John Henry Twachtman
"Gardening with a Paintbrush"
It’s the anniversary of the death of the landscape painter John Henry Twachtman who died on this day in 1902.
Twachtman was an impressionist painter known as one of "The Ten," a group of American Impressionists. It was said they were gardening with a paintbrush.
By the middle of the 1880s, American impressionists were returning home from France, where they had learned to paint out-of-doors. At home in America, the gardening movement was well underway. So, when they were looking for things to paint, outside gardens became one of the foremost subjects.
Following in the footsteps of Monet, the painters would gather their things and go out in search of flowers. This period clearly drew the two great arts of painting and horticulture together.
During this period, the painters or their spouses or their families often started gardens of their own. In the case of Twachtman, he lived in Greenwich, Connecticut, and he turned his suburban yard into a place of beauty. Twachtman is known for featuring flowers from his own garden as well as painting his family casually living their life and enjoying the outdoors.
Twachtman's painting called, In the Greenhouse,was exhibited by the National Gallery in 1902.
And here’s a funny story about John Twachtman that was shared in the El Paso Herald in 1902:
A man who had once bought one of his landscape paintings, wanted Twachtman to weigh in on the hanging of the picture. Twachtman expressed his approval of the background, the height at which the canvas was hung, and the light.
He said,
"Indeed, there is only one change to make."
"What is that?" inquired his host, solicitously.
Twachtman replied, "You should hang it the other side up. I always have."