Looking around the Studio

So, back to the inside of his studio at the Fleur-de-Lys. As I've stated before, I love looking at the interesting things in the room and seeing and recognizing objects in the room either because I know the objects first hand or through other paintings, or simply because they are interesting.  For instance, starting with the following glimpse in his studio ...

First, how cool to see the portrait in such an early stage and with the sitter in the room! (I don't yet have a date on this photo, but I can't help but notice how young my grandfather is -- his hair is NOT gray here. Mike wondered what was on top of his head, but that appears to be a ornamental hook). He is working on the portrait of James E. Dunne, Mayor of the City of Providence from 1927 to 1939. (I'll check with City Hall to get a date of the portrait).  My grandfather has just started painting, but notice that he has sketched in the arm and leg positions as well as the view of City Hall beyond the window. I've posted Dunne's portrait in a previous blog -- when I found an on-line color version of the portrait -- albeit cropped and poor quality. (To see that blog click here or to see Dunne's portrait click here.)

Secondly, and back to the studio, I am drawn to the amazing drawing or painting hanging over my grandfather's head -- an angel taking a little nap. Over her head it banner that says "SLEEP". Wow, wish I had seen this work in person. To take a closer look at this lovely angel...

I zoomed in to take a closer look at the sleeping beauty and I could actually see the artist’s name, Stacy Tolman! Stacy Tolman was another well-known Providence artist. He also had a studio in the Fleur-de-Lys, and had two other connections with my grandfather that seem to go with a studio in the F-d-L; Tolman taught at RISD and was also a member of the Providence Art Club.  Click the following "hot" link to see a portrait of Tolman painted by his friend, my grandfather, Wilfred I. Duphiney: Portrait of Stacy Tolman.

And, back again into the studio. Continuing clockwise, my eye is next drawn to some of the objects/props on the upper shelf:

*A spinning wheel (yawn...an early, overly used icon of early America life).

*a small statue of Winged Victory of Samothrace. (As a classics major this caught my eye! In my twenties, my friend Julia and I, went to museum after museum on a whirlwind tour through Greece, Italy and France. I sought this statue out at the Louvre, and was not disappointed;  I bought a larger than life poster of the statue, dragged it around Europe and it hung in my bedroom for years.)

*a hooka pipe (While associated with pot/hashish in my era, the water pipe was a popular method for smoking tobacco in the middle east, and let's face it, it was and still is, a cool souvenir to take back home to the west. In fact, I bought one as a gift while in Greece in 1984, and also dragged that around Europe with the poster of Winged Victory and a gorgeous Venetian glass vase that I still regret giving away.)

And then, I spied...

* THE bottle! I recognize it instantly, as it was the subject and the medium for one of my favorite paintings by my grandfather. Aptly, it was called "Reflections". Here it is below:

Looking at the image of "Refections",  I now see that many of the objects in this painting can be seen in these old photos of his studio. So for instance, above, you can see the small copy of Winged Victory of Samothrace. Another "reflection" seems inspired by the nude statue I noted with the Bishop's portrait which was later "blotted out" (click on nude statue in the background); the hand gesture suggests it is the same statue anyway. However,  if it the same statue, it seems my grandfather exercised artistic license in this portrayal as the "reflected" sculpture seems to have breasts and the actual sculpture did not. The statue in the lower left of "Reflections" I saw in the window of his studio in my previous post as was the bust (click here).

 I find looking around his studio so interesting.  On the wall behind my grandfather is a drawing he did of his mother...another favorite of mine.  Here is a better and full photo of that drawing called "Mother at Eighty".

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 Well, more later.