Sherrie Wolf, Tulips with Book on Manet, 2017, oil on canvas, 36 x 54 in., Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Image: Aaron Wessling Photography
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Édouard Manet
French painter Édouard Manet was born in 1832. Although he came from an upper-middle class background, Manet’s disregard for academic conventions and engagement with modern, urban life was shocking to his contemporaries. He is credited with popularizing the “Alla Prima” effect that became a staple in impressionist work. The technique has the artist put down the hue closest to the final color rather than building up to the shade by layering pigment. His use of perspective and dimension led to a kind of “flatness” that became a recognizable part of his style. Artist Sherrie Wolf captures this kind of flatness in her piece Tulips with Book on Manet, referencing Manet’s work with the book placed under the tulip vase. Wolf’s work on top of Manet’s can be seen as an expression of the new, of questioning the former masters and changing their techniques to push back against mainstream art culture. Much like Manet during his time, Wolf uses color in bold and innovative ways, showing the depth of her skill while paying homage to the artists before her. See Wolf’s piece in the Heiter Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art today as part of the exhibition To Instill Life, and learn more about Manet and his art with the link below.
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/manet-edouard/
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Sherrie Wolf, A Few of My Favorite Things, 2021, oil on canvas, 51 x 90 in., Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Image: Aaron Wessling Photography
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Still Life Photography
Still life photography has emerged with the rise of technology blending with art. Similar to still life paintings, still life photography is usually of inanimate objects arranged in aesthetically pleasing ways. Starting mainly as a way to advertise products, still life photography has become a category of art on its own, reflecting ideas of simplicity, beauty, and the domestic. Artist Sherrie Wolf blends photography and painting in interesting ways. By first staging a scene of objects, Wolf will then photograph the items and then paint a rendition of it. This helps her to control the lighting, detail, and composition of color of the final painted piece. If you look closely at some of her work, such as the piece A Few of My Favorite Things, you’ll notice a reflection of what looks like studio light glare in some of the vases and other glass pieces. This is a subtle nod to Wolf’s process and a further detail that pulls viewers directly into the world of the piece. A Few of My Favorite Things can also be found in the Treehaven Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art. Visit the link below to learn more about still life photography and visit the museum today to see if you can spot all the studio lights hidden in Sherrie Wolf’s work.
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Sherrie Wolf, Tulip with the Letter, 2012, oil on linen, 24 x 18 in., Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, from the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Collection
Image: Aaron Wessling Photography
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The Love Letter Analysis
Johannes Vermeer’s The Love Letter is, as the title suggests, centered around love. Found in the musical elements and longing gaze toward the seaside, Vermeer’s use of objects to obstruct the view of space (see the broom in the doorway and the tiles on the floor) creates a sense of unearned intimacy from the viewer. Sherrie Wolf’s rendition of this work in her piece Tulip with the Letter is further obstructed with a vase of her signature tulips. By imposing her own work onto the original piece, Vermeer’s The Love Letter becomes a background to the beauty and simplicity of the single yellow and orange tulip. Learn more about the intricacies of Vermeer’s The Love Letter with the link below, and see how that affects changes in Wolf’s piece Tulip with the Letter in the Treehaven Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
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(VIDEO) What the Robin Whispered: A Procession to Celebrate the Coming of Spring by Dennis McNett
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