What Do You See? The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Part I

This work, based on an original sketch by Joseph Cornell’s brother, Robert, was created for Edward Halper in commemoration of a trip through Brooklyn on June 4, 1971. Halper, an art enthusiast and collector known for his support of younger and emerging artists, fostered a close friendship with Joseph Cornell during the late 1960s.

Cornell’s relationship with his brother significantly influenced his art. Robert was born with cerebral palsy and had intellectual disabilities, and Joseph took on a caregiving role for him. This relationship played a pivotal role in shaping the emotional and thematic content of Cornell’s work. Many of his pieces carry
a sense of nostalgia, mystery, and a desire to create magical realms, reflecting the profound impact of his connection with his brother. Cornell also played a significant role in encouraging Robert’s artistic hobby, which resulted in a substantial body of pencil and ink drawings in the 1920s. Just as Cornell incorporated and transformed reproductions of artworks by other artists in his box constructions and collages, he applied a similar approach to his brother’s drawings.

Cornell developed at least a dozen collage series based on his favorite drawings by Robert; The Commodore Pose is one of these. In these collages, he modified reproductions of Robert’s images using various techniques, from staining the paper to adding cutouts. The collaboration between the brothers not only highlighted the supportive relationship between them but also demonstrated how Cornell integrated various artistic influences, including those from his brother, into his own innovative and distinctive body of work.