Art Appreciation: Denver Art Museum Visit

In hindsight, I can now see there really is no preparation a beginning student can make before taking their first, exciting trip to an art museum. I thought if I simply allotted enough time to view as much as humanly possible, that would be enough. Once at the museum, however, I realized I was dead wrong about this. In this evaluation, I will attempt to assess three works of art I felt were particularly interesting to me. If asked to do this again, I am certain I would include others.

According to art historian Marilyn Stokstad, "No sculpture is more representative of Chola bronzes than the statues of Shiva Nataraja" (355). After having seen God Shiva, Lord of the Dance, I now agree with Stokstad. Further, I feel there is not a single image in the whole of Indian sculpture that inspires a more mystifying enchantment within. The piece I examined was constructed of bronze and made during the 12th century CE. It was originally from South India, and it is now located on the fifth floor of the museum.There were two things that attracted me to the sculpture: 1) Although I do not know its approximate dimensions (they were not listed), it was easily the largest image of Shiva I had ever seen. It was so large and monumental, in fact, I felt truly awed by it. 2) I was deeply impressed by the sculpture's religious iconography. The sculpture's rich symbolism is meant to remind the dutiful Hindu life is a spiritual process eternally subject to change. I felt very small and insignificant before it. From its multiple arms (seeming to whirl about its body), to the tiny, beating drum (invoking the idea of cadenced sound heralding change), I was reminded of the impermanence of the material world we all inhabit.

The second and third works that appealed to me were located on the sixth floor of the museum. They were not nearly as awe aspiring as Shiva, but they did both capture my interest in different ways. The first of these was an oil painting entitled Dream of Arcadia. It was painted by Thomas Cole in 1838. This painting caught my attention because of its intricate detail. I noticed I had a very difficult time walking away from it. (Whenever I tried, I would find something new and would be drawn back.) The other work I enjoyed was an oil painting by Charles Marion Russell entitled In The Enemies Country. It was painted in 1921. Somewhat similar to Cole's work (they were both representational), the painting's indigenous subject and historic scope managed to grasp the romantic essence of a bygone era. Russell's use of vivid blue established an almost sad quality to the work, but, at the same time, there was a heroic quality to this piece, as well. Perhaps, when viewed this way, the use of blue becomes a badge of courage for the indigenous people the painting depicted.

In all, I greatly enjoyed the museum visit. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly, and it was easy to find my way through the different floors. At first, I was disappointed by the museum's small size, but my disappointment did not last long. As a final note, I do regret I did not include Monet in this evaluation. There was something delicate and beautiful about his work. After I had returned home, and closed my eyes to sleep, I could still see Monet's ephemeral water reflected in my mind.

Works Cited
Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History: Revised Second Edition. Volume One. Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005.