Docent’s Corner | The Orange Sail
Image credit: Jane Peterson (American, 1876-1965). The Orange Sail, Venice, c. 1907-1910. Gift of Patricia & Welborn Alexander, BRAHM Permanent Collection, 2017.06.03
There are many beautiful paintings in the Alexander Collection but one of my favorites is The Orange Sail, Venice by Jane Peterson. Painted in the Impressionistic style sometime around 1907-1910, it is still vibrant and beautiful more than one hundred years later, especially when displayed against the rich, cerulean blue walls of the Rankin West Gallery at BRAHM. The bold orange color of the sail reflects in the rippling and shimmering water while large, softly colored buildings anchor the space vertically. A boat full of sailors cuts horizontally through the composition, and sunlight floods this picturesque scene, leaving viewers with a warm feeling about this faraway site.
Peterson used gouache (pronounced “gwash”) on paper to create this painting and perhaps completed it “en plein air” while taking art lessons in Venice. This medium is similar to watercolor but is more opaque, can create solid blocks of color, and dries more quickly but like watercolor, can be altered even after drying with the addition of water.
Jane Peterson , born in Illinois in 1876, graduated from art schools in New York but lived in Europe during the years 1907 through 1910 to further her art training . She studied not only in Venice and London but also in Paris and in Madrid where she was heavily influenced by the famous Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla. In Paris she made acquaintances with Gertrude and Leo Stein and attended their gatherings with other artists such as Picasso and Matissee . After Sorollo was commissioned to paint Louis Comfort Tiffany’s portrait in New York , he introduced her to the famous man. She became Tiffany’s good friend and spent time painting at his estate on Long Island and traveled with him on his private railroad car on a painting expedition to the Pacific Northwest.
Always independent and adventurous, Peterson remained single until age 50 and spent much of her time exploring European countries as well as those of Egypt, Algiers, and Turkey. In the States, she also went to many areas of the country. Her early paintings reflect her varied experiences, but after marriage to a New York corporate lawyer and art lover, she began painting her famous still lifes of flowers, inspired by her summer home garden. Until her marriage, she supported herself by teaching watercolor techniques at the Art Students League in New York, teaching in other schools, and by selling her popular oil and watercolor paintings .
During her lifetime, she was recognized for her exceptional talent by critics and patrons alike . She was hailed in 1925 by the New York Times as “one of the foremost painters in New York,” selected in 1938 as the “Most Outstanding Individual of the Year” by the American Historical Society, and was featured in 80 successful one-woman exhibitions during her career . She passed away in 1965 at the age of 89, a truly remarkable woman and a remarkable painter. Please don’t miss the opportunity to view this painting of hers, plus many other significant works at the BRAHM, during this exciting exhibition.
This Docent’s Corner is brought to you by Sandra Perry