Twachtman painted the same small waterfall on his Connecticut property dozens of times, in snow, in spring melt, in summer shade, in different qualities of light, and never tired of it. He was a painter's painter, admired by colleagues and unsellable to the public. The gap between professional respect and commercial failure defined his career.
Key facts
- Lived
- 1853–1902, United States
- Movement
- Works held in
- 27 museums
Biography
He was born in Cincinnati in 1853, studied there under Frank Duveneck, then enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 1875, where he acquired the dark, heavy manner of the Munich school. A trip to Venice with Duveneck and William Merritt Chase in 1878 began to loosen him. By 1883 he was in Paris at the Academie Julian, and the brownish palette was gone. Whistler's tonal subtlety and the Impressionists' light replaced it; Theodore Robinson and Childe Hassam encouraged the shift further.
He bought a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1890, and it became his primary subject. The waterfall, the pool, the hemlock trees and the snow-covered fields appeared in compositions influenced by Japanese prints, with high horizon lines and flattened perspectives that anticipated abstract thinking. His winter paintings are studies in whiteness that sit somewhere between Impressionism and Tonalism, quieter than either label suggests.
In 1898 he became a founding member of The Ten, a group of American artists dissatisfied with the conservative exhibition system. He also founded an informal art school at Cos Cob, Connecticut, and was known for practical jokes and irreverent wit. He died in 1902, at forty-nine. The recognition he expected in his lifetime came after it.
Timeline
- 1853Born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Received his earliest art training there under Frank Duveneck.
- 1875Enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich at 22, joining the wave of American artists seeking European training.
- 1878Travelled to Venice at 25 with Duveneck and William Merritt Chase, painting alongside them in the city.
- 1883Studied at the Academie Julian in Paris from age 30 to 32. His palette shifted towards soft grey-green tonalism, producing works such as Arques-la-Bataille and Springtime.
- 1889Began teaching painting at the Art Students League in New York at 36, a position he held until his death.
- 1890Purchased a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut at 37. The property's landscapes, garden and waterfall became his central subjects for the next decade.
- 1898Joined The Ten American Painters at 45, exhibiting alongside Childe Hassam and other American Impressionists who had left the Society of American Artists.
- 1902Died of a brain aneurysm in Gloucester, Massachusetts, at 49. He had spent his final summers there, producing vibrant harbour scenes that anticipated a more modernist direction.
Notable Works
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Where to See John Henry Twachtman
27 museums worldwide.
- 13 works
Cincinnati Art Museum
Eden Park, United States
- 10 works
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Old Patent Office Building, United States
- 5 works
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
- 4 works
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Boston, United States
- 4 works
New Britain Museum of American Art
New Britain, United States
- 4 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who was John Henry Twachtman?
John Henry Twachtman was an American painter born in Cincinnati in 1853. He was a founding member of The Ten, and also founded an informal art school at Cos Cob, Connecticut.What is John Henry Twachtman known for?
John Henry Twachtman is known for his paintings of his farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. He repeatedly painted the waterfall, pool, hemlock trees and snow-covered fields on his property, using compositions influenced by Japanese prints.What was John Henry Twachtman's art style?
His winter paintings are studies in whiteness that sit somewhere between Impressionism and Tonalism, quieter than either label suggests. His compositions were influenced by Japanese prints, with high horizon lines and flattened perspectives that anticipated abstract thinking.When was John Henry Twachtman born?
John Henry Twachtman was born in 1853 in United States. John Henry Twachtman died in 1902, aged 49.How did John Henry Twachtman die?
John Henry Twachtman died in 1902 at the age of 49.