Existing comment:
French 19th-Century Art:
Together with his wife, Rachel "Bunny" Lambert Mellon, Paul Mellon assembled a collection of French painting that is remarkable both in its scope and the exceptional quality of the individual works. However, Mr. and Mrs. Mellon never intended to become systematic collectors, but instead acquired works that appealed to their sensibilities.
"We both like to wander down the byways of art, too, looking for something that catches our eye or for minor works that nonetheless recall happy memories or otherwise appeal to our hearts." -- Paul Mellon, 1992
Focusing mainly on the Impressionists and their precursors, such as the Barbizon School and Romantic painters, Paul Mellon appreciated the directness of observation and spontaneity of brushwork that were hallmarks of these artists. The collection reflects his preference for plein air (outdoor) painting and the aesthetic value of tranquility, especially as found in nature. He also particularly liked small-sized paintings for their "intimacy and their human appeal."
"Bunny and I... have always loved the out-of-doors. Perhaps this explains our affinity for the Impressionists. For never before or since in the unfolding pageant of art have painters so brilliantly captured the poetry of the countryside." -- Paul Mellon, 1967
The collection Mr. and Mrs. Mellon gave to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts comprises masterpieces of every period from Romanticism to Cubism. Mr. and Mrs. Mellon gave a large part of their collection to VMFA during his lifetime, and he subsequently bequeathed many more works of art. Mr. Mellon himself supervised the details of the original installation -- this wing, which he also gave in 1985 in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia and Sydney and Frances Lewis.
"It seems to me that art makes one feel the essence of something, turning the ordinary, everyday object or scene into a universal one. Like poetry for Wordsworth, it is 'emotion recollected in tranquility.' " -- Paul Mellon, 1992 |