 Photo by Jeane Kat McGrail. Thanks to the judge, Danica Fahmy, for awarding 'Gyre' Best in Show at Elmhurst Artists' Guild's Spring Members' Show! I'm beyond honored and grateful for the recognition. The show is on display at the EAG gallery at Elmhurst Art Museum through May 3, 2026.
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 Today’s ArtDrop is an oil on canvas by Luke Fildes from 1891 called ‘The Doctor’.
The image shows the dining room of a family’s home. A very sick small child is sleeping on pillows across the seats of dining room chairs. The family doctor is seated and intently observing the child. He has tilted the shade of a lamp to cast light on the child’s face. In the shadowy background of the painting in the top right are the parents. The father stands trying to interpret the face of the doctor. He has his hand on the shoulder of his weeping wife. She is seated with her head down as she stifles her sobs. Evidence of the family caring for the child appears on a bench with a bowl of food, a pitcher, rags, and tea and honey on the table.  Today’s ArtDrop is a botanical on glass reverse painted in the verre églomisé technique. ‘Dandelion’ was painted in 2002 by Yanny Petters.
The image shows a realistic painting of a clump of dandelions on glass. The work shows the stages of the weed with buds, blossoms, fuzz balls, to spent seed pod all in the same painting. The work looks like a real dandelion freshly pressed between two panes of glass. The leaves and blossoms radiate from the center.  Today’s ArtDrop is a vertical French lithograph advertising poster from 1894 by Alfonse Mucha promoting a theatrical production, ‘Gismonda,’ starring Sarah Bernhardt.
The poster features a graphic image of Bernhardt wearing her ornate Gismonda costume. She is looking to her right and holds a long palm frond upright in her right hand. The poster features a Byzantine mosaic motif with an arch surrounding the actress’ head. Her name is spelled out in the tesserae within the arch. Above that is the title of the play in a Greek style font embedded in mosaic. The actress stands above an unscrolled ribbon with ‘Theatre de la Renaissance is rendered in mosaic. Mucha signed the design on the lower right.  Today’s ArtDrop is an installation from the series ‘The Purple Shall Govern’ by Mary Sibande. The work pictured above was created in 2013 with textiles, mannequin, and purple theatrical lights.
The photograph shows a mannequin of a character from the series called Sophie. She is the star of narrative about her life as a South African domestic worker. The mannequin is posed with upraised arms in worship or joy. The figure is entangled in root like forms. Behind the mannequin, more roots sprout from a corner of the exhibition space. The entire scene is bathed in purple light.  Today’s ArtDrop is a pop art interactive sculpture called, ‘Childhood Express’. Ken Spiering constructed the giant red wagon in 1990 to double as a slide in a public park in Spokane, WA.
The image is a photograph of a sculpture shaped exactly like a child’s little red wagon. The long handle trails on the ground allowing it to be a slide. The stairs up into the slide are installed between the two back wheels. The sculpture is installed in a wood chip area surrounded by walkways, park benches, trees, waterways, bridges, and a large tower in the distance.  Today’s ArtDrop is 'Portrait of Journalist Sylvia von Harden’, an oil and tempera on panel, by Otto Dix from 1926.
The image shows a vertical portrait of an androgynous counter-culture persona from 1926. Sylvia von Harden is sitting in the corner of a cafe against a pink wall with a cocktail, cigarette case and matches in front of her on the marble table top. She wears a black and red check turtleneck dress and stockings. The roll of one of her stockings on her crossed legs is seen just above her knee. Her right hand holds a lit cigarette with which she accentuates some points she is making during conversation. Her left hand is draped over her lap with her long fingers slightly splayed. Her dark hair is cut short in a masculine style. Her face is covered in very pale theatrical makeup with dark red lipstick. She also sports a a black-rimmed monocle finishing off the Bohemian look not unlike the Emcee from a production of Cabaret.  Today’s ArtDrop is a Roman floor mosaic called ‘Cave Canem’ or ‘Beward of Dog' from The House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii circa 2nd century BC.
The image is a photo of a mosaic in brown, red, and cream tesserae with an image of a chained dog. Although the inscription says ‘Beware of Dog’, the dog has his paws down low in front of them and their tail in the air. They might be inviting the visitor to play.  Today’s ArtDrop is an impressionist painting called ‘Ambiance du soir’ from 1893 by Frits Thaulow.
The image shows a scene of a city on a river. The river is deep teal in the foreground with reflections of gaslights from the streets. On the bank of the river are some trees planted on the embankment. In the background are large lit buildings with a church and other buildings in silhouette behind them. Moonlight glows in the sky above although the moon is not shown. |
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