Object number2015.22.3
Springside: View of Barn Complex and Gardens
Date1852
Artist
Henry Gritten
(British, 1818-1873)
CultureBritish
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions25 1/2 x 37 in. (64.77 x 93.98 cm)
Credit LineGift of Thomas M. Evans, Jr., in honor of Tania Goss Evans, class of 1959
On View
On viewPeriod19th c
Classification(s)
SignedSigned lower right: H. Gritten
InscribedBy artist, lower right: 1852
ProvenanceMatthew Vassar (1792-1868); Karl Keiling (1865-1939) and Helma Zoellner Keiling (1864-1926); Ella Zoellner (1885-1972), sister; by descent; Christie's, New York, American Furniture and Decorative Arts, January 23, 2009, lot 255. Thomas M. Evans, Jr. Label TextThis view of Springside displays the harmonious relationship between architecture and landscape in Andrew Jackson Downing’s work. Downing incorporated his respect for farming into his design, blending both beauty and functionality in his ferme ornée, or ornamental farm. The ferme ornée married the pleasure garden, farm, and kitchen garden into one, making the farm more tasteful. As shown in the left of the painting, Springside’s kitchen garden follows Downing’s idea of both hiding and integrating it into the more beautiful parts of the property. The kitchen garden is somewhat walled off, concealed within a stone wall and wooden fence. However, it is also situated next to the cottage and made more agreeable by balancing it with the flower garden. Downing’s blend of both curated kitchen and flower gardens with more wild, untouched patches suits his design ethos. His architecture favors the Hudson Valley Bracketed style, characterized by decorative brackets supporting a deep roof overhang, as well as board-and-batten siding and pointed Gothic forms, which pairs with the natural design of the landscape. As Henry Gritten’s paintings show, Downing’s design aligned with nature, creating art that bends to nature, rather than only bending nature to art.
- Pippa Kennedy ’26
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Henry Gritten
1852
Culture: British, American
