Since our vacation plans to go "east" this weekend, were thwarted by the weather, we decided to stick around the area. One trip we had been meaning to take was to the Gilcrease Museum, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. If you like things Western, Indian, old, artifactual (is that a word?), etc, etc. then this is a destination you should consider!
We spent about 3-1/2 hours there looking at everything. Saw, for the first time for me anyway, some Frederick Remington black and white oils. I guess he started doing bronzes later in his career, and he really prized them, and they are amazing, but the BW oils were amazing, too! The bits in the horses' mouths looked positively as though they were shining, like real silver, in the paintings.
There was also a French artist, Jules Tavernier, whose depictions of Indian life on the prairie, were amazing in their depth and detail. I recognized his name from the Antiques Roadshow. Wish I could find one of his works in someone's attic, or a flea market. I'd snap it up.
Although all the paintings were wonderful, the majority of the artists' depictions of horses, looking head on "into the camera as it were" were hilarious! They showed the horses' eyes as staring straight ahead, on the flat part of their face, and round as a dinner plate, with a white ring around them. Now, the horses should have had the white ring, as for the most part, they were in a state of agitation (such as combat, or a buffalo hunt), but horses eyes are NOT on the front of their heads, but out to the sides. This made the eyes look cartoonish at best. And it seemed all the artists used the same eye treatment.
One artist, who's name I cannot remember, made his horses look as though they were absolutely going to gallop out of the painting! But their eyes were that of a cartoon.
It costs $8.00 per person to get in to the museum. Seniors and kids are a bit cheaper. They're closed on Mondays. They also have a restaurant, which is not inexpensive, but that's to be expected. I know Tulsa is probably not a destination but if you're in the area, and looking for something to do...do see the Gilcrease!
We spent about 3-1/2 hours there looking at everything. Saw, for the first time for me anyway, some Frederick Remington black and white oils. I guess he started doing bronzes later in his career, and he really prized them, and they are amazing, but the BW oils were amazing, too! The bits in the horses' mouths looked positively as though they were shining, like real silver, in the paintings.
There was also a French artist, Jules Tavernier, whose depictions of Indian life on the prairie, were amazing in their depth and detail. I recognized his name from the Antiques Roadshow. Wish I could find one of his works in someone's attic, or a flea market. I'd snap it up.
Although all the paintings were wonderful, the majority of the artists' depictions of horses, looking head on "into the camera as it were" were hilarious! They showed the horses' eyes as staring straight ahead, on the flat part of their face, and round as a dinner plate, with a white ring around them. Now, the horses should have had the white ring, as for the most part, they were in a state of agitation (such as combat, or a buffalo hunt), but horses eyes are NOT on the front of their heads, but out to the sides. This made the eyes look cartoonish at best. And it seemed all the artists used the same eye treatment.
One artist, who's name I cannot remember, made his horses look as though they were absolutely going to gallop out of the painting! But their eyes were that of a cartoon.
It costs $8.00 per person to get in to the museum. Seniors and kids are a bit cheaper. They're closed on Mondays. They also have a restaurant, which is not inexpensive, but that's to be expected. I know Tulsa is probably not a destination but if you're in the area, and looking for something to do...do see the Gilcrease!
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