“Self-Portrait with Rita” Thomas Hart Benton (1922)
When one thinks of art in the 1920s, European artists usually
spring to mind. Yet American artists, here and abroad, were just as productive, creating works that
reflected the changes in American society, from the impact of industrialization
(machines, urban expansion) to the sexual freedom that replaced Victorian mores. This art helped to define the look of the Jazz Age and was the recent subject of an
exhibit, “Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties,” at the Brooklyn
Museum.
The first two paintings on view when you walked
into the gallery set the tone for the entire exhibit. “Self-Portrait with Rita” by
Thomas Hart Benton shows a bare-chested Benton and his wife clad in a bathing
suit on the Vineyard looking like the model American couple—young and good looking— while the nearby “Aeroplane” by Elsie
Driggs (1928) symbolizes modernity and one of America’s great obsessions during the decade—flight.
Another room contained a series of photographs by some of
the greats—Imogene Cunningham, Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, and Man Ray. Cunningham's ethereal prints of flowers are exquisite and prove once again that nothing beats a beautiful gelatin print.
Also included in the exhibit were works by Americans with strong ties to France. Two paintings by Gerald Murphy who along with his wife, Sarah,
played host to many a member of the Lost Generation in the South of France, remind us of
Murphy’s talent as a painter. “Cocktail” (1927) represents an important aspect
of Jazz Age culture while “Razor” shows just how keenly aware Murphy was of the
impact of consumerism on society.
“Una, Lady Troubridge” Romaine Brooks (1924)
The portrait of Una, Lady Troubridge by
Romaine Brooks recalls the Paris salon of Brooks’ lover Natalie Barney.
Whip thin and bobbed, wearing a monocle and men’s tailored clothing, Troubridge
is commanding in the portrait even though it's perhaps an extreme example of feminist liberation in the
1920s.
"Screenwriter Anita Loos" Edward Steichen (1928)
"Gloria Swanson" Nickolas Muray (ca. 1925)
And speaking of portraits, no exhibit on America in
the 1920s would be complete without the inclusion of Hollywood. A fine portrait
by Edward Steichen of the always-entertaining Anita Loos was included as
was sleepy eyed Gloria Swanson in a print by Nickolas Muray. And my
favourite, Olive Thomas, was also to be found; a small screen near
the end played a clip of Ollie riding on top of a bus down Fifth Avenue in a
scene from The Flapper (1920).
"Djuna Barnes" Bernice Abbott (1926)
“Youth and Beauty” was probably one of the best
exhibits I’ve seen in a while. I just wish I had gone earlier so I could have
made a second trip. Although it's too late to catch that exhibit, there is another, much smaller one on Lost Generation
member Djuna Barnes at the museum through August 19. “Newspaper Fiction: The New York Journalism
of Djuna Barnes, 1913-1919” explores the Nellie Bly-like exploits of Barnes for
the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and other
publications before she moved to Paris. Find out more here.
