PHILADELPHIA, PA. — John Henry Twachtman (1858-1902) may well be the most gifted, original and innovative of all the American Impressionists, but he is relatively unknown today. The subtlety, elusiveness and modernity of his work – qualities that set him apart from his contemporaries – seem to have contributed to his somewhat overlooked status among our artists.

Twachtman’s life spanned much of the dynamic era between the Civil War and World War I, optimistic years for Americans, whose faith in material progress and prosperity was mirrored in myriad aspects of our national life. A man of unshakeable integrity and profound introspection, Twachtman rejected the rampant materialism of his times and, refusing to cater to popular tastes, was shunned by potential patrons who sought more glamorous, colorful paintings.

His landscapes, characterized by delicacy and nuance, sprang from a sophisticated hand and mind, and were difficult for his contemporaries to understand. Thus, the very attributes that made his art different contributed to his relative obscurity. Only in recent years has this talented artist begun to receive the widespread recognition he deserves.

The Exhibition

A beautiful exhibition covering all phases of his career, now on tour, should enhance public appreciation for the unique vision of this special painter. The display of his work at the august Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts constitutes one of the most impressive, appealing and evocative exhibitions in this country this year.

Twachtman is one of those artists whose subtle works do not reproduce well. Full appreciation for his achievements can come only from first-hand viewing.

"John Twachtman: An American Impressionist," comprising over 50 oils and pastels, is his first retrospective in over three decades. Organized by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, it has already been seen at the Cincinnati Art Museum and will be on view at the Pennsylvania Academy through January 2, 2000. It will conclude its tour, February 26 to May 21, 2000, at the High Museum.

The accompanying 192-page, fully illustrated catalogue, the first scholarly, in-depth study of the artist, was written by Lisa N. Peters of New York’s Spanierman Gallery. Distributed by Hudson Hills Press, it is available in hardback for $50, and should be in the library of every serious student of American art. The exhibition and catalogue were made possible by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Reminders of the Old Country

Born in Cincinnati to German immigrant parents, Twachtman grew up in an active city filled with optimism, music and reminders of the old country. As a teenager he learned how to decorate window shades from his father, and studied art at local institutions. He studied under local painter Frank Duveneck, five years his senior, who had trained in Europe and already achieved some success in the United States.

At Duveneck’s urging, Twachtman went to study at the Royal Academy in Munich, where he adopted the school’s characteristic bravura brushwork, heavy impasto and dark palette. A trip to Venice with Duveneck and fellow student William Merritt Chase resulted in several somber canal scenes, painted in the Munich manner. In 1879 Twachtman did a number of strong, dark-toned views of New York harbor. But before long, Twachtman recognized that while Munich had provided a good method for painting portraits, it did not offer the most felicitous style for landscapes, which increasingly interested him.

For the next several years he bounced back and forth across the Atlantic, teaching intermittently and gaining sufficient recognition for his work to be admitted to the Society of American Artists. He was always held in higher esteem by his fellow artists than by the picture-buying public.

In 1880 Twachtman taught at Duveneck’s school in Florence and that summer joined his mentor, Chase and other colleagues – dubbed the "Duveneck boys" – in Venice. It is unclear whether Twachtman ever met the innovative American expatriate artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler during this or other Venetian sojourns, but his pastels, etchings and landscapes all show Whistlerian influences.

Returning to Cincinnati in 1881 Twachtman married Martha Scudder, an amateur artist. They honeymooned in Europe, where he painted in Belgium and Holland with a new friend, artist J. Alden Weir. Twachtman met French painter Jules Bastien-Lepage, whose effort to juggle plein-air techniques and studio draftsmanship had a temporary influence on Twachtman’s work.

A Break with Munich

Back in Cincinnati, Twachtman began to break with his Munich training, turning out muted landscapes, albeit with lightened color schemes. "Springtime" (1884), set in a suburb of the Queen City, is a highlight of this period.

Dissatisfied with his work and its public reception and fed up in general with Cincinnati, Twachtman complained to Weir that "a good many people, all of them supposed to be up on art matters, have seen my paintings but I am convinced they care little for them. This is a very old fogied place… There is no good art influence here and I shall be glad to leave."

Opting once more for Europe, Twachtman studied at the Académie Julian in Paris, 1883-1885, determined to improve his drawing and evolve a more congenial style. His training at the Académie, exposure to Japanese prints and perhaps study of Whistler’s work fueled his rebellion against the muddy realism of Munich. As astute art collector Duncan Phillips observed slyly, "He had studied in Munich, but it had done him no harm. In Paris he saw the light!"

Gradually his paintings not only reflected a lighter touch and delicate tonalities, but a strikingly modern look, underscored by his instinct for abstraction. A series of personal, poetic French landscapes culminated in the serene and monumental "Arques-la-Bataille" of 1885, in which the elegant treatment of the reeds silhouetted in the foreground reflects the influence of Japanese prints and the tranquil ambience of the scene is redolent of Whistler.

Awash in greens and silvery tones, this five by seven and a half foot canvas was turned down by the Paris Salon, but has come to be the most admired of the artist’s early paintings. It was purchased in 1968 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Twachtman ended his studies in Paris in 1885. Returning to America, aged 32, he faced a period of significant economic hardship for himself and his family, which now included two small children. He traveled widely looking for support, painted with Weir on his Branchville, Conn. farm, and even joined a crew to paint a large cyclorama in Chicago.

"Along the River, Winter" (circa 1887-88), an evocative white-on-white painting featuring carriage tracks across fresh snow, may have been painted in suburban Cincinnati or in rural Connecticut. Atmospheric and filled with evidences of his French experiences, this is the first of his many fine snowscapes.

During this time of drift and uncertainty Twachtman began to show regularly with the Society of Painters in Pastel. He found this a medium suited to his temperament and quest for a personal style. His works were highly praised. A number of examples on view in the current exhibition reflect his mastery of the medium. The soft tonal values, delicate atmosphere and finely balanced use of open areas in later oil paintings owe something to Twachtman’s expertise in pastels.

New Surroundings

After scouring the northeast for a place to settle, Twachtman came upon a 17-acre farm on what were then the rural outskirts of Greenwich, Conn. That satisfied his desire for a quiet homestead amidst paintable surroundings. Following his purchase of the land in 1889, the waterfall, brook, ponds and modest farmhouse proved an endless source of subjects for his brush for the next decade.

Over the years, with income from teaching and proceeds from the sale of paintings, Twachtman expanded the farmhouse, planted gardens and trees and made other improvements on the property. This became his cherished haven from the outside world, the place where he could be close to his family – and to inspirations for his art.

Like French Impressionist Claude Monet’s small estate in Giverny, this landscape stimulated Twachtman to paint the same sites over and over, from different vantage points, in various times of the year, and in all kinds of weather. But unlike his French counterpart, Twachtman did not explore the effects of sun and light in a scientific, analytical way, but sought to convey his personal responses to nature’s changing moods.

The resulting canvases, based on extended outdoor sessions, are quiet, poetic, intimate and filled with the atmosphere of rural Connecticut. These Greenwich landscapes are a far cry from the bright, sun-splashed Impressionist images associated with Monet and Childe Hassam. By utilizing varied brushstrokes, subdued tones, simplified compositions and an innate sense of the abstract elements in nature, Twachtman created lyrical evocations of the world around him that invite contemplation. They are unique in American art.

Nature and Isolation

Twachtman’s special closeness to nature shows in his work. "To be isolated is a fine thing," he wrote Weir in 1891, "and we are then nearer to nature. I can see now how necessary it is to live in the country – at all seasons of the year." The Greenwich masterpieces reflect an artist committed to ambience and nuance and concerned with conveying moods of silence and isolation.

Particularly memorable are Twachtman’s snow scenes, which are the finest ever painted by an American artist. Other artists often shy away from the rigors of outdoor winter painting, but he welcomed the challenge. "We must have snow and lots of it," he declared. "Never is nature more lovely than when it is snowing. Everything is so quiet and the whole earth seems wrapped in a mantle… all nature is hushed in silence."

National Gallery of Art curator Deborah Chotner points out that the "restrained harmonies of Twachtman’s color owe something… to Whistler" in his snowscapes. But she adds, "There appears to be no direct precedent for the mixture of psychological reflection, fidelity to nature, and aesthetic audacity that characterizes Twachtman’s winter scenes."

Whether in "Round Hill Road" (circa 1890-1900), showing glimpses of his property through a screen of snow and mist, or "Icebound" (circa 1890-95), depicting the sinuous contours of his Hemlock Pool in winter’s grip, or "Winter Harmony" (circa 1890-95), a view of the same site cloaked in a Whistlerian veil of wintry light, Twachtman conveyed the palpable sense of serenity, solitude and silence on his property in winter. His skillful use of white as a color, preoccupation with the effects of light on snow, depiction of simplified, flattened forms, and interest in abstract images make these snowscapes the standard by which all other American painters are judged. None has equaled his mastery of the genre.

The brook that meanders through Twachtman’s property was and is quite modest, but he never tired of painting it in all seasons. In the subtly composed "End of Winter" (circa 1890-95), with its delicate network of trees, serpentine stream and farm structures on the horizon, he recorded the tremulous nuances of the onset of spring. It is a painting of such diaphanous delicacy that it must be seen in person to be fully appreciated, as is true of most of the painter’s muted landscapes.

While he employed a light, feathery touch in most of his landscapes, when Twachtman painted the small waterfall behind his house his style became bolder and more direct. It was the site of this picturesque cascade, which flows most vigorously in the spring, that convinced the painter to buy the Greenwich farm. His son recalled exploring the acreage with his father before he acquired it, surveying the rolling land, little brook and small pond, and then, upon seeing Horseneck Falls, Twachtman exclaiming excitedly, "This is it!"

The artist’s affinity for the site is reflected in the dash and dynamism of paintings such as "The Waterfall" (circa 1895-1900) and "Waterfall, Blue Brook" (1895-1900). The latter, a compelling image, was bought by his hometown Cincinnati Art museum in 1901, the only Twachtman painting to enter a public collection in his lifetime.

Enlarging the small cataract by painting it up close, Twachtman emphasized the solidity and rich colors of the surrounding rocks and the force of the cascading water with broad, smoothly-applied brushstrokes. Today, although additional houses have been built nearby, the waterfall looks much as it did when Twachtman immortalized it a century ago.

Like Monet at Giverny, when Twachtman embellished his property he created new inspiration for his brush. A small footbridge built over the pond below his house offered fresh possibilities, which he explored in canvases like "The White Bridge" (circa 189501900). This Impressionistic view, painted with soft, subtle colors, conveys the warmth of the artist’s sentiments about the span.

In oil paintings as well as pastels Twachtman reveled in capturing the beauty of wildflowers and cultivated blooms on his land. "In the Greenhouse" (circa 1895), in spite of its misleading title – there was no such structure on the grounds – is a crisply-painted, brightly-hued vignette conveying a sense of the profusion of flowers in his wife’s abundant old-fashioned garden adjoining the house.

Throughout his career Twachtman concentrated on landscape paintings. His few, moderately successful figurative works depict his wife and children in and around the house and garden. In "Mother and Child" (circa 1893), a rare interior scene, he employed a mirror image in a warm, affectionate double portrait that Mary Cassatt might have envied.

Most of his figural works were sited in the effulgent sunlit garden next to the house. Like Monet, Twachtman gave his figures in outdoor oils generalized facial features at best, opting to utilize them as integral elements in landscapes. Thus, in "In the Sunlight" (circa 1893), showing his wife seated amidst her swirling garden, the figure is secondary to the setting.

"On the Terrace" (circa 1897), depicting Martha Twachtman and three children decked out in white finery and ensconced among the flowery premises behind their house, suggests the painter’s satisfaction with his family’s togetherness in their country haven.

Twachtman’s domestic idyll was interrupted by the death of two children in infancy in the early 1890s. Distraught, he conveyed his grief in a stunningly poignant painting, "Sailing in the Mist" (circa 1890-1900), showing a single child in a boat drifting in misty blue water. Somewhat overlooked in the past, this evocative canvas comes into its own in this show; appropriately, it is from the collection of the Pennsylvania Academy.

A Quiet Revolt

In 1897 Twachtman, along with Hassam and Weir, led a quiet revolt against the hidebound Society of American Artists, whose annual shows they felt had become too large and disjointed to do justice to their own work. Forming "The Ten American Painters," they organized their own small exhibitions in which each member showed only a few of his paintings in uncrowded settings. Although the artists varied in their commitment to Impressionism, they were united in their desire for improved venues in which to showcase their art, and exhibited successfully for two decades. Other artists in The Ten were Frank W. Benson, Joseph De Camp, Thomas W. Dewing, Willard M. Metcalf, Robert Reid, Edward Simmons and Edmund Tarbell. Chase joined the group after Twachtman’s death in 1902.

Perhaps because of financial problems, Twachtman spent the winters of 1900 and 1901 at the Holley House, a venerable boardinghouse frequented by artists and writers in Cos Cob, adjacent to Greenwich. He had taught art classes there for many summers.

At the Holley House Twachtman socialized with artist friends like Hassam and Weir and writers such as Willa Cather and Lincoln Steffens. They engaged in spirited debates, charades and games at night; during the day Twachtman diligently painted buildings around the village and particularly the old house itself.

He did several evocative views from the front porch of Holley House looking across the Mianus River, a scene now marred by the jarring presence of an elevated span carrying I-95 traffic. He also created affectionate profiles of the house in all seasons. Twachtman showed it swathed in snow in several memorable images and, in "October" (circa 1901), he depicted it along with the neighboring store, surrounded by the delicate, pastel hues of fall trees and foliage.

Today the structure is known as Bush-Holley Historic Site, and is beautifully maintained for public viewing by the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich. Filled with works of art and memorabilia of the Cos Cob Art Colony, it is well worth a visit. Telephone 203/869-6899.

Around the turn of the century, Twachtman began summering in the picturesque fishing village of Gloucester, Mass., already a mecca for artists. There he was reunited with his old mentor Duveneck and other Munich compatriots. Twachtman’s depictions of the harbor, docks, boats and fishermen’s rowhouses harkened back to the strongly-brushed manner he learned in Munich. The addition of black and vivid colors gave new force to these canvases. Less subtle and more direct, with enhanced color definition and pronounced brushwork, these apparently spontaneous works are almost expressionist in feeling.

In "The Wild Cherry Tree" (circa 1901), offering a view of Gloucester harbor through the branches of a tree, he utilized soft colors and unusual spatial constructions in a tranquil, summery image. "He painted the tree and the scene beyond in the same motion, portraying them as a single entity," Peters notes.

A number of Twachtman’s close-range Gloucester paintings depict the grittier working nature of the active port and harbor. A longer-range view, "Gloucester Harbor" (circa 1901) delineated the varied shapes and colors of structures and boats in the busy harbor without getting into its sweaty, intimate details.

Sudden Death

Unfortunately, just after his 49th birthday, as his art seemed to be taking off in new and promising directions, Twachtman died suddenly of a brain aneurism in Gloucester in the summer of 1902. He was buried under a simple headstone in Gloucester’s Oak Grove Cemetery, not far from the grave of native son Fitz Hugh Lane (1804-1865), the fine Luminist marine painter.

In spite of the aesthetic success of his works and the high esteem of fellow painters, Twachtman was never well known. Unwilling to create the colorful, flashy Impressionist canvases popular with collectors, he persisted in his search for a style and subjects that suited him. Because his style defied easy categorization and the sketchiness and unfinished look of his canvases baffled contemporary viewers, his work did not sell well in his lifetime.

This lack of public success embittered Twachtman in his final years. Artist Eliot Clark said of Twachtman in Gloucester, "There was something gnawing at the soul of the man, and for one who was approaching fifty something curiously uncertain and restless."

Twachtman’s prescient, avant-garde style was recognized by his friend and colleague Hassam, who described him (on his death) as the "most modern spirit… too modern, probably, to be fully recognized or appreciated at present; but his place will be recognized in the future."

As Hassam and other astute observers predicted, in recent years there has been a swell of interest in Twachtman’s special contributions to American art. Today, amidst the fervor for Impressionism in all its forms, Twachtman is increasingly recognized as a lyrical artist of quiet originality, profound perception and deceptive strength. The messages of his muted canvases and abstract compositions seem clear to modern viewers, and his paintings command high prices.

The current exhibition should increase visibility and understanding of the legacy of this determined, courageous painter, who stayed the course in his quest for ways to express his personal point of view and his love of nature. Combining the wistful mood of the last century with the impulse toward abstraction in this century’s early modernism, Twachtman bequeathed to posterity a body of work of grace and beauty that will stand the test of time.

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is at Broad and Cherry Streets; telephone 215/972-7600. The High Museum of Art is at 1280 Peachtree Street in Atlanta; telephone 404/733-4400.