American Art at the Century by A. Hyatt Mayor; Mark Davis; Paintings on the CenturyWalls by James Thomas FlexnerAmerican Art Journal, Vol. 10, No. 1 (May, 1978), p. 118Published by: Kennedy Galleries, Inc.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1594126 .

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tragedy. But during the time that he was able to paint them, he presented, as Bodmer could not, their humani- ty; not only did he record their faces with telling accuracy, but he also made very astute comments about his sitters. We realize the anthropological significance of his work, also, as Catlin himself did; he took his "Indian Gallery" on tour to Europe along with literally tons of artifacts and was the toast of England and France. The bulk of his production was subsequently deposited in the National Collection and over half of his works are reproduced in this volume. Hassrick's comments in the captions, while brief, are intriguing and produce tidbits of information about the sitters, the etymology of their names, and the artist's impressions of his subjects. Clearly, Catlin was impressed by the Indians and, if modern scholars feel he embellished the truth a bit here and there or if his ethnographic details were not as accurate as Bodmer's, he can be forgiven. His accomplishments are extraordinary for what they are, not for what they are not.

Hood, Graham. Charles Bridges and William Dering: Two Virginia Painters, 1735-1750. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1978. Published for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. xvi + 125 pp. 85 illus. incl. 9 in color. Index. $15.00.

Charles Bridges's career, according to Graham Hood, parallels that of the far better-known John Smibert. Yet, Bridges has suffered from a considerable lack of attention and study. This is the first publication on the artist in twenty-five years and was prepared in conjunction with an exhibition of Bridges and Dering at Williamsburg. Hood has attributed a relatively large number of portraits to Bridges despite a handicap of traditional family identifications for the sitters which he found to be largely apocryphal. Although the sitters' identities are in ques- tion, the attributions to Bridges, Hood feels, although some might differ with him occasionally, are supportable. The material in the book on William Dering, a dancing master as well as a some-time painter, is much smaller because so much less is known about his short career. A surprisingly large percentage of the Bridges and Dering portraits still remain with the original families for which they were painted and, in some instances, have never been out of their ancestral homes.

Hoopes, Donelson F. American Watercolor Painting. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1977. 208 pp. 165 illus. incl. 48 in color. Bibliography. Index. $27.50.

Some of our greatly-loved favorites as well as some very seldomly-seen but equally lovely examples from notable private collections and university museums are presented in this assemblage of American watercolors. Indeed, Hoopes is to be congratulated for taking the trouble to go after the paintings in university collections which, for a host of reasons, are practically unknown, despite their superb quality, beyond a tiny radius. Beginning with Thomas Birch and ending with contem- poraries of Mark Rothko, Hoopes covers the develop-

tragedy. But during the time that he was able to paint them, he presented, as Bodmer could not, their humani- ty; not only did he record their faces with telling accuracy, but he also made very astute comments about his sitters. We realize the anthropological significance of his work, also, as Catlin himself did; he took his "Indian Gallery" on tour to Europe along with literally tons of artifacts and was the toast of England and France. The bulk of his production was subsequently deposited in the National Collection and over half of his works are reproduced in this volume. Hassrick's comments in the captions, while brief, are intriguing and produce tidbits of information about the sitters, the etymology of their names, and the artist's impressions of his subjects. Clearly, Catlin was impressed by the Indians and, if modern scholars feel he embellished the truth a bit here and there or if his ethnographic details were not as accurate as Bodmer's, he can be forgiven. His accomplishments are extraordinary for what they are, not for what they are not.

Hood, Graham. Charles Bridges and William Dering: Two Virginia Painters, 1735-1750. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1978. Published for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. xvi + 125 pp. 85 illus. incl. 9 in color. Index. $15.00.

Charles Bridges's career, according to Graham Hood, parallels that of the far better-known John Smibert. Yet, Bridges has suffered from a considerable lack of attention and study. This is the first publication on the artist in twenty-five years and was prepared in conjunction with an exhibition of Bridges and Dering at Williamsburg. Hood has attributed a relatively large number of portraits to Bridges despite a handicap of traditional family identifications for the sitters which he found to be largely apocryphal. Although the sitters' identities are in ques- tion, the attributions to Bridges, Hood feels, although some might differ with him occasionally, are supportable. The material in the book on William Dering, a dancing master as well as a some-time painter, is much smaller because so much less is known about his short career. A surprisingly large percentage of the Bridges and Dering portraits still remain with the original families for which they were painted and, in some instances, have never been out of their ancestral homes.

Hoopes, Donelson F. American Watercolor Painting. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1977. 208 pp. 165 illus. incl. 48 in color. Bibliography. Index. $27.50.

Some of our greatly-loved favorites as well as some very seldomly-seen but equally lovely examples from notable private collections and university museums are presented in this assemblage of American watercolors. Indeed, Hoopes is to be congratulated for taking the trouble to go after the paintings in university collections which, for a host of reasons, are practically unknown, despite their superb quality, beyond a tiny radius. Beginning with Thomas Birch and ending with contem- poraries of Mark Rothko, Hoopes covers the develop-

tragedy. But during the time that he was able to paint them, he presented, as Bodmer could not, their humani- ty; not only did he record their faces with telling accuracy, but he also made very astute comments about his sitters. We realize the anthropological significance of his work, also, as Catlin himself did; he took his "Indian Gallery" on tour to Europe along with literally tons of artifacts and was the toast of England and France. The bulk of his production was subsequently deposited in the National Collection and over half of his works are reproduced in this volume. Hassrick's comments in the captions, while brief, are intriguing and produce tidbits of information about the sitters, the etymology of their names, and the artist's impressions of his subjects. Clearly, Catlin was impressed by the Indians and, if modern scholars feel he embellished the truth a bit here and there or if his ethnographic details were not as accurate as Bodmer's, he can be forgiven. His accomplishments are extraordinary for what they are, not for what they are not.

Hood, Graham. Charles Bridges and William Dering: Two Virginia Painters, 1735-1750. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1978. Published for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. xvi + 125 pp. 85 illus. incl. 9 in color. Index. $15.00.

Charles Bridges's career, according to Graham Hood, parallels that of the far better-known John Smibert. Yet, Bridges has suffered from a considerable lack of attention and study. This is the first publication on the artist in twenty-five years and was prepared in conjunction with an exhibition of Bridges and Dering at Williamsburg. Hood has attributed a relatively large number of portraits to Bridges despite a handicap of traditional family identifications for the sitters which he found to be largely apocryphal. Although the sitters' identities are in ques- tion, the attributions to Bridges, Hood feels, although some might differ with him occasionally, are supportable. The material in the book on William Dering, a dancing master as well as a some-time painter, is much smaller because so much less is known about his short career. A surprisingly large percentage of the Bridges and Dering portraits still remain with the original families for which they were painted and, in some instances, have never been out of their ancestral homes.

Hoopes, Donelson F. American Watercolor Painting. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1977. 208 pp. 165 illus. incl. 48 in color. Bibliography. Index. $27.50.

Some of our greatly-loved favorites as well as some very seldomly-seen but equally lovely examples from notable private collections and university museums are presented in this assemblage of American watercolors. Indeed, Hoopes is to be congratulated for taking the trouble to go after the paintings in university collections which, for a host of reasons, are practically unknown, despite their superb quality, beyond a tiny radius. Beginning with Thomas Birch and ending with contem- poraries of Mark Rothko, Hoopes covers the develop-

tragedy. But during the time that he was able to paint them, he presented, as Bodmer could not, their humani- ty; not only did he record their faces with telling accuracy, but he also made very astute comments about his sitters. We realize the anthropological significance of his work, also, as Catlin himself did; he took his "Indian Gallery" on tour to Europe along with literally tons of artifacts and was the toast of England and France. The bulk of his production was subsequently deposited in the National Collection and over half of his works are reproduced in this volume. Hassrick's comments in the captions, while brief, are intriguing and produce tidbits of information about the sitters, the etymology of their names, and the artist's impressions of his subjects. Clearly, Catlin was impressed by the Indians and, if modern scholars feel he embellished the truth a bit here and there or if his ethnographic details were not as accurate as Bodmer's, he can be forgiven. His accomplishments are extraordinary for what they are, not for what they are not.

Hood, Graham. Charles Bridges and William Dering: Two Virginia Painters, 1735-1750. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1978. Published for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. xvi + 125 pp. 85 illus. incl. 9 in color. Index. $15.00.

Charles Bridges's career, according to Graham Hood, parallels that of the far better-known John Smibert. Yet, Bridges has suffered from a considerable lack of attention and study. This is the first publication on the artist in twenty-five years and was prepared in conjunction with an exhibition of Bridges and Dering at Williamsburg. Hood has attributed a relatively large number of portraits to Bridges despite a handicap of traditional family identifications for the sitters which he found to be largely apocryphal. Although the sitters' identities are in ques- tion, the attributions to Bridges, Hood feels, although some might differ with him occasionally, are supportable. The material in the book on William Dering, a dancing master as well as a some-time painter, is much smaller because so much less is known about his short career. A surprisingly large percentage of the Bridges and Dering portraits still remain with the original families for which they were painted and, in some instances, have never been out of their ancestral homes.

Hoopes, Donelson F. American Watercolor Painting. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1977. 208 pp. 165 illus. incl. 48 in color. Bibliography. Index. $27.50.

Some of our greatly-loved favorites as well as some very seldomly-seen but equally lovely examples from notable private collections and university museums are presented in this assemblage of American watercolors. Indeed, Hoopes is to be congratulated for taking the trouble to go after the paintings in university collections which, for a host of reasons, are practically unknown, despite their superb quality, beyond a tiny radius. Beginning with Thomas Birch and ending with contem- poraries of Mark Rothko, Hoopes covers the develop-

ment of this most difficult medium from its early use as "a mere sketching tool" to its complete emergence as a primary means of artistic expression in the hands of a master such as Hopper. The text, although there is little of it, is organized into three main divisions: "The Indigenous Tradition," "The Influence of Europe," and "The Modern Movement." Hoopes has chosen well to present the glorious vitality of American watercolors, and the numerous examples have been reproduced on luxuriously heavy stock. Although this is undeniably another in the long line of Watson-Guptill's picture books, it is better than most of its cousins. Brief biographies of each artist enhance the worth of the volume and the unusually complete captions are an unexpected treat.

Mayor, A. Hyatt and Mark Davis. American Art at the Century. Preface by Russell Lynes. "Paintings on the Century Walls" by James Thomas Flexner. New York: The Century Association, 1977. 161 pp. 64 illus. incl. 13 in color. Catalogue. $25.00.

Generally beyond sight for most of us, the American art collection at The Century Association in New York is something we long to experience first-hand. The next best thing to that experience is, happily, this new publication. The Century's collection is justifiably impor- tant. The quality of many of the works is, in a word, stunning. But more impressive than its quality is the story of the collection itself and its relationship to its distinguished owners. The membership of the Century has always read like a "Who's Who" in the arts in this country including, as Mr. Lynes explains, not only artists but "critics, curators, art historians, and museum direc- tors." The Association evolved from the Sketch Club and counted among its founders Asher B. Durand, Henry Kirke Brown, J.Q.A. Ward, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry T. Tuckerman. A partial listing of artist-members whose works are represented in this book reveals the great wealth of the Club and its collection: Church, Huntington, Johnson, Whittredge, Leutze, Kensett, Bierstadt, Inness, T. Hicks, R.S. and S.R. Gifford, Martin, Homer, Henry, La Farge, Sargent, Vedder, Warner, Weir, Tiffany, and Saint-Gaudens. Clearly, as Mr. Flexner reminds us, the great strength of the collection is in its Native School paintings which reflect, as he puts it, "the boyish high spirits of healthy men in a happy world." But there are some excellent examples of later work and some truly outstanding portraiture. Part of the success of the collection stems from what was an inspired purchas- ing program: the Club had the good sense to buy, early on, such masterworks as Mount's The Power of Music. But probably one of the more intriguing aspects of the building of the collection was the decision by the Century Association to accept a painting in lieu of the initiation fee. By this way, some wonderful paintings by Bierstadt, Whittredge and Homer, among others, found their way into the collection. On the whole, this book is as good-natured and as unassuming as the Century itself. Without a lot of fanfare, the paintings get our attention by their own merits.

ment of this most difficult medium from its early use as "a mere sketching tool" to its complete emergence as a primary means of artistic expression in the hands of a master such as Hopper. The text, although there is little of it, is organized into three main divisions: "The Indigenous Tradition," "The Influence of Europe," and "The Modern Movement." Hoopes has chosen well to present the glorious vitality of American watercolors, and the numerous examples have been reproduced on luxuriously heavy stock. Although this is undeniably another in the long line of Watson-Guptill's picture books, it is better than most of its cousins. Brief biographies of each artist enhance the worth of the volume and the unusually complete captions are an unexpected treat.

Mayor, A. Hyatt and Mark Davis. American Art at the Century. Preface by Russell Lynes. "Paintings on the Century Walls" by James Thomas Flexner. New York: The Century Association, 1977. 161 pp. 64 illus. incl. 13 in color. Catalogue. $25.00.

Generally beyond sight for most of us, the American art collection at The Century Association in New York is something we long to experience first-hand. The next best thing to that experience is, happily, this new publication. The Century's collection is justifiably impor- tant. The quality of many of the works is, in a word, stunning. But more impressive than its quality is the story of the collection itself and its relationship to its distinguished owners. The membership of the Century has always read like a "Who's Who" in the arts in this country including, as Mr. Lynes explains, not only artists but "critics, curators, art historians, and museum direc- tors." The Association evolved from the Sketch Club and counted among its founders Asher B. Durand, Henry Kirke Brown, J.Q.A. Ward, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry T. Tuckerman. A partial listing of artist-members whose works are represented in this book reveals the great wealth of the Club and its collection: Church, Huntington, Johnson, Whittredge, Leutze, Kensett, Bierstadt, Inness, T. Hicks, R.S. and S.R. Gifford, Martin, Homer, Henry, La Farge, Sargent, Vedder, Warner, Weir, Tiffany, and Saint-Gaudens. Clearly, as Mr. Flexner reminds us, the great strength of the collection is in its Native School paintings which reflect, as he puts it, "the boyish high spirits of healthy men in a happy world." But there are some excellent examples of later work and some truly outstanding portraiture. Part of the success of the collection stems from what was an inspired purchas- ing program: the Club had the good sense to buy, early on, such masterworks as Mount's The Power of Music. But probably one of the more intriguing aspects of the building of the collection was the decision by the Century Association to accept a painting in lieu of the initiation fee. By this way, some wonderful paintings by Bierstadt, Whittredge and Homer, among others, found their way into the collection. On the whole, this book is as good-natured and as unassuming as the Century itself. Without a lot of fanfare, the paintings get our attention by their own merits.

ment of this most difficult medium from its early use as "a mere sketching tool" to its complete emergence as a primary means of artistic expression in the hands of a master such as Hopper. The text, although there is little of it, is organized into three main divisions: "The Indigenous Tradition," "The Influence of Europe," and "The Modern Movement." Hoopes has chosen well to present the glorious vitality of American watercolors, and the numerous examples have been reproduced on luxuriously heavy stock. Although this is undeniably another in the long line of Watson-Guptill's picture books, it is better than most of its cousins. Brief biographies of each artist enhance the worth of the volume and the unusually complete captions are an unexpected treat.

Mayor, A. Hyatt and Mark Davis. American Art at the Century. Preface by Russell Lynes. "Paintings on the Century Walls" by James Thomas Flexner. New York: The Century Association, 1977. 161 pp. 64 illus. incl. 13 in color. Catalogue. $25.00.

Generally beyond sight for most of us, the American art collection at The Century Association in New York is something we long to experience first-hand. The next best thing to that experience is, happily, this new publication. The Century's collection is justifiably impor- tant. The quality of many of the works is, in a word, stunning. But more impressive than its quality is the story of the collection itself and its relationship to its distinguished owners. The membership of the Century has always read like a "Who's Who" in the arts in this country including, as Mr. Lynes explains, not only artists but "critics, curators, art historians, and museum direc- tors." The Association evolved from the Sketch Club and counted among its founders Asher B. Durand, Henry Kirke Brown, J.Q.A. Ward, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry T. Tuckerman. A partial listing of artist-members whose works are represented in this book reveals the great wealth of the Club and its collection: Church, Huntington, Johnson, Whittredge, Leutze, Kensett, Bierstadt, Inness, T. Hicks, R.S. and S.R. Gifford, Martin, Homer, Henry, La Farge, Sargent, Vedder, Warner, Weir, Tiffany, and Saint-Gaudens. Clearly, as Mr. Flexner reminds us, the great strength of the collection is in its Native School paintings which reflect, as he puts it, "the boyish high spirits of healthy men in a happy world." But there are some excellent examples of later work and some truly outstanding portraiture. Part of the success of the collection stems from what was an inspired purchas- ing program: the Club had the good sense to buy, early on, such masterworks as Mount's The Power of Music. But probably one of the more intriguing aspects of the building of the collection was the decision by the Century Association to accept a painting in lieu of the initiation fee. By this way, some wonderful paintings by Bierstadt, Whittredge and Homer, among others, found their way into the collection. On the whole, this book is as good-natured and as unassuming as the Century itself. Without a lot of fanfare, the paintings get our attention by their own merits.

ment of this most difficult medium from its early use as "a mere sketching tool" to its complete emergence as a primary means of artistic expression in the hands of a master such as Hopper. The text, although there is little of it, is organized into three main divisions: "The Indigenous Tradition," "The Influence of Europe," and "The Modern Movement." Hoopes has chosen well to present the glorious vitality of American watercolors, and the numerous examples have been reproduced on luxuriously heavy stock. Although this is undeniably another in the long line of Watson-Guptill's picture books, it is better than most of its cousins. Brief biographies of each artist enhance the worth of the volume and the unusually complete captions are an unexpected treat.

Mayor, A. Hyatt and Mark Davis. American Art at the Century. Preface by Russell Lynes. "Paintings on the Century Walls" by James Thomas Flexner. New York: The Century Association, 1977. 161 pp. 64 illus. incl. 13 in color. Catalogue. $25.00.

Generally beyond sight for most of us, the American art collection at The Century Association in New York is something we long to experience first-hand. The next best thing to that experience is, happily, this new publication. The Century's collection is justifiably impor- tant. The quality of many of the works is, in a word, stunning. But more impressive than its quality is the story of the collection itself and its relationship to its distinguished owners. The membership of the Century has always read like a "Who's Who" in the arts in this country including, as Mr. Lynes explains, not only artists but "critics, curators, art historians, and museum direc- tors." The Association evolved from the Sketch Club and counted among its founders Asher B. Durand, Henry Kirke Brown, J.Q.A. Ward, William Cullen Bryant, and Henry T. Tuckerman. A partial listing of artist-members whose works are represented in this book reveals the great wealth of the Club and its collection: Church, Huntington, Johnson, Whittredge, Leutze, Kensett, Bierstadt, Inness, T. Hicks, R.S. and S.R. Gifford, Martin, Homer, Henry, La Farge, Sargent, Vedder, Warner, Weir, Tiffany, and Saint-Gaudens. Clearly, as Mr. Flexner reminds us, the great strength of the collection is in its Native School paintings which reflect, as he puts it, "the boyish high spirits of healthy men in a happy world." But there are some excellent examples of later work and some truly outstanding portraiture. Part of the success of the collection stems from what was an inspired purchas- ing program: the Club had the good sense to buy, early on, such masterworks as Mount's The Power of Music. But probably one of the more intriguing aspects of the building of the collection was the decision by the Century Association to accept a painting in lieu of the initiation fee. By this way, some wonderful paintings by Bierstadt, Whittredge and Homer, among others, found their way into the collection. On the whole, this book is as good-natured and as unassuming as the Century itself. Without a lot of fanfare, the paintings get our attention by their own merits.

Turano / Book Reviews Turano / Book Reviews Turano / Book Reviews Turano / Book Reviews 118 118 118 118

This content downloaded from 188.72.96.141 on Wed, 25 Jun 2014 08:13:28 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions