Good art comes in small packages
PITTSBURGH — "Small But Sublime: Intimate 19th Century American Landscapes" opens May 14 at the Frick Art Museum, 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze.
Nearly 20 American artists spanning the Hudson River School to American Impressionism are represented in these small-scale paintings from the collection of the Newark Museum.
Beginning with the Hudson River School in the 1820s, landscapes served as a vehicle for expressing national identity and pride in the wonders of the land. Artists such as Albert Bierstadt (1830¿1902), Asher B. Durand (1796¿1886), and Jasper Cropsey (1823¿1900) were intent on creating distinctly American scenes.
Later, during the Civil War and in the years following, this nationalism waned as French landscape painting and the Barbizon school influenced a younger generation of painters including George Inness (1825¿1894), John Pope (1820¿1881) and Mary Moran (1842¿1899).
By the 1890s, Impressionism, with its broken brushstrokes and brilliant hues, became the avant-garde style in America.
Taken together, these small but sublime canvases provide an overview of the approaches to landscape painting in the second half of the 19th century and illustrate shifts in broader social attitudes toward nature and American identity.
The exhibit continues through Sept. 5.
An opening event at the museum is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. May 13. Cost is $12 for nonmembers and $10 for members. For reservations, call 412-371-0600.
Docent-led tours of the exhibit will be available at 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sunday from May 14 to Sept. 5. Admission is free.
Friday Gallery Talks will take place from 2 to 2:15 p.m. Fridays from May 14 to Sept. 3. These free talks are led by members of the education and curatorial staffs. Each month features a different topic.
Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Closed Mondays.
Admission is free.
Call 412-371-0600 or visit www.thefrickpittsburgh.org.
