Fine art shows - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Blue Boat on the Ste Anne,” 1958, by Ogden M. Pleissner (American, 1905–1983), watercolor on paper, 17 1/4 x 27 1/2 in., Collection of Shelburne Museum, gift of Marion W. G. Pleissner. 1986-98.1.

The Gibbes Museum is celebrating two talented American artists of the 20th century with two exhibitions.

From the museum:

“Lying in Wait: Sporting Art by Ogden M. Pleissner” presents 48 watercolor scenes of hunting, fishing, and landscape that Pleissner painted from Wyoming to Maine to South Carolina’s Lowcountry between the late 1920s and 1983. This master is revered for his luminous evocations of fleeting time — the tug on a fishing line or the pregnant pause as a hunter sets his sights.

Fine art shows - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“On the Wind River,” date unknown, by Ogden M. Pleissner, watercolor and gouache on paper, 15 3/8 x 21 5/16 in., Collection of Shelburne Museum, bequest of Ogden M. Pleissner; 1985-31.53. Photography by Andy Duback

Pleissner was a master of the watercolor medium. His paintings are expressive, yet also capture his subjects in wonderful detail. These reflective moments immerse viewers in the beauty of the land and convey the importance of protecting our natural environment.

“Lying in Wait” celebrates Pleissner’s life and work as a noted sporting arts painter. His hunting, fishing, and landscape paintings reflect his deep reverence for wildlife and the natural world.

Fine art shows - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Jungle Lanterns,” 1924, by Anna Heyward Taylor (American), woodblock print on paper, 15 x 11 1/2 in., Gift of the artist; 1953.007.0032

Also on view is a show devoted to Anna Heyward Taylor (1879–1956), a South Carolina native best known for her participation in the Charleston Renaissance of the 1920s. Never exhibited before are the watercolors, batiks, and woodblock prints inspired by her expeditions in British Guiana. Drawn from the Gibbes’s collection, these works are complemented by several loans from the Charleston Museum that provide insights into Taylor’s scientific interests.

Fine art shows - FineArtConnoisseur.com
“Grias Cauliflora,” 1924, by Anna Heyward Taylor, color woodblock print on paper, 10 7/8 x 7 1/2 in., Gift of the artist; 1953.007.0031

Prior to settling in Charleston in 1929, Taylor traveled and studied widely, including trips to Holland in 1903 and England in 1904 as a student of William Merritt Chase. During 1908-1909 Taylor toured Europe with her sister Nell and in 1914 she visited Japan, Korea, and China. Taylor’s travels also took her to the exotic locations of British Guiana in 1916 and 1920, the Virgin Islands in 1926, and Mexico in 1935 and 1936.

This exhibition focuses on Taylor’s visits to British Guiana, as she created a substantial body of work during these trips. Taylor traveled to British Guiana as a staff artist for the scientific expedition led by naturalist William Beebe. There she created sketches and watercolor paintings of jungle foliage and animals. Once back in the United States she created batiks and woodblock prints based on her observations.

Both exhibitions are on view at the Gibbes Museum of Art (Charleston, South Carolina) through May 12, 2019.


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