John Henry Twachtman – the latter years

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So here I am finally with another blog on John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902). (To read the first part, click here.)

So where were we? We got as far as 1889 when his work was about to change again. At this point, he only had 12 more years to live and there was some amazing work still to come.

Finally things were going well for Twachtman. In 1889, he and J. Alden Weir exhibited together and the show was a financial success. That fall, he began to teach at the Art Students League of New York (where William Merritt Chase was also on staff) and also began illustrating articles for Scribners Magazine. In 1894, he also began teaching at the Cooper Union. So now he had a steady income.

In 1889 (when he was 36 years old) Twachtman purchased a farm (17 acres) at Round Hill Road, Connecticut, the surrounding land of which was to provide him with ongoing painting material. One of the views he painted most often was Hemlock Lake. In the images below, you can see how his style evolved from his earlier work.

 

Here are two winter views of the same lake done between 1890 and 1900.

 

John Twachtman, "Winter Harmony," c 1890-1900, oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 32 in, National Gallery of Art, Washington
John Twachtman, “Winter Harmony,” c 1890-1900, oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 32 in, National Gallery of Art, Washington

 

John Twachtman, "Snowbound," c 1895, oil on canvas, 25 1/4 x 30 1/8 in, The Art Institute of Chicago
John Twachtman, “Snowbound,” c 1895, oil on canvas, 25 1/4 x 30 1/8 in, The Art Institute of Chicago

 

Of these two winter scenes,  the second painting appears to me to be later than than first as it grows more abstract and seems to have a greater sense of simplicity, of the essence of the scene.

 

Here are two more comparisons, this time done in the autumn:

 

John Twachtman, "Hemlock Pool," c.1890-1900, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in, Addison Gallery of American Art
John Twachtman, “Hemlock Pool,” c.1890-1900, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in, Addison Gallery of American Art

 

John Twachtman, "Hemlock Pool (Autumn)," c.1890-1900, oil on canvas, 15 1/2 x 19 1/2 in, Private Collection, Philadelphia
John Twachtman, “Hemlock Pool (Autumn),” c.1890-1900, oil on canvas, 15 1/2 x 19 1/2 in, Private Collection, Philadelphia

 

Again, the second painting seems further along in his search for an inner vision, a unique point of view.

 

You can see in these examples the influence of French Impressionism which came to Twachtman indirectly through the artist Theodore Robinson, an American who became a close friend of Monet and lived next door to him at Giverny. (Robinson sadly died young at the age of 43 from an acute asmatic attack.) Twachtman had met Robinson earlier in Paris but it was probably when Robinson returned to the United States in 1892 that Twachtman felt the full force of the Impressionistic influence. Even so, Twachtman’s paintings were so different from the bolder colour and brushstroke of not only the French Impressionists but also fellow American Impressionists like Childe Hassam (1859-1935). His paintings evoke a quiet stillness.

 

In 1893, Twachtman and J. Alden Weir exhibited with Claude Monet at the American Galleries in New York. The critics mentioned Monet’s influence but also said that Twachtman and Weir had a style “they owe to no one but themselves.” That same year, Twachtman won a silver medal at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the following year earned the gold medal at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He was receiving success and recognition at last.

 

Have a look at these two paintings of the same general view but done about 10 years apart:

John Twachtman, "End of Winter," after 1889, oil on canvas, 22 x 30 1/8 in, Smithsonian, Washington DC
John Twachtman, “End of Winter,” after 1889, oil on canvas, 22 x 30 1/8 in, Smithsonian, Washington DC

 

John Twachtman, "Misty May Morn," 1899, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 1/8 in, Smithsonian, Washington DC
John Twachtman, “Misty May Morn,” 1899, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 1/8 in, Smithsonian, Washington DC

 

I think the thing that amazed me the most when I first saw these paintings on the printed page, was their move towards abstraction and their subtle shifts in value – there are no strong lights or darks, but rather the colours are relatively close in value ie. if you half close your eyes, the colors merge into one. There is no bright chroma here, only subdued colours that give rise to a contemplative mood. In these paintings there seems to be concern for the process of painting itself not just a representing of the scene. What’s important is not only the mood and atmosphere but the surface of the painting – the actual brushstroke.

 

In these paintings too there is a sense of being alone, of silence, of isolation. Yet evidently Twachtman thrived on his life in the country away from the hubbub of the city. He wrote to his friend J. Alden Weir, “To be isolated is a fine thing and we are then nearer to nature. I can see how necessary it is to live in the country – at all seasons of the year.” Like Monet, Twachtman never tired of painting the same subject in different seasons and at different times of the day. Twachtman painted from nature and you can feel his connection to it.

 

Two more paintings of the same subject for comparison, one completed around 1895, the other around the turn of the century.

John Twachtman, "THe White Bridge," after c. 1895, oil on canvas, 30 1/4 x 30 1/4 in,The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
John Twachtman, “The White Bridge,” after c. 1895, oil on canvas, 30 1/4 x 30 1/4 in,The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

 

John Twachtman,"The White Bridge," c. 1900, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in, Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochaster
John Twachtman,”The White Bridge,” c. 1900, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in, Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester

 

For me, the first painting gives me a feeling of Japanese Art with its flatness and patterns, the second comes closer to French Impressionism and the work of Monet and reveals the new direction Twachtman began taking around 1900. It’s bolder, more colourful, has more contrast between darks and lights, and has a directness about it not seen in the earlier bridge painting.

 

In 1897, Twachtman, along with Weir and Hassam, formed The Ten American Painters (later known as The Ten) in reaction to the conservatism and over-subscribed Society of American Painters. The other members included Edmund Tarbell, Edward Simmons, Joseph de Camp, Robert Reid, Frank Benson, Thomas Dewing, and Williard Metcalf (I only knew half of these names prior to this research). There first exhibition took place at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in New York.

 

In 1902, Twachtman suddenly died of a brain aneurysm at the age of 49. In 1903, Childe Hassam wrote in his article, ‘John H. Twachtman: An Estimation,’ for the North American Review: “The great beauty of design which is conspicuous in Twachtman’s paintings is what impressed me always; and it is apparent to all who see…..that his works were…strong, and at the same time delicate even to evasiveness….”

 

 * * *

 

There is so much more to say and show you but I think at least this has given you a taste of Twachtman’s work. I’d love to know how you feel about these paintings especially compared with his earlier work (see my previous blog). The whole research project has opened my eyes to this previously unknown-to-me painter. He was a landscape painter through and through and very rarely did figures except a few informal portraits of his wife and children between 1889 and 1902 (click here to see one).

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Your comments and encouragement mean heaps to me. Please, if you have anything to add, I encourage you to do so. If you’re having problems, feel free to send me the comments and I’ll be happy to include them.

 

Hope your summer is going swimmingly!!

 

Thank you for being here,

 

~ Gail

 

PS. As in my earlier blog, much of my information comes from the book Twachtman by Richard Boyle.

 

 

4 thoughts on “John Henry Twachtman – the latter years”

  1. Another great blog. Enjoyed Twachtman’s paintings especially the comparisons of different periods. Finally I am waking up to some sense of what is meant by abstract. Please keep up the good work.

    1. Thanks so much Sandy. I’m glad these blogs are helping you to understand more about abstraction in painting.

  2. Sarah Brocklehurst

    Loved your Twachtman blogs, it has inspired me for a forthcoming presentation on his work to my local art appreciation group.
    I first saw one of his paintings in October 2014 at the Boston Museum of Fine Art – “Brook in Winter”, painted in 1893 and was just enchanted by it.

    Thank you so much for your work.

    1. Hi Sarah,

      Thanks so much for writing. I am delighted that my blogs have inspired you to do a presentation on Twachtman’s work. Good luck with your presentation!

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