1 the Weir Family, 1820-1920 Expanding the Traditions Of

Home , Mahonri Young, Robert Walter Weir, Ten American Painters

THE WEIR FAMILY, 1820-1920 EXPANDING THE TRADITIONS OF AMERICAN ART

CREDITS: ASC, NCAC This exhibition was organized by the Brigham Young University Museum of Art and made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts and foundation sponsor, the Henry Luce Foundation. Additional assistance has been provided by Jack and Mary Lois Wheatley and the Haven J. and Bonnie Rae Barlow Family Foundation. Catalogue Available in the Museum Shop

TEXT PANEL #1 (INTRO): The Weirs were an exceptional family of artists in 19th-century America. The patriarch of the family, Robert Walter Weir, raised his sixteen children at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was Professor of Drawing. Though a proud and patriotic American, he studied art in Italy and was convinced that European training was necessary for serious American artists.

Robert Weir’s sons John Ferguson Weir and Julian Alden Weir shared their father’s devotion to America and followed his example by studying art in Europe. They helped introduce new European styles to America, spreading them through their teaching. The works of all three Weirs exhibit a rich blend of European and American cultural traditions.

TEXT PANEL #2: AMERICAN ROOTS When Robert Weir returned from Italy in 1827, he became active in New York art circles. In 1834 he was appointed Instructor of Drawing at West Point and settled at the military academy with his wife Louisa and two children. He wrote, “I feel myself anchored for life, especially as I have some little hedges out which have moored me to the soil.” The “little hedges” (his children) eventually numbered sixteen.

Sons John and Julian and their many brothers and sisters grew up at West Point. Listening to bugle calls and watching reviews, they were steeped in American patriotism. Most of the Weir sons became officers and the daughters married officers. When the two artist sons launched their own families and careers, they settled nearby in New York and Connecticut.

TEXT PANEL #3: EUROPEAN HERITAGE “I was now so eager to go to Italy to see the great masters and study with foreign artists.” --Robert Walter Weir, 1824

“What would I give to be with you in your studies. . . . Don’t you give it up—don’t think of returning home till you have to. . . . Don’t return until your veins flow with the rich mother’s milk of Art.” --John Ferguson Weir to Julian Alden Weir in Paris, 1875

“It scares me when I think of returning and my studies incomplete.” --Julian Alden Weir, 1877

Nineteenth-century American artists saw Europe as their artistic parent and felt a need for European training. Robert was an art pioneer in 1824 when he crossed the Atlantic as one of the earliest American artists to study in Italy.

In the last quarter of the 19th century, with the American economy booming, American artists went by droves to study in Paris and Munich. Supported by a moneyed patron, Julian Weir studied for four years at the École des beaux art in Paris. Both he and his brother John repeatedly crossed the Atlantic for informal training—studying the old masters and painting in nature.

TEXT PANEL #4: MATURE VISION “This [Paris] is a lovely place to loaf in and see fine things. . . . We expect to return to the best country in the world on Sept. 29th. . . . America is the place.” --Julian Alden Weir, 1901

“I have been all the morning at the Salon. . . . Here and there a fine thing—. . . . The old group of real masters have gone by. . . . I am something of an old fogy, and relish things not too fresh perhaps. . . . Still I mean to get in as close as I can and be open minded.” --John Ferguson Weir, summer 1902

By 1900, Julian Weir was painting landscapes and figural works in his own version of impressionism. Outdoor impressionist landscapes are still his best known works. In 1898, he began exhibiting with the Ten American Painters, who embraced impressionism in varying degrees. In his mature work Weir uses multiple aspects of the French style to portray his favorite subjects—Connecticut landscapes and members of his family.

Julian’s impressionist work inspired his brother to experiment with light-filled canvases. John Weir’s heart, however, was with the older academic painters he had learned to love from his father. His mature works, like Julian’s, are American subjects in European-influenced styles. Most are finely painted in dark tones. Some, however, exhibit lighter colors and looser brushwork inspired by more recent trends.

Robert Walter Weir (1803-1889) Self-Portrait (Head of Man with White Beard) Oil on panel, 1860s Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“I suppose I have placed my signature on more diplomas than anyone else at West Point.” --Robert Walter Weir Shortly after his three years of art study in Italy in the 1820s, Robert Weir became Instructor of Drawing at West Point, holding the position for forty-two years. As drawing was necessary for designing field plans, bridges, and maps, it was a required course for every cadet. Because this work dates to the 1860s, during the Civil War, one might read sadness into the far-away gaze, due to former students killing each other as they fought on opposite sides of the conflict. Robert was the first art instructor of his sons John and Julian. Comparing Robert’s self-portrait with Julian’s reveals a father-son resemblance in the serious look, natural curl in the hair, and similar shape of the nose.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) John Ferguson Weir Oil on canvas, 1864-65 National Academy Museum, New York, 1397-P

“My dear John, Remember me in your prayers, my dear son, for I thank Him for the gift of such a Son.” --Robert Walter Weir

Robert Weir’s affection for his son John—the seventh of nine children by his first wife Louisa Ferguson—is apparent in this painting. Robert, John’s only formal art instructor, must have been proud of his son, who was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Design at the young age of twenty-two. John submitted this painting to the Academy as his portrait required for membership. Robert Weir’s typical plain dark portrait background appears in both this work and his own self-portrait. In 1869, after financial success in his art practice, John made his first of several trips to Europe to study the Old Masters and paint in the countryside. On his return he became founding director of the art school at Yale and set up the first academic art program on an American college campus. He remained at Yale for forty-four years.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Self-Portrait Oil on canvas, 1886 National Academy Museum, New York, 1390-P

“Dear Julian, Try to keep yourself pure and avoid Godlessness. I am glad that you adhere to keeping Sunday holy.”--Robert Walter Weir to Julian Alden Weir in Paris

The solemn face portrayed by Julian Weir in his self-portrait reflects the “moral seriousness” that he inherited from his father. Both were religious men who called their families together for prayer. Julian submitted this required portrait to the National Academy of Design in 1886, the year he was elected to membership. Julian was known professionally as J. Alden Weir in honor of his benefactress, Mrs. Alden, who funded his four years of study at the École des beaux arts in Paris. After his return, he made many trips to Europe. A leader in American art, he was an important American Impressionist, and in 1915 was elected president of the National Academy of Design.

Dorothy Weir Young (1890-1947) Ladies at Dinner Oil on canvas on board, c.1930 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Dorothy Weir Young, daughter of Julian Alden Weir, was herself an artist. This painting is set in the dining room of Julian’s farm in Branchville, Connecticut, where he and his wife and children spent the summers. On the wall hang Julian’s portraits of his father, Robert Walter Weir (Dorothy’s grandfather), and his wife Anna (Dorothy’s mother). The full-length portrait of Anna hangs nearby in this exhibition. In 1931, Dorothy Weir married the artist Mahonri Young, grandson of Brigham Young. Mahonri outlived Dorothy, and after his death, his art collection, along with Dorothy’s, came to Brigham Young University in 1959. Dorothy’s collection included many of her father’s works and much of his art collection. The large Weir and Young holdings form the core of the Brigham Young University Museum of Art’s collection.

Robert Walter Weir (1803-1889) Lady in a Red Bodice Oil on canvas, 1830 Courtesy of R. Scott and Karen Perry

Robert Weir married Louisa Ferguson in 1829, two years after his return from Italy. This portrait of his young American wife recalls grand manner portraits by the English painter, Joshua Reynolds, whom Weir revered. Relief sculptures on the Greek bowl and base to Louisa’s left depict marriage scenes from classical art and seem to indicate that this is a marriage portrait

Julian Alden Weir (1852-1919) Anna on the Balcony of Duveneck’s Studio Oil on canvas, 1883 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“Duveneck has loaned me his studio and so I have begun a portrait of Anna.” --Julian Alden Weir, Venice, to his parents, July 1883 In April 1883, Julian married his former art student Anna Baker. On their honeymoon they spent five months touring Europe. Julian painted this portrait of Anna in Venice on the studio balcony of fellow American artist Frank Duveneck. The figure of Anna placed close to the picture plane recalls paintings by the French painter Manet. Dorothy Weir Young painted a copy of Anna on the Balcony into her painting, Ladies at Dinner, on display nearby in this exhibition.

Julian Alden Weir (1852-1919) Portrait of Dorothy (Mrs. Mahonri Young) Oil on canvas, c.1915 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Dorothy Weir was in her twenties when her father painted this piece. He used the broken brushstrokes, light colors, and flickering light of impressionism to portray his daughter reading. Dorothy would marry the artist Mahonri Young sixteen years later in 1931.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Self-Portrait (Portrait of a Man) Oil on panel, 1909 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Dorothy Weir was nineteen years old when her father painted this small self-portrait on wood and dedicated it to her, perhaps as a birthday gift. It is evidence of the father-daughter bond that was strengthened by their common vocation as artists.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) The Morning Paper Oil on canvas, 1868 Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Purchase, Bertram F. and Susie Brummer Foundation, Inc. Gift, 1960 (60.72) “I had the care [of my father’s library] as a youth, with that of his studio. . . . The care of [the] library and studio at West Point I have come to regard as the most serviceable part of my education for what they contained of treasures of the past.”--John Ferguson Weir

John Ferguson Weir was a successful New York artist when he painted his father reading in the West Point studio. Some of the studio’s “treasures” are visible—stacked canvases, the curious chair, and art portfolios and books. The room, with its plaster casts of ancient sculpture, suit of armor from Italy, and other exotic items, was a European enclave at the U.S. military academy.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Head of a Man Oil on panel, c.1834 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

This lovely unfinished portrait of an unknown sitter was probably painted after Robert Weir returned to American from Italy, about the time he assumed his position as Instructor of Drawing at West Point.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) St. Nicholas Oil on panel, 1837 New York Historical Society, Gift of Mr. George A. Zabriskie 1951.76

St. Nicholas was the patron saint of New York and of the Knickerbocker Society, which included author Washington Irving. Irving also founded the Saint Nicholas Society to preserve New York’s Dutch heritage. Robert Weir, a member of the Knickerbocker circle, filled his St. Nicholas with Dutch references—a toy windmill in Nicholas’s pack; an orange; the seal of New York with its central windmill above the mantelpiece. In an early showing, the painting was paired with the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” known to us as “The Night before Christmas,” penned by Weir’s fellow Knickerbocker, Clement C. Moore.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Sylvanus Thayer (Military Officer) Oil on canvas, c.1834 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

This work was recently identified as a portrait of Sylvanus Thayer, the renowned superintendent of West Point, where he had earlier been a cadet. Thayer served in the War of 1812 and was sent to Europe to study science and math. In 1817, at the age of 32, he was named superintendent. Thayer established academic rigor and started the engineering program, for which he is called the “Father of West Point.” After Thayer resigned in 1833, Robert Weir was commissioned to paint his portrait. A recent grant from the National Endowment for the Arts enabled the conservation of this portrait. You can view a film of the conservation process in the resource room later this exhibition.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Truman Seymour Oil on canvas, c.1852 Courtesy of R. Scott and Karen Perry

“On Tuesday night we serenaded Captain Seymour, one of the heroes of Fort Sumter, who was here visiting his father-in-law, Professor Weir.”--A West Point cadet, writing in the early 1860s

Robert Weir painted this portrait of Seymour, a celebrated hero of the Mexican War, in civilian clothing. The red lining of the coat and the faraway gaze create a dashing romantic figure. From 1850 - 1853, Seymour was assigned to West Point as Assistant Professor of Drawing under Weir. In the year of the portrait, he married Weir’s daughter Louisa. Seymour was an artist in his own right. After his retirement, he and Louisa settled in Italy, where he sketched and painted watercolors, many of which now belong to the BYU Museum of Art.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Bust Portrait of a Military Officer with Beard Oil on canvas, c. 1860 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

This portrait of an unnamed officer is among many painted by Robert Weir during his career at West Point. Like the portrait of Sylvanus Thayer, these military portraits were bust length with a plain background and the face lit from the left.

(No Image Pictured) Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) General Winfield Scott Oil on canvas, 1856 West Point Museum and Art Collection U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York

“Among my memories of West Point were the annual visits of . . . General Winfield Scott, whose arrival at the Post during the June examinations was usually announced by a salute of guns. General Scott was then popularly regarded as the embodiment of military glory; . . . his uncommon stature of six feet six may have contributed to this impression.” --John Ferguson Weir

Winfield Scott was the longest acting general in the U.S. Army, serving in the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Black Hawk and Seminole wars, and for a short time in the Civil

War. The Weirs knew and revered General Scott, who sat just two pews away from them in church. Robert Weir has painted a dignified portrait of Scott in dress uniform with his hand in his jacket—a common pose adopted from England for gentlemen of the era.

(No Image Pictured) Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) U.S. Volunteer Militia Oil on canvas, 1840-45 West Point Museum Art Collection U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York

This humorous painting of military life depicts a camp of volunteer militia in the Hudson Highlands near West Point. In Robert Weir’s imaginary scene a seated officer in a tall bearskin cap sews a flag while an impatient fellow officer seems to urge him to hurry. In the background a sergeant appears to be drilling a squad.

Robert Walter Weir The Microscope Oil on canvas, 1849 Yale University Art Gallery John Hill Morgan, B.A. 1893, LLB. 1896, M.A. (Hon.) 1929, and Olive Louise Dann Funds

“Weir is . . . painting a picture which is to immortalize my microscope.” --Jacob Whitman Bailey, faculty, West Point In this work, Robert Weir portrays his close friend Jacob Whitman Bailey, a fellow professor at West Point. Bailey, an American pioneer of microscopy, appears instructing his own children. Weir romantically depicts the family in the dress of Galileo’s day. The dramatic lighting recalls the scenes of early industry by British painter Joseph Wright of Derby.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) View from West Point Oil on canvas, 1865 Private Collection

“It is surprising with what delight my eye falls upon any stray sketch of the Highlands.”--John Ferguson Weir

John Weir produced many paintings of this view of the Hudson River and Highlands. The scene, which has been called “the perfect river view,” is one he beheld from his father’s home. The cannons at the bottom right indicate a military presence. John sold many small paintings like this one to cadets as souvenirs of their time at West Point.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Picnic along the Hudson Oil on canvas, 1881 Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University. 2000.95

“At West Point the beautiful scenery of the Hudson gave me full opportunity to indulge in my love of landscape.”--Robert Walter Weir Robert Weir was among the lesser known figures of the Hudson River School of landscape painters. His perfect view of the river from his home at West Point attracted visits from other Hudson River painters. Like his son John, Weir repeatedly portrayed the view, painting this version five years after his retirement. The landscape conventions he learned in Italy—framing trees, sunlit middle ground, and distant mountains—appear in his work throughout his career.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Shoeing the Ox (The Blacksmith Shop) Oil on canvas, 1868 New Britain Museum of American Art, Gift of Mr. Henry S. Beers, 1970. 54.

“We rented a place for the summer in a village on the Delaware. . . I found an agreeable change in occupying myself with . . . a small picture of the blacksmith of the village at work in his smithy.”--John Ferguson Weir, 1868

Paintings of provincial life by both French and American artists were popular at the Paris salons in the 1850s and 1860s and with American collectors as well. Weir’s portrayal of a village blacksmith responds to this widespread interest in rural themes.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) The Gun Foundry Oil on canvas, 1866 Courtesy of the Putnam County Historical Society and Foundry School Museum, Cold Spring, New York

“The prominent picture, about which everybody crowded, . . . was Weir’s grand painting of the West Point foundry at Cold Spring, which is regarded as one of the best works of the year.” --New York Times review of the 1866 National Academy exhibition The Civil War was an emotional time for the Weir family, but their paintings from the period depict few war themes. John’s large painting of the gun foundry across the Hudson from West Point, where cannons were manufactured for the war, is an exception. Painted in the grand manner of European history painting, the widely lauded work led to John’s election as an Academician of the National Academy. In 1867, The Gun Foundry was sent by the U.S. government to the Universal Exposition in Paris.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) The Christmas Bell Oil on canvas, 1866 Collection of the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio Gift of the Rosenfeld Foundation, 1958 Recently conserved in part with a grant from the Ruth H. Beecher Charitable Trust

“Weir illustrated Christian festivity by a bell swinging in a moonlit tower, with fairies jubilant under its sonorous dome on Christmas Eve—an effective and beautiful conception.”--New York Times review John Weir painted five versions of this piece, which was one of his most popular paintings. Several patrons commissioned copies and a chromolithographic print was issued.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) East Rock, New Haven Oil on canvas, c.1901 Florence Griswold Museum Gift of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, 2002.1.160

“Mary and I walked up to the top of East Rock on Saturday, and it was simply marvelous.” --John Ferguson Weir to Julian Alden Weir John Weir painted at least five views of East Rock, a prominent red basalt ridge in New Haven that is a Connecticut landmark. The fall colors in this painting are especially appealing. John and Mary Weir lived in New Haven for forty-four years while John served as director of the art school at Yale. His painted views of locations with personal meaning—East Rock, the Hudson River near West Point, and Lake Como in Italy—seem to indicate John’s strong attachment to place.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Early Morning Light Oil on canvas, 1882 New Britain Museum of American Art Stephen B. Lawrence Fund, 1984.08

This dramatically lit painting with hills, gathering clouds and a split-rail fence may portray a landscape view at Branchville, Connecticut. John’s brother Julian acquired a farm in Branchville in 1882, and John spent increasing amounts of time there. The fence and distant train announce the human development of the land but do not detract from the harmony of the pastoral scene.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) The Hudson River from Hoboken Oil on panel, 1878 Detroit Institute of Arts Founders Society Purchase, Activities Committee Fund

“It is just evening, and you see the gleam of lamps on the opposite side of the North river. It is a dim light, and a somber picture, but those coal barges are typical of that particular wharf.” --Robert Walter Weir quoted in New York Times Painted after Robert Weir retired from West Point and moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, this piece is unique in his artistic output. Instead of a placid river and rolling hills, he paints a bustling center of trade and industry. The work also departs from his usual meticulous detail. Its limited color range and hazy atmosphere recall paintings by his former student, James McNeill Whistler.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Willimantic, Connecticut Oil on linen, 1903 Collection of the Arizona State University Art Museum Gift of Oliver B. James, 1950.016.000

The American Thread Company Mills in Willimantic, Connecticut, were just outside the town of Windham, where Julian Weir spent time in the summers at the home of his wife’s parents. His impressionist rendering of the mill town ignores the pollution and contemporary labor issues of industrialization. The factory buildings and the smoke rising from the chimney do not mar the beauty of the pastoral scene.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) The Plaza: Nocturne Oil on canvas mounted on wood, 1911 Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Smithsonian Institution,Washington, D.C. Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

This nighttime view of New York City pictures the famous Plaza Hotel. Julian Weir lived and worked in New York and was familiar with the scene. He was also aware of paintings by his father’s former student James McNeill Whistler, whose career the Weirs followed with interest. As in Whistler’s nighttime paintings, Weir’s piece has a limited range of colors and bears the title “Nocturne,” a term that refers to both a nighttime scene and a musical composition.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Taking the Veil Oil on canvas, 1863 Yale University Art Gallery

“I am at present making studies for an original picture. The subject is the consecration of a nun, at which ceremony I was present.”--Robert Walter Weir, Italy, 1826, to a friend in America

“One listens to hear the rustling of priestly robes, the intonations of benedictions, the waver of the organ or the chant of the choir.”--an art critic, 1863 During his art study in Rome in the 1820s, Robert Weir saw a young woman of a prominent Roman family taking vows as a nun. He sketched the event but did not complete the painting until 1863, almost forty years later. His masterful technique is evident in the depiction of colored light streaming from unseen stained glass windows and the transparent veil of the young woman.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) The Landing of Henry Hudson Oil on canvas, c.1838 The Petrie Collection

This huge painting portrays a major transatlantic event—the 1609 exploration of the Hudson River by Henry Hudson. Sailing for the Dutch East India Company, Hudson claimed the area around the river for the Dutch. In the painting, his ship, the Half Moon, has surprised the Native Americans, some of whom set out to investigate. The subject is fitting for Weir, who had strong ties to the Hudson through his position at West Point. The denuded tree and rocky cliff on the left are conventions of Italian sublime landscape painting that he would have learned during his study in Italy.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Embarkation of the Pilgrims Oil on canvas, 1837 – 43 U.S. Capitol Rotunda Facsimile of the original

“It [Embarkation] was made the subject of numerous poetic effusions, and the Olympic theatre put it upon the stage in the form of tableaux. It was exhibited in all the large cities of the Union.”--The Mercantile Journal, Boston, September 18, 1843 The large mural commissioned by Congress for the Capitol Rotunda is Robert Weir’s best- known painting. Acclaimed in its day, it is one of eight idealized history paintings still installed in the Rotunda. The ultimate transatlantic piece, it portrays the Pilgrims on the Speedwell before setting sail from Delft-Haven, Holland in July of 1620. The Speedwell leaked so badly that the passengers were transferred to the Mayflower at Plymouth England, where they set sail for America in September.

Extended Text (Panel #5 )/Wall: These three portraits have recently been identified as studies for Robert Weir’s Capitol Rotunda mural, Embarkation of the Pilgrims. To ensure accuracy, Weir made careful studies of every

14 element of his grand history painting, including sketching the armor from a suit of armor he had purchased in Italy and using models for the portraits of individual figures.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Portrait Study for Embarkation of the Pilgrims: William Brewster (Portrait of Old Man with Beard) Oil on canvas, c.1841 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

William Brewster was one of the original English Separatists who formed the core of the Pilgrim church. After immigrating to Holland, he served as Elder of the Pilgrim Separatists. After the Pilgrims arrived in America, Brewster became the much-loved religious leader of Plymouth Colony. In Robert Weir’s Capitol Rotunda painting, he appears holding the open, well-lit bible.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Portrait Study for Embarkation of the Pilgrims: Mrs. Brewster (Old Woman in Cap) Oil on canvas, c.1841 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

This portrait study represents a Mayflower passenger, William Brewster’s wife Mary. In his large mural, Robert Weir places Mary kneeling behind and to the right of her husband.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Portrait Study for Embarkation of the Pilgrims: Governor Carver (Portrait of Man in White Ruff Reading) Oil on canvas, c.1841 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

John Carver, an educated, religious, and wealthy London merchant, joined the Pilgrim Separatists in Holland. He assisted the group financially and bore many expenses of their journey to America. He was elected first governor of Plymouth Colony, but died six months later. In Robert Weir’s large painting he appears kneeling with head bowed and hat in hand as he joins in prayer led by William Brewster and Pastor John Robinson.

Robert Walter Weir (1803 – 1889) Portico of the Palace of Octavia Oil on canvas, 1874 Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.947

“Rome! Rome! . . . I am really here, am actually in it! But, Oh! What a ruinous, dirty, filthy, profligate . . . place it is!!! . . . But now for the beautiful. Rome is again the most delightful place I have ever been in. . . Every street has its fountains, every palace its statues, every church its pictures, and every ruin its history.”--Robert Walter Weir to an American friend, April 1826

Robert Weir sketched this scene in Rome in the 1820s and painted it in 1874. Emperor Augustus dedicated the Portico with its colonnades and Corinthian columns to his sister Octavia. In the 1820s it was part of the Jewish ghetto and housed the fish market, indicated in the painting by the marble slabs on which fish were sold. The arches of the pagan portico in a Jewish ghetto framing the view of a Christian church may have intrigued Weir, a devout Protestant. The central grouping recalls portrayals of the Virgin and child.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Lake Como Oil on canvas, 1869 Yale University Art Gallery Gift of the Reverend DeWolf Perry

“I wish I could have a holiday with pay, I think I would join you in Lake Como. From your flowery description I should judge you had reached paradise . . .” --Robert Fulton Weir (John’s brother) to John Ferguson Weir in Italy, June 3, 1869 John Weir’s first trip to Europe in 1868-69 was for him a dream come true. He and his wife Mary spent two weeks in England, one week in Paris, and more than five months in Italy, about which he had heard so much from his father. In May they visited the lakes in northern Italy and the nearby Swiss Alps, where John made oil sketches of Lake Como and the Matterhorn.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) The Grand Canal, Venice Oil on canvas, after 1869 Collection of the Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center Gift of Roger Baldwin

In 1869, John Weir made quick sketches of Venice, which he worked into paintings after his return. The scene, with its familiar Venetian landmarks, is bathed in a magical light. John showed it at the National Academy exhibition in 1886.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Column of St. Mark’s, Venice Oil on canvas, 1875 Putnam County Historical Society & Foundry School Museum, Cold Spring, New York

John Weir painted a larger version of this scene in 1872. Based on sketches he made in Venice in 1869, it included gondolas from the procession of Corpus Christi. The sunlit effects were well reviewed by critics. Three years later he painted this smaller rendition.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) The Oldest Inhabitant Oil on canvas, 1876 Collection of the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio Museum Purchase, 1922

“I rose at four o’clock and got to work about half past six. Fortunately the old peasant is in good health and glad to earn something, . . . and all goes well. How different from the forced work at the school.”--Julian Alden Weir, Cernay-la-Ville, France, July 1876

When classes at the École des beaux arts let out each summer, Julian Weir sketched and painted in the countryside. Weir sent this large, sensitively-rendered image of an elderly woman to New York for exhibition at the National Academy of Design in 1877.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Landscape with Cattle Oil on canvas, c.1875 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Julian Weir painted this scene of the French countryside during the summer months after his yearly courses at the École des beaux arts. The dark palette and loose brushwork are similar to the works of the French Barbizon painters Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot and Théodore Rousseau.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Normandy Farm Oil on panel, c.1874-7 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Portrait of Woman in Normandy Cap (verso, Normandy Farm) Oil on panel, c.1874-76 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“We are among the last of the American [students] that are in Paris—most of them have gone to the country. . . . all wished each other a good voyage and hoped they would bring back plenty of good work.”--Julian Alden Weir to his mother, July 1874

These two works are painted on opposite sides of the same wood panel. The portrait of the woman is likely a study of a peasant in the French province of Brittany that Julian Weir made for a larger painting. When he sent the panel to New York, he titled it Normandy Farm and pasted the label over the portrait of the woman, suggesting that he thought the horizontal landscape more important than the vertical portrait sketch.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Young Peasant Girl Oil on canvas, 1875 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“If I can study here long enough there may be hope, but I am convinced if I had remained in America until I was older my whole life would have been full of regrets concerning my art.” --Julian Alden Weir to John Ferguson Weir

Julian Weir likely painted this portrait of a young peasant girl as he traveled the French countryside. The fully modeled face reflects his study in rendering anatomy with the academic painter, Jean-Léon Gérôme. Gérôme emphasized the portrayal of exotic subjects, and as French peasants were exotic subjects close at hand, they were popular in both French and American painting.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Moorish Figure Oil on canvas, c.1876 Brigham Young University Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“We got permission from the proprietor, and posed [a gypsy model] on top of the house. . . . We had him from six till nine in [the] hot sun, his picturesque costume and fine head in full sunlight.”--Julian Alden Weir, Granada to his parents, September 1876

With the encouragement of his master Gérôme, Julian Weir and a colleague made a trip to Spain in the summer of 1876. In Granada, home of the renowned Moorish palace, the Alhambra, they posed a gypsy model in Moorish costume. In this small piece, Weir follows the example of Gérôme in choosing an exotic subject and emphasizing strong drawing and movement rather than finish and details. This painting once hung in John Weir’s studio at Yale.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) At the Water Trough Oil on canvas, 1876-77 Smithsonian American Art Museum Museum purchase, 1978.125

“Monsieur: At present [your son] expresses the wish to go and spend his vacation in Spain: . . . I think that the trip might be useful to him, and I advise you to authorize him to go, for he is advanced enough in his art, so that that sojourn may be profitable.” --Jean-Léon Gérôme to Robert Walter Weir, July 1876

At the Water Trough may be the only fully-finished painting from Julian Weir’s 1876 summer trip to Spain, where he made many oil sketches. He hired models in Paris, where he completed the painting. In the manner of Gérôme, he based the painting on careful observation and studies made in an exotic location.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Children Burying a Bird Oil on canvas mounted on fiberglass, 1878 Smithsonian American Art Museum Museum purchase, 1986.1

“Most of my friends are yet here and have been doing wonders. Everyone talks of Bastien for the grand médaille d’honneur.”--Julian Alden Weir, letter from Paris on his return visit in 1878

Julian Weir began this painting in 1878 when he made a trip to France one year after his return to America. He likely worked on the piece in Cernay-la-Ville, where peasant subjects and models were plentiful. Weir employs painting devices—a high horizon line, cool colors, emotional expressions, and a heroic feel—used by his friend, the French painter Jules Bastien- Lepage.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Milkmaid of Popindrecht Oil on canvas, 1881 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

In 1881, John and Julian Weir were both in Europe. They met in Holland in July and sketched and painted together for a month. They each painted this same model after they trained the members of a Dutch family in Papendrecht to pose for them. Due to inconvenient working conditions, they likely finished the paintings when they returned home. Julian exhibited his, shown here, at the National Academy in 1882, where it was hailed as “one of the best pieces of work he has ever shown.”

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Popindrecht, Holland Oil on canvas, 1881 Brigham Young University Museum of Art

John and Julian Weir painted together in Holland in the summer of 1881. In the picturesque village of Papendrecht, across the river from Dortrecht, John painted this charming street scene. Large brass milk jugs appear on a bench in this painting and on the ground in Julian Weir’s Milkmaid of Popindrecht, also in this exhibition. The Weir brothers each misspelled Papendrecht in their correspondence and in the titles of their paintings.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Boy with White Collar (After Manet) Oil on canvas, c. 1881 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

On a visit to France in 1881, Julian Weir visited Manet in his studio. Impressed with Manet’s work, he purchased two paintings by the artist for the American collector Erwin Davis. Both paintings now belong to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Weir copied this head from one of the two paintings—Boy with a Sword. Several works Weir painted in the early 1880s bear the mark of his enthusiasm for Manet, such as his Against the Window and Anna on the Balcony of Duveneck’s Studio in this exhibition.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Haystacks, Shepherd, and Sheep Oil on canvas, 1889 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

In June of 1889 Julian and Anna Weir traveled to Europe in an effort to help them recover from the deaths, only a month apart, of their infant son and Julian’s father, Robert Walter Weir. This scene of the French countryside was probably painted at that time. Traditional French haystacks appear in the background. The piece is painted in the low-keyed palette of the Barbizon painters.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Forest of Fontainebleau Oil on canvas, c.1902 Private collection “I made a study of a place that Rousseau was fond of, and which is the subject of one of his best pictures, a great fallen tree in an open space, with background of fine trees.” --John Ferguson Weir, Barbizon, to Mary French Weir in Paris, June 1902 While in France in 1902, John Weir paid a visit to the Barbizon region where Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Théodore Rousseau, Charles-François Daubigny, and other Barbizon painters revered by Weir had painted in the nearby Forest of Fontainebleau. While there, he made a sketch for this painting. A small human figure next to the fallen tree indicates the large size of the tree.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) His Favorite Model Oil on canvas, 188-(illegible) Yale University Art Gallery, Gift of Vincent Price, B.A. 1933

“The new will not revolutionize the old, but merely be grafted on, for when I see the true masters, the old giants in art, I find my strongest sympathies are with them.” --John Ferguson Weir, Holland, 1881, to Mary French Weir in southern France

In this painting, an artist dances with a manikin reminiscent of those in Robert Weir’s West Point studio. The low-keyed colors and careful details differ from the bright colors and loose brushwork of newer styles of painting. John Weir probably produced this piece after visiting Holland in 1881 with Julian and his friends. The younger painters called John the “Old Master” because he was hesitant to embrace new methods. Perhaps the painting represents John trying to hang on to his father’s traditional ideas, represented by the manikin, and the painting styles of an older time.

John Ferguson Weir (1842 – 1926) Beach at Easthampton Oil on canvas c.1875 Florence Griswold Museum Gift of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company

This scene portrays a beach at East Hampton on the eastern tip of Long Island, New York. The New Hampton beaches, known for their clean white sands, have served as vacation sites for the wealthy since the late 19th century. In this piece, the bright light and shadows from figures and clouds indicate a close observation of nature. After painting in the countryside on his European trip in 1869 and hearing his brother Julian’s accounts of outdoor painting during summer vacations from his studies in Paris, John Weir increasingly painted and sketched out of doors.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Bride’s Roses Oil on canvas, 1890 Private Collection

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Roses Oil on canvas, 1882 Private Collection

Floral still lifes provided a way for John and Julian Weir to experiment with new ideas about paint application and the portrayal of light, leading both brothers to a looser painting technique. Julian began painting floral still lifes in the 1870s, followed by John in the 1880s. Both of John’s rose studies are skillfully painted with visible brushstrokes. He relied less on details by the time of Bride’s Roses, the later piece. Features from the earlier painting, such as the edge of the table and the empty vase behind the flowers, are missing in the simpler Bride’s Roses.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Silver Chalice with Roses Oil on canvas, 1882 Brigham Young University Museum of Art

“I hope the 18th of May will not come around before I am able to get the little present done. . . I hardly know whether I can paint a beautiful enough [painting] to present to [you].” --Julian Alden Weir to Anna Dwight Baker, 13 May 1882

In May of 1882, Julian Weir painted this lovely still life as a birthday present for his fiancée Anna Baker on her twentieth birthday, nearly a year before they were married. The loosely painted roses bear the mark of Weir’s mature work, while the rendering of the chalice—a European keepsake—is more tightly drawn. It includes a trompe l’oeil inscription around the rim of the vessel that reads “to Anna Dwight Baker from J. Alden Weir/May 18th/1882 N.Y.”

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Flora (Carrie Mansfield Weir) Oil on canvas, 1882 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

A rich blend of transatlantic exchanges pervades this painting. Julian Weir’s sister, the very American Carrie, posed for the piece, in which she symbolizes the goddess Flora from classical mythology. The European silver vessel in Weir’s small painting for Anna also appears in this work. Flora includes a nod to impressionism in the exuberant thick paint of the flowers, and an adherence to academic painting in the modeling of the face and the diagonal thrust of the table. Flora crossed the Atlantic in 1883 to be exhibited at the Paris salon, where it was viewed by the artist and his new wife, Anna, on their honeymoon.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) Study in Black and Gold (Portrait of Miss Coe) Oil on canvas, 1882 Private Collection

“The whole is pleasantly picturesque, but in the way in which the different blacks are painted— the felt hat, lace fichu, velvet trimming, dress, undressed kid, and so on—it is striking.” --Critic for The Nation reviewing the Artist’s Fund Exhibition, Feb. 1881

John Weir initially painted his portrait of his student Miss Coe in 1881, when it was exhibited and sold to a collector. After it received critical acclaim, Weir painted this version—a copy of the original—for himself. With its flattened figure, profile view, tall black hat, and monochrome background it recalls Manet’s unfinished portrait, Madame Édouard Manet (c. 1866-69, Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Against the Window Oil on canvas, 1884 Private Collection

“When I speak of [Anna] and what she did; even to blending her nature with [Julian’s], . . without any theory of wifely duties, or what she thought a woman ought to do. She blended with him.”--Lillie Hamilton French, sister of John Weir’s wife, Mary French Weir

This portrait is one of many Julian Weir painted of his wife Anna. Like John’s nearby Study in Black and Gold, Against the Window recalls Manet’s unfinished portrait of Madame Manet in a tall black hat. The figure of Anna is placed close to the picture plane and flattened except for the well-modeled face. It seems clear that Julian was looking at John’s earlier work when he painted this piece—an indication of the reciprocal relationship between the brothers. In Julian’s portrait Anna’s eyes connect with the viewer, adding to the stunning charm of the painting.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) The Hunter Oil on canvas, c.1893 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Julian Weir enjoyed the field sports of hunting and fishing at his farm in Connecticut. Perhaps his love of the outdoors fostered his attraction to open-air painting in an impressionist mode. Here, Weir portrayed his nephew after hunting, with pheasants at his feet. The painting recalls grand manner hunting portraits of royalty like those by Van Dyck in the 17th century. At the same time, it exhibits the bright colors and short brush strokes of Impressionism.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) An Autumn Stroll Oil on canvas, 1894 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

Julian Weir often posed family members as models, as in this painting of his second wife Ella and his daughter Dorothy. Dorothy was a toddler when her mother, Anna Weir, died. Two years later Weir married Anna’s sister Ella. Dorothy appears standing slightly behind Ella—her aunt and stepmother. Weir blends academic rendering of human form with impressionist colors and brushwork, flattened space, and decorative patterning from Japanese prints. Dorothy’s pose resembles that of girls hiding behind women in an Utamaro wood block print owned by Weir

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Self-Portrait with Soft Hat Oil on canvas, c.1910 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“I . . . insist that you [Julian] are the most fortunate man I know. Enough to keep the wolf from the door, a clear conscience to keep ghosts from the window. Loving and lovely children, a sympathetic wife and an occupation which is always coaxing you, not driving you.” --Charles Erskine Scott Wood, Weir family friend, to Julian Alden Weir

Julian Weir was fifty-eight years old when he painted this portrait, twenty-four years after he painted his young self-portrait for the National Academy of Design. He has moved beyond his initial reaction to impressionism. While a student in France he had called an impressionist exhibition a “chamber of horrors.” He later adapted impressionism for his own work. This painting and the portrait of his wife Ella can easily be read as companion pieces.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Portrait of Mrs. Ella Baker Weir Oil on canvas, c.1900 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“What a mate [Julian] had in Mrs. Weir [Ella]. Deeply understanding of him, devoted, intelligent, always serene, mothering the boy in him, and lovingly appreciative of his genius.” --Charles Erskine Wood, Weir family friend

This portrait of Ella Weir is both a tender representation of a refined, intelligent woman in a thoughtful pose and an experiment in bright colors and the short, loose brushstrokes of impressionism. Ella was first Julian Weir’s sister-in-law and then his wife. She was also aunt and stepmother to his three daughters. This painting and Julian’s Self-Portrait in a Soft Hat can be read as companion pieces.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) In the Sun Oil on canvas, 1899 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“Weir grew up in a house full of children, and his own three daughters were always a special delight.” --Dorothy Weir Young

In this painting, Weir adopts full-blown impressionism to paint his nine-year-old daughter Dorothy. The entire scene is bathed in the bright outdoor light, while short broken brushstrokes represent the blades of grass. Even Dorothy’s facial features are flattened—a departure from Weir’s earlier well-modeled faces.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) The Christmas Tree Oil on canvas, 1890 Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1999.144

“[Weir] confessed that where his own small children were was ‘the only place on earth where I long to be.’”--Dorothy Weir Young Six-year-old Caro Weir is the focus of her father’s charming painting, The Christmas Tree. Julian Weir applied a blend of European styles of painting to his American subject, moving toward Impressionism in his brushwork while adhering to an academic palette of strong dark and light contrasts. The tradition of the Christmas tree itself was an import—a German tradition made popular in England and America by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

John Ferguson Weir (1841 – 1926) The Rest Oil on canvas, 1900 Private collection

“Dearest Edith, I slept in the studio and have just risen to greet the early morn’. And your dear picture standing at the end of the room speaks to me of you.”--John Ferguson Weir to Edith Dean Weir, 1901

In this full-length, fully modeled portrait, Weir portrays his daughter Edith as an accomplished young woman; the violin alludes to her musical abilities. She also studied art with her father and was an able writer and painter of miniatures. By contrast, Julian Weir’s impressionist portraits of his daughters emphasize experimentation with light, color and brushwork. In 1908 Edith married Episcopal priest James DeWolf Perry, who eventually became Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Face in Shadow Oil on canvas, c.1910 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“Toward girlhood and womanhood Weir . . . felt a respect which it would be difficult to exaggerate.” --Lawrence W. Chisholm

Shortly after 1900, Julian began regularly posing models rather than family members for his paintings of young women. In this painting the model is dressed in evening attire with perhaps an evening bag in her lap and a long cape draped over her chair. The shadowed face casts an air of mystery over the piece. Is the young woman reflecting on the events of the evening after returning home, or is she anticipating an upcoming event?

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Danbury Hills Oil on canvas, 1908 Denver Art Museum Gift of Daughters of Charles F. Hendrie, 1928.1 By the time Julian Weir painted this piece in 1908, he had fully embraced the Impressionist style. The picturesque hills of Danbury, Connecticut were not far from Weir’s farm in Branchville where he spent the summers painting out of doors.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Landscape Oil on canvas, 1894 New Britain Museum of American Art Harriet Russell Stanley Fund, 1945.25

“I went . . . to see an exhibition of the work of a new school which call themselves ‘Impressionalists.’ I never in my life saw more horrible things. . . It was worse than the Chamber of Horrors.”--Julian Weir, Paris, to his parents, April 1877

Despite Julian Weir’s initial dislike of French Impressionism, he fully embraced the style by the time of this painting. Working outdoors, he produced numerous scenes of the Connecticut landscape featuring short brushstrokes and high-keyed colors. He painted this view near Windham, Connecticut, where his wife’s parents had a home. The smokestacks of the American Thread Company Mills at Willimantic, near Windham, can be seen in the distance.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Sunlight, Connecticut Oil on canvas, 1894 Sheldon Museum of Art, University of Nebraska-Lincoln NAA-Nelle Cochrane Woods Memorial

“[You] must make a subject part of yourself before you can properly express it to others.” --Julian Alden Weir

Julian Weir’s impressionist landscapes are perhaps the works for which he is best known. This one was probably painted at his farm in Branchville, Connecticut, where a typical New England rock wall runs along the property. The wall, high horizon, large leaves at the top, and shade from the tree, create a flat patterning reminiscent of Japanese prints. Duncan Phillips, who collected Weir landscapes in the early 20th century, found that Julian’s “intimate associations of home” made his works more personal than those of the French impressionist Monet.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Midday Rest in New England Oil on canvas, 1897 Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Gift of Isaac H. Clothier, Edward H. Coates, Dr. Francis W. Lewis, Robert C. Ogden, and Joseph G. Rosengarten

One aspect of French impressionism that Julian Weir embraced wholeheartedly was “plein air” painting. He painted this scene outdoors at his farm in Branchville Connecticut. The resting workers recall popular 19th-century paintings of French peasants. In 1898, Weir was a leader of a group of ten painters who broke with the Society of American Artists and began exhibiting on their own. They all adopted Impressionism to varying degrees. Their works were viewed as quite radical. Midday Rest in New England appeared in the first exhibition of The Ten.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Landscape: Branchville, the Palace Car Oil on canvas, after 1900 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

“With the help of . . . an Alsatian farmer, . . . Weir concocted a house built on runners with windows on its four sides, where with the aid of an oil stove he could work in the coldest weather. . . . [It was] promptly christened ‘the Palace Car.’”--Dorothy Weir Young In this painting, Julian Weir depicts a peaceful summer scene at his farm in Branchville, Connecticut. What looks like a little house in the middle ground is actually a studio on runners, made around 1890, so that oxen could pull it through the snow in wintertime, allowing Weir to continue to paint “outdoors.” His Woods in Snow, on view nearby in this exhibition, is an example of the winter scenes he painted.

Julian Alden Weir (1852 – 1919) Woods in Snow Oil on board, c.1895 Brigham Young University Museum of Art Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate

This lovely winter scene was likely painted by Julian Weir on his Branchville farm property from the comfort of his “Palace Car,” his studio on runners depicted in a nearby painting in this exhibition. The limited range of color tones was common to a version of Impressionism that many Americans preferred to the bright colors of the French version. Weir’s friend, artist John Twachtman, often painted such “tonal” works. He and Weir frequently painted together in the Connecticut countryside.

LARGE EXHIBITION GRAPHIC LABEL (MAP):

Passengers' tract chart by the Guion Line of steamers John Ferguson Weir Papers, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library, Yale University Image courtesy of Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University

For John Ferguson Weir, his December 1868 voyage to Europe with his wife of one year was a dream come true. Since he was a boy at West Point he had heard his father talk about Italy and the grand masters of western art. Perhaps his excitement at the realization of his dream led him to mark the passenger track chart provided by the steamer company with such accuracy. The chart tracks his return voyage from Liverpool in August of 1869.