Hawthorne Fine Art, a champion of historic women artists long before other fine art galleries began shining a spotlight on female artists whose talents went unrecognized during their lifetimes, is presenting an online exhibition and sale of works on paper. “Women artists are finally getting the recognition they deserve through increased scholarship, research and exhibitions,” says Hawthorne Fine Art research associate, Megan Bongiovanni. “People are finally beginning to take notice of their lives and artistic contributions in a large way.”
Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923), Swallows in the Wheat Fields, 1872. Watercolor on paper, 7¾ x 6 in, signed and dated lower right.
On view March 26 through April 30, Unbound: Works on Paper by Historic Women Artists comprises a dozen-plus watercolor, pastel and pencil pieces depicting coastal scenery, wildlife, florals and figurative works. The intimate exhibition showcases the work of 19th-century women artists, many of whom achieved professional success while working in media often dismissed as inferior and for amateurs. Featured artists include Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923), Ellen Robbins (1828-1905), Anna Lea Merritt (1844-1930), Pearl L. (Hill) Worthington (1884-1949), Rhoda Holmes Nicholls (1854-1930), Sarah Fairchild and others.
“These women made huge strides in the male dominated field,” says Bongiovanni. “Despite their successes, they remain little known or overlooked. Fidelia Bridges, most notably, had a prolific career and supported herself through the sale of her work. She collaborated with Louis Prang whose chromolithographs expanded the market for her work and made her a household name at the time. These women are all part of the greater story, and we need to keep talking about them.”
Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923), Blossoming Beach-Plum, 1898. Watercolor on paper, 17 x 291/8 in., signed and dated lower left.
Bridges is represented by several recent acquisitions including the 1872 watercolor Swallows in the Wheat Fields, which depicts the small birds darting amongst straws of wheat. The exhibition also includes two large-scale watercolors by Bridges. The focal point of Blossoming Beach-Plum, 1898, is the soft pink flowers flourishing on the gnarled branches of a beach plum, once a common sight along the coastal shores of New England. The piece was exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1899. To much surprise, the lovely seascape Terns Diving along the Sea Shore was discovered beneath Blossoming Beach-Plum during the restoration process.
Fidelia Bridges (1834-1923), Terns Diving along the Sea Shore. Watercolor on paper, 17 x 291/8 in.
Robbins’ Still-life of Flowers, Fern and Berries highlights the artist’s skills in creating highly detailed renderings of wildflowers and other flora. Like Bridges, Robbins’ works were published as chromolithographs by L. Prang & Co.
Fairchild, an amateur artist, is represented by two wildlife drawings—Loups, 1839, and Daims, 1840. “Executed in Cooperstown, New York, Fairchild may have used French wood engravings as a reference for her drawings,” says Bongiovanni. “While little is known about Fairchild’s life, her work depicting New York’s Union Square, circa 1845, can be found in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
Sarah Fairchild (19th Century), Daims (Deer). Pencil on paper board, 7½ x 9¾ in., signed lower left; titled lower center and inscribed lower right: ‘Cooperstown, 1840’.
Merritt, a painter and printmaker, was born in Philadelphia and later moved to England where she stayed for the rest of her life. Her 1887 etching Eve Overcome by Remorse, was modeled after her oil painting of the same name exhibited at the Royal Academy of London in 1885.
Portrait of a Woman, a pastel by Worthington, depicts a woman in a vibrant field of flowers. The artist attended the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia and was later highly respected for her portrait work. Worthington’s work appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on eight occasions between 1922 and 1925.
Works by Nicholls—whose piece Women Sewing Beside a Window provides insight into the daily life and roles of women at the time—and others will also be on display.
Ellen Robbins (1828-1905), Still-life of Flowers, Fern and Berries. Watercolor on paper, 15½ x 10 in., signed lower center.
“Together, the works illuminate the artistic practice of women artists and how they used paper, an economical, lightweight support, to their advantage,” says Bongiovanni. “From the pencil drawings of an amateur artist studying her craft to large-scale exhibition-worthy works.”
Pearl Hill Worthington (1884-1949), Portrait of a Woman. Pastel on paper, 27½ x 21½ in., signed lower right.
To view Unbound: Works on Paper by Historic Women Artists, visit www.hawthornefineart.com or make an appointment to see the works in person at the gallery’s Manhattan showroom.
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