Fascinating rhythm, oh won’t you stop picking on me? The rollicking, roiling, wonderfully cacophonous variety of works in Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties sent me diving deep into my record collection – I just had to hear what was going on at the time these paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs were being made. And the opportunity to put together a playlist for the pure enjoyment of it all was just impossible to resist.

Double-page spread from Desiree Edkins, 2009. Desiree Edkins (American, born 1974). Offset lithography; 16.9 x 17.1 cm (closed). Courtesy of the artist

DIY: Photographers & Books: By the Numbers

Two artists featured in Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties hailed from Cleveland.

George Ault (1891-1948)

Why were artists in the United States during the 1920s so fascinated by urban landscapes? Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties, on view now through September 16, has an entire gallery dedicated to the ways its featured artists engaged with urban life. Planes, trains, skyscrapers, and factories provided subject matter, interestingly portrayed in ways that sought beauty and individuality from things that were at times considered visually unremarkable or anonymous.

At the dawn of the 20^th century the city of Cleveland was famous throughout the nation and world as the quintessential example of the American dream in action. During the 1920s the Cleveland Museum of Art demonstrated the vitality and energy of a recently founded city landmark. Clevelanders flocked to the many exhibits, programs, and classes held both at the museum and throughout the city. The museum provided many outlets for local artistic and musical exuberance.

Before the world started watching “talkies” in the late 1920s, silent film had just established itself as a higher art form.

The museum recently opened an exhibition viewing selected works by John Taylor Arms (1887–1953), one of the most important American printmakers of the first half of the 20th century.

Rembrandt drew to hone his skills, record a motif, test compositional ideas and ways of expressing emotion, and provide instructive models for his students. Upon his death, nearly 2,000 drawings by Rembrandt and his followers were found in his studio. Intended for workshop use, the teacher’s drawings are rarely signed. It is a special occasion to see the four drawings on view in Rembrandt in America. Because drawings, like all works on paper, are light sensitive, so they can only be viewed for limited amounts of time.