Animals in the Gallery, with article by Virginia O'Hara (original) (raw)

Editor's note: The Brandywine River Museum provided source material to Resource Library for the following article or essay. If you have questions or comments regarding the source material, please contact the Brandywine River Museum directly through either this phone number or web address:

610-388-2700
http://www.brandywinemuseum.org

Animals in the Gallery

March 12 - May 22, 2005

(above: Jerry Pinkney (b. 1939), The Crow and the Water Pitcher (2000), watercolor and pencil on paper, illustration for Aesop's Fables, Collection of Jerry Pinkney)

Continuing through May 22, 2005 the Brandywine River Museum presents Animals in the Gallery, a fascinating new exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculpture by American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Works exhibited portray animals as symbols of peace, majestic creatures of nature, subjects of scientific study, barnyard subjects, human companions, and entertaining figures in cartoons and illustrations. The exhibition features many works from the museum's own holdings and important paintings and drawings lent by public and private collections.

Following English traditions, American artists of the early to mid-19th century created portraits of special breeds of livestock for wealthy landowners. Thomas Hewes Hinckley (1813-1896) made a specialty of wild game and cattle portraits but was also widely regarded for his barnyard portraits exemplified by Cow and Bull (1869). Another popular artist, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905), was the chief illustrator of hunting and western scenes for Currier and Ives lithographs, but he also depicted domestic animals. (left: James Wyeth (born 1946), The Islander (1975), oil on canvas. Private collection)

German-born Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) joined Western expeditions and made a career painting the western American landscape and its animals. Bierstadt's two works in the exhibition depict animals in fabulous scenery. Naturalist and artist John James Audubon's (1785-1851) studies of birds and mammals satisfied both scientific study and aesthetic appreciation. While many of his famous works are intricately detailed watercolors, Audubon also created oil paintings with narrative themes, such as Fox and Goose(1835) and American Black Rat (1842) which appear in the exhibition.

During the 1870s and 1880s, American artists studied abroad and returned to the United States with ideas that transformed the manner in which animals and landscapes were depicted. Influenced by these artists, Winslow Homer took frequent trips to the Adirondacks and Canada, producing paintings noted for their keen observations of light, color and form in nature.

By the turn of the 20th century, realistic images of farming, hunting and fishing became popular. Frank English (1854-1922) and Thomas Anshutz (1851-1912) made careers of such painting. Later, Daniel Garber's (1880-1958) A Pair of Grays (1909) and N.C. Wyeth's (1882-1945) April Rain (1935) gave such subjects new life through atmospheric effects and artistic details.

Images of pets have always been popular. While many works are sentimental, others are sophisticated and engaging. The exhibition includes the museum's painting Do Not Feed (n.d.) by Alexander Pope (1849-1924), an image of puppies that remains a favorite of museum visitors. In addition, Eastman Johnson's (1824-1906) Child with Rabbit (1879) and John George Brown's (1831-1913) The Foundling (1907) reflect people's enduring ties with animals. The exhibition also includes Islander (1975) and_10w-30_ (1981) by Jamie Wyeth (b. 1946) who is well-known for his deep admiration and respect for pets, animals on his farm, and wild creatures he encounters in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and Maine.

Animal figures in cartoons and parodies comment on human nature, fashion and politics. A political cartoon by Edward Kemble (1861-1934) uses a well-dressed pig to represent the moguls of big business controlling a puppet-like government. Thomas Nast's (1840-1902) Tammany Tiger (ca. 1870) symbolizes the corruption of New York City's Boss Tweed, and Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928) employed animals in his cartoon commentaries on American life. William Holbrook Beard (1824-1900) was unparalleled in his satires on human behavior and Darwinian theory. This exhibition includes Beard's paintings The Gossips (1890) -- which uses a squirrel and rabbit to personify less than noble human traits -- and The Missing Link(ca. 1880) -- which depicts a chimpanzee in an apron and bonnet. (right: John Haberle (1856-1933), A Misunderstanding (1892), oil on canvas, 10 1/2 x 16 1/8 inches. Courtesy of Berry-Hill Galleries, New York.)

Magazines and books provided opportunities for illustrators to express animal forms in unique ways. Charles Livingston Bull (1874-1932), Paul Bransom (1885-1979) and Dorothy Lathrop (1891-1980) excelled at rendering images of animals' daily lives. Other illustrators, such as John Sloan (1871-1951), Philip Goodwin (1882-1935) and Henry Raleigh (1880-1944), captured the comic appeal of animals in their interactions with humans.

Additionally, the exhibition contains many works from the museum's collection of children's book illustrations, including Bert Salg's drawing Lion and Lamb Sharing the Dinner Table (dates unknown), Peggy Bacon's (1895-1987) drawing for Miranda and the Cat (1963) and Charles Santore's (b. 1935) illustration for The Tales of Peter Rabbit (1986). Fine illustrations lent to the exhibition include Will Bradley's (1868-1962) frontispiece design for his book Peter Poodle, Toymaker to the King(1906) and Jerry Pinkney's (b. 1939) illustrations for The Wind in the Willows (1971) and Aesop's Fables (2000).

Animals in the Gallery

by Virginia O'Hara

Animals in the Gallery is a fascinating new exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculpture by American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Works exhibited portray animals as symbols of peace, majestic creatures of nature, subjects of scientific study, beasts of burden, barnyard subjects, human companions, and entertaining figures in cartoons and illustrations. The exhibition features many works from the museum's own rich holdings and important paintings and drawings lent by public and private collections.

Following English traditions, American artists of the early to mid 19th century created portraits of special breeds of livestock for wealthy landowners. Cattle, horses and sheep were popular subjects appearing in barnyards and fields or posed broadside to show their finest points. Thomas Hewes Hinckley (1813-1896) made a specialty of wild game and cattle portraits but was also widely regarded for his barnyard portraits exemplified by Cow and Bull of 1869. Another very popular artist, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819-1905), was the chief illustrator of hunting and western scenes for Currier and Ives lithographs, but he was equally at home rendering domestic animals.

Of course not all artists stayed in the farmland of the east; many explored the West. Their sketches and paintings of bison, elk, wild horses, cougars, coyotes and many species of birds inspired the public's fascination and admiration. German-born Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) joined Western expeditions and thereafter made a career painting the stunning western American landscape and its animals. Bierstadt's two works in the exhibition depict dramatic animals in fabulous scenery. Naturalist and artist John James Audubon's (1785-1851) studies of birds and mammals satisfied both scientific study and aesthetic appreciation. While many of his famous works are intricately detailed watercolors, Audubon also created intricate oil paintings with narrative themes, such as Fox and Goose (1835) and_American Black Rat_ (1842) which appear in the exhibition.

American artists studying abroad during the 1870s and 1880s returned to the United States with ideas that transformed the manner in which both animals and landscapes were depicted. Such artists influenced Winslow Homer and his impressions of the American outdoors. In the 1880s, Homer took frequent trips to the Adirondacks and Canada, producing paintings noted for their keen observations of light, color and form in nature. The artist's perception and wonderful brush techniques enabled him to produce works that contain subtle forms and transformations of color reflecting shifting light and shadow.

By the turn of the 20th century, images of farming, hunting and fishing garnered appreciation for their realism and suggestion of simple, non-industrial life. Frank English (1854-1922) and Thomas Anshutz (1851-1912) made careers of such painting. Later, Daniel Garber's (1880-1958) A Pair of Grays (1909) and N.C. Wyeth's (1882-1945) April Rain (1935) gave such subjects new life through atmospheric effects and very painterly details.

Animal figures in cartoons and parodies comment on human nature, fashion and politics. A political cartoon by Edward Kemble (1861-1934) uses a well-dressed pig to represent the moguls of big business controlling a puppet-like government. Thomas Nast's (1840-1902) Tammany Tiger (ca. 1870) symbolizes the corruption of New York City's Boss Tweed, and Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928) employs animals in his cartoon commentary on American life. William Holbrook Beard (1824-1900) was unparalleled in his satires on human behavior and Darwinian theory. He likened the expressions of bears and monkeys to humans, and they were his most frequent animal subjects. This exhibition includes Beard's paintings The Gossips (1890)-which uses a squirrel and rabbit to personify less than noble human traits-and_The Missing Link_ (ca. 1880)-which depicts a chimpanzee in an apron and bonnet.

Magazines and books provided opportunities for illustrators to express animal forms in unique ways. Charles Livingston Bull (1874-1932), Paul Bransom (1885-1979) and Dorothy Lathrop (1891-1980) each had special interest in and knowledge of wild creatures. They excelled at rendering images of animals' daily lives. Other illustrators, such as John Sloan (1871-1951), Philip Goodwin (1882-1935) and Henry Raleigh (1880-1944), captured the comic appeal of animals in their interactions with humans. The profusion of children's books during the past 25 years has produced still more distinctive approaches to animal tales-both classic and new-that show attention to character, design and detail. The exhibition contains many works from the museum's excellent collection of children's book illustrations including Bert Salg's (dates unknown) drawing Lion and Lamb Sharing the Dinner Table, Peggy Bacon's (1895-1987) drawing for Miranda and the Cat (1963) and Charles Santore's (b. 1935) illustration for The Tales of Peter Rabbit (1986). Children's book illustrations lent to the exhibition include Will Bradley's (1868-1962) frontispiece design for his book Peter Poodle, Toymaker to the King(1906) and Jerry Pinkney's (b. 1939) illustrations for The Wind in the Willows (1971) and Aesop's Fables (2000).

Whether depicting the drama of animal survival, wild herds in landscapes, farm stock in tranquil fields, or characters in raucous cartoons and animated illustrations, this exhibition has alluring images to engage everyone.

-- Virginia O'Hara is Associate Curator at the Brandywine River Museum

Read more articles and essays concerning this institutional source by visiting the sub-index page for the Brandywine River Museum in Resource Library.

Visit the Table of Contents for Resource Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art and much more.