Posts Tagged 'still-life'

Thanksgiving Still-Lifes

Inspired by the DMA’s newest exhibition, Bouquets: French Still-Life Painting from Chardin to Matisse, I thought it would only be appropriate for my first Canvas blog post to incorporate still-lifes from our collection. So with Thanksgiving just behind us, I wanted to share some my favorite food-related still-lifes in our collection.

This 17th century still-life makes even the most wonderful Thanksgiving leftovers seem bland. Anyone care for some lobster?

Abraham Hendricksz Van Beyeren, Still Life with Landscape, 1650s, Dallas Museum of Art, The Karl and Esther Hoblitzelle Collection, gift of the Hoblitzelle Foundation

Abraham Hendricksz Van Beyeren, Still Life with Landscape, 1650s, Dallas Museum of Art, The Karl and Esther Hoblitzelle Collection, gift of the Hoblitzelle Foundation

After all of the yummy turkey, stuffing, casseroles and potatoes , how about some fruit (and maybe champagne) to lighten your leftover hangover?

Severin Roesen, Fruit Still Life with Champagne, 1848, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Pauline Allen Gill Foundation

Severin Roesen, Fruit Still Life with Champagne, 1848, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of the Pauline Allen Gill Foundation

The Friday after Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday all on its own. I like to stay in, enjoy my friends’ and families’ company, relax and read the paper, and eat some yummy leftovers (maybe even a turnip or two!). It is the best part of the holiday weekend!

William Michael Harnett, Munich Still Life, 1882, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association Purchase

William Michael Harnett, Munich Still Life, 1882, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Association Purchase

I hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday! And if you didn’t finish your Christmas shopping last weekend or you’re looking for a cyber Monday fix, don’t forget to check the Museum Store’s website to find many unique presents and local crafts!

Happy Holidays!

Madeleine Fitzgerald
Audience Relations Coordinator for Programming

InstaBouquets

The DMA is positively blooming with floral still-life paintings this winter, thanks to the amazing works on view in Bouquets: French Still-Life Painting from Chardin to Matisse. Visitors can enjoy these paintings and even find a bit of creative inspiration in a sketching gallery, outfitted with a fresh floral arrangement, drawing supplies, and a place to display their drawings.
20141024_191220

Inspired by the exhibition, DMA staff took a turn curating their own still-life creations. From traditional to offbeat, we hope you enjoy these interpretations of this classic genre that has inspired artists for centuries. If you’re feeling inspired, create your own still life and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #BouquetsDMA—you may just see yourself retweeted!

Anthea Halsey is the Senior Marketing & Social Media Manager at the DMA.

Friday Photos: Food, Glorious Food!

As someone who spends a lot of time thinking about food, I’m a sucker for a still life with anything edible, especially if trompe l’oeil is involved. Walking through the galleries recently, I was excited to discover that two of my favorite DMA still-life paintings are currently on view: Still Life with Landscape and Munich Still Life. Still Life with Landscape has always been a favorite tour stop–kids love talking about food as much as I do, so it’s a fun, if hunger-inducing, way to kick off a Museum visit.

Recently, I’ve taken my passion for food beyond conversations in the galleries. I’ve begun an adventure in gardening at the Lake Highlands Community Garden, to try and grow just a little of the produce I eat. Now that the temperatures are warming up and transplants have had time to grow, the plots are full of spring vegetables—some of which will be ready for harvest this weekend! Below are pictures of the Lake Highlands Community Garden, its Butterfly and Donation Gardens, and a few vegetables that I hope will someday soon make a tasty, still-life worthy snack!


Amy Copeland
Manager of Go van Gogh and Community Teaching Programs

Friday Photos: Art of the Smoothie

Working at the DMA, we are constantly surrounded by amazing artists and beautiful works of art. Passing through the galleries on a regular basis, it is no wonder that some of us have become very taken by the art objects we see, slowly integrating them into our daily lives.

These days, many DMA educators have jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon! Walking by so many tasty-looking paintings filled with fruits and veggies (especially around lunchtime) has been a quirky inspiration to many of us in our quest for health and the perfect green smoothie. There is a kale-idoscope of smoothie-worthy produce to see in the DMA galleries!

Our collection has many still life paintings that were originally very popular with collectors in Europe and the United States because they nicely complemented the grand interiors of luxurious homes newly built on the east coast. These paintings showcase the same delicious fruits and veggies that many of us use in our breakfast or lunchtime smoothies. Check out some of the inspirations for our blended green concoctions and then visit the collection to see how many fresh garden goods you can find to add to your green smoothie grocery list!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Make your own sweet pear smoothie inspired by Allport’s Still Life with Fruit:

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 cups spinach, fresh
2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
4 pears
1 banana
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend spinach and almond milk until smooth. Next add the remaining fruits and blend again. Top with cinnamon.

Check out Simple Green Smoothies for more artful smoothies!

Danielle Schulz
Teaching Specialist

Culinary Canvas: Blood Orange Vanilla Cupcakes

The many wonderful artworks at the DMA can certainly be a rich source of inspiration for all types of artists. One art form I enjoy is cooking, so I thought it would be fun to take a culinary tour through the collection and see what works could inspire me in the kitchen.

For my first recipe, I’m starting in the Reves Collection with a Cézanne and something sweet—who can resist a cupcake? Try it out and let me know what you think!

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Carafe, Milk Can, Bowl, and Orange, 1879-1880, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection

Blood Orange Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Yields about 30 cupcakes
Level: Easy

Cupcakes:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons finely grated blood orange zest, from about 2 blood oranges
4 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup nonfat milk
½ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1 ½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as Cointreau (optional)
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners.

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds with the edge of a knife. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla seeds and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until combined and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.

In measuring cup, whisk together cream, milk, orange juice, vanilla extract and orange liqueur. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beginning and ending with dry ingredients, add flour mixture to mixer in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of cream mixture.  After each addition, mix on low speed until just combined.

Divide batter evenly between liners, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Splash of heavy cream

Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until pale and shiny. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, mixing on low until combined. Add cream. Increase speed to medium-high and continue whipping mixture for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Additional sugar or cream can be added to achieve desired consistency.

The tasty result: my interpretation of the painting in fondant and frosting

Cupcake recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats and frosting recipe adapted from Savory Sweet Life.

Sarah Coffey
Assistant to the Chair of Learning Initiatives


Archives

Flickr Photo Stream

Categories