Arts Brief: Middlebury College features American paintings and prints from Shelburne Museum

The Middlebury College Museum of Art’s newest exhibition is a collection of American Paintings and Prints from the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vt. The exhibition will run until June 6 and features a selection of 28 pieces from the Shelburne Museum’s collection of over 150 paintings and prints.

The collection was started in the 1950s by museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb. Webb was born to wealthy New York collectors Henry and Louisine Havemeyer who had been collecting works by Monet, Manet, Degas and Casatt. Before starting the collection, Webb herself had been collecting pieces of art, folk art, vehicles and historical buildings for the last 40 years.

The first pieces she included in the collection were a few paintings of steamboats by painters John and James Bard, which played to her interests in boating on Lake Champlain. The vast majority of the pieces in the collection were chosen by Webb herself but a few pieces were gifts.

Webb’s choice of pieces was heavily influenced by friends and fellow gallery owners in New York: Edith Halpert, Henry Shaw Newman and Maxim Karolik.

Webb was interested in creating a comprehensive collection and to have the collection be a holistic educational experience on American art. The results of her efforts were revealed 50 years ago on Feb. 12.

The collection for the exhibition consists of a wide range of works, almost all from the 19th century. The collection itself focuses on the main themes of landscape and American life. In particular, sources of inspiration include boating, scenes from American towns, natural scenes and inanimate objects.

Even to someone with limited knowledge of American art, the collection would appear impressive. Certainly comprehensive, it demonstrates a range of styles, some of which have been seen before and some of which are unlike anything you have ever come across.

The pieces themselves come from many different schools, including the Hudson River School (in Thomas Cole) and Quaker art (in Edward Hicks). Particularly striking are the huge contrasts of lighting schemes. Prominent pieces include “Orchid and Hummingbird” by Martin Johnson Hale, “Northern Light in Boston Harbor” by Fitz Henry Lane and “Soaring” by Andrew Wyeth, the gallery’s one piece from the 20th century. Likely to be a favorite piece is the still life of a magnifying glass titled “Magic Glasses” by Edwin Romanzo Elmer. For a quick and wide sweep of this rich period in American art, this exhibition is very much recommended.