BMA Presents Exhibition of Luminous Early 20th Century Landscapes

BALTIMORE, MD (January 23, 2019)—From bright watercolors to thickly painted landscapes with bold explorations of color and form, Expressions of Nature: Early 20th-Century Landscapes presents the many ways that European and American artists depicted the world around them during a period of great artistic change. On view March 10 through September 22, 2019, this intimate exhibition includes a selection of luminous paintings and rarely shown watercolors and drawings by William H. Johnson, Gustav Klimt, John Marin, Piet Mondrian, Grace Turnbull, Hale Woodruff, and other artists who made the natural world their own in new and compelling ways.

“Thanks to the generosity of many wonderful collectors and donors, this exhibition of land and seascapes is drawn almost entirely from the BMA’s outstanding collection,” said BMA Senior Curator of European Painting & Sculpture Katy Rothkopf. “Despite the ever-changing weather in Baltimore, visitors will see inspiring and dynamic views of the outside world through the eyes of some of the most important modern artists of the early 20th century.”

Expressions of Nature brings together a wide-ranging group of artists from different backgrounds and generations whose depictions of nature evoke a variety of moods or ideas. Some were drawn to the Impressionists’ fascination with a realistic, yet modern depiction of light and color captured at a particular moment in time. Others were inspired
by the Post-Impressionists’ more structured compositions with geometric forms and bold color. Some examples were produced quickly outside, while others were finished in the studio after much work. Among the exhibition highlights are beautiful seascapes by John Marin, Claude Monet, and Grace Turnbull; bold Expressionist paintings by Ernst Kirchner, William H. Johnson, and Chaim Soutine; sublime landscapes by Gustav Klimt and Hale Woodruff; and an early charcoal drawing by Piet Mondrian. Many of the watercolors included in the exhibition have not been on view at the BMA for more than a decade.

Expressions of Nature: Early 20th-Century Landscapes is curated by BMA Senior Curator of European Painting & Sculpture Katy Rothkop.

About the Baltimore Museum of Art

Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.