Here's more pictures by my favorite New York City painter, Cecil Bell. I like this woman in green (above). She's sexy, a woman whose whole life is absorbed by the task of appealing to men, but she's also an admirable person in her own way. Bell realizes the value of people like this and paints them.
How do you like the picture of the tug and the two chatting women? I could stare at it all day. Two normal, admirable women casually chat next to the technological marvel of the steel structure of the ferry. Behind is the wild, untamed force of the sea and a massive, smoking shape like a giant bullfrog slides past. You can almost smell the sweat, steel and woolen clothing in the ferry interior.
This really happened! It's a scene out of Bosch! A flaming ship out of control smashed through the docks and beached itself on the city street. The people on the roofs, the wild twisting flames, the water canons on the tugs and the wailing of the sirens create an indelible memory.
11 comments:
That tugboat painting makes me wonder what Cecil would've come up with on 09/11/01, had he been around...
Craig: Thanks! I like Bell a lot and am always amazed when other people seem indifferent to him. The only other person I know who's really enthusiastic about him is John.
Wow, Uncle Eddie, I learn something new every day.
I love the picture of the girl in the green in your post. You're right - his work draws the viewer in to the painting. I love the colors he uses.
It is wonderful to know there were time periods where women wore dresses that were not black.
I think the painting with the two ladies in the foreground and an incoming boat in the background is great. This painting makes me want to shout to the ladies 'WATCH OUT...A BOAT IS GOING TO PLOW YOU OVER!!!!!'
Eddie
The contrast between the Tug Boat and the foreground action is incredible. It creates a really exciting scene.
I love the buildings in the the "ship crashing into the docks" painting. It feels like a well done version of the classic Sub Mariner Human Torch Battle is playing out. I can never get enough of New York city from this time period. Mr. Bell really does a really great job making it all feel real and of the moment.
Thanks!
James.
I love this stuff! Where can I find books with this art?
Thanks, guys! I was mortally wounded when so few people responded positively to the Bell pictures. As I said, I love the guy.
In the middle of fummimg about that I suddenly realized that the quality of the posts I've been putting up lately really has fallen a bit. I think I'll take a week off so I can come back to it fresh.
Jennifer, Eric, Oh and Shawn: Thanks a million for the comments! The name of the book is "Cecil C. Bell" by Phyllis Barton (1976). See you guys in a week!
Eddie, what is it that makes you see the women as 'admirable'? It's an interesting way to describe them. I've had lots of impressions upon looking at people in paintings, but I can't imagine that effect(not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just different).
Did you by chance get to see the Klimt "returned" paintings, the Adele Bloch-Bauer portraits and landscapes that were on view at LACMA for a couple of months? I wonder what you'd have made of the centerpiece...it is stunning, one of Klimt's gold-leaf, heavily patterned portraits. It's now owned by the Neue Gallery in NY. I hope you had a chance to view it.
Oh, and Bell is marvelous...I love that green woman. I love this entire school, come to that!
Jenny: That's an interesting question. In the case of the two women I called them admirable because they were probably mothers and I have a lot of respect for mothers. It's a lot of trouble to raise kids right and everything depends on the women who are willing to make the sacrifice.
In the case of the sexy woman in green: I also respect women who like men. Men are worth liking! Clampett was a man. Pasteur was a man. Some men are lions and a large number of the ones who aren't still aspire to it.
I also like this kind of woman because they fall in love and have sex with flawed but still worthy men. The debutants and prom queens hold out for rich lawyers. These women will take a chance on a guy who's down on his luck. For a lot of men life would be unbearable without women like this.
AAAAAGGHH!!! I missed the Klimt! I would love to have seen it! Glad you liked the Bell!
Thanks! I'm glad I asked, because that's fascinating ruminating there.
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