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March 4, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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Arts Arts Portal Lead Top Story

Looking at the Masters: How St Nicholas Became Santa Claus in America

December 17, 2020 by Beverly Hall Smith

St Nicholas of Myra (270-343 CE) (Greece) and the numerous miracles he performed were the inspiration for St Nicholas Day celebrated on December 3, 2020. He was buried in the Church of St Nicholas in Myra.  The great schism (1054) officially separated the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.  The Byzantine Empire was conquered in 1087 by the Seljuk Turks who brought the religion of Islam. A group of Italian Catholic merchants in Myra secretly removed the bones of St Nicholas from the Church and took them to the Italian town of Bari.  They bones were interred in the Basilica of San Nichola and remain there still. The first Crusade (1096) departed from Bari, and St Nicholas’s miracles involving the saving of people, particularly seafarers, became popular with the Crusaders. On their return from the Holy Land, the Crusaders spread the cult of St. Nicholas in Europe.  By the Fifteenth Century stories had evolved to include St Nicholas the gift giver and patron saint of children. Children all over Europe celebrated St Nicholas Day and left shoes or stockings by the fire; if they were good children, they would receive a gift, if not, they might receive a switch.

“The Vindication of Christmas” (1652)

St Nicholas Day suffered a setback in Germany when Martin Luther (1483-1546) stated that Christmas Day, December 25, was the appropriate time for gift giving to celebrate the Christ Child, Christkind in German.  In England, Oliver Cromwell (1647) declared Christmas was a “Popish” tradition and punished those who observed Christmas on December 25.  He promoted the idea that Christmas really was derived from the Roman pagan festival of Saturnalia.  The people revolted.  In 1652, “The Vindication of Christmas, O Sir I bring good cheer to Pilgrims, ”an anonymous print was circulated.  A Puritan on the left is about to draw his sword while Old Father Christmas, dressed in a long gown similar to the robes of St Nicholas, calms the Puritan, and a commoner welcomes Old Christmas.  

The Examination and Tryall of Old Father Christmas (1658)

Josiah King’s pamphlet “The Examination and Tryall of Old Father Christmas” (1658) depicts a white haired and bearded Father Christmas,  this time in Bishop’s robe and mitre, similar to the early images of St Christopher. He wears a long fur stole, and although he is in prison, he sits in a chair with a nailed leather back and curved arm.  Accused by the Commonwealth of idleness, drunkenness, profligacy and other debaucheries, Father Christmas was not restored to his proper role until 1600, when Charles II came to the throne

Festival of St Nicholas on December 6, 1810

From their arrival n America, Puritan colonists banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay Colony until 1681. It was Dutch immigrants in New Amsterdam that brought the stories and legends to New York. On St Nicholas Day in Holland, seafaring men went to the harbor to take part in church services for St Nicholas.  On their way home they would pick up small gifts, such as oranges imported from Spain, to put in the stockings or shoes of children.  Coincidentally, St Nicholas often was shown with three golden balls representing the gift he gave to the father of three daughters for their dowry.  The oranges represent the golden balls.  Alexander Anderson’s engraving for the New York Historical Society’s annual meeting in 1810 officially recognizes the first “Festival of St Nicholas on December 6, 1810”.  St Nicholas is depicted in traditional bishop’s robes and on the hearth a Dutch teakettle, waffles, cat, and stockings.  On the mantle, the good little girl holds several gifts in her arms, and her stocking overflows. The bad little boy holds a switch and his stocking is full of switches as well.

“Old Santa Claus with much delight” (1821)

A small paperback book titled The Children’s Friend:  A New-Year’s Present, to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve was published in 1821 by William Gilley in New York. The book included eight illustrations of the poem “Old Santa Claus with much delight,” that tells of Santa Claus’s visit on Christmas Eve, December 24, not December 6. Riding in a sleigh pulled by a reindeer, Santa wears the red robe associated with a bishop.  In other illustrations for the poem he is depicted as tall and thin, quietly putting toys in stockings hung on the children’s bed post.

Another contributor the image of Santa Claus was Washington Irving (1783-1859). Famous for his novels “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” he wrote under the assumed name of Diedrich Knickerbocker, a satire titled A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty (1809). In the story Irving described Sinter Klaas as a rascal in a blue three cornered hat, a red waistcoat, and yellow stockings. The figure of Santa Claus was by this time a jolly heavy man who smoked a traditional Dutch long white clay pipe.  He rode over the roof tops in a horse drawn wag and dropped the children’s gifts down the chimney.

A poem called “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”, known familiarly as “The Night before Christmas,” was published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel, on December 24, 1823. The author, disputably, Clement Moore, was a Biblical scholar, a professor and a poet, who taught at the Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York City, did not admit to authorship of the poem for twenty-two years.  The poem contributed a number of new details about Santa Claus. He was dressed all in fur, with a broad face and a little round belly, and he filled the stockings hung by the fire. Moore’s unique contribution to the Santa Claus image was the names and number of eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.  Moore presented a peaceful vision of the arrival of Santa Claus in contrast to the more traditional public festivities of drinking, eating, carousing and general rowdiness as the revelers ran riot in the town.  Santa Claus became a family centered figure, and as Moore put it, “A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.”

“The Workshop of Santa Claus” (1873)

Louisa May Alcott, of Little Women fame, wrote in 1856 a poem titled “Christmas Elves,” which would have made another addition to the story of Santa Claus if her publisher had decided to use it. However, in 1857, Harpers’ Weekly published a poem titled “The Wonders of Santa Claus” that included these verses: “He keeps a great many elves at work, All working with all their might, to make a million of pretty things, Cakes, sugarplums and toys, To fill the stockings, hung up you know, By the little girls and boys.”  Godey’s Lady’s Book, (Christmas 1873) contained the image “The Workshop of Santa Claus.” Numerous elves sew, hammer and otherwise busily make toys. The caption reads: “Here we have an idea of the preparations that are made to supply the young folks with toys at Christmas time.”  The same issue also contained an article by a socially conscious writer who informed the reader that contemporary toymakers were not elves, but real people, mostly struggling foreigners. “Whole villages engage in the work, and the contractors every week in the year go round to gather together the six day’s work and pay for it.”

“Santa Claus at the Union Camp” (1863)

The artist who most influenced the evolving image of Santa Claus was Thomas Nast, an immigrant from Bavaria and a famous political cartoonist. Nast, inspired by his German background and “The Night before Christmas,” created what was to become the iconic image of Santa Claus.  However his first depiction of Santa Claus, published by Harper’s Weekly (1863), drawn and printed during the American Civil War, was not what one would expect.  “Santa Claus at the Union Camp” depicts a white bearded Santa dressed in a jacket with white stars and pants with white stripes.  Although a black and white image, the intended reading of the red, white and blue of the American flag is obvious.  This patriotic Santa passes out gifts to Union troops.  A strong Union supporter, Nast included a small boy holding a puppet with a noose around its neck that looks very much like Jefferson Davis. 

“Merry Old Santa Claus” (1881)

Thomas Nast continued to draw images of Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly for the next thirty years, completing thirty-three Santa’s. The iconic image is “Merry Old Santa Claus” (1881).  His red suit, arm-load of toys, pack on his back, white beard, smiling jolly face, and a long stemmed pipe, this Santa composed the model for all Santa’s to follow. One more part of the story came from Thomas Nast. He began noting “Santa Claussville, N.P.” in the corner of his works, to identify the North Pole as Santa’s home.

 After the end of the Nineteenth Century, Santa Claus’s image was secure. Writers such as Frank Baum, commercial companies such as Montgomery Ward and Coca Cola, and song writers and singers such as John Marks and Gene Autrey continue to add delightful bits of information about Santa Claus.  St Nicholas from Myra, Kris Kringle or Kristkind from Germany, Old Father Christmas from England, and Sinterklaas from Holland, all participated in bringing Santa Claus to America. 

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown six years ago, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and Chesapeake College’s Institute for Adult Learning.  She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

 

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Top Story

At the Academy: The AAM Members Show 2020

December 15, 2020 by The Spy

 

While the Academy Art Museum has distinguished itself over many years with its art exhibitions’ quality and depth, there will always be a particular fondness and community gratitude for its annual Members Show.

Representing well over one hundred artists, the yearly event is a fitting acknowledgment of our region’s gifted painters, and it also reminds us of the unique role that art plays on the Mid-Shore. It summarizes in one place the diversity and abundance of the exceptionally talented artists that live among us. This substantial number of creatives enrich our region well beyond what is found on their canvases, and the Academy’s tradition of putting a spotlight on their works only reminds us how fortunate we are.

Last week, the Spy talked to Mehves Lelic, the Academy’s curator, about the show and the remarkable talent it represents.

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum, please go here.

 

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Arts Top Story

Art on Lockdown: Yuh Okano

December 14, 2020 by James Dissette

When I first saw Yuh Okano’s silk scarves during an outdoor Chestertown artist market, I was impressed by the unique spectrum of colors in her work. I wanted to know more about her creative process and ascendance as an artist whose work has been collected by the Museum of Modern Art and many international exhibitions.

Turns out, after befriending fellow artist Faith Wilson while attending many of the same art shows, Okano decided last February to make Chestertown her home after 20 years in New York City.

Okano’s residence on High Street is more like a workshop and gallery. The first floor is a fabric dying room and workspace where yards of silk is stretched hammock-like. These are her blank “canvases” that will be painted and dyed with her visions of the natural world.

The second floor is a gallery for her favorite works from the past and new creations for sale. Okano explains that the fascinating small shadow boxes on the wall are fabric concepts from which larger projects may evolve but often stand alone as art in miniature.

Okano says that her childhood in Japan was influenced by her family of artists, including an uncle who was a renowned famous graphic designer. In the early 1980s, her artistic pathway brought her to the US and Rhode Island School of Design.

“To this day, my network of friends from RISDY, and artists I’ve met along the way, have formed a valuable network. We help each other,” she says.

Drawing heavily from the natural world, Okano exhibits a rich and joyful chromatic scale offset by creations that lean more toward muted olive and cinnamon earth tones.

From bold to subtle, all on silk or fine wool, her commercial work offers ornate necklaces, flower pins, shawls, and handbags of Devore fabric.

 If you visit her gallery, you must see her Shibori Dumpling Bag,

Okano’s fabric art appears in museums and galleries worldwide from Japan and MoMa to Finland and Denmark, and she has taught fabric arts in equally diverse countries.

Scan her website for a full introduction. These few minutes do not do justice to the range of this artist’s work.

This video is approximately 7 minutes in length. To see her prolific range of art, visit her website here.

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Spy Highlights, Spy Top Story

Looking at the Masters: The Art of Hanukkah Lamps

December 10, 2020 by Beverly Hall Smith

The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 10, and ends at sundown on December 18, 2020. Also known as the Festival of Lights. The festival commemorates the re-conquest of the land of Israel and the re-dedication of Solomon’s Temple. The land of Israel, including the city of Jerusalem, was conquered by Antiochus III (ruled 222-186 BCE), King of Syria, who at first dealt kindly with the Jews. When he was defeated by the Romans and made to pay them heavy taxes, he extracted the tax in gold from the treasury in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. The treasury held the half shekel each adult male Jew gave annually for the upkeep of the Temple, and an amount for orphans to be paid when they came of age and went out on their own.

At Antiochus’s death his son Seleucus IV further oppressed the Jews. He was followed by his brother Antiochus IV, called the Madman. Defeated in a war with Rome, Antiochus IV returned to Jerusalem and ordered his army to attack the Jews. Thousands died. Jewish worship was forbidden, the scrolls of Law were burned, rituals were forbidden, and Jews were made to eat pork. Thousands of Jews fled and hid in the hills of Judea. From 167 BCE to 160 BCE, Judah Maccabee and his brothers led battles to reclaimed the land. They cleared the Temple of the Syrian and Greek idols and built a new altar. The re-dedication of the Temple was held on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev (November-December) in 139 BCE.

Golden Menorah from Arch of Titus, Rome (81 CE)

The original Gold Menorah was stolen when Antiochus IV savaged the Temple; a new one of crude metal menorah was made for the re-dedication. A Menorah has six cups of equal height to hold the consecrated oil, representing among other things, the tree of life and the six days of creation, and a seventh taller cup in the center representing the light of God. However, there was only a small amount of purified olive oil was found, and it was only enough for one night.

The Hanukkah miracle occurred as the one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days, the time necessary to prepare new oil. A new celebration of Hanukkah was declared, and a new lamp was created. Hanukkah lamps had eight oil cups and with a ninth, the Shamash, with oil to light the others. The new lamp celebrated the miracle of eight days of light and the rededication of the Temple.

Hanukkah Lamp (1680)( Frankfort, Germany) (10’’ x 12’’ x3’’)

Lighting the Hanukkah lamp is the most significant part of the celebration. The honor of lighting the lamp goes to a woman. The Talmud and other scholars state that women contributed to the victory of Hanukkah and compare their part in the victory to that of Judith (Book of Judith, Apocryphal Gospels which are excluded from Hebrew and Protestant books) and her victory over the Assyrians. Centered on the lamp is the image of Judith and Holofernes. Judith, a beautiful widow of Bethulia in the sixth century BCE, was determined to save her city from the Assyrians. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Assyria had sent his general Holofernes to conquer the town. He laid siege to the town and their victory was assured as the people of Bethulia would soon starve.. Judith dressed in her finest and with her maidservant went to the camp to see Holofernes. She promised to aid him with the conquest and an easy victory if he promised to spare her people. Holofernes was charmed. In three days, at the dark of the moon, she would lead him to a secret entrance into the city. Until then she agreed to stay in the camp and only asked to go outside in the evening to pray.

On the evening before the attack, she contrived to get Holofernes very drunk, and using his sword she cut off his head. Stuffing it into a bag, she and her maid went out to pray as usual. When the soldiers came to wake Holofernes, they found him dead. Without a leader the army foundered, and the city was saved.

The Talmud states that Jews could not rely on miracles, but should ask God to give them the strength to do the impossible. One story about Judith quotes her: “Give into my widow’s hand the strength that I plot.” Another version of the story relates that she took food into the camp so as not to break Jewish dietary laws. This act presents another aspect of Judith’s link with Hanukkah. Today potato Latkes are a traditional food for Hanukkah: however, they originally were made with cheese. Potatoes were not found in Israel until well after they were brought to Europe from South America and America by Christopher Columbus. In Europe and Israel eating cheese latkes was the tradition. Judith’s food included cheese made from goats and sheep and was extremely salty. She fed Holofernes cheese on his last night; to quench his thirst he drank heavily, and passed out. Cheese latkes became forbidden in the Fourteenth Century when Jews began to fry food in chicken fat (schmaltz), which violated kosher dietary laws not to eat dairy with meat, thus the potato latke. Cheese is still a part of Hanukkah meals as kugel or rugelach. Both cheese and oil remain a part of Hanukkah to remind the Jews of the miracle associated with Judith. Ashkenazi Jews are known for the potato latke. On Hanukkah, the Sephardic tradition features fried jelly doughnuts (Sufganiyot).

Hanukkah lamp (1680) (detail)

Lions and eagles frequently are depicted on Hanukkah lamps. Two rampant lions appear on either side of this bench lamp The Lion of Judah is the symbol of the Israelite tribe of Judah. In Genesis 49:8-10, Jacob blesses his son Judah: “Judah your bothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. You are a lion’s cub, Oh Judah. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” Three eagles refer to God sending eagles to fight against the Egyptians as the Jews crossed the red Sea. On Mt Sinai, God said to Moses (Exodus 19:4): “You yourself have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to yourself.” The Talmud states that eagles fly the highest of all birds and carry their young on their backs rather than in their claws as other birds do. In this way if an eagle is attacked, the children are protected, and the eagle will sacrifice itself for its children.

Hanukkah lamp (17th century) (14’’x16’’)

Early Hanukkah lamps use oil and not candles as we see today. A second Hanukkah bench lamp depicts Judith and her maidservant in Holofernes’s tent. The beheaded general is depicted on the bed his arm lying over a chest. Judith holds Holofernes sword in her left hand and his head in her right hand. The maid servant opens the bag to receive the head. The city of Bethulia appears to sit upon Judith’s head, perhaps an attempt by the artist to place it in the background outside of the tent. Behind the maid servant are waving palm branches. A Hanukkah lamp with burning oil is centered in the composition. To the left Moses holds his staff in his left hand with the waters of the Red Sea swirling at his feet. In his right hand he supports the two tablets of the Ten Commandments. On the right Moses’ brother Aaron is depicted in the garb of a priest of the Temple: a mitre or turban on his head, a breastplate of judgment set with five stones, and a robe with pomegranates and golden bells on the hem as tassels. In his left hand he holds the ninth oil cup, the Shamah, and in his right a sword. “Thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron they brother for glory and for beauty.” (Exodus 28:2)

Hanukkah lamp (1706-32)(Johan Adam Boller)

In the early Eighteenth Century, Johan Adam Boller (1706-32), a member of a famous silversmith atelier in Frankfort, created a Hanukkah lamp that resembled the shape of a menorah rather than the bench type Hanukkah lamp mostly seen in houses. The eight stems are decorated with alternating flowers, knobs and bells. The description of the Golden Menorah God gave to Moses states that seven stems should have intermittent almond blossoms with rings of other leaves and petals. Judith is placed at the top, and at the lower point of the shaft a rampant lion holds a shield with deer and a bird engraved on it. Four roundels at the base with scenes of Rebecca meeting Abraham at the well, and three scenes from the life of Jacob, her son represent new images. Also new are cloisonné enamels and the use of color in the roundels and in some of the flowers. Hanukkah lamps were often wedding presents, and symbols of the family were frequently included.

Dreidel

A game using a dreidel is another part of the Hanukkah celebration. A dreidel is essentially a top that each person spins to win gelt, a small Jewish coin first minted in the Middle Ages. Like the yearly donation of shekels to Holy Temple, gelt was given to teachers as a thank-you gift for sharing their knowledge. Today gelt is more familiar seen as gold foil covered chocolate coins adorned with symbols of Judaism. On the four sides of a dreidel are the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, hay and shin which explain something about the game. In Yiddish nun stands for nothing, gimel for all, hay for half, and shin for put in. When put together into a Hebrew phrase they stand for “a great miracle happened there” which brings us full circle, referencing the miracle of the eight days of light.

To my Jewish friends, particularly Dena, Happy Hanukkah.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown six years ago, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and Chesapeake College’s Institute for Adult Learning.  She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Top Story

Looking at the Masters: The Story of Saint Nicholas

December 3, 2020 by Beverly Hall Smith

Who was St Nicholas?  St Nicholas’s feast day is celebrated on December 5 in the Eastern Orthodox Church and December 6 in the Roman Catholic Church in the west. He was born in the Greek city of Patara on March 15, 270 CE and died on December 6, 343 CE. Patara was a vibrant coastal city on the southwest coast of Lycia, the Mediterranean coast of modern day Turkey. His parents were wealthy, devout Christians.  According to legend he was an exceptional child who preferred to memorize scripture and go to church. The priesthood was a logical vocation.  The factual details of his life are minimal, but over time legends of his kindness and charity, his ability to intervene in serious situations saving lives, and his many miracles increased his growing popularity. He became known as Nicholas the Wonderworker and the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, students, coopers, fisherman, pharmacists, and especially children. Clearly stories about his life and after-death miracles grew substantially.

St Nicholas (16th century Greek Icon)

 Nicholas was made the Bishop of Myra in a unique way. When the Bishop of Myra died, the priests could not decide how to choose a new Bishop.  In a dream, the most respected of the priests was told that the first priest to enter the church the next morning was to be made Bishop. He went to the church and stayed up all night to be there in the morning. Nicholas, who had been away, arrived early in the day and went first to the church to pray. As the first priest to enter the church, he was proclaimed Bishop of Myra. Nicholas was canonized a saint in 1466. His depiction is generally determined by whether the artist is Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic. St Nicholas is depicted with a halo, holding the Bible and with giving a blessing with his right hand.  As a Bishop he is can be depicted wearing a cassock with mitre and Crozier.  

Nicholas giving a sack of gold (14th century Italian fresco)

Nicholas’s acts of charity began after his wealthy parent’s death, and he felt the need to dispose of his inheritance. His first act of charity was to help a neighbor who unfortunately had lost most of his money and could not afford dowries for his three daughters. In the dark of night, Nicholas went to the house and dropped a sack of gold through the window. The father was able to provide a dowry for his eldest daughter. Nicholas repeated the nighttime visit with a second sack of gold. The father and daughters told everyone about the mysterious gifts, and the father was determined to find out who the benefactor was. When the sack of gold arrived for the third daughter, her waited and watched.  Seeing Nicholas, he followed him and praised him for his generosity and kindness in providing for his daughters and saving them from prostitution.  Nicholas pledged him to silence and assured him the gift was from God.

Nicholas saving sailors from the storm at sea (Byzantine fresco)

On a voyage by Nicholas to the Holy Lands a great storm came up arose. The Golden Legend by Jacobus Voragine ( 1228-1298) records that the sailors called out to Nicholas,  “Servant of God, if what we have heard of thee is true, let us make trial of it at this moment.” Nicholas replied “You called me, here I am.” Nicholas assisted with the sails, ropes, and tackle and the storm ceased.  He told them to thank God, not him.

Miracle of the Grain (Lorenzetti, A. 1332-34, Italian)

 A famine broke out in Myra in the years 311 to 312 CE, and the people were close to starving.  Nicholas was made aware of an Imperial ship in the harbor loaded with grain, Nicholas talked with the ship’s captain.  The ship’s cargo of grain had been weighed in the city of Alexandria was headed to the Emperor in Constantinople.  The weight of grain was assured and it must reach Constantinople.  Nicholas convinced the captain that some of the grain could be offloaded in Myra and the captain and crew would not be punished.  Persuaded, the captain gave Myra enough grain to feed the population for two years and enough to sow for the next year’s harvest.  When the ship arrived in Constantinople, the weight of grain was equal to the original weight; nothing was missing.

Nicholas of Myra saves the lives of condemned prisoners (Byzantine)

While visiting other parts of his diocese, Nicholas he was called back urgently to Myra because its ruler, Eustathius, had wrongly condemned three innocent men to death, and their execution was imminent. Hurrying back, Nicholas arrived as the executioner held his sword over the head of one of the prisoners.  Nicholas either commanded the executioner to  put down his sword, or as shown in the painting,  he grabbed the sword with his bare hands.  The unjustly accused men were released and proved innocent.  One version says that Eustathius later confessed his sin to Nicholas,  and after a completing a penance was absolved.

Nicholas Resurrects Three Children (Nicholas Book of Devotions, 1577 French)

Nicholas became especially venerated for his help to children.  In one rather peculiar, but frequently reported story, Nicholas was again faced with a looming famine.  On passing by an inn, Nicholas was offered a meal of pork by the inn keeper.  Observing the pork in the pickling barrel, Nicholas realized the meat was not pork, but children.  The inn keeper had cut them into small pieces and was pickling them to sell as pork. Nicholas immediately restored the children’s bodies and brought them back to life. 

In a true story, Nicholas was imprisoned for five years during the reign of Diocletian (r 284-316 CE) who was trying to rid the Roman Empire of Christians.  Nicholas was released when Constantine became Holy Roman Emperor, adding Holy to the title as he made the Empire Christian.  A disputed legend puts Nicholas at the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE). It was called by Constantine to settle the Arian heresy that Christ was not God in flesh brought by Bishop Arius.  Nicholas purportedly slapped Arius and as a result put into chains, stripped of his robes, and imprisoned.  He prayed all night, and the next morning when they came to his cell, he was dressed in his Bishops robes, unchained, and sitting quietly reading.  Constantine freed him and restored his Bishopric. The result of the First Council of Nicaea was to repute the Arian heresy, and the Nicene Creed was written.  Nicholas was credited by some accounts as having signed the document.

Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated today mostly in European countries.  On December 6, children put a pair of shoes by the hearth, and St. Nicholas comes during the night and secretly places small gifts in them.  His legend lives on today. St Nicholas has become known to Americans as Santa Claus.  How this transformation happened will be the subject of a SPY article on December 17.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown six years ago, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and Chesapeake College’s Institute for Adult Learning.  She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

 

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Arts Top Story

Looking at the Masters: Of Turkeys and Thanksgiving

November 26, 2020 by Beverly Hall Smith

The truth about Ben Franklin and the turkey:  No he did not recommend it for the National seal.  According to notes, he proposed “Moses standing on the shore, and extending his hand over the sea thereby causing the same to overwhelm pharaoh who is sitting in an open chariot.”  The motto he suggested should read “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.” In a private letter to his daughter, he praised the turkey as “a much more respectable bird and a true original native of America,” while he denigrated selection of the eagle because he thought the design looked more like a turkey.  Ben was probably not aware of the Seventeenth Century Dutch painters’ still lives with turkeys. Such paintings were few and far between, and often the turkey’s head and wing feather were decorations on turkey tureens.

Monet “Turkeys” (1877) 

Claude Monet painting “Turkeys” (1877) was commissioned by Ernest Hoschede, art collector and critic, and one of Monet’s best patrons.  “Turkeys” was one of four paintings that depicted the four seasons at Hoschede’s estate of Rottenburg in Montgeron.  They were to hang in the drawing room. The estate house can be seen in the background.  In typical Impressionist style, Monet uses little white paint to color the turkeys feathers.  Instead he uses colors of the rainbow; purple, indigo, green, yellow, orange and red the colors of sunlight when it shines through a prism. Brisk brush strokes were employed to show movement.  The green lawn complements the red wattles of the turkeys. Monet did not often paint animals, but he certainly made these turkeys appealing.

Pissarro  “Turkey Girl” (1884)

Camille Pissarro was called the grandfather of Impressionism.  He was much older than Monet and Degas, and others, and he took all of them under his wing with open friendship, advice, encouragement, and sometimes financial aid.  In the 1880’s he reverted to an earlier theme which Degas described as “peasants working to make a living.” “Turkey Girls” (1884) is one of several that depict girls working with sheep or goats or harvesting. Pissarro depicts a flock of black and brown turkeys which the girl is keeping in line with a stick.  Apparently this flock of turkeys is more interested in eating than roaming.  

Tanner, “The Thankful Poor”

Jennie Augusta Brownscombe was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.  Her mother Elvira Kennedy was a descendant of a Mayflower passenger.  Jennie became an active Daughter of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Descendants.  After studying painting in America and Paris, she became a painter, teacher, lecturer, and commercial artist for New Woman magazine.  “Thanksgiving at Plymouth” (1925) is the result of the Colonial Revival Movement that began in the 1880’s as industrialization, urbanization, and immigration increased.  Americans became increasingly conscious of their history.  Although most often seen in architecture and decorative arts, Browncombe and other artists became interested in Colonial history as a source for their subjects. This painting is her second version of this subject, the first titled “The First Thanksgiving” (1914).  After diligently researching the subject found in available resources, she produced one of the most popular paintings on the subject.  Unfortunately her sources were not very accurate, but fit well the American imagination.  The picture also depicts a young mother and her children in the forefront.  Women artists, previously thought inferior, worked to overcome this idea. Brownscombe sold reproduction rights for her paintings, and they were seen on calendars, greeting card, reproductions.

Tanner, “The Thankful Poor”

Henry Ossawa Tanner was born in Pennsylvania.  His father, a former slave, was an African Methodist Episcopal bishop.  His mother was a runaway slave who came to Pennsylvania via the Underground Railroad.  The family was well respected and Tanner was educated.  He studied in Paris, and as a result of French racial tolerance, he was able to do well, ultimately achieving an international reputation.  He painted mostly religious and genre subjects.  Two of his genre paintings showing the hardships of African American life, “The Thankful Poor” (1894) and “The Banjo Lesson” (1893), were not popular at the time, but they are now among his most famous works. In 2020, with the pandemic causing major disruptions in the world, specifically with the long food lines for so many, it seemed appropriate to include this painting. It is a thoughtful and simple reminder of what is important at Thanksgiving.

Lee  “Thanksgiving “    (1935)    28×40’’

Doris Emerick Lee was born in Aledo, Illinois. After studying art in Illinois, Kansas, and San Francisco, she painted murals for the United States Treasury, created art works for Life Magazine, she settled in Woodstock, New York where she established an art colony.  She remained in Woodstock for the rest of her life.  “Thanksgiving’’ (1935) (24’’x40’’) became a subject of articles in newspapers across the nation after it was exhibited at the Chicago Art Institute and won the prestigious Logan Purchase  Prize. The United States was in the midst of the Great Depression; the theme and style of the painting had immediate appeal nationwide.   “Thanksgiving” is depicted in Lee’s specific genre style.  Everyone could enjoy the delightful hustle and bustle of cooking the turkey, rolling out the pie dough, setting the table, and preparing the carrots and cauliflower.  The family dog licks up bits of food fallen from the oven, while a little girl, bloomers exposed, drops a treat for the cat. A new arrival is removing her hat, a young boy smiles in anticipation, and twins in a high chair cheer for joy.  A critic described this as “fresh, with the charm of innocence.” Lee’s nostalgic image depicts love of family, and despite the quaint style, it represents America at its best.

Despite our world situation in 2020, hopefully these paintings will bring the reader some peace and joy. A Happy Thanksgiving to readers. Stay well and stay calm.  

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown six years ago, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and Chesapeake College’s Institute for Adult Learning.  She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Arts Top Story

Art on Lockdown: Anne Watts

November 23, 2020 by Dave Wheelan

For the record, and well before the COVID crisis, Anne Watts has never bought into the concept of a graceful retirement. As the bandleader of the highly acclaimed Baltimore group Boister since 1997, Watts has always aspired to follow in the footsteps of Mick Jagger or the legendary Cab Calloway as artists committed to the long-haul with their work.

So it might not come as much of a surprise to learn the Anne hasn’t stopped working during the pandemic, even though live performances have come to a shrieking halt. However, what might be surprising to know is how the musician is channeling her energy into a weekly radio show on WHCP in Cambridge, where she has lived for the last decade with her husband and children. 

As Watts waits out the country’s health crisis, she has used the radio program “WomenWattage” to dig deep into the lives of remarkable women, many of them native to Cambridge like Harriet Tubman and Gloria Richardson, and use the show to share their stories, and, in her words, “drop the needle” on music that mattered to them. She also chats about the power of community radio to honor the dead and stay in touch with ancestors. 

The Spy caught up with Anne and her dog, Bo, a few weeks ago on the Cambridge waterfront. 

This video is approximately four minutes in length. WomenWattage is broadcast on WHCP every Wednesday from 1-2 pm and Saturday from Noon – 1 pm. 

 

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Spy Highlights, Spy Top Story

Book Review: For Not Finding You by Robert Day

November 14, 2020 by Jamie Kirkpatrick

I’ve come to the conclusion that there must be two versions of Robert Day; no, three. The first, and the one many Eastern Shore readers know best, is his Professor of English Emeritus at Washington College persona. Under that rubric, Professor Day helped to put Washington College’s creative writing program front and center among small liberal arts colleges across the nation. That he succeeded is a testament to both his teaching skills and the flowing power of his own writing, as well as his ability to inspire his students, many of whom still speak of him in tones reverential years after his retirement.

Robert Day’s second persona is his cowboy one. Once referred to as the “Cowboy of the Chesapeake,” Mr. Day hails from deep in the backcountry of western Kansas. Once upon a time, he played some serious baseball at the University of Kansas before turning to writing and penning his first successful novel, The Last Cattle Drive which was optioned for Hollywood movie rights, but alas, that tale ends with the word “optioned.” Undismayed, a few years later, Day drew upon those same Kansas roots to deliver a fine collection of stories, Speaking French in Kansas. Fortunately for his fans, that same laconic twang can be still heard in his latest work, For Not Finding You.

But before I get to that, there is the question of Mr. Day’s third persona: that of raconteur, boulevardier, un homme du monde à Paris (pronounced, as the French do, pa-RIS), to be exact. Monsieur Day has spent pas mal du temps in Paris as well as Kansas and somehow he’s managed to weave those two strands together in his newly released tale of love found, love unspoken, and ultimately (sadly) love lost in his latest literary offering, the aforementioned For Not Finding You.

One of the elements I like best about Day’s writing is his touch with dialogue. Scenes set in Kansas sound like Kansas: spare, authentic, wonderfully wry. Like “Patsy was no rose. Not even a shriveled flower at the stem’s end. Mostly thorns—especially if you crossed her.” Or “Talk is ventilation for the brain,” Buck said. “Just like you need to open the vents and damper on the Woodsman now and then to keep it from smoldering and getting creosote in the flue pipe. You don’t want smoke in your head.” When I read those words, I hear them plainly spoken and I see Patsy and Buck in all their Kansan glory. Robert Day is really good at that.

On the other hand, scenes set in Paris have that faint awkward touch that sounds like an American trying hard not to sound like an American. For all I know, Mr. Day may speak fluent French (he doesn’t, I’m told) but Leo Murdock, the narrator of FNFY, lives in the twilight of an expatriate American residing in Paris, one who is besotted with things Francophile but still observes the city and its scenes existentially, as though he’s looking at Paris through a slightly fogged lens. No matter; it all works, or as the French would say, “ça marche.”

But beyond dialogue, there’s knowledge. Of landscape; of heifers and cattle prices; of horse temperament, rattlesnakes, and snapping turtles; of fence building and windshield ranching and shelter belts and gardening and river quicksand. All the details of life on the prairie. This isn’t research; this is knowledge gained from the ground up; not book learning, but bootstrap Kansan stuff. It makes for fun reading and not a little disbelief—the good kind, not cynical but worthy of respect. “Good thinking,” as Buck likes to say.

Good as he is with dialogue and description, Day is at his best in developing his characters. And that they are: characters, real people, not just stuffed animals. As Buck says to Monique as he’s about to take her out for an evening ride, “I’m not harmless. But I’m not dangerous either.” But maybe that’s just Day looking in the mirror of his writing.

For Not Finding You is a good story for what it says, but it’s a better story for what it doesn’t say. There are words unspoken, conversations inferred. This is what distinguishes Day’s writing. He doesn’t spoon feed you, he lets you nibble and chew at your own pace and to reach your own conclusions. Questions hang in the air and Day lets you ponder their answer. A scene where Leo is thrown from his ornery horse stands as quirky metaphor for a near-miss in marriage. It also propels him years forward, still looking for—and not finding—the youthful love that got away. It’s touching; there’s a deep sense of bonjour, tristesse, a palpable, yearning kind of sadness that colors many of the story’s Parisian scenes and stands in stark contrast to the delightful humor of the Kansas plains.

Day is a wonderful writer and an even better storyteller. Maybe he’s the last of the “Prairie Populists,” not the “crazy old goat” who owns the Half Vast Ranch next door to Buck’s place. When I read one of Bob Day’s stories, I occasionally get thrown for a moment but I really don’t mind. I take a breath, dust myself off, and get back up in the saddle and ride off with him into the Kansas sunset. Or maybe even to Paris.

As a story, For Not Finding You is highly worth your reading while. Moreover, it proves that good writers really are like fine wine: they only improve with age. So pour yourself a glass of good French wine and settle in. At one point in the story, Leo muses that “small luxuries are better than big ones if you live in the country.” For Not Finding You is just that: a small luxury that, despite its country roots, looms much larger for its Kansas plainness and its Parisian sophistication. Its settings, characters, dialogue, and pace make for a lot of good thinking.

Jamie Kirkpatrick is a writer and photographer with homes in Chestertown and Bethesda. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington College Alumni Magazine, and American Cowboy magazine. “A Place to Stand,” a book of photographs and essays about Landon School, was published by the Chester River Press in 2015.  A collection of his essays titled “Musing Right Along” was published in May 2017; a second volume of Musings entitled “I’ll Be Right Back” was released in June 2018.  Jamie’s website is www.musingjamie.com

 

 

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Top Story

The Arts: New Work by David Dunn

November 13, 2020 by Jennifer Martella

One of the pleasures I have missed during this time of Covid is visiting art galleries.  Even though some are opened on a limited basis, I prefer to do my gallery hopping online for the immediate future.  Since the holiday season is fast approaching, I have also begun to shop online for my holiday gifts. The perfect gift for the gardener or art lover on my list would be one of the whimsical metal sculptures of local artist David Dunn. For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of writing about this young sculptor’s annual collections. 

David grew up in  DC and spent summers and holidays at his family’s waterfront Bozman home. From an early age, he would take driftwood and other Bay detritus deposited by the high tides and repurpose them into three-dimensional art. The Chesapeake Bay provided an unlimited source of found materials which later inspired his first “Sea Creatures” series of metal art. 

David recently sent me images of his latest work and I appreciated how each image had two views of the sculpture so you could appreciate the piece from two angles.  As always, I was enchanted by his imaginative use of everyday materials and his wry names, such as my favorite, “Sir Clamps a Lot”.  Side by side, the two Knights appear to be ready to engage in battle with their clamp arms raised high.  The knight’s face is protected by his glistening 18th century Pig Helmet that reflects David’s keen interest in Medieval battle gear. Another favorite is the “Wrench Dyno” with his spark plug body and the wrench that becomes his neck and face.  The images of “Wrench Dyno” appear to be two pugilists ready to get into the ring. These new crawling, slithering or swimming  creatures are so kinetic-check out David’s highlights from his new work below and prepare to be amazed by his versatility!

Dazzle Crab, 11’ x 15” x 11”, base 14” x 7”

Dazzle Crab, 11’ x 15” x 11”, base 14” x 7”,

Hell Fish, 15” x 16” x 20, base 6” x 12”

Imperator Octopus, 19” x 22” x 20”, base 12” x 12”

Mardi Gras Lobster, 23” x 14” x 38”, base 9” x 17”

Purple Shark, 10” x 8” x 16”, base 9” x 16”

Sir Clamps Alot, 19” x 20” x 22”, base 20” x 14”

Wrench Dyno, 9” x 4” x 16”, base 4” x7”

NOLA Demon Crab Fish, 27”x12” x 20”, base 12” x 12”

Tortoise Galapagos, 28” x 36” x 36”, base 30” x 22”

Wrench Rex, 21” x 8” x 17”, base dimensions 8” x 8”

 

David’s work can be found in private collections including clients on the Eastern Shore and New York City, Key West, Malibu and Washington DC.

I firmly believe a daily touch of whimsy is good for one’s soul. Now that gardens are becoming dormant until spring, one of David’s colorful whimsical creations may be just the antidote to the winter doldrums and the perfect gift for the gardener on your list!

For additional photographs of Dave’s new Fall 2020 Collection, “Creatures of the Deep”, visit www.dunninmetal.com or email Dave at dunninmetal@gmail.com. You can also contact Dave at 202-390-1881. 

 

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Arts Top Story

Looking at the Masters: Peter Paul Rubens  

November 12, 2020 by Beverly Hall Smith

Rubens was born in Antwerp, when it was under the Spanish Inquisition to root out Protestants.  The family fled to Protestant Germany, where Rubens grew up in Koln.  His father died when he was ten years old, his mother returned to Antwerp and the Catholic Church.  Rubens was engaged as a page to a Countess:  he learned courtly manners which would be extremely useful in his life.  Artistically talented, he was apprenticed in the Antwerp painter’s guild of St. Luke.  

Rubens proved to be an exceptional artist, was highly appreciated by the Catholic Church, kings, and nobles in Belgium, Italy, and Spain.  He was well received where ever he traveled, and his work was constantly in demand.  He maintained a large teaching studio,  and many of his students, including Anthony Van Dyke, became extremely successful.  With his great popularity and growing wealth, he was able to purchase and maintain a fine house, marry the woman he loved, and raise several children.  His personality and conversation were also much sought after, and when he traveled to foreign courts to complete commissions, he was often there on a diplomatic mission as well. 

His artistic style helped to initiate the Baroque.  His competence with an exceedingly wide range of subject matter from religion to mythology and portraiture was unique.  One particular subject matter which he reintroduced was wild animal paintings.  In Europe at this time, commoners hunted animals such as deer, rabbits, and birds for food.  Paintings depicting kings and nobles in hunting clothes were popular, but their hunts were for pleasure and trophies.  The larger world of Africa and the East was opening up; and with new colonies and an increase in trade, brought knowledge of a variety of strange and exotic animals.  Collecting these animals was the province of the very wealthy.  The Archduke of Brussels had several lions, tigers and others in his collection.  Rubens visited these animals frequently.  

“Daniel in the lions Den”  (1614-16)         

“Daniel in the Lions Den” (1614-16) (88’’x130’’) (National Gallery of Art) was commissioned by Sir Dudley Carleton, the English Ambassador to The Hague in Belgium.  The painting was such a success that Carleton commissioned several other works from Rubens, and eventually became a dealer for his art.  Carleton was also a good friend to the famous Duke of Buckingham, referenced by Dumas in his novel The Three Musketeers. In exchange for the painting, Rubens acquired over one hundred pieces of classical sculpture from Carleton’s collection and amount of money. Rubens was a great collector.

The story of Daniel (Daniel, 6: 1-28) depicts the Jewish prophet’s punishment for not worshiping the gods of Persia. Daniel is imprisoned in the lions den for a night, with the expectation that he would be dead by morning.  We see the various bones of other inhabitants of the den.  The lions are spectacular, and it is easy to see why this painting had such an impact on viewers. The lions were modeled on a species known in North Africa and Morocco as Barbary Lions, which served as models for lions in art from Ancient Egypt to the Nineteenth Century, and now almost extinct.  Rubens saw them in the Spanish governor’s menagerie in Brussels.  Some are sleeping and some resting, but two are snarling. The viewer can admire the brilliant painting of the smallest details.  

“Daniel in the Lions Den” (detail)

Daniel is depicted in prayer to God to protect him. In the Baroque manner, the viewer is placed in the heart in heart of the action and as a result of the size of the painting the viewer is close in size to Daniel and the lions. The Seventeenth Century Baroque style of painting does not present the meditative and quiet scene of the Renaissance style of the Fifteenth Century. In the intervening Sixteenth Century the Protestant Reformation put the Catholic Church on the defensive.  To counteract the Protestant movement, the Catholic Baroque, style, largely initiated by Rubens, generated all the emotional techniques available to artists. Rather than a clear blue sky and sunlight, Rubens and others created dark and brooding skies, or when inside, the dramatic change from the light pouring down on Daniel, to the extreme darkness of the den.  Another typical Baroque touch is the bright red cloak laid under Daniel.  Darkness creates mystery and the unknown, and the color red, the color of blood and fire, creates emotion. This painting, on display at the National Gallery, in Washington, DC, is not to be missed.

“Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt” (1615-16)

“Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt” (1615-16) (98’’ x 126’’) was commissioned by Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria for his summer residence.  Rubens probably went to Rome to see the dead hippo preserved in brine for his model.  With the Nile River and reeds and palm trees as background, three Arab riders on astride powerful Arabian horses spear the hippo.  They are assisted by two servants, one fallen and possibly dead, and the other attacking the charging hippo with a knife.  In the middle of this melee is the crocodile, mouth open with razor sharp teeth, nears the fallen servant.  Two loyal hunting dogs assist in the fight.  A white dog surges in from the left to attack the hippo, while a black dogs grabs and bites the crocodile’s tail.  The viewer is at the center of the hunt and the hunt which is moving forward in the composition as it explodes across the front of the canvas.  

The composition is dynamic.  Every outline is curved, and diagonals energize each form.  The hippo is at the center of the canvas at the high point of the triangular composition formed by the dog and man with the knife on the left and the injured man and the crocodile’s tale on the right.  Above this center grouping are the riders on horse back forming a semicircle that behind the aforementioned triangle.  Everything moves from the flying fabric, horse’s manes, rearing legs of horses, blowing reeds, and dark clouds moving across the blue sky.  Rubens’s use of color draws the viewer across the canvas; he uses white, red, and a variety of yellows to highlight the movement of the figures.  The more subtle use of green and blue, black and brown, move from left to right and back to front.  Rubens is a master of composition.  Nothing is static.  

Lion Hunt” (1617)

         “Lion Hunt” (1617) (148.2’’x 98’’) is another hunt painting commissioned by Maximilian of Bavaria.  Rubens comments, “I have almost finished a large picture, entirely by my hand, and in my opinion one of my best, representing a Lion Hunt, with the figures life-sized.”  The hunts Rubens painted were influenced in part by tales told by noble men who had witnessed or participated in such hunts.  The male hunt participants are generally exotic types, Arab and African, and their servants. Rubens’s “Lion and Wolf Hunt” (1617-18) was purchased by King Charles I of England.  Beyond hunts with exotic animals, Rubens painted scenes with local animals such as “The Wild Boar Hunt” (1618-20) and scenes from mythology such as “The Hunt of Meleager and Atalanta” (1616-20), also know as “The Caledonian Boar Hunt,” and scenes of the goddess Diana and her nymphs hunting deer.

“Lion Hunt” (detail)

Rubens’s numerous Old Testament, New Testament, mythologies, and portraits hang in almost every museum, large or small, across the world.  He had a large and talented number of apprentices who worked with him on many of his paintings.  Never-the-less, he designed, oversaw, corrected, and painted the crucial parts of all of the work.  

With his beloved first wife, Isabella Brandt, he had three children.  He was grief stricken at her death.  A loving family man, witnessed by the numerous tender drawings and paintings of his family, he found love again with Helen Fourment who bore him a daughter several months after his death.  Rubens was unique among artists.  Not only was he an extremely popular and wealthy painter he enjoyed two successful and happy marriages.  It has been said of Rubens that he was definitely the right man for the right time.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years.  Since retiring with her husband Kurt to Chestertown six years ago, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and Chesapeake College’s Institute for Adult Learning.  She is also an artist whose work is sometimes in exhibitions at Chestertown RiverArts and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

Filed Under: Arts Portal Lead, Top Story

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