The Impressionist’s Eye opens August 11th at the Wiscasset Bay Gallery in Wiscasset, Maine. Works by noted American and European artists from Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria, United States and Great Britain will be on display.
Of particular interest is an oil by Baltimore and New York artist Charles Yardley Turner (1850-1919) entitled “Apple Blossoms.” Exhibited at the 58th Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1888, the delicately painted work shows one of the artist’s favorite models, Dorothy Fox, picking apple blossoms in a green, spring landscape. Turner’s paintings can be found in numerous public institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Library of Congress.
A member of the National Academy of Design in New York with Turner was Maine born artist Walter Griffin (1861-1935). After studying art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with fellow artists Edmund Tarbell and Frank Benson, Griffin decided to head to Paris to study at the Academie Julian in 1887. This was the first of many trips to France and in 1911 he painted in the tiny village of Boigneville, south of Paris. Using thick impasto paint, Griffin captured a row of poplars in early fall.
Moving further south in France to the picturesque town of Saint Remy, the viewer sees the work of post-impressionist Rene Seyssaud’s (1867-1952) “Les Oliviers, Saint Remy.” The warm Provence landscape is depicted in vibrant oranges, earthy reds and yellow greens. The summer heat amidst the olive grove is palpable and the lively, energetic brushstrokes remind one of Seyssaud’s predecessor in Saint Remy, Vincent Van Gogh.
British impressionist Alfred Edward Borthwick (1871-1955) is represented by a charming portrait of a young girl in a sailor suit. Other European impressionists include Adolphe Clary-Baroux (French, 1865-1933), Vincent de Garcia Paredes (Spanish, 1845-1903), Charles Emile Hornung (Swiss, 1883-1956), Paul Cesar-Helleu (French, 1859-1927) and Edouard Manet (French, 1832-1883).
Additional American Impressionists works by Old Lyme artists Guy Wiggins (1883-1962) and Bruce Crane (1857-1937) are included as well as paintings by Robert Philipp (1895-1981), Scott Carbee (1860-1946) and Agnes Richmond (1870-1964).
“The Impressionist’s Eye” will continue at the Wiscasset Bay Gallery, 67 Main Street, Wiscasset, Maine through September 30th. For further information, call (207) 882-7682 or visit the gallery’s website at www.wiscassetbaygallery.com. The Wiscasset Bay Gallery is open daily from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm and is located at 67 Main Street (Route 1) in historic Wiscasset village.
