.jpg?w=1)
拍品專文
One of the most celebrated artists of the New Hope School, Daniel Garber blends jewel-toned colors, fastidious draftsmanship and soft brushstrokes to create a dream like tranquility in In the Valley. The artist's mastery of light and color are at their height in this refined and splendid painting in which he blends an Impressionist tonality and atmosphere with a realistic depiction of the Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania landscape.
Garber received his initial artistic training at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and later at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, studying under William Merritt Chase and Cecilia Beaux. The most significant influence during Garber's early career, however, was his study in Europe from 1903 to 1905, "Garber...during a year of study in Paris, was influenced by the European Impressionists. From this exposure to these masters, Garber honed his skill at representing sunlight and derived his use of lively pastel colors." (Beacon Hill Fine Art, An American Tradition: The Pennsylvania Impressionists, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1995, p. 18)
Garber was not only influenced by the style, but also the practice of the European plein air artists. For the remainder of his career, he was insistent on completing his works out of doors, rather than making quick sketches of his subject and returning to his studio to compose his final canvas. This routine further cultivated his intimate understanding of light and atmosphere. "Garber's dedication to outdoor study from the motif became the foundation of his method...Because he liked to work directly, without preparatory drawings, Garber needed the constant presence of the motif during most of the execution of the painting." (The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Daniel Garber, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1980, p. 27)
In the Valley is exemplary of Garber's ability to capture the luminous effect of light on atmosphere and landscape. He adeptly applies a muted palette of pinks and mauves in the sky, alternating concise and elongated brushstrokes to create the thick and slightly hazy air of a warm summer afternoon. He captures the sun with shimmering highlights as it diffuses through the trees and landscape. The subtle modulation of color and reflected light on the serene surface of the water and farmland create a sense of leisurely movement and allude to the tranquil passage of time. The bold greens of the trees are in harmonious contrast to the muted colors of the sky and distant hills, emphasizing the trees' solidarity in relation to the evanescent atmosphere.
While In the Valley manifests many of the tenets of Impressionism, it is also a loyal depiction of the Uhlerstown landscape. This strong tempering of Impressionism with Realism is one of the hallmarks of Garber's work. "Garber's idealizing sensibility always coexisted with his realist approach, and the unique effects produced by his balance of the two impulses...This search for the restful and the beautiful within the 'plain facts' of his own life motivated all of Garber's best work, and transformed his homliest subjects into something serene and golden." (Daniel Garber, p. 30)
Garber received his initial artistic training at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and later at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, studying under William Merritt Chase and Cecilia Beaux. The most significant influence during Garber's early career, however, was his study in Europe from 1903 to 1905, "Garber...during a year of study in Paris, was influenced by the European Impressionists. From this exposure to these masters, Garber honed his skill at representing sunlight and derived his use of lively pastel colors." (Beacon Hill Fine Art, An American Tradition: The Pennsylvania Impressionists, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1995, p. 18)
Garber was not only influenced by the style, but also the practice of the European plein air artists. For the remainder of his career, he was insistent on completing his works out of doors, rather than making quick sketches of his subject and returning to his studio to compose his final canvas. This routine further cultivated his intimate understanding of light and atmosphere. "Garber's dedication to outdoor study from the motif became the foundation of his method...Because he liked to work directly, without preparatory drawings, Garber needed the constant presence of the motif during most of the execution of the painting." (The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Daniel Garber, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1980, p. 27)
In the Valley is exemplary of Garber's ability to capture the luminous effect of light on atmosphere and landscape. He adeptly applies a muted palette of pinks and mauves in the sky, alternating concise and elongated brushstrokes to create the thick and slightly hazy air of a warm summer afternoon. He captures the sun with shimmering highlights as it diffuses through the trees and landscape. The subtle modulation of color and reflected light on the serene surface of the water and farmland create a sense of leisurely movement and allude to the tranquil passage of time. The bold greens of the trees are in harmonious contrast to the muted colors of the sky and distant hills, emphasizing the trees' solidarity in relation to the evanescent atmosphere.
While In the Valley manifests many of the tenets of Impressionism, it is also a loyal depiction of the Uhlerstown landscape. This strong tempering of Impressionism with Realism is one of the hallmarks of Garber's work. "Garber's idealizing sensibility always coexisted with his realist approach, and the unique effects produced by his balance of the two impulses...This search for the restful and the beautiful within the 'plain facts' of his own life motivated all of Garber's best work, and transformed his homliest subjects into something serene and golden." (Daniel Garber, p. 30)