Executed in the 1860s, early in his career, the work reflects Trost Richards' allegiance to a philosophy of meticulous observation. According to the “New Path,” a statement of the Society of the Advancement of Truth in Art,
“The artist is a telescope…and the best artist is he who has the clearest lens, and so makes you forget that you are looking through him.”
The exhibit spans WTR’s career and includes plein air studies, watercolor and oil seascapes, and some larger oils that showcase his mastery of moisture-rich illuminated atmosphere.
Acting director of the museum Crista A. Detweiler told us that for most visitors Trost Richards is “an eye-opener. ‘How come I’ve never heard of him?’”
The exhibition has been extended through February 22.
Next up at the Arnold Art Gallery is an exhibit exploring academic art training, “Academic Allure: Art and Instruction in Nineteenth-Century Paris," It will be comprised of work borrowed from the Dahesh collection.From the press release:
The academic exhibition will be on view from March 13 – April 19, 2009. An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 13 from 5-7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Wednesday 5-8 p.m., Thursday and Friday 1 – 4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and by appointment for groups. Schools and other groups are encouraged to contact the Gallery at 717-867-6445 for a guided tour.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Dr. Barbara Anderman, curator of the exhibition, will present a lecture entitled “Politics, Practice, Discipline, Display: The Art of Academic Survival in Nineteenth-Century Paris” on Monday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in Zimmerman Recital Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Trost Richards pencil drawing is courtesy William Varieka Fine Arts, who graciously loaned several works to the exhibition.
Other gallery lenders include Godel and Co. and Questroyal Fine Art in New York City.
It’s an amazing drawing, but I’m not sure it’s one to make a person “forget that you are looking through” the artist. The extraordinary meticulousness makes me, at least, hyperconscious of the artist. I find my mind wandering from the drawing and instead wondering what the nervous breakdown was like after he finished the last leaf. Glad to know of Richards and his work, though.
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