Art Critique June Morning (1945) Thomas Hart

Art Critique

June Morning (1945)

Thomas Hart Benton's June Morning imbues the reader with emotion from first glance to closer inspection. At first, the painting feels a bit dark as a summer storm is rolling out of this rural setting. The sky to the right is still filled with dappled gray clouds that arc in bands to the left. The left sky glows lightly golden behind the arms of clouds stretched across it, giving stark contrast to the their dark forms.

The pastel sun illuminates the balance of the left side of the painting. In the background it lights a sliver of ocean, made of shades of sky blue, and is just barely visible to the viewer. A gentle highlight indicates the swell of the ocean as it comes in to break somewhere on an unseen shore.

This same sunlight dully lights the roof of an old farmhouse with a small stall attached to the side of it, in the background. It appears to be built of dark, weathered wood, with the gray slate of the roof the only portion receiving warmth from the sun. To the right of the barn, lush, bluish-green foliage grows along the gentle, undulating hillside.

The grassy field appears parched in the morning sun as is often seen in coastal depictions. Dry grass blades, whitening from salty sea air, caress the curve of the hill. A small batch of worn earth breaks through grass, in the center, indicating frequent use by someone. To the left of the ruddy brown earth is the skeleton of a long dead tree. Barren of leaves and most branches it may have once had, it juts out angrily from the ground towards the sky.

Someone is using that worn patch of earth this morning. A chestnut, well-fed cow is tied loosely to the skeleton of a tree. The sun is a little warmer here as she grazes on the parched grass. A woman, in blue, sits in the warmth provided by the early morning sun, milking her.

As we move to the foreground of the painting a dirt road is partially seen as it traverses the scene. It is dry and dusty. Cart wheels have gouged grooves into the road, indicating years of use. This well used roadway is mostly hidden by growths of flowering bushes, a small foreground hill, medium sized boulders, and other foliage.

The flowering bushes appear to be doing well in the arid conditions as evidenced by the grass. Pink clusters of flowers adorn the bushes at the left foreground. White flowers, tinged with yellow, grow from a bush, out of the top of the hill in the right foreground. Aged and weathered wooden slats lie askew at the bottom of the bush, accented by rounded boulders. The three slats are broken and laying at odd angles, as if possibly a wheelbarrow or cart broke along the roadside at this spot, and the owner just left it for time to dispose of.

As mentioned earlier, the feeling of the painting is as if a storm has just rolled out. Deep, dark shadows bring about this feeling and add depth to the painting. However, there is the distinct impression that the storm moving on is more then just a simple meteorological event. It's as if a new era of hope is being ushered in, pushing away the symbolic dark clouds of the past.

The curvilinear forms accentuate this typical rural scene, as do the realistic details. The viewer can almost feel the parched dusty ground, knowing that if a cart were to travel by, a cloud of dust would surely rise with the turn of the wheel and step of each hoof.

Before Her Appearance (1913)

American Impressionist Frederick Carl Frieske's Before Her Appearance is a delicate portrait of a young ballerina applying the final touches to her make-up before going on stage. Intricate impressions of details, as well as the palette of cream, pink, yellow, and light blue, give a distinct feminine feeling to this oil painting.

Beautiful floral drapery hangs in the background of the scene, serving as the backdrop for the primping ballerina. Hanging in front of the drapery is the side of an elaborate costume. The mostly cream colored costume appears to have butterfly wings sewn between the arm and the body of the dress. One can almost envision the ballerina's upcoming performance; gracefully leaping across the stage with her butterfly wings of fabric fluttering with her every movement.

A small, framed wall mirror hangs on the wall to the left of the painting and in front of the ballerina. It softly reflects a small bouquet of summer flowers sitting in a rounded vase, on the corner of her dressing table.

One may question whether or not an admirer, wishing her luck before her performance, perhaps gave these flowers.

The dressing table itself is small, with delicate legs. A gathered fabric covering that hangs halfway down the slight, white legs covers the top. The pattern on the fabric appears to be of similar design as the drapery, with very feminine, miniature flowers, in pink and blue scattered across a cream background. The top of the table is littered with a variety of cosmetic paraphernalia. A thick, silver, antique-looking hairbrush is kept company with bottles of perfume, a string of rose-colored beads, makeup containers, and a powder puff. It is obvious by the disarray that most, if not all of the items have recently been used.

The ballerina sits on a squat wooden stool, covered with a blue and cream striped fabric. It is a very utilitarian looking stool, with the only decoration being the fabric covering the seat. Her legs are crossed as she applies the last bit of her makeup.