ArtGrams: It’s in the Details

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Experiment Station

Closeup of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party from Instagrammer @mariliazim

You’ve been taking advantage of that camera zoom and getting into the heart of the works on view at the Phillips. For this month’s ArtGrams, we’re sharing some of our favorite detail shots from visitors.

Detail shot of Per Kirkeby’s Untitled (2012) , a recent gift from art collector and dealer Michael Werner, by @elevenrivington

Instagrammer @rebecouli snapped a closeup of Mark Rothko’s Green and Maroon (1953)

Instagrammer @eyeofsi went beyond the frame for this detail shot of one of our fireplaces: “Tetris, seats, or retired fireplace?”

Detail of Annette Messager’s installation Mes petites effigies (My Little Effigies) (1989-90) by Instagrammer @jeffreysartfeed

Detail shot of Paul Klee’s Arab Song (1932) by Instagrammer @dantonlpz

Instagrammer @tuckerwonders zoomed in on this moment in Pierre-August Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party

Wolfgang Laib’s wax room, a permanent installation at the Phillips, is a popular photo stop with visitors, but Instagrammer @goffashley’s closeup captures an exceptionally intimate perspective.

(b)logs for the Fire: Part 2

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Experiment Station

Yesterday, I posted about the details that can emerge if you focus on what is around (or specifically, below) the art on the walls. Here are some more examples of the tiny stories told by the tiny details and embellishments on the fireplaces sprinkled throughout the museum.

Over eighty ornate blue and white tiles depict scenes of castles, ships, and farmers. Each tile is different from its neighbor, showing the artistry of this work on a fireplace in an upstairs room of the original Phillips house.

Is that a face hidden in the East Parlor fireplace andiron, or just an artful arrangement of leaves?

Bernardi Roig’s An Illuminated Head for Blinky P. (The Gun) cuts off a bright yellow fireplace from closer observation. What other artworks, and what other shoes, have come and gone before this yellow brick fireplace?

Emily Hurwitz, Marketing and Communications Intern

(b)logs for the Fire: Part 1

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Experiment Station

Part of what makes The Phillips Collection unique is that the art on the walls is always rotating. But it is also important to note that some of the residents of the collection do have permanent homes. So permanent, in fact, that they were built right into the walls. Many visitors are perhaps familiar with the ornate and beautiful detailing of the Music Room fire place, but sprinkled throughout the gallery are several others—each with their own unique details, styles, and character. Here a just a few examples of what can emerge if you look closer.

This little guy is a permanent resident of the West Parlor. What have those little baby eyes seen through the years?

The repeating fleur de lis-style pattern on these bricks lies underneath a glassy, cracked glaze. From certain angles, you can barely make out the design at all.

Hidden swirls and circles everywhere! This fireplace has a decorative wrought-iron detail and a textured fireplace interior wall.

Check back tomorrow for more fireplace details.

Emily Hurwitz, Marketing and Communications Intern