ISSUE 3 // 12.7.20

Frank Van Sloun (American, 1879-1938), Union Square in Winter, NY,
Oil on canvas, 29 1/2 x 24 1/2 inches

WHAT’S NEW

Oh Hay There

Our Second Impressions show concluded last month, but we have one more piece by Robert Vonnoh that we’re grandfathering in because we thought you might just want to see it. Check out Madron Gallery’s latest acquisition, Haystacks, Lachant, Ile-de-France, below:

Robert Vonnoh (American, 1858-1933), Haystacks, Lachant, Ile-de-France,
Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches

WHAT’S NEXT

Figuratively Speaking

Madron’s winter show, Casting Call: Women in Bronze from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, explores bronze depictions of the female figure in the transitional period from just before to just after World War I. Sculptures by Paul Manship, Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, and more reveal the tensions between the two artistic movements — Art Nouveau a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, Art Deco to World War I — as sinuous, organic lines gave way to more streamlined forms. Casting Call runs from January 25 - March 26, 2021. Experience these dynamic works online or in person — gallery capacity is limited, so schedule your visit today.

We’re Booked

After much anticipation, we finally have the copies of Madron Press’s newest publication, William S. Schwartz: Color and Coloratura, in hand. We start accepting pre-orders on February 9th (both on our website and Amazon) and officially release the book on March 10th, so don’t forget to mark your calendars! And while we know it’s important not to judge a book by its cover, we just have to say — isn’t she pretty?

WHAT’S THAT PAINTING UP TOP?

Let It Snow

Before to absconding to California, Frank Van Sloun (American, 1879-1938) spent his 20s and early 30s — between 1900 and 1911 — living in New York City. There he studied with Robert Henri (American, 1865-1929), a member of “The Eight” often considered to be the father of the Ashcan School movement. Union Square in Winter, NY is a work from that early, formative period in Van Sloun’s career, Henri’s influence evident in the application of Impressionist technique to a slice-of-life urban scene, a counterpoint to the depictions of upper class life and leisure that had been more typical of the time. In the early 20th century, Union Square was a crowded part of a crowded city — tenements and studios surrounded the park, occupied mostly by immigrants and artists (Van Sloun among them); protests and demonstrations by labor groups and anarchists were common occurrences; and the 1904 opening of New York City’s subway system (including a station at Union Square) meant it was bustling even more than usual. Van Sloun gives us a brief snapshot of this place, a relatively quiet moment against a backdrop of constant change — workaday people going about their lives in snowy lower Manhattan.

And on that note, we here at Madron hope you manage to find your own peaceful moments in the midst of this strange, uncertain holiday season. Wishing you a warm and safe New Year. We’ll see you in 2021!