Upcoming Art Auction > Only rarely does an extraordinary Orientalist watercolor appear on the market, and now that time has come. Painted in 1873 by the Englishman John Frederick Lewis, “A Reception in the Harem” has been in a private U.S. collection since 1961, when the current owner bought it from a London dealer. It has never been seen publicly since, and can now be visited by appointment at Bonhams London, which will offer it at auction on March 26, 2025.

JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS’S “A RECEPTION IN THE HAREM”
Bonhams, London
bonhams.com

In her catalogue essay, scholar Emily Weeks says this is a larger version of Lewis’s oil painting now at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut. Lewis was a master in both oil and watercolor, renowned then and now for jewel-like color and intricate detail. Weeks adds that Lewis “perfected an idiosyncratic approach to watercolor that could rival oil painting in the intensity of its hues (achieved through mixing watercolor pigments with Chinese white)” and in its precise brushstrokes, making it appear as “finished” and laboriously executed as an oil. Blessed with such talents, Lewis “systematically produced two nearly identical versions” of every major scene, one in each medium.

Britons’ fascination with the daily lives of fashionable women in Middle Eastern harems grew from the 18th century onward. The reclining figure on the blue divan at the scene’s center is Lewis’s wife, Marian, and her ornate surroundings were inspired by the reception room of their Cairo home. The Lewises lived in the Egyptian capital for 10 years, and in 1846, no less a tourist than the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray envied Lewis’s “dreamy, hazy, lazy, tobaccofied life” there.

Before it came to America in 1961, this watercolor was owned by a series of well-known connoisseurs and ogled at well-attended exhibitions in 1878, 1887, 1891, and 1898. Because it may go right back into a private collection on March 26, art lovers visiting London this winter are strongly encouraged to go see it at Bonhams.

Attention Art Collectors!
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have studio and plein air works on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.

View artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

J. M. W. Turner paintings on view > Celebrate the 250th anniversary of James Mallord William Turner’s birth by seeing twelve of his watercolors from the Taft Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Art Museum. On view at the Taft Museum of Art through June 15, 2025, “J. M. W. Turner: Watercolor Horizons” is the first exhibition to bring together the entirety of the two museums’ luminous works by Turner in this medium.

More from the Museum:

Considered one of Britain’s greatest landscape painters, Turner (English, 1775–1851) was a master of the art of watercolor. A prolific artist and intrepid traveler, he was especially drawn to mountains, alpine lakes, glaciers, river valleys, and the sea, as well as the human presence within these dramatic settings. Watercolor Horizons features views of Switzerland, Germany, France, England, Scotland, and Italy. The exhibition explores Turner’s skill with a brush on paper through these remarkable landscapes, examples of his innovative techniques, and painting tools from the era on loan from local collections.

“’J. M. W. Turner: Watercolor Horizons’ is a rare opportunity to see these treasures up close and in person,” said the exhibition’s curator Tamera Lenz Muente. “Each is filled with exquisite color and mind-blowing details that you can examine with magnifying glasses we’ll have in the gallery. Paired with a tea from the café or a family program, the Turner birthday experience at the Taft is one not to miss.”

For tickets to see these J. M. W. Turner paintings, visit taftmuseum.org/Turner250.

Attention Art Collectors!
May 20-22, 2025: Visit the Plein Air Convention & Expo’s robust pop-up art gallery at the Nugget Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada, where hundreds of artists, including our master faculty, will have studio and plein air works on display and ready to purchase. Register for the full event at PleinAirConvention.com now.

View more art museum announcements here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

How did you develop your unique style?
Poppy Balser: It was when I began with watercolours that I started to make progress with my paintings. I started painting outside shortly after that. Having to work quickly at a pace to keep up with the changing light of the sun helped me develop what has become my way of painting. I was not consciously seeking a “style” I was simply painting things I like to look at: water, boats, the seashore of the Bay of Fundy. Over years and lots of practice I found what worked for me to make pictures that I like to look at. I have been blessed that viewers like what they see too.

What is the most interesting thing you have painted and why?
Poppy Balser: I did a number of paintings of herring weirs. These are fishing structures that once dotted the shores of the Bay of Fundy, made of tall poles strung with netting. As the tide rises and falls, the nets strung from pole to pole are a fascinating visual subject. Weirs have almost entirely disappeared now so I paint them to document an important part of the local history of where I am from.

To see more of Poppy’s work, visit:
Website 

Watercolors on View:
“Timothy J. Clark: Here & Abroad”
Hilbert Museum of California Art
Orange, California
chapman.edu/arts
Through April 17, 2025

Best known for his sparkling watercolors, Timothy J. Clark is the subject of a solo exhibition at Chapman University’s Hilbert Museum of California Art. Titled “Here & Abroad,” it highlights his interiors, urban landscapes, and portraits, created near home and around the world. The project has been co-curated by Hilbert director Mary Platt and independent scholar Marcus B. Burke.

Clark’s is a California success story. Born in Santa Ana and now based 30 miles away in Capistrano Beach, he was hooked on art from his first class. He found teachers who helped him look at art from traditional and modernist perspectives: at 18, he entered Los Angeles’s Art Center College of Design, and later the Chouinard Art Institute shortly before it merged into what is now CalArts. Clark capped his education with an M.F.A. at California State University, Long Beach.

At age 13, working as a delivery boy for a pharmacy, Clark delivered prescriptions by bicycle to culturally diverse neighborhoods — and he loved it. His forays into the barrios have endured, and his respect for Hispanic culture (plus his reasonable skill in speaking Spanish) have opened doors that enabled him to savor their customs.

In 1970, Clark and his mentor in drawing, Jess Rubio, went to Guaymas, Mexico, to experience the Mardi Gras-type celebration Quema de Malhumor (Burn Your Pet Peeves). They wound up getting arrested on a specious charge, but when they created drawings of every jail guard and the police chief, they were freed. “My ability to focus intently on the drawing grew more in those few hours than in years of training,” Clark recalls.

Clark has brought his brush and easel to many places, including Mexico, South America, the Iberian Peninsula and Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and throughout the U.S. Co-curator Marcus Burke notes, “Prominent in these travels are the Hispanic locations, which have reinforced his experience from childhood… Instead of seeking only the exotic and the picturesque, he seeks to affirm a sense of common cultural values. [He is] a traveler artist in total command of an artistic medium made to travel.”

View more art museum announcements here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

Happening Now: Watercolor Live – Art Auction and Online Conference

For artists, art lovers, and collectors: Watch and interact with world-renowned artists as they demonstrate their skills at Watercolor Live now through Friday. Included is an exclusive faculty art auction (live January 20-26).

On the popular Essential Techniques Day earlier this week, Publisher Eric Rhoads and Editor-in-Chief Kelly Kane welcomed us with encouragement and everything we needed to know to have a great week at Watercolor Live.

Artists from all over the world are together online through January 26th to learn, grow, be inspired, make friends, network, and – dare we say it – have fun!

The silent auction and sale takes place through January 26, 2025. View the artworks here.

Watch and interact with watercolor teachers such as Thomas Schaller, Alvaro Castagnet, Bjorn Bernstrom, Xi Guo, David Stickel, Kelly Eddington, Shelley Prior, and many more, hosted by Publisher Eric Rhoads and PleinAir Magazine and American Watercolor Weekly Editor-in-Chief Kelly Kane.

It’s not too late to join us at WatercolorLive.com now, and replays of the event are available. See you there!

Artists: We want to help you grow, become a better artist, learn new ideas and techniques, and give you some world-class painting instruction from master artists — all while introducing you to a community that will support you!

View more fine art auctions and sales here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

Childs Gallery is pleased to present “Bricks of Boston: Watercolors by Adam Van Doren.” The exhibition marks the artist and author’s fourth solo show with Childs, and the first dedicated solely to paintings of Boston, ‘The City on the Hill.’

More from the art gallery:

Van Doren (American, b.1962) has traversed Boston and beyond capturing images of the area’s storied architecture: historic churches, government buildings, libraries, bridges, and more. A trained architect himself, Van Doren handles his subject matter with a master’s eye, but also that of an artist, sensitively capturing the spirit of some of Boston’s most hallowed grounds.

Though based in New York, Van Doren travels frequently to paint – his finished works often serving as illustrations for books such as In the Founder’s Footsteps: Landmarks of the American Revolution, The House Tells the Story: Homes of the American Presidents, and The Stones of Yale. Always attuned towards eye catching architecture, Van Doren has this time turned his brush specifically to Boston.

The exhibition travels through the city and its surrounding areas – including images of Harvard University and Martha’s Vineyard – to capture the unique character of quintessential New England architecture. As one of the United States’ oldest cities, Boston’s architecture encompasses several different periods, styles, and movements; Van Doren deftly paints many superb examples of these with his trademark expressionist flourish.

“Bricks of Boston: Watercolors by Adam Van Doren” is on view in the Childs upstairs gallery through February 9, 2025. For more details, please visit childsgallery.com.

View more fine art gallery exhibitions here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

For two decades, watercolor artist Ali Cavanaugh (b. 1973) has created a significant body of work that features portraits of her children and friends. “Quiet Tide,” an exhibition highlighting this work, is currently at the Sam and Adele Golden Gallery (SAGG) in New Berlin, NY. The event is free and open to the public.

More from the organizers:

Cavanaugh’s solo exhibition at The SAGG features works created over the past 18 years. Using a palette with as few as six colors, Cavanaugh creates a range of expressive conditions for each of her subjects.

Her portraits capture more than the delicate features of people, but also the tender, unseen details that exceed understanding. The layering techniques demonstrated in her work breathe life into her subjects and create a deep and luminous aura that captivates viewers.

Originally trained as an oil painter, Cavanaugh’s first watercolor was created for a trade for some carpentry renovation on the family house. Having some leftover watercolor paper from the project, she produced several experimental watercolor paintings. In a 2006 exhibition in Austin, TX, of her oil paintings, those three watercolors were included and created considerable interest. Given the strength of the interest, Cavanaugh embraced the challenge of leaving oil painting behind and spent months exploring watercolor and in a short time, she found a renewed artistic voice. Since that time, Cavanaugh has exhibited her watercolors in dozens of solo and group exhibitions and has developed a program of mentoring other artists.

GOLDEN Co-Founder and CEO, Mark Golden shared, “It is with great joy that we showcase Ali’s artwork in our gallery. We began our journey with her over a year ago and so opening our gallery doors to her is an incredible celebration.”

Additional information about “Quiet Tide” and Cavanaugh’s journey with Golden Artist Colors is available on the Sam & Adele Golden website.

Catherine Hillis: Busy Day At DCA: The interior of Reagan National Airport by Catherine Hillis, was the 3rd place winner overall in the December 2023 PleinAir Salon. Hillis is fascinated by the interplay of light and reflections and the beauty in an everyday scene that is often ignored.

Conversations In An Irish Bar: This painting will be featured in the “Interiors Exhibition” at Calloway Fine Art in Washington, DC from June 22 – July 20, 2024. Exploring light and reflections along with an excellent story all make for this rich watercolor painting.

Morning Hustle: This interior of National Airport in Washington, DC, was the Best Building winner in the November 2023 PleinAir Salon. The magnificent architecture and the play of light and reflections present rich subject matter for this artist.

To see more of Catherine’s work, visit:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Calloway Fine Art
Watercolors.org

The Frist Art Museum presents “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature,” the first exhibition to tell the broader life story of the beloved English author and illustrator. Organized by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum—home to the world’s largest collection of Potter’s artworks—the exhibition will be on view through September 17, 2023.

In the classic children’s storybook The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne & Co., along with a further 22 children’s books that comprise the Complete Collection, Potter imagined an enchanting world of animals and gardens. She became one of the most successful author-illustrators of the 20th century and also defied expectations for women of her time by engaging in scientific studies, farming, and land conservation.

Presented in a playful and colorful family-friendly installation, “Drawn to Nature” features rarely seen objects, including personal letters, photographs, books, diaries, decorative arts, sketches, and watercolors that explore the inspirations behind Potter’s stories and characters. The engaging in-gallery interpretation text includes special labels designed for children. Two cozy carpeted areas in the galleries—one with oversized flowerpots and another with giant spools of thread for seats—invite guests to read Potter’s stories surrounded by her drawings and watercolors.

The presentation at the Frist is complemented by experiential learning activities in the Martin ArtQuest® Gallery, including writing illustrated letters, drawing objects found in gardens, playing in a puppet theater, and creating animations with flora and fauna.

Based on scholarship about Potter’s life and work, the exhibition reveals that her books emerged from her passion for nature and were just one of her major legacies. “From storyteller to natural scientist and conservationist, Beatrix Potter lived a truly remarkable and multifaceted life,” says Frist Art Museum senior curator Trinita Kennedy. “Through interactive features, video, and engaging prompts in every gallery, this exhibition invites guests of all ages to explore the full breadth of Potter’s work and life.”

Born in 1866, Helen Beatrix Potter lived in the same London townhouse until she was 47 years old. She and her younger brother kept dozens of pets, including rabbits named Benjamin and Peter, bats, birds, lizards, mice, snakes, a dog named Spot, and a hedgehog named Mrs. Tiggy, which would inspire Potter’s art and storytelling. “Potter was educated at home by governesses and was encouraged to draw, paint, and study natural history through books, museum visits, and direct observation,” writes Kennedy. “She collected fossils, insects, plants, and rocks, and used a microscope to make hundreds of detailed drawings of her specimens. Around the age of twenty, Potter developed a special interest in mycology, the study of fungi. She might have pursued a career as a professional scientist, had more pathways been open to women in the 19th century.”

Before her literary career began, Potter created and sold greeting cards, the first of which featured her own pet rabbit, Benjamin. She was also in the practice of writing entertaining letters to children that were embellished with drawings, and in her mid-thirties, she turned some of her letters into books. By the time she found a suitable publisher for her stories, Frederick Warne & Co. (today an imprint of Penguin Random House), in 1902, Potter had enough ideas that she released approximately two books a year until 1913. “She took great interest in all aspects of the design of her books, including the cover art, typefaces, end pages, and format,” writes Kennedy. “She was even particular about their size. Always attuned to her audience, she wanted small books for little hands.”

The Tale of Peter Rabbit has never been out of print since it was first published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1902 and has sold more than 46 million copies globally. Today, more than two million of her “little books” are sold every year, while Peter Rabbit has appeared on books and merchandise in more than 110 countries.

Using royalties from her first books, she purchased the thirty-four-acre Hill Top Farm in the Lake District of northern England in 1905. The property includes a 17th-century house, an orchard, and a garden Potter nurtured. The Lake District serves as the setting for The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, The Tale of Tom Kitten, and The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle. Peter Rabbit is a recurring character in some of her animal fables.

As part of her efforts to preserve the natural beauty and agricultural way of life in the Lake District, Potter acquired more property there. Between 1913 and 1930, she published only four books and turned her attention to rural pursuits. When she died at age 77 in 1943, she left Britain’s National Trust over four thousand acres and fourteen working farms—the largest bequest the charity had ever received. Today, her farms remain in operation, and Herdwick sheep, an ancient breed she helped to thrive, still graze in the hills and valleys of the Lake District.

“We hope this exhibition will inspire natural scientists, conservationists, and farmers as well as artists and storytellers,” says Annemarie Bilclough, Frederick Warne Curator of Illustration at the V&A. “Potter’s story shows that through talent, passion, and perseverance, life can take unexpected twists and turns and great things can grow from inconsequential beginnings.”

View more art museum announcements here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.

Worcester Art Museum
Worcester, Massachusetts
worcesterart.org
Through September 10, 2023

The Worcester Art Museum is home to one of America’s best collections of watercolors, yet their sensitivity to light means that many of the finest examples have not been exhibited since the 1980s. Now the museum has organized “Watercolors Unboxed,” its first show on this subject in more than a decade.

Curator Nancy Kathryn Burns has selected 40 works dating from the 1870s through the 1950s, encompassing American talents like Hassam, Kent, Sargent, and Wyeth, as well as such European counterparts as Modigliani, Kokoschka, and Nolde.

Together their watercolors trace how this medium was used to document the artists’ travels, often while working outdoors, and also how it leaves little room for mistakes, as the colors can easily get muddy or the paper soggy. Illustrated here is Winslow Homer’s “Old Friends,” a brilliant example of how he made adjustments as he worked, sometimes even scraping the paper to create spatial depth.

The museum is also debuting examples of its watercolors from the San Ildefonso School, a collective of Native American modernists who worked in the Southwest during the first half of the 20th century.

In addition, a selection of watercolors created by locals who have studied art at the museum will be displayed in a community gallery just outside the exhibition entrance.

View more art museum announcements here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.