Page 126 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New Orleans

124  NE W ORLEANS AREA B Y AREA

Exploring the New Orleans Museum of Art

The major collections displayed in the museum’s 46 galleries
include a vast selection of European art, from 12th-century
Italian Florentine to 20th-century French and Spanish works.
There are specialized collections of Latin American and
Prehispanic art; Native and modern American works; arts
of Africa and Asia; photography; and decorative arts. The
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden displays an
eclectic array of works in a landscaped park.

Benjamin West, and John
African and Oceanic Art Singer Sargent. Also on view
This is one of the finest African is a collection of Louisiana
art collections in the paintings, including Louisiana
country. Established Indians Walking Along the Bayou
in 1953, it now (see p123) by Alfred Boisseau.
represents Sub-Saharan A major acquisition has been
Africa’s five major the work America by contem-
art-producing porary artist Will Ryman. The
regions, including Portrait of Mme. René de Gas,
works by the Baman née Estelle Musson, painted
and Dogon peoples in 1872–3 by Edgar Degas
of Mali and the during a visit to New Orleans,
Benin, the Yoruba, is also displayed. Portrait of a Bijin (courtesan), Yamaguchi
the Ibo, and the Soken (1800)
Ekoi peoples of
Nigeria, Cameroon, Asian Art the Neolithic to the modern
and the Ivory One of the finest collections era. There are stone, wood,
Coast. Among the of Edo (1600–1868) Japanese and bronze sculptures, plus
highlights is a rare paintings can be seen in these miniatures, and religious art
palace veranda post galleries. All the major Japanese from India.
carved in the shape schools are represented, and
Yoruba of an equestrian it is particularly strong on the
mounted warrior figure by Nanga, Zenga, and Maruyama- Contemporary Art
warrior Yoruba artist Olowe Shijo schools. The collection A great variety of sculpture,
of Ise. Another gem also includes a wide variety of paintings, and mixed-media
is a terracotta head from the ceramics, lacquer, textiles, prints, works, such as Joseph Cornell’s
Nok culture dating from around and photographs. The Chinese intricate small-scale shadow
500 BC–AD 200. The Head of collection has ceramics from boxes, are included in the
an Oba (late 18th century) is a Contemporary Art
striking bronze funerary portrait, collection, which
which might have been placed encompasses
on an altar in the Benin royal Contemporary
palace to commemorate European Art and the
the deceased. American Art exhibits.
The Oceania gallery includes The European collection
wooden figures from Papua features works from
New Guinea; nephrite (a hard such artists as Miró and
green jade-like stone) weapons, Picasso. The American
tools, and ornaments from exhibit ranges from
the Maoris; and a standing Georgia O’ Keefe’s
Malanggan figure, also from My Back Yard (1937)
New Zealand. and Hans Hofmann’s
Abstraction with Chair
and Miró (1943), to
American Art Jackson Pollock’s
This collection includes Composition (White,
some fine examples of early Black, Blue, and Red on
American artists such as John White) (1948) and Roger
Singleton Copley, Gilbert Brown’s California
Stuart, Charles Willson Peale, Portrait of a Young Girl, Joan Miró (1935) Hillside (1988).

124-125_EW_New_Orl.indd 124 05/08/16 3:49 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm