Tag Archives: Thomas Hart Benton

Give the people what they want

For all his virtues, John Singer Sargent distorted the female form as cynically as any modern adman. His society women are absurdly tall and lanky. They are depersonalized mannequins for the fantastic clothing that was his (and their) real interest. He was hardly alone. From Nefertiti to the modern era, women’s figures have been manipulated in […]

Soldiering

Yesterday, my friend posted a photo of himself taken while on active duty during our recent hot and violent wars. There is something TE Lawrence about it, even though it’s a horse and John’s in modern Marine garb. That got me to thinking about war art and how much it has shifted in the last century. Obviously, the greatest […]