Antiques and the Arts Weekly
"Shore Paintings at Palm Beach Gallery"
Published by The Bee Publishing Co, Inc., Newton, Connecticut
January 24, 1997

PALM BEACH, FL --- Clarke Galleries is presenting an exhibit of beach, harbor and coastal scenes painted by a notable group of American Nineteenth and Twentieth Century artists through February 2.

The unique coasts of England, New England and Long Island, plus seasides of the Caribbean and Mediterranean beaches, will be represented by 33 American artists.

Grier Clarke, owner of Clarke Galleries, chose paintings for this show in a variety of media and styles by the artists, some of whom, such as Irving Ramsey Wiles (1861-1948), are better known for other genres such as portraiture.

Wiles' "The Harbor, Liverpool, N.S." is a luminous impressionistic oil of the bouldered Nova Scotia harborside and distant sailboats rocking in the white-caped water fluidly painted directly on canvas and illuminating colors brightly against the dark far shore. Coincidentally, Wiles sailed and collected model ships for recreation.

Conversely, Edward Henry Potthast (1857-1927) is best known for his sun-drenched beach scenes, such as "By The Water" in which he combines vigorous brushwork with an impressionist luminescence to depict two women caring for their children, some of whom are splashing and swimming in the distance.

John Whorf (1903-1959), considered by some to be one of the best Twentieth Century American watercolorists, believed the medium was better suited than oils to capturing the subtle blend of natural colors and the elusive play of shadow and light. These qualities are captured in his "The Trade Winds, Barbados," an expertly rendered study of tropical sky, water, and palm shadowed beach.

Jane Peterson (1876-1965), aware of the impressionist and post-impressionist movements of the day, painted her "Tropical Beach Scene," a watercolor dominated by impressionistic palms in the foreground and bathers watching sailboats. By the 1920s, Peterson reached the height of her fame, and in 1938, she was named the "most outstanding individual of the year" by the American Historical Society for her artistic achievement Ñ only the second woman in the history of the society to be honored.

Artists represented in this show include Edmund M. Ashe, William P. Burpee, Alfred T. Bricher, Kathryn E. Cherry, Edward Christiana, Bernard Corey, Thomas R. Curtin, Carl S. Cutler, Cornelia Earle, Walter Farndon, Meda Gilchrist and Harry Hoffman, among others.