Thursday, November 6, 2014

Good Stockbridge Fences…

Greg and I took an afternoon in October to make a trip out to Stockbridge, Massachusetts to the Norman Rockwell Museum.  We had just a matter of days left to see the special exhibit there titled “The Unknown Hopper” featuring Edward Hopper’s early work as an illustrator.  We were glad we did as we are both fans of Edward Hopper but had had no idea that he started his career as an illustrator.

For me, it was interesting that Hopper found his work as an illustrator constraining and only did it to make ends meet.  Once he sold his first “real” art and his career as an artist started to take off, he quit his job and dedicated himself fully to painting what he wanted, when he wanted. He said of his art, “Maybe I am not very human - what I wanted to do was to paint sunlight on the side of a house.”

This is probably Hopper’s most famous painting.  It has been imitated over and over again.


Rockwell, on the other hand, is well-known as an illustrator extraordinaire.  Today, most Americans are very familiar with his Saturday Evening Post covers even though he died in 1978.  Rockwell said, “Some people have been kind enough to call me a fine artist. I've always called myself an illustrator. I'm not sure what the difference is. All I know is that whatever type of work I do, I try to give it my very best. Art has been my life.”

My personal favorite Rockwell illustration called The Problem We All Live With shows Ruby Bridges, a six year old African-American girl going into an all-white public school in New Orleans in November of 1960 as she is accompanied by four US Marshalls for her protection.  I find this piece to be very moving and heart wrenching.  This photo was published in Look magazine in 1964.


I make no judgment here.  Two different people, two different ways of looking at art.  Art and the admiration of it, after all, are among the most subjective matters on the earth.   I’m just glad that these two exceptional talents were able to contribute such beauty and insight to this world.

But I digress from my purpose for posting here today.  Today is Good Fences day and I did manage to take a couple of fence photos while we were out in Stockbridge.  They may not be art, but they are illustrations of good fences and  even though it was a very gloomy, grey day, I tried to give them my best.




Linking to The Run*A*Round Ranch's Good Fences!

Thanks, Theresa!


17 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

love the stone wall! but love that last view, too. thanks, barbara!

MadSnapper said...

I have never seen either of these paintings but both of them speak volumes without words.. I was raised in a home without music, without magazines and without TV and very little exposure to the world out side our family and friends... and did not go to college. but now in my old age I am seeing and learning new things every day on blogs. I like all three fences, the stone is my first pic.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

I love the fence in the third shot best. Overall a gorgeous shot

Brian King said...

Beautiful fences! The stone is really nice!

Ida said...

Very interesting paintings by the two different artists. They each had their own message. You got some great fence shots there. I enjoyed your post very much.

A Colorful World said...

Really nice fences, but I loved the visit with you to Norman Rockwell and Hopper's art. Hopper is amazing. But so is Rockwell, of course. It would be hard to make a decision between them. Did you know there is a Rockwell museum in Vermont also. We went there when my sister got married.

Lynn said...

lovely photos, I used to live in a house with a wooden fence in Victoria, B.C. just like the one in your third photo, such a long time ago. My Dad pinned Mr Rockwell's Ruby Bridges on our kitchen pin board, she was there for years.

Bruce Clark said...

Love the color and textures of the wooden picket fence photo.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh I LOVE Edward Hopper’s work and Norman Rockwell of course. Different work both with their own charms. Love your photos too. Hug B

Debbie said...

I have never seen either of these but they definitely speak volumes without word!!

That stone work is gorgeous!!

Nicki said...

two fine artist indeed. Love that last location - quite beautiful.

Tanya Breese said...

i like both paintings very much and your photos are beautiful!

EG CameraGirl said...

I agree that both artists had so much to share with their work.

I love your fence shots! All great choices.

A Colorful World said...

I meant to thank you for your sweet comment about my quilt!

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