Pushing Technique
Ryder wanted to achieve a new kind of color and translucency in his paint, as if it were glowing from within. He tried different ways to do this, for instance, painting on top of gold leaf, but mostly he mixed large quantities of oil in his paints and then layered one color on top of another, in order to get what he hoped would be depth and brilliance of color. Often the paint film was so thick it couldn't dry, and instead it would crack and shrivel over time, leaving the paintings in ruins.In any case, Ryder's color experiments are almost impossible to record in printed illustrations. I suspect they don't look perfect on your monitor either.
Pictured: Albert Pinkham Ryder, Flying Dutchman, about 1887; oil, 14 1/4 x 17 1/4 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly.
Part 2
Discussion:
Flying Dutchman
(328K)
Get QuickTime
| Next Page |
Back to: Other Director's Choice Tours | Collections & Exhibitions
Home