Willard Metcalf
A regular visitor to the Old Lyme Art Colony, Willard Metcalf had initially followed Childe Hassam there in 1903, and he spent time at other artist retreats in New England as well. He studied in France in the 1880s, where he was the first American to paint at Giverny, France, the home of Claude Monet. This video, narrated by Curator Tanya Pohrt, highlights Metcalf’s “The Green Meadow” painting in our American Perspectives Gallery.
Beatrice Cuming
Cuming was born in Brooklyn, studied art in Paris and lived in Tunisia before settling in New London, Connecticut in 1934. Her art flourished here due to the financial support from the federal government’s New Deal art programs. Cuming also taught art classes in New London Public Schools and at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. Several of her paintings feature industrial landscapes from Electric Boat across the Thames River. This video, narrated by our docent Frank, highlights Cuming’s “Saturday Night: New London” painting in our American Perspectives Gallery.
The Allyns
This video, narrated by our docent Frank, highlights the portraits of two very important people to the Museum. The paintings are on view in the hallway leading to our American Perspectives Gallery.
Captain Lyman Allyn (1797–1874), the museum’s namesake, spent his early career at sea, pursuing whales out of the port of New London as a sailor and then a captain. By the time this portrait was painted, he had become an agent managing a fleet of ships, with investments in other areas as well. The artist who painted this portrait, Nahum Ball Onthank, was originally from New London. Largely self-taught, he found success as a portraitist and moved his studio to Boston.
Harriet Upson Allyn (1840–1926) was the founder of the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. The youngest child of Captain Lyman Allyn and Emma Turner Allyn, she was a life-long resident of New London. This painting documents her appearance as a child, at about the age of ten. She wears a coral necklace, a material thought to ward off evil spirits and prevent illness in children. She also holds the children’s book Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation,” which contains a tongue-twister for each letter of the alphabet. The back cover, partially shown in the portrait, depicts the First Church of Lancaster; the first American edition of the book was published in Lancaster, MA in 1830.
Thomas Cole
The next Digital Docent video in our series features a painting that greets you as you enter our American Perspectives Gallery. Some of you may know it well. Take a listen as Curator Tanya Pohrt discusses Thomas Cole’s, Mount Etna from Taormina, Sicily.
Thomas Cole was one of the first American artists to focus on landscape, initiating a groundswell of interest in the genre among painters and patrons. The founder of the so-called Hudson River School, Cole utilized landscape to express lofty themes previously associated only with history painting.
Louis Comfort Tiffany “Come Unto Me” Window
Our “Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London” exhibition is a must-see destination. Did you know that the acquisition of one key object spearheaded the idea for this exhibition? See the exquisite “Come Unto Me” stained-glass window and learn more about it with our docent Frank in this week’s Digital Docent video.
We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the the Museum and to this beautiful exhibit! In the meantime, click here to learn more about Louis Comfort Tiffany and our collection.
Winslow Homer & The Tile Club
Known for his versatility, Winslow Homer produced a large body of paintings, watercolors, prints, even decorative painted tiles such as the one featured in this week’s Digital Docent video. If you’re interested in learning more, listen as Curator Tanya Pohrt talks about Homer and The Tile Club.
Sol LeWitt
Sol LeWitt was a Connecticut native, born in Hartford. Much of his long career was spent in New York City, but after nearly a decade living in Italy, LeWitt returned to the U.S. in the late 1980s and made Chester, Connecticut his primary residence. Learn more about LeWitt with our docent Frank in this week’s Digital Docent video.
Abigail Dolbeare Hinman
This week’s Digital Docent video highlights Daniel Huntington’s historical portrait of Abigail Dolbeare Hinman. This painting is a well-known and well-loved piece in the Lyman Allyn’s collection. It depicts Hinman’s reaction to the attack on the city of New London by Benedict Arnold and the redcoat soldiers. Take a listen, and learn a bit more about the artist and legend behind this portrait.