LAKELAND – From swirling seascapes and intimate portraits to cold New England snow scenes, Florida Southern College’s Polk Museum of Art exhibits more than three dozen American Impressionist paintings in its newly renovated gallery.
It is “one of the most beloved art movements, one of the most popular subjects that we can offer our audiences here in Lakeland,” said Polk Museum of Art Executive Director and Chief Curator Alex Rich. “It provides an excellent showcase for one of the game-changing American art movements in the history of modern art.”
“American Impressionism: Treasures from the Daywood Collection” features 41 rarely seen impressionist paintings from the private collection of Arthur Dayton and Ruth Woods Dayton (whose surnames combine to create the collection’s name: Day-Wood “) .
The Daytons were famous patrons and significant collectors of American art in West Virginia. Their collection exceeds 200 works and is now kept at the Huntington Museum. Their support, along with that of other collectors, helped the American Impressionists claim their place in the art world, enabling painters to hone their craft, survive as artists, and gain national fame in the world. turn of the last century.
“We have paintings that depict landscapes, genre scenes, and loose brushstrokes that a lot of people expect when they think of movement,” Rich said.
Although not known for the most part, the works of Robert Henri, Ernest Bosson and Arthur Davies enchant and intrigue viewers in a space that has been modernized to better show the works.
“This is one of the advantages of an exhibition like this, is that there will be artists that no one has heard of before coming to the galleries, and then they can make some great new discoveries. and say, “Wow, I want to learn more about this artist and I want to know more about his work,” Rich said. “If anyone looks around, he’ll love all the artwork himself. ”
Customers can learn more about the collection through a guided tour, given the second Friday of the month at noon, or Rich’s talk on the first Thursday evening of the month, starting in September.
Thanks to sponsorship, the museum is always free for everyone.
“American Impressionism: Treasures from the Daywood Collection” is on display until October 24.
Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7514. Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger.
