The paintings of
Gertrude Fiske (American 1879-1961) are being featured at the Portsmouth Historical Society in New Hampshire.
Fiske was a student and then a colleague of American Impressionists Edmund C. Tarbell, Frank Benson, Philip Hale, and Charles Woodbury.
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| Woman at Work, 1910 |
Her paintings feature portraits, genre scenes, florals and landscapes, composed with an eye to simple and expressive value organization. As with other American Impressionists, she has a refined sense of edges, capturing a sense of mystery and poetry.
She passed up several opportunities to marry, preferring her independence. She maintained friendships with fellow painters known as “The Pine Hill Girls.” Her work won many prizes in her day.
Some of her paintings include "character portraits" where older models posed as representatives of occupations.
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Gertrude Fiske: American Master will be on show at the Portsmouth Historical Society in New Hampshire through the end of September, 2018. Admission is free.
There's a catalog:
Gertrude Fisk: American Master
I never get tired of paintings with good backlit ears. You gotta love that sweet subsurface scattering! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks James! Another wonderfully revelatory post. I continually marvel at the number of fantastic artists that you bring to our attention. Sometimes it's a little bit of a challenge to focus on the inspiration and not to let myself be overwhelmed or discouraged by the seemingly limitless skill of these artists. I find it helpful to try not to compare myself to these masters, but rather to remember the pure joy that I experience while painting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about another great, neglected female artist. It's wonderful to read about them, but disheartening that they haven't gotten their due. I find it amusing (annoying?) that there is still a mention on her "opportunities" to marry and that she did not, with inherent implications about her attractiveness. Doesn't seem like we'd mention that in an article about a male painter.
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