The Great American Watercolor - Object labels for the exhibition

The Great American Watercolor

April 24 - July 3, 2010

Object labels for the exhibition

Boris Artzybashneff (1899-1965)

Hydraulic Press, n.d.

Gouache on board

Gift of Allied Thermal Company, 1963.24

Warren W. Baumgartner (1894-1963)

Smitty's Diner, 1943

Watercolor

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1946.27

Hilda Belcher (1894-1963)

June on the Stairway, c. 1925-35

Watercolor on board

Long term loan from Dr. and Mrs. Frederick Baekeland, 2005.156 LTL

Gifford Beal (1879-1956)

Seine Boats, n.d.

Watercolor and gouache on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.12

Beal began studying art with William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) at the age of 12. He later attended Princeton University and the Art Students League in New York, gaining a brilliant early education in the arts. His success came quickly as he was appointed a member of the National Academy of Design in 1914 after winning multiple prizes for his paintings and watercolors. Beal's subjects are varied; he enjoyed representing people from everyday life as well as landscapes from the East Coast where he spent many summers. In the 1930s, Beal developed a freer style in which he emphasized the abstract qualities of his subjects in bright and vibrant paintings.

Painted largely in a brown monochromatic palette, the reds, blues, and whites of the men's clothing are what boldly stand out in Seine Boats. These accents are the only details that individualize one worker from the other. The entire scene is outlined thickly in black which gives the image a defined appearance, and the anonymous figures are representative of Beal's idea of the general working class.

Reynolds Beal (1866-1951)

With Fair Monsoon, 1935

Watercolor

Gift of Sidney and Rhoda Bressler, 2007.46

Considered one of America's earliest Impressionist painters, Beal attended Cornell University where his focus of study was naval architecture. However, he began his formal art training at William Merritt Chase's Shinnecock Summer School in 1896. Fortunate enough to be supported by his family's wealth, Beal spent the next few years traveling and painting in Portugal, the Caribbean, and the West Coast. Though his naval training provided him with accurate and detailed knowledge of ships, he took more interest in exploring the relationship between air and water. His playful and lively paintings made Beal highly successful and popular, and he went on to found the Society of Independent Artists and the New Society of Artists with George Bellows (1882-1925), Childe Hassam (1859-1935), John Sloan (1871-1951), William Glackens (1870-1938) and Maurice Prendergast (1858-1924). His younger brother, Gifford Beal (1879-1956), was also a successful painter.

Filled with vibrant and sweeping brushstrokes, With Fair Monsoon is a striking view of an exotic Chinese junk cutting through turbulent waters. Circles and blots of color depict the sailormen, and only enough detail is given to make out a few heads and torsos. Unfurled and grand, the ship's large fiery-red sails are the painting's primary focus. They stretch up over nearly half of the composition in a bold contrast to the rolling blues and greens of the sea. The large and overwhelming clouds fill the scene's backdrop, emphasizing the unseen wind.

C. Ronald Bechtle (b. 1924)

#505 Fragmented Myth, 1985

Watercolor and pastel on paper

Gift of the Artist, 1990.04

Bechtle was born in Philadelphia where he attended Temple University, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The School of Industrial Art, and the Fleisher Memorial Art Foundation. From 1952 to 1955, he studied privately with artist Benton Spruance (1904-1967). Heavily influenced by the works of Piero Della Francesa, Rembrandt, Goya, Matisse, and Gorky, Bechtle's work has primarily been abstract or semi-abstract in character. Though most of his paintings are titled by number, the artist says they are not in chronological order. Working exclusively in watercolor, crayon, pastel and pencil, Bechtle has exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and has been president of Group 55, Philadelphia Abstract Artists.

In what appears to be a bisection of the ground, there is a large area of brown with a small horizon near the top of the painting. The colors are bright, but remain earthen. The paint is applied in loose, wide strokes that surround small and barely recognizable images. In the lower right, they resemble a telephone or a lamp. There also appears to be an image of an earthenware vessel. These images evoke thoughts of an archaeological excavation, or perhaps a graveyard. The watercolor has been drawn over in areas with a crayon. This inconsistency of the wax strokes against the watercolor adds yet another level to the mystery.

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)

Three Cotton Pickers, c. 1930s

Watercolor

Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Frederic Tudor, 1972.43

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Benton was an American regionalist best known for his mural paintings that depict everyday scenes of mid-western life. His most famous murals are located in the New Britain Museum of American Art as well as in such diverse locations as the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City and in the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. Benton served as a teacher and mentor to the young Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), an abstract expressionist painter who is considered to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Through his burly and energetic paintings, Benton celebrates the notion of a self-reliant America emerging from the Great Depression.

Three Cotton Pickers was based on sketches Benton made in 1928 during a trip through central Georgia. He described his inspiration as "a land of beauty and horror, of cultivation and refinement, laid over misery and degradationin spite of this the South remains our romantic land." The cotton pickers' kneeling bodies in the foreground are angled in a way that draws the viewer's eyes up to follow their gaze. In their sight is an older woman, the only one painted in vibrant color. Behind her, a modest cabin stands apart. They are surrounded by a frenzied landscape with their backs to the viewer and their faces unset; the cotton pickers betray no obvious emotions or thoughts of their livelihood. Kneeling in front of the land that they arduously tend to, they give a sense of gravity and importance to the scene.

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)

Busy Corner, n.d.

Watercolor

Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Frederic Tudor, 1922.42

As the title suggests, the scene is of a busy corner sprawled with crowds of people. In this bustling vision, even the skyline is full of activity. Advertisements, traffic lights, and an NRA flag hail over the city folk as they pass below. The clock tower attempts to give the time but the lack of numbers makes it impossible to read. Broad black lines make up the detail in the brown and gray color scheme. The angled perspective directs our attention to the center foreground where two women are crossing the street. Their postures are tense and their arms are clutched close to their body. Interestingly, their stances perfectly mirror the two men that are walking opposite them, and both groups lean away from each other as they watch the others pass.

Allen Blagden (b. 1938)

Eleuthra, c. 1977

Watercolor

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1977.3

Blagden was born in Salisbury, Connecticut, to a family of artists; his father and two sisters were painters and his brother was a photographer. Blagden's first art teacher was his father, Thomas Blagden (1911-2010), and since he rejected the popular abstract style of the time, he studied realism in the tradition of Winslow Homer (1836-1910) and Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009). Blagden's lifelike watercolors are meticulously painted using a "drybrush" method in which he used a small paintbrush to achieve the characteristic scratchy and textured look. He received a fellowship to study at Yale University's Summer School in 1961 and graduated with a B.F.A from Cornell University the following year. Early in his career he was an illustrator for the department of Ornithology at the Smithsonian Institute. Later on, he won an Allied American Artist's Prize in 1964 and a National Academy of Design Award in 1976.

In Eleuthra, Blagden paints with rich texture and depth that softens an otherwise stark scene. The solitary and heroic figure appears relaxed next to a weathered gray boat, both anchored in the warm island sand. Blagden's fingerprints can be seen in the texture of his figure's pants, arms, and shirt, creating the gradients from denim to dust. The scratchy sand dunes in the foreground are literally scratched and etched into the paper by the artist's varied tools.

Varujan Boghosian (b. 1926)

King's Crown, 1949-50

Watercolor

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1951.17

Boghosian is best known for his unique sculptures made of a variety of incongruous objects and old relics, such as weathered barn doors and antique dolls' heads. He was born in New Britain, Connecticut, to Armenian immigrants, where his father worked at the Stanley Tool Works. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he entered the Vesper George School of Art in Boston. In 1953, he received a Fulbright grant to paint in Italy, and from 1956 to 1959, he worked with Josef Albers (1888-1976), a geometric abstractionist, at Yale University.

Boghosian's works relate to medieval themes of knights and death as well as Greek mythology; themes which he further explored through the writing of his own poetry. Over his career he has received many awards and accolades and has held many teaching positions, including one at Dartmouth College.

Reminiscent of a dream or fantasy, King's Crown is a dark yet whimsical watercolor of a broken and dilapidated manor. The alien landscape surrounding the home juts out in violent tufts, augmenting the dream. Splatters and blotches of reddish browns, blues, and blacks contrast with the sharp lines of the columns, support beams, and staircase, though the blotted shapes echo the spider webs that adorn them. Some details are precise yet others are left unformed or absent. This mysterious vision invites the viewer to examine the notions of home and memory.

The watercolor was purchased by Sanford Low and represents Boghosian's first work ever purchased by an American museum.

Carolyn Brady (B. 1937)

Baltimore Tea Party with Calla Leaves, 1983

Watercolor on paper

Friends Purchase Fund, 1983.3

Robert Bolling Brandegee

(1848-1922)

Strawberries, 1867

Watercolor on wove paper

Gift of Robert L. Brandegee, 73.110

Alfred T. Bricher (1837-1908)

Confidence, 1880

Watercolor on paper mounted on board

Given in memory of Anthony and Mary Malinowski, 1993.20

Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Bricher has traveled extensively throughout New England, and his early style conforms to the Hudson River School. His appreciation for landscape is shown in his contemplative paintings that carefully delineate nature's beauty. Bricher had little formal training; however, he became well-known for his marine paintings and was elected a member of both the National Academy of Design and the American Watercolor Society in 1879.

Confidence depicts two elegantly dressed women standing within the gate of a sheltered but softly sunlit pathway. They whisper to each other in secret as the light illuminates their ruffles and lace. This Luminist style was typical of Bricher's work. Details such as one woman's gossamer sleeve are handled with delicacy and ease, the skin of her right arm just barely discernible. The foliage encloses the two women but does not overwhelm them. Instead, it adds to the veiled atmosphere of the setting along with the subtle light that filters through the leaves.

Carl William Broemel (1891-1984)

Quinces and Pears, 1962

Watercolor and graphite on board

A. W. Stanley Fund, 1964.44

The only son of a master woodcarver from Germany, Broemel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended the Cleveland School of Art in 1907 as the youngest student ever admitted. Upon graduating in 1909, he went on to study at the National Academy of Art in New York City. In 1935, he was appointed the District Supervisor of the WPA for the Cleveland area where he designed the famous red, white, and blue WPA poster that was used nationwide. He also experimented with abstract painting in the early 1970s, following a trip to the coast of Yugoslavia.

Quinces and Pears is a luscious and vibrant example of Broemel's watercolors. The hues of brown and gold emanate warmth against the cold, vivid white background. The cascading sheet also adds texture as it ripples and gathers across the tabletop. Broemel expertly outlines the clear crystal bowl by employing light and reflections to articulate its hard surfaces. His use of color and sense of vitality captures the viewer's gaze.

William F. Brooks (1872-1950)

San Baratta, Venice, June 9, n.d.

Watercolor on paper

Gift of the Artist, 1949.30.1-20

Brooks, a resident of New Britain, was a graduate of the Columbia School of Architecture, and a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. He ran the successful architecture firm of Davis & Brooks in Hartford for several years. The firm designed the Hartford Municipal Building and many other works in the Colonial and Georgian Revival styles. Brooks traveled extensively throughout Europe to view classical architecture, using watercolors as a means to record inspirational vistas. He later helped found the New Britain Museum of American Art and bequeathed a sum of money to purchase works on paper. The Museum houses over 200 watercolors by Brooks.

San Baratta, Venice, June 9 shows one of the famous Venetian water ways and his architectural background offers a keen sense of perspective and scale. Brooks' loose brushstrokes accurately depict detailed figures. The palette is subdued, using mainly blue and rose tones that show both the reflection of the water onto the buildings and the warm summer day. The under-drawing is apparent in areas where Brooks used the plain white paper as highlights. In the canal, it appears as if Brooks first wet the paper before applying the watercolor in order to bleed the pigments and create an interesting water-like effect.

Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Lavender and Old Lace, 1939-1947

Watercolor on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1952.29

Born in Ohio, Burchfield was inspired by the rural landscapes of his childhood. Seeking to become an illustrator, he enrolled in the Cleveland School of Art. However, he preferred watercolor scenes and returned to painting, which he believed allowed more emotion and movement to translate into his artworks. Burchfield explains why his vibrant landscapes never include figures: "It's my feeling that carries the human element. This is what has to put the sense of life in it." Burchfield was never an active part of the New York City art scene as he preferred to remain somewhat isolated.

In a richly orchestrated interplay of motif, including the foliage of the bushes, the grass, the flame-like petaled flowers, the orioles, and the writhing arabesques of the elm branches, Burchfield portrays nature as an animated and vital life force. The overgrowth of plants that slowly encroaches on the dilapidated manmade structures demonstrates nature's willful attempts at reclamation and symbolizes the inevitability of human mortality. In Lavender and Old Lace, the artist integrates semi-abstract conventions in an otherwise straightforward farm scene. The trees and forests in the background are represented as Gothic architectural structures where the intersecting braches appear as leaded frames of stained glass windows. A strange light which seems to come from within the tree passes through the Gothic arch-shaped openings in the branches, giving the scene a majestic and ethereal quality. Lavender and Old Lace is considered one of Burchfield's masterpieces.

Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Early Spring Mood, 1955

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Olga H. Knoepke, 1992.2

Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Sunlight on Trees, 1915

Watercolor

Given in memory of Anthony and Mary Malinowski, 1993.22

John Wesley Carroll (1892-1959)

Nude Woman, 1937

Watercolor and graphite on paper

Gift of Mr. Louis Z. Hammer and Mr. Harrison E. Eddins, 1981.88.16

Mildred Bailey Carpenter

(1894-1985)

Medieval Procession, n.d.

Watercolor on paper on board

Gift of Mrs. Mark Lacey, 1970.5

Giorgio Cavallon (1904-1989)

Untitled (#299), 1955

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Dolores T. Hilding, 1995.37

John Clark Center (1804-1898)

Message to the Sticklands, 1897

Watercolor and ink on paper

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1995.37

William V. Conlin (1925-2009)

Cleaning the Stack, 1944

Watercolor on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1946.23

Felix Octavius Carr Darley (1822-1888)

Interior of a Blacksmith Shop, c.1861

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Howard H. Bristol, Jr., 1977.76

Robert Verity Clem (b. 1933)

Abington Brook, 1983

Watercolor

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1983.69

A native of Massachusetts, Clem has been a devoted nature lover and observer his whole life. While Clem never took any formal painting lessons, his work has been compared to that of Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009). Surprisingly, he has no formal training. In the 1950s and 60s, due to large commissions, he won acclaim for his outstanding depictions of birds. Subsequently, he decided to create views of a bird's environment as a whole and became an established landscape painter. In 1983, he had a solo exhibition at the New Britain Museum of American Art.

Abington Brook shows a small brook located in Pomfret, Connecticut. This subjective landscape captures nature as experienced by the artist. Clem was an avid painter of his favorite haunts and imbued his paintings with personal feeling. His exquisite watercolor searches for natural truths which his keen observation and sense of detail reveal.

Alexander Corazzo (1908-1971)

Surrealist Abstract, 1938

Gouache on paper

Gift of Marilyn and Michael Gould, 2007.120

Charles DeCarlo (1911-2003)

Stonington, Connecticut, n.d.

Watercolor on board

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1957.05

Charles Demuth (1883-1925)

Acrobats, 1916

Watercolor

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.13

Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Demuth studied at both Drexel Institute and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. As a young man he traveled to Paris where he was part of the avant garde and was influenced by the art of Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). Demuth created many watercolors with a breadth and force of brushwork and color that reflect the Fauve movement in Paris. Demuth is known as one of America's first "moderns." Many of his paintings were left in the hands of fellow artist and friend Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) who helped ensure his legacy after his death.

Acrobats depicts a simple yet charming scene of an elegantly dressed couple dancing. In the scene, the man lifts up his partner with ease and dips her forward with her legs swung high in the air. Her face, with eyes shut, is calmly composed and tranquil as her body defies gravity. Demuth's original pencil sketches are left visible underneath the blend of primary colors which keeps the figures distinct from each other. The bright yellow circle acts as a spotlight behind the couple though they seem unaware of the outside world and any observers.

Charles Demuth (1883-1925)

Daisies, 1925

Watercolor and graphite on wove paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.14

Daisies is a typical example of Demuth's style of incorporating bright colors, fluid lines, and luminous washes in his watercolors. His quick sketches in pencil emerge through the clouded shapes and brushstrokes, acting as fine details that anchor the painting. Each petal is carefully outlined within a greater whole. They are distinct yet not separated. His unique style is reminiscent of Cubism.

Preston Dickinson (1891-1930)

Abstraction, 1922

Watercolor, gouache, charcoal and graphite on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.15

Born in New York City, Dickinson decided to follow in his father's footsteps and attend art school. He enrolled in the Art Students League in New York City and subsequently continued his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts and Académie Julien in Paris. While there, he was influenced by the work of Cezanne and Fauve artists, such as Matisse. In the 1920s, his work took on the style of the Precisionist movement and he developed a preference for painting machinery with geometrical and abstract qualities that recalled the clean and hard edges of American industry.

As one of his most abstract and forward-thinking paintings, Abstraction depicts a stylish, domestic setting decorated with a large circular table that dominates the foreground. The strong radial lines that converge on the tabletop create a steep angle within the composition that forces the eye of the viewer to travel upward. Dickinson also employs faceted forms, transparent planes, and diverse light sources to help flatten the composition and interrupt spatial recession. His geometrical interpretation of the painting's fixtures contrasts boldly with the amorphous designs of the Chinese rugs. The limited tonal range of ink blues, grays, browns, and yellows helps to unify the overall picture.

Walt Disney (1901-1966)

Doc, c. 1937

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Lon C. Hill, 1969.10

Stevan Dohanos (1907-1994)

The Thruway, 1956

Watercolor

Grace Judd Landers Fund, 1957.09

Thomas Eldred (1903-1993)

Geometric Abstract, 1941

Watercolor

Gift of Michael and Marilyn Gould, 2007.115

Robert Eshoo (b. 1926)

Factories, New Britain, CT, 1948

Watercolor on paper

Gift of the Artist, 2005.5

Edmond James Fitzgerald (1912-1989)

Along the Yukon, 1940

Watercolor and graphite on wove paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1950.33

Guy Pène du Bois (1884-1958)

Rima, 1941

Mix media: Watercolor and pastel on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1942.15

Born in Brooklyn, Du Bois studied in New York City with distinguished artists William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) and Robert Henri (1865-1929). Unlike Henri and others of "The Eight," Du Bois did not try to paint the urban poor and instead sought to expose society's failings by depicting mocking and satirical views of New York's aristocracy. In his most famous paintings, he used a style of minimal modeling and rounded forms that made his characters appear more like dolls or mannequins than people. Art critic Duncan Phillips (1886-1966) praised Du Bois as "an irrepressible mocker of human absurdity." However, due to increasing health problems in the late 1940s, Du Bois was forced to stop painting altogether by 1950. The Museum houses a comprehensive collection of his work, largely because of the friendship between the artist and the Museum's loyal patron, A.W. Stanley.

Rima is a portrait of a young woman posed in profile. The woman wears a long dress, whose vibrant and busy pattern evokes a Monet painting. The colors are further echoed in the woman's face where the blues and reds highlight her cheekbones, brows, and hair. Her laced sleeves drape thickly over her arms while the same material frames her delicate neck. The woman's posture is slack while her gaze is unfocused. Lost in pensive thought, her head is tilted to one side and her hands, mere flesh-colored forms, are lazily folded across her lap.

Walton Ford (b. 1960)

Fallen Mias, 2000

Watercolor, gouache, ink and pencil on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 2001.45

Ford, born in White Plains, New York, identifies deeply with his family's Southern ancestry. These Southern ties have had a strong influence on Ford's sensitivity to nature's bounty, and have also drawn him to appreciate the art of the traditional Southern naturalist, John James Audubon (1785-1851). Ford adopted Audubon's style of brightly colored animal and bird illustrations, yet he goes beyond the meticulous aesthetics to add a deeper meaning. For example, contemporary cultural Darwinism is hinted at in some of his paintings. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and has received many fellowships since 1989 when he moved to New York. Ford was given a New/Now Exhibition at the New Britain Museum of American Art in 2004 and has been celebrated in this country and abroad as one of the most influential and successful watercolor artists of our time.

Fallen Mias, "mias" being the Indonesian word for orangutans, is a critical depiction of environmentalist Biruté Galdikas' and humankind's involvement with orangutan wildlife. An adult male orangutan angrily swings across the canvas, forcing the two younger orangutans to flee in fright. In his hand he menacingly wields a camera high above his head as the woman in the lower left hand, presumably Galdikas, struggles to chase after him. There is considerable irony in this work as it portrays the scientist being confronted and assailed by the very subject she is trying to protect. This is further heightened by the raging inferno seen in the distance, its billowing smoke blackening the jungle landscape and skies.

David Fredenthal (1914-1958)

Manhattan and Me, 1949

Watercolor on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1950.22

Sue Fuller (1914-2006)

Woodland Waterfall, 1935

Gouache on paper

Gift of Priscilla Cunningham, 2009.10

Henry Martin Gasser (1909-1981)

Industrial Vista, 1948

Watercolor

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1949.07

D. Glasgow (1834-1858)

Havana Cathedral, 1857

Watercolor and graphite on paper

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Emigh, 1982.3

Jeremiah Goodman (B. 1923)

Betsy Bloominigdale Holmby Hills Drawing Room, 2002

Watercolor on paper

Gift of the Artist, 2004.7

Charles B. Ferguson (b. 1918)

August, 1966

Casein tempera on board

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1967.1

Charles B. Ferguson was the second director of the New Britain Museum of American Art and held this position from 1965 until 1984. During his years at the Museum, Ferguson acquired many of our finest paintings. He organized the first art education programs and mounted many scholarly exhibitions, often rediscovering American artists long forgotten. Before accepting his position at the Museum, Ferguson was the Director of Art at the Loomis School and an instructor of painting and history of art at Trinity College. He left the Museum after nearly twenty years to concentrate on his successful career as an artist.

As viewers, we are used to looking at paintings of flowers in vases or cut flowers as part of still lives. Therefore, it is interesting that August shows us a unique and innovative view of flowers. The viewer looks up at them, also known as a "worm's eye" view. This point of view reminds one of late summer days when school children would lie in the grass and day dream while watching the clouds change and observing the birds in the sky. Ferguson's paintings are thoroughly painted and show his style of intensified yet poetic realism.

Walter Gay (1856-1937)

Le Breau at Night, 1932

Gouache on paper

Anonymous Gift, 1992.107

Gay, born in Massachusetts, was well-established in Boston's art society since his uncle Winckworth Allan Gay (1821-1910) was a prominent painter. Through his uncle's connections, he met and studied with William Morris Hunt (1824-1879) from 1873 to 1876. In 1876, he moved to Paris where he worked in French academic painter Leon Bonnat's (1833-1922) studio. Bonnat, along with the Spanish artist Mariano Fortuny (1838-1874), were both key influences on Gay's subsequent work. Traditional Parisian interiors were often the subject matter of his paintings where he put particular focus on the space's decoration and arrangement.

Located in the French countryside near Fontainebleau, Chateau Le Breau was the beloved home of the artist and his wife, Matilda, for many years. The castle has appeared in many of Gay's works and Le Breau at Night offers a rarely seen and underappreciated view of the home at nighttime. Adding to the mystery and whimsy of the chateau is the lack of details in the building's facade, which is hidden under the painting's heavy color palette and shadow. Tragically, during World War II the home was occupied by German officers and Matilda died virtually a prisoner in her own home in 1943. The chateau has since been torn down and only the twin entranceways and stable blocks still stand.

Morris Cole Graves (1910-2001)

Wounded Scoter, 1944

Watercolor and gouache on pieced rice paper on linen

Friends Purchase Fund, 1982.24

Originally from Oregon, Graves had little success in the art world until 1942, when a curator at New York's Museum of Modern Art placed his paintings in an exhibition and gave him almost instant national recognition. Graves' most recognizable works are repeated images of woodland animals and insects set against abstract settings, providing a provocative juxtaposition. Graves' influences lay well outside main stream modernism and include Asian spiritual traditions such as Hinduism, Daoism, and Zen Buddhism as well as American Transcendentalism. Graves' reputation faded in the 1950s as he shunned modernity and was labeled a "sociable recluse" upon his move to Northern California.

With his Zen-like approach to art making, Graves creates images that are characterized by an elusive balance of naturalistic observation and a mystical state of mind. In Wounded Scoter, he conveys the sense of both stasis and flight by depicting the bird's webbed feet planted flatly on the ground as it vainly tries to stretch its head upward towards the skies. The diagonal of the would-be flight is emphatically broken by the pink of the wounded black wing at the center of the composition. Graves employs the use of bold white calligraphic strokes that represent another set of wings which powerfully simulate the bird's imaginary flight.

George Grosz (1893-1959)

The Model, 1940

Watercolor on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1952.11

Grosz was a German-born painter known for his satirical drawings of Berlin life in the 1920s. In 1914, Grosz volunteered to enlist in World War I. However, the artist quickly became disillusioned and was discharged after hospitalization. He was drafted into service again in 1917, but was discharged yet again for being psychologically unfit after a violent episode in a mental hospital. Thus, Grosz came to hate war and German militarism, and moved to the U.S. in 1933. He often depicted Germans as ugly and obese caricatures in his drawings. Grosz describes his art to possess "hardness, brutality, [and] clarity that hurts!" Despite his views and coarse depictions, Grosz achieved mainstream popularity for his brilliant satire.

Among Grosz's favorite subjects and models was his wife, Eva, whom he often painted in the nude. Executed in bold, elaborate brush strokes, The Model is a semi-realist depiction of the artist at work. Occupying much of the foreground, the nude model is painted in warm and vibrant flesh tones of brown and red. In the upper right corner, the artist can be seen painting at his easel. Rather than taking any of the scene's focus, he is presented more as an afterthought and is as much of an observer as the viewer. In wisps of cool blues and grays, the artist is easily blended into the wild landscape and sky.

Gerorge Grosz (1893-1959)

The Funeral, 1938

Watercolor

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1946.1

Frederic Rodrigo Gruger (1871-1953)

Grecian Italy, 1924

Watercolor

Gift of Margaret B. Gruger, 2000.27 LIC

Herbert J. Gute (1907-1977)

Trimenbal, n.d.

Watercolor on paper mounted on board

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1957.03

Herbert J. Gute (1907-1977)

Pounding Gold Leaf, n.d.

Watercolor, gouache and gold leaf on board

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bakewell, 1981.83

George Hawley Hallowell (1871-1926)

The Wissataquoick Drive, n.d.

Watercolor on board

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.02

Dubois Fenelon Hasbrouck (1860-1934)

Snow Scene, c. late 19th century

Watercolor

Promised Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Frederick Baekeland, 2005.79

The fourth of eight children, Hasbrouck grew up on his family's farm in Pine Hill, New York. During a visit to the farm, New York artist John George Brown (1831-1913) inspired a 16-year-old Hasbrouck to learn painting. In the late 1870s, Hasbrouck studied at Cooper Union Art School in New York City. His first exhibition was in 1884 at the National Academy of Design. By 1888, Hasbrouck was an established artist who participated in many national exhibitions. He later went insane and died incarcerated.

Hasbrouck's landscape watercolor Snow Scene displays his ability to express the subtleties of each season as well as his interest in depicting his hometown region of New York. Snow Scene is painted in the impressionist style and denotes the delicacies of the winter season. Hasbrouck's cool color palette allows him to capture the interior landscape of a forest during the starkness of the winter season. Large bare trees on either side of the painting act as a gate, while a set of footprints leads the viewer deep into the woods in the distance.

Frederick Childe Hassam (1859-1935)

Catskills, Grant House, 1917

Watercolor

Charles and Elizabeth Buchanan Collection, 1989.29

Frederick Childe Hassam was born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, but dropped out of high school in his third year. He started to seriously study art in 1877 at the age of 18, and in 1886 moved to Paris to attend the Académie Julian. However, it was not in this academic environment that Hassam first encountered Impressionism. This American Impressionist master was first exposed to Impressionism at various exhibitions in Parisian art galleries. He established his career with his watercolor paintings, which were mainly landscapes, compared to his later work that depicted urban scenes. As a result, Hassam's body of work is characterized by an evolution of diverse styles.

Catskills, Grant House depicts the Catskills to the northwest of New York City. Hassam often sketched outdoors and enjoyed seeking out subjects that were emblematic of rural life and had a historic past. Most of this painting is taken over by the mountain and vegetation, restricting the palette to various hues of greens, browns, and blues. Despite its title, the house is rather difficult to find in the vast landscape. Hassam shows a place that is a stark contrast to New York City by painting a landscape in which nature still reigns over man. Hassam spent June of 1917 in the Catskills as well as in Exeter, New Hampshire, another wilderness virtually untouched by man.

Frederick Childe Hassam (1859-1935)

Washington Monument, 1926

Watercolor

Charles and Elizabeth Buchanan Collection, 1989.28

Frederick Childe Hassam was born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, but dropped out of high school in his third year. He started to seriously study art in 1877 at the age of 18, and in 1886 he moved to Paris to attend the Académie Julian. However, it was not in this academic environment that Hassam first encountered Impressionism. This American Impressionist master was first exposed to Impressionism at various exhibitions in Parisian art galleries. He established his career with his watercolor paintings, which were mainly landscapes, compared to his later work that depicted urban scenes. As a result, Hassam's body of work is characterized by an evolution of diverse styles.

Washington Monument is painted in a monochromatic palette of blue tones that reflect the winter season. The season also explains the darker palette of this painting since winter days receive less sunlight than summer days. This seems to be an unusual approach since one might expect a Hassam watercolor to be full of light and vibrant colors, yet this painting is cool and solemn.

The Washington Monument fills nearly the entire painting, and dwarfs the building and trees below it.

The artist's energetic brushstrokes convey energy. This painting is a good example of Hassam's practice of depicting the modern city softened by snow, rain, brilliant sunlight, or the fall of night.

John Held, Jr. (1889-1958)

John Held, Jr. was the most famous magazine illustrator of the 1920s, and one of the most recognized illustrators of the twentieth century. His cheerful art defined the flapper era so well that many people are familiar with his illustrations to this day. He designed covers for Life magazine, created cartoons for The New Yorker, and illustrated many children's books and Saturday Evening Post covers over his long and successful career.

John Held, Jr. (1889-1958)

Unicorn Family, n.d.

Gouache

Gift of the Maggie Held Estate, 1999.37 LIC

John Held, Jr. (1889-1958)

Cowboy and Birds (A Cowboy St. Francis), c. 1935

Gouache on board

Museum Purchase (Sanford B. D. Low Memorial Illustration Fund) and Gift of Mrs. John Held, Jr., 1986.53 LIC

Peter Helck (1893-1988)

Briarcliff Trophy Race of 1908, 1962

Casein on board

Gift of the Artist, 1967.15 LIC

John William Hill (1812-1879)

Still Life (Vegetables), 1874

Watercolor on paper

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1977.21

John William Hill (1812-1879)

Landscape, 1869

Watercolor and gouache on wove paper

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1977.2

Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)

Burt Bacharach, c. 1994

Ink over pencil on board

Gift of Louise Kerz, 1995.32 LIC

Al Hirschfeld drew many portraits of people in the show business. Although Hirschfeld is referred to as a caricaturist, he prefers the term "characterist." According to art critic John Russell, "[Hirschfeld] is an enjoyer, not a destroyer." Since Hirschfeld is not interested in deforming or showing deficiencies in his subjects, he joins them in their pantomime and is able to capture the characters and personalities of his sitters.

Burt Bacharach is a successful and well-known musician who was an influential figure during the 60s and 70s. As of 2006, Bacharach had written 70 Top 40 hits in the U.S., and 52 Top 40 hits in the U.K. He collaborated with such diverse musicians as Elvis Costello, Oasis, and Dr. Dre during the 90s and 00s.

It is interesting to note how many times Hirschfeld has hidden the name of his daughter, Nina, in this drawing of Burt Bacharach. The number next to Hirschfeld's signature indicates how many times the name is hidden. Hirschfeld started including his daughter's name in his artworks after she was born in 1945. In 1961 he started to include a number next to his signature to indicate how many times the name is hidden in the drawing. Can you find all three?

Hirschfeld had a show of his drawings at the New Britain Museum of American Art in 1999. When he entered the gallery, the crowd simultaneously gave him a thunderous round of applause. He was beloved by many who avidly followed his career over many years.

Gustave Adolphe Hoffman (1869-1945)

Tomb of Sheik just below Pyramids, 1911

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Mrs. Ida Durand, 1982.50

Winslow Homer (1836-1910)

Ship's Boat, 1883

Watercolor

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1940.02

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Homer developed an interest in art at a young age while he was serving as a lithographer's apprentice. In 1857, he became a freelance illustrator and contributed engravings to many popular magazines, including Harper's Weekly. During the Civil War, he produced paintings and illustrations of life on the front. After the war, Homer's subject matter switched to a rural emphasis on peacetime Americ. His changing subject matter throughout the years reflects his personal observations of American history.

Homer's Ship's Boat depicts a dramatic and epic scene of survival. Turbulent waves wash over the men who are clinging to their overturned boat as they collide with the jagged coast. The artist's energetic but controlled brushstrokes deftly convey the peril and action, putting the viewer within the struggle. The watercolor's muted colors in the sea and sky appears bleak as the sailors' situation while the coarse landscape beyond the coast offers no sympathy, only isolation.

It is rare to see together both the completed watercolor and the pen drawing which inspired it. The New Britain Museum of American Art is fortunate to have both.

Winslow Homer (1836-1910)

Study for Ship's Boat, 1883

Ink and charcoal on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1956.07

Marion Huse (1905-1983)

Untitled (Two Seated Figures), n.d.

Watercolor on cardboard

Gift of the Fuller Craft Museum, 2153

Emil J. Kosa, Jr. (1903-1968)

Where I Dream by Day, 1939

Watercolor on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1942.24

Fay Ku (B. 1974)

See What You Do?, 2008

Graphite and watercolor on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 2009.33

Winslow Homer (1836-1910)

Young Girl at Window, 1875

Watercolor

Harriett Russell Stanley Fund,1950.15

Though small, the size of Young Girl at Window is what contributes to its overall closeness and intimacy. The eye is quickly drawn into the painting by the busy foliage and then slowly travels upward to the delicate face of the young girl. The strong colors of the composition are contrasted by the red bow in her hair and her full lips against the muted colors of the background. Her handkerchief is a shocking white that seems to wave the viewer in. While possessing an inviting feeling, the young girl's distant expression also conveys a wistful and contemplative mood. The diminutive size of Young Girl at Window beckons the viewer to look closely at this intimate painting.

Edward Hopper (1882-1967)

Abbot's House, c. 1926

Watercolor on wove paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1946.19

Hailing from Nyack, New York, Hopper began drawing at the age of five and eventually moved to New York City to study art at the New York School of Art. There, he was surrounded by such talented peers as Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), George Bellows (1882-1925), and Gifford Beal (1879-1956), all of whom made a reputation more quickly than Hopper. In 1906, he traveled to Paris not to study, but simply to paint the scenery. Success as a painter came slowly to Hopper, and it was not until 1923 with his watercolor exhibition in Brooklyn that critics recognized his strengths in depicting the American landscape.

In the 1920s, Hopper spent four consecutive summers painting in the fishing town of Gloucester. His focus was on the architecture of the houses and he was particularly intrigued with depicting the manner in which sunlight hit these buildings. Painted in one sitting on a cold, late September day, Abbot's House is a prime example of his New England scenes. In this painting, the sun shines from the right of the composition, resulting in a wash-out effect on the right side of the house. In contrast, the front façade of the house is quite dark, making this image arresting and dramatic.

David Claypoole Johnston (1799-1865)

Children Playing Soldiers (Fourth of July), c.1829

Watercolor and gouache on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1977.22

Born in Philadelphia, Johnston delved into the art world at a young age by becoming an engraver's apprentice. One of the first American artists to master the new medium of lithography, he enjoyed comic illustration. He started the journal Scraps in 1828 which contained four etched plates depicting the idiosyncrasies of daily life. His cartoons took a satirical turn, as he began criticizing elements of contemporary American society. The frequent depiction of children in his art, for example, is not meant to be seen as innocent, but rather as a parody of the childishness and ineptitudes of the American populace.

Children Playing Soldiers is a humorous portrayal of two boys dressed in makeshift uniforms pretending to ride into war. The boy at left wears a plumed folded-newspaper cockade of a military officer. Riding a broomstick horse and brandishing a toy sword, he eagerly gallops after his companion who holds an American flag and drags a toy cannon. His companion is dressed like a soldier from the French Revolution wearing a red Phrygian cap. On one level, Children Playing Soldiers can be seen as a lighthearted depiction of childhood play, a theme typical of the genre in the 19th century. On another, it is in the same vein as Johnston's other works that poke fun at America's peacetime military groups.

John La Farge (1835-1910)

Apple Blossoms in Small Chinese Vase (Turquoise Blue) c. 1879

Watercolor and gouache on paper

Harriett Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.09

Born into a wealthy family of French immigrants in New York City, La Farge was instructed by his father to pursue a law career. Upon his father's death, he moved to Rhode Island to study in the studio of William Morris Hunt (1824-1879). La Farge became interested in still life and landscape painting and had intentions of studying in Paris, but the impending Civil War halted his plans. He remained in Rhode Island with a prosperous lifestyle, and continued painting. La Farge traveled to Japan in 1886 and the South Seas in 1890-91 with the famous author Henry Adams (1838-1918). Both trips influenced his subject matter greatly and allowed him to vary his style. La Farge actively explored watercolor techniques during the whole of his career. Tragically, La Farge was committed to a mental institution in 1910 where he spent the last several months of his elderly life.

La Farge's Apple Blossoms in Small Chinese Vase is an elegant and refined still life. Comprised mostly of a blue, green, and white palette, the greatest attention to detail is in the bowl's delicate features and engraving. The eye is quickly drawn to the unusual design of the bowl's three legs. Enhancing the blossom's fragile beauty is the heavy background wash which pulls the brightly colored vase into focus. The elegant pink, pale blue, and white tones of the apple blossoms contrast with the bright green tones of the leaves and the darkness of the table. The unusual perspective is inspired by contemporary Japanese prints and screens.

John La Farge (1835-1910)

Autumn Scattering Leaves, c.1900

Watercolor and gouache over graphite on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.10

Born into a wealthy family of French immigrants in New York City, La Farge was instructed by his father to pursue a law career. Upon his father's death, he moved to Rhode Island to study in the studio of William Morris Hunt (1824-1879). La Farge became interested in still life and landscape painting and had intentions of studying in Paris, but the impending Civil War halted his plans. He remained in Rhode Island with a prosperous lifestyle, and continued painting. La Farge traveled to Japan in 1886 and the South Seas in 1890-91, with the famous author Henry Adams (1838-1918). Both trips influenced his subject matter greatly, and allowed him to vary his style. La Farge actively explored watercolor techniques during the whole of his career. Tragically, La Farge was committed to a mental institution in 1910 where he spent the last several months of his elderly life.

Autumn Scattering Leaves was a color study for a stained glass window at the house of politician William Collins Whitney (1841-1904) in Old Westbury, Long Island, New York. This watercolor painting was executed to help La Farge and Whitney decide on the arrangement of the figure and also on the level of nudity that would be depicted in the window. The painting show a woman in a robe scattering autumn leaves across a shimmering and reflective pool. The careful juxtaposition of nature and art or nature and allegory in this painting acknowledges the themes of reality and ideality that defined La Farge's work until the end of his career.

John La Farge (1835-1910)

The End of Cook's Bay, Island of Moorea, Society Islands, Dawn 1891

Watercolor and gouache on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1951.07

Born into a wealthy family of French immigrants in New York City, La Farge was instructed by his father to pursue a law career. Upon his father's death, he moved to Rhode Island to study in the studio of William Morris Hunt (1824-1879). La Farge became interested in still life and landscape painting and had intentions of studying in Paris, but the impending Civil War halted his plans. He remained in Rhode Island with a prosperous lifestyle, and continued painting. La Farge traveled to Japan in 1886 and the South Seas in 1890-91, with the famous author Henry Adams (1838-1918). Both trips influenced his subject matter greatly, and allowed him to vary his style. La Farge actively explored watercolor techniques during the whole of his career. Tragically, La Farge was committed to a mental institution in 1910 where he spent the last several months of his elderly life.

Cook's Bay takes its name from the renowned British Captain James Cook (1728-1779) who discovered the Tahitian Islands in 1769. In The End of Cook's Bay, La Farge diligently observes the exotic tropical scene and renders it in an array of green, blue, and turquoise. La Farge's exceptional skill in depicting the quality of light and atmosphere of a specific time of day elevates this painting beyond a mere travel sketch.

Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000)

Dreams #1, 1965

Gouache on paper

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1989.03

Originally from New Jersey, Lawrence is a noted artist and historian who emphasized the tradition of his African-American heritage. His interest in art started when his family moved to Harlem and enrolled Lawrence in arts and crafts classes at a children's center. At the age of 16, Lawrence dropped out of high school and began studying art at the Harlem Art Workshop. He was a leading figurative painter of his time, and he established a distinctive style consisting of vibrant colors and abstract patterns. He is well-known for his Social Realist subject matter, which he used to express racism during the 1950s and 1960s in the U.S. His techniques and ideas are equally complex. He said, about his art, "I paint the things I know about and the things I have experienced."

In Dreams #1, the yellow bars of the bed posts suggest the bars of a jail cell-imprisoning the couple with their demons and nightmares. In keeping with his cubist collage aesthetic, both sets of bars are placed against the frontal plane of the composition which makes the couple appear to be dancing or tossing in their sleep. His handling of color is what makes the piece so striking in its composition and elegant simplicity. Rendered starkly in black, white is used to highlight the man's clenched teeth, the slit of an eye, his shoulder, arm, fingernails, toenails, and ribs. For the woman, the contrast is softened by a yellow dress that mimics the walls and bedpost. Although the man and woman do not embrace, much less touch each other, they are truly interlocked together in their nightmare.

James Lewicki (1917-1980)

Undersea Mountain, 1953

Casein tempera on panel

Gift of Mrs. Lillian G. Lewicki, 1988.01 LIC

Born in Buffalo, New York, Lewicki enjoyed a successful career working as an illustrator both for books and magazines. He studied at the Albright Art School and the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York City. Lewicki served as an illustrator for Life magazine and later taught at Pratt and C.W. Post College. His book credits include Christmas Tales, Life Treasury of American Folklore and Tales of Old Russia.

In Undersea Mountain, Lewicki demonstrates the complexity and beauty of the ocean world. He gives great detail to the multitude of sea creatures, each of which exhibits a distinct personality. His study of aquatic flora and fauna is so rich that it is almost scientific.

Sol LeWitt (1928-2007)

Horizontal Brushstrokes, 2003

Gouache on paper

Gift of the Artist, 2003.14

Sol LeWitt was born in Hartford, Connecticut, but lived and was educated in New Britain. He later received his B.F.A. from Syracuse University in 1949. LeWitt served in the Korean War before settling in New York. He attended the School of Visual Arts and worked as a graphic designer at the firm of architect I.M. Pei. His artistic inspiration was also enhanced by the entry-level job that he held at the Museum of Modern Art. He was given three exhibitions at the New Britain Museum of American Art to which he donated 1,800 examples of his work.

LeWitt is best known for his colorful wall paintings and cubed sculpture, although he has also worked extensively in drawing and printmaking. His work spans many movements including Minimalism and Conceptual Art. It is his combination of intellectual insight and visual delight that entrances viewers of his works. LeWitt's work utilizes simple and impersonal forms, exploring repetition and variations from a basic form or line. In the 1980s, LeWitt began to move away from the austere nature of his earlier work and began to incorporate vibrant and sensual colors as well as undulating forms while still staying true to his basic approach of simplicity and repetition.

Horizontal Brushstrokes exemplifies LeWitt's deceptively simple form. The variations of lines, some more straight than others, expose the underlying color. This gives the lines a flowing quality, as if they were about to run off the page. The colors clash visually, creating the illusion of movement as the eye alternates between red, green, and blue.

Judith Linhares (b. 1940)

Three Girls Named Mary, 1993

Gouache on paper

Gift of John Fitz Gibbon, 2005.190

Originally from California, Linhares moved to New York in the 1980s. Her unique style has evolved through various periods, such as abstraction, figuration, and feminism. From these and other sources of inspiration, Linhares' work took on key elements of the surrealist and symbolist movements. However, her imagery stands apart with its humor and optimism.

Three Girls Named Mary shows a trio of young girls holding hands as they play with a red and white ball. Set in a fantastical field of flowers, the girls are surrounded by abstracted plants and wide brushstrokes. At the top left is a dark cross. This ambiguous symbol of either a church or telephone pole demonstrates Linhares' use of symbols and uncertainty to create powerful yet light-hearted artworks.

Nellie Littlehale Umstaetter Murphy (1867-1941)

The Conservatory, n.d.

Watercolor and graphite on board

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1946.17

Tom Lovell (1909-1997)

First Snow, n.d.

Watercolor on board

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1963.15

Sanford B. D. Low (1905-1964)

Just another Monday Morning, n.d.

Watercolor on paper

Anonymous Gift in memory of Alphonse Henry Malinowski, 1991.02

Sanford B. D. Low (1905-1964)

Autumn Afternoon, the Highlands, 1961

Watercolor on board

Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1965.13

Sanford B. D. Low, known to his friends as "Sandy," was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received his art education at the Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut, and also attended the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts as well as the Grand Central School of Art in New York. Upon graduating, he became a commercial artist.

Low painted in a variety of media but was nationally recognized for his watercolors. He was also a member of the American Watercolor Society. Low became the first Director in 1936 of the New Britain Museum of American Art and remained there until his untimely death. His many friends and admirers formed the Low Illustration Collection, which consists of thousands of artworks, as a memorial to him.

Autumn Afternoon, the Highlands shows a row of summer cottages from the vantage point of the beach below. It is as if the viewer was swimming or situated on a vessel on the water. The viewer's eye is directed from the water up to the cliffs to the houses and, finally, to the seagulls flying over the ocean. This painting depicts Martha's Vineyard, where the artist summered for many years.

George Luks (1866-1933)

Sunset, c. 1928-32

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Olga H. Knoepke, 1992.26

Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Luks gained his artistic education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also traveled through Europe to further his studies, and upon his return to Philadelphia joined "The Eight," a group of young American modernist painters committed to breaking academic traditions. He is best known for his brash, confident brushwork and depictions of everyday, down-to-earth subjects. The Museum's extensive collection of "The Eight" was celebrated last year in a major scholarly exhibition organized with the Terra Foundation For American Art and Milwaukee Art Museum.

The final, and most prolific, years of Luks' career as a watercolorist were spent at his old farm house just west of the Berkshires. The home was beautifully picturesque in its isolated setting against the blue tinted mountains and became a recurrent subject of his late works. Sunset, completed in the last few years of Luks life, exemplifies his use of Expressionistic color and Post-Impressionistic brushstroke. His power as a colorist and draftsman are vividly apparent within this work. Luks employs a dramatic red signature; a color he often signed his works in, further emphasizing his presence within the work.

John Marin (1870-1953)

Boat off Deer Isle, 1926

Watercolor on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1947.22

Marin, born in Rutherford, New Jersey, is most famous for his watercolors. In 1899, after being trained as an architect, he made the decision to become a painter. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Art Students League of New York. He spent six years traveling through Europe, beginning his exploration in Paris in 1905. His work was exhibited at Alfred Steiglitz's famous 291 Gallery as well as in the Armory Show of 1913. The scenes in his paintings are taken mostly from places such as Paris, New York City, the Berkshires, and Maine. Marin's work is difficult to place into one specific movement because his work evokes many styles, such as Cubism, Fauvism, and Futurism. In the late 1940s, influential art critic Clement Greenberg proclaimed that Marin and Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) were the two greatest American living artists.

Deer Isle is one of two small towns on an island off the coast of Maine. Marin spent his summers painting on this island from 1919-28 and Boat off Deer Isle is one of many of his paintings that reference the town. In this version, Marin uses a dark and cloudy color palette reminiscent of a sea storm. The lone sailboat in the center of the composition seems vulnerable in the aggressive water evoked by Marin's somewhat chaotic brushstrokes. The white of the paper shows through between patches of color, a trademark of Marin's work.

John Marin (1870-1953)

Notre Dame, Paris, 1909

Watercolor on wove paper

Gift of the Estate of Stephen B. Lawrence, 1950.24

Marin's choice of depicting Notre Dame is closely associated with his previous training in architecture. In his depiction, the cathedral is seen beyond a bridge, although the cathedral still dominates the painting. There is a single figure in the foreground that almost goes unnoticed in comparison to the large cathedral. Notre Dame, Paris has a lively color palette of bright purples and blues that brings energy to the scenery. The early, uncharacteristic watercolor draws influences from Impressionism with its broad strokes of vibrant colors juxtaposed against each other. Yet, this style stands in stark contrast to his later fragmented visions that made him famous.

Reginald Marsh (1898-1954)

Coney Island Beach, 1940

Watercolor on paper

Gift of Mrs. Denys Wortman, 1993.39

Marsh, born in Paris, moved to the United States when he was two-years old. His parents were both successful American painters. Upon completing college, Marsh moved to New York City to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator. He worked regularly for The New Yorker, The Daily News, and The Evening Post, illustrating contemporary social and historical events. In 1922, he enrolled in the Art Students League and began painting scenes that captured the spirit of New York City. His subjects were staples of Manhattan, such as Coney Island, burlesque shows, the Bowery, movie houses, and elevated trains. Later in his career, Marsh became engaged with mural painting and in 1936 he painted two large panels for the Federal Building in Washington D.C. Marsh remained a presence in the New York art scene until his death in 1954.

Coney Island, a favorite New York City location, was often visited by Marsh and used as the subject of his works, including watercolors, oils, etchings, photographs, etc. Coney Island Beach depicts a crowd of bathers gathered on the beach with a ship far off in the distance. In the center of the painting, a voluptuous woman poses with a handsome man who stands behind her in support. The remaining figures seem to be engaged in other various activities, unaware of the viewer. Coney Island Beach celebrates the vitality of American and its young, very beautiful citizens.

Reginald Marsh (1898-1954)

Strokey's Bar, 1940

Watercolor on paper laid down on composition board

Charles F. Smith Fund, 1941.08

Marsh, born in Paris, moved to the United States when he was two-years old. His parents were both successful American painters. Upon completing college, Marsh moved to New York City to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator. He worked regularly for the New Yorker, The Daily News, and The Evening Post, illustrating contemporary social and historical events. In 1922, he enrolled in the Art Students League and began painting scenes that captured the spirit of New York City. His subjects were staples of Manhattan, such as Coney Island, burlesque shows, the Bowery, movie houses, and elevated trains. Later in his career, Marsh became engaged with mural painting and in 1936 he painted two large panels for the Federal Building in Washington D.C. Marsh remained a presence in the New York art scene until his death in 1954.

Strokey's Bar stood at the corner of Bowery and Pell Streets, and was a gathering spot for many of New York's castaways and unemployed during the hard years of the Great Depression. In Marsh's painting, the frenzied scene outside the bar is washed in a monochromatic brown, and its composition highlighted by the subtle tints of blue, yellow, and pink. Amidst the urban confusion and excess of publicity, the street's 'one way' sign shows the only direction for the viewer to go: straight to Strokey's Bar.

Alfred H. Maurer (1868-1932)

Flowers, n.d.

Gouache

Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Albert Gold, 1980.46

Maurer was born in New York City and was the son of Louis Maurer who worked for the printmaking firm Currier and Ives. He left school in 1884 to work for the family's lithographic business and a year later attended the National Academy of Design where he studied under Edgar Ward (1839-1915). In 1897, Maurer sailed for France and was enrolled at the Académie Julian for 3 weeks until he dropped out. While in France, his paintings were first influenced by Impressionism and Tonalism, but over time Maurer's style changed to follow a more Fauve and Cubist aesthetic. His early paintings won critical praise for their expressive brushwork and bold colors. After a stylistic switch to Modernism and Cubism, his work was a critical failure and he became a recluse. Considered to be one of America's first modern painters, Maurer committed suicide in 1932, several weeks after his estranged father's death.

Maurer infamously used loose, choppy brushstrokes to create abstracted yet recognizable figures, as can be seen in Flowers. The artist's use of shading is minimal. Instead, a darker line is used to denote contours of the object. Each line helps separate colors and renders the flowers in a design-like style. Amongst similarly shaped bright pink and pale yellow flowers, Maurer included one bright red rose. The flowers offer a warm splotch of color in an otherwise blue-toned painting. The vibrant and chaotic depiction of flowers draws the eye and then relinquishes it to the gentle, static background.

Willard Metcalf (1858-1925)

Landing at Egg Rock in Frenchman's Bay, Maine, Mt Desert in the Distance, 1909

Watercolor and gouache on toned paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund. 1954.45

Barbara McClintock (B. 1955)

"They danced all night, chatting with the ease of old, close friends. The time passed so quickly." Cinderella, Scholastic Press, 2005

Watercolor, pen and ink

Gift of the Artist. 2009.122 LIC

Originally from New Jersey and North Dakota, McClintock moved to New York just after turning twenty on the advice of famed illustrator Maurice Sendak (b. 1928). An aspiring children's book illustrator, she studied at the Art Students League of New York and subsequently illustrated books that accompanied Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock television series. Over her career, she has won numerous awards for her various illustrations.

In this pivotal scene from Cinderella, the prince and future princess dance across the room, oblivious to the other guests and onlookers. McClintock has rendered this fairy tale moment of finding true love in a warm and rich palette of pinks and yellows. Using pen and ink, she has given the dancers enough detail to discern facial features and emotions, yet still allows them to be encapsulated in the overall glowing atmosphere of the palace ball.

Jean McQuillan (b. 1935)

River Sunset, 2008

Watercolor on paper

Gift of the Artist, 2010.11

New Britain native, McQuillan started drawing and painting at an early age. After studying art and advertising at Green Mountain Junior College in Vermont, she worked as a commercial artist. However, she subsequently decided to devote her full time to the fine arts with a focus on watercolors and has won more than 40 major awards over her long career. She paints landscapes, interiors, flowers, and still lifes with special emphasis on the unique light and shadows that she believes are reflective of New England.

This shimmering river is depicted as the sun sets behind the luscious green trees. A scene in Vermont, McQuillan captures the very essence of nature and the calm, contemplative escape that can be found in the untouched wilderness. The glowing light seems to emanate from the paper itself, inviting the viewer to relax along the river.

Albert J. Operti (1852-1927)

Farewell Old Sol, 1896-97

Pastel, watercolor and gouache on board

Charles F. Smith Fund. 1981.5

Margaretta Angelica Peale

(1795-1882)

Melons and Pears, 1820

Watercolor

Daughter of famed American painter James Peale (1749-1831) and niece of Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), Margaretta began her artistic efforts at a young age, completing her first still life at fifteen. She painted still life compositions and was known for her carefully rendered depictions of fruit as subjects. Stylistically, her work is reminiscent of her father's in subject matter and arrangement on canvas. She worked predominantly in oil on canvas, using a layout that did not exceed sixteen by twenty-one inches.

Though nearly all of Margaretta's still lifes were executed in oil, Melons and Pears is the artist's only known watercolor. This medium was often associated with amateur efforts produced by young schoolgirls and genteel ladies during the early nineteenth century. These works were often decorative but lacked three-dimensionality. Melons and Pears shares the simple compositional style of these amateur watercolors in its sparse background, yet Margaretta's arrangement is far more complicated for it features a wide variety of intricately rendered produce. In the best Peale tradition, which favored the realistic depiction of natural objects, her painting is highly detailed, from the pattern of dots along the rim of the platter, to the knobbed texture of the cucumber and the dry variegated surface of the cantaloupe. Her modeling also exhibits knowledge of light and shade, producing a sense of weight and depth not attainable, nor even desirable, in flat decorative theorem paintings.

Waldo Peirce (1884-1970)

Cider Press, 1939

Watercolor, ink and graphite on paper

Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1950.4

Peirce lived a bohemian life and his open, eccentric character was as well known as his paintings. Born in Bangor, Maine, Peirce was a son to a prosperous lumber baron and his wealth enabled him to attend such prominent schools as Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, Harvard University, and the Académie Julian in Paris. After World War I he lived in Europe and traveled to Spain with close friend Ernest Hemingway where he painted under the influence of Spanish artist Ignacio Zuloaga (1870-1945) and French modernist Henri Matisse (1869-1964). Peirce's earlier works were characterized by his colorful and lusty style, however, after his third marriage and the birth of twin sons, Peirce's style of painting dramatically changed. Depicting his growing family and children in a softer touch, his work depicted a happy and quintessential life.

Cider Press, painted following his return to Maine, captures a country-side scene and reflects a regionalist influence. He uses a colorful and lively style to capture a utopian-like scene of everyday life at the cider press in Castine, Maine. The small costal village of Castine, in its heyday, was the center for shipbuilding and coastal trading as well as home to the Maine Maritime Academy. Peirce also incorporates elements of a landscape into his depiction of American life, as he captures a boat sailing in the background. The figures at work on each side of the painting in effect frame the figures working with the cider press at the center.

Charles Adam Platt (1861-1933)

Bark on the Maas, 1884

Watercolor on paper

Lent by Howard H. Bristol, Jr., 2000.15