Nineteenth Century Houses
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Richards first traveled to Europe in 1855, remaining abroad for a year and spending most of the time in Italy. Like so many artists before him, Richards was overjoyed to be in Florence: “I have not as yet realized that I am in Italy that all the dreams of a boyhood are fulfilled.” Richards carried this small sketchbook on a walking tour in the Apennine mountains in October 1855. The carefully drawn vista shown here of the broad valley through which the Arno river winds reminded Richards, always quick to compare American and European landscape scenery, of the view of the Hudson from the Catskill Mountain House.
Caption
William L. Hawkins (American, 1895–1990). Nineteenth Century Houses, late 20th century. Enamel on masonite, 45 x 60in. (114.3 x 152.4cm) storage: 48 x 60 in. (121.9 x 152.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Armand J. Castellani, 1991.273. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Nineteenth Century Houses
Date
late 20th century
Medium
Enamel on masonite
Classification
Dimensions
45 x 60in. (114.3 x 152.4cm) storage: 48 x 60 in. (121.9 x 152.4 cm)
Signatures
Inscribed: "William L. Hawkins, Born. KY. July 27, 1895"
Credit Line
Gift of Armand J. Castellani
Accession Number
1991.273
Frequent Art Questions
Art of this kind wasn't even collected by major "fine art" museums like this one until the 1930s. The artist, William Hawkins, titled the scene along the bottom. He was barely literate, but he definitely wanted us to know his name and the date he made the painting. He was born in rural Kentucky in 1895 but later lived in Ohio. He used inexpensive materials like paint from a hardware store, and his subject matter often came from photos in magazines, ads, and newspapers, combined with his own memories.
I see you've moved into that corner with work by self-taught artists! I like the way Hawkins always puts his name and other autobiographical information on his frames. His subject matter came from his own life and memories of his childhood in rural Kentucky.
Do you know how old he was when he painted this piece?Well, he was born in 1895 (as we can tell by the frame) but we don't have an exact date for this work. Scholars say he began painting in the 1930s so he was at least middle-aged.
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