A Bluestocking Knits

We went to the Getty the other day, the "new" one in Brentwood.  I hadn't been in ages.

We went to see the exhibit of Jean-Léon Gérôme paintings on view through September.

I am not particularly familiar with Gérôme, although I do know his "Pygmalion and Galatea" and "Duel After the Masked Ball", both of which are on view here.

This is the one that is on all of the posters, "Pollice Verson (Thumbs Down)" of 1872 —

Apparently Gérôme was famous for the historical accuracy of his paintings such as this — the inspiration for hundreds of sword-and-sandal flicks from C.B. DeMille to Ridley Scott's "Gladiator".

He was one of the prime figures in the Orientalist movement in 19th-century painting and sculpture, typified in "The Carpet Merchants" (1887), a stunning piece of color and detail and exoticism.

Gérôme also turned towards sculpture in his later career, and experimented with different polychrome techniques in the Classical manner.  I must say I rather admire the nice little conceit of the self-portrait of the artist at work in "The End of the Sitting" from 1886.

"Veiled Circassian Lady" (1876).

None of these images really gives the full effect of the real thing — the richness of color and detail are quite amazing.

We also saw the Renaissance drawing show, "From Line to Light".

This is a ca. 1508 sketch of three trees by Fra Bartolomeo, and here a sketch of a "Standing Saint" by Filippino Lippi from about 1490 —

I always like the white detail on ink and metalpoint sketches, especially on grey paper — something about that color combination speaks to me, I suppose.

This portrait of a young woman from the 1520s, attributed to Andrea Previtali is one of the showpieces of the exhibit, and rightly so —

Certainly worth closer study.  Here is a detail of the workmanship —

Lovely.

It was a beautiful day — I highly recommend it.