The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920

During the only West Coast stop on a national tour, The Huntington’s presentation of “The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920” showcases a hand-picked selection of 17 paintings from the exhibition that originated at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Featured artists include Philip Leslie Hale (1865–1931), Childe Hassam (1859–1935), and John Henry Twachtman (1853–1902). A richly illustrated catalog complements the exhibition.

“The Artist’s Garden” explores the connections between the American Impressionist movement and the emergence of gardening as a middle-class leisure pursuit. It’s a theme ideally suited to The Huntington, where the historic botanical gardens established by Henry and Arabella Huntington surround the art galleries that house the collections.

“This exhibition gets behind the undeniable beauty of impressionistic pictures of gardens and asks questions about the social activity of gardening, the scientific hybridization of plants, and even early environmental conservation,” said James Glisson, the Bradford and Christine Mishler Assistant Curator of American Art at The Huntington, who is organizing the exhibition’s presentation at The Huntington and who contributed an essay to the catalog.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Impressionist artists who had studied en plein air (outdoors, often in the countryside) in France were bringing home lessons to apply in an American context. Paintings in “the Artist’s Garden” show domesticated landscapes set in the suburbs, or even in the middle of the city. Unlike the notion of Manifest Destiny that pervaded the paintings of American landscape artists such as Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), these are domestic pictures about yards, parks, and gardens, often with urban backdrops rather than imposing mountains.

At this time, industrialization had made its mark on the landscape; it also had made its mark on the garden movement. People had more free time for gardening in new suburban backyards, and railroads allowed for day trips to the countryside—giving city dwellers a taste of nature. Scientific innovation was being applied to plants, creating hybrid varieties optimized for color or hardiness. The late 19th century saw an explosion of garden hobbyists who sought out seeds, tools, and fertilizer from horticultural suppliers. These suppliers used new hybridizing techniques to create ever larger and brighter flowers and bigger and more colorful fruits and vegetables.