YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY CALIFORNIA ART CLUB NEWSLETTER An American Impressionist: The Art and Life of Alson Skinner Clark by Deborah Epstein Solon, Ph.D. lson Skinner Clark privileged. Musing on Alson’s early Skinner Clark. When he was (1876–1949) is hardly a famil- interest in art, his wife, Medora, nine or ten years old, it made A iar name, even to scholars of would later recollect in a 1956 itself manifest—and obnox- late nineteenth and early twentieth- interview with the Archives of ious as well—to the his century American art. The resuscita- American Art: church-going parents, for dur- tion of Clark’s career is part of the ing the long Sunday sermons ongoing scholarship in the field of I think the desire to draw was he surreptitiously recorded American Impressionism whose always extant with Alson the bonnets and bald pates in scope has broadened significantly within the last ten years to include artists heretofore overlooked. Clark was born in Chicago dur- ing the Centennial year, a decisive and turbulent period in American history when the country, and the national economy, was still in the throes of recovery from the Civil War. Nonetheless, art advanced to new levels during the decade of the 1870s. The period introducing “American Renaissance,” using the Centennial as a point of departure, was rife with social contradictions, but allowed the arts to flourish on a grander scale than ever before. Clark’s father, Alson Ellis, was from an impoverished background. After serving in the Civil War, he moved to Chicago and established a highly successful commodities busi- ness at the Chicago Board of Trade. Eventually, he was able to provide a comfortable lifestyle for his wife, Sarah, and their sons, Mancel, Edwin, and Alson (their daughter, Mary Emily died in 1871). Alson’s artistic talent was apparent from childhood, and his parents enrolled the young student in evening classes at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 1887. Clark’s Chicago childhood was Ruins of San Juan Capistrano, c. 1919 Oil on board 31Љ ϫ 25Љ Private Collection, Courtesy of The Irvine Museum California Art Club www.californiaartclub.org Winter/Spring 2006 YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY2 front of him in the only place advancing to the live model. In time. Alson, however, came to the available at the time—the 1896, following a disagreement rescue in his desire to study art frontispiece and blank rear with one of his teachers, and dis- with a New York master, and made pages of the family hymnals. pleased with what he considered it seem a necessary thing to do.” the slow and laborious process of In 1889 the Clark family drawing from casts, Clark quit the hen Chase opened his embarked on a two-year trip school. Determined to continue his Wown school, Clark, among around the world. This experience studies, Clark moved to New York many other students, followed him. gave young Alson his first introduc- to work under the tutelage of A dedicated and sympathetic tion to European art and perhaps William Merritt Chase instructor, Chase’s influence on was the catalyst to his future insa- (1849–1916) at the Art Students’ Clark was enduring throughout the tiable appetite for travel and paint- League of New York. young artist’s career. In fact, Clark’s ing. We know much about Clark Although Clark’s parents sup- Early Nude (1898) bears an through his diaries and letters—the ported his intention to become a inscription that Chase actually quotidian diary entries for the painter, his mother was concerned worked on the painting. The two young Alson in Europe focused on about her twenty-year-old son liv- summers Clark spent working en food, the weather and his studies, ing alone in New York; so she went plein air at Chase’s school in Shin- but also discussed the churches, with him. Adding to the unusual necock, Long Island presaged his museums, galleries, and opera per- arrangement, Alson’s childhood inclination towards Impressionist formances the family attended. friend Amelia Baker joined them. practices. Upon graduating from high The three shared a flat at Seventy- Clark left to study in Paris in school, Clark briefly enrolled as a Seventh Street and Columbus November 1898, but had reserva- full-time student at The School of Avenue. According to Sarah Clark: tions about leaving his family. He the Art Institute of Chicago where “For two years Mela [Amelia] and wrote in his diaries: “My dear the traditional academic program I have talked of spending a winter Mama, how I hate to leave her for (mostly dependent upon French in New York, in Bohemian fashion, so long. I do love her so.” Aspiring principles) included requisite draw- and have searched for a good rea- young American painters had sev- ing from casts and still-lifes before son for doing so, in vain till this eral options for instruction in Paris, but by far the most popular school was the Académie Julian. Nonethe- less, Clark rejected the Julian, find- ing the working conditions there “disgusting.” Instead, he enrolled in the newly opened, Academia Carmen, James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s (1834–1903) short-lived school. This decision was surpris- ing, as Whistler was the artistic antithesis of Chase. Known for his phlegmatic temperament, Whistler was ill-suited to the demands of an instructor. At first, Clark found the school “rotten.” The tuition was higher than at other schools, strict rules of decorum were enforced, and Whistler’s critiques were often more theatrical than instructional. On one rare occasion Whistler held a small soirée for his students at the studio. There, Clark acquired insight into Whistler’s working methods: He showed us several of his starts and finished pictures. They were elegant and really Taking Paintings to the Salon, Paris, c. 1905 almost came up to the Old Collection of Jean Stern, The Estate of Alson Clark California Art Club www.californiaartclub.org Winter/Spring 2006 YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY3 Masters. His things are so there isn’t much honour in being in simple that you look at them unless you get in squarely as only a moment and everything very few do.…” Nonetheless, inclu- CALIFORNIA ART CLUB comes out but nothing pushes sion continued to be his goal and itself forward so that you when his work, The Violinist NEWSLETTER notice it especially but see the (1901), was accepted later in 1901, whole thing.…He arranges his he was hardly nonchalant. Winter/Spring 2006 palette very queerly. He first Whistler’s early influence is seen in has black, then raw umber, Clark’s first successful entry in the light red, burnt sienna, Pruss- Paris Salon. The Violinist allows for Contents ian blue, burnt umber, some the exploration of muted hues of more black, vermilion, raw brown and green to explain a som- Cover An American sienna, yellow ochre and bre, brooding mood. The primary Impressionist: The Art white.…His studio is very sense is of a compositional arrange- dimly lighted and all the walls ment—the placement of the solitary and Life of Alson are of a warm, dark pink. individual and the exploration of Skinner Clark dark colour—as opposed to interest by Deborah Epstein Clark recognized the quixotic in personality or narrative. Solon, Ph.D. artist’s genius. He was a willing acolyte, and attended Whistler’s lark was repeatedly ill 10 Calvin Liang: His atelier intermittently until the Cand while living in New York Own Voice school’s demise in 1901. By this he went frequently to the doctor to by Elaine Adams time Whistler had a profound effect have his stomach “pumped.” In the on Clark, even the way he arranged spring of 1901, he suffered increas- 14 Letter from Iraq his own palette. ing physical infirmities. Told that In March of 1899, Clark entered he needed an appendectomy—a 15 CAC News Flash: his first work in the Paris Salon. In serious operation at the time—he Stars Shine Bright at a letter written the following month booked passage back to America Marston’s Restaurant to Amelia Baker, he described his on June 1 and scheduled the sur- experience: gery in Chicago. 16 CAC News Briefs Clark spent the summer of 1901 Wednesday Wilson and I went at the family summer home on 16 2006 CAAM to the Salon to see the stuff Comfort Island, one of the Thou- Workshops carried in and all the awful sand Islands in Alexandria Bay. In things that went in—I never the fall, he rented a barn in Water- 17 Donor Recognition saw such a lot of bad paint- town from Amelia’s parents and 18 Museum/Gallery ing. The wagons come up to converted it into a studio. Water- the entrance and take their town was a small, provincial city Exhibitions and wads of pictures in and there near Lake Ontario and the Cana- Lectures are crowds of people watch- dian border and the closest city to ing the stuff enter. I have little Comfort Island. His decision to 26 Membership News hope that [my picture] will stay in Watertown marked the 28 Bulletin Board pass the jury but one can beginning of his professional career and heralded a new chapter in his never tell as there is a great 29 New Members deal of “pull” in the Salon, personal life. He had gained experi- ence and sophistication through his and as I have not studied 30 In Memoriam under any Frenchman I may sojourn in Paris. Now, still strongly be thrown out. I don’t care influenced by both Chase and Advertisers what happens although of Whistler, he began to develop a personal vocabulary.