Yale Center for British Art

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Yale Center for British Art for the second time. On my first visit (as a much younger person), I left feeling bored and rather unimpressed. While the Yale Center for British Art is still not my favorite museum, I was able to appreciate it a bit more this time around.

Upon entering the Museum, you are greeted with a very modern-looking entryway, complete with two wonderful sculptures. I believe I would have enjoyed my visit much more if there had been more of these intriguing works of art spread throughout the museum. Most of the Yale Center for British art is wonderfully open and airy, which was a pleasant change from its counterpart, the Yale Art Gallery, across the street. Although the YAG has come leaps and bounds from its pre-renovation state, it can still feel a bit cramped at times.

I truly enjoyed the layout of the Yale Center for British Art, with its four floors all opening to a large center atrium with a skylight. I feel that this, along with plenty of windows, allowed for an extremely bright and modern looking museum. Honestly, to me it appeared to be a museum built more for modern art and sculptures, rather than art painted mainly in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

One of my most memorable moments in the Yale Center for British Art came while visiting the second floor of the museum, in a wing off the main corridor. There, high on the wall, I immediately identified two artworks painted by the subject of my previous paper, George Stubbs. Both paintings, “Horse Frightened by a Lion,” and “Horse Attacked by a Lion,” were instantly recognizable due to their similar subject matter and distinct style. It was a real treat to be able to identify the paintings, and explain a bit of history to

my girlfriend, who was kind enough to come with my on my trip.

However, it was on the fourth floor that I saw “The Wave,” by C. R. W. Nevinson. As soon as I saw it closely, I knew it would have to be the subject of my next paper. There was something about its simplicity that was stunning, and even when seen from across the room it seemed to beckon to the viewer. While it initially seems like a painting many people would pass over without a second glance, my eyes were continuously drawn to it, until I was forced to approach it for a closer look. Painted in oil, “The Wave” ranges in color from deep navy to a light blue, with the white of the crashing surf mixed in. At the top of the painting, you are allowed a glimpse of a stormy gray sky stirring the sea into a frenzy.

Painted in 1917, “The Wave” was created while the First World War was coming to a bloody finish. Nevinson, who joined the Red Cross after being rejected for active duty, was best known for his paintings depicting the scenes he witnessed while serving during the war. (Nevinson 1) After he left the Red Cross, shell-shocked and suffering from Rheumatic Fever, Nevinson claimed he never wanted to paint the war again. (Nevinson 1)

Though “The Wave” is at first glance as far from a battle scene as one can get, it is not hard to see how Nevinson's experiences on the battlefield may have contributed to this wonderful painting. With the crashing waves and dark stormy sky, it is apparent that Nevinson was deeply troubled by something in his past. Upon reading the placard for “The Wave” and learning about Nevinson's involvement in World War One, it became instantly clear what his demons were. Although Nevinson claimed upon leaving the Red Cross that he never wished to paint the War again, it is obvious in this tumultuous painting that it still weighed heavily on his mind.

Though I thought that “The Wave” was a moving enough piece of artwork without any history surrounding it, I feel that it's true meaning can only be understood when taking the artists service time during World War One into account. After looking at many of his other, much more disturbing paintings, it is obvious that Nevinson was deeply disturbed by what he saw during the War, and with good reason. While “The Wave” is not a war scene, it is hard to deny that its dark colors and harsh subject matter were not influenced by Nevinson's experiences, and I believe it is one of the most powerful works that I have ever seen.

Works Cited

Nevinson, C.R.W.