In Pursuit of the Picturesque: The Art of James Wells Champney

Image: James Wells Champney, Young Woman in Red, ca. 1890, pastel (63.366)

August 31, 2024-February 23, 2025

Through an array of paintings, pastels, photographs, and material culture, In Pursuit of the Picturesque takes a fresh perspective on the New England artist, James Wells Champney (1843-1903) and how he created a romanticized vision of the 19th century. This exhibition explores how Champney drew upon different themes within American art, including sentimental genre scenes, paintings of Colonial Revival motifs, and pastels of idealized female models. While the artist was involved in several New York artistic communities, he also resided in Deerfield and continually returned to this New England setting for its bucolic scenes and landscapes. As he visualized the town and its colonial character, Champney would eventually become known as Deerfield’s resident 19th-century artist.

This exhibition reexamines Champney and his work, particularly his involvement with the picturesque. In the 19th century, audiences gravitated toward a fictionalized vision of old New England, one that emphasized rural and preindustrial settings and offered an escape from the harsh realities of modern life. With subjects evoking the simplicity of a bygone past, Champney helped promote the Colonial Revival movement and a fascination with 18th-century material culture. This exhibition features a variety of Champney’s artwork and associated materials from the collections of Historic Deerfield, surrounding institutions, and private collections, and delves into the aesthetic and cultural reasons behind his picturesque themes. Importantly, Elizabeth Williams Champney is also incorporated into the narrative, a prolific young adult author whose collaborations with her husband have often been overlooked. The exhibition brings together a select group of Champney’s artwork and associated materials from the collections of Historic Deerfield, surrounding institutions, and private collections. This rich assemblage provides a unique opportunity to explore the undercurrents that drove Champney’s artwork and delve into the aesthetic and cultural reasons behind his picturesque themes.