My Covid Classics – #14

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

The Wandering Art Historian book club tackled Sebastian Smee’s nonfiction title The Art of Rivalry for its February discussion and there was a lot to discuss!

Smee’s intent is to challenge the reader with a closer look at four pairs of modern artists and their tumultuous relationships with each other. These artistic couples were Matisse and Picasso, Degas and Manet, Pollock and de Kooning, and Bacon and Freud. Of course, the title begs the question, “Can a rivalry between artists be both a good thing and a bad thing?” Obviously, the answer is, “Heck yes!” The real question is whether or not the relationship itself survives.

This #CovidClassic was inspired by Matisse’s 1905 masterpiece, “Woman with a Hat,” an artwork that plays a seminal role in the modern era’s Fauvist movement and in Smee’s book.

Left = “Woman with a Hat,” Henri Matisse, 1905

Right = “Woman with a Hat,” Adrienne H. Lee, 2021

The Wandering Art Historian book club pick for March 2021 is…

Lust for Life by Iriving Stone

  • We meet via Zoom on Friday, March 26th at 11am.
  • Once payment is confirmed, your virtual “seat” is secure.
  • Cost is $15 per person accepted through a variety of payment options:
  • If you are interested in participating, please contact me via email at WanderlustArts@outlook.

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.