AFA Summer 2018

Antiques & Fine Art 99 2018 Florine Stettheimer (1871–1944) Spring Sale at Bendel’s, 1921 Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 inches Philadelphia Museum of Art; Gift of Miss Ettie Stettheimer (1951-27-1) The boisterous vitality of American leisure activities fascinated Florine Stettheimer, who portrayed them with an evident sense of humor. Here, Stettheimer offers a glimpse into the lively world of high fashion at discounted prices. Imagine elegantly dressed women twisting, preening, and diving for bargains in a posh department store, as we see in the painting, which features her typical jewel-like palette of bright reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and pinks. Henri Bendel opened his luxurious New York store on Fifth Avenue in 1913. Stettheimer was among the upper class that may have shopped there. Along with her sisters and her mother, Stettheimer hosted an elite salon that attracted many of the leading talents of her day, such as Charles Demuth, Marcel Duchamp, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Alfred Stieglitz, whose work is included in the exhibition. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887 – 1986) Red and Orange Streak, 1919 Oil on canvas, 27 x 23 inches Philadelphia Museum of Art; Bequest of Georgia O’Keeffe for the Alfred Stieglitz Collection (1987-70-3) Georgia O’Keeffe blurred distinctions between depictions of the observable natural world and interpretations of its intangible qualities. Here, a vibrant arc of colors cuts across a dark background, intersecting a glowing red horizon. This horizontal band, the symbol of a traditional landscape, recedes behind O’Keeffe’s vivid artistic gesture. She made Red and Orange Streak in New York, months after she left the sweeping landscapes of Texas that inspired the painting. O’Keeffe was mesmerized by the wide-open plains of Texas, especially at night when she would take long walks alone. Enveloped in darkness, the disembodied sounds of train whistles and lowing cattle suggested shapes and colors to the artist. She was also fascinated by the storms that made their way across the flat Texas landscape, sending streaks of lightning down to the earth. Red and Orange Streak conveys her memories and feelings about the place—a mood rather than a factual description. She transformed the remembered landscape into something uniquely her own.