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“Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties” at the Dallas Museum of Art

This month began the special exhibit, Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties, at the Dallas Museum of Art.  This collection features works of art by Georgia O’Keefe, Thomas Hart Benton, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Hopper and many others.

The expansive exhibit is divided into multiple sections.  One of these sections is The Harlem Renaissance Begins.  Here, you can view works of art that were created during the explosion of the Harlem culture in the 1920’s.

Winold Reiss (American, 1886–1953). Black Prophet, 1925. Pastel on Whatman board, 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.9 cm). Private collection. © The Reiss Trust

Another section that explores the methods of artists in the twenties is Close Ups.  Here you’ll find wonderful painted  portraits as well as photographs featuring power players of the day such as Sherwood Anderson, Gloria Swanson and Diego Rivera.

Nickolas Muray (American, 1892–1965). Gloria Swanson, circa 1925. Gelatin silver print, 12 3/4 x 9 3/8 in. (32.4 x 23.8 cm). George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film, Rochester, New York, Gift of Mrs. Nickolas Muray. © Estate of Nickolas Muray

 

Luigi Lucioni (American, 1900–1988). Paul Cadmus, 1928. Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 1/8 in. (40.6 x 30.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 2007.28

 

In addition to paintings and sculptures, the exhibit also has a captivating photography section entitled,Clear Sight: The Revolution of Straight Photography.  The section examines the method of photographers of the 1920’s, in which they allowed the pure mechanical inclinations of the cameras to determine the picture’s character.

It was so interesting to view, through art, the culture of youth and idealized imagery that the American twenties held amidst the rapidly changing urbanization and industrialization of the post WWI and pre- Great Depression era of the American 1920s.  There is so much beauty and history in this exhibit!

Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties runs through May 27, 2012. Admission to the exhibit is in addition to museum admission and is $14 for adults, $10 for seniors and $9 for students (w/student ID) and members of the military.  Kids under 12  and museum members are free.