American Painting



Solitude - Sanford Gifford - 1848

Collecting American paintings was a venture in art appreciation for the Weyerhaeuser family. Current director Charles, recalls that his father, Carl, tried to acquire paintings for each of the children, and it is apparent from some of the correspondence that a painting was purchased only if it was found generally pleasing to all.

While the collection as a whole includes fine representations from each of the developmental phases of American landscape painting, with a lesser amount of other genre, several works stand out. Members of the Hudson River School found great inspiration in the close observation of nature and deified it in large-scale paintings. A remarkable early Sanford Gifford, possibly a tribute to his teacher Thomas Cole, is Solitude, painted in 1848. Gifford's evocative rendering of the Catskill scenery, the dead tree in the foreground symbolizing the passage of time, the lack of anything human, lone bird - all denote a superb example of this very American painting movement.

Two giants of twentieth century American art have remarkable representations in the Art Complex collection. The museum owns five watercolors by Charles Burchfield and six oils by George Bellows.




Rapids - Charles Burchfield, 1916


Charles Burchfield's early landscapes were inspired by childhood memories and fantasies, and Rapids, one of four painted in 1916, and owned by the Art Complex, shows his expressionist delight in nature's vagaries. The short, staccato brush strokes, vivid contrasts of color and playful use of pattern, visually interpreted Burchfield's poetic and romantic inclinations.




Shipyard - George Bellows, 1916


Painting the powerful Shipyard in Camden, Maine, during the summer of 1916, was a special thrill for Bellows, according to a letter from his wife Emma to Carl Weyerhaeuser, Its hulking "prow flung against the blue sky" harked back to Bellows' whaling heritage, while the theme of the dignity of work, personified by the crowd of energetic laborers was distinctly modern and boldly American.

Please scroll down to view a selection of paintings from the collection.




Winter Fun - Albert Insley, 1874




Landscape - Jasper F. Cropsey, 1890




In the Month of June - Arthur Parton, 1886




Phlox at Ogunquit, Maine - Charles Woodbury




The Confession - John Singer Sargent, 1914




Winter Woods - John Fabian Carlson




Untitled - John Joseph Enneking




Covered Bridge - George Gardner Symons




Roadside Cottage, Medfield, Mass - Dennis Miller Bunker, 1890




A Cove, Singing Beach - John Joseph Enneking, 1877


These paintings, and others, can be seen in the 1985 ACM publication, American Paintings, available at the museum.





In 1997, on the 25th Anniversary of the Art Complex Museum, The Light Beyond showcased select paintings from the collection. The following are from that exhibition.




Golden Sunset - John Francis Murphy, 1890




Moonrise on the Beach - Lowell Birge Harrison, 1913




Dawn - Dwight W. Tyron, 1906




On the Edge of the Wood - George Inness, 1894


You can see the complete exhibition in the 1996 ACM publication, The Light Beyond, available at the museum.





Back   

Print Collection    Asian Art    Shaker Furniture   


Art Complex Home




The Art Complex Museum / 189 Alden Street / Box 2814 / Duxbury, MA 02331