Collection Highlight
November 2015
Albertus E. Jones (American, 1882-1957)
November Landscape, ca. 1935-1942
Oil on canvas
24 ½ x 29 ¾ inches
Gift of Frances Wayland Williams in memory of
Wayland W. Williams. 1947.12.52
Albertus E. Jones was born and raised in South
Windsor, Connecticut. He was a well-known
landscape painter who studied under Charles Noel
Flagg, a leader among Connecticut artists during
the 1900s. Jones learned much of his skills from
On view in the first floor Palmer Gallery. Chosen by Rebecca
Flagg, and became one of the most influential
Marsie, Marketing & Communications Associate.
artists and art teachers in Connecticut’s history. For
20 years Jones served as an instructor of drawing
and painting and taught at the Hartford Art School and several other nearby schools and
universities. A respectable and talented artist, he exhibited widely and won several awards.
Jones was a Post-Impressionist artist, and as such depicted simplified colors, definitive forms, and
abstract tendencies in his paintings. Jones’ work has numerous recurring themes – isolated
farmhouses, roads through farmland, rocky meadows, rolling hills and scenes with trees. Trees were
Jones’ special signature, often portrayed as bent and twisted.
The painting above depicts a scene suggestive of a cold November day. The viewer looks first to the
rocky hillside and twisted trees in the foreground. Then, attention is drawn to the quaint village
situated in the valley of the mountainous countryside. November Landscape is composed of a subdued
color palate, helping to contribute and influence the mood and feelings received when viewing the
painting. Through a buildup of brushstrokes the viewer is able to see the expressive qualities that
Jones used to depict the strength of the New England landscape.
Jones’ artistic philosophy was, “stress is laid upon the development of an art that is personal and
individual.” As a post-impressionist, Jones rendered the idea of what he was painting, rather than
representing it realistically. He moved away from art as replication and makes his viewers recognize
that they are looking at a painting created by a human hand, and not at an illusion of reality.
Collection Highlight
October 2015
Daniel Huntington (American 1816-1906)
Abigail Dolbeare Hinman, ca.1854-56
Oil on canvas
55 ½ x 44 inches
Gift of Sara Day Rowe Hacksher, 1987.42
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum, over three-quarters of a
century old itself, sits on a hill surrounded by history. From
its earliest days, New London and the Connecticut coast
played an important role in the birth of the United States.
Signers of the Declaration of Independence lived all around
us. The first Governor of Connecticut, John Winthrop-one
of a long line of patriots-was a founder of our then tiny city.
On view in the first floor Palmer Gallery. Chosen
Prominent among the families of late 18th century New
by Jacqueline Princevalle, Head of Docent
London were the Hinmans. Elisha Hinman was a sea captain Council, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of
Trustees.
who often embarked for long periods on trading voyages.
His wife Abigail was a thinking woman of independent
character, spirited in her political support of the country’s independence, who dutifully and
efficiently managed the household, the family and their place in the community in his absence.
Between voyages, he and Abigail would bundle the children into their horse-drawn buggy and drive
the eighteen or twenty miles up the Thames River to Norwich Town. They often visited their
friends, the Arnold family, with whom they held discussions on a wide range of topics, from the
price of hay to political philosophy. This became a frequent and welcome respite for the family
when the Captain was at home. When Captain Hinman was at sea, these conversations and visits
ceased and his absence was a time of trial and loneliness for the family. Abigail taught the children
the need for loyalty to country and family.
During one such absence, on a fall day in 1781, in the sixth year of the fight for independence,
Abigail became aware of much noise and activity, clearly visible from her home on the outskirts of
New London. Plumes of smoke rose from the city. Marching towards her home were red-coated
soldiers, burning what lay in their path. Abigail rushed upstairs, grabbed her husband’s rifle, and
aimed it out the window. Suddenly an officer appeared on horseback, splendid in red jacket, white
trousers, and elegant hat as he raced ahead of his troops toward the Hinman house. At the edge of
the lawn, he raised his sword, signaling the troops to spare this property. In shock, Abigail
recognized the officer as their good friend, Benedict Arnold. He had turned traitor. She pointed the
rifle toward him and attempted to shoot. However, ever aware of his family’s safety, Captain
Hinman had made sure the gun was not loaded. She fell to her knees, weeping over her inability to
stop Arnold’s treachery. While Benedict Arnold had betrayed their young nation, he’d spared her
family’s lives and home.
A large painting of the scene just described greets each visitor to the Museum at the entrance to the
American Stories gallery. This vivid portrait incorporates the use of art as a direct commentary to
convey emotion, history, and the nation’s fight for independence. Full of purpose, the painting is a
narrative of power, freedom from tyranny, and the life-force of we, the people. Thus, the entry to
the museum begins with a morality tale of a young nation. As a docent, I find the painting of Abigail
Hinman the perfect introduction to the museum and what it represents, a way to illustrate to visitors
to how a small piece of history-a continuum of this nation’s ideals, purpose, values, art, and life’s
blood-is present here.
Collection Highlight
September 2015
Red-figure fish-plate, Capua (Greek South Italy),
mid-fourth century
Terracotta with red-figure decoration
The Benjamin Collection, 1935.4.168
About 1,000 ancient Gree k footed dishes picturing
fishes and other sea creatures are known today, and
the Lyman Allyn is home to two of them. Footed
vessels with this kind of decoration originated in
fifth-century Athens, but were even more popular in
fourth-century South Italy, with examples like this
presenting a mouth-watering sample of marine life: a
cuttlefish, a small octopus and a sea bream,
seemingly swimming around a circular depression at On view outside the first floor Palmer Gallery. Chosen by Joe
Alchermes, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees.
the center of the dish. In addition to bream,
cuttlefish, and octopus, the dishes picture a broad array of sea creatures, among them bass, electric
ray, mullet, perch, squid, crabs, mussels, scallops, and shrimp. Imaginary denizens of the deep, such
as hippocamps (mythological horse-fish hybrids), also occasionally appear.
Fish and shellfish were staples of the ancient Italian and broader Mediterranean diet, and these fishplates must have held foods prepared from the fish that they picture. The circle depression perhaps
contained oil or another condiment to flavor the contents of the dish; as a diner removed a piece
and dipped it in the sauce, an image of the fish appeared, creating the impression that the supply of
food was replenishing itself. Scholars specializing in the study of South Italian pottery have
identified clusters of fish-plates with shared characteristics, presumably the product of a single
workshop or small circle of artisans trained by the same master; one such cluster is known as the
Lyman Allyn Group, named for this plate, with the distinctive band of stylized laurel leaves on the
rim. This is just one noteworthy object in the Museum’s small but interesting collection of
Mediterranean antiquities, certainly worthy of greater attention.
Collection Highlight
August 2015
L. F. Beales (American, b.1862 d. 1938)
On the Lake, 1885
Oil on canvas
Gift of the Riggio Brothers, Charles and Michael,
2015.1
Lyman Allyn Art Museum recently received a
donation of a painting named On the Lake by a
On view outside the first floor Palmer Gallery. Chosen by Erin Walker,
lesser known American artist, L.F. Beales. The
Collections Technician.
painting depicts a scene reminiscent of a summer
evening in a cottage overlooking a lake. The viewer looks out from the edge of the lake to a
landscape cro wded with brush and a small genre scene seems to be unfolding before our eyes.
A woman, decadently dressed for a boat outing, is left to steer and paddle the boat, reaching out and
gesturing to her distracted companion. Her companion seems under-dressed by comparison and he
gazes out at the second boat in the distance. We can only speculate about the exchange this couple is
having; it gives the impression of an awkward first date. The man’s attention is so thoroughly
captured by the hunched boaters in the distance, it can be interpreted that he may be more
comfortable in other company.
The artist, L.F. Beales, was better known during her life as Mrs. William W. Beales, a prolific painter
and water-colorist. She was entrenched within the arts and theater communities of Brooklyn at the
turn of the twentieth century, serving the Knickerbocker Theater Club, the Brooklyn Art Guild, and
the Minerva Club while teaching at the Pouch Mansions, and exhibiting at the National Academy of
Design. Although the artist has been largely forgotten by time, her career as an emerging woman
artist in New England proved the value of this charming scene as part of our permanent collection.
Collection Highlight
July 2015
Alfred Leslie (American, b. 1927)
Richard Bellamy, 1974
Photograph
Museum purchase,1999.6
Of all the portraits in the exhibition The Gaze Returned:
Portrait Studio, the one I can’t stop thinking about
is Richard Bellamy, 1974. This lithographic print depicts a
portrait of a NYC art dealer who was also a close friend
of the artist.
Bellamy gazes out at you through a strange patch of
bright light shining onto his face. The contrast between
light and dark is intense. Much of the work is shaded in
with perfect, diagonal lines, parallel to one another,
interrupting the illusion. It’s like they’re separating you
from meeting him. He becomes more 2D as the
diagonals draw your eye down the portrait. The head is
so solidly, sharply rendered that, in contrast, the way he
just sort of drops off beneath the shoulders is intriguing.
On view in the Powers Gallery, chosen by Monica HenrySeifert, Visitor Services Attendant
I love this portrait because your eyes don’t want to look
away from it. Bellamy’s gaze, the intense light around his eyes, the interrupted illusion – it holds your
attention.
The fact that Leslie mastered this style of inhabited, nearly photo-realistic portraiture is cause for
awe enough, but when you consider the other art forms he excelled in, it’s a bit dizzying. Because of
this, Alfred Leslie defied categorization and missed the greater renown that could have come with
being more exclusive with his art. “There’s always a suspicion of anybody who works well in many
disciplines,” he said in a 2004 New York Times interview. “I was acknowledged in them individually,
but nobody saw a way to bring them all together.”
Collection Highlight
June 2015
William Chadwick, (American, 1879-1962)
The Hammock, 1910
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mrs. William Chadwick, 1965.141
There is something quintessentially “summer” about a
hammock. How many of us have memories of swinging
back and forth while enjoying a good book, a cool drink
or a conversation with someone special? William
Chadwick’s The Hammock is an Impressionist
snapshot of a scene that has the ability to evoke
memories in us all.
On view in the Palmer Galleries, chosen by Caitlin Healy,
Visitor Services Attendant and Collections Assistant.
William Chadwick was an American Impressionist and
fr equent visitor to the Old Lyme Art Colony. His technique often emphasized the effects that light
has on a scene, with many of his paintings done en plein air. The Hammock (1910) shows the artist’s
two sisters, Gertrude in pink and Florence in blue, relaxing in the shade with sunlight flittering
through the rustling leaves behind them. Chadwick’s effortless yet deliberate brushstrokes are able to
capture his sisters in a quiet, everyday-like moment. The Hammock is a wonderful example of the
talent that emerged from Connecticut’s premier art colony.
Collection Highlight
May 2015
William Morris Hunt (1824-1897), Attributed to
Boy with Violin
Painting, oil on canvas
Gift of Mrs. John S. Ames, 1960.116
Boy with a Violin reminds me of Caravaggio’s The Lute Player, a work
I studied extensively my junior year of college. A young boy and
his instrument has been a popular subject since the Renaissance
and Baroque period. Hunt’s piece is not romanticized to the extent
of a Baroque-era piece; rather, the child’s expression falls into the
realm of social realism. The boy, somewhere between the age of
five and seven, holds his violin close to his chest as his raggedy
shirt slips down his shoulder. He grips the neck of the instrument
close to his own, as if he is scared and protecting a favorite toy. He
is likely a Parisian child who plays songs on the streets of the city
as a form of begging and therefore the violin is a source of life for
him as it pays for his livelihood. There is something both
melancholy and poetic about him making beautiful music for such On view in the Palmer Galleries, chosen by
Rachel Newman, Connecticut College Student
an ugly situation. I can almost hear a silent sonata be played as I
Representative
look into the innocent child’s soft, doe-like eyes, full of exhausted
woe. I feel for this child, I want to watch over him, and pay him a visit every time I come into the
gallery.
William Morris Hunt probably painted Boy with a Violin in the 1850s, after having spent more than a
decade studying painting and sculpture in France, Italy and Germany. Upon his return to New
England in 1855, he introduced contemporary French painting to the Boston art scene and took on
such talented students as John La Farge and Ellen Day Hale. His style, with its emphasis on
expression of feeling, simplicitiy of form and fluid brushstrokes, are evident in this painting, which
can be seen in the American Stories gallery.
Collection Highlight
April 2015
Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910)
The Shepherdess, 1878
Painting, mixed media on ceramic tile
Gift of Robert MacIntyre 1945.155
The name Winslow Homer often brings to mind images of
rough seas or boats churning in the waves. A prolific painter
of marine subjects, Homer was also a member of a littleknown group called the Tile Club. Between the years 18771887, this group–which consisted of no more than twelve
artists at a time–included well-known figures such as William
Merritt Chase, John H. Twachtman, Julian Alden Weir and
Augustus Saint Gaudens. United by their shared interest in
On view in the Palmer Galleries, chosen by Mollie
the decorative arts movement, the club members met weekly Clarke, Director of Education
in New York City to exchange ideas, arrange painting
excursions and paint ceramic tiles. They used 8×8 cream colored tiles that were made specifically for
them by the English firms Wedgwood and Minton. While the artists did not adhere to any formal
subject matter–they painted landscapes, seascapes, portraits and floral arrangements–Homer
emerged as the one artist who took this practice quite seriously. He completed six known tiles, one
of which is on display in American Stories. At first glance, you might not even realize that The
Shepherdess is a painted tile; but upon closer inspection, smoothness of the paint, the flatness of the
surface and glossy surface become apparent. Homer used brilliant colors to capture this enchanted
scene of a shepherdess playfully reclining against a rock. His careful attention to detail can be seen in
the elaborate lacing of the dress, tips of the shoes and flowers in the grass. Next time you are in the
galleries be sure to stop for a closer look!
Collection Highlight
March 2015
Guy C. Wiggins (American, 1883-1962)
The Church on the Hill, 1910-1912
Oil on Canvas
Gift of Mrs. Nicholas Pond 1943.459
As we tour the American Stories exhibit in the Palmer
Galleries, happening upon this painting, we gladly rest in
front of this superb example of the American
Impressionist movement of the early twentieth century.
Gazing at this work, we feel ourselves pausing along a
road, surrounded by a bucolic scene immersed with light
and warmth. The focal point of the painting, the sturdy On view in the Palmer Galleries, chosen by Tom Angers,
Secretary of the Board of Trustees
distant white clapboard church bathed in early sunlight,
lazily draws us in. Our eyes linger along a well-worn road, past the carefully kept barns and fields of
a New England farmstead to the simple sanctuary beyond. Drawn in by this painting, we gladly wait
by the side of the road as we are struck by the softness of the day and the beauty of this early, lightfilled morning. Above, a few clouds seem to drift effortlessly by, passing over the pale green fields
we see before us and the land beyond. Contemplating our view of the calming landscape and the
meandering road, summer seems to be melting into fall and we suspect that the hard work of the
harvest has once again been accomplished. At the same time, we are reminded of the enormous
human effort that has created these fields and pastures over generations past… rugged land cleared
of its stones over the many, many years… stones now serving as the boundary walls of a farmstead
tended for its bounty season after season. We are suspended in a fleeting moment of rare and subtle
beauty, wishing we could hold this place for a while longer, absorbing the serene silence of this
magical morning, filling our senses with the summer’s last warmth and savoring the subtle autumnal
colors of the scene before us.
Born in Brooklyn and known for his paintings of New York City frequently filled with snow, Guy C.
Wiggins is also closely associated with Southeastern Connecticut. One of the youngest members of
the Old Lyme Art Colony, he painted alongside his father, Carleton Wiggins, Childe Hassam, and
other noted artists.
Collection Highlight
February 2015
Curtis Phillips (American, born 1967)
Simulacrum, 1996
Oil and encaustic on linen and wood panels
Museum purchase, 1997.2
I’ve wanted to put this painting on display ever since
I first spotted it in storage shortly after I started
working at the Lyman Allyn in 2013. Winter, with its
dreamlike falling snow and introspective hush,
seemed the perfect time to share Phillips’s
atmospheric landscape with our visitors.
Phillips’s focus on landscape owes much to
On view outside the first floor Palmer Gallery. Chosen by Jane
European and American artistic traditions of the last LeGrow, Registrar and Assistant Curator
several centuries. Although this landscape appears to be imaginary, the depiction suggests that place
itself, the land we move through and experience, is significant. Many artistic movements have held a
reverence for landscape over the centuries-the Dutch painters of the 17th century, the French
Barbizon artists and the Hudson River School, for example, all expressed the sense that places were
worth paying attention to, and even that they contained a kind of spiritual majesty. Phillips’s painting
draws on all these, then goes beyond them to consider not a specific locale, but the concept of
landscape itself-a simulacrum of place. By presenting us with a scene both strange and familiar, the
artist invites us to project our own interior landscapes onto the canvas. The blurred shapes, deep
purples and rosy pinks suggest dusk or dawn, times when our vision is suggestive rather than clear.
We bring our own meaning to the painting and take away new questions. For me, those questions
include What personal landscape do I see in this work? What emotions does that connection provoke and why? Why
did the artist choose to make this a diptych rather than a single canvas? Was it to draw attention to the artificiality of
the painted landscape as a constructed object? Does life sometimes require fiction to get at the truth of a thing? All are
satisfying questions to ponder on a dark and snowy afternoon.
Collection Highlight
January 2015
Beatrice Cuming (Brooklyn, New York 1903 –
Uncasville, Connecticut 1974)
Chubb, 1943/1944
Oil on canvas
Gift of the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division,
1994.2
There is an innate and compelling strength to this
painting that focuses on the boat building industry.
Because the boat is unfinished, the mind’s eye of the
viewer is led to the future: launching the boat into the
water seen in the background. The yellow tones, the
concentric geometric shapes, and the sheer size of the
steel and wood draw the viewer into the picture.
On view in the Palmer Galleries, chosen by Polly Merrill,
President of the Board of Trustees
Beatrice Cuming was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended the Pratt Institute until 1924, when
she moved to Paris to study art. Upon her return to the U.S. in 1934, she settled in New London
where she established a studio at 130 State Street and became involved with many local art groups
including the art associations in Mystic and Essex, as well as Connecticut College. She also initiated
adult and youth art instructions classes with the Lyman Allyn, assuming direction of the Young
People’s Art Program in 1937; a position she held for nearly 30 years.
Chubb is one of at least six paintings Cuming painted on commission for Electric Boat. The name
of this vessel was officially the USS Chub; the second ‘B’ was dropped in a formal name change after
the completion of the painting and just prior to the submarine’s launch on June 18, 1944. This work
represents the atmosphere pervading New London during the war years. The nation was consumed
with the war effort; and the sense of urgency in submarine construction is evident in this painting.
The Lyman Allyn is the proud home to more than ten of Cuming’s works.