The most important works of art in Houston

Editor’s note: This story was written before the Rothko Chapel was closed due to damage from Hurricane Beryl. The team is working on restoration work and will reopen the sanctuary at a later date. We believe the significance of the Rothko Chapel extends beyond its current status and hope You We will enjoy reading about it as we eagerly await his return.

If you ever Anyone who has ever been to the Louvre in Paris knows that the most popular place in the museum, whether good or bad, is right in front of the famous Mona-LisaLeonardo da Vinci’s Italian Renaissance masterpiece, the most written about and famous painting in the world. Even if you’re lucky enough to make it to the Louvre to see it in person, you probably won’t get that close due to the crowds outside – unless you feel like crowd surfing, Bonnaroo style.

People often travel from all over the world to see works of art, be it the Mona-LisaMichelangelo’s The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel of Vatican City or Picasso’s Guernica in Madrid. They shape the museums and buildings in which they are housed.

This got us thinking: What artwork defines Houston? Is there a piece of art here that could be described as Houston’s? Mona-Lisa? With the help of Leo Costello, associate professor of art history at Rice University, we embarked on an exploration of Houston’s most significant works of art.

The winding road by André Derain

This masterpiece by French artist André Derain, a major avant-garde painter of the Fauvism movement, features bright colors that seem to pop out of the painting. On display in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), the landscape portrait is a depiction of a landscape of the French village of L’Estaque. Although the painting has done quite a world tour over the years, exhibiting in cities such as Paris, London, Marseille, and Washington, DC, its permanent home is right here in Houston. “To me, it’s the best Derain there is anywhere in the world,” says Costello.

The Rothko Chapel

Founded by John and Dominique de Menil, this non-denominational chapel serves as both a place of solemn reflection and a place to admire some of the city’s finest artwork. Commissioned by the Menils in 1964 and opened to the public in 1971, the chapel features 14 monumental paintings in solemn and varying shades of black by famed artist Mark Rothko. More than 100,000 people visit the chapel each year, and many of them say they experience spiritual moments inside due to the contemplative nature of the art as well as the design of the building.

“I think Rothko’s goals were largely artistic. He wanted to explore these kinds of tonalities in these lighting conditions and work on this scale, which he hadn’t had the opportunity to do before,” Costello says of the works in the chapel. Note: At the time of going to press, the chapel was closed due to damage from Hurricane Beryl.

The steepness seen from the Nore by JMW Turner

This work by English Romantic painter Joseph Mallord William Turner is a masterpiece of landscape painting. While many artists of this genre are praised for their pastoral compositions, Turner, a lover of the ocean, often painted turbulent landscapes, such as the roiling seas depicted in this work.

“It’s a really good example of Turner’s early development and a really dynamic and interesting picture,” says Costello.

Although the artist painted many paintings, not many of them are on display in the United States. Costello says there are a few Turner paintings in Dallas, one in Fort Worth and one in Chicago, but if you’re a Turner fan, the selection in this area is pretty slim. We’d argue that the MFAH is among the best paintings you can see in the United States.

The stained glass windows of Trinity United Methodist Church

The eyes are the window to the soul, but are the stained glass windows of the historic Trinity United Methodist Church in the Third Ward the eyes to Houston’s soul? Founded in 1848 by enslaved Houstonians, it is one of the oldest black congregations in Houston. And today, Trinity United Methodist is home to some of the most stunning stained glass windows in the city.

Created in the 1990s by artist Jean Lacy, the stunningly colorful and artistic windows tell the story of the Bible as well as the history of the civil rights movement. In addition to typical biblical figures, icons such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth are depicted.

“They’re beautiful, just stunning,” Costello says of the windows. “They’re a great example of a really powerful community art project right in the middle of the Third Ward.”

The murals of John T. Biggers at Texas Southern University

If you want to see world-class art in Houston, sometimes you have to leave the museums. Some of the city’s most important artworks can be seen at Texas Southern University, namely three murals by the famous African-American muralist John T. Biggers, who created works that criticize racial and economic injustice. He was the founding chair of TSU’s art department.

“(Biggers) has really become kind of a founding figure here and I just don’t think people pay enough attention to that side of Houston in general and the really long history of TSU,” Costello says.

So what is the ultimate Houston Mona-Lisa?

While each of these works of art adds a lot of depth and breadth to Houston’s art scene, Costello says the clear winner for him – and what we now like to call the Mona-Lisa of Houston – is the Rothko Chapel.

“You often have a really immersive experience in that room, and I just don’t know of anything else in the world that’s like it,” says Costello. “There are no other Rothkos like this, and there’s no way to look at things like this.”

For Costello, the magic behind the Rothko Chapel and its uniqueness in the world is that it is a physical process. “You are there and you experience something that evolves over time,” he says. “You feel different when you come out.”

In fact, most people feel much calmer and more relaxed after this experience, unlike, for example, most people who struggle through the crowds in front of the Mona-LisaAnd it’s proof that you don’t have to leave the country to experience life-changing art.

We wish the people of Rothko Chapel the best of luck in restoring the sanctuary after the hurricane. We can’t wait to be back within its tranquil walls and experience its magic once again.