|
Coe Art Collection
[A
brief, incomplete essay; should be accompanied by photographs of some
works of art; coordinate with articles on Grant Wood, Marvin Cone,
Conger Metcalf, and outdoor works of art spread around campus.]
Coe
has a large collection of artwork, located in and around buildings
throughout campus. Whether directly given to Coe, bought for the
college by donors, or merely on temporary loan, most of the paintings,
drawings, and lithographs of the Coe art collection are displayed in
the first- and second-floor galleries of Stewart Memorial
Library.
Coe's
library was remodeled and expanded in 1988, in part to expand floor
space, but also in a way to more safely and prominently display the Coe
Art Collection. The large arched windows, now an
easily-recognized signature of Coe, light up the artworks for
viewing. These windows protect them as well, as there are screens
on the windows to block ultraviolet rays from the sun.
The
collection itself includes many original works, as well as lithographs
and prints. The Intaglio of Lincoln, a print by Maurico
Lasansky can be found on the first floor of the library. Donated
by Justin and Mildred Albright in memory of Charles Lynch, class of
1926, the Intaglio is part of the Lincoln Collection given to
Coe. There are also lithographs and prints of known artists such
as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse scattered
throughout the reading rooms of the first and second floors.
One
of the larger collections of artwork in the library is the Hinkhouse
Collection of Contemporary Art, established in 1962. Because of
the work of Dr. Forest Hinkhouse, organized and dedicated to honor Mr.
and Mrs. George V. Hinkhouse during their lifetime, Coe has been able
to house 46 works of contemporary art, obtained over several years from
13 different countries. Here are a few representative works:
La Marchande D'Oiseaux, a lithograph by
Fernand Leger, Contemporary French
St. Francis, a drawing by Alfeo Faggi,
Contemporary American
La
Petite Afrique, a lithograph by Graham Sutherland, Contemporary
English
Starry Night in Holland, a tempera painting
by Eugene Brandt, Contemporary Dutch
Nude,
a watercolor by Gunner Gunderson, Contemporary Norwegian
Madonna and Child, an etching by Cantu
Federico, Contemporary Mexican
Galleries
Cannes, 1956, and Vallauris Exposition, two
lithograph posters by Pablo Picasso, Contemporary French
Dr.
Hinkhouse, a 1948 Coe graduate who later studied at Harvard and New
York University, arranged for generous additions to the art collections of
many colleges besides Coe.
Three other large collections of note are
featured in Stewart memorial Library. The Grant Wood collection
resides in the Perrine Gallery on the second floor, featuring the panel
series "Fruits of Iowa," as well as the original charcoal study for Daughters
of Revolution, one of Wood's more famous oil paintings. Over
50 of the pieces done by Marvin Cone, 1914 Coe graduate and professor
from 1919 to 1960, are displayed in the Winifred S. Cone Gallery in the
library's entryway. A large collection of work by Conger Metcalf,
1936 Coe graduate, can be found on the second floor of the library, in
and around the Metcalf and Pashigan Galleries.
Coe's art collection consists of close to 500
old and new works by nearly 300 different artists from five
continents. The monetary estimate of the set is in the millions
of dollars, but the genuine value that it lends to Coe College in
knowledge, culture, and beauty is priceless.
|
