Niagara Notebook

Adams’s approach to the figure is sardonic and strange. Figures have too many arms, legs, and feet, and in several cases, it is difficult to determine which hands belong to which figure. The enigmatic, tangled poses and the brilliant, hot colors suggest a meditation on the mannerist painters  of sixteenth-century Florence such as Jacopo Pontormo and Agnolo Bronzino.

Niagara Notebook is part of Adams’s allegory, Niagara Series. The great waterfall is beautiful but dangerous, and the various figures who appear on its shores in the many paintings of the series represent archetypes of American culture who have survived an ordeal with the fall. The figure at right and left is the same Hollywood bombshell, but with blond and black hair.  At center, a third figure in the composition gazes out at the viewer. She holds pen to book, as if her role is to record events.

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. We invite you to share your ideas, knowledge, and stories as they relate to the art in our collection. Contact us here.

Please note that work by this particular artist might not be on view when you visit.
Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.