My friend Alysoun and I went to the Frye Museum yesterday afternoon. The current exhibit is Beloved. Here's the write up:
Beloved: Pictures at an Exhibition presents a selection of paintings from the Frye Art Museum’s Founding Collection. The works on view have been chosen by Frieda Sondland, a ninety-year-old resident of Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, who has visited the Museum nearly every day for the past ten years. Sondland has selected these pictures, to which she has strong emotional ties, as an homage to her family and to Charles and Emma Frye, the founding patrons of the Museum.
There were a few pieces that I really enjoyed, but surprisingly I wasn't able to find good examples of them. So, I'll post just one.
Christian Martyr by Gabriel von Max
What's interesting is usually I see paintings online or in books first, and then maybe get a chance to see them in person. This time I saw the painting live first, and then found it online. What's different is the martyr in person is a pale grey. She looks much fleshier above, but really she is disturbingly ashen. For some reason I was drawn to the background first. The painting is quite large, and the gradual fade of grey sky was the first thing that took me in. It is so soft in person. I also love the tiny sliver of remaining sunset on the horizon. Eventually my eye went to her dress and the detail of her sash and shoes, then landed on the flowers. It is much more powerful in person, mostly because she actually looks dead. Alysoun pointed out though that her head would be hanging down, and she read that the story said the young maid had begged God to make her unappealing to men. Therefore she grew a beard. Obviously that wasn't artistically pleasing, so we have the still beautiful maiden looking quite peaceful on her cross.
Beloved: Pictures at an Exhibition presents a selection of paintings from the Frye Art Museum’s Founding Collection. The works on view have been chosen by Frieda Sondland, a ninety-year-old resident of Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, who has visited the Museum nearly every day for the past ten years. Sondland has selected these pictures, to which she has strong emotional ties, as an homage to her family and to Charles and Emma Frye, the founding patrons of the Museum.
There were a few pieces that I really enjoyed, but surprisingly I wasn't able to find good examples of them. So, I'll post just one.
Christian Martyr by Gabriel von Max
What's interesting is usually I see paintings online or in books first, and then maybe get a chance to see them in person. This time I saw the painting live first, and then found it online. What's different is the martyr in person is a pale grey. She looks much fleshier above, but really she is disturbingly ashen. For some reason I was drawn to the background first. The painting is quite large, and the gradual fade of grey sky was the first thing that took me in. It is so soft in person. I also love the tiny sliver of remaining sunset on the horizon. Eventually my eye went to her dress and the detail of her sash and shoes, then landed on the flowers. It is much more powerful in person, mostly because she actually looks dead. Alysoun pointed out though that her head would be hanging down, and she read that the story said the young maid had begged God to make her unappealing to men. Therefore she grew a beard. Obviously that wasn't artistically pleasing, so we have the still beautiful maiden looking quite peaceful on her cross.
I really wanted to see more of von Max's work, and they had a book in the gift shop. I was surprised that Mr. von Max was actually drawn to monkeys, and they were the subjects in a good chunk of his work. Here are some of his painting I really like from gabrielvonmax.com
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| Per Aspera |
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| Outside the Arena |
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| Melancholie |
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