Art Historian Leo Steinberg (1920 - 2011)

Leo Steinberg

Photograph by Pamela Blackwell

Leo Steinberg, the eminent art historian, died Sunday, March 13, 2011. I was one of his students in the early 1970s. He mentored my master thesis. We became and remained friends.

It is difficult to describe such an extraordinary man. I go to the internet. A google search, “Leo Steinberg obiturary”, brings forth pages of online references. Undaunted, I begin to explore. After double-digit reviewing, my thoughts wander to one of Steinberg’s habits. He read The New York Review of Books and would enjoy grading contributors’s essays: a “C+” here, a “A-” there, some “B”s. Similarly, I rate my readings. I can almost hear Steinberg’s distinctive voice: “B”, “A”, definitely “C”. I think he would have been entertained by the exercise. Thus, here are few comments along with the hyperlinks to three of the commemorative ruminations this writer deems “A” or better.

I begin with the traditional style obituary, “Leo Steinberg, Art Historian, Dies at 90”, by Ken Johnson, art critic and writer for the arts pages of The New York Times. This is a thorough, well-informed introduction to Steinberg’s achievements. I have two additions:

(1) Steinberg was a 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award criticism finalist for The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion (Pantheon)*;

(2) Steinberg was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the genius award, in 1986.

Next is the more personal words of Gary Schwartz, an art historian specializing in seventeenth-century Dutch art and a good friend of Steinberg. His insightful remarks, “Leo Steinberg (1920-2011)”, are a lesson in art criticism. Schwartz includes a wonderful account of the way Steinberg went about looking at a work of art and points out how his writings have significance not only for the study of art history but for all the humanities.

Last is Fred Sanders’s “Leo Steinberg Looked at Art”. Sanders, a Protestant theologian, focuses on Steinberg’s explanation of the Christ figure in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. This straightforward essay makes lucid Steinberg’s exhaustive interpretative methodology.

Alas, I am unable to pass on what I consider the best eulogy. At the memorial service, Shelia Schwartz, Steinberg’s assistant for over forty years, read a letter from a former student. This was written by Kevin Salatino, Director of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. The letter expresses eloquently how the mentorship of Leo Steinberg changed his life and permanently altered it for the better. Salatino articulated the thoughts of many.

In numerous ways Leo Steinberg is irreplaceable. His knowledge was catholic. His verbal and written communicative abilities were exceptional. His curiosity and intellect were without peer. His intelligence had magnanimity. His humanity was profound. His wit was ever present. His teaching had warmth and generosity. His friendship was non-judgmental, accepting. With Steinberg, no subject was too insignificant or proscriptive for discussion and analysis. He enriched the world with his thoughts and reflections. His contributions to art history and human understanding will always be remembered.

*Note 2nd edition: The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion. Second Edition, Revised and Expanded. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1966.

Discovering an Emerging Art Scene in India’s Capital

Bhari Kher, The Skin Speaks a Language Not Its Own, 2006,

bindis and fiberglass, life-size,

Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNAM), New Delhi, India

A vibrant art scene has evolved in New Delhi, India’s capital city. Fine art galleries and two private museums are open to the public. At Delhi’s 3rd India Art Summit this past January, close to 130,000 people came to see works from eighty-four participating galleries.

Recently I visited the city determined to get a taste for the new art scene. A warning is necessary. Crowded and limited public transportation, all types of vehicular traffic, poor roads, inferior maps, and much new construction make traveling in Delhi very difficult. Furthermore, all the drivers I used were unfamiliar with the places on my agenda. I persisted in my quest and was rewarded.

Dhruvi Acharya, Untitled, 2010,

water colour on paper, 10 x 14 in. (25.4 x 35.6 cm),

Threshold Gallery, February 2011 exhibition, New Delhi, India

A gallery-lined narrow street in the city’s Lado Sarai district was one of my first stops. Here are about ten galleries among which are four or five outstanding contemporary dealers. These gallerists exhibit art of considerable merit. Threshold, Ragini, Exhibit 320, and Art Motif are four of my favorites. I particularly liked Threshold’s group show, Of Humour, Wit & Satire. Both amusing and serious at the same time, the show’s talented artists demonstrated that humor is a legitimate pursuit of art.

In the Neeti Bagh area, Gallery Nature Morte offered a display by the thought provoking, talented Indian artist duo Thurkral & Tagra. These two address issues of modern sexual practices against the background of traditional notions of sexuality. The show was frank and explicit at times. For me, it was quite an unexpected exhibit to be seen in an Indian art gallery. Gallery Nature Morte partners with the New York gallery Bose Pacia. In addition, there is a Nature Morte gallery in Berlin.

On view in the nearby Talwar Gallery were Ranjani Shettar’s haunting sculptures. Transitory shadows and silhouettes are incorporated into an encompassing art form. The work is quite beautiful. Talwar also has a gallery in New York. I recommend a visit.

Tyeb Mehta, Blue Bird, 2007,

acrylic on canvas, 49 x 39.5 in. (124.5 x 100.3 cm),

Vehedra Gallery February 2011 exhibition, New Delhi,India

The Vadehra Art Gallery in the Defense Colony area was exhibiting an affecting selection of works by Tyeb Mehta. This illustrious artist was one of the leading post-colony Indian modernist whose death two years ago was greatly mourned. Vadehra has two other locations in Delhi and a separate book store. It has a branch, Grosvenor Vadehra, in London as well.

I took a gallery break and went to CMYK Book Store on Lodhi Road. This enjoyable, lively store is well-stocked with books on architecture, art history, photography, artists, design - anything related to art. You can pick up tips on what to see from the friendly, conversational staff and browsing, art-focused customers.

Two private museums are somewhat difficult to find but should not be missed. The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) opened just in time for the India Art Summit. Located in Saket district’s new DLF South Court mall, this museum’s first show is a knock-out. The exhibition is drawn primarily from Kiran Nadar’s personal collection. Ms. Nadar, wife of billionaire technology founder Shiv Nadar, has been an aggressive buyer of modern and contemporary Indian art for over two decades. Now she is sharing her holdings with the public in her own museum. Free and situated in a mall, the museum hopes to attract many visitors. Among the first-rate works to be seen are Bhari Kher’s bindi-covered life-size elephant, Anish Kapoor’s untitled electric blue disc with its nod to Chuck Close’s fractured images, S.H. Raza’s geometric abstractions as brilliant as those of Howard Hodgkin’s or Hans Hofmann, and Subodh Gupta’s scooter with Indian family, a sculptural commentary on Indian life. This well-installed exhibit fills some 18,000 square feet of gallery space. If this is an example of future shows, the Delhi art world is in for some treats.

A hint to those who try to find it: the South Court mall is in the back of and continuous with the large Select CityWalk shopping mall. If you are facing the front of the mall before it’s parking/drop off/pick up area, the museum is located on your left, behind the CityWalk retail store building. A left side street will lead to the KNMA which has space for parking in front of its main entrance.

The other must see museum is the Devi Art Foundation. It is located in Gurgoan, a suburb of Delhi in the neighboring Haryana state about nineteen miles south of the city center. Many multinational corporations chose to have their office operations in the area which resulted in tall office towers and high-rise apartment buildings. The foundation takes up two levels of Sirpur House, an attractive modern building designed by the Indian architect Aniket Bhagwat.

Radha Sollur, Chittara Snake, 2010,

burnt rice husk, acrylic paint, white rice paste, white clay paste,

fruit of gurige tree and red clay, mud mixture,
48 x 48 in. (121.9 x 121.9 cm),

Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi, India

Anupam Poddar and his mother Lekha established the foundation in 2008. As far as this writer can ascertain, it is effectively India’s first museum of contemporary art. The Poddars, who own a successful upscale hotel company, amassed an estimated 7,000 pieces of contemporary, folk and tribal Indian art. Art is their passion. At the museum I saw the intelligent, well-curated exhibition Vernacular in the Contemporary, Part I. The show was comprised of works from the Lekha and Anupam Podder collection in addition to newly commissioned pieces from artists generally classified as folk artists or makers of tribal or traditional art. The foundation provided resources for the artists’s projects. Judging from this show and catalogues of past exhibitions, the Devi Art Foundation is a significant addition to India’s cultural institutions.

Another hint for locating: the Devi Art Foundation is in a building on a side street across from a large complex called Apparel House which houses permanent showrooms for manufacturers/exporters of Indian garments and a convention/exposition facility. It is relatively easy to find. To its left is a side street where Sirpur House is situated. The Devi Art Foundation Web site has a site map but it is confusing to follow.

There is more going on in Delhi’s art world. If you go, try to get The Delhi City which is a weekly tourist publication. It has a fairly comprehensive listing for galleries and exhibitions with a separate section for photography shows. What you see will no doubt be stimulating.

Unexpected Lesson

Unknown Indian Artist after Michelangelo, Pietà,

c. 1990, cement and stucco (?),

Kumily, India,

Photo: ArtWithHillary

Certain images are embedded in the western visual vocabulary. These representations have been looked at, venerated, worshipped, studied and copied. They are the models or archetypes for all portrayals of the subject depicted. Leonardo’s Last Supper (Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy) is an example as well as Picasso’s Guernica (Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain) and Michelangelo’s Pietà (St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy) .

Michelangelo Buonarroti, Pietà, 1498-1499,

marble, 68.5 x 76.8 in. (174 x 195 cm),

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy,

Photo: Scala Archives

With many levels of meaning and the ability to illicit emotions not normally associated with inanimate objects, these artworks may become the focus of personal or public acts. A case in point was the brutal attack on Michelangelo’s Pietà in 1972 when a mentally disturbed man hammered away at the sculpture yelling, “I am Jesus Christ - risen from the dead”. Another instance occurred in 1974 when a man protesting a political action concerning the Vietnamese My Lai massacre, wrote “KILL LIES ALL” on the surface of Picasso’s Guernica.

As a consequence of the impact and fame of these iconic images, even a poorly conceived replica of one can convey some of the original’s attributes and meanings. The inept copy may draw attention to what made the master work great and lead to a renewed appreciation of the source. The imitation can refresh memories and help viewers look anew at something that had become all too familiar.

I was reminded of this while driving through Kumily, a small city nestled in the Western Ghats mountains in the South India state of Kerala. With a population of approximately 5,000, Kumily is more village than city.

Kumily, India, Center of Town,

Photo: Google Images

At its center, the narrow main road splits in two creating a triangular space which is dominated by a larger-than-life copy of Michelangelo’s Pietà.

Unknown Indian Artist after Michelangelo, Pietà,

c. 1990, cement and stucco (?),

Kumily, India,

Photo: Google Images

The Kumily sculpture is set before a huge crucifix draped with a shroud-like cloth. Thus, the crucifix and cloth explain the Madonna’s lament.

Although Kumily has three churches, it is still quite astonishing to find such a prominent Christian image in a predominately Hindu country.

What did the Indian artist make of Michelangelo’s Pietà? The Kumily work is close enough to the original to be recognizable as a copy. It is not, however, a quote. The Indian artist did not grasp Michelangelo’s achievement. The Italian master created an image where a supine grown man fits naturally on the lap of of a women. He did this by enlarging the Madonna’s thighs and drapery in such a way that her proportions appear normal. Spectators are unaware of anatomical distortions. In this small South India city’s Pietà , the Christ figure barely is contained by the Virgin Mary. Although Mary is too large in relation to the size of her adult son, it looks as if Christ may slide off his Mother’s lap at any moment.

This pitiful imitation made me think about Michelangelo’s renowned Pietà and revived my understanding of and respect for this outstanding work of art. Such is the benefits that may come from bad art.

Note: Dangerous traffic patterns (as anyone who has been to India knows) prevented my stopping for a longer look at the Kumily Pietà. A quick hop in and out of my car enabled one photo. Please excuse the quality.

More on Velázquez

Attributed to Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez,

The Education of the Virgin,

c. 1617-18, oil on canvas, 66 1/8 x 53 9/16 in. (168 x 136 cm),

Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven

The Education of the Virgin, a painting recently attributed to Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, will go on view December 9 at the Yale University Art Gallery. The work was given to the Gallery in 1925 along with other Spanish paintings. In poor condition, it remained out-of-view all these years.

In 2002, Laurence Kanter, Curator of European Art, was surveying the Gallery’s storage area and noted the remarkable quality of the painting. It was identified as the work of an unknown seventeenth-century Seville artist. He earmarked it for restoration. Two years later, the painting caught the eye of John Marciari, Curator of European Art and Head of Provenance Research at the San Diego Museum of Art, who was working with Kanter. At the time Marciari was the Nina and Lee Griggs Associate Curator of Early European Art at the Yale University Art Gallery. By 2005, Marciari was convinced The Education of the Virgin was the work of Velázquez. Thus begun some five years of extensive research and analysis.

This past summer, news broke that the painting had been attributed to Velázquez. Marciari published his findings in the 2010 July-September issue of Ars Magazine. His article delivers cogent arguments in favor of the attribution. If it is by the Spanish master, it would be one of the artist’s earliest works in extant and, of course, enormously valuable.

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, The Luncheon, c. 1617,

oil on canvas, 42.7 x 40.6 in. (108.5 x 102 cm),

Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Marciari links the painting stylistically to Velázquez’s The Luncheon, c. 1617, in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia . He notes similarities in such elements as the way the figures emerge from the dark background, the handling of drapery and still-life depictions. Technical research revealed that the Yale work was mounted like other early paintings by the master.

Although there is loss in size and paint, remarkable passages remain. You have the opportunity to see it as is until February 20. Go take a look and form your own opinion. The jury is still out.

The Education of the Virgin, attributed to Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, will be on view at the Yale University Art Gallery from December 9, 2010 through February 20, 2011.

Yale University Art Gallery

1111 Chapel Street (at York Street)

Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:oo pm

Thursday until 8:00 am (September - June)

Sunday 1:00 - 6:00 pm

Closed Mondays and major holidays

Free and Open to the Public

A Velázquez Portrait Dazzles Once More

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, King Philip IV of Spain,

1644, oil on canvas, 51 1/8 x 39 1/8 in. (129.8575 x 99.3775 cm),

The Frick Collection, New York

Photo: Michael Bodycomb

The Frick Collection’s portrait, King Philip IV of Spain by Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez, is resplendent after having undergone a much needed cleaning. Over sixty years had passed since the work’s last major treatment. Although always in good condition, the old varnish had darkened and discolored making the image appear dull and flat. Details were obscured and the painter’s dynamic brush technique was no longer apparent. In the summer of 2009, the painting was sent to The Metropolitan Museum of New York where Michael Gallagher, Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge of Paintings Conservation, examined, cleaned and revarnished it. Close study confirmed that changes to the final composition and alterations of the work’s size had occurred.

While this took place, new research by Pablo Pérez d’Ors, former Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow at The Frick Museum, uncovered the painting’s complex history and unusual circumstances of use. His findings were published in The Burlington Magazine (October 2010, No. 1291 Vol. CLII) in an article co-authored by Michael Gallagher.

The results of all this is the subject of The Frick Collection’s exhibition, The King at War: Velázquez's Portrait of Philip IV. The painting is superbly installed in the center of the Oval Room facing the Garden Court. There is no glass covering the canvas.

Looking at the painting, the first element that stands out is the vibrant crimson of the King’s costume and the way Velázquez’s colors describe a variety of materials. The fluffy red feather of the Monarch’s hat is clearly differentiated from the red brocade jacket. Shades of grey render silver embroidery as well as the metal hilt of the sword and baton. White denotes sleeves, buttons, collar. Beiges and lavenders enliven the whites. Brushstrokes are vibrant and exciting. Paint is laid thinly here and thickly there. Always associated with a free, audacious technique, Velázquez’s brushstrokes here are even looser and appear to be laid down quickly and confidently.

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez,
Detail of King Philip IV of Spain

Revisions and exhilarating dabs and dashes of paint reveal the artist’s creative process and produce a feeling of intimacy between the viewer and the painting. Such closeness to the painter’s mind is more typically associated with drawings. We discern how the King’s hat was lowered along with his left hand and sleeve. The sword was moved toward the bottom and the sash hanging from it narrowed. In addition, the flare on the right side of the King’s coat was covered by background paint while the garment’s left side was broadened. The compositional changes enhanced the iconic quality to the image.

Historically, royal portraits were an important form of public relations. They were the only way the public would have knowledge of their King. Few people had access to him - his family and a limited group of courtiers. In the case of this portrait, contemporary diarists recorded its popularity and subsequently the image was reproduced. Since a little over an inch had been removed from the canvas’s bottom, we know about the missing fringe from the King’s knee-high boots through an extant seventeenth-century copy.

This was a special painting with a political purpose. It was created for a specific function as a stand-in for the King at an important church celebration that took place in Madrid. In 1640, the Catalonia region of Spain had rebelled against the Monarch and sided with France. The King sent troops to regain the territory in 1643. A year later, Philip decided to rally his men at the frontline and moved his court there - some five hundred people. As victory approached and was certain, a major religious celebration was planned in Madrid. It would take place before the King returned since he needed to stay in Catalonia for the surrender. Velázquez, the court painter, had accompanied the Monarch to the front. A small temporary studio was hastily devised for his use; the portrait had to be ready for the upcoming Madrid celebration. Velázquez was surely under pressure to complete the work. Indeed, documents reported the King sat for only three sittings.

The painting was completed in time, sent to Madrid and installed under a gold-embroidered canopy in the church where the victory festivity took place. During the ceremony, a sermon given by the Monarch’s preacher, explained the painting’s meaning. The Monarch is not portrayed in the typical somber, black clothes of the Spanish court. He wears his military uniform as his troops would have seen him. This bright red costume decorated with silver would have been easily recognizable, standing out and glittering in the sun. The King is not portrayed as a stern, powerful commander-in-chief or a triumphant victor. He is seen as a loving, forgiving father whose victory was directed by divine intervention. Since the conflict had pitted countrymen against countrymen, Philip IV did not want to punish his rebellious subjects but bring them back to his fold in peace. It is a remarkable painting.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes,

Regozijo (Mirth), (Album D. 4),

c. 1816-20,brush and ink and wash and chalk,

9 3/8 x 5 13/16 in. (23.8 x 14.8 cm),

Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York

The Frick’s other exhibition, The Spanish Manner: Drawings from Ribera to Goya, is also noteworthy. This is the first Spanish old master drawing show to take place in New York although New York’s collections are second only to those of Madrid. Why did we wait so long? The works on view are of the highest quality. There are twenty-two sheets by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes as well as over thirty drawings by Jusepe de Ribera, Bartolomé Estaban Murillo and other artists both familiar and unfamiliar. Besides The Frick’s own holdings, there are significant loans from The Hispanic Society of America, The Morgan Library & Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and other institutions. The draftsmanship is extraordinary and the show makes a good case for a distinct Spanish drawing style.

The King at War: Velázquez's Portrait of Philip IV


Through January 23, 2011

The Spanish Manner: Drawings from Ribera to Goya

Through January 10, 2011

The Frick Collection

1 East 70th Street, Manhattan

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday

11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays

Closed Mondays and holidays

Connections: Paths Taken

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 
Christ on the Cross, c. 1665–70,


pen and ink with wash over chalk,
 13.2 x 9.3 in. (33.5 x 23.6 cm)

Princeton University Art Museum, Museum Purchase,

Laura P. Hall Memorial Fund

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s drawing, Christ on the Cross is on view in The Frick Collection’s exhibition The Spanish Manner: Drawings from Ribera to Goya. There will be more about this noteworthy show at a later date. This poignant Murillo drawing attracted my attention. The figure of Christ combined piousness with with a figurative realism I did not normally associate with Murillo. For the record, I am not a big fan of the artist. I usually find his work cloying, overly sweet and precious. Give me other seventeenth-century Spaniards: Ribera’s earthiness, Zurbarán’s mysticism, above all, Velázquez ‘s brilliance. The Murillo drawing, however, prompted me to reconsider the painter. To begin, I went to The Metropolitan Museum to see Murillo’s small painting, The Crucifixion. It is quite a wonderful painting of a powerful figure of Christ. I thought I could live with this work and enjoy it thoroughly.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo,
 The Crucifixion,

c. 1670-72, oil on canvas,
 20 x 13 in. (50.8 x 33 cm),


The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,

Bequest of Harry G. Sperling, 1971

The painting and drawing have similarities. I do not imply that there is a direct connection. The drawing is not thought to be a preparatory study. Yet, resemblances do exits. Both, of course, depict a man crucified. A figure depicted on a cross, however, can be rendered in many ways - for example, the torso may turn toward the right or left; the legs may appear closer or further apart. Here, the position of the legs were alike: right knees slightly above left ones. Each of the Christ figures have a robust torso that twists a bit to the left. In both, as touch of realism, a wooden wedge is struck into the ground to support the upright of the cross. Furthermore, drawing and painting have a mediative, other-worldly quality that I found quite appealing.

The Metropolitan Museum’s explanatory label informs that the work may relate to a larger Crucifixion in Madrid’s Prado Museum. An online digital image provided me with satisfaction.

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 
Christ on the Cross,

c. 1675-1680, oil on canvas, c. 1675 x 27.9 in (54 x 71 cm),

Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

The Prado’s Christ’s legs look like they are in the same position as those in the other two works but the figure here is slender. The torso curves a bit to the right. There is no supporting wooden block for the cross. On the ground is a skull like the one in the drawing. As for The Metropolitan Museum Crucifixion, the darkened paint made deciphering foreground imagery impossible.

More comparisons can me made. The Metropolitan painting has Jerusalem in the background while the drawing shows no city. The image quality of the Prado Crucifixion prevented detailed examination. You reader may look and make your own observations. For now, I move on to another connection which interested me.

The Metropolitan Museum note explains that the Murillo painting may have been owned by Sebastián Martínez y Pérez, a renowned eighteenth-century art collector and a friend of the illustrious painter, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. Goya painted Sebastián’s portrait in 1792 and the portrait is owned by the museum and on view two galleries away.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 
Sebastián Martínez y Pérez, 1792,

oil on canvas, 36 5/8 x 26 5/8 in. (93 x 67.6 cm),


The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
 Rogers Fund, 1906

It is a superb portrait of man I immediately took a liking to. We both appreciated the same Murillo painting.

What is all the above about? A drawing by one artist led to one of the artist’s paintings which resulted in a look at another of the same artist’s paintings and then to a portrait from another century by different painter. All four works connected in some way which resulted in different paths of exploration. New roads were taken.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost
The Road Not Taken
(First Publication date: 1916)

An Art Rich Fall in New York

Dancing Ganesh, Pala Period, 9th - 10th century, Nepal,
blackstone, height: 18.75 in. (47.6 cm),
Doris Wiener Gallery

New York in the fall becomes a cornucopia of tempting artistic works. Fashion Week started on September 9th; the New York City Ballet begins on the 14th; the New York Philharmonic on the 22nd; the Metropolitan Opera on September 27th; Carnegie Hall opens on the 29th.

The city’s major museums have their fall exhibition line up. Hundreds of art galleries present new shows. The Asian Art Dealers New York (AADNY) organized a small September version of the big spring Asia Week New York currently on view. Auction houses get into gear with their Asian sales: Sotheby’s and Christie’s September 14th through 16th; Doyle’s on the 13th. Check out their state-of-the-art e-catalogues.

Chelsea Gallery Fashion Show,
February 2010,
Sally Wu, Designer,
Courtesy of Art For Progress

There are also presentations sponsored by alternative organizations such as Art for Progress. This six-year-old non-profit dedicated to emerging artists often stages events in non-traditional settings featuring not only the visual arts but also fashion and music. Catch their “Fashion Interaction” on September 21st which will showcase young designers such as Sally Wu.

At the Asian exhibitions about town, you will see many depictions of the elephant headed Hindu god Ganesh. This popular deity is a god of good things: success, knowledge, wisdom, and wealth. He’s a perfect god for New York’s fall art season. Go enjoy.