Morris Museum of Art
Augusta, Georgia
706-724-7501
http://www.themorris.org/
The Charleston Renaissance
Alfred Hutty wrote of Charleston years
before to his wife and it remains true today, "Come quickly, have found
heaven." The works of The Charleston Renaissance at the Morris
Museum of Art reflect a 
'heaven'
not only captured by artists but one virtually 'resurrected' because of
artists and the local arts community. In the early part of the century,
many people thought of the city much as DuBose Heyward described it in the
opening lines of Porgy: "The city that time had not forgotten
before it was destroyed." But, during the 1920s, Charleston began to
witness the formation of several collaborative entities - in poetry, music,
preservation, and art - which were fostering the city's renewal. Undaunted
by grim conditions and inspired by Charleston's rich heritage, a group of
local writers and artists spearheaded a dramatic cultural renewal between
1915 and 1940, now recognized as The Charleston Renaissance. (right:
William P. Silva, The Sun Dispels the Morning Fog, Greenville County
Museum of Art)
In Porgy, Heyward also wrote about authentic Charleston
traditions including a group of young black musicians who some believed
started the nationwide dance fad, "The Charleston." Porgy's tale
was transformed first into a Broadway play, then into the folk opera Porgy
and Bess. It is told that George Gershwin spent two months at Polly
Beach while he worked on the score for the opera In his music, Gershwin
incorporated the rhythms and sounds he witnessed at black church services
in the lowcountry.
Painters
and printmakers drew upon a seemingly endless supply of subject matter -
the lush landscape, architectural landmarks, plantation life, and local
color - to document the lowcountry. "From my earliest days, the beauty
of Charleston has been a conscious blessing, acknowledged Elizabeth O'Neill
Verner. "I owe my native city incalculably much." Alice Ravenel
Huger Smith, Elizabeth O'Neill Verner, Alfred Hutty, and Anna Heyward Taylor
are the acknowledged leaders of the Charleston Renaissance. But there were
many others making and disseminating images. Besides the local artists,
there was a surprisingly large number of visiting artists who tended to
see things differently than local artists, and their works were less romanticized.
Some major figures of the twentieth century, including Edward Hopper and
Childe Hassam, are included in this group. (left: Alice Ravenel Huger
Smith, The Rector's Kitchen and View of St. hlichael's, 1915; watercolor
on board, 22 x 12 inches, Collection of the Greenville County Museum of
Art; Museum purchase with funds from the 1996 Museum Antiques Show; First
Union National Bank, sponsor)
But even as artists were already leading the Charleston
Renaissance, another realm opened for artists. Many Northerners were coming
to the lowcountry to hunt. Vast numbers of fowl inhabited the former rice
plantations, and wealthy individuals bought large expanses of land for hunting
preserves. Sporting art then became a natural, and prized, extension of
hunters' devotion to preserve their passion for the hunt, the game, and
the lushness of the land.
The art of the Charleston Renaissance includes oils, watercolors,
drawings, and prints. Prints were especially popular with artists because
they were less expensive to produce and easier to sell to tourists. Local
artists banded together to buy a press and learn how to make prints. The
Charleston Etchers' Club fostered an appreciation for graphic art, a critical
component of the Charleston Renaissance. Prints were ideal souvenirs - they
were produced in multiple copies, were small and easily transported, and
were affordably priced. Visitors who purchased them helped disseminate images
of Charleston throughout the country.
Alice R. H. Smith, Elizabeth O'Neill Verner, and other
Charleston artists helped inspire the historic preservation movement, awakening
their neighbors to the charm and significance of the city's architectural
heritage, through their images. As a result, the city's architectural and
cultural heritage became the focus of pioneering efforts in historic preservation.
In the 1920s, The Preservation Society of Charleston was formed when a landmark
house was threatened, and in 1928 the city's first historic house museum
was established. The nation's first local historic district was created
in Charleston in 1931 by placing zoning restrictions on all of the historic
structures of the lower peninsula.
The proliferation of images of Charleston brought widespread
attention to the area, helping to fuel the emerging tourist industry. Combined
with articles in the national press, novels set in the lowcountry, musical
performances, and even a Charleston dance contest in Chicago, Charleston,
"America's Most Historic City," entered the national consciousness.
The exhibition is organized by the Greenville County Museum
of Art and sponsored by Carolina First. To complement this show, the Morris
has added more than 30 treasured works from its permanent collection by
many of the artists represented in the core exhibition.
Read more in Resource Library
Magazine about the Morris Museum of Art.
Editor's note:
Many people are fascinated with viewing the artistic interpretation
of scenes through painting or sculpture in proximity to realistic photographs
of the same scenes. These juxtapositions are educational for historic and
other reasons, are enjoyable to see, and provide a window for further understanding
the works created by artists. Volunteers are invited to survey the images
of paintings and sculptures contained in Resource Library and email
to this publication on-location photos
that relate to views depicted in works by historic artists. On the following page are photographs of historic Charleston
buildings, in addition to the photo of St. Michael's below.
(above: St. Michael's Episcopal Church. photo: © 2011
Barbara Hazeltine)
For further biographical information on selected artists
cited in this article please see America's
Distinguished Artists, a national registry of historic artists.
rev. 5/27/11
Search Resource
Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art.
Copyright 2011 Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation. All rights
reserved.
'heaven'
not only captured by artists but one virtually 'resurrected' because of
artists and the local arts community. In the early part of the century,
many people thought of the city much as DuBose Heyward described it in the
opening lines of Porgy: "The city that time had not forgotten
before it was destroyed." But, during the 1920s, Charleston began to
witness the formation of several collaborative entities - in poetry, music,
preservation, and art - which were fostering the city's renewal. Undaunted
by grim conditions and inspired by Charleston's rich heritage, a group of
local writers and artists spearheaded a dramatic cultural renewal between
1915 and 1940, now recognized as The Charleston Renaissance. (right:
William P. Silva, The Sun Dispels the Morning Fog, Greenville County
Museum of Art)