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8 - THE GALLERY April 27, 2012 — Antiques and The Arts Weekly
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), “A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing,” before 1880, oil on panel, 5 3 /8 by 13 3 /8 inches; signed on
verso: “Vedder.”
‘Myth And Reality: Elihu Vedder
And American Painters In Italy’
NEW YORK CITY — An exciting new
exhibition will open Thursday, May 10, at
Questroyal Fine Art, 903 Park Avenue,
Suites 3A and 3B. “Myth and Reality:
Elihu Vedder and American Painters in
Italy” will feature more than 25 works by
American artist Elihu Vedder
(1836–1923). The majority of the pieces in
the exhibition will be on loan from the
personal collection of Simon Parkes, a
renowned painting restorer and conservator
in New York City, who has passionately
collected Vedder and related artists for
many years.
Best known as the illustrator of the 1884
English translation of The Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam, Vedder spent most of his
life abroad and eventually made Italy his
permanent home, dividing his time
between Rome and the island of Capri. He
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923), “St George and the Dragon,” 1866, oil on canvas, 7 9 /16
by 9 5 /8 inches; dated and signed on verso: “Paris Feb. 1866 / Elihu Vedder.”
brought a mystical sensibility to much of
his art. Vedder’s paintings will be on view
alongside works by his contemporaries —
including Robert Scott Duncanson,
Charles Caryl Coleman, William Stanley
Haseltine, George Inness, Walter Launt
Palmer and John Henry Twachtman — all
of whom were similarly inspired during
travel to the country.
Vedder was greatly influenced by an Italian
group of artists known as the Macchiaioli,
whom he associated with while
studying in Florence in the late 1850s.
Vedder, with the Macchiaioli artists,
rebelled against the academic Beaux Arts
style being taught at the time in favor of
plein air painting.
In the 1860s, the artist frequented Pfaff’s
Coffee Shop in New York City where he
met bohemian writers and poets, and his
art began to be influenced by literature.
The 1884 publication of The Rubaiyat was
the culmination of Vedder’s fusion of fantastical
stories with his artwork. His works
can now be found in the permanent collections
of the Brooklyn Museum; the Metropolitan
Museum of Art; the Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston; and the Smithsonian
American Art Museum.
Vedder’s narrative and imaginative compositions
distinguish him from his many
talented contemporaries. For example, “A
Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing,”
painted before 1880, depicts two mice,
both of whom have died after nibbling the
leather-bound book behind them; the title
On View May 10–May 31 At Questroyal Fine Art
William Stanley Haseltine (1835–1900), “Coast of Sori,” 1893, oil on canvas, 25 3 /16 by 45 5 /16 inches; signed and dated lower
right: “W.S. Haseltine ’93.”
Elihu Vedder (1836–1923) “Campagna
Romana,” circa 1870, oil on canvas,
11 7 /8 by 6 11 /16 inches (sight size); signed
lower right: “Vedder.”
reveals the cause of their tragic fate. Representative
of his unique vision, values and
aesthetic pursuits, Vedder kept this study,
an ironic moral tale of his own creation, in
his studio for the remainder of his life.
The artist’s imagination similarly dominates
in other works such as “St George
and the Dragon,” 1866. In this highly
romanticized scene, Vedder portrayed St
George as a literal knight in shining armor,
swooping in on a Pegasus to slay a slithering
dragon ready to devour the princess.
Painted just one year after Vedder settled in
Italy, “St George and the Dragon” reveals
his fixation on the religious and superstitious
aspects of Italian culture.
Despite these fantastical and mythical
compositions — which foreshadow the
works he would create for The Rubaiyat —
Vedder was also significantly inspired by
the everyday beauty of the Italian landscape.
“Campagna Romana,” circa 1870,
shows a vista down a winding path, leading
into the Roman countryside, with other
classic touches of Italian scenery such as
the edge of a villa wall, cypress and umbrella
trees and ruins at the foot of the mountains.
As with the realm of the unreal, Vedder’s
poetic mind and creative spirit were
equally captured by such picturesque landscapes,
rich in ancient history and tradition.
While Vedder can be considered a visionary
artist, independent of established artistic
schools, he was associated with other
American artists who also ventured to Italy
seeking inspiration in its landscape. One
such contemporary was William Stanley
Haseltine (1835–1900), who, like Vedder,
was drawn to settle in Rome. Haseltine’s
“Coast of Sori,” 1893, reflects his own dramatic
reaction to Italy’s splendor. In this
dynamic composition, the rough sea crashes
against the cliffs where a scraggly tree
grips the ground tightly as it leans over the
steep edge. Diffused sunlight seeping
through the branches offers romantic
warmth, while the medieval tower in the
background, as in many of Vedder’s works,
alludes to the prevalent force of history
within this foreign landscape.
Questroyal is pleased to include in this
project Dr Graham C. Boettcher, the
William Cary Hulsey Curator of American
Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Dr
Boettcher will lend his expertise on the
subject of an essay in the gallery’s accompanying
exhibition catalog, which will be
available by request and is complimentary.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday,
10 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm;
and by appointment. For information or to
request an exhibition catalog, call 212-744-
3586 or visit www.questroyalfineart.com.