Early 20th century. Carl Newman chooses to set the canvas ablaze with pure colors. Brilliant yellows rival orange-reds, deep blues dialogue with delicate mauves. This landscape vibrates with an energy that transforms nature into a chromatic symphony.
A Fauvist Explosion
Newman applies oil paint in broad, expressive, and spontaneous strokes. Masses of color are juxtaposed without soft transitions. In the foreground, golden and coral rock formations structure the composition. A central tree with a golden-yellow trunk unfolds its dark blue-green foliage, an organic form that anchors the gaze. The sea spreads out in horizontal bands of intense blue. In the background, pink hills take shape beneath a clear sky. The canvas mounted on fiberboard demonstrates a mixed technique characteristic of the period.
The Influence of American Fauvism
Between 1909 and 1914, Newman aligns himself with the Fauvist movement that revolutionizes Western painting. Artists reject naturalistic representation in favor of the emotive intensity of color. This period marks the height of this chromatic revolution in the United States. Newman translates the intense light of the South through bold chromatic contrasts rather than through traditional modeling.
Carl Newman
Carl Newman (1858-1932) develops a personal approach to Fauvism, combining rigorous compositional structure with gestural freedom. His work dialogues with Matisse and Derain while asserting an American sensibility. This canvas illustrates his talent for transforming observation into pure visual sensation.
Think about it
💭 What emotions do these vivid colors awaken in you when you imagine this maritime landscape?
About This Work
- Landscape
- Carl Newman
- ca. 1909-1914
- Oil on canvas mounted on fiberboard
- 50.5 × 60.9 cm
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, gift of Anna McCleery Newton, 1968.121.7
- https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/landscape-18475
