With all the beauty that surrounds Philbrook Museum of Art, you might think that the treasures are the 23 acres that are lovingly cared for.
You might be tempted to stay longer walking the paths and admiring the flowers that circle the ponds.
But it would be a mistake to not enter this historic landmark and spend a leisurely afternoon viewing the vast collection of artworks that line the halls and fill the nooks.
Just inside these doors is one of America's finest museums!
Auguste Rodin's bronze Eternal Springtime (1898)
On loan from the Kasser Art Foundation.
Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels
Oil on wood panel
Oil on wood panel
Piero di Cosimo (1462-1521), like his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, was from Florence, Italy, the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. While still a young artist, Piero di Cosimo helped paint the lower walls of the Sistine Ceiling.
This painting is unusual in being a tondo, a circular picture. The tondo format presents special problems to the artist because of its shape. Here, Piero addressed these problems by emphasizing the graceful curves of the figures. Piero humanizes the holy figures, too. Mary holds the Christ Child as he accepts the lamb from St. John the Baptist. Although a playful scene, the picture shows Christ, The Good Shepherd, accepting the sacrificial lamb, and therefore his fate.
Gift of Samuel H. Kress
One of three paintings on loan to the Philbrook from Arkansas' own
Helmut Mask (kponyugu)
Senufo peoples, Ivory Coast, 19th-20th century.
Wood
This mask may have been commissioned for use in the ritual celebrations of the men’s Poro society among the Senufo of the northern Ivory Coast. Of the many masquerade types controlled by Poro societies, the kpongyugu is among the most powerful. It is worn over the head of the dancer who looks out through its jaws. Drawing together the most powerful elements of the animal kingdom, such a mask commonly combines warthog tusks, crocodile jaws, antelope horns, birds (often hornbills) and chameleons. Because of its apparent powers of transformation, the chameleon is accorded a special place in Senufo myth and tradition.
Precious Possessions: The Art of the Portrait Miniature
April 10 – July 3, 2011
Works on Paper Gallery
Much more than simple likenesses, these complex and exquisite objects were worn as jewelry, exchanged as gifts and lover’s tokens, and created to commemorate departed loved ones.
Doors of No Return: The Remains of Africa's Slave Castles
On display June 5- August 2, 2011
Strewn along the west coast of Africa stand the crumbling ruins of over 20 massive fortresses, or castles, which once imprisoned African captives.
Tulsans Doug Henderson and Greg Merrell photographed the grim remains of these architectural sites in Ghana, Senegal, and Gambia during 2010, producing hundreds of haunting images.
Don't assume your kids won't enjoy the experience, there are lots of cool things to see!
Paintings that amaze the senses...
...and tickle the funny bone!
The perfect way to spend a hot, summer afternoon!
For more information on The Philbrook Museum of Art
visit http://philbrook.org/
Incredible photos! Thanks for the tour. I haven't been in awhile.
ReplyDeleteTotally amazing....beautiful inside and out.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing Part Two I'm convinced!.... you went through a wormhole and wound up in Europe!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though the next time I'm anywhere near Tulsa, I'll try and make time to go by the Philbrook. Thanks for the beautiful photos.
Loved the post.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures.
Breathtaking! Since I'm pretty sure I won't see this in person, I love experiencing it through your photography. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing building and display.
ReplyDeleteI have read of the slave buildings in Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes. Gut wrenching. To see the drawing and the photos is hard.
Oh Joycee, this is an opulent tour of one of America's jewels!!! I feel like a queen walking through these GREEN ROOMS of lovely shrubery and then the interiors are magnificent! THANK YOU FOR VISITING THIS MORNING! Anita
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely exquisite! The gardens are amazing and the interior is unbelievable. What craftsmanship! Those columns are out of this world! How haunting the "castles" are. I hope we have changed as a world since then! Thanks for taking us along too.
ReplyDeleteI know, those dragees are unbelievable! I think I am going to have to include a bag of them in a giveaway! I bought all they had on the shelf!
What an awesome place! Thanks for the tour...
ReplyDeleteEven though those images are haunting, there is something in the architecture that is beautiful..
Simply incredible, I would love to walk these grounds and experience such a place. The photographs of the slave quarters are eerily realistic, as if you are there.
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