A critical and artistic appraisal
Visit to the Dallas Museum of Art
On the 27th of August, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the Dallas Museum of Arts together with my wife and child. The museum is a strikingly modern one but there are some nice and rare exhibits such as The Sculptor and his Muse from Rodin and Le Mal De Mer Au Bal,
Abord d’une Corvette Anglaise by Francois Auguste Biard. With over 24,000 works of art, it is next to nigh impossible to take in all on offer in one sitting Biard’s work is particularly enthusing in that it provides a snapshot of the sea voyages in the 19th century when even the mere simple crossing of the English Channel was a pretty hazardous
experience. The painting is dated in the 1860’s. One can easily note the fantastic attention to detail especially in the woman’s bonnets and the men’s clothing. The painting has a true real life appearance and although there are certain situations which demonstrate seasickness in a most
violent manner, the picture does provide some sort of serenity and also a sense of purpose.
Another work which struck me and my wife greatly was The Sculptor and his Muse by Rodin. The subject is the intermingling of a man’s sexual sensitivity with his genius and this comes out quite strikingly in the sculpture. The muse is full of sexual innuendos and messages but what clearly comes out is the directness and virility of the sculptor’s message.
I managed to contemplate these two works of art and can safely say that they were the one’s which impressed me most and which left an indelible stamp on my visit. In fact if there was a fire and the whole museum was to be gutted, these are the two works of art which I would
definitely save. This is beacuse I feel that each has a particular poignancy and artistic immediacy that is quite rare to find. There is something about these pieces which makes the pulse race and sets off imagination and thoughts racing in one’s mind.
There are other exhibitions which are currently running at the Dallas Museum of Art and these include,; Art of the American Indians, The Thaw Collection as well as Silence and Time which came to an end on August 28. There’s a lot to see in these exhibitions especially in the former where the American Indian culture is brought to the fore in more ways than one.
However as a conclusion I would still return to my two favourites pieces as mentioned previously. The expressiveness and sheer beauty of The Sculptor and the muse still remains indelibly imprinted on our minds and the suggestive beauty of Biard’s work is also pretty impressive. I would hugely recommend a visit to the Dallas museum of Art both for the substantial variety of artistic works on display but also for those particular works which although not so well known, leave an indelible impression which will linger long in the collective memory.
References:
Dallas Museum of Art website; http://www.dm-art.org/index.htm
Artprints on demand; Francois August Biard http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/a/biard-francois-august.html
