Posts in category: American Art

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!

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art experts… During the 1950s and 1960s, Johns frequently appropriated well-known images such as targets, maps, and flags—in his words, “things the mind already knows.” White Flag is part of Jasper Johns’s famous flag series, which he began in 1954. In this rendering, he drains this iconic subject of its characteristic red, white, and blue coloration, leaving it to loom, ghostlike. The painting’s bleached appearance and composite layered form make the familiar image strange. By challenging our understanding of what constitutes a national symbol and complicating our relationship to this highly charged American image, it speaks powerfully, if ambiguously, to the issue of national identity. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/487065

Jasper Johns, born on May 15, 1930, in Augusta, Georgia, is a prominent American artist renowned for his pivotal role in developing postwar American art, particularly in the genres of Abstract Expressionism and Neo-Dada. His contributions extend beyond painting; he has also worked extensively in printmaking, sculpture, and collage. His methodical approach and use of encaustic—a technique involving pigment mixed with hot wax—imbue his works with a textured, tactile quality that invites close inspection. Over the decades, Jasper Johns has received numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and his works are featured in major museums and collections worldwide. His influence on contemporary art profoundly inspires generations of artists to explore the intersections of reality, perception, and artistic expression.

Jasper Johns’ paintings of American Flags emerged in the mid-1950s, a period when he sought to challenge and redefine the boundaries of artistic expression. The concept originated from a dream Johns had in 1954, in which he envisioned himself painting a large American flag. This dream inspired him to create his first flag painting using encaustic, a technique involving heated beeswax mixed with coloured pigments. This method allowed him to build up layers of texture and depth, emphasizing the materiality of the painting itself. His “Flag” (1954-55) became a groundbreaking work, as it juxtaposed a familiar symbol with a complex, tactile artistic process. By selecting an iconic image like the American flag, Johns deliberately chose a subject that was instantly recognizable, yet ripe for reinterpretation, encouraging viewers to see it in a new light.

The artistic value of Jasper Johns’ flag paintings lies in their ability to challenge conventional perspectives on representation and abstraction. These works are celebrated for their conceptual depth and technical innovation. By transforming a common national symbol into a subject of fine art, Johns questioned the distinction between “high” art and popular culture. The encaustic technique he employed added a richly textured surface, creating a sense of depth and solidity that contrasted with the flat, symbolic nature of the flag. This interplay between the literal and the abstract invites viewers to reconsider the flag’s meaning and significance. Moreover, Johns’ flags are seen as a precursor to the Pop Art movement, influencing artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. His work paved the way for future explorations of everyday objects in art, highlighting the potential for ordinary symbols to carry complex, layered meanings.

White Flag (1955) is a monumental work in the artist’s oeuvre and a significant piece in the history of contemporary art. Created shortly after his initial Flag painting, ‘White Flag’ represents Johns’ continued exploration of the American flag as an artistic subject. The painting is notable for its size and its use of encaustic, which Johns adopted to impart a textured, layered quality to his works. ‘White Flag’ was the first of Johns’ flag paintings to be rendered in a monochromatic palette, stripping away the traditional red, white, and blue colours. This alteration transformed the flag from a patriotic symbol into a more ambiguous, abstract form. By presenting the flag in white, Johns opened up a range of interpretations, inviting viewers to consider themes of purity, surrender, and neutrality.

The artistic value of ‘White Flag’ lies in its innovative approach to both medium and meaning. The use of encaustic gives the painting a rich, tactile surface, emphasizing the physicality of the flag and the artist’s hand in its creation. This technique also allows for subtle variations in texture and tone, creating a complex visual experience despite the limited colour palette. The monochromatic scheme forces viewers to focus on the structure and form of the flag itself, rather than its usual symbolic content. ‘White Flag’ exemplifies Johns’ ability to transform a familiar icon into a subject for deep artistic investigation. It challenges the viewer to see beyond the conventional associations of the American flag, encouraging a more nuanced and contemplative engagement with the image. This work, along with Johns’ other flag paintings, has had a profound influence on contemporary art, paving the way for future artists to explore and deconstruct cultural symbols in innovative ways.

For a PowerPoint, titled 10 Works of Art by Jasper Johns, please… Check HERE!

Let me quote Andrew Wyeth… I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something awaits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show… and introduce to you November First, a landscape of loneliness, decay, and renewal. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/wyeth-andrew/

Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) was a highly acclaimed American artist known for his realistic and detailed paintings, primarily in a style known as American Realism. He was born in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and was the youngest of the five children of the well-known illustrator and artist N.C. Wyeth. He gained widespread recognition for his works that often depicted the rural landscapes and people of Pennsylvania and Maine. He had a deep connection with the natural world, which was reflected in his art. Some of his most famous works include Christina’s World, a haunting and iconic painting depicting a young woman lying in a field, and the Helga Testorf series, which portrayed a German model and became a subject of much interest and controversy.

The artist masterfully captured for example, textures, surfaces, and subtle variations in light and shadow, creating a sense of hyper-realism in his paintings. His work centered around nature, landscapes, and rural scenes showing a deep appreciation for the natural world and often depicting it with great accuracy and sensitivity. He preferred a subdued and muted colour palette, typically using earth tones, greys, and muted greens. This choice of colours and the interplay of light and shadow in his paintings contributed to the quiet and contemplative mood of his works, evoking a sense of isolation, solitude, and introspection, quiet contemplation, and emotional depth. Depicting scenes and characters from rural America, Wyeth managed to capture the essence of American rural life, and portray its beauty, simplicity, and the passing of time.

Wyeth primarily used two main painting techniques, egg tempera and watercolour. Egg tempera involves mixing pigment with a water-soluble binder made from egg yolk, resulting in a luminous and finely detailed surface. Watercolour, on the other hand, allowed for a more fluid and transparent approach.

Created in 1950, November First is a watercolour painting on paper mounted on paperboard. Part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Wyeth’s painting depicts tattered cornstalks in a harvested field, and captures the cold damp of late autumn, portraying the inevitable cycles of decay and renewal… The cornfield shown in this watercolor was located near his studio in Chadds Ford, behind the house of Dr. Margaret Handy, the pediatrician who cared for Wyeth’s two children. https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/november-first-32150

Employing a subdued and muted colour palette that resonates with the November scenery, shades of ochre, gray, muted greens, and hints of blue, dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, and a range of brushwork techniques in watercolour, including washes, and drybrush, Wyeth created a painting that evokes the distinct feelings associated with the month of November. His composition is simple yet elegant, focusing on the beauty and essence of the seasonal landscape, emphasizing a sense of quietude, contemplation, and peacefulness often associated with late autumn and winter.

For a PowerPoint presentation, please… Check HERE!