Maier Museum of Art

Lynchburg, VA

(804) 947-8136

Bernhard Gutmann

The Maier Museum of Art at Randolph-Macon Woman's College wiil feature more thaan 60 paintings, sketches and prints by American Impressionist painter and former Lynchburg resident Bernhard Gutmann in an exhibit August 21 - Oct. 18, 1998.

A native of Hamburg, Germany, Gutmann arrived in the United States in 1892. Soon after arriving in New Ycrk, he moved to Lynchburg., where he helped found the Lynchburg Art Club, an organization that continues to exist today. In 1895 he became the first supervisor of drawing in the Lynchburg public schools. He also taught for two years at Randolph-Macon Woman's College before moving to New Ycrk in 1899.

After his marriage to Bertha Goodman, Gutmann became financially secure and was able to concentrate solely on his art. He traveled to Europe often, exhibiting his work there and in the United States. In 1913 he settled in Silvermine, Conn., and established the Silvermine Guild of Artists. Gutmann's family retained possession of his works after his death in 1936. As a result, his art languished in obscurity for more than 50 jrears, until his rediscovery in 1988 when four of his paintings were included in the New York exhibition Impressionism and Post-Iinpressionism; Transformations in the Modern American Mode 1885-1945.

Gutmann was hailed as the "American Gauguin" because of his affectionate, tranquil portrayals of his subjects, using rich colors and lavish brushstrokes.

The Maier Museum of Art is located at l Quinlan St., off Norfolk Avenue. The museum is open free of charge Tuesday through Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Guided tours for groups may be arranged in advance. The museum is accessible by wheelchair. Founded in 1891, Randolph-Macon Woman's College is a private, four-year liberal arts and sciences college located in Lynchburg, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As one of the premier women's colleges in the country, Randolph-Macon Woman's College prepares women to lead successfully in the global society of the next century.

Top to bottom: Lady in Pink, n.d., oil on canvas, 28 x 28 inches, The Artist's Home, Silvermine, n.d., oil on canvas, 23 x 25 inches; Mother and Child, n.d., oil on canvas, 31.75 x 23.75 inches, private collection, Los Angeles; Bernhard Gutmann, n.d. photograph; Washerwomen, Pont-Aven, n.d., 23.125 x 28.25 inches; Wedding Portrait of Bertha, 1907, watercolor on paper, 19.5 x 14.5 inches; The Artist with Guitar, n.d., photograph; Woman Knitting, Monhegan, n.d., oil on panel, 10 x 8 inches; Sunlit Terrace, Pulma, n.d., watercolor on gray paper, 12 x 14 inches; The Sewing Girl, oil on canvas, 21 x 18.125 inches, private collection, Los Angeles; Self Portrait, n.d., pencil on paper, 7 x 6 inches. All images of art works courtesy of Beacon Hill Fine Art, New York, NY, (212) 734-3636, except as noted above. Photos of the artist are not included in the museum exhibition and are courtesy of Beacon Hill Fine Art.

Editor's note: RL readers may also enjoy this book:

• Bernhard Gutmann: An American Impressionist, By Percy North / Introduction by William H. Gerdts, Published 1996, ISBN: 978-1-55859-611-5. (online book excerpt from Abbeville Press) (right: catalogue front cover courtesy Abbeville Press)

rev. 11/21/07

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