Title:
Cluny Museum
Creator/Contributor:
Sugimoto, Henry
Date:
ca. 1931
Identifier:
92.97.125
Format:
painting
oil on canvas
France
Inscription:
Signed in medium, bottom left corner: H. Sugimoto. Written on back, top center: Cluny Museum, 32" x 26"
Description:
Stretched and framed. Cluny Museum and grounds, Paris. In the foreground a grassy area is intersected by a path which recedes
from lower left corner into a large stand of bare trees upper right. A white figure appears before trees and behind a low
circular structure, possibly a moss-covered fountain. On the left, across the path, a blue cylindrical object abuts a tree
and a row of brown buildings that recede into the background left. The sky is overcast.
Historical Note:
The Cluny Museum was constructed on the site of an ancient Roman thermal bath, land which was purchased by the Cluny Benedictines
in 1330. The structure featured in Sugimoto's painting was begun in the 15th century by Jacques d'Amboise, and it housed abbots
and papal nuncios in the 17th century before becoming a museum in the 1800s. The mysterious white-clad figure, which may be
holding a child in her arms, has possible Symbolist overtones. It also manifests a spirituality or religiosity that could
be derived from the setting and/or Sugimoto's own religious involvement, which became especially strong later in his life.
The composition is potentially derived from the work of Henri Puvis de Chavannes, and Cezanne's influence is also evident
in the architectural elements. The abundance of greens reflects Sugimoto's interest in nature and atmosphere during this period.
Subject:
Cluny Museum (Paris, France)
France
Buildings
Trees
Figures (representations)