National Gallery (US) Highlights

The National Gallery of the United States (2014) provides an aggregate highlights list. We can look at the first ten of these in some detail. The Chalice of the Abbott Suger of Saint Denis is (sardonyx)(cup)(gilded)(silver)(filigrees)(with)(stones)(pearls). Filigree must be defined as (delicate)(jewelry)(metalwork). ‘The Nativity with the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel’ can be handled as (Mary)(holding)(Jesus)(with)(Isaiah)(Ezekiel). ‘The death of the virgin’ is (death)(Mary)(peaceful)(observed by)(grieving)(apostles)(others). The last term may serve little purpose beyond completeness. ‘The annunciation’ is a common theme; Annunciation needs to be defined as (Angel Gabriel)(tells)(Mary)(about)(Jesus). For ‘Adoration of the Magi’ it would be useful to describe onlookers if possible. The round form of this painting apparently imitates a round plate used to bring drinks to birthing mothers. This form is common and thus deserves special definition as well.

The sixth work is ‘Portrait of a lady’: (portrait)(woman)(self-control)(severe). The fact that the subject is not smiling is noteworthy, and could be added if thought necessary. ‘The entombment’ is (placing)(Jesus)(body)(in)(tomb)(grieving)(Mary)(Joseph)(Nicodemus)(Mary Magdalene)(others). It is useful to list all of the important figures. ‘Ginevra de’ Benci’ is (portrait)(woman)(reserved). There is again notably no smiling. This apparently was one of the first portraits of a woman to be ¾ rather than profile; it should be possible to designate this fact. ‘The Alba Madonna’ can be rendered (Mary)(baby)(Jesus)(with)(cross)(with)(John the Baptist). ‘The feast of the gods’ is (feast)(in)(forest); it would be useful to name key gods; the gallery website does not specify, though it mentions a general interest in Bacchus and Venus at the time. Feast needs to be defined as something like (eat)(much)(joyously).

Special note might be made of the need to capture emotion in some of the next dozen works [see below]: sadness is the essence of ‘Melencolia I’, fear of ‘Laocoön’, and brooding and wisdom of Rembrandt’s self-portrait as an old man. The imperious glare of Marchesa Cattaneo should also be captured in the work’s classification. A work’s relation to other works or events must sometimes be signaled. A painting of Dutch ships gathered to pressure the Spanish should be placed in context. A painting of a woman, the sun, and a red dragon means little without reference to the book of Revelations.

We capture here some comments on the eleventh through twenty-seventh in the United States National Gallery highlights, and then a handful of contemporary works:

Melencolia I (elderly)(winged)(woman)(sadness)(clutching)(caliper) variety of objects and batlike creature in background

The beautiful virgin of Regensburg (virgin)(halo)(woodcut)

Venus with a mirror: (nude)(Venus)(with)(mirror)(and)(cupids)

Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria: (Portrait)(standing)(dress)(smiling)(self-possessed)(holding)(fan) [facial expression, stance, things being held are classificatory desiderata for portraits]

Laocoön: (Laocoön)(and)(sons)(attacked by)(snakes)(fear)(suffering) Mention might be made of both the (Trojan horse) and (Toledo) in the background.

Pan reclining: (drawing)(Pan)(reclining)(with)(pipes)(goatskin) Pan is (mythological)(goat)(human)

Marchesa Elena Grimaldi Cattaneo is (standing)(shielded by)(parasol)(held by)(servant)(imperious)

Monsignor Francesco Barberini: (statue)(bust)(lifelike)

Self-portrait (Judith Leyster): (smiling)(turned)(wearing)(dress)(painting)(fiddler) Leyster painted with the informal style of Franz Hals; this should be captured under style.

The Maas at Dordrecht (Dutch)(sailing)(ships)(pressuring)(Spain)(Dordrecht)

Self-portrait (Rembrandt) (seated)(brooding)(wise) We might have to add (likely) before (brooding).

Woman holding a balance (woman)(1/4)(holding)(balance)(measuring)(sin)

Young girl reading (profile)(pink)(cheeks)(positive)(portrayal)(focused). The painter clearly approves of young girls reading; not everyone did.

Watson and the shark (naked)(boy)(attacked)(rescued)(shark)(fear)(contempt)(shock)(compassion)(Havana) Emotions of rescuers clearly differ.

The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun: (based on)(Revelations)(battle)(good)(versus)(evil)(tension)(sweeping)(lines)

The Emperor Napoleon in his Study at the Tuileries: (standing)(wearing)(soldier)(uniform)(hand)(in)(waistcoat) (Code Napoleon)(map)

Wivenhoe Park, Essex (placid)(landscape)(lake)(trees)(cows)(house)(distant)(small)(fishing)(boat)(donkey cart) Is ‘placid’ the default case for landscapes?

Skipped to a couple modern works: [Note that classification by style and painter will do much for these works]

The Japanese footbridge (bridge)(water lilies)(pond)(luminous)

Open Window, Collioure (Matisse): (vivid)(unnatural)(colours)(view)(out)(window)(boats)(sky)

Number 1 (Lavender mist) (Pollock): (drip)(painting)(various)(colours)(generate)(mauve)

Vertical constellation with bomb: (mobile)(painted)(wire)(wood)(with)(bomb) Need to define mobile.

Tomorrow I May Be Far Away: (collage)(man)(seated)(in front)(shack)(evokes)(jazz)