The Ogunquit Museum of American Art is breaking new ground with its exhibition “Domestic Modernism: Russell Cheney and Mid-Century American Painting.” The project examines the artist Russell Cheney (1881–1945) and his relationship with his partner, the influential literary historian and critic F.O. Matthiessen (1902–1950).
At a Glance:
“Domestic Modernism: Russell Cheney and Mid-Century American Painting”
Ogunquit Museum of American Art
Ogunquit, Maine
ogunquitmuseum.org
through November 17, 2024
Produced in collaboration with Vanderbilt University, it seeks to marshal the term “domestic” to reframe Cheney’s work within the arc of American modernism.
First, this word points to small-scale, figurative artworks that have generally been overlooked by scholars and collectors in favor of the larger, more gestural pronouncements of abstract expressionism.
Second, “domestic” denotes the importance of the specific setting for Cheney’s artistry, the house in Kittery Point, Maine, he shared with Matthiessen.
By placing Cheney in these contexts, the exhibition and its accompanying catalogue are helping to broaden our understanding of 20th-century art.
