It had been a while since my friend Denis and I had been on a little road trip
so we packed up his Ford and headed down to Rhode Island to The National Museum of American Illustration Newport.
On the way we stopped at a couple of diners to eat and met some nice folks.
Denis practiced his Maxfield Parrish pose on some impressive urns.
Saw the ocean.
The gallery itself is housed in a impressive old mansion on lovely grounds.
There are a lot of fantastic pieces inside by all the heavy hitters, Leyendecker, Rockwell, Parrish, Wyeth, Schoonover, LaGatta ect. Amazing Leyendecker Kuppenheimer and Arrow shirt ads and Post covers and a couple of jaw dropping Rockwell charcoal studies were some of my favourite things.
My one complaint is that this being a mansion with antique furniture that engulfs the work, the placement of some pieces of artwork is not at the best viewing level. The Kuppenheimer ads above the doors were particularly irritating. As impressive as the building is, in a way I'd rather see it in a more traditional gallery setting where one can study the work easier. Something like the Rockwell 50's covers seem a little out of place in the ornate surroundings but the Parrish murals
look fantastic in their room.
But you know its still always a inspiring and overwhelming experience looking at this artwork.
Next we were off to Providence to have a look around.
Growing up I was a big H. P. Lovecraft fan so it was cool to walk around his stomping grounds and see the houses and streets that inspired his stories.
The Shunned House.
Denis overcome with the lurking fear at the site of Halsey mansion, the home of Charles Dexter Ward.
Lovecraft's Barne St, home where he lived much of his adult life,
The Fleur-de-Lys building home of the artist in THe Call of Cthulhu.
1 comment:
Wow! Great photos! I like you standing by the grave!
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