#599: Throw on another log . . . the influence of Bugatti

Throw on another log is a commentary and opinion about art.
It is directed toward students, artists, collectors, galleries,

museums, and those interested in the visual arts.

I welcome your comments on this blog and on Facebook.

I've learned through my association with painters over the years and by engaging in social media such as Facebook and artist's blogs that without a doubt, the two non-living painters who have had the greatest influence on representational painters are
John Singer Sargent and Joquim Sorolla.  Among the living painters, the most influential is certainly, Richard Schmid.

Among anamaliers - or sculptors of animals - one name prevails:  Rembrandt Bugatti (1884 - 1916).  

He was Italian, came from the famous Bugatti family, designers of art nouveau furniture and automobiles, 

and lived and worked in Paris and Antwerp.  He worked from zoo animals.

 Bugatti has, by far, had the most influence on today's animal sculptors . . . even more than Barye.

Bugatti was fairly obscure when I directed my attention toward sculpture in the late 1970s'

 and early 1980s'.  I had seen and remembered his work from an early trip to Paris but it 

was my friend and fellow sculptor, Ken Bunn who turned me on to his incredible work early on.  

Many sculptors were certainly aware of Bugatti's work back then and were influenced by his loose, 

juicy, thumby, and impressionistic surfaces coupled with his heightened sense of form and structure.  

The enormous amount of time he spent at the zoo facilitated his understanding of the animals he modeled

 and his great ability to find the pose and gesture, captured his subject's essence.   

Below, are images of Bugatti's sculpture.

Today, every sculptor I know is aware of Rembrandt Bugatti.  Books have been written about him and his works 

are coveted by museums and sell in the millions.  He produced over 300 works in his short life,

 before committing suicide at age 31.  Much more can be learned about him online.  

To me,  Bugatti is style, simplicity, and elegance . . . the subject, beautifully observed.

I read that he would tear down and start over if he could not complete a study in a day at the zoo.

Incredibly, some of Bugatti's works are mannered, tight, and art nouveau in concept and execution.  

His work is usually based on a perfectly flat plate like the zoo cage surfaces he knew so well.

Below, are images of Bugatti's plasters in the Musee d'Orsay.  Note the careful modeling of the lion.
Bugatti's "Pelicans" are located in the Petit Palais Museum.

   The good sculptors, like Bunn and others, developed their own statements under Bugatti's influence. 

Sadly, there are those who continue to misunderstand anatomy and structure and misinterpret what they
 are seeing when they look at spontaneous, active surfaces such as Bugattis' or Rodins' for that matter.

 Misunderstood form and sloppy, meaningless surface continues to be put out there in the name of "loose".

Below, is an image of Ken Bunn's "Drinking Lion" and "Jackie" by Richard Schmid 

from my collection.

I'm concluding each art blog about our trip to Paris last month with a glimpse of life in the beautiful city.

Below, crepes are being made in a little open- air kitchen in Montmartre.  The batter is ladled onto the
hot cooking surface and after the crepe is cooked, it is fill with Nutella, or the sweet filling of your choice.
We stayed in Monmartre and I eventually had to avoid this place.  As I emerged from the metro, the aroma filled the air . . .  they're too good and eating one meant no supper for me.
The skinny guy cooking them obviously doesn't eat them.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

    

#598 Paris, con't . . . "The Venus de Milo"

Trish and I spent three weeks in Paris last month exploring museums and monuments and enjoying the art, architecture,
and ambiance of the beautiful city.  Please visit the previous
three blogs for more info about the art we experienced.

The focus of this blog is the Greek Hellenistic masterpiece, "The Venus de Milo" located in the Louvre.
The six foot eight inch high Parian marble carving was discovered on the island of Milo in 1820 by a French explorer with the help of a  peasant and was acquired in1821, a gift from King Louis XVIII who received it from the Marquis de Riviere.

Everyone was charmed by the exquisite grace and beauty of the sculpture and its arrival in Paris caused great
 excitement resulting in violent disputes about its history.  Shown below, is an image of "The Venus de Milo".

The sculpture represents the mythological Goddess of Love and Beauty, called Aphrodite by the Greeks
and Venus by the Romans and has come to represent the universal standard of perfection.

Importantly, the much adulated sculpture is an original Greek statue and not a Roman copy.

Below, is another image of "The Venus de Milo" taken last month in the Louvre.

The sculpture belongs to the Hellenistic age of about 130 BC and some scholars believe it almost certainly was
created by Praxiteles.  Like other works by this great sculptor, the figure is slightly off balance in a contrapposto pose.

Contrapposto is an Italian term that means "counterpose" or "opposite" and it was originated by the ancient Greeks.
It is used in the visual arts to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders
and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs . . . the weight is therefore unequally distributed between the two legs,
resulting in a slight curvature of the torso and an elegant tilting of the pelvis and shoulders in opposite directions.

While some scholars believe the contrapposto and the face is in the style of Praxiteles, there are many who think the calm strength of the countenance suggests the school of the great sculptor, Phidias.  To further complicate the matter, some think the proportions of the body follow the school of the sculptor Lysippus.
The most recent theory, is thought to be the work of Alexandro of Antioch
due to an inscription found on what may have been its original pedestal.

 
Arguments also prevail as to how the sculptor placed the arms . . .
many ideas have been proposed - some think she held an apple in
her raised left hand -  but, unless further discoveries are made, the position of the arms will always remain a mystery.

There are also conflicting ideas about how the statue was discovered
but despite the controversy and unknown data, "The Venus de Milo"
is thought to represent the ideal of feminine beauty and she
remains one of the most famous sculptures in the world.

Fortunately, after discovery and after several attempts,
it was decided not to replace the missing arms since the
original design remains unclear and unknown.

Additional images of the sculpture are shown below.

  

Rodin loved "The Venus de Milo" and wrote an essay about the work in "Art and Progress" in 1911.
The link to the translation is http://www.jstor.org/stable/20560537

Much, much more has been written about the famous sculpture which is beyond the scope of this blog.
More information can be obtained online.


At the end of each blog about art in Paris, I'll include a personal glimpse and souvenir of our excellent
experience last month which those of you who have visited the beautiful city can relate to.
Remember . . . souvenir in French means "memory".

Below, is a photo of bargaining for an antique book from a bookstall vendor along the Seine.
I now agonize over not purchasing the old art book . . . the price was right but it was very heavy and by this time
 I had already filled a newly purchased suitcase with books and had shipped others as well.  I must go back!

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

   

#597 Paris: Michelangelo's "Slaves"

Trish and I spent three weeks in Paris last month visiting museums, monuments, and enjoying the beautiful city 

without the tourists and crowds. . . more info about the trip can be found on blog # 595, posted Dec. 28, 2014.  

I will continue to periodically refer to the trip in upcoming blogs and spotlight different museums and 

the art we experienced.  As usual, sculpture will be the main topic.

The focus of this blog are the two magnificent marble carvings of Michelangelo's "Slaves" located in the Louvre.  The sculptures, entitled "Bound Slave" and
"Captive Slave" are two of six "Slave" sculptures that were created between 1513
and 1520 for the tomb of Julius II when Michelangelo was at the height of his power. 

The "Moses" sculpture, also by Michelangelo Buonarroti,  is located in Rome
and was planned for the tomb as well but the tomb was never completed and
the statues are now separated.  There are four additional "Slaves" or "Captives"
in the Gallery of the Academy in Florence, Italy - the "Unfinished Captives" -
that were intended to be included in the tomb of Julius II.
The two "Slaves" that reside in Paris were given to Henry II of France
in 1550 and found their way to the Louvre during the French Revolution.

   Below, are images of the two "Slaves" taken in the Louvre last month.  We had the gallery where they are located all to ourselves most of the morning on our first visit to the museum and upon entering the Louvre, we walked directly to 

"The Victory of Samothrace", (blog # 595) , then to the " Bound Slave" and "Captive Slave",
 and then to "The Venus De Milo" which will be discussed in next Wednesday's blog.
 These sculptures are among the masterpieces of the Louvre.  

We spent three days in the Louvre.

Scholars disagree about the allegorical meaning of the beautiful, tortured, sculptures.  

Above all, they are the clearest and most powerful expression of the grandeur in thought, the drama, 

and the restless, tormented spirit of Michelangelo.  They, and the unfinished "Slaves" in Florence 

are my favorite sculptures by the Renaissance master.  More about Michelangelo in a future blog.


Below, Trish and I purchased two consecutive ten-day museum passes so entering and leaving the museums
was no problem.  Typically, we would find a little cafe for lunch.   French fries and a crouque was the drill
for Trish and French onion soup with baguette for me . . . red wine - always.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

     

#596 Happy New Year!

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#595 Paris: "The Victory of Samothrace"

Trish and I just returned from three weeks in Paris.  Our time was spent in museums, visiting monuments,

 and enjoying great food in the beautiful city.   We've been to Paris several times over the years but have never

 spent such a lengthy time there.  Typically, we go in the winter and miss the crowds in the museums . . . 

weather seems to be more manageable than standing ten or more people deep in front of the art.  

The primary reason for the trip was sculpture and I'll return to the Paris experience

 often in upcoming blog posts with images and comments.

Greek art has had a great influence on my work as explained in earlier December posts.  I consider Greek art the ultimate source of inspiration and am particularly inspired by the Classical and Hellenistic periods.  Briefly,  Classical Greek art,
which follows the Archaic period and runs from the fifth century B.C. to the
death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., brought the widespread
mastery of anatomy and naturalism while depicting the perfect human body.
The Classical period was followed by the Hellenistic period which
 is a more sensual and emotional style than the Classical ideal.  

Shown at right is my all-time favorite Greek sculpture: "The Victory of Samothrace" - also known as "Winged Victory" - which resides in the Louvre in Paris.  I had seen it many times perched at the the top of the museum's Daru staircase and was excited
to once again see the colossal winged image of power and grace.

When I saw it several years ago, it had a pale yellow ochre color as shown below in an older photograph.   It has recently been cleaned, is presented on the bow of a ship, and is now much whiter that when I had seen it earlier. 

 

At left, is an image of the Hellenistic masterpiece:

"The Victory of Samothrace".

It is over 9 feet high without base and represents the Greek god,
Nike. The marble sculpture was carved during the 

Greek Hellenistic period approximately 200 B.C.
The female figure is alive with palpitating energy
and sensual force and was created to celebrate
the winning of a naval battle. 

Shown below, is an older photo of the sculpture before cleaning.

Shown below, the dramatic torso is thrust forward with a conquering motion as the wings beat heading into the wind on the bow of a ship and the flowing drapery flutters behind.  The garment is held against the figure's body by the force of the wind while a strong, vertical line leads up the right leg to the top of the torso.  I was fascinated by how the wings were attached to the body . . . they seemed to have grown to the shoulders in a natural way.

The sculpture was discovered and excavated in 1863 on the island of Samothrace in the Aegean Sea 

and sent to the Louvre where some parts were restored in plaster.  It was removed from the Louvre 

for safekeeping in 1939 in anticipation of the outbreak of World War II then returned after the war.  

"The Victory of Samothrace" is held to be one of the great surviving masterpieces of sculpture 

from the Hellenistic Period, and from the entire Greco-Roman era.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#594 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Trish and I are back in the United States after spending three glorious weeks in Paris.

The preceding blogs - starting with the Nov. 30 post -  were pre-posted.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#593 The Greeks, fragments, Rodin, Barye, and influence . . . con't

Please start this series of blogs with # 584 . . . posted Nov. 19, 2014

The focus of this blog is art history . . . specifically fragments, the Greeks, Rodin, Barye, and modern art.
This post concludes a series of blogs about the influence of artists of the past on a living artist.
All blogs starting with November 30 were pre-posted while Trish and I were in Paris.

Artists are often asked:  What has been the biggest influence in your art?

Every artist is influenced by something or someone . . . maybe an instructor, a favorite living or deceased artist or school of art, or even what is perceived as popular and selling well.  Also, throughout an artist's life, many different influences, people, and events continue to affect an artist's creative direction and work.  

On a personal note, I was and am influenced by the art that came before me.  If I had to choose only one school of art . . . it would be Greek art of the Hellenistic and Golden Age.  If I had to choose only one artist,
who early in my career and now, influences me - it is Antoine-Louis Barye [1796 - 1875] .
His knowledge and execution of anatomy is without peer.

Keep in mind, the giants throughout art history such as Rodin were influenced by someone and something.
Rodin was exclusively working for someone else until he was 30 and it was an invaluable learning experience.

Interestingly, Rodin studied briefly under Barye and while he was a powerful artist, Barye was lacking as a teacher and Rodin entered the studio of Carrier-Belleuse [1824 - 1887].

While Barye was a sculptor of animals, Rodin was a sculptor of the human figure.  Rodin had a desire to create an equestrian monument and in 1886 modeled the sculpture entitled "Maquette of General Lynch'" shown below and at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  The monument was never realized and later Rodin conjoined part of the horse to a nude female figure and created another sculptural statement.

  

Below, are photos taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York of "Panther Seizing a Stag" by Bayre.

I've experienced many influences over the years both in printmaking and in sculpture.  I parrot the advice of my friend,
the late Bob Kuhn when asked by my students - "How do you make it as an artist today?"   Kuhn's advice: . . .
Go to as many galleries, shows, and openings as you can; read as many art magazines as you can and
find out what's out there and what's being done . . . then do something else.   

For me, the Greeks and ancients continue to be the source of influence and inspiration.
I feel a need to go directly to the freshness of the ancients in search of their mysteries.
 I'm always learning, and while fascinated by the beauty of Rodin's surfaces . . .
my ongoing struggle continues to be refining the craft and a search for inner beauty and essence of the subject.

 This blog ends a series of ten posts regarding a portion of art history and resulting influences.
Importantly, I have found that by turning to nature - the source of all life - and not to other artists' work,
the ultimate  inspiration and influence can be experienced.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#592 The Greeks, fragments, Rodin, and influence . . .

Please start this series of blogs with # 584 . . . posted Nov. 19, 2014

The focus of this blog is art history . . . specifically fragments, the Greeks, Rodin, and modern art.


The time I spent as a student at the Kansas City Art Institute in the early 1960s, was the most
far-reaching event of my life. Immersed in an academic setting, it was the awakening of my senses as I absorbed the rudiments of what would become a lifelong journey in the arts.  I enthusiastically focused upon the study of art and art history and to this day, I thrive upon the knowledge and love for the arts instilled in me by competent instructors.

Shown above, is a photo taken earlier this year at the historic art school.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art is located on the campus of KCAI and, like the other students, I spent many hours in the inspiring galleries of the museum.  Shown below is the imposing facade of the Nelson-Atkins.  Also shown, is a photo of Rodin's "The Thinker" and "Adam" taken last spring during a nostalgic trip to Kansas City.  Rodin's work and ancient Greek and Roman sculpture are my earliest influences in sculpture and they continue to inspire me.

Then,  and now as a perpetual student . . . I was and am to be found in the antique sculpture galleries.
One of my earliest recollections as a student at KCAI is the museum's marble of the Greek "Lion" - 325B.C. shown below.
All photos in this post were taken this year at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#591 The Greeks, fragments, Rodin, and modern art . . . con't

Please start this series of blogs with # 584 . . . posted Nov. 19, 2014

The focus of this blog is art history . . . specifically fragments, the Greeks, Rodin, and modern art.

The Greeks and Michelangelo greatly inspired Rodin but there were many other influences as well.
 He studied Rubens' paintings and declared that he learned chiaroscuro in his sculpture from Rembrandt.
Like so many other artists of his day, he was interested in Japanese art.  He was always learning from
Egyptian, Aztec, Far Eastern, primitive,  as well as18th century French art and spent hours in the Louvre.

His work harked back to the origin of things and later in life,  in an effort to eliminate the unessential, he simplified by breaking fragments away from his sculpture.  Like Picasso, there's no way to typify Rodin's greatness and originality and there's no way to classify him except as a sculptor who created art during the time of Impressionism, Post-impressionism,  Realist, Symbolist, Expressionist, Romantic, Cubism, and Art Nouveau.  He was an artistic genius with a vision and focus on the future of modern art. . . nothing and no movement defines him.

Interestingly, the fragments, partial figures, and ancient relics that influenced Michelangelo,
Rodin, and many other artists, gave rise to "modern" art.

There are many great art books about the Greeks, Rodin, and Michelangelo and shown below are a few of them from
 my library.  A particularly interesting book is "Rodin Rediscovered",  published in 1981 and in conjunction with a show at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.  Included in the publication are interesting and in-depth essays by different authors and scholars about the master and his working methods.

For more information about Greek art and art history, four great websites are:


http://ancientgreece.com/s/Main_Page/

http://visual-arts-cork.com

http://www.essential-humanities.net

http://pantherfile.uwm.edu/

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Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish