The New York Times: "An unorthodox look . . . photographs, commissioned as artworks . . . focus on striking details."
Weir Farm National Historical Park is Connecticut’s first national park unit and the only one in the United States dedicated to American Impressionist painting. The 60-acre park, which straddles Wilton and Ridgefield, preserves the home and grounds of Julian Alden Weir (1852-1919), one of the founders of American Impressionist painting.
These photographs are a selection from several collections commissioned by the National Park Service. They show the significant contrast between the rarely-seen vacant interiors of his home – stark, rustic and ethereal – and their restoration to the original colorful and wildly eccentric stylings. Close-ups of doorknobs, windows, and other details focus on artful elements that might go unnoticed in their fully furnished setting.
The images afford a closer understanding of Weir’s artistic and personal life. Author Hildegard Cummings described the “haunting images of doors and windows in J. Alden Weir’s summer place as “openings into the soul of the painter.” Dr. Anne E. Dawson, the Art History Chair at Eastern Connecticut State University observed that “Having read so many of Weir’s letters, the images take me even closer to understanding his artistic and personal life. These photographs offer essential research material for anyone interested in the life and art of this preeminent American Impressionist painter.”
The house was built between 1765 and 1781. It became the residence of three successive generations of artists starting with Julian Alden Weir in 1882. Later, Weir’s daughter, Dorothy, and Mahonri Young became residents following their marriage in 1931. Finally, Doris and Sperry Andrews purchased the property in 1958 and maintained its tradition as a site for artistic endeavors.
More information about the history of the house and its restoration is available in the book Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing).
All photographs are available for exhibition and purchase. Contact Xiomaro
Archival snapshots are courtesy of Weir Farm National Historical Park.
Any image or text or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever – including any and all uses in connection with artificial intelligence technology – without my express written permission. Violators will, and have been, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Xiomaro logo by Azul Burger. Photos of Xiomaro by Barbara Cittadino.