Featured Image Caption
Nura Woodson Ulreich, Fresh Spring Breeze, 1927. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
Finding Nura: Rediscovering an American Modernist from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection
April 16 - November 6, 2022
Central Gallery
The little figures in my works are offered merely as symbols of the universally beloved state called childhood.Nura
Drawn from the remarkable holdings of Kendra and Allan Daniel, this exhibition re-establishes the long-forgotten but highly esteemed career of Nura Woodson Ulreich, known simply as Nura. The show explores the artist’s alluring and highly individualized interpretation of childhood. Nura’s modernist approach, acquired from her time in Paris in the 1920s, resulted in stylized images of children whom she portrayed with animals, books, and musical instruments, though rarely with an adult in sight. Nura’s figures are distinguished by their rounded forms, rosy cheeks, and wavy hair. She shows them in ethereal landscapes and indistinct interior settings. Her compositions capture an essence of childhood imbued with innocence and enigma. The Carle is pleased to re-introduce Nura after 70 years away from the public eye.
Curated by H. Nichols B. Clark
Exhibition Highlights
Nura Woodson Ulreich, Windy Walk, 1931. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
Completed in 1931, Nura’s painting conveys the power of a strong wind. The girl’s wind-swept hair, skirt, and hat ribbon underscore its full force. The leaves, too, swirl briskly. Only the dog appears tranquil in the wind-swept scene.
Completed in 1931, Nura’s painting conveys the power of a strong wind. The girl’s wind-swept hair, skirt, and hat ribbon underscore its full force. The leaves, too, swirl briskly. Only the dog appears tranquil in the wind-swept scene.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, At Home, 1929–1932. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
The address inscribed on the back of this painting dates it between 1929 and 1932 when Nura lived on New York’s fashionable Upper East Side. Nura paints in dense black and the composition retains her commitment to stylization and pattern. She includes a dog and a cat, though they are as remote as the girl pausing from her reading.
The address inscribed on the back of this painting dates it between 1929 and 1932 when Nura lived on New York’s fashionable Upper East Side. Nura paints in dense black and the composition retains her commitment to stylization and pattern. She includes a dog and a cat, though they are as remote as the girl pausing from her reading.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, Girl with Cat, n.d. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
In this intimate scene, Nura avoids visual overload, evidenced by the blanket’s simple square pattern. There is a face in the moon, whose circular shape echoes the curl of the sleeping cat and the round head of the girl. The muted tonalities underscore the peaceful scene—unusual for the artist.
In this intimate scene, Nura avoids visual overload, evidenced by the blanket’s simple square pattern. There is a face in the moon, whose circular shape echoes the curl of the sleeping cat and the round head of the girl. The muted tonalities underscore the peaceful scene—unusual for the artist.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, "Age Fifteen,” illustration for The Buttermilk Tree, 1934. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
The Buttermilk Tree, Nura’s second book, chronicles a child’s journey from birth to motherhood. “Age Fifteen” provides insight into adolescence and its insecurities. Surrounding imagery reinforces the trials of the age: the mirror, vanity; the diary, secretiveness; the question marks, self-doubt; and the boy in the upper right, young love.
The Buttermilk Tree, Nura’s second book, chronicles a child’s journey from birth to motherhood. “Age Fifteen” provides insight into adolescence and its insecurities. Surrounding imagery reinforces the trials of the age: the mirror, vanity; the diary, secretiveness; the question marks, self-doubt; and the boy in the upper right, young love.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, "Anabel,” Illustration for Nura's Children Go Visiting, 1943. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
Anabel is one of Grandfather Brown’s 26 visiting grandchildren. She lifts her well-fed cat over the bowl of cream it expects five times a day. The artist’s warm, playful artwork in Nura’s Children Go Visiting was likely more appealing to young readers than the complex imagery of her earlier books.
Anabel is one of Grandfather Brown’s 26 visiting grandchildren. She lifts her well-fed cat over the bowl of cream it expects five times a day. The artist’s warm, playful artwork in Nura’s Children Go Visiting was likely more appealing to young readers than the complex imagery of her earlier books.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, Les Jeunes Filles et le Chien, 1927. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
Also reflecting Nura’s time in Paris, this trio of girls and their dog evoke comparison to the French modernist Marie Laurencin, who portrayed feminine delicacy. However, their broad faces, columnar necks, and passive expressions are unique to Nura, distancing her from cute or saccharine depictions of children. The artist’s bold signature along the bottom is an intriguing departure.
Also reflecting Nura’s time in Paris, this trio of girls and their dog evoke comparison to the French modernist Marie Laurencin, who portrayed feminine delicacy. However, their broad faces, columnar necks, and passive expressions are unique to Nura, distancing her from cute or saccharine depictions of children. The artist’s bold signature along the bottom is an intriguing departure.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, Pleasant Hours, 1931. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
This work conveys another of Nura’s favored themes—the picnic—that appears in her books Stories and Nura’s Garden of Betty & Booth. Nura avoids sentimentality as each picnicker is isolated in their own thoughts. The two flanking figures are set against halos of pink sky, which flatten the space. The three white blooms in the left foreground signify purity.
This work conveys another of Nura’s favored themes—the picnic—that appears in her books Stories and Nura’s Garden of Betty & Booth. Nura avoids sentimentality as each picnicker is isolated in their own thoughts. The two flanking figures are set against halos of pink sky, which flatten the space. The three white blooms in the left foreground signify purity.
Nura Woodson Ulreich, Tête a Tête, 1927. Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
Gallery Views
All artwork from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
All artwork from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
All artwork from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
All artwork from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
All artwork from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
All artwork from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection.
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