Guy Carleton Wiggins: Snowy Cityscapes and Seasonal Landscapes

Everybody knows Guy Carleton Wiggins for his fantastic New York City snow scenes. The roads littered with taxis, cars, and people, frozen in a moment of time as they embark on their long cold trek through the city. The hustle and bustle of the city captured within the canvas of a Wiggins painting show his profound love for New York. The perfect architectural rendition of the beautiful historic buildings that line the streets of New York create a wonderfully dynamic composition. Collectors love these pieces from Wiggins's oeuvre. However, it is his quiet, more intimate pastoral landscapes which truly exemplify his individualized style and artistic abilities.

New York Winter, 1929, Oil on canvas; Previously at MIR Appraisal Services

New York City has inspired numerous artists that have spent their entire lives trying to capture the true essence of the city. Guy Wiggins's paintings of New York City are his best known depictions. In fact, one of these snowy cityscape paintings was purchased for the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, making Wiggins the youngest artist to achieve such a feat. Wiggins knew these were the works that made him a signification artist being well represented in world class collections. He once said, "One cold, blustering, snowy winter day (1912) I was in my New York studio trying to paint a summer landscape. Things wouldn't go right, and I sat idly looking out of a window at nothing. Suddenly I saw what was before me---an elevated railroad track, with a train dashing madly through the whirling blizzard-like snow that made hazy and indistinct the row of buildings on the far side of the street ("Metropolitan Tower, 1912" Metropolitan Museum, NY). Well, when I gave an exhibition a short time afterward . . . the winter canvases were sold before anything else. In a week, so to say, I was established as a painter of city winter scenes, and I found it profitable. Then suddenly I felt a revulsion against them and I stopped. Everyone said I was a fool and was shutting the door upon opportunity, maybe fame. Just the same I couldn't go on with winter stuff and that was all there was to it."

A New York City depiction by Wiggins is most likely going to be a winter scene. However, his landscape paintings evoke a sense of spontaneity as he experimented with colors and seasonal representations. His landscape impressions feel more personal and unique to Guy than his cityscapes, illustrating his version of impressionistic lighting and brushstrokes. His landscapes capture very good atmospheric affect through this style, and his choice of colors for these works exemplifies a seasonal distinction, making these works very dynamic, while his cityscapes are more tonal and subdued.

Bermuda Days, 1921, Oil on canvas; Previously at MIR Appraisal Services

Guy Wiggins used Old Lyme Connecticut as his muse for his landscapes. There was a strong artist colony in Old Lyme while he lived there, and Wiggins was able to learn and enhance his skills from the creative spirit and support of this historic art colony. The Old Lyme community consisted of well known artists such as Chile Hassam. Guy grew up in this area and held it very close to his heart. His father was a well known artist in Old Lyme, and later his son became one. The beautiful scenery in the area made it perfect for Guy to experiment with nature and organic forms. The artificial colors that the city would produce were never seen in Old Lyme. He was able to greatly expand his color palette and experiment with his style while working in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Seaside Sheep Pastures, Oil on canvas (From the Fox Chase Collection)

Guy Carleton Wiggins will forever be known for his snowy New York City scenes. To this day, Cartier uses these scenes for their Christmas cards, and these works are displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These works deserve everything that they have achieved. However, they should never overshadow his landscapes. Even though they convey a different mood and subject matter, they are equally impressive. Hopefully in the future his landscapes will be held in the same regard as his cityscapes. Only time will tell. MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has been fortunate enough to have researched and appraised various works by Guy Wiggins among other art collections. Consider our services for your art-related concerns.

Works cited:

http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/biography.aspx?searchtype=BIO&artist=24024

http://www.rehsgalleries.com/guy_c_wiggins_the_new_york_scene.html

http://www.borghi.org/american/wiggins.html
http://www.flogris.org/learning/foxchase/html/carleton_wiggins.php

Researched and written by Robert Snell

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510
Web: www.mirappraisal.com

Artist Profile: From Norway to Chicago, Svend Svendsen's take on the American Landscape

Svend Rasmussen Svendsen was a master artist in capturing elements in nature which would coexist perfectly with one another. The term seeing through the eyes of an artist is a statement that perfectly describes ones thoughts while looking at a painting by Svend Svendsen.

Born in Norway in 1864, Svendsen studied with the very prominent Norwegian artists Fritz Thaulow and Edward Ertz. Together they were able to incorporate a style which were influenced by the Barbizon school and French Impressionist, but were also unique to their Nordic background. Svendsen's approach to painting was more luminescent than the Barbizon school, while being more naturalistic than the Impressionists. While studying with Ertz, Svendsen painted this summer landscape, recently at auction, titled "The Stone Bridge," atypical to his common nocturnal snow scenes:

Svendsen emigrated to Chicago at the age of 17 in 1894. In Chicago, Svendsen was instantly recognized as a talented artist. Between 1895 and 1920, Svendsen frequently exhibited works at the Art Institute of Chicago. Svendsens incredible talent was highlighted when his painting won the Art Institutes Fortnightly prize, which was an annual award given to the best work by a young artist. He would go on to win prizes at the Nashville exposition of 1897 and St. Louis exposition of 1904. He also held one man exhibitions at some of Chicago's most prestigious galleries. These successful exhibitions laid the foundation to Svendsen's distinguished career.

Svendsen's beautiful landscapes are what sets him apart from other artists. He had the incredible ability to capture the pure essence of the natural world with his plein air style. While the elements of his paintings are rendered very realistically, he would often use light to romanticize the landscape. Whether is was the suns rays illuminating his landscapes with a complex array of colors and reflections. Or one of his calm and tranquil pastoral landscapes set in a idealized setting, the dimly lit cabin in the woods exhibiting nature and human beings coexisting perfectly.

Svendsen was also a master at leading your eye on a journey through his works. Like a maestro to his symphony, Svendsen directs you through a work in the way he perceives it. Sometimes it would be a winding stream journeying you through an entire work, capturing every little detail along the way. Or a straight path, leading you through a peaceful collection of cottages blending in with their surroundings. Svendsen understood the importance of creating these moods in his works.

Today, Svendsen's works are displayed throughout the country in institutions such as the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian. Svendsen's works are mostly concentrated in the Midwest, particularly in Chicago, often times coming up at auction or sold in galleries. Additionally, MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has researched and appraised several Svendsen works over the years and has facilitated the sale of such pieces in the past. The affordability of his work opens up his appeal to a wide range of collectors. No matter if you are a novice collector or seasoned veteran, a Svend Svendsen painting would look great on any wall.

Researched and written by Robert Snell

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510

Works cited:
Askart.com Svend Svendsen http://www.askart.com/askart/s/svend_rasmussen_svendsen/svend_rasmussen_svendsen.aspx
http://finearts.luther.edu/ artists/svendsen.html