September, 2019 - Of Art and Wine

Whistler’s Nocturnes and Chardonnay, Unoaked, Oaked, and Sparkling

I can remember entering the room in the Grand Palais in Paris where Whistler’s Nocturnes were on display, as part of the TurnerWhistlerMonet exhibition that had come from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition was near its end, and most of the rooms had only a handful of visitors that evening. However, I was … Continue reading “Whistler’s Nocturnes and Chardonnay, Unoaked, Oaked, and Sparkling”

Nocturne in Blue and Silver – Chelsea by James McNeill Whistler. 1871.

I can remember entering the room in the Grand Palais in Paris where Whistler’s Nocturnes were on display, as part of the TurnerWhistlerMonet exhibition that had come from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The exhibition was near its end, and most of the rooms had only a handful of visitors that evening. However, I was in for a sudden surprise when I entered the room with Whistler’s Nocturnes. That was where everyone was and with good reason. This show had collected nine of Whistler’s famous paintings of the night, works that had been so excoriated by famous 19th century British art critic, John Ruskin, that Whistler had sued him for libel. Whistler won, but only a penny farthing in damages. In addition, the pictures had been walked into court upside down and suffered Ruskin’s everlasting invective, so they were rendered unsaleable, leaving the artist bankrupt. However, 140 some years later, they are seen as a brilliant step forward in terms of modernizing art.

In the 1870s, James McNeill Whistler moved from doing landscapes and portraits into views of London made with the indistinct aspects that happen when night falls and the city “hangs in the heavens,” as he once explained. Originally called “Moonlights,” the name was changed when a friend, art collector and fellow lover of music, gave Whistler the idea of calling them by the musical term nocturne. In these paintings, the artist experimented with different ways of thinning oil paints to give them more of the fluidity of watercolors. Monet’s watercolors of the Thames from the 1860s were his inspiration there. Yet, in Whistler’s Nocturnes, like the one above, Nocturne Blue and Silver – Chelsea, the buildings are so indistinct that they might be anywhere in the world. They had been taken into the imagination and came to reside in some place beyond it, with only meager ties to a previous earthly existence. The tones are cool, fresh, crisp, very similar to the description of an unoaked Chardonnay, a perfect wine pairing for this painting.

Nocturne: Blue and Silver – Cremorne Lights 1872 James Abbott McNeill Whistler 1834-1903 Bequeathed by Arthur Studd 1919 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03420 Click on picture to magnify.

Interesting how the mishandling of the delicate concepts involved in creating paintings and wine can literally leave a bad taste in your mouth. The overly rich oaking of Chardonnay in the 1980s and early ’90s gave all types of Chardonnay a bad reputation for tasting too buttery. However, vintners pulled back and balanced the oaking process to create a more drinkable wine without sacrificing the smoothness created during the oaking process.

Likewise in the painting above, a nocturne with the lights of a riverside park known as Cremorne, Whistler warms his blue and silver with flushes of yellow and hints of violet. The tonal changes indicate the coming of the night marked by human intervention – lights. The coolness of the blues is warmed and enriched by the yellow coming from the lights and their reflections upon the water. The colors are balanced to provide a different sensation, a view from a different part of the river, a slightly different time in the approaching night, but with the comforting presence of light, though artificial. The essence is quite similar to a fine oaked Chardonnay. It is balanced, easy, comfortable and comforting to drink, especially if you are admiring this painting.

Nocturne in Black and Gold – the Falling Rocket, 1875, by James McNeill Whistler. Detroit Institute of the Arts.

And here is the piece that really sent the 19th century critics over the edge, a painting of fireworks in the night. Ruskin railed that Whistler had simply thrown a pot of paint at the canvas, and that being such a simple act, the value of the painting should be commiserate with that effort – near zero. Viewers kept trying to place the exact location of this painting. Generally late 19th century British clientele for art were fairly well-traveled, so many first thought it was a scene from Venice. Had Whistler lied and said yes, he probably would have sold this piece. But no, it was just a scene from along the Thames where revelers had lighted up a Saint Catherine’s Wheel and shot fireworks (rockets) into the sky to celebrate St. Catherine’s Day. When the viewers could not pick out where exactly along the Thames this took place, the painting became incomprehensible to them – no sale.

Of course the way the little sparks of light take off in a variety of directions with their remains drifting down into an indistinct darkness is a perfect rendition of a fireworks display in the night sky. So in an odd sense, it is quite a literal representation of the sparks, grayish smoke, and murky river water that one might have seen. Yet it was too far out for their time, though amazingly beautiful in ours. Whistler’s nocturnes were influencial, however. To see Whistler’s influence on another American painter, go to the blog at vernellestudio.com to read “Nocturnes: Remington Paints the Energy of the Night.”

For viewing Nocturne Black and Gold, nothing works better that a sparkling Chardonnay. California brags about the light, fresh, fruit and white flowers hints that are present in the sparkling Chardonnays produced there, calling them sun kissed. Of course, in France in Champagne, Chardonnay is one of the three principle grapes used in making champagne, along with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In relation to that Whistler nocturne of the fireworks on St. Catherine’s Day, a sparkling wine made just of Chardonnay grapes, called a Blanc des Blancs, would be a perfect match.

Chardonnay and the various ways that it manifests requires more detailed and expert explanation, so for that I shall send you to Madeline Puckette at www.winefolly.com. There you can see charts showing the variety of colors the wine takes on, find out more about how each form of Chardonnay is made, and get a few food suggestions. Oh yes, food!

So what are a good wine and a good painting without good food?

I knew you would ask. Since Chardonnay has more or less recovered from the old days when it was over-oaked, much more consideration is given to food pairings. A crisp, cool, unoaked Chardonnay, just think of Whistler’s Blue and Silver Nocturne, goes well with creamy vegetable soups, lightly cooked shellfish, grilled fish, chicken or perhaps paté. Often an unoaked Chardonnay of this type will be called a Chablis.

If you go for an oaked Chardonnay because of that smooth, rich buttery flavor, then salmon with a creamy sauce, Caesar salad or other salads with a creamy cheese dressing, pork or chicken, and naturally, pasta again with a creamy sauce are good pairings. Of course, since there is a range in the oaking process, the fuller bodied Chardonnays work well with meat dishes and vegetables like corn, peppers, butter squash and pumpkin.

However, there are some types of foods that conflict. Chinese and Thai cuisines are not recommended, nor are smoked meats or fish, light goat cheeses or seared salmon or tuna. Dishes with a tomato base are better with an Italian red or white.

As for sparkling Chardonnay, well read the Of Art and Wine post, “Seduction and Vermeer’s The Glass of Wine,”on Champagne and human pheromones, before your proceed. In terms of good things to eat, certainly oysters, fried calamari, triple cream brie, stuffed mushrooms, foie gras, etc., etc., etc. If you are really up for fun, try it with a nice hot buttery popcorn, which goes well with a fireworks display or Whistler’s painted version.

So there it is, a little boost for good old Chardonnay now that it has rejoined the world as a perfectly good wine to drink with many types of food. Our states on the Pacific Coast produce a lot of fine versions of Chardonnay. For those I refer you to the West Coast Wine Club at www.cellarswineclub.com. Enjoy the wines and enjoy the paintings. They are divine creations.

Paintings by Whistler are in Public Domain.

Marjorie Vernelle is an artist, writer, college professor, and traveler. For more see the Pages at ofartandwine.com or her author page at amazon.com and her art at Vernelle Art Boutique vernellestudio.com.

Of Art and Wine affiliates with Bluehost.com and CellarsWineClub.com and may earn from qualifying purchases.

©marjorie vernelle 2019

Coming Soon on Of Art and Wine: Autumn in New York, Edward Hopper and Pinot Noir

Shakespeare at Dusk by Edward Hopper, 1935. Click picture to magnify.

How better to enjoy an Edward Hopper painting and the oncoming autumn than with a glass of Pinot Noir, one of the most drinkable wines ever.

Seduction and Vermeer’s The Glass of Wine

The Glass of Wine by Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1661.

To say that Vermeer paid great attention to detail is an understatement for sure. Here we certainly see all the fine points, the tiles of the floor, the details of the table covering, and even the fine stained glass window, which is said to hold an image of Temperance, herself. The woman’s dress and hair covering are finely executed, as are the man’s green cloak, his fine white ruffled sleeve, and the large black hat of the expensive type known in that day. The white wine pitcher is a jewel of a still life all on its own, and the wine glass itself is so clear that it gives off a marvelous crystalline shine. The shadows in the room are captured right down to that one area of reflected blue from the stained glass window, which itself is just a slight bit ajar. Ah yes, the image of Temperance, with just a slight opening for possibilities, and that leads us to the mystery that all this detail supports. What is going on between this man and this woman, all alone in this room?

So here we have them, by themselves, with the woman draining a glass of wine, and the man standing over her eager to pour her another, while Temperance’s image colors the light that comes into the shadowy room. A man and a woman alone, the influence of alcohol, and a visual warning about temptation. Well, if that is not a set-up for seduction, I don’t know what is. Now, of course, he could just be an eager merchant wanting the lady of the house to buy his wine. However, the way his face is in shadow leaves his intentions all the more mysterious. Added to that is that he is still wearing his outer cloak, so he is newly arrived. What is the hurry?

For more understanding of what might be going on, we need to look at women’s roles in the Dutch Golden Age, the 17th century. Dutch society was structured so that the exterior world was the domain of men, while the interior of the home was the realm of the women of the house, except for a rather small front parlor where men met and did their business deals. The exterior world was considered unsafe and lacking in Christian virtues in a very strict Protestant sense. The interior of the home provided safety and protection from immorality. Women controlled all the activities that made the house run, from the cleaning, cooking, management of servants, spinning, and needlework, to the purchase of foods. The women also controlled the small private rooms of the house where they might meet outsiders. This included the young unmarried women in the household. Though these visits were supposed to be chaperoned, there were many Calvinist sermons preaching about the need for this supervision, which suggests that it may not have happened all that often.

Vermeer doesn’t give us any definitive indication. However, there is a painting done a year or so before called The Girl with a Wine Glass, which tells a story of suitors for a young woman in a similar dress, in the same room, with the same wine pitcher, the same window with Temperance, and a suitor whom she seems to like, wearing what might be a greenish cape, with a ruffled white sleeve surrounding his wrist. While we see her face looking at us and being quite pleased with the attention, it would be hard to say she is the same young woman. However, as in the the other painting, she accepts the glass of wine, here from a man who seems to be courting her.

The Girl with the Wine Glass by Johannes Vermeer, 1659-1660.

Well, just like the Girl with the Pearl Earring, we can only guess at what is going on in these pictures, especially the first one since there are only two characters. In The Girl with the Wine Glass, we see two suitors, obviously one is having success and the other is disappointed or just a bored buddy. These paintings were done at the time in Vermeer’s career when his painting was turning to these compositions of the quiet interior rooms of the home, the rooms that the women managed, and the life lived in those rooms. Unlike some of the other Dutch painters of the time who painted raucous scenes of drunken merriment, like Jan Steen or even Rembrandt, who famously portrayed himself merrily drinking a stein of beer with his wife, Saskia, sitting on his lap, Vermeer proceeded along the lines of Pieter de Hooch whose quiet interiors started a rage for such things.

Vermeer went for images with less and less overt action and more mystery, developing it into the style he is so famous for today. Just compare the 1659-60 painting to the 1660-61 painting, where we go from obvious courtship to something more intriguing, as we don’t know the exact relationship between the two people in the latter painting. We do, however, suspect that the man wants the wine to have a certain affect on the woman, and he wants to have it happen quickly for he seems to have started plying her with wine upon his arrival, not even having taken off his hat and cloak.

Well, Vermeer would not be Vermeer without mystery, so we are all left to ponder while we appreciate the details of the painting, its precision, and the beautiful handling of the paint. Just look at how he handles the variations in white in this detail from The Glass of Wine.

One last thing in case you associate the Dutch with beer and not wine, here is a bit of detail on the wine trade in the Dutch Golden Age. It is an article by Henriette Rahusen called “Dutch Burghers and Their Wine: Nary a Sour Grape.”www.nga.gov Should you really want the rip-roaring story of that period in Dutch (and world) history, try Simon Schama’s, The Embarrassment of Riches. You will certainly love reading his telling of the children’s riots, when the pure, Protestant, city fathers outlawed the little ones’ Christmas cookies and bonbons. (Spoiler alert: The kids won.)

Vermeer’s paintings are in Public Domain.

Wine and Seduction: The Nose is the Thing.

Let us first pay homage to Bacchus, Lord God of the Vine, its fruits and their product – wine. Add in good food, a spirit of relaxation, and a few sips of an aromatic elixir made from the grape, then let the revelry begin. Well, maybe not on the first date, which is why Champagne, though perfect for special days like Valentine’s and just about anything else, is not good for early in the relationship, as it is a bit too celebratory. Better to start with a good Cabernet. In fact the use of different wines at different stages of a relationship is a complex and complicated business, subject to misinterpretations and pitfalls, many of them based not on the taste of the wine but its smell.

We humans are sight based. We have hearing, touch, taste, and yes, smell, but sight is out primary sensory tool. However, other senses also play a role, and one that is unappreciated and underrated is smell. Though it need not be undervalued any more, for as it turns out, there are scientists who study these things. One was Dr. Max Lake, a surgeon and winemaker, who found that the scent of some wines tempt both men and women sexually because they are similar to the smell of human pheromones. Dr. Lake’s book, Scents and Sensuality, points out that red wines which have a musky, leathery, earthy smell resemble male pheromones, while white wines and sparkling wines have yeasty, doughy scents that resemble female pheromones.

Which Wines Do What?

Red wines, especially those which have been in oak barrels develop a scent akin to that of androstenone, a male hormone given off by male hair follicles. Dr. Lake points out, “[t]he mature Cabernet Sauvignon has an essence which is as close to this natural sexual turn-on as one could hope for.” No wonder full-bodied, oak-aged, red wines are becoming increasingly popular.

To take the concept a bit further, a musky Syrah or an earthy Bordeaux or Burgundy could have the same effect. And, of course, all pheromone scents improve moods, enhance feelings of relaxation, and promote confidence.

The Real Deal – Champagne!

Photo Credit to Victoria Moore from her article for the Telegraph

While wines like an oak-aged Chardonnay, or a Semillion, or a dry Riesling will work for still wine lovers, nothing matches Champagne or wines made with the Méthode Champenoise for being real turn-ons. It has to do with a scent produced that links to seafood and soft ripe cheeses, a scent similar to female pheromones. However, good old Champagne provides a double whammy, as it also produces a “sweaty” note like unto a male pheromone that influences female reproductive physiology. Dangerous! (For more on Champagne, take a look at this site’s post, “Edouard Manet: Champagne and a Night at the Folies.”)

To get a complete education on wine and seduction, no one is as thorough as a Brit. Here is Victoria Moore’s, “Wine and the Art of Seduction. For the gentleman: a masterclass in how to deal expertly with women and wine.” The conversations between the gentlemen are quite amusing, most particularly why not to pick Pinot Grigio on the first date. www.telegraph.co.uk

For those of us here in the U.S., let me just recommend Cellars Wine Club’s Sparkling Wine Club, www.cellarswineclub.com. Find out more by clicking on the Cellars Wine Club link in the right navigation bar under Of Art and Wine Pages. Just remember when you sniff a wine to get its aromas, there is more happening than just anticipation of the flavor. Be careful out there.

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Coming soon… Whistler’s Nocturnes and Chardonnay, Unoaked, Oaked, and Sparkling.

Nocturne Blue and Silver – Chelsea by James McNeill Whistler, 1871.

Yes, Whistler painted his mother sitting in a rocking chair, an American classic, but his overall painting was much more sophisticated than that. Come ponder these beautiful nocturnes over a glass of Chardonnay and see how the taste and the images just blend perfectly. (Coming end of September)