I’ve been promising you a bit of my graduation tour in order to become a docent at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. Are you wondering about that lengthy name? Here’s just a little bit of information about that. Hugh Landon built the country house in the early years of the 20th century along with about 32 acres in what was called the Town of Woodstock. In 1932, he sold the home, which he’d named Oldfields, to Josiah K. Lilly, Jr. The Lilly family then launched several renovations. In 1939, JK Lilly built Newfields, another home on the grounds, for his son and wife. The Lilly family lived at Oldfields until 1967 when Ruth Lilly and J.K. Lilly III gave the estate to the Art Association of Indianapolis to be the new art museum. Called the “Lilly Pavilion of Decorative Arts,” the house was first used as an exhibit space. The association changed to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1969. In 1970, the new building opened. The house closed sometime in the 80s and underwent a massive renovation. It reopened in 2002 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. So, Newfields, while once the name of a home, is now the entire campus with several buildings as well as beautiful gardens (designed by the Olmsted Brothers Firm). That means Newfields is the umbrella term, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art is the building housing the collection of art though there is art in the Lilly House. I will be training as a docent for the Lilly House later this year. There…that’s out of the way.
Academic artists…
I began my tour by explaining we were going to be exploring several works of art created by academic artists. As the tour went on, I explained what it meant to be an academic artist. This wasn’t exactly a movement, but let’s call it that for the sake of this post. Art academies began in Italy…makes sense, right? But, its roots are in the art of the Greeks and Romans. The academic movement began in the 14th century and had a very prescribed idea of art. Academic artists trained at an institution that emphasized classical techniques, subjects, and idealized representations. The paintings or sculptures often showed historical, mythological, or religious themes, emphasizing beauty and moral virtues. As you can see from the Bouguereau painting, academic art was often on a very large scale. The academies were all about figuratively coloring in the prescribed lines they had already drawn.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau…
Bouguereau was the most famous and influential of the academic painters of his era. His works often sold before they were even completed. Bouguereau exhibited at the Paris Salons every year of his working career. In case you don’t remember, where your piece was placed on the wall was of great importance. The closer you were to eye level, the higher you were held in esteem by the judges. I’m pretty sure Bouguereau was usually at eye level. The Impressionists detested him because they thought he was just a bit too slick. Bouguereau admitted as much when he said that’s what sells so that’s what I’ll paint (I’m paraphrasing, of course). And, with that we move to our next piece by Edgar Degas.
Edgar Degas…
You may know Degas for his paintings of ballerinas. This sculpture was the result of several sketches and was cast about 50 years after his death. Degas was a bit of a curmudgeon. He really didn’t seem to like anyone! He and Bouguereau attended the École des Beaux-Arts but not at the same time. Degas is often considered the father of Impressionism, but he rejected that, preferring the term, Realist. He didn’t like the en plein air mode of painting which many Impressionists used. This was out in the air, and the artists would begin and finish a piece in one sitting, taking advantage of the light. I think the academic art movement of practicing until perfect was burned deep into Degas. He was also known as a copyist, another technique of the academies. Copyists would, literally, sit in art museums and copy a piece or a portion of a piece. Degas’ favorites were Michelangelo, Raphael, and…I always pause here because someone will, inevitably, say, “Donatello or Leonardo!” But, the third was Titian. The copies were not made to be sold but to hone their craft. Their aim was to create a highly polished three-dimensional look on two dimensions.
Pierre Bonnard…
Our next piece of art is by Pierre Bonnard who attended both the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian. In addition to that, Bonnard was also a lawyer! You’ll notice the beginnings of a pull away from that academic art influence. There’s a hint of Impressionism, yet we still see that one hallmark…an idealized representation. You can’t really tell from this painting, The Mirror in the Green Room, but we would actually be standing where the women were. It kinda blows your mind when you realize that. Like Degas, he didn’t like en plein air and would sketch or even work from photographs. Bonnard was a founding member of Les Nabis, a group that transitioned academic art to Impressionism then Post-Impressionism and on to Modernism.
William McGregor Paxton…
The next piece is by an American artist who also attended both the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian. This is Glow of Gold, Gleam of Pearl by William McGregor Paxton. Of course, I had to include a nude in a tour about academic artists. Think of the Greeks and their statues! One of the things Paxton did was to use a scrim. Notice there isn’t anything in the background…no landscape or room. The background is what a scrim is. This painting is wonderful for showing how the academic artists used color to create idealized representations of figures. Wondering why it’s got pearl in the title? Originally, there was a pearl necklace or bracelet hanging from her arm. At some point, he changed it to the dangling jewel. One of the things people asked was about the absence of pubic hair! The reason it’s not there is earlier artists had painted nudes with pubic hair, and they were roundly criticized. So, later artists left that out, but it works with the idea of an idealized image. Here’s a fun factoid. Paxton was also known for his portraits including Presidents Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge!
Edward Augustus Bell…
I love this next piece. One of the things I like is that it’s relatively small. This is The Statuette by Edward Augustus Bell. He studied at the Bavarian Royal Academy and resided in Munich for ten years. When he returned to the US, Bell’s work became more and more figurative and were, like our painting, usually of women gracefully appearing in the painting, usually with an object d’art. These tended to reflect what society thought women of that era should be doing.
Fashion…
I included Walking Suit circa 1870s because of the blog. I had to include fashion somehow, right? My last piece isn’t really by an academic artist, but it does represent an idealized vision of what women should look like. This suit is not pinned. I don’t know the measurement of the waist, but the woman wearing this dress would have been wearing a tight corset. This suit would have been worn for formal occasions like promenading about the town square or visiting with friends. Skirts in prior decades would have been fuller. The shift of the material to the back, what we call the bustle, resulted in the need of some kind of support structure. This may have been woven horsehair flounces or hoops. Notice the skirt has a pocket, but I really wonder how it was ever used. I somehow doubt it ever was.
Émile Bernard…
And, that brought my graduation tour to an end. I have since given a public tour using the first three pieces along with another by Émile Bernard. He attended the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs as well as the Académie Julian. But, he was kicked out because he showed “expressive tendencies” in his work. He would eventually say, “I reduce the lines only to the main contrasts and I reduce the colors to the seven fundamental colors of the prism.” I think Bernard would have been one of those students I secretly really enjoyed. I had a few of those!
The outfit…
Eileen Fisher had a sale this summer, and I picked up another of these Crushed Silk Tiered Dresses. This is the seafoam color which I absolutely love. I know tiered dresses are supposed to be going out of style, but I think this has a classic look that I’ll wear for a long, long time. I added an old Nic + Zoe sweater. This is one of those four way cardigans. It has buttons at the bottom of each side. You can wear it open, button it so that it crosses in front of you, tie it, or knot the sides. I was amazed at how closely the blues matched. I think you can tell, from the photos, I felt amazing in this outfit.
The Lewk!
This was an Eileen Fisher kinda day! These Willow sandals are perfect for giving tours. They are lightweight, give me a little height, and are so daggone comfortable. I went all matchy-matchy with my accessories. The earrings are blue topaz and were bought in my old eBay jewelry shopping days. The ring is my first David Yurman piece. Nigel bought it for me for our anniversary years and years ago. The necklace and absolutely gorgeous bangle came from that neat little shop I discovered when out with a neighbor one Saturday. I can’t remember the name of the shop, though!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I know this post was long and full of photos. I need to confess something. This isn’t what I wore for my graduation tour. I was so nervous, I forgot to ask Nigel to take some photos. It was the dress I wore in this post, but I didn’t wear a slip. I did wear this for my first public tour, and it gave me the confidence I needed that day. I’m sure I’ll be wearing it again for other tours and gallery conversations. So, can we talk? Did I bore you silly with all this information? Which piece was your favorite? Would you ever pose nude for a painting? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
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It’s great to have a couple of tours under your belt and that they went well.
Yes the dress and outfit all look amazing! The seafoam colour is lovely.
Thanks, Rosie! You are so right. I think I will feel more and more comfortable as time goes on. I’m doing Gallery Conversations next week. I think those will be fun as I’ve already scoped out the two galleries I’m going to concentrate in.
And, thank you for the compliments on the dress!
Interesting. I’ve not heard the expression ‘Academic artists’ before. Two of the paintings appeared to be what I’d call pre-Raphaelite (Bouguereau and Paxton, possibly Bell). I adore the Pierre Bonnard and saw an exhibition of his at the Tate a few years ago and have a print of his in my bathroom! But best of all I love the Bernard – that’s my kind of painting!
I really like that dress you are wearing and I also had a peek at the dress in the link you gave and it’s really sweet. Your accessories as ever are lovely.
Very interesting post. I just love art galleries and viewing things. I even believe you shouldn’t always look at what you think you like. One should actually push the boundaries and think about why you don’t like stuff. How wonderful for you to be a docent there. Btw we don’t use that word in the UK – that was a new one for me! That’s why I love this blogging world – you can learn so much from other people!
Thanks Marsha – that was a great read!
Thank you, Penny! I’m not sure it’s actually ever taught like that. The Bouguereau would definitely fall into the timeline of the Pre-Raphaelites. We didn’t concentrate much on movements in our training. I really wish we would have because I am so interested in the whys and wherefores of each one. Oh, that would be amazing to see an exhibition of any of them to be quite honest! The other day, we were giving our tours to our fellow new docents, and we walked right by the wall with a Van Gogh, Gaugin, and Matisse (it wasn’t part of her theme). The curator had happened to be in that day and was following along. He said they call that the billion dollar wall! Those paintings are magnificent! I can see you loving the Bernard…all those sharp lines and lively colors. I am definitely a Bouguereau person…if I didn’t know better, I’d swear the word bougie comes from him!
I actually did do a couple of presentations during my training in the Design gallery which is a little bit contemporary, but it’s aim is to show that design is art. There is a Dyson vacuum cleaner there as well as a Mac computer! The thing I like about the IMA is they juxtapose pieces against each other. In the Design gallery, the curator purposefully put a piece of modern (as in 20th century) art right beside something that was centuries old because they had common characteristics. The IMA is really striving for connecting with and having conversations about the art, not just looking at it. I love that because it really does drive you to look more closely at the art and experience it in a way you may not usually do.
Thank you for the compliment on the dress. It was a splurge, and the site is now having a half off sale. I’m trying to restrain myself from buying another.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Penny!
Thanks for the art tour. I am just so impressed that you are a docent! What an achievement Marsha and such a perfect job for you. Teaching is definitely your gift!
I love this crushed silk tiered dress. I can imagine how it feels on, probably so smooth and cool. This is really such a pretty color on you!
xo,
Kellyann
Thank you so much, Kellyann! Honestly, it was a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to do something like this, and I was just lucky enough to get an email. I guess there were informational meetings about becoming a docent last fall, and I missed them. Well, I think I will probably be teaching from my deathbed!
This dress…oh, my goodness! It is truly like wearing a cloud! I think this color is my favorite of the three. And, there is a huge sale on them right now…half off. I am fighting myself not to order another one!
What a beautiful outfit! It looks like the museum has a really eclectic collection. I could never post nude for a painting. I was uncomfortable enough having to draw nudes in my college art classes and many times I left the human figure out entirely focusing on other objects near them!
Thank you, Joanne! Yes, the museum is quite eclectic. We have all manner of exhibits, and I’ve really learned so much about different kinds of art. I would never pose nude, either. It’s just not my thing at all! Luckily, my art classes never involved painting one, either!
Not a fan of those paintings. the angels are too skinny…cherubs are supposed to be chubby. The nude painting of the girl looks like it was done by a pervert.
Thanks, Nicotiana! I’m sorry you didn’t like the paintings. I think nudes are always going to be a bit controversial. I’ll have to check out the cherubs again. They looked quite chubby to me. Again, thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for taking us along on your tour! It seems like just yesterday you were talking about the idea of becoming a docent, and now here you are. Paxton was new to me, and it was interesting to learn about the ‘scrim’ background. The seafoam colors of your dress and cardigan are perfect together, and you absolutely glow in this outfit!
Thank you, Sally! That cardigan is years and years old, but the blues were almost an exact match. I am loving learning about the different pieces of art as well as the different ways of being a docent. There is another form I’m learning. It will be a bit before I’m certified in that.
What a great blog Marsha, I learnt so much. You can tell by your enthusiasm that you do really enjoy being a docent. It wasn’t a word I was familiar with so I had to look it up – every days a school day.
I love visiting art galleries, sculpture gardens etc and we have a great sculpture garden here in Yorkshire.
Love the outfit on you, that dress is a beautiful colour
Thank you so much, Linda! I absolutely love being a teacher, and I think this is just an extension of it. I have to be careful that I don’t talk too much as the idea is to engage the guests in a conversation about the art. I don’t think I’ve ever been to Yorkshire though I’ve always heard it’s a beautiful part of England. And, thank you for the compliments!
That was such an interesting post. I’d love to take a tour with you.
I miss going to museums. I once went to one with an online friend of mine and we made up the wildest theories about paintings, it was so much fun just bouncing ideas off one another.
Thank you for that little virtual tour!
Thanks, Cat! Come on over! I’ll take you on bunches of tours and show you the beautiful countryside in which I live…all warehouses and dual lane highways! That’s one of the biggest things I miss about living up north. I could drive just a mile and be in the true countryside and on a country road. I love that! I wonder if I could work that into a tour!!!
I’m sure you did very well on your first tour. And in such a gorgeous outfit. I like the painting by Emile Bernard the best, and the suit of course. I would never pose nude. I don’t even like nudes. Think it’s more exciting if there is something left to the imagination.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nancy! I love the pieces I was showing so that helped. I need to come up with a couple more tours because I don’t want to keep doing the same ones. One of my friends does an amazing tour of the Asian galleries. I really want to take hers. I wouldn’t pose nude either…nobody wants to see that! I don’t mind nudes as long as they aren’t like right in your face nudes. The one I used was more like a Barbie! I would love to know why he had that jewelry around her arm!
Yay for the tour. I always learn so much more this way, and you’re a natural…I mean, that’s what you’ve been doing in your blog for a while now.
XOOX
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! The actual tour involved asking questions in order to get a conversation going about the art. It wasn’t even all that much about the title of the art. I have to be super careful about getting carried away with the information even though I find that all so fascinating!
Thank you for the tour Marsha and all the information about the artists and their work . I can tell you are in your element and whoever takes your tours is lucky indeed. It looks like the museum has a very eclectic collection. Glad you included some fashion , I am always in awe of those historical garments and their tiny waists and the corsets underneath.
Your dress is such a pretty colour and looks so good on you.
Thank you, Jill! I honestly thought those outfits were pinned and asked about it. I was told they don’t pin them at all. People were smaller then, of course. But, corsetry and boning would have been de rigueur then. I absolutely love being at the museum. I tell people that others consider Disney World their happy place…the museum is mine! Yes, it is a very eclectic museum. The third floor has a design gallery which has so many items in it that most wouldn’t consider art. But, design is a part of art. I am going to be doing a Gallery Conversation there next week.
Love this pretty look! Thank you for sharing a little bit of your tour. So cool! You were born to do this. And yay for sharing some fashion!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you, Kathrine! I am really loving both giving the tours and learning about different kinds of art as well as the different movements. One of the trainings I had was the museum storage. The amount of textiles, in the form of clothing as well as tapestries, was amazing. There were so many things I’d love to see on display. Luckily, this particular place is one where they rotate outfits. So, I will have to change my tour eventually when it comes to that part of it.
Your look is gorgeous, Marsha, and the color compliments your hair and skin tone so beautifully! I can imagine how confident you must feel when wearing this outfit! Thanks for the tour! So much rich history! It reminds me of the countless trips I took over the years to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts! Our classes would have monthly art appreciation lessons presented by parent volunteers who had gone through Institute training and then that would be followed up by a field trip each spring. Each year, 10 pieces of artwork were highlighted and those were the ones we focused on during these tours. When our students left in sixth grade, they’d had seven years of art appreciation lessons (and recognized 70 pieces of art). It was a great program!
Thanks so much, Laura! What a wonderful thing to do for your students! That is such a cool way to introduce artists and movements to students to create that appreciation of art. I wish schools would do more of that. The one kind of tour I have chosen not to train for are the school ones. They have them divided into “bands.” I may do it some day, but, for now, I want to get comfortable with just giving tours.
That was a very fun tour! I didn’t know all that about those artists or even the artists but I loved learning about them and seeing their paintings. That has to be such a fun thing to do! I bet most of it would fall out of my head though and I’d totally mess up! Ha!
I love that dress too.. I used to have a skirt like that I think….I wonder what ever happened to it….hmmm….
Thanks, Lisa! I have been practicing that tour over and over and over. I practiced it so much, Mike was able to say, “Oh, that’s Bonnard, right?” Hahaha!!! I think this is my favorite dress of the three I now have. It’s just such a pretty color!
This is a gorgeous outfit – the fabric looks airy and romantic. And I didn’t realize Oldfields was a think until a couple months ago! I feel so lucky to be in a city that has such a gorgeous and kid-friendly art museum.
Thanks, Edi! I really love the dress! It took me a long time to figure it all out. I was at a docent meeting the other day, and one of the new docents actually asked how we were supposed to refer to the museum. So, it’s confusing to lots of people. It is a beautiful place, and I love being a docent there!
This was a fascinating post! I felt like I was there! I am sure you are a fabulous docent and I would love to take a tour with you as guide. Hmm. My favorite was either the dress, or Dream of Spring. The girl in Dream of Spring looks like if you changed her clothes, it could be a modern girl. The Statuette feels so lonely to me. 🙁
I love your dress! It reminds me of flowing water.
Thanks, Erin! I think, if you saw Dream of Spring, you would know for sure. It’s gigantic and just so beautiful! The Statuette really is a beautiful little piece, but I’d never thought about how she looks lonely. Someone did say she looked pensive. I just love its vibe. If you ever make it this way, I’ll give you a special tour!
Congratulations again on being a docent! I love this outfit (even if you didn’t wear it on the day of your graduation tour, lol) and the colors really complement you. I have always like portraits and landscapes and Native American as well as western depictions. I am always in awe of artist. The modern stuff is not typically my cup of tea… I think what I like is when the art depicts life in different time periods.
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Thanks, Mireille! I really love this outfit, too! I wasn’t sure if the color would wash me out or not, but it totally works (maybe not with the pink hair right now). I am growing to have an appreciation for contemporary and modern art even though it’s not my favorite. I think you would like the way the IMA does it. They will consciously put one painting against another from different eras or time periods because they have something in common. It makes for interesting conversations.
Congratulations, Marsha! How wonderful that you’re going to be a docent at the Museum!!! I look forward to hearing more about your experiences. Does the Indianapolis Museum of Art have any 20th century or contemporary art in addition to academic art? Just wondering. Love the tour you gave us, and I appreciate being introduced to Edward Augustus Bell! Your dress is gorgeous <3 Love the color as well as the fabric!
Thank you, Allison! I love being a docent and talking to people. We do have contemporary art as well as many other genres. The curators are in the midst of doing some rearranging and planning. The top floor of the museum has been dedicated to the Lume which is the interactive installation that featured Van Gogh, Monet and friends, and currently Indigenous people of Australia. I think, when that ends, they will bring more of the contemporary art out of storage and display it again. Isn’t that painting by Bell just beautiful? It’s the smallest piece I use, but I think there is so much to it. And, thank you for the compliments! If you’re ever in Indianapolis, I’d love to take you on a tour!
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