Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is currently holding an exhibition called “Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection.” The Davies sisters were two British art collectors who accumulated a large number of European works from the mid 19^th century to the early 20^th century. Despite acquiring works over a fifty-year span, there is a similar theme seen throughout their collection because the subjects of their art are either landscapes or intimate portraits. There are no modern scenes of everyday city life. As a result, I was able to see how landscape paintings and portraiture developed throughout time in England and France because the exhibit was arranged chronologically by style.

Turner, The Storm, 1840-1845, Corcoran

Due to their British heritage, the sisters first focused on collecting British artwork in order to enhance cultural life within England. The British painter Joseph Mallord William Turner was the first artist showcased in the exhibit. His work, The Storm, painted in 1840-1845, reminded me of another work of his, The Slave Ship. Painted at the same time, around the end of Turner’s career, both seascapes deal with nature and the sublime. Although the two paintings have different color palettes, the painting technique is similar

Turner, Slave Ship, 1840, MFA Boston

with the use of rapid brushstroke and impasto. Both images are more abstract especially the

ships seen in their backgrounds. In addition, the remains of the ship’s sails in The Storm are reminiscent of the slave’s hands as both emerge from the angry waves. As the boat is destroyed by the forceful waves, there is an emphasis on the power of nature in The Storm. Nonetheless, in person, the painting is very small and some of the affect is lost on the viewer.

Millet, The Good Samaritan, 1846, Corcoran

As the Davies sisters grew older, their tastes developed and became more modern. They began to favor realist works of French artists like Jean-François Millet over the English landscapes of Turner. Millet’s painting, The Good Samaritan, painted in 1846, represents a simplified and more modern version of a biblical narrative. He takes a biblical reference, the good Samaritan, and applies it to the French working class. A man is shown carrying another man but from their wardrobes, these men are clearly members of lower French society. Despite their tough living conditions, the men are still able to stop and help each other. The characters are not individualized as the viewer can only see their backs. In addition, the background is simplified with no clear horizon line. As a result, this painting become a depiction of an anonymous action. The lack of embellishment in Millet’s works is characteristic of French realist art. Although the Davies sisters did not buy art that reflected city life, realist works allowed contemporary political messages to be reflected through art that also suited their taste.

*Picture of Slave Ship: http://www.mfa.org/collections/search_art.asp?recview=true&id=31102
*Picture of The Good Samaritan: http://www.jeanmillet.org/The-Good-Samaritan,-1846.html