Selections from the Permanent Collection
Alfredo Ramos Martínez (Mexican, 1871-1946). Vendedora de flores (Flower Seller), c. 1940. Gouache and charcoal on buff paper laid down on gypsum board, 72 x 46 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Gift of Harry Pollak, 2002.2.053. © The Alfredo Ramos Martínez Research Project, reproduced by permission.
April 18, 2020 – March 2, 2022
Located on the second floor of The Baker Museum
Drawn from The Baker Museum’s permanent collection, this exhibition addresses subject matters commonly found in visual arts while exploring a wide array of formal characteristics and styles in modern and contemporary art. It also demonstrates differing artistic approaches taken by different individuals, reflecting their personal experiences and concerns, as well as the time and places in which they lived.
Subject Matters is organized into nine sections: the Human Figure, Plants and Animals, Landscapes, (Sub)Urban Life, Still-Life, the Home, Artist and Studio, Narratives and Nonfigurative Abstraction. These divisions are fluid, however, as a number of works reflect multiple thematic ideas.
The exhibition presents works in various media, ranging from paintings and sculpture to photography and works on paper, by American, European and Latin American artists. Featured artists include Alexander Calder, Elizabeth Catlett, Olga Costa, Willem de Kooning, Marsden Hartley, Jacob Lawrence, Gabriel Fernández Ledesma, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, Vik Muniz, José Clemente Orozco, Pablo Picasso, Gordon Parks, Jesús Rafael Soto, Edward Weston and Francisco Zúñiga. By showcasing not only works that have been frequently displayed in the past but also those rarely shown before, Subject Matters aims to offer a fresh take on the museum’s growing permanent collection.
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Selected Works
Gordon Parks (American, 1912-2006). American Gothic (Emma Watson), Washington, D.C., 1942 / printed later. Gelatin silver print, 18 x 12 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Gift of Wynnell and George Schrenk, 2010.10.2. Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation.
Olga Costa (German-Mexican, 1913-1994). Naturaleza muerta con objetos mexicanos (Still Life with Mexican Objects), 1944. Oil on canvas, 24 x 29 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Gift of Harry Pollak, 2002.2.017. © 2020 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City.
John Wesley (American, b. 1928). Untitled, 2002. Gouache on paper, 22 1/2 x 24 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Gift of Paul and Charlotte Corddry, 2016.1.26. © Courtesy of the Artist and Fredericks & Freiser, NY.
John Marin (American, 1870-1953). From Sand Island, Mainev, 1926. Watercolor on paper, 13 3/4 x 16 5/8 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Museum purchase from the collection of Ahmet Ertegün, 2000.15.153. © 2020 Estate of John Marin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Oscar Bluemner (German-American, 1867-1938). Harlem River, 1912. Watercolor on paper, 14 x 20 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Museum purchase from the collection of Ahmet Ertegün, 2000.15.012. © Artist or artist’s estate.
Esphyr Slobodkina (Russian-American, 1908-2002). Crossroads, 1943. Oil on board, 35 x 27 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Museum purchase from the collection of Ahmet Ertegün, 2000.15.214. © Courtesy of the Slobodkina Foundation.
Vik Muniz (Brazilian, b. 1961). Caravaggio's Medusa (1590), 1999. Digital print on porcelain plate, 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 1 in. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. Bequest of Olga Hirshhorn, 2016.2.311. © 2020 Vik Muniz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
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Associated Events
Subject Matters: Selections from the Permanent Collection is organized by Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, and is curated by Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D., Curator of Modern Art.