Artwork of the Week: October 6
A young woman sits engrossed in a novel that rests in her lap. The bold red of her dress and bright oranges of the chair contrast against the soft hues of her surroundings. A green candle in a Victorian dragon candlestick and a string of pearls to the viewer’s left provide extravagance to a simple scene. The dynamic color of her dress and relaxed posture differ greatly from the artist Claude Buck’s previous muted and melancholy works. In the early 19th century, new modern art movements–including abstraction–began to take stride, but Buck quickly became a strong activist against them. In an effort to advocate against what he felt was a mockery of art, he joined the Society for Sanity in Art which focused on more traditional styles. This engaging painting won the Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Logan Art Institute Prize in 1932, due to its beautiful realism and straightforward nature.
