Reflective Essay on Experience at the University of Michigan Museum of Art

Introduction

In mid October, my colleagues and I visited the University of Michigan Museum of Art abbreviated as UMMA, which is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was astonishing to discover after rapid research on the internet that it was one of the most prominent and largest university art museums present in the United States of America. Moreover, upon stepping in the museum, we were eager to learn more about it which inspired us to ask one of the receptionists about its history. Additionally, we learned that it was constructed in 1909 as a war memorial primarily for the fallen alumni of the university during the Civil War. Therefore, it houses a broad collection of over nineteen thousand artworks which dates over one hundred and fifty years. The artworks span across media, eras, and cultures. The University of Michigan Museum of Art displays different works, for example, the Portrait of Anne Simms Reeve (nee Browne) of Brancaster Hall, Norfolk by Frederic Sandys and Madonna and the Child among other artworks which were lucky to view while in our visit.

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The Portrait of a Lady, probably Anne Simms Reeve (nee Browne) of Brancaster Hall, Norfolk is an oil on the panel painting made by Frederic Sandys in 1860. Its accession number in the University of Michigan Museum of Art is 1987/1.158. It is a portrait of a young woman drawn half-length while facing the right side. She has a yellow satin dress with dark brown hair. Additionally, her bodice on the upper part is clipped with black ribbons which are arranged to form vertical stripes. She also has a strand of pearls attached to her hair and gold ovoid pendant earring. In the portrait, the background is oleander branches. The exact identification of the young lady drawn in this portrait is challenging. However, according to various studies such as Winchester and Straughton (2), reveals that she is Anne Simms Reeve.

The portrait of Anne Simms is a striking painting which is an exceptional illustration of the Mid-Victorian portraiture. Sandy had an affinity of Flemish and German art of the fifteenth and sixteenth century, a culture which was also practised by the majority of the Pre-Raphaelite artists. This culture is reflected in the painting due to its highly-finished enamel, crisp delineation of forms, and meticulous focus to details together with the exotic foliage and lush brocade placed in the panel painting's background. Sandy also portrays the likeness of a woman in scrupulous details evident from the light wave in her hair and long lashes to her high forehead, elongated neck, and brown eyes. Thus, such focus on the detail as it was the culture during his time may be observed in the treatment of the exotic oleander plants which were imported from the Mediterranean.

The aesthetic qualities are also evident in the painting through the author's use of pattern. Sandys uses natural pattern in his artwork which is visible when one views the shape of the branches and plant leaves in the Simms' background (Tinio, 265). Additionally, Sandys also uses colour as an aesthetic quality to communicate the tone of the painting. The artwork is painted from memory rather than from visibility by utilising the brown colour to show the altering mood of the background. Sandy uses intense dark brown which becomes pale when moving towards Simms' face and attires.

The Madonna and Child is an artwork drawn by Pagani in 1868 which is also available in the University of Michigan Museum of Art through accession number 1988/1.145. It is a painting whose primary medium is an oil on the canvas. When one glance at this work, the first thing visible is a child named Jesus laid on a raised platform on some white sheets and his mother, Madonna, standing beside it while holding one end of the sheet. Madonna appears to play or touch the child using her left hand while the child is directly looking it. It is easy to make a comparison between both of them without making in-depth comparisons. For instance, both Madonna and the Child have some glowing ring around their head. However, the child has bold hair with no clothes while Madonna has blond hair with an elegant dress with maroon, brown, and black details. The painting has a dark background and a front which appears to be illuminated with light (Etro, 506).

The Madonna and the Child painting was made and completed in a cultural event known as the Italian Renaissance which begun in the fourteenth century and concluded in the seventeenth century. This was a period in which the Italian artists expanded their repertoire to incorporate mythological subject matter, independent portraits, and historical events while Christianity upheld their strong belief in their professions (Etro, 510). Thus, the majority of the artworks from this period were sacred. The Madonna and the child painting shows the sacredness portrayed during the Italian Renaissance which is visible through Jesus and his mother having a golden glow around their head. This was a concept employed for sacred beings and creatures. Additionally, this movement was propelled by the new idea of humanism which had been adopted in many cultures in Western empires. The concept is furthermore portrayed in the painting via the Madonna and the Child who present the real-life people rather than conceptualised and stereotyped individuals (Etro, 518). The connection between the idea of humanism and the painting is shown by Pagani when he concentrated more on the humanity of the Child, Jesus Christ instead of his divinity.

The aesthetic qualities are also visible in the manner Pagani made the painting. For instance, Madonna and the child's body are brightly portraying the artist utilisation of colour. Colour in the artwork is defined as a perceptual and visual aspect of a particular artwork as well as strength, depth, and intensity all of which help in conveying both the purpose and feel of such artwork (Tinio, 265). Pagani utilises a bright colour evident in the Madonna, and the child faces to reflect happiness. Additionally, the child's figure demonstrates the aesthetic qualities of form. Form refers to the three-dimensional shape of an object encompassed on an artwork. Therefore, the manner in which Madonna in the painting appears to touch the Child reveals the three-dimension form. On the hand, this painting was done during the Italian Renaissance, a cultural event which saw many artists transform their artwork from the traditional medieval action and thought to modernism. However, a significant number of artists were unable to see the transformation and its when Madonna and the Child were developed and become the icon of artistic culture such as the use of the idea of humanism.

Conclusion

The visit to the University of Michigan Museum of Art was productive since it provided an opportunity to learn about various artworks with the most interest works being the Madonna and the Child and the Portrait of Anne Simms Reeve of Brancaster Hall, Norfolk. While analysed from their aesthetic qualities and cultural event, it instils significant knowledge about such artworks. Therefore, anyone with a desire to learn or enjoy a museum experience, the University of Michigan Museum of Art is a place that cannot disappoint since it encompasses different paintings, scriptures, and images among other artworks from over one and a half century.

Work Cited

Etro, Federico. "The Economics of Renaissance Art." The Journal of Economic History 78.2 (2018): 500-538..

Tinio, Pablo PL. "From Artistic Creation to Aesthetic Reception: The Mirror Model of Art." Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 7.3 (2013): 265.

Winchester, Angus James Logie, and Eleanor Anne Straughton. "Contested Common Land Project: Brancaster and Thornham Historical Briefing Paper." (2010).