Marks of Distinction

In honor of their 20th anniversary the Hood Museum of Art has organized a retrospective of American art achievement from Copley to Bearden.

Marks of Distinction: Two Hundred Years of American Drawings and Watercolors from the Hood Museum of Art. The exhibit draws from the Hood's own collection.

The exhibit runs from March 29 through May 29 at the Hood Museum. A smaller selection will then tour Grand Rapids and New York City.

Title: Two Figures, 1968
Artist: Romare Howard Bearden (American 1911–1988)
Medium: Collage of commercially-prepared, coated, colored paper, prepared photographic paper, and transparent and opaque watercolor on cream wove paper, with additions of graphite and black ink on card, mounted on smooth-surfaced plywood panel
Dimension: 50.8 x 40.8 cm (20 x 16 1/16 inches)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Raphael Bernstein; P.977.179
© Romare Bearden Foundation, Inc. / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: Governor John Wentworth, 1769
Artist: John Singleton Copley (American 1738–1815)
Medium: Pastel on laid paper, mounted on canvas
Dimensions: 59.8 x 45.0 cm (23 1/2 x 17 3/4 inches)
Gift of Mrs. Esther Lowell Abbott, in memory of her husband, Gordon Abbott;
D.977.175
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

John Singleton Copley is a given in any exhibit featuring the finest American artists spanning two centuries.

Copley is considered to be the greatest American painter of the 18th Century. He was self taught and in his twenties was receiving commissions to paint portraits of the Boston glitterati.

His rendition of Governor John Wentworth is a highlight of this exhibit.

It was considered de rigueur for American artists who traveled to London during the turn of the 19th Century to make a pilgrimage to Benjamin West's studio.

West began his career with portraits and moved on to history painting. His talent came to the attention of King George III who appointed West his personal history painter.

West was the first American artist to develop international success and made a point of helping artists who visited him. This included Copley, Allston and Morse and many others.

Benjamin West in buried at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Title: Archangel Gabriel of the Annunciation, 1784
Artist: Benjamin West (American 1738–1820)
Medium: Pen and ink over black chalk with touches of red and blue chalk on laid paper
Dimensions: 44.2 x 30.9 cm (17 1/2 x 12 1/8 inches)
Purchased through the Julia L. Whittier Fund; D.959.104
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: American Buzzard or White Breasted Hawk . Falco Leverianus, c. 1810–20
Artist: John James Audubon, (American, 1785–1851)
Medium: Pastel, graphite, chalk, and white opaque watercolor on wove paper
Dimensions: 53.0 x 43.1 cm (20 7/8 x 16 15/16 inches)
Purchased through the Katharine T. and Merrill G. Beede 1929 Fund and the Mrs. Harvey P. Hood W’18 Fund; D.2003.52
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

The Haitian born Audubon grew up in France. He moved to the US in 1603 to avoid Napoleon's conscription.

His combined love of art and ornithology led to his decision to make a pictorial record of all species of birds native to North America. Birds of America, the culmination of his goal, is widely respected to this day.

Thanks to an invitation from her friend Degas, Mary Cassatt exhibited with the Impressionist Group for four of their eight shows. Cassatt's preferred theme was children involved in everyday activities.

Title: Drawing for “Evening,” 1879/80
Artist: Mary Cassatt (American 1844–1926)
Medium: Conte crayon on wove paper
Dimensions: 20.1 x 22.1 cm (7 7/8 x 8 5/8 inches)
Purchased through gifts from the Lathrop Fellows; D.2003.16
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: Maud Reading in Bed, 1883–84
Artist: James McNeill Whistler (American 1834–1903)
Medium: Opaque and transparent watercolor and pen and brown ink over graphite on tan cardboard
Dimensions: 25.1 x 17.8 cm (9 7/8 x 7 inches)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Allen, Jr., Class of 1932; W.971.26
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Flamboyant James McNeill Whistler's personality was antithetical to the discreet artwork he created.

Whistler was an incredible etcher, considered second only to Rubens in this field. It was profitable but his lifestyle often left him short of funds and he'd turn to etching to replenish his bank balance and live in his accustomed style.

Canadian born Maurice Brazil Prendergast lived in Boston and was a member of The Eight.

He usually depicted images of ordinary people enjoying life's simplest of pleasures.

Title: The Harbor from City Point, 1895
Artist: Maurice Brazil Prendergast (American 1859–1924)
Medium: Watercolor over graphite on wove paper
Dimensions: 35.6 x 25.4 cm (14 x 10 inches)
Bequest of Warren Upham, Class of 1916; W.976.136
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: Preliminary Figure Study for “Hell,” Boston Public Library Mural Project, c. 1910
Artist: John Singer Sargent (American 1856–1925)
Medium: Charcoal on laid paper
Dimensions: 47.6 x 62.2 cm (18 3/4 x 24 1/2 inches)
Gift of Miss Emily Sargent and Mrs. Francis Ormond, Sisters of the Artist; D.929.10.5
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Society portraitist John Singer Sargent began a large project creating allegorical murals in the Public Library of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Left is a preliminary drawing for this important commission.

Marguerite Thompson Zorach was a modernist painter. Her career was brief given her decision to produce preliminary drawings for her husband's,  . William Zorach, sculptures.

Title: Sixth Avenue “L,” 1924
Artist: Marguerite Thompson Zorach (American 1887–1968)
Medium: Watercolor and graphite on heavy wove paper
Dimensions: 56.7 x 39.5 cm (22 5/16 x 15 9/16 inches)
Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller; W.935.1.75
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: Double Money Drawing, 1962
Artist: Larry Rivers (American 1923–2002)
Medium: Crayon and graphite on wove paper
Dimensions: 30.6 x 31.4 cm (12 x 12 3/8 inches)
Bequest of Jay R. Wolf, Class of 1951; D.976.194
© Estate of Larry Rivers / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Larry Rivers began his career in the 1940s as a professional jazz saxophonist. He went on to study at the Hans Hoffman School.

He experimented with several artists schools such as Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art and Naturalism.

A pupil of Robert Henri, Stuart Davis was one of the youngest to exhibit at the Armory Show of 1913.

The Armory Show is considered to be the catalyst for the interest in progressive American art.

Title: Statue, Paris, 1928
Artist: Stuart Davis (American 1894–1964)
Medium: Opaque watercolor over graphite on tan wove paper
Dimensions: 37.2 x 39.1 cm (14 5/8 x 15 3/8 inches)
Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller; W.935.1.15
© Estate of Stuart Davis / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: Dying Lotus, c. 1930–32
Artist: Joseph Stella (American 1877–1946)
Medium: Pastel, colored crayon, metal point (probably silverpoint), and possibly graphite over an artist-prepared ground on wove paper
Dimensions: 40.4 x 29.7 cm (15 7/8 x 11 3/4 inches)
Gift of Helen Farr Sloan; D.952.133
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Joseph Stella was the chief American artist to embrace Futurism. Italian born, after emigrating to the USA, he returned to Europe and was influenced by the changing art scene.

Later he favored industrial themes with a series on the Brooklyn Bridge.

In the last two decades of his life he turned to the mystical for inspiration.

Paul Cadmus was meticulous in the creation of his artwork. He would place his American subjects in Old Master poses.

His preferred method was egg tempura.

Given his attention to detail he produced very few paintings. He was, however, a prolific draftsman.

Title: Factory Worker: Francisco, 1933
Artist: Paul Cadmus (American 1904–1999)
Medium: Graphite on newsprint
Dimensions: 32.7 x 25.1 cm (12 7/8 x 9 7/8 inches)
Purchased through gifts by exchange; D.996.18
Courtesy of the Estate of Paul Cadmus and DC Moore Gallery, New York
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: High Bridge, c. 1848
Artist: John William Hill (American 1812–1879)
Watercolor over graphite on wove paper
55.8 x 80.9 cm (21 15/16 x 31 7/8 inches)
Purchased through the Katharine T. and Merrill G. Beede 1929 Fund; W.999.6
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Marks of Distinction includes works from 1769 to 1969.

Nearly 120 works will be on display.

Barbara MacAdam, the exhibit Curator explains, "This exhibition and its accompanying catalogue bring to light some of the Hood's finest works of American Art."

Title: Palms, 1856
Artist: William Trost Richards (American 1833–1905)
Medium: Graphite on wove paper
Dimensions: 18.5 x 18. 3 cm (7 3/8 x 7 1/4 inches)
Purchased through a gift from the estate of Josephine P. Albright; D.997.12
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Title: The Album, 1859
Artist: Eastman Johnson (American 1844–1906)
Medium: Charcoal on wove paper
Dimensions: 33.5 x 38.0 cm (13 1/8 x 15 inches)
Purchased through the Katharine T. and Merrill G. Beede 1929 Fund; D.2003.17
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art

Adding, "Thanks to the generous assistance of the Henry Luce Foundation and many other supporters of the museum, we have been able to give intensive attention to the development, research and publication of the museum's greatest assets, its permanent collection."

The Hood Museum, a nonprofit organization, has been recognized as a 'National Model' for college and university museums by the American Association of Museums.

Title: Trafalgar Square, London, 1900
Artist: Everett Shinn (American 1876–1953)
Medium: Pastel on tan wove paper
Dimensions: 25.1 x 35.5 cm (9 7/8 x 14 inches)
Purchased through the Julia L. Whittier Fund; D.951.48
Image Courtesy: Hood Museum of Art