Seeking refuge in the Old World – American artists in Florence

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Katie Campbell is charmed and frustrated by a new show in Florence, Italy

‘Americans in Florence: Sargent and the American Impressionists’ is the latest exhibition at the Strozzi Palace in Florence and given its joyful, accessible subject it is bound to be a hit with the tourists.  Aside from some caveats, which I will discuss below, this exhibition is often as delightful as its title suggests.  The catalogue contains many sepia photos, which bring the characters to life.  The reproductions are superb, and the notes contain scholarly references to allow the reader to pursue private study. The interrelationships between the expatriate literary and artistic communities are explored, and an essay on the Allori cemetery – final abode of many Americans, charts the development of the city as well as the evolving expatriate community.  Another essay focuses on Henry James, whose portraits, sketches, essays and novels provide a literary counterpart to the impressionism of Sargent and his cohort.

In their respective media, James and Sargent represented a growing dissatisfaction with what they saw as the shallowness of American culture, whose utilitarian, Calvinist ideals led to a vulgar accumulation of wealth and a shunning of the arts.  Retreating from the social unrest, political turmoil and large-scale industrialization of late-19th-century America, they, like many other sensitive souls, sought refuge in the old world. Florence, with its links to the Renaissance, its picturesque setting and its clear, golden light was a favourite destination – particularly after the horrors of the Civil War had torn society apart and provoked questions of identity and allegiance.  Artists, conscious of their lack of traditions, flocked to pit themselves against the old masters. While studying the great works they also made use of the easy availability of nude models and the plethora of talented craftsmen who knew how to stretch canvasses, mix paint, carve marble and cast bronze.  Those who were seduced by the values of the city were able to remain because of the costs: cheap labour, accommodation and goods meant that even struggling artists could live in relative luxury.

Given the range of painters represented, the exhibition provides some clever and instructive juxtapositions.  One of the highlights of the show is Childe Hassam’s Santa Trinita Bridge. Hassam’s loose, vibrant brush strokes perfectly capture the cold, watery atmosphere of the scene on a winter morning.  This is in striking contrast with the conventional, beaux arts study of the same scene by Frank Duveneck that hangs beside it. Duveneck never quite relinquished the academic tradition and his luminous, golden study, filled with shadows, reflections and narrative detail, feels more like an old master etching than the work of a trendy youth. 

Among the paintings on display certain themes recur: from Mary Cassatt and Celia Beaux, to Edmund Charles Tarbell and Joseph de Camp, many artists were drawn to the image of the lady in white.  Referencing Whistler’s ‘symphony’ portraits , these depictions of bland, white draped, young women hovering against  indistinct backgrounds suggest the potential, the innocence and the unformed quality of American culture.  Also popular was the monotone three-quarter length portrait, perfected by Sargent, which recalls the work of 17th-century court artist Anthony van Dyck, who painted the first generation of aristocratic Grand Tourists. 

While the Tuscan countryside might be thought to have been a draw, judging by the work on display it appealed more to local artists, perhaps because it evoked a lifestyle unfamiliar to the foreigners.  The private garden, however, was a much-loved subject, its high enclosing walls suggest a safe, almost sacred space protected from the vague threats of the world beyond – a fitting metaphor for the role of Florence in the lives of these expatriate American impressionists.

Notwithstanding all this, for those looking for a little more than eye candy, the exhibition and catalogue can be a frustrating experience.  To begin with, many of the paintings are not by Americans; many that are, are not of Florence – or indeed of Italy at all, and at least one of the reproductions in the catalogue does not actually appear in the exhibition. 

Many of the essays in the catalogue have little to do with the exhibition, while an essay on the interaction between American and Italian artists, or the effect of the Florentine setting on the evolution of American art, or the American Impressionist movement in general – or indeed anything directly exploring the subject of the exhibition, is conspicuously absent.  The notes on art works are hidden in the back rather than conveniently placed beside the reproductions and the notes themselves often either contradict or repeat the essays.  Minor errors, such as titling Claire Clairmont ‘Lady’, and describing her as Lord Byron’s daughter rather than his lover, undermine the reader’s confidence.  And the alphabetical listing is at best quixotic: Frank Duveneck follows Thomas Dewing as one would expect; Elizabeth Boott Duveneck, however, comes after Giovanni Boldini. Perhaps she used her maiden name in life, but for those who don’t know the personal histories it can take a lot of searching around to access basic information. 

The catalogue forAmericans in Florence: Sargent and the American Impressionists, edited by Francesca Bardazzi and Carlo Sissi, is published in English by Marsilio, 2012. 288 pp., 180 colour and mono illus. ISBN 978-88-1038-1