My Friday Afternoon March 27, 2015

I spent part of my  Friday (3/27/15) afternoon at Yale University Art Gallery

1.  Yale University Art Gallery houses a significant and encyclopedic collection of art in several buildings on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. 
3. Yale University, 1111 Chapel St, New Haven, CT 06510
4. Opened 1953

Although the gallery is filled with amazing pieces, for this blog I will focus on three pieces of art  that stood out to me.

This painting was by James Ward (British, 1769-1859)

Man Struggling with a Boa Constrictor

This painting is a full-scale study for two of three figures in James Ward’s lost canvas The Liboya Serpent Seizing His Prey. That painting depicted a black man being pulled off a horse by a giant snake. Ward was part of a circle of artists and writers who called for the end of slave trade. Ward’s closed study of human figures in vulnerable, prone position is evident in his drawing.  

Maternity Figure

Uhoro  Nigeria, early 20th century

This figure is from the Charles B. Benenson, B.A. 1933, Collection made up of wood, pigment and encrustation. In the dark shrines forbidden from public view, immense figures of ancestors' spirits are grouped together to evoke an ancestral presence. These figures are meant to be fearsome to the living but beautiful to the dead. The figures' whiteness indicates a connection to the spiritual world and illuminates the dark shrine with an otherworldly presence. 

Mask Performances in Borneo

The masks were made of wood with pigment. Masks are used in may performances and ceremonies in Borneo. In Western Borneo they are used during circumcision and wedding rituals. Among the Kayan and Kenyah of eastern Borneo, masks are linked with the rice planting festival, when elaborate performances are staged to ensure a good harvest growth. In southern Borneo, they traditionally appear as part of funeral ceremonies. All five masks come from Eastern Bornea they were called hudoq. Some represent refined human beings, and some depict fantastic animals based on real or imaginary prototypes, such as a boar, hornbill, or dragon. 

The gallery has a wonderful sculpture and artifact collection. I like the fact that it is free and the atmosphere is welcoming. I will for sure make another trip and share more pictures.