Birthday Candles for Henri Rousseau

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Experiment Station

French artist Henri Rousseau was born on this day in 1844. His still life The Pink Candle (1908), acquired by Duncan Phillips in 1930 along with Notre Dame (1909), is currently on view upstairs in the original Phillips house as part of Jeanne Silverthorne’s Vanitas! project for the Intersections series. The little painting hangs to the right of a doorway framing Silverthorne’s tour de force in silicone rubber–DNA Candelabra (showing the beginning genetic sequence for depression, anxiety, addiction, anger, and panic) on rubber crate (2007).

Henri Rousseau, The Pink Candle, 1908. Oil on canvas, 6 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Acquired 1930.

Installation view of Rousseau’s The Pink Candle in conversation with Jeanne Silverthorne’s work in Vanitas! on view through June 2 as part of the Intersections series. Photo: Lee Stalsworth

Exhibition at the Phillips Collection, Washington DC

Installation view of Jeanne Silverthorne’s DNA Candelabra (showing the beginning genetic sequence for depression, anxiety, addiction, anger, and panic) on rubber crate, 2007. Platinum, silicone rubber, and phosphorescent pigment, Overall 64 x 60 x 47 in. Courtesy artist and McKee Gallery, New York. Photo: Lee Stalsworth

Young Artists Celebrate Their Work

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Experiment Station

Tyler Elementary School Students create storyboards inspired by Franz Marc’s Deer in the Forest I. Photo: James R. Brantley

On May 14 and 16 we wrapped up another successful year of the Art Links to Learning: Museum-in-Residence program with two artists’ receptions for 350 students from Tyler Elementary School and Takoma Education Campus. Students enjoyed seeing their work in the current Young Artists Exhibition and venturing out into the galleries before school’s out for summer!

Natalie Mann, School, Outreach, and Family Programs Coordinator

Takoma Education Campus middle school students settle into the auditorium on May 16. Photo: James R. Brantley

Tyler Elementary School students peruse the Young Artists Exhibition featuring their class’s collaborative artwork. Photo: James R. Brantley

It’s All Dutch

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Experiment Station

I met a lot of Vincent van Gogh fans on Saturday. They were delighted to hear there is going to be an exhibition of the artist’s work at The Phillips Collection this fall!

Photos: Jane Clifford

Let me explain. I spent last Saturday, May 11, taking part in the Delegation of the European Union’s EU Open House initiative. As part of this year’s annual celebration of culture, 28 embassies opened their doors to the public free of charge, offering a rare look inside their buildings as well as food, music, and the chance to experience firsthand their rich cultures.

I was lucky to be working behind the scenes as a volunteer at the Royal Netherlands Embassy, promoting the Phillips’s upcoming Van Gogh Repetitions exhibition. The Embassy was a perfect setting in which to inform people of the first exhibition of van Gogh’s work in Washington in 15 years, given that he is not only one of the most celebrated artists in history but also a Dutch national.

Overall it was a wonderful day–the rain held off and nearly 2,700 D.C. residents and visitors came through the doors to learn about the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch art, and culture. To top it off, the Embassy offered complementary stroopwaffles (yum!), Heineken, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (a division of the Anglo-Dutch Unilever conglomerate, who knew?).

Jane Clifford, Marketing Intern