Connecticut Art History - Other online information

Connecticut Art History

with an emphasis on representational art

Other online information:

13 Ways of Looking at Landscape: Larry Silver's Connecticut Photographs is a 2022 exhibit at the Fairfield University Art Museum which says: "Larry Silver - a Photo League-inspired photographer still working today - moved from Greater New York to Westport, Connecticut in 1973 and, with his camera, began exploring its regional environs. This exhibition, guest curated by curator and art historian Leslie K. Brown, PhD, will bring together over 40 years of Silver's work made of and in Connecticut and consider how he continues to push the boundaries of what landscape and looking are - and can be." Accessed 6/22

An American Place, the Art Colony at Old Lyme, an ongoing exhibit from the Florence Griswold Museum. Accessed July, 2015.

Art and Artists in Connecticut, by Harry Willard French, from Google Books. Accessed July, 2015.

Art for Everyone: The Federal Art Project in Connecticut, from The Mattatuck Historical Society. Includes five categories of art. Accessed July, 2015.

Art in Farmington Village is a 2018 exhibit at the New Britain Museum of American Art which says: "Organized in collaboration with the Farmington Historical Society and the first Museum exhibition to examine this subject in depth, this presentation explores the emergence of Farmington's art colony, its key patrons, and the role of individual artists, including James McDougal Hart (1828-1901), Aaron Draper Shattuck (1832-1928), Robert Bolling Brandegee (1849-1922), Charles Foster (1850-1931), Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942), Allen Butler Talcott (1867-1908), Helen Andrews (1872-1960), and James Britton (1878-1936)." Accessed 9/18

Artists from Connecticut from Wikipedia. Accessed August, 2015.

Bush-Holley House, the Cos Cob Art Colony and American Impressionism from Greenwich Historical Society. Accessed August, 2015.

The Cartoonists of Silvermine: Past and Present is a 2017 exhibit at the New Canaan Historical Society which says: "The Cartoonists of Silvermine: Past and Present" is an historical retrospective exhibiting over seventy reproductions of seventeen cartoonists who at one time worked and/or lived in Silvermine from 1900 though the present." Accessed 6/17

The Celebrated Gardens of Lyme Artists from Florence Griswold Museum, published May 7, 2014. Accessed December, 2015.

Coming Full Circle: The Greenwich Art Society Celebrates 100 at the Bruce Museum, an exhibit held February 11, 2012 - April 1, 2012 at the Bruce Museum. From the Bruce Museum. Accessed May, 2014

Connecticut (sampling of artists and works connected to state) from askArt. Accessed August, 2015.

(above: Charles Harold Davis (1856-1933, Summer Twilight, c. 1892, oil on canvas, 20.1. x 27 in. Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

"Connecticut and American Impressionism," by Hildegard Cummings, courtesy of the Florence Griswold Museum, from Connecticut Humanities. Accessed August, 2015.

Connecticut' History Illustrated is a virtual library enabling searching across media and institutions to discover cultural treasures. Accessed September, 2015.

Connecticut's 19th-Century Art is a 2025 article by Gemeni 2.5 Pro which says: "In the half-century between 1850 and 1900, the artistic landscape of Connecticut underwent a profound transformation, moving from traditional portraiture and commemorative sculpture to a more expressive and personal engagement with the natural world. This evolution was not merely a matter of style but a conscious turn towards art that celebrated beauty, championed positive virtues, and aimed to lift the human spirit. As the nation grappled with the immense trauma of the Civil War and the disorienting pace of industrialization, artists in Connecticut sought solace and inspiration in the state's rolling hills, serene coastlines, and the quiet dignity of its rural life. This period saw the rise of art colonies and a flourishing of styles that, while influenced by European trends, were distinctly American in their optimistic and heartfelt portrayal of the everyday." Accessed 7/25

Connecticut's Mystic Art Colony is a 2025 article by Claude AI which says: "The story of organized artistic activity in Mystic begins in 1913, when Charles Harold Davis founded the Mystic Art Association, establishing what would become one of Connecticut's most enduring art institutions. This founding represented not a sudden artistic awakening, but rather the formalization of artistic activity that had been quietly developing along the Mystic River for several years. The geographic advantages of Mystic as an artistic center were immediately apparent to Davis and his contemporaries: the town offered the visual richness of a working seaport combined with the pastoral beauty of the Connecticut countryside, creating an environment where artists could explore both marine and landscape subjects within a compact geographic area." Accessed 7/25

Cos Cob art colony from Wikipedia. Accessed August, 2015

"The Cos Cob Art Colony" by Carl White, November 8, 2010, from Greenwich Library. Accessed August, 2015

Cos Cob Art Colony: From Clapboard to Canvas is a 2025 article by Gemeni 2.5 Pro whcich says: "The Cos Cob art colony, which flourished from roughly 1890 to 1920, was far more than a provincial school of landscape painting. Childe Hassam's affectionate nickname, "the Cos Cob Clapboard School of Art," belies the radical, sophisticated, and historically significant work that emerged from this harbor village. Over three decades, the colony served as a dynamic crucible where American artists navigated a complex and rapid stylistic evolution, from the light-filled canvases of Impressionism to the bold forms of early Modernism.

It began as a place to adapt a European style to an American landscape, with artists like J. Alden Weir celebrating the pastoral traditions of a vanishing agrarian world, while visionaries like John Henry Twachtman pushed the language of Impressionism toward a state of lyrical abstraction. The colony's evolution was then profoundly deepened by the influence of Japonisme, which moved from a stylistic appropriation of compositional devices, as seen in the work of Theodore Robinson, to a rich cultural dialogue embodied by the presence of Japanese artist Genjiro Yeto.

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the colony served as a critical launchpad for Modernism. The experimental, forward-thinking environment cultivated at the Holley House nurtured the organizers of the 1913 Armory Show, with Elmer MacRae's personal artistic journey from Impressionism to Modernism mirroring the colony's larger trajectory. The Cos Cob art colony's true legacy, therefore, lies not in a single style but in its function as a vital "testing ground." It was here that artists grappled with the defining tensions of their era, creating a body of work that captured the complexities of a nation poised between its past and its future. In doing so, they built an indispensable bridge between the art of the 19th century and the art of the 20th, securing Cos Cob's enduring place in the story of American art." Accessed 7/25

"The Cos Cob Art Colony, Impressionists on the Connecticut Shore," article by Carter B. Horsley. From The City Review. Accessed August, 2015.

Edward Balthazar: Urban Artist is a 2019 exhibit at the Mattatuck Museum which says: "This on-line exhibition features Waterbury scenes that Edward J. Balthazar (1890-1956) produced during the 1930s and 1940s in a selection of works from the Mattatuck's permanent collection. Balthazar's paintings and many etchings celebrate his hometown in views of city and country as diverse as the natural gas works and the Pomperaug River." Accessed 10/19

Emil Carlsen's Quiet Harmonies is a 2018 exhibit at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum which says: "A close friend of artist Julian Alden Weir, Carlsen spent time at both the Weir farm in Branchville, Connecticut and at Weir's Windham home before acquiring his own Connecticut residence in 1905 in Falls Village, at the foot of the Berkshires." Accessed 1/19

The Evolution of Oil Painting in the Mystic Art Colony is a 2025 article by Claude AI which says: "The artistic development of Mystic, Connecticut, presents a compelling case study in how geographic location and artistic vision can combine to create a distinctive regional art movement. Unlike the more famous Old Lyme colony, which experienced a dramatic transformation from Tonalism to Impressionism, the Mystic art colony evolved more gradually, shaped by its unique maritime character and the steady leadership of artists who understood how to capture the essence of Connecticut's coastal landscape through oil painting." Accessed 6/25

The Evolution of Painting in the Old Lyme Art Colony is a 2025 article by Claude AI which says: "The Old Lyme art colony in Connecticut represents one of the most significant chapters in American art history, witnessing a dramatic transformation from the muted tones of nineteenth-century academic painting to the brilliant light and color of American Impressionism. This artistic evolution, which unfolded along the Lieutenant River between 1899 and the 1930s, fundamentally changed how American artists approached landscape painting and established Connecticut's coastline as a crucible for artistic innovation." Accessed 6/25

Farmington Artists and Their Times: Giverny in Connecticut: Part I, By Charles Leach, M.D. Republished from the Farmington Historical Society newsletter, December 2007. Accessed July, 2015.

Farmington Artists and Their Times: Giverny in Connecticut: Part II, By Charles Leach, M.D. Republished from the Farmington Historical Society newsletter, March 2008. Accessed July, 2015.

Hartford Steam Boiler Collection from the Florence Griswold Museum Accessed July, 2015.

Hauling and Harrowing: Edward Volkert and the Connecticut Farm is a 2023 online exhibit produced by the Florence Griswold Museum which says: "Drawing upon research for the 2018 exhibition Art and the New England Farm, this online exhibition will consider how Volkert's idyllic depictions of farm work reckon with subjects such as technological change, the relationship between rural and urban areas, immigration and labor sources, and the representation of health and the food supply (topics that gained particular relevance during and after World War I). While Volkert's paintings of oxen teams harrowing fields may appear timeless, their emergence at a moment when these issues were intensively being discussed both in Connecticut and nationally allows us to consider how artists' works help viewers navigate fraught transitions." Accessed 1/23

Impressionism 150: From Paris to Connecticut & Beyond is a 2024 exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum which says: "Works created by artists in both French and Connecticut settings will be juxtaposed, while new acquisitions will be highlighted alongside gifts by Lyme Colony artists to Florence Griswold.The recent gift, La Paresse, which Lawton Parker painted in Giverny and brought to Old Lyme, will be featured to consider different perspectives on the nude in French and American contexts as it relates to Impressionism, and to explore the impact of French Impressionist colonies on their American counterparts." Accessed 6/24

Jan Dilenschneider: Dualities was a 2015 exhibit at the Bellarmine Museum of Art which says in its press release: "This exhibition will feature about 20 paintings by Connecticut artist Jan Dilenschneider. A champion of artistic freedom of expression, Dilenschneider is an award-winning artist, who regularly exhibits her work in Paris. She has been painting since childhood, and finds much of her inspiration in nature and its wonders. Dilenschneider's influences include Impressionism and Expressionism, while her affinity for landscape and the atmospheric effects of light and color link her to the venerable Connecticut tradition of landscape painting exemplified by the late 19th- early 20th-century Cos Cob School." Accessed 1/17

The Lyme Art Colony from the Florence Griswold Museum Accessed July, 2015.

Lyme Artists Abroad is a 2014 exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum which says: "Expeditions to places as far-flung as the Zuni pueblo, the hills of Italy, and the warm waters of the Caribbean demonstrate artists' perpetual quest for intriguing subject matter and varied landscapes to contrast with the familiar pastures and woods of Connecticut." Accessed 12/18

Natalie Van Vleck - True to Her Art, Life & Land is a 2018 exhibit at the Mattatuck Museum which says: "Organized by guest curator Marc Chabot and the Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, this exhibition presents more than 50 paintings, works on paper, hand carved wood frames, furnishings and archival material by the American Modernist artist Natalie Van Vleck (1901-1981), longtime resident of Woodbury." Also see artist's biography from Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust. Accessed 12/18

"New Deal Art Revisited" by Kathryn Boughton, from Connecticut Humanities. Accessed July, 2015.

NEW/NOW: Paul Baylock is a 2018 exhibit at the New Britain Museum of American Art which says: "During the early part of the 20th century, New Britain was known as the "Hardware City" and the "Hardware Capital of the World."...This legacy is perhaps nowhere better expressed and celebrated than in the vibrant paintings and sculptures of artist Paul Baylock, a New Britain native." Accessed 7/18

The New Spirit and the Cos Cob Art Colony:Before and After The Armory Show, an exhibit held October 9, 2013 to January 12, 2014 at Greenwich Historical Society. Accessed May, 2014

Old Lyme Colony Painters from AskArt.com. Accessed July, 2015.

(above: Clark Voorhees, Schooner, Noank, Connecticut, oil on board, 12 x 16 inches, The Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons*)

Oscar Fehrer: Reflecting and Reflections is a 2017 exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum which says: "This installation will present a selected retrospective of work from every period of Fehrer's career-early charcoal drawings, portraits, and plein air landscapes-to reconsider Fehrer's contribution to the art world on both a local and international level." Accessed 11/17

Pasture to Pond: Connecticut Impressionism, an exhibit held March 22 - June 22, 2014 at the Bruce Museum. Includes video and .pdf of driving tour. From the Bruce Museum. Accessed February, 2016.

Pieces of American History: Connecticut Quilts is a 2019 exhibit at the Connecticut Historical Society which says: "About 30 stunning selections from the CHS's approximately 150 quilts, ranging from the last quarter of the eighteenth century to the present day, will be displayed alongside costumes, photographs, and artifacts that illustrate the stories behind Connecticut quilters and quilting." Accessed 6/20

Suzanne Chamlin: Studies in Color is a 2024 exhibit at the Fairfield University Art Museum which says: "In this exhibition of recent work, Chamlin explores ideas about color theory and light through a series of landscape and interior stills. Since 2012, the artist has carefully charted her paints using the Munsell color system, which analyzes colors in terms of hue (the color itself), value (relative light and dark) and chroma (level of saturation or brilliance). For each of her paintings, Chamlin sets a highly specific palette; experimentation within this limited range then guides her decisions about process and pictorial space." Accessed 9/24

Thistles and Crowns: The Painted Chests of the Connecticut Shore is a 2014 exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum which says: "Useful in their form and beautiful in their ornament these chests tell a complicated story about the way that colonists in eighteenth-century Connecticut used humble objects to express their place in the larger world." Accessed 12/18

Three Women/Three Artists/Three Centuries, an exhibit held October 3, 2014 - January 25, 2015 at the Florence Griswold Museum. Includes exhibit brochure with essay by Jeff Andersen, Director of the Florence Griswold Museum. From Florence Griswold Museum. Accessed February, 2016.

World War I and the Lyme Art Colony is a 2017 exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum which says: "The exhibition will draw on the Museum's permanent collection and selected loans from public and private collections to illuminate the significant role played by artists with ties to Connecticut in mobilizing public sentiment for America's entry into the war and in defining a new role for art in the field of modern warfare." Accessed 11/17

Yale Peabody Museum's dioramas from Yale University Peabody Museum. Accessed August, 2015.

(above: Henry Ward Ranger (1858-1916), Entrance to the Harbor, 1890, 18.2 x 25.6 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

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