Posts in category: American Art

During the latter half of the 19th century, the allure of Japanese art swept through the Western art world, influencing countless artists and intellectuals. James Abbott McNeill Whistler, a pivotal figure in this movement, embraced Japonisme with fervor, blending its aesthetic with inspirations drawn from ancient Greek sculpture, music, and dance. One of the most captivating results of this cultural synthesis is Variations in Flesh Colour and Green – The Balcony, a painting that encapsulates Whistler’s mastery of harmony and elegance. In this work, elegant female figures, poised in a dreamlike composition, echo the refined simplicity of Japanese ukiyo-e prints and the timeless grace of classical antiquity, offering viewers a serene yet dynamic tableau that transcends cultural boundaries.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) was an American-born artist who became a pivotal figure in the art world of the late 19th century. Although he was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Whistler spent much of his professional life in Europe, particularly in London and Paris. He initially enrolled at the United States Military Academy at West Point but left to pursue art, studying at the École Impériale and under Charles Gleyre in Paris. Known for his sharp wit and flamboyant personality, Whistler was as much a celebrity as he was an artist. He was a pioneering figure in the art world, advocating for the “art for art’s sake” philosophy and challenging conventional ideas about the purpose of art. His works, particularly his portraits and tonal landscapes, have left an indelible mark on modern art.

Whistler’s art is defined by a masterful interplay of realism and abstraction, emphasizing harmony, balance, and the emotional resonance of his compositions. His works are often characterized by muted colour palettes, delicate brushwork, and a focus on tonal subtleties that evoke a sense of mood and atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from music, he linked his art to musical arrangements, prioritizing rhythm, tonal harmony, and visual balance over detailed narratives. Whistler’s compositions often employed a poetic simplicity, where every element was meticulously placed to create a sense of elegance and refinement. His ability to transform ordinary scenes into evocative, almost transcendent experiences solidified his reputation as a pioneering artist whose work continues to resonate for its understated beauty and sophistication.

The painter’s passion for Japanese art was a defining aspect of his artistic identity and a significant influence on his work. During the late 19th century, as Japonisme swept through Europe, Whistler became captivated by the elegance and simplicity of Japanese aesthetics, particularly the ukiyo-e woodblock prints of artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige. These influences manifested in his compositions through asymmetrical arrangements, flattened perspectives, and an emphasis on pattern and line. Whistler’s Variations in Flesh Colour and Green – The Balcony is a quintessential example of his Japonist inspiration, blending the poise and serenity of Japanese art with his signature tonal harmony. By integrating Japanese elements into his work, Whistler not only enriched his visual language but also helped introduce and popularize Japanese aesthetics in Western art, leaving a lasting impact on the modernist movement.

Variations in Flesh Colour and Green – The Balcony by James McNeill Whistler is a striking example of the artist’s mastery of tonal harmony and his innovative blending of Eastern and Western artistic traditions. Painted between 1864 and 1870, the work depicts four female figures positioned on a balcony, their elegant forms and serene postures suffused with a dreamlike quality. The composition is dominated by soft greens, whites, and muted flesh tones, creating a delicate interplay of light and shadow that enhances the painting’s tranquil atmosphere. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics, particularly the ukiyo-e prints he admired, Whistler incorporates asymmetry, flattened perspectives, and an emphasis on line and pattern into the scene. The inclusion of Japanese screens and textiles within the composition further highlights the artist’s fascination with Japanese art and design. This painting, rich in both detail and abstraction, exemplifies Whistler’s ability to create works that are simultaneously intimate and evocative, inviting viewers into a space of quiet contemplation.

For a PowerPoint Presentation titled James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1834-1903 Women in Asian Costumes, please… Check HERE!

Here is a 2022 Teacher Curator BLOG POST dedicated to Whistler and titled The Princess from the Land of Porcelain by James Abbott McNeill Whistler… https://www.teachercurator.com/19th-century-art/the-princess-from-the-land-of-porcelain-by-james-abbott-mcneill-whistler/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHpvEdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHeks8antME7C09qYEjRXOCmNfAVpuitdsk_7bUckVFT4h83W6yWCHEIFwg_aem_IbgjlirTqcITLtBwsS_x-g

Bibliography: https://asia-archive.si.edu/object/F1892.23a-b/

A fitting poem to complement Grandma Moses’ The Old Oaken Bucket in 1800 would be The Old Oaken Bucket by Samuel Woodworth. Written in 1817, this famous poem captures a deep nostalgia for the past and rural simplicity, much like Moses’ painting… How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood, / When fond recollection presents them to view! / The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wildwood, / And every loved spot which my infancy knew. / The wide-spreading pond, and the mill that stood by it, / The bridge, and the rock where the cataract fell; / The cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it, / And e’en the rude bucket which hung in the well— / The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, / The moss-covered bucket, which hung in the well. This artwork, painted on November 1, 1943, with its focus on cherished memories of rural life, welcomes November with gusto! https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/sheetmusic/1149/

Anna Mary Robertson Moses, known affectionately as ‘Grandma Moses,’ was an iconic American folk artist who was celebrated for her charming depictions of rural life. Born on September 7, 1860, in Greenwich, New York, Moses lived a humble life, spending much of her early years working on farms and tending to household duties. She did not begin painting until her late 70s after arthritis made it difficult for her to continue with her embroidery hobby. Her artistic journey began as a pastime but quickly evolved into a remarkable second career that brought her widespread acclaim. Despite having no formal art training, her work resonated with both art critics and the general public, capturing a sense of nostalgia for a simpler, agrarian America.

Grandma Moses’ art is characterized by its naïve style, where traditional perspective and proportion are often disregarded in favour of narrative and emotional impact. Her paintings typically depict scenes of everyday rural life, from seasonal activities like harvesting and sleigh rides to community gatherings and holiday festivities. The vibrancy of her colour palette, combined with her attention to detail in illustrating nature and people, gives her works a sense of warmth and accessibility. These qualities resonated deeply with viewers, especially during the post-World War II era when her idyllic portrayals of country life evoked a longing for peace and simplicity.

The artist’s painting The Old Oaken Bucket in 1800 captures a nostalgic and idyllic scene of rural life, reflecting the simplicity and charm of 19th-century American farm life. The painting, like many of Moses’ works, features a detailed landscape, with rolling green hills, farmhouses, and trees surrounding a central focal point: a small, rustic well with an old oaken bucket. The scene is alive with activity, showing farmers tending to animals, children playing, and people engaging in daily chores, all set against the backdrop of a bright, clear sky. Moses uses vivid, cheerful colours, particularly greens and browns, which give the landscape a lively yet peaceful feeling. Her emphasis on nature and human interaction speaks to the harmonious relationship between people and their environment.

What stands out in The Old Oaken Bucket in 1800 is Moses’ ability to evoke a deep sense of nostalgia through her simple, folk-art style. The painting doesn’t follow the rules of traditional perspective but instead offers a flattened, almost decorative approach to composition. Despite this, there is a strong narrative element to the work, as it invites viewers into the everyday lives of rural inhabitants. The painting’s central motif, the old oaken bucket, symbolizes a connection to the past and to simpler times, suggesting the importance of tradition and memory. Through this piece, Moses communicates a longing for the past and the enduring beauty of rural, community-centered life.

For a PowerPoint Presentation inspired by Grandma Moses’ The Old Oaken Bucket in 1800, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6286877 and https://americanart.si.edu/artist/grandma-moses-5826 and https://benningtonmuseum.org/portfolio-items/grandma-moses/

When I look at Sanford Robinson Gifford’s painting A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove), I think of J. Hector St. John de Crevecœur and how he described, back in 1778, the character of Autumn… Great rains at last replenish the springs, the brooks, the swamp and impregnate the earth. Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer. This is in general the invariable rule: winter is not said properly to begin until those few moderate days & the rising of the water has announced it to Man… https://books.google.gr/books?id=Z0zTH_qFXiAC&pg=PA14&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false page 14

Sanford Robinson Gifford was a prominent American landscape painter associated with the Hudson River School, a mid-19th-century American art movement known for its romantic depiction of the American landscape. Born in Greenfield, New York, Gifford grew up in Hudson, New York, and initially studied at Brown University. However, he left college to pursue a career in the arts, studying at the New York City studio of John Rubens Smith and later at the National Academy of Design. Gifford’s extensive travels throughout the United States and Europe greatly influenced his work, allowing him to capture a wide variety of landscapes with a distinctive atmospheric quality.

Gifford’s artistic style is characterized by his masterful use of light and atmospheric effects, which he achieved through a technique known as “luminism.” This approach emphasized the precise rendering of light and tranquil scenes, often depicting the subtle interplay of light and shadow in landscapes. His paintings typically feature serene and expansive vistas, with meticulous attention to detail and a harmonious balance of composition. Works such as The Wilderness and A Gorge in the Mountains exemplify his ability to create a sense of depth and tranquillity, capturing the sublime beauty of the natural world. Gifford’s contribution to American art is his ability to evoke emotion and contemplation through his serene and luminous landscapes, making him a pivotal figure in the Hudson River School.

The artist’s connections to the Hudson River School were deeply rooted in his relationships with fellow artists and his shared vision of capturing the sublime beauty of the American landscape. He was closely associated with prominent figures such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church, who were pivotal in defining the movement’s aesthetic. Gifford’s work was heavily influenced by Cole’s romanticism and Church’s dramatic use of light and detail, yet he developed his distinct style characterized by luminism, which focused on the tranquil and ethereal qualities of light. Gifford’s dedication to plein air painting, where he often sketched and painted outdoors to accurately capture natural light and atmosphere, aligned with the movement’s emphasis on realism and the meticulous observation of nature. Through his exhibitions and collaborations, Gifford contributed to the dissemination of the Hudson River School’s ideals, making him an integral part of this influential artistic movement.

A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove) by Sanford Robinson Gifford is a masterful landscape painting that exemplifies his luminist technique. Created in 1862, this work captures the majestic beauty of Kaaterskill Clove, a dramatic mountain gorge in the Catskills of New York. The painting showcases Gifford’s exceptional ability to render light and atmosphere, with soft, golden sunlight filtering through the mist and illuminating the lush, verdant foliage and rugged rock formations. The composition draws the viewer’s eye into the depths of the gorge, evoking a sense of tranquillity and awe at nature’s grandeur. Gifford’s meticulous attention to detail and his skilful use of light and shadow create a harmonious and immersive scene, making this painting a quintessential example of the Hudson River School’s celebration of the American wilderness.

Gifford, the only major Hudson River School painter to have grown up in the Catskills region of New York, made famous by Thomas Cole, the school’s founding figure, diverged from the tradition of focusing on central mountains or waterfalls in his depictions of the landscape. Instead, he emphasized the interplay of light and atmosphere, particularly as seen from Kauterskill Clove in the eastern Catskill Mountains. This approach marked a shift from the sublime to the meditative, with compositions that invited contemplation rather than awe. In his painting A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove), a hunter and his dog are subtly integrated into the rugged terrain, progressing towards a viewpoint overlooking the hazy ravine. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10946?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&high=on&ao=on&showOnly=openAccess&ft=*&offset=80&rpp=80&pos=139

For a PowerPoint Presentation, titled 10 Paintings by Sanford Robinson Gifford, please… Check HERE!

The golden-rod is yellow; / The corn is turning brown; / The trees in apple orchards / With fruit are bending down.    /    The gentian’s bluest fringes / Are curling in the sun; / In dusty pods the milkweed / Its hidden silk has spun.    /    The sedges flaunt their harvest, / In every meadow nook; / And asters by the brook-side / Make asters in the brook    /    From dewy lanes at morning / The grapes’ sweet odors rise; / At noon the roads all flutter / With yellow butterflies.    /    By all these lovely tokens / September days are here, / With summer’s best of weather, / And autumn’s best of cheer.    /    But none of all this beauty / Which floods the earth and air / Is unto me the secret / Which makes September fair.    /    ‘T is a thing which I remember; / To name it thrills me yet: / One day of one September / I never can forget. Could Helen Hunt Jackson’s secret be the September Sunlight? https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/september-2/

Childe Hassam, born Frederick Childe Hassam on October 17, 1859, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, was a prominent American Impressionist painter. Growing up in Boston, Hassam initially worked as an illustrator and watercolourist before travelling to Paris in 1886 to study at the prestigious Académie Julian. It was in Paris that he was deeply influenced by the Impressionist movement, which shaped his distinctive style characterized by loose brushwork, vibrant colours, and the play of light. Upon returning to the United States, Hassam settled in New York City and became a key figure in promoting Impressionism in America. He co-founded the Ten American Painters, a group that broke away from the conservative Society of American Artists to embrace modern artistic trends.

Throughout his career, Hassam produced an extensive body of work, including urban and rural scenes, coastal landscapes, and his famous series of flag paintings created during World War I. His art often depicted the bustling life of New York City, serene New England landscapes, and the charm of French villages, capturing the essence of American and European scenes with a keen eye for detail and atmosphere. Hassam’s works are celebrated for their ability to convey the transient effects of light and mood, making him a pivotal figure in American art history. He continued to paint until his death on August 27, 1935, leaving a lasting legacy as one of America’s foremost Impressionist painters.

Hassam’s depictions of Parisian boulevards are celebrated as some of the most significant works in his artistic portfolio, with September Sunlight standing out as a quintessential example of his Parisian Impressionist pieces. In these paintings, Hassam captures the elegance of finely dressed Parisians in carriages and on strolls, offering a glimpse into the sophisticated lives of the city’s upper class. This particular scene encapsulates the vibrant energy of Paris that captivated Hassam. He once remarked… There is nothing so interesting to me as people. I am never tired of observing them in everyday life, as they hurry through the streets on business or saunter down the promenade on pleasure. Humanity in motion is a continual study to me. This fascination with the dynamic interplay of daily life is vividly brought to life in his art, reflecting his enduring interest in the bustling activity of the city. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/impressionisms-american-childe-2220574/

For a PowerPoint Presentation on Childe Hassam’s oeuvre, please… Check HERE!

Gull patrol / paranoiac survey / is it “I want to have a lot of sex” / or “I want to have sex a lot” / Paddle ball / wave swell / submerging the fabrics of the ’20s / at the only decent thrift shop / the TV shows still under the spell / of 9/11      and there / the little dictator / gassing his people / and here the handcuffed dead / and now the lifeguard slides / with expert force his tall red chair / backward along the sand to the ridge / the high tide makes at the edge / of the dunes. / Tide coming in / The profit and the loss / A surfboard for rescue /  and few in the water/ but remote seals and rumored sharks… writes Maureen N. McLane for Good Harbor Beach, and I think of the painting Jo Sketching at Good Harbor Beach by Edward Hopper! https://yalereview.org/author/maureen-n-mclane

Good Harbor Beach, located in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a picturesque stretch of coastline renowned for its stunning natural beauty. The beach features fine, white sand and clear, calm waters, making it an ideal destination for swimming and sunbathing. At low tide, a sandbar emerges, allowing visitors to walk to Salt Island and explore its rocky terrain. The surrounding dunes and beach grasses add to the scenic charm, while the panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean create a tranquil and inviting atmosphere. Popular with families, the beach offers amenities such as lifeguards, restrooms, and a concession stand, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience for all who visit.

Edward Hopper, the renowned American realist painter, and his wife, Josephine (Jo) Nivison Hopper, had a significant connection with Good Harbor Beach. The couple spent many summers in Gloucester, where the serene and picturesque landscapes greatly influenced Hopper’s work. With its distinct light and tranquil ambience, Good Harbour Beach served as a frequent subject and inspiration for Hopper’s paintings. Jo, also an artist, often accompanied Edward on his painting excursions, providing support and sometimes posing for his works. Their time at Good Harbor Beach not only enriched Hopper’s artistic output but also solidified their personal and professional partnership, as they shared a mutual appreciation for the natural beauty and peaceful environment of the area. This relationship is reflected in the contemplative and evocative qualities of Hopper’s beach scenes, capturing the essence of their experiences together.

Edward Hopper’s watercolour painting Jo Sketching at Good Harbor Beach housed in the Whitney Museum of American Art, beautifully captures a moment of serene artistic engagement. The painting features Hopper’s wife, Jo, seated on a sandy expanse with her sketchpad, intently focused on her work. The beach’s natural elements, rolling dunes, sparse vegetation, and the gentle contours of the shoreline, are rendered with Hopper’s distinctive use of light and shadow, imbuing the scene with a luminous quality. The composition highlights the harmony between the figure and the landscape, reflecting the couple’s shared artistic endeavours and their deep appreciation for the tranquil beauty of Good Harbor Beach. Hopper’s masterful technique in watercolour brings a sense of immediacy and intimacy to this quiet, reflective moment, emphasizing both the personal and artistic dimensions of their relationship.

Good Harbor Beach is artistically presented in Edward Hopper’s work through his evocative use of light, shadow, and composition, capturing the serene and contemplative essence of the landscape. His paintings often depict the beach’s expansive, sunlit sands, the calm waters, and the surrounding dunes with a sense of quiet introspection. Hopper’s characteristic style of realism, combined with his ability to portray the subtleties of natural light, brings the tranquil beauty and solitude of Good Harbor Beach to life. These works reflect Hopper’s deep connection to the area and his skill in transforming everyday scenes into profound visual poetry, highlighting the unique atmosphere of this coastal haven.

For a PowerPoint Presentation of Edward Hopper’s oeuvre, please… Check HERE!