New Exhibition at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut

…isms: Unlocking Art’s Mysteries

February 10 through June 10, 2012


Japonisme: Thomas Watson Ball, Chinese Twilight,
Oil on canvas, Florence Griswold Museum

OLD LYME, CT – January 10, 2012: From February 10 through June 10, the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme presents …isms: Unlocking Art’s Mysteries, an exhibition of 100 works of American art and culture from the 18th to the 21st centuries that seeks to explain art movements and styles. The exhibition is perfect for non museumgoers as an introduction to these stylistic concepts. Seasoned art lovers will enjoy testing their knowledge and learning about the larger historical contexts that have informed artists’ work. The exhibition fosters a richer appreciation of familiar objects from the collection as well as introduces new acquisitions and selected loans.

While some “isms” began as official movements initiated by artists, many, such as Impressionism or Tonalism, acquired their names from critics who recognized new developments in art and coined terms to describe them. Occasionally, as in the case of Luminism, these labels were not assigned until a century later, when art historians discerned, in hindsight, qualities of light and mood shared by American landscape paintings of the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The air of serenity, glassy water, and spiritual light effects in John F. Kensett’s Fort Dumpling, Rhode Island (1871) identify it as a Luminist painting. Some “isms” describe trends specific to the visual arts, such as Academicism. Other “isms,” such as Romanticism, reflect broad cultural trends that were explored not only in the visual arts, but also in literature, music, and theater. Often, works of art embody the characteristics of more than one “ism.” By asking how different works embody the traits of a particular “ism” this exhibition demonstrates that these stylistic categories are by no means rigid.


Modernism: Harry Holtzman, Red,
Orange, Green and Yellow, Florence
Griswold Museum

…isms: Unlocking Arts Mysteries examines a range of “isms,” including Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Historicism, Luminism, Tonalism, Japonisme, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Realism. Neoclassicism is one of the most evergreen of the “isms.” As early as the fourteenth century, a desire to revive the excellence of Greek and Roman art, with its emphasis on figural sculpture, produced the cultural flourishing known as the Renaissance—the first episode of neoclassicism. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, a wave of political revolutions in Europe and America fostered an admiration for Greek democracy and Roman republicanism that encouraged a new round of neoclassicism. Early American architecture and decorative arts, like the examples in this exhibition, incorporate forms and motifs derived from classical forbears. In the late nineteenth century, a more concentrated Renaissance Revival produced works like George deForest Brush’s neoclassical depictions of women and children. Styles, then, can emerge at a particular moment in time, but also reappear in subsequent eras, broadening and changing the definition of the “ism” each time. While examples of Tonalism and Impressionism can be seen in the gallery, visitors may investigate these two movements further in the Florence Griswold House, where two additional galleries display Tonalist and Impressionist paintings by members of the Lyme Art Colony.

In the 20th century, “isms” flourished with the birth of new art movements seeking to express the modern spirit. A diversity of approaches characterizes Modernist works, such as Harry Holtzman’s Red, Orange, Green, and Yellow. Holtzman’s abstract painting, a new acquisition, embodies an interest in line and color, a return to the fundamentals of art shared by many Modernist works. This exhibition seeks to prove that “isms” are dynamic concepts and that by identifying their traits we can develop a broader appreciation for artists’ stylistic decisions.

 

Two Series held in Conjunction with the Exhibition

Assistant Curator Amanda Burdan’s Winter Studies course takes on the topic of “isms.” This 10-week lecture course elaborates on the characteristics of selected movements and puts them in historical context. Burdan also highlights key works on view in the exhibition, fueling discussion about the Museum’s objects and their relationship within the broader art world. Because of the popularity of the Winter Studies course, an afternoon session has been added this year. The lectures are held on Fridays from February 17 through April 20. The morning session begins at 10am and the afternoon session begins at 2pm. Tuition is $250. Register at FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org or at 860-434-5542, ext. 111.
A partnership between the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library and the Florence Griswold Museum entitled …isms: A Study of Styles in Art, Literature, and Film is an 8-session series investigating the notion of artistic styles in a variety of media. The series takes place on Thursdays at 7pm from March 1 through April 19. Participants may attend any or all programs, which are free thanks to a grant from the Connecticut Humanities Council. Registration is recommended by calling the Library at 860-434-1684 or the Museum at 860-434-5542 x 111.

 

 

About the Florence Griswold Museum

Located on an 11-acre site in the historic village of Old Lyme, the Florence Griswold Museum is known as the Home of American Impressionism. In addition to the restored Florence Griswold House, where the artists of the Lyme Art Colony lived, the Museum features a gallery of changing art exhibitions, education and landscape centers, extensive gardens, and a restored artist’s studio. The Museum is located at 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, exit 70 off I-95 and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1 to 5pm. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 students, and free to children 12 and under. For more information, visit
www.FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org or call 860-434-5542 x 111.