Northwest Impressionism, 1910-1935
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Hidden in Plain Sight: Northwest Impressionism, 1910-1935 John E. Impert A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2012 Reading Committee: Susan Casteras, Chair René Bravmann Douglas Collins Program authorized to Offer Degree: Art History University of Washington Abstract Hidden in Plain Sight: Northwest Impressionism, 1910-1935 John E. Impert Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Susan Casteras Art History Northwest Impressionist artists are among the forgotten figures in American art history. Responsible for bringing Modernism to Washington and Oregon, they dominated the art communities in Seattle and Portland from about 1910 to 1928, remaining influential until the mid 1930’s. After describing the artists briefly, this dissertation summarizes and evaluates the slim historiography of Northwest Impressionism. Impressionism and Tonalism are contrasted in order to situate these artists within the broad currents of American art history. Six important artists who have not been studied in the past are each accorded a chapter that summarizes their educations, careers, and artistic developments. In Seattle, Paul Gustin, the early leader of the Seattle art community, was most closely associated with images of Mount Rainier. Edgar Forkner, a well established Indiana artist, moved to Seattle and painted numerous canvases of old boats at rest and still lifes of flowers. Dorothy Dolph Jensen, a latecomer, emphasized shoreline and harbor scenes in her work. In Portland, Charles McKim traded complete anonymity in Portland, Maine for the leadership of the Oregon art community, creating a variety of landscapes and seascapes. Clyde Keller produced an enormous output of landscapes over a long career that extended to California as well as Oregon. Clara J. Stephens, a favorite pupil of William Merritt Chase, was a leading art teacher in Portland as well an artist whose work encompassed many genres. The factors that make Northwest Impressionism unique are explored, primarily the iconography of its tallest mountains, Mount McKinley, Mount Rainier, and Mount Hood, and of decrepit sailing ships, and the treatment pictorially of precipitation and atmospheric humidity. A rich iconography is developed based upon a reverence for the greatest mountains, combined with an awareness of their multiple significations of business activity and possession of the American patrimony. Postmodern parody analysis assists in understanding levels of meanings. The work of Northwest Impressionist artists is compared to American Impressionists in California and elsewhere. The quality and originality of the art is made evident. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In addition to the guidance provided by my adviser, Professor Susan Casteras, I would like to thank David F. Martin in Seattle and Mark Humpal in Portland for making their artist files available. I would also like to thank Jay Franklin for providing photographic images of the Edgar Forkner scrapbook and the exhibition records of the Seattle Fine Arts Society, and for Jay Franklin’s and David Martin’s willingness to provide numerous digital images of works by some of the artists discussed in this dissertation. In the preparation of this dissertation, I am grateful to those who reviewed an earlier draft and provided helpful corrections and comments, David Martin, Mark Humpal, Ginny Allen, and Randy Dagel. Needless to say, I accept full responsibility for any errors or omissions. ii DEDICATION My inspiration for undertaking this dissertation arose from the graduate seminar on Northwest Impressionism given at the University of Washington in the fall term of 2007 by Professor Susan Casteras. It is a subject that had not been examined by the academy, and Professor Casteras demonstrated that it was a potentially rich area of art awaiting its first advanced academic study. Further inspiration was provided by the example of David F. Martin, an independent curator, art historian, and art dealer, who has written several excellent exhibition catalogs on “forgotten” Northwest artists, proving that the art of the Northwest in the first third of the twentieth century is deserving of study and respect. I wish to dedicate this dissertation to them. iii Table of Contents Page Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..1 Chapter I: Impressionism, Tonalism, and Modernism…………………………….…..35 Chapter II: Paul Morgan Gustin (1886-1974)………………………………………….47 Chapter III: Charles C. McKim (1862-1939)…………………………………………...76 Chapter IV: Clara J. Stephens (1877-1952)…………………………………………....105 Chapter V: J. Edgar Forkner (1857-1945)………………………………………….....122 Chapter VI: Clyde Leon Keller (1872-1962)………………………………………......142 Chapter VII: Dorothy Dolph Jensen (1895-1977)…….………………………………...163 Chapter VIII: Iconography and Parody……………….…………………………………180 Chapter IX: Comparison of Northwest Impressionists with Other Regional Groups....208 Chapter X: Conclusion.……………………………………………………………......221 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………….......232 iv List of Figures Page 1. Paul M. Gustin, Nootka Island [British Columbia], 1919, oil on canvas, 32 ¼ x 26 ¼”, Seattle Art Museum…………………………………………………………………………………….....2 2. Sydney Laurence, Mount McKinley from the Rapids of the Tokosheetna, 1929, oil on canvas, 71 x 143”, location unknown……………………………………………………………………..4 3. John Marion Crook, Salt Marsh, Pacific Shore, 1909, watercolor on paper, 11 3/8 x 17 3/8”, s. l. l., private collection……………………………………………………………..……………9 4. Clyde Leon Keller, Water Lily Pond, 1917, oil on canvas, Miranda Collection……………..10 5. Charles C. McKim, Mount Hood Viewed from a Marsh, oil on canvas, Miranda Collection.11 6. Clara J. Stephens, Mount Hood, 1923, oil on canvas, location unknown…………………….11 7. John Henry Trullinger, Old French Mill, 1910, pastel on paper, 13 ½ x 15 ¼”, s. l. l., private collection…………………………………………………………………………………………12 8. Harry Wentz, Sand Dune, Neah-Kah-Nie [Oregon coast], c. 1914, oil on canvas board, 11 x 16 ¼,” Portland Museum of Art………………………………………………………………….13 9. Melville T. Wire, Upper Columbia River Farm, Early Morning, watercolor on paper, 14 x 24”, s. l. l., private collection…………………………………………………………………….14 10. Belmore Browne, Surprised, 1915, oil on canvas, 20 x 30,” Len Braarud Fine Art.………..15 11. John Davidson Butler, untitled [figure study], 1915, oil on canvas, location unknown…………………………………………………………………………………….……15 v 12. Louise Crowe, untitled [landscape with cabin], oil on canvas, location unknown……………….……………………………………………………………………...….16 13. Edgar Forkner, Boats of Lake Union, watercolor on paper, 16 x 22,” s. l. l., private collection…………………………………………………………………………………………17 14. Lance Wood Hart, Camp Lewis, Washington, October, 1917, watercolor and gouache on paper, 8 x 13 ½”, s. l. r., private collection………………………………………………………18 15. Abby Williams Hill, Emerald Pool [Yellowstone], 1906, oil on canvas, 22 x 17,” University of Puget Sound……………………………………………………………………………….…..19 16. Dorothy Dolph Jensen, untitled [cabin on Puget Sound], 1935, oil on canvas, 34 x 40,” Mansion of the Governor of Washington ………………………………………….………….19 17. Sydney Laurence, Aurora Bridge [Seattle], 11 ½ x 15 ½,” oil on canvas board, location unknown…………………………………………………………………………………………20 18. Roi Partridge, In a Robe of Mist [Mount Rainier], 1915, etching on paper, 12 x 16,” s. l. c., private collection…………………………………………………………………………………21 19. Fokko Tadama, Lake Washington, Union Bay Marsh, oil on canvas, 19 x 32”, s. l. l., private collection………………………………………………………………………………….……...22 20. Eustace Ziegler, Chief Shakes’ Cabin [Alaska], c. 1922, oil on canvas board, 9 ½ x 11 ¼”, location unknown…..……………………………………………………………………..….….24 21. Edna C. Breyman, Old Boats Near Steel Bridge, oil on canvas, Parsons Collection………24 vi 22. Waldo Spore Chase, USS Louisville, 1931, color woodblock on cream laid Japan paper, 6 x 10,” s. l. r., private collection……………………………………………………………………25 23. Wendell Corwin Chase, Sunset [Mount Rainier], 1927, color woodblock on cream laid Japan paper, 7 ½ x 13,” s. l. l., private collection…….………………………………………………...26 24. Peter Sheffers, Foggy Morning on the Coast, 1942, oil on canvas, Parsons Collection……27 25. C. E. S. Wood, Eastern Oregon Desert, 1915, oil on canvas, Sovereign Collection….……28 26. Sydney Laurence, Northern Lights [Alaska], 1925, oil on canvas, 16 x 20,” s. l. r., private collection…………………………………………………………………………………………38 27. James McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Black and Gold—The Falling Rocket, c. 1874, oil on panel, 24 x 18”, The Detroit Institute of Arts……………………………………………………39 28. Childe Hassam, Afternoon Sky, Harney Desert, 1908, oil on canvas, 20 x 30”, Portland Museum of Art…………………………………………………………………………………..42 29. Paul M. Gustin, King above the Clouds [Mount Rainier], oil on canvas, 36 x 46”, The Rainier Club, Seattle……………………………………………………………………………..48 30. Paul M. Gustin, On the Quinault [Olympic National Park], oil on canvas, 26 x 32”, location unknown…………………………………………………………………………………………55 31. Paul M. Gustin, untitled [meadow landscape], c. 1909, oil on board, 9 x 12 ½”, Martin- Zambito Fine Art………………………………………………………………………………...56 32. Ella McBride, photograph of Paul Gustin painting a Seattle harbor scene, 1922, Martin- Zambito Fine Art………………………………………………………………………………...64 vii 33. Paul M. Gustin, Fishing Boats at the Pier, dated 1938, originally painted 1922, oil on canvas, Martin-Zambito Fine Art…………………………….………………………………….65 34. Paul M. Gustin, Sunset, Docks on Seattle Waterfront, 1928, oil on canvas,