American Impressionism at the Lightner Museum

This spring, the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine celebrates the evocative, timeless beauty of late 19th and early 20th century American art with two exhibitions of American Impressionist paintings. American Impressionism: Treasures from the Daywood Collection, features paintings from the acclaimed collection of the Huntington Museum of Art in West Virginia. A companion exhibition, St. Augustine in a New Light: American Impressionism from the Collection of the Lightner Museum is curated from the Lightner’s own collection. The exhibitions will run from April 8, 2021-July 5, 2021.

• American Impressionism: Treasures from the Daywood Collection showcases work from a transitional time in American art when painters abandoned the rigors of academic styles and subjects. Inspired by their European counterparts, they turned to intimate scenes of the cultivated countryside and figure studies of friends and neighbors that reflected the more modern influences of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Robert Henri, George Inness, George Luks, Gari Melchers, John Sloan, John Twachtman, and J. Alden Weir are among the notable artists featured in the exhibition. The exhibition was organized by the Huntington Museum of Art and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.
• St. Augustine in a New Light: American Impressionism from the Collection of the Lightner Museum. In the waning years of the 19th century, St. Augustine became a winter haven for Impressionist painters from artists’ colonies in the north. Attracted by the warm climate and picturesque scenery, the artists found a reliable source of income in the wealthy tourists who wintered at Henry Flagler’s hotels. They applied the shimmering light, warm colors, and expressive brushwork of Impressionism to scenes of St. Augustine’s quaint streets, bustling harbors, and magnificent coastline, presenting the Ancient City and its environs in a bold new light.

International Arts & Artists in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally, through exhibitions, programs and services to artists, arts institutions and the public. Visit ArtsandArtists.org.

The Lightner Museum is dedicated to enriching the lives of visitors through our extraordinary collection, historic building, and dynamic exhibitions and programs. Founded in 1948 by Chicago publisher, collector, and professional hobbyist Otto C. Lightner, the museum offers an unparalleled experience of art, architecture, history, and design.  At the heart of the museum’s offerings are its compelling collections. From lamps by Tiffany and exquisite shells and geological samples from around the world, to porcelain produced at Sèvres and Victorian mechanical musical instruments, the Lightner Museum’s collections are rich, eclectic, and always engaging.  The Lightner is open seven days a week, 363 days a year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 75 King Street St. Augustine, Florida 32084. Visit www.lightnermuseum.org or call 904-824-2874.