Art and Context in the modern world (1860-1930)
Artist: Florine Stettheimer
(1871-1944) – born in Rochester, NY
Some of Stettheimer’s paintings reflect her daily life ,while others represent upper-class New York City during the years in between WWI and WWII. Her style is figurative and highly decorative, and her work has been characterized as feminine. Stettheimer’s art stands out from the look of other contemporary, modern paintings, and her work is easily identifiable.
Stettheimer was born into a wealthy family of assimilated Jews who traveled a great deal and lived between Europe and America. By 1883, Florine and her family were living in Germany where she attended grammar school. Economic circumstances affected Stettheimer’s artwork because it allowed her the luxury of traveling extensively throughout Europe. She was therefore highly influenced by European culture and European artists such as, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cezanne. These artists painted in the post impressionism style which explores bold, bright colors, line, and form. Examples of this style are evident in their works such as Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” (1889), Gauguin’s “Tahitian Women on the Beach” (1891), and Cezanne’s “Chateau Noir” (1904). Florine’s earliest works reflect these influences by her use of bright colors and bold brushstrokes. This is evident in Stettheimer’s, “Euridice and the Snake, Two Tango Dancers, and St. Francis” (1912), in which she used gouache, watercolor, metallic paint, and pencil on paper.
Soon after WWI ended, the Stettheimer’s were forced to return to New York to live. Her painting, “New York/Liberty” (1918-1919) celebrated the ending of WWI. It’s a vertical painting framed in red, white and blue, carved to look like a twisted cord with a bronze colored, carved American eagle posed on top. There is a gold painted relief sculpture of Lady Liberty ,and a few American flags flying, one topped with a smaller gold eagle relief sculpture. The soaring war plane and skyscraper being constructed help to add to the theme of patriotism and optimism toward the country’s future. This captures the time of the American Dream; the time period when Europeans were coming to America for freedom, opportunity, and greater possibility for a better future.
From 1917 on, Stettheimer’s paintings are a mixture of portraiture and history. For example, she incorporates a piece of contemporary history in her painting, “Asbury Park South” (1920). In it, a billboard is seen in the corner of the painting which announces that Caruso will be performing on July 4, 1920. Enrico Caruso was a popular opera singer of the time. Both of Stettheimer’s paintings, “La Fete a Duchamp” (1917), and “Asbury Park South” (1920), are biographical in that they depict family outings and parties, yet by using miniaturization and excessive decoration, the scenes are exaggerated and more theatrical looking than realistic.
Stettheimer painted many whimsical portraits of friends, fellow artists, writers, and family members. Her subjects were represented more by their interests and personalities than by their actual appearances. An example of this is the portrait she painted titled, “Portrait of my Mother” (1925). Her mother is holding a book and reading glasses in her hand and standing near a bookshelf lined with books. There is a piano in the painting, an open box with necklaces draped over it, a card table with a playing card and game piece on it, and a woman holding a baby and a group of children playing outside of the open glass doors. Her mother is surrounded by all of the things that matter to her most and bring her pleasure. The objects incorporated into the painting give the viewer a glimpse into her personality, and what made her who she was. The painting gives the viewer much more insight into her mother's life than just her appearance. Instead of just a portrait, Stettheimer paints a complete picture of her mother.
Four of Stettheimer’s most famous works are, “Cathedrals of Broadway” (1929), “Cathedrals of Fifth Avenue” (1931), “Cathedrals of Wall Street” (1939), and “Cathedrals of Art” (1942). Each celebrates modern life in New York City and portrays popular culture of Stettheimer’s time. The word "Cathedral" is used in each title because each painting portrays things that were "worshiped" by Stettheimer and her contemporaries. For example, in "Cathedrals of Broadway", Stettheimer incorporates the names of popular and relevant theaters of the time, such as The Roxy and The Rialto. Stettheimer uses wit and irony and ornamental style to portray the influential people, places, and things that were important and influential during this time period. Stettheimer displays wit when she writes the title of the artwork and her name on a banner which hangs within the painting, “Cathedrals of Broadway” (1929). Local politics are also acknowledged when Stettheimer includes a portrait of the Mayor of New York City, Jimmy Walker, throwing out the first pitch of a baseball game. Just by viewing this painting the viewer gets an overall vision of what life was like at that time. It's a snapshot of New York City history. New Yorker’s went to see movies and live shows at these theaters which were an escape from the devastation of the Great Depression of 1929. Stettheimer captures the vibrancy, excitement, and escapism a New York City theater represented to people at the time.
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Citations
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Stettheimer, F. (n.d.). Florine Stettheimer. Costume design (Euridice and the Snake, Two Tango Dancers, and St. Francis) for artist's ballet Orphée of the Quat-z-arts. c. 1912: MoMA. Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/84941
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Smith, R. (2017, May 18). A Case for the Greatness of Florine Stettheimer. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/18/arts/design/a-case-for-the-greatness-of-florine-stettheimer.html
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Stettheimer, F. (n.d.). Florine Stettheimer. Portrait of My Mother. 1925: MoMA. Retrieved from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/79944
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