Art Review: Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale Dine Out

Hi all,

Last semester, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw this particular painting titled Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale Dine Out. I wrote a review for it below. Enjoy!

The American Artist Guy Pène du Bois illustrates the dining experience of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale in a 1924 painting. Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale sit across the table from one another in a New York restaurant. The couple begins to enjoy the evening when a nice waiter arrives.  Although they are not speaking to one another, Bois uses their stiff body language to depict communication. Bois’ use of color, the couple and a waiter all create the relationship within the scene.

Guy Pène du Bois completed many pieces of art during his life. His travels throughout Europe led him to learn different techniques to incorporate within his artwork. Bois’ use of oil on canvas blends well to convey his subjects. Invisible brushstrokes characterize his artwork and allow him to portray his paintings as real as possible.  Many of his paintings including Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale portray social elites dining and mingling together. His fascination with this group of people illuminates this society. He incorporates aspects of their lives such as their spending habits on jewelry and stylish clothing. The elite women wear shiny rings on their fingers and the latest 1920s dress. The men sit straight in their chairs with chins held high in a dignified manner. Their crisp, black suits show no sign of wear. Bois portrays these people as those who have no care in the world.

In his painting of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale, Guy Pène du Bois continues to display the social life of elite couples. Interestingly, this particular painting may have some hidden meaning. The scene shows Mr. and Mrs. Chester Dale sitting across from one another at a table, as a waiter stands close by, neither one is smiling which shows tension in their relationship. I noticed that she reaches toward a slip of paper in his hand, which he has pulled in closer to himself. The waiter, standing above Mr. Dale, has his attention fixed upon this slip of paper. The hidden paper may contain news that Mr. Dale thinks only men are fit to know and discuss. On the other hand, the waiter’s curious facial expression may show his possible intrusion on the very topic that Mr. Dale hides from his wife. Anyways, it is clear that Mr. Dale has a private note and it is not for his wife’s eyes. Another peculiar aspect of the painting is the reflection displayed in the window behind the table. Both the waiter and Mr. Dale appear to reflect off the window yet Mrs. Dale has no reflection. Hence, Bois shows her invisibility to others. Her invisibility may derive from her lack of knowledge on certain subjects that her husband keeps from her. Essentially, she is kept in the dark about such things. Also, her black and white clothing masks her beauty as a woman. Her broad shoulders and long arms are not typical feminine features. Bois’ layout of this scene does a great job of creating mystery.  However, the simplicity of the piece causes many viewers to look quickly before moving along to the next work of art.

Digging deeper into an analysis of this painting, I realize many of the museum visitors neglect to reflect on this art. As a talented artist, Bois knows how to catch the attention of an audience yet this painting rarely stops any curious visitors. The neutral colors lack an intensity seen in other pieces of modern art. Black, white, and shades of gray encompass the aesthetics of this painting. Lacking bold colors, this painting attracts visitors due to its underlying story. After a long moment of observation, visitors notice the couple’s body language and their feelings about the slip of paper. They may even notice their elite status as they dine in an exclusive restaurant. In the end, a visitor has witnessed a piece of art.

The artwork of Guy Pène du Bois hangs brilliantly in a modern art gallery. His low-key colors and simple lines allow visitors to quickly gaze over his artwork. Those who stay long enough will catch a glimpse of a hidden meaning within the piece. He has gained success as a professional artist because he can hide meaning in his work.

A World Changer

Hi all,

I have not written a new blog post for awhile now. So, I am going to post some updates.

First of all, last month I was able to visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the day. Philly, also known as the city of brotherly love,  has such a rich culture! The 'touristy' areas were filled with high end shopping centers similar to those on 34th Street. I enjoyed exploring this city which has a great amount of history. The founding fathers might have walked on some of those same streets that I walked on...or maybe that's what I would like to think :D The Liberty Bell still has its famous crack running up the middle. It was great to actually see it up close. And the classic Philly Cheese steak rocked!! I literally waited in line for an hour just to try the famous sandwhich with melted mozzarella cheese =] I even experienced Philly's Magic Gardens. I cannot wait to go back and see it during the day. They created the mosaics out of many different materials...just think what can be done with a little bit of human labor and creativity.

The Liberty Bell

I think being in such a historical city gave me a new sense of American pride. Those who are not Americans who visit places such as Philly and Washington D.C. go for the cliche mementos. I ,as an American, felt that I actually recognized the importance of those who fought to establish the United States of America. Most importantly, I am glad that America was founded under God. I believe that our country will continue to succeed as long as we give glory to God, because it is through him that all out this success has happened.

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Spring has finally arrived after this mild winter. Macy's has its annual Flower Show going on right now on 34th Street. So, I am always able to catch the floral aromas. Before I came here, I did not enjoy drinking tea ,but now I have found that I like bubble tea which is actually milk, tea and tapioca pearls. I found a new cafe that has a variety of bubble teas and I will visit again soon.

Sitting in the park

As some may know, our college currently resides in the Empire State Building but now we are moving to the Financial District. We have classes in the basement and know we are moving to the same area where the New York Stock Exchange is housed.  We are rising up!! Overall, I am excited for the Fall semester. New classes, new church, and new experiences in Brooklyn! WHOO-HOO

5th Avenue from the Empire State building

My Scholarship essay

Hi

I have recently submitted a scholarship essay. Can you please help me out by voting 

HERE. All you have to do is scroll down and click the vote button. Thank you. 

January Update

Hi all!

I have had an incredibly busy semester filled with many new experiences. Now that it's February I guess I should give an account of my recent activities. To begin, I went ice skating for the first in my life. Initially, I did not want to go because I knew that ice skating was not an easy task to learn. But hey I can only ice skate in NYC during this time of the year so why not do it...right? So, I got on the ice and tried my best to learn from the other skaters. Once I got the technique down and let myself relax the experience became so much better. In the end, I am glad to have taken that leap of faith to try something new! Now I can't wait to buy my own pair of skates so that I can practice this new sport that I enjoy.

Every year the March for Life is held in Washington, D.C. in protest of the Roe vs. Wade court case and for the first time I decided to attend. The morning was especially gloomy with persistent rain showers and cold weather. Our whole group, took a short break from the event to shelter ourselves form the precipitation inside the Smithsonian Museum.  Soon, the rain ended and we were back outside observing the crowd of dedicated protesters. I could not believe the amount of people who decided to show up in support of such a debated topic. However, I did notice that many of the participants were either teens or young adults. I was very appreciative to see there support since I am a strong pro-life advocate. The march took off with many holding I am the pro-life generation signs and I even saw an endearing sign stating, " Thanks mom for my birthday." Life is so precious and I am so glad that I was apart of the 2012 March for life! A highlight from my trip would be walking around D.C. as if it were NYC. We ( the group from my college) never stopped at the crosswalks or paid attention to the signs at all. I thought to myself "wow only New Yorkers refuse to stop at a crosswalk..." It was also cool that we ate a a local burger joint that had a Turkey burger  named after Michelle Obama.

I would also like to mention the FIRST SNOW of 2012. I woke up early that particular Saturday morning for no reason at all. I looked out the window and to my surprise it was snowing. Of course, I called home and told them the news. Afterwards, I was off the explore my new winter wonderland. I observed a few key things on my walk that morning. 1. The city seemed so peaceful and safe as if all the cruelty of the city was hidden beneath the inches of snow. 2. KIDS! There were multiple families out and about even though it was freezing. I knew those families were feeling the same way I was about the snow. It was as if a carefree spirit had overcome us. There was so much freedom to flourish and thrive.
So on my walk I decided to head down 5th ave, to Madison Square Park. My goal: walk on fresh, untouched snow...and was my mission accomplished? Yes, of course!!

I am beginning to enjoy blogging more and more :) So below is a mental checklist of somethings I want to write about in the neat future....

• My short term goals
• My long term goals
• New church experience
• My second semester
• Black hair scholarship essay

2012: It's a new year!

Hello all!

I have just arrived back in NYC just in time to witness the annual “no pants” subway ride...

It was great to take a break from this fast paced life and just settle down for a moment. It was so much fun to celebrate Hannukah alongside Christmas. The menorah was definitely one of a kind! My family and I enjoyed our very first Secret Santa Christmas present exchange. I literally thought that someone would “accidently” slip me the name of my secret Santa but by some miracle that did not happen. On New Years Eve, our church had an Eddie James Ministries worship session for the youth and young adults. He and his team led us into some great worship and a time of powerful testimonies! Let just say they released the fire as we entered into the new year ahead.

Recently, I have been reading some new blogs. These blogs explain how Black Women should be open to dating outside their race since every other race is doing so. Statistics show that Black Women are the least likely to marry outside of their race. I am learning mainly to have confidence that I can date whomever I want without worrying what other people think. The opinions of these women have shown me that men of all races are acceptable as a future boyfriend/husband. I am thankful that there are people out there that see interracial relationships as developing successfully alongside homogenous relationships. My goal is to support those BW out there who openly display their attraction to someone of a different race. I have learned for sure that there is no reason to hate them. Opening ones mind to all the people of the globe is great and I cannot wait to see more and more individuals move beyond color boundaries and choose love first and foremost.

 Personally, I want to find myself in a relationship with someone not based on the color of his skin but on whom he is in Christ. In the end, the actually relationship will not hold any validity unless God has put the two individuals together. Therefore, I believe myself and other BW should all look beyond color lines and find the person God intends for us to be in a relationship with. I feel like that message has been lost.