It is no secret that artists take inspiration from nature. Think of Van Gogh's sunflowers, Monet's waterlilies, O'Keeffe's poppies (and irises...and calla lilies...and morning glories, etc.). So it should be no surprise that in the
Archives of American Art there are many examples of artists enjoying their own gardens and back yards. Muralist and stained glass designer
Violet Oakley shared a home, studio, and garden in Philadelphia with three other artists, Henrietta Cozens, Elizabeth Shippen Green, and Jessie Willcox Smith. They named their residence Cogslea, a compound of their four names (
Cozens,
Oakley,
Green and
Smith). This photograph from the Violet Oakley papers shows that the garden they tended at Cogslea boasted a lovely pergola and fountain.
Speaking of
fountains, here we have Marcel Duchamp with his brothers Jacques and Raymond in Jacques' garden (Marcel is at the far left). Although it might be hard to see the influence of nature on Duchamp's art, he clearly enjoyed a good sit-down in the garden. It is reassuring to see that lawn chair design has not changed much in the past 100 years.
For self-taught artist Fred Smith, the garden was not a place to relax and grill hamburgers, but rather a museum to house his myriad sculptures. His "Concrete Garden" in Phillips, Wisconsin is a series of sculptures of animals and common folk; lumberjacks and immigrant farmers. The concrete sculptures are embellished mosaic-style with glass, mirrors, and other found objects. Lest you tire of pergolas, wicker chairs, and other traditional garden features in your own backyard and are looking for some inspiration, the Concrete Garden is
open to visitors. But if you can't make it out to the Dairy State, you can always peruse more photos from our collections
here.
Bettina Smith, Digital Projects Librarian
Archives of American Art
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