[69251] Hull : Ferens Art Gallery - Esther Bensusan

Ferens Art Gallery, Queen Victoria Square, Hull.

Portrait of the Artist's Wife, Esther Bensusan (1870-1951).

Lucien Pissarro (1863-1944).

Oil on canvas, 1893.

 

This portrait of the artist's wife creates a complex of elements, composed of the tapestry background of a Morris pattern, and the formalized, profile pose of the head.

 

Lucien Pissarro was an important link between the first generation of Impressionists and their British followers. His personal contact with Cezanne, Seurat and Signac led him to adopt the pointillist techniques which may have influenced his father's style. In the 1890s in London he also represented an awareness of French symbolism, which chimed well with the indigenous work of Beardsley, and the decorative arts of Morris.

 

Art Exhibition - Crossing Borders, 3 Sep 2018 - 6 Jan 2019.

Crossing Borders invites viewers to consider the politics of citizenship and national identity within the context of British 20th Century art.

 

The exhibition features the work of British migrant artists who, by choice or necessity, crossed borders to live, work and often nationalise in Britain. By recognising the talent of these artists, Crossing Borders hopes to celebrate the cultural diversity that is inherent in British art’s history.

 

The exhibition aims to highlight the positive impact migration and free movement has had historically on the art and culture of Britain; emphasising Britain’s multi-cultural history and challenging assumptions of national identity.

 

Crossing Borders features paintings by influential Jewish-immigrant artists Jacob Kramer, Bernard Meninsky and Alfred Wolmark. Part of a generation of Anglo-Jewish painters, these artists settled in Britain after fleeing the anti-Semitic regimes of Europe. They sought to create art which reflected both their faith and their experiences of personal trauma. The artworks on display at Ferens Art Gallery are an expression of this complex identity.

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