Birmingham Museum of Art: Cornucopia of Art

The Birmingham Museum of Art holds a diverse gathering of artwork from different cultures. The 24,000 art objects are gathered from Asian, American, African, European, pre-Columbian, and Native American cultures.

The display of Asian art is impressive and is the most inclusive one in the southeastern United States featuring a grand collection of Vietnamese ceramics.

The Kress assortment of art includes paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance and Baroque eras and decorative arts ranging from the latter 13th century to the mid-1700's. The museum also houses 18th century English furniture and ceramics. It exhibits the biggest gathering of Wedgewood excepting in Great Britain.

Its passed exhibitions have included Mary Lucier's "The Plains of Sweet Regret," Charlie Lucas' "The World Through My Eyes," Kim Sangku's "Contemporary Korean Prints," and Leonardo da Vinci's "Drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin."

"Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan" will be on exhibit from 7/31/2010 to 10/10/2010. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The address is 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd., Birmingham, AL.

Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan:

Allegory in Art: Old Masters

The Old Masters were artists from the 16th, 17th, and the beginning of the 18th century. These artists used symbols in many of their works. The symbols used to paint or draw allegory in art were derived from ancient literature, mythology, and the Bible. This method worked well because educated people could read these works and be familiar with the symbols and people that couldn't read had heard the Bible stories.

Depictions of Saint Jerome picture him with a lion, bible or a skull. There is a legend telling the story of St. Jerome removing a thorn from a lion's paw and the lion befriended him. The woodcut St. Jerome in His Cell by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528 ) is an example of allegory art.

The Dutch artist Lucas Van Leyden (1489-1533), in his engraving Portrait of a Young Man with a Skull (1519), the artist has the figure pointing to the skull he holds. It is a warning to consider your conscience and mortality. These types of images were called vanitas.

The Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430-1516) was a Renaissance narrative painter and the teacher of Giorgione and Titian. His depiction of St. Margaret devoured by a dragon is representative of the Christian art symbol of sin and sinfulness ie; the sinful nature. The devil is called the devourer in the Bible.

There are many more works of art by the Old Masters that use Christian symbols that portray allegory in painting and other art mediums. These are some other Christian symbols: the crown, rose, lamb, dove, and falcon.

Pictures of St. Joan of Arc seen as a maiden with armor, sword, and a banner astride a horse is allegory art that is probably more recognized by people today. The War Savings Stamp Program of World War I and WWII aided in funding these wars. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts sold these stamps. One of the posters of this program for WWI was Joan of Arc Saved France by Haskell Coffin (1878-1941). The slogan ask America's women to buy the war stamp to support the war.

Sports Art

We don't usually think of art and sports in the same thought. They seem to be mutually exclusive, but that isn't true. The American Sport Art Museum & Archives of Daphne, AL illustrates this point quite graphically.

This museum was established in 1984 and its goal is to preserve sports history, literature, and art. The ASAMA houses over a thousand works of art. The collection includes photography, painting, prints, assemblage, posters, and sculpture.

The ASAMA also gives out awards yearly to artists and athletes. They are open to the public five days a week. The hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.