Bay Oaks Social Seniors visit the Baker Museum in Naples, Florida,
on April 16, 2015
The École des Beaux-Arts was founded during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, to teach painting, sculpture and, most importantly, drawing to young artists. The school was government-run and highly competitive. At the École, learning how to construct paintings or sculpture of the idealized human form with carefully delineated anatomy, expressive faces, and realistic landscape settings was understood by aspiring artists to be essential to success.
In this exhibit, there were approximately 140 paintings, sculptures and drawings from the Ecole des Beaux Arts, dating from the 17th through 19th centuries. The works focused on such themes as courage, sacrifice and death, as did the epic deeds of gods and heroes recounted in the Bible and the works of Homer, from which artists drew their inspiration. The works of art were arranged according to themes: one wall featured the yearly winners of the male torso competition; another area had sculptures and paintings depicting specific emotions; still another area had a landscape competition, and one room was devoted to Grand Prix winners. This arrangement made the exhibit feel like an integrated whole rather than a collection of disparate works of art.
One of Ernest Trova’s gleaming humanoid sculptures is in front of Artis-Naples,
formerly Naples Philharmonic.
Six almost life-size figures radiate from a cube. They are armless and featureless.
The sculpture is a later rendition of Trova's Falling Man series.
Gateway to the Arts, 1993 by Yaacov Agam
The sculpture was a gift from the Kahala Hilton Hotel, where the sculpture was first installed,
and the hotel owner, William Weinberg.
Paul, Pauline, Marlene, Britta, Joann, Martha, Carmen and Dan at the entry to the Baker Museum of Artis-Naples. The entrance gate sculpture is by metal artist Albert Paley.
The entry gates are 16 feet tall by 10 feet wide, although only the bottom half swing open to admit visitors into the courtyard. The Figge Conservatory is behind the group.
Pauline, Carmen and Marlene in front of the “Surrealism in Belgium” exhibit poster.
Martha and Pauline in front of the “Gods and Heroes” exhibit poster
The courtyard just past the entrance to the museum
This figure sits atop a column in the courtyard of the Baker Museum.
The sculptor is Hanneke Beaumont, a Dutch-born sculptor. The name of the sculpture is L’ennui or “Boredom.”
Dan, Joann and Britta
Dan examining Four Squares Excentric, 1989, by George Rickey (1907-2002)
The squares can all rotate simultaneously--almost makes you dizzy to watch.
A parking lot sculpture
Dale Chihuly sculpture, Blue Icicle, in the lobby of the museum
Sorry, no photos allowed in the exhibit
The domed glass and steel structure of the Figge Conservatory
In the Conservatory, mesh figures are suspended in mid-air, but they are hard to see in the bright sunlight.
Figge Conservatory
Marlene, Martha, Pauline and Paul in Brio Tuscan Grille at Waterside Shops in Naples
Britta, Joann, Dan and Carmen across the table
The waitress serves Paul a birthday cheesecake, complete with candles.
Paul digs into the cake.
Notice all the spoons--what else could Paul do, but share his cake with everyone at the table?
And that’s exactly what he did, to everyone's eating pleasure.
Paul digs into the cake.
Notice all the spoons--what else could Paul do, but share his cake with everyone at the table?
And that’s exactly what he did, to everyone's eating pleasure.
