#Elie Nadelman

[polish-art-tournament]

sculptures* round 1 poll 12

Fawn by Elie Nadelman, 1917:

[no propaganda has been submitted]

Chicken Art by Jacek Tylicki, 1985:

This was an installation. Tylicki transformed the Now Gallery in Manhattan, NYC to a hen house in which live chickens watched realistic paintings of chickens, chicks and roosters hanging on the gallery walls.

propaganda: the artist said: "For a chicken the most beatiful is chicken", I have to think of Xenophanes quote about how cattle would shape art and gods in their own image if they would. Funny but thougful art that makes me think about biases in art and the world in general.

[fragrantblossoms]

Elie Nadelman

[100-art]

100+ Famous Modern Art Artists of All Time

2/8/2024 ♦ Framed Poster Print ♦ Canvas Print ♦ Metal Print ♦ Acrylic Print ♦ Wood Prints 🌐 Worldwide shipping

[calyptridium]

head by elie nadelman, ca. 1906–7

[cultdionysus]

Dancing Figure (Artemis) by Elie Nadelman (1916-18)

[mybeingthere]

Wilhelm was born the son of German officer of the Prussian Army Ernst Curt Sigismond Diederich and his American wife Eleanor "Ellen", née Hunt. His father was killed in a hunting accident when Wilhelm was only three years old.

Hunt's American mother was a member of the prominent Hunt family of Boston—and a Prussian cavalry officer. Diederich spent his early years on an estate in Hungary, where his father bred and trained horses for the Prussian army until his death in 1887. Diederich attended Swiss schools before coming to America in about 1900 to live with his maternal grandfather, the artist William Morris Hunt. [...] Diederich's art caught the eye of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and her associate Juliana Force, who exhibited his work at the Whitney Studio Club (forerunner of the Whitney Museum of American Art). Throughout the 1920s Diederich's work was shown at several New York galleries, and in 1922 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Architectural League for design and craftsmanship.

His work was part of the art competitions at the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics. After his marriage to a German countess, Diederich and his family lived in Bavaria until 1941 when they returned to the US due to World War II.

Diederich’s devotion to paper cutting, begun at the age of five, continued throughout his career. The paper cutouts proved to be closely related to his wrought-iron works. Because the two-dimensional, silhouetted, design-oriented aesthetic was identical in both mediums, the artist found he could experiment with forms in paper first, then easily transfer them to the more robust medium. This is not to imply the silhouettes were merely studies; they were indeed finished works in their own right. Both mediums conveyed the same fluidity and spontaneity, and thus were appreciated for the same reasons. The wrought-iron and silhouettes are simply two very different mediums with a shared aesthetic, making them inextricably entwined within the artist’s oeuvre.

Diederich’s paper cutouts capture the distinctive sense of animation and vitality so specific to his art. They are elaborate, fragile, and cut with startling precision, transforming the simplest of mediums into works of great complexity. As with his wrought-iron, the forms are carefully attenuated and generalized, yet close inspection reveals an astounding degree of detail, leaving the viewer in awe of the skill and patience on display. These slender—as Brinton described, “aristocratic”—forms are similar to his friend Elie Nadelman’s, both significantly influenced by American folk art. Indeed, the urge to cut paper into decorative or narrative shapes and attach it to a contrasting background appears to be nearly universal among cultures with paper technology. The technique has been documented as early as first-century China. Straddling definition between art and craft, the process has different names in different languages—Wycinanki in Poland, Mon-Kiri in Japan, Decouper in France and Scherenschnitte in German-speaking Europe. The craft migrated to colonial America with immigrants from Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania and became popularly known as the Pennsylvania Dutch (the latter, a corruption of “Deutsch” meaning German, the language they spoke). Paper cutting continues to thrive today, notably in German-speaking Switzerland.

[braidedgraphite]

The Video Rental Girl, by Alex Waterhouse,1983

Elie Nadelman, Wounded Bull, 1915

[abwwia]

... A woman, Polish, Jewish, socialist and painter in Europe during the two world wars, Muter experienced the German occupation of France in hiding in Avignon. Shortly afterwards, having managed to get a divorce, she lost her only child and also her partner, the historian and politician Raymond Lefebvre. She was left sightless until an operation for cataracts allowed her to return to her painting. When she died, at the age of 91, she left the only work she had to the SOS Villages d’Enfants charity. Via miradorarts (2021)

repost from: Polish Women Artists @sztukakobiet

Mela Muter is the pseudonym used by Maria Melania Mutermilch (Apr 26, 1876 – May 14, 1967), the first professional Jewish painter in Poland. She lived most of her life in France. Muter's painting career began to flourish after she moved to Paris from Poland in 1901 at the age of twenty-five. via Wikipedia

Mela Muter, Zigeuner familie (Gypsy family), 1930, private collection. AWARE.

Mela Muter, Self-Portrait, 1909. Mirador de les arts. Detail.

Portrait of Mela Muter with a group of Polish Artists in Barcelona. From left to right: Witold Gordon Jurgielewicz, Elie Nadelman, Leopold Gottlieb, Mela Muter and Michal Mutermilch, 1912. Photography: Francesc Serra. City of Girona.  Archive Library Rafael i María Teresa Santos Torroella (Galeries Dalmau collection).

read: Mela Muter – Accomplished Portraitist and Devoted Mother by Magda Michalska   27.01.2023 www.dailyartmagazine.com/mother-portraits-by-mela-muter/

Although in her day she was most famous for portraying the members of the Parisian Boheme, Mela Muter was deeply fascinated with capturing the intimacy permeating the daily lives of mothers. In fact, motherhood became the most recurring theme in her original oeuvre which shows influences ranging from Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism.

#sztukakobiet #MelaMuter #womensart #PalianShow #MariaMelaniaKlingsland #MelaMutermilch #PolishWomenArtists #polishemigrant #frenchpainter #artherstory #Herstory

[amore0429]

Standing Female Nude (1909) by Elie Nadelman. The Smithsonian.

[uncoatedletters]

Elie Nadelman

[xtruss]

Thomas Commeraw: The Black 19th-Century Potter Who Historians Assumed Was White

A fascinating and illuminating new exhibition acts as ‘a cautionary tale to not make assumptions about identity’

— Veronica Esposito |Wedding 15 February 2023

For Margi Hofer of the New-York Historical Society (NYHS), the fate of potter Thomas Commeraw – long presumed white but later proven to be Black – speaks volumes about how we look at race and history. “I hope the story of Commeraw’s identity is a cautionary tale to not make assumptions about identity when we look at objects from the past,” she said.

Although Commeraw’s pottery had been celebrated for well over a century by institutions like the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Grolier Club, it was only in 2010 that scholar Brandt Zipp revealed he was Black. Until that point Commeraw had been presumed to be a white man, as were most of the potters of the era. “When it came to light in 2010 that he was a Black craftsman, I was blown away,” said Hofer. “I knew it was a perfect exhibition for the NYHS.”

Hofer’s vision has now taken shape as Crafting Freedom: The Life and Legacy of Free Black Potter Thomas W Commeraw, on display at the NYHS through 28 May. “I wanted to specifically bring attention to Commeraw’s work and life – that’s long overdue,” she said. “I also hope this will inspire curators and collectors to look more closely and take more notice of these hidden stories – I’m sure there are many more uncredited craftspeople in New York.”

Offering a fascinating look at a bygone art, the show is a delight for ceramicists, who can enjoy about 40 pieces made by Commeraw and his contemporaries. It’s the single largest exhibition of Commeraw’s output since his workshop closed in 1819. “It’s quite moving for anyone who knows the story to see all these pieces together”, said Hofer, “to really trace the arc of his professional career.”

Thomas W. Commeraw - Jug, 1797–1819 Photograph: New York Historical Society, purchased from Elie Nadelman

One distinctive aspect of Commeraw’s pottery was the extreme care that he dedicated to his pots, in spite of them essentially being “the Tupperware of the time”. He was among the first potters to put his name on his vessels, and he set himself apart by using exuberant neoclassical flourishes not common in the pottery traditions of the time.

As Hofer put it, Commeraw’s innovations were a sign that he could not rely on the privileges taken for granted by white ceramicists. “He wanted to ensure customer loyalty, and I think it’s another sign of the pride that he took in his business, which was probably hard-won. He’s got more motivation than most of his competitors, who had inherited their business from their families. Most of his competitors were from multigenerational pottery families, reaping the benefits of generational wealth and knowledge, whereas he’s starting from scratch.”

Crafting Freedom is also a rare and fascinating look into the racial tensions of a period when large numbers of enslaved individuals were suddenly made free. Commeraw’s story is typical of many of the period, as, like many of his contemporaries, he was born enslaved and then manumitted – for Commeraw this happened in 1779, when he was about seven years old. Commeraw’s freedom came as part of a wave of emancipation via legislation and individual acts by slaveholders undertaken at the time in response to the ideals of the American Revolution.

As Hofer explained, the show documents efforts to maintain control over the newly freed Black population via discriminatory practices. For instance, although freed Black men had exercised the right to vote since the establishment of the United States of America, in 1811 New York worked to suppress the Black vote by enacting legislation that forced Black men to make their way through a cumbersome process in order to retain their right to vote.

“Among other things, Black people needed a certificate of freedom to vote”, said Hofer, “and that was not easy to obtain. They had to pay fees to various officials, and it also required an affidavit, basically a witness [testifying] that ‘I’ve known this individual and can attest that he’s a free man.’” Crafting Freedom exhibits such an affidavit signed by Commeraw, an example of the potter “marshaling his literacy to support his fellow freed Black people”. As Hofer shared, Commeraw defined himself as a fervent abolitionist who powerfully contributed to the political debates of the time, and who went on to attempt to found a free Black nation.

Attributed to Thomas W. Commeraw - Oyster jars made for Daniel Johnson and George White, ca. 1800-05 Photograph: Collection of Christopher Pickerell

Crafting Freedom documents the fateful efforts by Commeraw and others to establish a liberated colony in Sierra Leone. “With the increasing numbers of freed Black people”, said Hofer, “there was increasing discrimination, and the Black community began wondering if it was better to stay in the US or to go elsewhere.”

In hopes of a better life outside of the US, Commeraw, his wife, his three children and members of their extended family made the arduous journey to Sierra Leone on the first voyage of the American Colonization Society, but their efforts met with disaster. Malaria decimated the ranks of settlers, including Commeraw’s wife and a niece, and infighting and disorganization doomed the expedition. “Commeraw came back in 1822 and died the following year,” said Hofer. “He never resumed the trade of a potter and pretty much died a broken man. It’s a very dramatic and tragic end to his life.” Hofer added that Crafting Freedom exhibits two very poignant letters from Commeraw’s journey – one, from early on, painting a very optimistic picture, and a second from later describing the chaos and terrible reality of that voyage.

One of the morals of Crafting Freedom is that history continues to speak to us through the years, no matter how forgotten or seemingly insignificant it may be. Hofer shared that in order to help celebrate the opening of her exhibit, she made efforts to invite any living relatives of Commeraw. “I was determined to see how far I could get in his family tree to find living descendants. I did end up connecting with one such person, a great-great-great-grandson who lives in Florida.”

Although that relative was confined to a nursing home and could not come, Hofer shared that many of his family members did attend the opening. “It was a really moving and emotional event,” she said. “They were so thrilled to learn about this ancestor that they knew nothing about. It really underscores the humanity of this undertaking.” That more than anything indicates the great value of Crafting Freedom, its ability to bring humanity and vitality to the freed Black individuals who struggled to build their own version of freedom in the fledgling American republic – and the inspirational potter who was a community pillar, a vibrant businessman and a visionary artist.

[franziska-linnea]

Elie Nadelman

Painted paper mache

[psikonauti]

Elie Nadelman (Polish-American ,1882-1946)

Standing Female Figure, c. 1908-1909

Black ink and pencil on paper

[artdecodude]

Elie Nadelman (1882-1946) is one of my favorite Art Deco era sculptors (even though Donal Hord will always be my all time fave). His style evolved from realistic to very impressionistic as his life went on. The Honolulu Museum of Art in February 2020 had 3 of his earlier works on display. On top is Dancing Girl (1916-18)(Gilded Bronze & Marble). In the middle is Wounded Stag (1915) and on the bottom is Resting Stag (1915). Like many artists, his talent wasn't fully appreciated until after his death.

[antronaut]

Elie Nadelman - Standing Female Nude (c.1940)

[nyhistory]

From our gallery label:

These objects were once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.

Portraying mostly women and children as they perform domestic tasks (sewing, cooking, harvesting, or teaching/learning) and leisure activities (reading, writing letters, painting, or playing music), these richly decorated, hand-painted paper dolls present a broad view of mid-nineteenth-century daily life.

The mass commercial appeal of paper dolls arose around 1850 when these dolls began to appear in popular periodicals; however, homemade, hand-painted dolls had been circulating long beforehand. These dolls belong to a larger set of 85 figures, which were crafted around 1855 for a young girl in the Canadian town of Drummondville outside Quebec City, as indicated by an inscription on the reverse of one doll in the set and by a November 1924 article in Harper's Magazine featuring a descendent of the original owner, Ms. Lenox E. Chase. While it is unclear who painted these dolls, and while they may have been produced over an extended period of time given variations in the stock and coloration of the paper, all of the dolls seem to have been crafted by the same artist and each one includes its own unique name, written on the verso by the same hand each time. Genealogical records suggest that the dolls originally belonged to the Sutherland family, a Canadian family of British descent who had arrived in the English-Canadian town of Drummondville by the 1840's, and the dolls eventually would have been passed down to Ms. Chase, from whom Elie Nadelman likely acquired the set for his Museum of Folk and Peasant Arts.

All objects: Paper doll, ca.1855, Unidentified maker. Watercolor and graphite on paper laid on card, cut out around contour of figure, Purchased from Elie Nadelman, 1937. 

Museum object numbers, from top: 2013.17.13; 2013.17.10; 2013.17.22; INV.10267jj; INV.10267aa; INV.10267t; 1937.1794m.