The following is a list of bibliographies pulled from research that I have completed. In the future, I hope to make this available in RDF, JSON or a more descriptive structured data format.
The Hecker Triptych: A Collaboration of Artists and Tastes
Abstract: The Hecker triptych, completed in 1893 to adorn the walls of Col. Frank J. Hecker’s music room, represents a collaboration between artists, collectors, and tastes. It is argued that Col. Hecker’s collecting habits take strong cues from his neighbor, Charles L. Freer which is certainly the case for Spring, Summer and Autumn. Correspondence between the artists and Freer illuminate how ideas of decoration, harmony and composition were primary concerns for Dewing and Tryon. Considering the painters’ interest in decoration, the commission manages to express a shared aesthetic that blends Hecker’s home, Freer’s interest in the visual, Thomas Wilmer Dewing’s ethereal scene, Dwight William Tryon’s landscapes and the frame designs of architect Stanford White.
Abstract: Many scholars in recent history have questioned the validity of studying the regionalists as 'good' paintings worthy of the art historical canon, considering the elements of 'bad' painting that pervade their work. Many of these scholars employ modernist tools to evaluate the art of Grant Wood and the American regionalists, and under this standard their work is sometimes seen as kitsch, simple or false. But to what extent are these objections valid, and what implications do they hold for art criticism?