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Unique items on display at Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings
May 03, 2011
Three people are making it possible for audiences in Billings to enjoy exceptional works of art spanning continents and centuries.
Splash of Paint, Flash of Steel includes works from the diverse collections of William I. Koch. To see rare military presentation swords from England and the U.S. is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local audiences. These beautiful pieces include a sword nearly 200 years old presented by King George IV to his brother, the last Confederate sword conferred to honor a military leader, and swords crafted by Tiffany & Co. of New York. A dozen additional swords and accoutrements are included. The workmanship in steel, gold, silver, gemstones, leather, and ivory demonstrates the prowess of the finest talents of the day.
Paintings on loan from Mr. Koch include works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell that exhibit classic American Western themes. Action scenes by William Robinson Leigh and Thomas Hart Benton, and a tiny gem of a watercolor by Thomas Moran are among the loans, as well as bronzes by Remington and Charles Schreyvogel. Each of these works, by the leading American artists of their day, reflects visions of the American West that continue to be cherished.
In addition to William I. Koch’s loans, two anonymous lenders are sharing five works from their private collections. These pieces range from a massive sculpture by seminal American sculptor Alexander Calder to a contemporary figural work by American painter Eric Fischl. European painters Giovanni Boldini, Sonia Delaunay, and Claude Monet round out the offerings. Calder, the inventor of the “mobile,” and Monet, one of the core members of the nineteenth-century French Impressionists, are among the world’s greatest artists.
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