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7: The use of formal strategies of embedded patterns and the decorative deployment of natural and abstract forms (derived from Whistler and influenced by Asian art), often in conjunction with serial renderings of the same subject in different lights and from various angles of perception:
As discussed earlier, Whistler became an important figure in American art during the 1880s.
At that time, many progressive artists were adopting the formal techniques of Asian art. This led to the rise of Aesthetic Tonalism and a break from the Hudson River School.
One example of Aesthetic Tonalism is William Coffin's Sunset Tones from around 1890. It showcases serene and balanced proportions.
William Anderson Coffin
Sunset Tones, ca. 1890
William Gedney Bunce
Venice Sail Reflections, 1885
Summary
Summary
1. Whistler became an important figure in American art during the 1880s.
2. Progressive artists during this time were adopting the formal techniques of Asian art.
3. This led to the rise of Aesthetic Tonalism and a break from the Hudson River School.
4. William Coffin's Sunset Tones and William Gedney Bunce's Venice, Sail Reflections are examples of Aesthetic Tonalism.
5. Aesthetic Tonalism focused on serene and balanced proportions in art.
6. The synthetic arrangement of natural forms became common in Tonalist art by the turn of the century.
7. Tonalist art differed from Impressionism in its emphasis on studio-based and conceptual art.
8. Dwight Tryon's Spring Pasture showcased the artist's love for early spring tree lines.
9. Tree forms cropped into solid shapes were a common technique in Ben Foster's work.
10. The greatest practitioners of synthetic and formal arrangements of landscape forms created compositions that reflected a deeper reality beyond ordinary views.
Another example is Venice, Sail Reflections from 1885 by William Gedney Bunce. This painting demonstrates how similar design elements can be used in a marine setting. Bunce arranged the sail shapes and their reflections in patterns to create a sense of balance and appeal. The artist often took liberties with the composition, treating buildings like trees and placing them in symmetrical patterns for visual interest.
By the turn of the century, the synthetic arrangement of natural forms was a common practice in Tonalist art.
This approach complemented the studio-based and conceptual nature of the art movement, which differed from the emphasis on capturing the quality of light in the moment as seen in Impressionism.
Dwight Tryon's Spring Pasture from 1899 is a delicate pastel inspired by Whistler. It showcases the artist's love for early spring tree lines and the patterns they create against a horizontal backdrop.
Dwight Tryon
Spring Pasture, 1899
Tree forms, cropped into solid shapes, can often be found in Ben Foster's work. The cropping technique and high horizons were also influenced by Asian art, emphasising a two-dimensional graphic read of the composition.
Emil Carlsen's White Pine from 1926 is a remarkable example of abstraction. The vertical and horizontal structure of the pine creates a grid of light and dark shapes, foreshadowing complete abstraction.
Emil Carlsen
White Pine, 1926
Ben Foster
Hillside Trees, ca. 1910
Other artists, such as Hugh Bolton Jones and Henry Snell, utilised patterning and arrangement techniques to create their compositions. Jones' Winter Light from around 1900 features zig-zag patterns of snowy banks and skyline horizontals.
Hugh Bolton Jones
Winter Light, ca. 1900
Ben Foster
Rainy Autumn Day, ca. 1914
Henry Snell
Cornwall Coast, ca. 1900
Snell's Cornwall Coast from around 1900 portrays the interlocking colour forms of a landscape where the intense green of pastures meets the geologic striations of cliff faces along the Cornwall coast.
Ben Foster
Back From the Sea, ca. 1910
Frank Duveneck's Antiques Shop from around 1900, inspired by Whistler's Chelsea shop fronts, showcases a well-designed grid of verticals and horizontals. The rapid brushwork adds a sumptuous effect to the painting.
Frank Duveneck
Antique Shop, 1906
The greatest practitioners of these synthetic and formal arrangements of landscape forms were able to create compositions that echoed the underlying physical structure of the biosphere.
Nature, under the intense gaze of these artists, reflected a deeper reality beyond the ordinary snapshot view.
Arthur Bowen Davies
Nocturne in Blue and Green, 1924
William Anderson Coffin
The Plain, Late Afternoon, ca. 1890
Edge of the Trees, 1993
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