Good-bye to "American Stories"

The Met's "American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765-1915” closed today, and I was sad to bid it farewell. Mainly because so many of the many, many pictures were the stuff of American Art 101. Walking through was akin to stepping into a slide carousel (well, a PowerPoint), in the best possible way. Favorite old friends, in chronological order:

-- John Singleton Copley's Watson and the Shark (1778). Famous for good reasons: primeval danger, compelling characterizations, and a real-life story.

-- Richard Caton Woodville's Politics in an Oyster House (1848). Dining and punditry, nineteenth-century style.

-- Lilly Martin Spencer's Kiss Me and You'll Kiss the 'Lasses (1856). Beautifully rendered, a fascinating period interior, and a funny conceit. All by a woman who supported her family of 13 children (only seven survived) and a mostly-unemployed husband.

--William Merritt Chase's Ring Toss (1896). Lovely homage to Spanish art, all lush brushstrokes and a surprisingly modern big swath of empty space. (Plus, you can buy your own ring toy--pictured here--at the museum store)

-- John Sloan's Cliff Dwellers (1913). Cheerful squalor.

A well-done blog accompanied the show. Would love to see similarly focused, relevant blogs for exhibitions at more museums. That is, with all that extra time curatorial staffs have. . .

Related: I recently learned of the the Archives of American Art's blog.