Willard Leroy Metcalf
American
1858 – 1925
“Poet Laureate of the New England hills.”
Sometimes a work of art speaks to a person, and it is difficult to say why. Other times, spelling out what is appreciated seems to come up short, no matter how descriptive…
“I just like it” will not suffice, unless one has no need of sounding credible. Yet, sometimes it is the truth, and let no amount of persuasion convince us otherwise.
There are several tools at the disposal of the artist, to be used to convey his or her convictions to the viewer.
The use of color and value, for example.
Color: is it a bright or muted palette (primary or earthy)? One color next to another can either sing or scream. Was the artist’s choice of color tasteful?
value: do they choose to paint in high contrasting values for dramatic effect, or do they keep the values closer together to create mood?
How well does the artist know how to draw? Is that important? Please qualify you answer.
Metcalf worked as an illustrator for almost twenty years to support himself. Although his early influences were traditional, he became increasingly more interested in the new Impressionistic movement. This “new movement” ultimately directed his perception of color and light. He moved to Paris and joined the leaders of the Impressionist movement in Giverny, before relocating again to New England.
It wasn’t until Metcalf began to paint the New England countryside that he truly found his own form of expression. He joined a group of 10 like-minded painters, known simply as “The Ten”. This core group of artists defined American Impressionism as we know it.
If you had to guess, what expressions would you say are conveyed through Metcalf’s work in general?
What do you think he was trying to communicate in and through his work? Was he successful?