Hello everyone.
In this blog, we will be bringing you the "Uncovering the Hidden Masters!" series in connection with the "Phillips Collection Exhibition."
Following in the footsteps of Roger de la Fresnais and Heinrich Campendonk, the painter this time is Adolphe Monticelli (1824-1886).

-- A question for Mr. Yasui: When I looked at the materials about the works in this exhibition, I was intrigued by the flowers in this vase.
The rough brush strokes and the strength of the paint make a strong statement. What kind of painter was "Adolphe Monticelli"?

Adolphe Monticelli, Bouquet, c. 1875, oil on panel, Acquired 1961, The Phillips Collection

You've hit on a pretty subtle point (laughs).
Monticelli is interesting not only as a painter, but also for how he came to be included in the Phillips Collection.

He lived in the middle of the 19th century in France, during the latter half of the Romantic period, before Freinet and Campendonk, who we introduced earlier, and during the era of naturalism and realism. Rather, Monticelli could be said to have been a forerunner of the "Fauves," who were mentioned in the explanation of the two artists mentioned above.

Here's the problem.
Can you think of any painters who, in addition to the strength of the paint and rough brushstrokes mentioned earlier, also have the characteristic of layering single colors, give the impression of being a "master"?

--I'm sorry for the mundane answer, but when I hear that, the only person that comes to mind is Van Gogh, who truly feels like a master...

Great answer! (laughs)
In fact, it was Vincent van Gogh who first brought Monticelli to the attention of the public. In a letter to his brother and good friend Theo, Van Gogh wrote in praise of Monticelli.

Because of this, he is now being noticed as a painter who influenced Van Gogh. Such an interesting phenomenon has occurred.

When we think of Van Gogh, we may think of dramatic episodes from his life, such as "he didn't sell any paintings while he was alive" and "the man who cut off his ear," and perhaps the "Van Gogh-ness" that comes from the impression of Van Gogh that comes to your mind.

From that impression, you may have a strong image of him as a "person of sensitivity" or "someone who paints from emotion," but he was also very studious and studied the history of painting and painters well. In a sense, he was a painter who was a bit big-headed.

--Did you become interested in Monticelli because of Van Gogh's description?

Wow! That's sharp. I think that's probably the case.
As a painter who connects the flow of modernism (in the sense of the time) from Impressionism to the present, I think Phillips considered Monticelli an essential artist for Collection.

In other words, he looked at his entire Collection and decided that he needed a Monticelli work, a choice that only a collector like Duncan Phillips could make, as he values ​​balance.

As you may have noticed from his selection in the "Unknown Masters" series, Monticelli is a relatively minor artist in art history. His only retrospective was the "Special Exhibition: Monticelli" held by the Bridgestone Museum of Art in 1995 (as expected from the Bridgestone Museum of Art!).

---If you had to name a master from Monticelli's era who is still "unforgettable," who would it be?

Perhaps Eugène Delacroix. His work will also be on display at the Phillips exhibition! And it turns out that Monticelli and Delacroix were actually friends.
Eugène Delacroix, Horse Rising from the Sea, 1860, oil on canvas, The Phillips Collection

When we think of Delacroix, we imagine him as a painter who produced works with great precision.
On the other hand, Monticelli's work appears to have been painted quite freely, and one can imagine that Delacroix would have been surprised by it.
The method of not mixing the paint much and instead applying thick layers of paint repeatedly seems to be the polar opposite of Delacroix's romantic style of expression.

By the way, Delacroix was also a logical painter. He studied the skeleton and left behind many realistic depictions. He also had a deep knowledge of literature and music, and in that respect he was also an "academic" person.

In art history, Delacroix is truly a "master," but Monticelli has unfortunately been forgotten in some ways. However, as I mentioned earlier, Phillips' interpretation was different. I think this also reflects the difference between the so-called standard art history and Phillips' way of thinking, and his uniqueness.

Of course, there are museums that have Monticelli's works in their collections, but I think it's difficult to go out of your way to purchase his works when some time has passed since he was active. When you discover a painter you didn't know, it's a very flexible way of thinking to judge their value in your own way and add them to Collection. As people get older, their perspective narrows, so collectors tend to buy more and more of the same artist.

I thought it was okay to increase the number of works by the artists I currently have and add new artists.

But that didn't happen to Phillips, which I think is amazing. Incidentally, in a similar way, Giacometti was one of the last artists he bought in his career as a collector.

-- As we get older, our perspective narrows... This is something that tends to happen regardless of the field of painting.
One can even sense a kind of sincerity that Phillips has about his Collection.

Speaking of which, I was reminded of something about Monticelli.
In fact, I first purchased a work by Monticelli in 1921, but it was not in his typical style.

So Phillips waited for a long time to find a Monticelli work that matched his image. And after such a long wait, he finally got his hands on the Bouquet that will be exhibited this time.

So Phillips owns two of Monticelli's works.
The piece that will be coming to our museum for this Exhibition is the one I feel most attached to, "Bouquet." Please come and see it in person.

--I'm looking forward to seeing the real Bouquet, rather than just a print!
These "hidden masters" may not have a strong presence, but when you dig deeper, you will find that they have a lot of charm. Why not go to the Exhibition and discover your own "master"?

"Phillips Collection Exhibition"
◆Period: October 17, 2018 (Wednesday) - February 11, 2019 (Monday/holiday)