I just received the news that Buchanan, at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for the last six years, died yesterday at the age of 58. Here's a link to the press release. Previously, Buchanan had served as executive director of the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon (1994-2005), director of Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee (1986-1994) and executive director of the Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences in Peoria, Illinois (1982-1986). Buchanan was a controversial figure in the museum world, criticized for staging … [Read more...]

When I wrote my review of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art for the Wall Street Journal, which was published a few weeks ago, and mentioned here, I did not have the space to cover several noteworthy aspects of the project. Noteworthy and, for the most part, laudable. Perhaps noting them will help counter the mostly misguided criticism of the museum's benefactor, Alice Walton. Let's start with the name itself. Some people, ridiculously, in my opinion, have crticized the name Walton chose for the museum, saying it sounds more … [Read more...]

When I visited Italy in November, I spent a day in Bologna, and among the places I visited was the Museo Morandi. I am something of a Morandi fan, and I enjoyed seeing the well-rounded collection of his work, with many landscapes, for example, as well as still lifes. But the real revelation from my visit was not about Morandi. The museum regularly mounts temporary exhibitions for artists whose work relates to Morandi, and the exhibition I saw was for a wonderful artist I've never heard of: Alexandre Hollan. He's Hungarian, … [Read more...]

If a publication in the United States were awarding the "exhibition of the year" title, I'd bet the contenders would include the de Kooning exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, the Alexander McQueen fashion show at the Metropolitan Museum, The Steins Collect at San Francisco MoMA, and ... maybe Caravaggio at the Kimbell? The whole of "Pacific Standard Time" in LA? Which makes the choice of Apollo Magazine in the U.K. all the more interesting. In its December issue, Apollo named Hans von Aachen: A Court Artist in Europe, which was shown in the … [Read more...]

From a press release. With profound sadness, the family of Helen Frankenthaler announces the death of Ms. Frankenthaler on December 27, at age 83, following a lengthy illness. Frankenthaler, whose career spanned six decades, has long been recognized as one of the great American artists of the 20th century. The press release contains a summary of her career.   At left: Helen Frankenthaler in her New York studio at 83rd Street and Third Avenue, 1964, with Interior Landscape, 1964 (collection of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), behind … [Read more...]

While I was away, the Wall Street Journal published a short "Icon" article I wrote about Bernini's Medusa, at left, which is on view at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. It's on loan from the Capitoline Museums in Rome, the second in a series, as I wrote. It's a beautiful piece, as you can see, but part of the story had to be left out because of the brevity required by Icon articles. For Medusa, Bernini was channeling his former lover, Costanza Bonarelli, who -- as the article does say -- Bernini had caught also having an affair with his … [Read more...]

I'll be away for a few days celebrating Christmas...I can think of no better image to leave for you than Fra Angelico's Nativity. … [Read more...]

Here's another new(ish) trend in museums: not satisfied with mixing fine art and decorative art, some are reinstalling galleries to integrate art made in different geographic areas and cultures, too. The Princeton University Art Museum is a prime example. James Steward, the director, said two years ago, when he was appointed, that he wanted to rearrange the collection to make it more accessible to more people. Now the reinstallation is complete. I hasten to add that I have not seen it, but I've gleaned this information … [Read more...]

As the art world must know, Alice Walton has become a punching bag for people who are really bashing Wal-Mart, largely for the wages it pays its employees and the benefits it does or does not provide. Another strain of criticism pokes at her for spending money on an art museum. Jeff Goldberg, writing for Bloomberg, recently called the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art "a moral tragedy" and "a compelling symbol of the chasm between the richest Americans and everyone else." As if art were of no use or inspiration to anyone but "the rich." … [Read more...]

Tomorrow is a big day for the Metropolitan Museum:* The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini opens. I saw it last night at the opening, and it's a knockout. Prepare for rave reviews. The exhibit, curated by Keith Christiansen, chairman of European paintings at the Met, starts with a premise: that early Renaissance Italy produced "the first great age of portraiture in Europe," a time when artists created fabulous portraits that start with the simple recording of features but go way beyond that. As an aside, I asked … [Read more...]