Art and the New England Farm
May 11 through
September 16, 2018
Drawing on the agricultural heritage of Florence Griswold’s family estate and of the Lyme region and beyond, this exhibition examined the history and character of New England’s farms in works by artists from the 19th to the 21st century.
Paintings, drawings, and photographs from public and private collections traced the challenges of farming in New England, with its rocky soil, and the pastoral landscapes crafted through intense labor. Landscapes by George Henry Durrie received special attention as influential representations that translated the New England farmstead into an American icon in the mid-nineteenth century. Works by Ivan Olinsky, Thomas Nason, Martin Lewis, and Walker Evans mapped the transformation and decline of the New England farm into the 20th century with the pressures of urbanization and suburbanization. The more recent revival of farming, with the enthusiasm for organic produce and farm-to-table cooking, closed the exhibition, with the inclusion of works by contemporary artists and photographers, including artist Judy Friday’s project on a year in the life of Lyme’s Tiffany Farm.
Gregory Smith, James in the Garden, ca, 1920. Oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Florence Griswold Museum, Purchase
Edward Volkert, Ox with Haywagon. Oil on wood, 16 x 20 inches. Florence Griswold Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Freedman
Judy Friday, from the series A Year at Tiffany Farms, 2003, Courtesy of the Artist
Frank Vincent DuMond (1865–1951), Top of the Hill, ca. 1906. Oil on academy board. Florence Griswold Museum
This exhibition was generously sponsored by CT Humanities, State of Connecticut through the Consortium of Connecticut Art Museums, The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, and the Nika Thayer Exhibition and Publication Fund.
