The New Britain Museum of American Art

My second museum experience took place on Saturday, November 15th at the New Britain Art Museum of American Art (NBMAA), New Britain, Connecticut. Looking at this museum from the outside was deceiving. But as soon as we walked though the doors, there was a feeling of knowing that a great and exciting experience was awaiting us.

As we walk up to the admissions desk, we were greeted by a cordial desk clerk, who gave us our admissions ticket, which turned out to be a sticker that said "where art meets life.” This was a great idea to ponder as we started our tour. If an individual wants a guided tour with a docent, you need schedule it ahead of time. However, the museum offers visitors a guided audio tour. You are given a hand held device that gives detailed information on the works of art the museum has to offer. This was very useful and I encourage anyone touring this museum to take this along with them.

Here is a little bit of history about The NBMAA. It was founded in 1903, and is known as a renowned art museum.[1] In fact, it is the oldest museum in the country to collect only American Art; it was designed and designated to be the first museum to have just American art, and is the only one in the country.[2] Due to great persistence, a man by the name of John Butler Talcott, who was also an industrialist produced resources to obtain modern oil paintings, with assistance from New York museums and galleries. [3] New Britain Museum of American Art know holds over 5,000 pieces of American Art from over three centuries.[4]

In 2006, the NBMAA added on an addition called the Chase Family Building, which was created by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.[5] This 43,000 square-foot Chase Family Building was designed by award-winning Ann Beha Architect of Boston.[6] Also, there are gardens and outdoor sculptures that surround the building. There is a café that overlooks Walnut Hill Park.

On to the tour, the first piece of art work that came into sight was hanging from the ceiling was art work called a Dale Chihuly chandelier. This piece is called “Blue and Beyond Blue.” It is internationally renowned. Chihuly’s works are housed in over 200 museums worldwide.[7] This piece is mounted in the LeWitt Landing.

Next point of interest, only a few steps from the Chihuly’s chandelier, directly facing us on the wall, was made of every color imaginable. This work of art was called “The Gravity of Color”, by famous artist Lisa Hoke. While looking at this masterpiece from far away, it seemed as if it was made of pieces of plastic that were stuck together. As we got closer, we realized it was made of plastic cups of all different colors, flowing in a beautiful pattern. My first thought was how many cups she had to use to create this work of art. How fabulous! If you venture to NBMAA you can’t miss this: it covers one full wall and a half, from floor to ceiling.

The next artist that captured our attention was Thomas Hart Benton’s five murals that wallpapered the walls of an enormous room. The mural that intrigued me the most was the “Arts of the City.” This mural told the story of the Great Depression, 1932. This amazing picture took place when the stock market crashed in 1929, after Roosevelt won the presidential election, as well as when prohibition, and bootlegging of alcohol took hold of towns and cities. The titles of the other murals in the room were “Arts of the West,” which captured memories of when Benton was a small boy, born and raised in Neosho, Missouri. [8] He lived his adult life in Washington D.C., Chicago, Paris, and New York.[9] The next mural depicted Indian Art. This portrayed the way Benton had seen the Plain Indians, and their ways of life. [10] Last but not least, was a mural that told a story of how Benton came from political family. His father was elected to congress in 1896 and the family kept residence between Missouri and Washington D.C.[11] Memories from his political life style stayed with him throughout his life, which he made fun of in this mural. [12]

Upon completion of the tour, do not forget to grab a bit to eat at the Café and visit the gift shop. The food is good and the gifts are many. Remember to pick up the museum calendar; there are many great up coming events to attend.

[1] www.nbmaa.com
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.

The Wadsworth Athenaeum

My first museum experience took place on Saturday, November 8th 2008, at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut. This was a very exciting place for both my daughter and I to visit, since we had never been there before. Upon arriving at the museum, I was amazed at the size and the architecture of the building, which is in the shape of a gothic style castle. It felt very mystical and exhilarating, as if I was walking into the pages of an Arthurian romance novel.

Once we entered the museum, we were greeted by a very friendly museum staff member, who later turned out to be our docent. We were lucky enough to have had arrived when we did, or we would have missed that afternoon’s tour. The subject/focus of the tour was “a search for an identity in early American artwork.” Our tour started out in the main lobby, with a brief introduction about the museum. Next, we viewed several paintings from the past three-hundred years, from the late 1700’s up until the early 1930’s. It was amazing to see how the artists from these different time periods were able to capture the spirit and essence of American life and culture.

One of the first things I learned was that the Wadsworth is the oldest, continually operating museum in the country. It was built in 1842, by a man named Daniel Wadsworth, who was the son of a wealthy Connecticut merchant. He had started his collection in the early 19th century, with artwork ranging from Renaissance paintings to modern American master pieces. Also, this institution originally included additional Neo-Gothic buildings, such as the Connecticut Historical Society and the Hartford Public Library. Today, it houses over 50, 000 works of art in both permanent collections and exhibitions.[1]

One of the paintings that impressed me the most was the “The Declaration of Independence” by John Trumball, which I will describe in more detail throughout the rest of this paper. It was commissioned in 1817 by the United States Senate and was later hung in the Rotunda at the U.S. Capital in 1826. The purpose of this work was to commemorate this momentous historical event in our country’s history, when our founding fathers signed a document that would give Americans both personal and religious freedom. According to the Yale University Art Galley, Thomas Jefferson is thought to have given Trumball a first hand account of what happened on that historic day.[2] Although the scene depicted is not quite accurate (since not all members of the committee were present during the signing), it embodies the entire process that the colonies went through in order to gain independence from England, resulting in the formation of our country, the United States of America. It communicates a message of hope and promise to future generations, that all people have the right to live their lives the way they see fit, regardless of race or social status.

Trumball was born on June 6, 1756 in Lebanon, Connecticut and died in 1843. He was born into a wealthy and politically important family; his father was the Governor of Connecticut for several years.[3] He attended Harvard at the age of fifteen and it was here that he decided to pursue his love of drawing and painting.[4] After serving as an aide to George Washington in the American Revolution, he went on to study with Benjamin West, who is considered to be one of the most influential artists and teachers of art during the 18th and 19th centuries. [5] It was from his mentor, as well as his first-hand eyewitness accounts of important battles in the war, that lead this artist to cultivate his talent for historical painting.[6] John Trumball went on to become a very famous and accomplished artist, despite the fact that he lost sight in one of his eyes.[7]
In terms of the actual painting itself, the first thing I noticed was its size. The enormity of the piece helps to convey the magnitude of the event taking place on the canvas. One feels as if they are actually sitting in the Assembly Room in Independence Hall, while Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman presented the signed Declaration of Independence to Congress.[8]

What is also so striking about this painting is the fact that each of the forty-eight individuals is unique and depicts a real person who lived during this time period and was involved in this important process. The materials the artist used were oil paints and a canvas. His use of light helps illuminate the subjects in the painting, as well as draws attention to the colors and style of the men’s clothing, which is accurate for both the time period and their social class. The amount of detail involved in drawing and painting each person is amazing, given the fact that each one is drawn almost true to form, right down to the body-type and stature. It is interesting to note that several people from my tour group, including myself, were able to identify some of the men just by looking at the painting, which is a testimony to Trumball’s great talent and craftsmanship.





[1] http://www.wadsworthathenauem.org/.
[2] http://artgallery.yale.edu /pages/collectionpopups1pc_amerps/details01.html.
[3] http://www.wikipedia.org/.
[4] Ibid.
[5] http://www.artcyclopedia.com/
[6] Ibid.
[7] www.wikipedia.org
[8] http://www.artcyclopedia.com/