My Friends, oil on canvas, 1887. 

Viggo Johansen, 1851-1935, Danish. Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 Playing softly, music familiar for a lifetime:

 

 

 

Chopin Nocturne in D Flat, Op 27/2. 

Artur Rubinstein, 1887-1982, American born Lodz, at the time Russia

 

 

Lamps have been lit:

 

 

Dragonfly Library Lamp, c. 1910, and its reflection; leaded glass with brass filigree overlay, blown and iridized glass mounted on metal, brass.

On exhibit from the Neustadt Collection, NY at the Queens Museum, NY, 2020 

 

 

 

Off the table:  politics

 

 

President Trump Becomes a Wonder Woman, Unifies the Country and Fights Rocket Man, 2017, acrylic on canvas.   

Peter Saul, American born 1934. Loaned by a private collector to the New Museum, NY in 2020

 

 

 

Off the table:  religion including mainstream, New Age, woo-woo, new and old Atheism, Pan-syncretic stuff and ecological catastrophism…..

 

 

Off the table:  connubial antagonisms

 

 

Political Drama, 1914, oil and collage on cardboard.

  Robert Delaunay, 1885-1941, French.  National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

 

 

Off the table: throwing down gauntlets, no matter how much excitement it promises 

 

 

Pair of Gauntlets of Maximilian I, 1459-1519, Holy Roman Emperor, Augsburg, c. 1490, attributed to Lorenz Helmschmidt, died 1516.

Loaned by the Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY in 2019/2020 

I only have to recall this workmanship for sadness to lift away from me!

 

 

 

Off the table:  Any hint of sexual harassment or libidinous behaviour

 

 

 

The Garter, c. 1724, oil on canvas.

Jean-Francois Troy, 1679-1752.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY  

The museum, reminding viewers that this painting is in the French tradition, points out the ambiguity of the woman’s gesture, pushing away the man’s offer of help to fix her garter which she is, nevertheless, exposing.

 

 

 Off the table: cell phones

 

 

A cell phone of ebony, hinged with copper; made as a gift for me by my friend, Carl Weissinger, woodwright and pastellist.

 

Its buttons are of beech.  One – second down on the right  allows me to order Christmas crackers.  Or detonate a Molotov cocktail depending on the need.

The one below that allows me to hurl lightning.  So useful on a city street at night.

The phone is silky soft to the touch and unlike our monster ‘intelligent’ phones, this one nestles easily in the palm of the hand. 

Its biggest advantage: it does not ring, buzz, hum, vibrate, burp, chirp, tingle, sing or summon you to anything.

 

 

An exception about electronics at the table has been made for the child.  She is deep in a game on her I-phone

 

 

 

Detail of My Friends, oil on canvas, 1887 

Viggo Johansen, 1851-1935, Danish. Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

Her baby brother has been put to bed for the night with his electronic feeder.

 

 

 

Sam and Richard, 1940, oil pastel on coloured paper 

Alice Neel, 1900-1984, American.  MOMA, NY

 

 

 

The feeder recognizes his particular ‘feed-me’ cry and, warming up the bottle to the proper temperature, shaking it a little, it activates its arm to maneuver the bottle to the baby’s mouth

 

 

 

Raising Robotic Natives, 2016,  mixed media.

Stephan Bognar, German born 1993; Philipp Schmitt, German born 1993, Jonas Voigt, German born 1992.   On exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum in 2019/2020

 

 

 

On the table:  conviviality, friendship, love, food, drink and waiting for the midnight hour.

 

 

 

Dress is formal. No blue jeans, sneakers, sweatshirts or aggressive jewellery.

 

 

Detail of Portrait of Eugene Coppens de Fontenay, 1867, oil on canvas

James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot, 1836-1902, French.  Philadelphia Art Museum from whose website this image

 

 

 

The women have opted for the old artisanal excellence:

the evening glitters and embroideries and vintage shades of cream, alabaster, ivory, puce, stone, oyster; and strangled pinks.

 

 

 

Evening dress, 1925-28, pink, ivory and black silk chiffon embroidered with silver sequins, silver metal beads, clear crystals and bugle beads, silver lame and silver silk metal lace. 

Possibly French.  Promised gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

 

 

 

 

 

Ivory Gypsy, 1974, cotton, crocheted lace, ball fringe, handblock printed, partially bleached and overdyed, tie-dyed, appliqued, hand- and machine-sewn. 

Ben Compton, 1938-1986, American.  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

Karl Lagerfeld, German, 1933-2019 for Chanel. Haute couture, spring/summer 2003.

Jacket and dress of ivory beige wool tweed flecked with red and black silk thread and gold Lurex thread; with beige silk tulle embroidered by Lesage with ivory and beige tweed threads, unwoven synthetic strips and gold sequins

 

 

 

The two men deep in discussion in the shadows are asked to stop talking business and join the rest of the company

 

 

 

Detail of My Friends, oil on canvas, 1887. 

Viggo Johansen, 1851-1935, Danish. Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

And so, on to the preparations for the feast 

 

The house has been aired and cleaned to the exhaustion of some.

 

 

 

 

A Maid Asleep, 1656-57, oil on canvas.

  Johannes Vermeer, 1632-1675, Dutch.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

 

 

 

Food preparation has been underway for days. Fish this year.

 

 

Fish Market, 1568, oil on Baltic oak.

Joachim Beuckelaer, 1535-1575, Netherlandish, Antwerp.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

 

 

 

 

Peeling Onions, 1852, oil on canvas. 

Lily Martin Spencer, 1822-1902, American born England.  Exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2015

 

 

Still Life with Vegetables, 1826

James Peale, 1749-1831, American.  Loan by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2015

 

 

Lead-glazed earthenware, late 16th century.

  Follower of Bernard Palissy, 1510-1590, French.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

 

 

 

Earthenware (creamware), Wedgewood Etruria Factory, Staffordshire, England, 1872.  Winterthur, Delaware

 

 

 

Soup first:

 

 

 

Tureen: tin-glazed earthenware. 

Rato Factory, Portugal, 1767-1771.  Winterthur, Delaware

 

 

Dishes with Oysters, Fruit and Wine, and detail, oil on panel, c. 1620/1625. 

Osias Beert The Elder, active 1596-1623, Flemish.  National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

 

 

 

The Yield of the Waters, 1878, altered 1889, oil on canvas. 

William Merritt Chase, 1849-1916, American.  Detroit Institute of Arts on exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2015

 

 

 

Basket of Fish, c. 1910

Georges Braque, 1882-1963, French.  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 Still Life with Oysters, White Wine and Lemon, 1974, colour lithograph. 

Jack Beal, 1931-2013. Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Delaware

 

 

Still life with lobster and fruit, early 1650s, oil on wood. 

Abraham van Beyeren, 1620/21-1690, Dutch.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

 

 

 

Sheepshead, 1841, oil on canvas

George Biddle, 1885-1973, American. On exhibit at the Woodmere Museum of Art, Philadelphia in 2022/23

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detail of My Friends, oil on canvas, 1887. 

Viggo Johansen, 1851-1935, Danish. Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

A little fruit, mince pie, a little cheese

 

 

Still Life with Oranges and Goblet of Wine, oil on artist’s board, 1880-1890’s.

John Frederick Peto, 1854-1907, American.  National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

 

 

 

Fruit and Plants with a Crystal Bowl, detail, c. 1850, oil on canvas.

Ferdinand Richardt, 1819-1895, Danish-American.  Exhibited in 2015 at the Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

A Dessert, oil on wood, 1814.

Raphaelle Peale, 1874-1825, American.  National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

 

 

 

Banquet Piece with Mince Pie, oil on canvas, 1635. 

Willem Claesz Heda, 1594-1680, Dutch.  National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

 

 

 

Still Life with Fruit, oil on panel, 1675. 

Jacob van Walscapell, 1644-1727, Dutch.  National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

 

 

 

Pear and Wasp, 1929, oil on canvas

Gerald Murphy, 1886-1964, American. MOMA, NY

 

 

 

Still Life:  Cognac and Biscuits, 1850, oil on canvas. 

John Francis, 1808-1886, American.  Private collection on loan to an exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Museum in 2015

 

 

 

Coffee.  From Ethiopia, of course…..

 

 

 

Still Life with Cup, Silver Goblet, and Champagne Glass, 1861, oil on canvas.

Ignace-Henri-Jean-Theodore Fantin-Latour, 1836-1904, French. Baltimore Art Museum

 

 

 

Brandies and Vodkas 

 

 

 

Vodka of scented geranium

 

 

Brandy flavoured with Buddha-hand citron

 

 

Game-playing accompanies the liqueurs

 

 

 

The Chess Players, 1876, oil on wood

Thomas Eakins, 1844-1916.  Metropolitan Museum of Art

The artist’s father watches a chess game in the artist’s home.

 

 

 

Ace of Clubs and Four of Diamonds, oil on board, 1912.

  Juan Gris, 1997-1927, Spanish.  Philadelphia Museum of Art

 

 

 

A smoke by the fire for some

 

 

 

Paul César Helleu (1859-1927, French), c 1882-85, watercolour over graphite 

John Singer Sargent, 1856-1925, American.  The Morgan Library, NY

 

 

 

And when the friends hear fireworks and the bells begin to toll, they raise a toast to the new year because midnight has arrived.  

 

 

 

 

North American New Year Card, c. 1905

 

 

 

Detail of My Friends, oil on canvas, 1887. 

Viggo Johansen, 1851-1935, Danish. Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

The French windows are thrown open towards the fireworks. 

The world enters the room.  

 

 

 

Fireworks, Night at Longchamp, detail, ferrotyped silver gelatin print, 1936. 

Brassai, French, born Romania, 1899-1984.  On exhibit at The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia in 2016

 

 

 

People, dressed up for a party and waving, are running down to the river’s edge where magnificent fireworks are the city’s gift at New Year

 

 

 

 

Tiled murals, 42nd Street Metro, New York. I don’t know the artist

 

 

 

 

 

Untitled (Study with Glasses and Circles), c. 1932-34, gelatin silver print. 

Emilio Amero, 1901-1976, Mexican.  Exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2016

 

 

 

A new year come again.

 

 

******************************

 

 

 

As I was looking at the painting, My Friends, a young woman addressed me and asked what I was seeing.  We discussed the painting. 

She drew from her bag a pill box, opened it and spilled some of the contents carefully into the palm of her hand.

 

She picked out one dried four-leaf clover and gave it to me.

 

 

A practice she said at the New Year of her grandfather, an immigrant from Ireland to the eastern US, so many decades ago before. 

 

She wished me good fortune.  And I her. 

 

As I you.

 

 

 

Mailed in New York State in December 1905