued by the children surrounding the figure: what were they doing? Why were they there? After reading the description, I learned the answers to these questions as well as the deeper meaning behind the sculpture as a whole. In this piece, we see a black pot atop the sitting Pueblo woman’s head. This was intended to give the audience the impression that making pots and making babies are of equal value, and that the Native Americans themselves were treated poorly and seen as a commodity by non-natives. Analyzing the artwork for the second time, I was able to see the message that Swentzell was trying to project. (Also, I discovered that the face of the Pueblo woman is that of Roxanne Swentzell!)

Making Babies for the Indian Market

 

A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie

The piece of art that grabbed my attention the most was a painting called A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie by Albert Bierstadt. At first, this painting caught my attention mainly because of its enormous size. In a room with very lightly colored walls, it was hard to miss a painting that big. My first impression of it was that all the colors are what made it so mesmerizing. However, when I took a moment and looked at it again, I realized that I missed out on so many other details. For instance, the painting had a lot of depth and dimension to it. The mountains looked so real that the painting looked almost like a photograph. I also realized that it was an oil painting which may have contributed to the vivid and realistic view. The length of the mountains was slightly exaggerated to make them the focal point of the painting. The painter also seemed to be paying a lot of attention to the weather. Even though the clouds looked ominous, there was a beam of sunlight shining through the middle almost as if it represented hope or freedom. There were also other details that the artist added to make it more intricate such as tiny trees, ponds, and animals, which really completed the painting as a whole. Overall, my appreciation for this piece along with other paintings increased whenever I took some time to analyze because it allowed me to pinpoint the significant details.

A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie by Albert Bierstadt -Brooklyn Museum

 

-Zenab Jamil

The Night at the Brooklyn Museum: “The Peaceable Kingdom”

After walking into the museum, I found myself surrounded by beautiful art work. Each piece, whether it was a sculpture, painting or sketch, allowed me to time travel and feel like a part of different eras. One particular painting stood out because it was rather confusing. On the side, the plaque titled the piece, “The Peaceable Kingdom” by Edward Hicks and it dated back to 1820.

The Peaceable Kingdom

The painting pictured the time in history when Christopher Columbus entered the Americas. On the left of the painting, Columbus was shown to be bribing the Native Americans with items inside a box. The Indians looked as if they were shocked by whatever was in the boxes. On the right, it pictures a group of about ten wild animals, including lions and bulls, natural predators, coexisting. Near the animals, babies draped in white robes are pictured playing with the lion and hanging around the animals. The painting leaves viewers with a confused first impression because it is unnatural to see dangerous animals coexisting with the Native Americans and the Europeans.

With close inspection, the painting just gets more confusing. Although in nature, they are known to be dangerous, the animals are depicted as harmless in this painting. The animals were the Native American’s source of food and were important in religious rituals which is most likely why the animals were given importance in the painting — they are drawn unproportionally large compared to the tiny image of the humans. Also, it is interesting that the harmless animals are only pictured with the white children instead of Native American children even though the Indians lived near these animals. Additionally, all the wild animals are drawn with similar attributes even though they tend to hunt each other. These similar attributes suggests more equality between the animals compared to between the Indians and Europeans. The dull colors used in the painting may foreshadow the dull future that awaits the Indians. There is confusion portrayed on the Native American and European faces suggesting that they did not understand each other.

 

-Noshin Choudhury

Look, Look Again:The Arch, Henrey Ossawa Tanner

It’s of Washington Square Park. You can see the fountain through the opening of the archway. It’s lit up with a soft golden light and draws t

The Arch, Henrey Ossawa Tanner

he eye because the rest of the piece is in shades of blue and green. The lighting and colors seem to me like the hour or so right before sunrise. It’s still night, or rather, early morning. I like the whole setting.

 

Coming back to this painting, I’m noticing the intricacies of the arch and fountain. I feel like the artist spent a lot of time sketching the arch and looking at it and studying it before this painting was completed. The fountain also has a lot of detail, even though it’s only half visible through the archway. In contrast, or rather, as a balance, here’s almost nothing in the background. It’s just a wash of blue, lighter than the arch, but still a very rich blue. The colors would fit in underwater scene.