FAMILIAR AT THE FIGGE

The Figge is a small, but wonderful art museum located in Davenport, Iowa, one block from the mighty Mississippi River.

There were paintings by artists that I was familiar with...

Flower Vase on a Table (1942) by Pablo Picasso

Still Life with Fruit (1920-1922) by Georges Braque

Note the grains of sand in the paint...

Carnival (1943) by Max Beckmann

 

According to his diary, Beckmann painted this triptych while in exile in Amsterdam. If you have followed my blog, you will remember that as a Jew, Beckman's art was considered degenerate by Adolf Hitler. Beckmann lost his teaching position and many of his paintings were confiscated.

Spanish Woman with Mantilla (1910) by Alexej von Jawlensky

Although Russian by birth, Jawlensky lived for several years in Germany; he was an acquaintance of Expressionist painters Gabriele Münter and Emil Nolde, and Wassily Kandinsky and Henri Matisse.

The Blue Horse (1926-1928) by Marc Chagal

Marc Chagall is considered the pioneer of Modernism. He is known for using vibrant, saturated colors applied in complex layers.

Street in Paris, Pink Sky (1909) by Lyonel Feininger

Although American-born, Feininger lived in Germany and was associated with many of the German Expressionist groups. Unfortunately he also suffered the same fate as other Expressionist artists during the Nazi years, and was forced to return to the United States.

Black Hat on a Yellow Chair (1952) by Fernand Lèger

A card-carrying member of the Communist Party, Lèger was influenced by Cubism and utilized mechanical-like forms and primary colors.

A Drop of Dew Falling from the Wing of a Bird Awakens Rosalie Asleep in the Shade of a Cobweb (1939) by Joan Miró.  Yes, that is the entire title of this painting.

All of these paintings are part of a current exhibition at the Figge entitled A Legacy for Iowa. The exhibition features some of the most important works of art from the University of Iowa Art Museum. You can read more here.

All photos in this blog post were taken by me during my visit to the Figge Art Museum in October, 2013.