Recent Acquisitions

Covered vase, Meissen Porcelain Works
This wonderfully intricate vase—covered with life-like flowers, bugs, and bees, as well as cherubs, crowns, a coat of arms, and cameo portrait—is a fine example of late Meissen porcelain. Although probably most famous during the 18th century, this factory produced works of great quality and innovation, like this one, during the Victorian era. The vase was made to commemorate a member of the Saxon royal house; the portrait and coat of arms probably represent Carola von Vasa (1833-1907), Princess of Sweden and Queen of Saxony. She and her husband, King Albert (1828-1902), often gave Meissen objects as diplomatic gifts. The vase joins a small but select group of porcelains, and is particularly welcome as a complement to the pieces of early Meissen already in the collection.

Meissen Porcelain Works, German
Covered Vase, ca. 1905
Porcelain
Gift of Ailene Titche Burson, 2007

Photographs by Various Artists
In honor of Kaywin Feldman’s nine years of passionate and distinguished service as director of the Brooks Museum (1999-2007), a group of generous supporters donated funds to acquire photographs in her honor. Photography was an area of particular interest to Kaywin and she astutely acquired artists ranging from Alfred Stieglitz to Lalla Essaydi.

Aaron Siskind (American, 1903–1991)
Cactus, 1949
Gelatin silver print, 1957 reprint
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase with funds donated by William and Melinda Bagley, and Howard Foote with a match by Pfizer in honor Kaywin Feldman, Director, 1999-2007

Andre Kertesz (Hungarian, 1894–1985)
Washington Square Park, New York, 1957

Gelatin silver print, later reprint.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase with funds donated by Dr. James K. Patterson and Dr. Rushton E. Patterson in honor of Kaywin Feldman, Director, 1999-2007

Alfred Eisenstaedt (American, 1898–1995)
Future Ballerinas, 1937
Gelatin silver print, later reprint.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase with funds donated by Katie and Jack Shannon, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry F. Gay, Mr. and Mrs. Claude McCord, Mr. and Mrs. Clint Pearson, Harry Goldsmith with matching funds from AutoZone, Eleanor Baer, Andrew Clarkson, Reneé Guibao, Paul and Christina Guibao, Ann J. Huckaba, Al and Janet Lyons, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Montesi, and Buzzy Hussey in honor Kaywin Feldman, Director, 1999-2007

Marcos Lopez Photography
These photographs were purchased with funds provided by Brooks Museum board presidents Kevin Adams, Will Deupree, Henry Doggrell, Michael Fryt, Harriet Stern on behalf of her husband Dr. Tom Stern, and Joe Weller, in honor of Kaywin Feldman and her nine years as director. During her tenure, Kaywin focused on expanding the photography collection and acquired 389 works by such artists as Ernest Withers, Helen Levitt, Alfred Stieglitz, David Levinthal, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Lalla Essaydi, Eadweard Muybridge, Aaron Siskind, Weegee, Fred Wilson, and Ray Metzker.

Marcos Lopez, (Argentine, b. 1958)
Falcon, Santa Fe From Paisajes Urbanos 2002

Photograph
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art purchase with funds provided by Brooks Museum board presidents
Joe Weller, Kevin Adams, Will Deupree, Henry Doggrell, Michael Fryt, and Harriet Stern on behalf of her
husband Dr. Tom Stern in honor of Kaywin Feldman, Director 1999-2007

La femme en vert (The Woman in Green)
An active member of the Parisian avant-garde and a colleague of Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Georges Rouault (1871-1858), Leon Bonhomme remains a comparatively unknown artist. The artist’s La femme en vert, boldly painted in contrasting reds, blues, and greens and fully capturing the sitter’s intense personality, suggests both Bonhomme’s immense talent and his passionate response to life. Reacting to a difficult personal relationship, after 1900 Bonhomme became increasingly antisocial, rarely exhibited his works publicly, and painted less frequently.

Bonhomme’s La femme en vert is a wonderful complement to the other Post-Impressionist works already in the museum’s collection. A loosely organized group, the Post-Impressionists emerged in Paris around 1890. Like the Impressionists, they were fascinated by color, the thick application of paint, and distinctive brushstrokes. However, the Post-Impressionists sought to move beyond what they saw as the triviality of the mundane world. As a result they often used distorted forms, skewed perspective, and unnatural or arbitrary colors to achieve expressive, rather than purely realistic, effects.  

Leon Bonhomme (French, 1870-1924)
La femme en vert (The Woman in Green), 1909
Oil on paper
Signed and dated: lower right
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Purchase; Funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Duggins 2007

Artist's Books

In 1990, the Brooks received a generous gift of livres d’artistes (artists’ books) from Isabel and Charles Goodman. Livres d’artistes are illustrated with original prints and photographs rather than reproductions. The museum is committed to building upon this important collection and has continued to acquire books that document the expansion of interest in bookmaking that began in the 1960s and continues unabated today.

This expansion is partially tied to new technologies as well as politics—inexpensively produced multiples can be more widely disseminated, and the low cost of some of the processes can be a form of rebellion against the art market. North Drive Press, a boxed compendium of records, cds, posters, and patches by a diverse group of artists, includes some materials that are offset-prints, which is a process used to produce very large print runs. It is just one example of some recent acquisitions that exploit new computer technologies in the production of deeply quirky and personal projects.

Multiple artists
North Drive Press, No. 2, June, 2005
North Drive Press, New York, N.Y., edition of 500
Mixed media
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of Marina Pacini and David McCarthy 2006.23.10a-ll

Sandy Skoglund Photography

Sandy Skoglund, (American, b. 1946)
Gathering Paradise, 1991
Cibachrome photograph
Gift of Dr. James K. Patterson, 2006

Colima, Mexico, State of Colima
Bowl, ca. 250 B.C.E. - 200 C.E.
Gift of Dr. Rushton E. Patterson Jr. 2006