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11: The portrayal of a mystical organic relationship between perceiver and the perceived (the transcendentalist subjectivity espoused by Emerson and Thoreau)
The mournful poetry of Tonalism, a style that brings solace during times of extreme terror, is accompanied by a profound spiritual element.
This spiritual aspect of Tonalism offered a grieving nation different ways to explore their religious beliefs as the new century began.
The writings of transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau gained widespread popularity and were embraced by the educated public during the period of the rise and success of the Tonalist movement, replacing the more exaggerated literalism of the Hudson River School.
As a result, Tonalism became filled with a deeper sense of personal, mystical, and natural spirituality that expressed the importance of one's homeland through specific yet unclear images.
This reflected the inner longing for spiritual connection felt by individuals, a feeling that is just as hard to describe as the shared experience of being alone.
A review of an 1893 exhibition of Charles Warren Eaton's works, including "Forest Edge," "Gloaming Pines," "Quarter Moon," and "Twilit Sky," touches on the spiritual essence of Tonalism using explicitly religious language:
Charles Warren Eaton
Forest Edge, 1904
Charles Warren Eaton
Gloaming Pines, ca. 1910
"He portrays various moods, most of them thoughtful and delicately tinged with the kind of sadness that is necessary for perfect beauty. He prefers soft sunlight, twilight, moonlight, and candlelight during the autumn season when the foliage turns shades of brown, and when forest paths become mysterious places. He prefers that nature be an expression of subjective thought and that the thought it symbolises be gentle and pure."
(The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Sun, Mar 12, 1893, p. 4)
Similar religious imagery is evoked in a 1916 review by Charles de Kay in the New York Times, during the third devastating year of World War I, while reviewing an exhibition of Charles Melville Dewey's works:
"The earth is suspended in an atmosphere of tranquility that deeply affects the human heart, accustomed to the turmoil of complex emotions. The grand silhouettes of trees, the expansiveness of the beautifully designed sky, and the solidity of the earth represent the sense of security that comes from recognising the workings of eternal laws throughout the universe, which is most strongly felt when one gazes upon vast horizons during moments of stillness. Against this backdrop of austere peace, light enters with its delicate, slow song of joyful words..."
(NYT, Sun, April 16, 1916, p. 78)
It is difficult to imagine another artistic movement that, like the great eras of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque art, was so deeply rooted in and responsive to the evolving spiritual needs of a grieving populace, grappling not only with loss but also with the numerous anxieties brought on by rapid industrialisation and social upheaval.
This spiritual aspect, inherent in Tonalism, is reinforced and expressed through many of the style's essential characteristics previously mentioned:
Charles Melville Dewey
Moonlit Reverie, ca. 1908
mysterious,
ambiguous,
suggestive,
poetic,
mournful,
tranquil,
solitary,
timeless,
reminiscent,
symbolic,
abstract,
transformative,
transcendent,
personal,
expressive,
intuiting the unseen or concealed,
employing muted, calming colours that foster a meditative state of mind.
Tonalism is an art form that speaks to the contemplative soul, offering comfort to both the mind and spirit.
Charles Harry Eaton
Sunset After a Strom, ca. 1890
Ben Foster
Waning Day, ca. 1916
Ben Foster
Silent Creek, ca. 1915
Summary
Summary
1. Tonalism is a style of art that provided solace to a grieving nation at the turn of the century.
2. It was influenced by transcendentalist writings by Emerson and Thoreau.
3. Tonalism replaced the literalism of the Hudson River School with a more personal and mystical spirituality.
4. The style conveyed the values of one's homeland through indistinct imagery.
5. Charles Warren Eaton's works exemplified the spiritual essence of Tonalism.
6. The artworks favoured veiled sunlight, twilight, moonlight, and candlelight during autumn.
7. Nature was seen as an expression of subjective thought and symbolised gentle and pure thoughts.
8. Charles Melville Dewey's works also evoked religious imagery and a sense of tranquility.
9. Tonalism addressed the evolving spiritual needs of a grieving populace during rapid industrialisation and social upheaval.
10. The style's essential characteristics included mystery, ambiguity, poetry, tranquility, timelessness, symbolism, and a meditative quality.
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