Howard Morgan

A Clapham Garden

Frameless.

Impressionist Landscape" is an exquisitely peaceful late summer scene along the banks of a quiet river. The dappling yellow and green leaves and the spots of blue sky give the perfect impressionistic feel to the scene. Impressionism was a style or movement in painting originating in France in the 1860s, characterized by a concern with depicting the visual impression of the moment, especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and color. Methven captured this impression perfectly. It is as fresh today as when it was painted in 1902 so much so that you can almost hear the rustle of the leaves and see the shifting light. The gold gilt frame is original to the piece. Without the frame the piece measures 20 h x 16 w. It is signed by the artist. Methven was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the 1930's he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he painted with other area Chicago artists and showed at The Art Institute of Chicago. He spent his summers in Benton Harbor, Michigan, along Lake Michigan. He is known for his landscapes and water scenes. Michigan has numerous rivers, creeks and small lakes and Methven would have had a wealth of scenes to draw upon for his numerous oil paintings. He studied under Henry Fenton Spread who taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later founded Spread's Art Academy. In 1902, this academy became the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. Spread was named the first president of the Chicago Society of Artists in 1889. Known primarily as a portraitist, Spread also painted landscape and genre scenes. Although a skilled artist, he did not exhibit widely; his primary legacy being fostering a love of art in Chicago. Fellow artist (and former student of Spread), Ralph Clarkson, the noted Chicago society portrait painter, stated that Spread' s "fine and advice formed the careers of the men who were not only to achieve prominence as artists, but to occupy leading places as art teachers". Harry Wallace Methven...