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拍品專文
Few American artists captured the spirit and raw beauty of the American West with the skill and precision of Henry Farny. Cornered, An Incident of the Apache War is representative of the artist at the height of his abilities, with a related work in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This painting not only embodies his celebrated dedication to depicting Native American life with tremendous respect, but also exemplifies Farny’s masterful handling of light, atmosphere and space to achieve a harmonious composition.
French by birth, Farny immigrated to Pennsylvania with his parents and thereafter settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. Following the path of earlier Cincinnati artists, Farny traveled to Germany to study, where he acquired technical skills and made the acquaintance of Albert Bierstadt. With encouragement from Bierstadt, Farny first traveled to the American West in 1881, spending time at Fort Yates along the Missouri River in present day North Dakota. He returned West again in 1883 and 1884 and continued to regularly visit until his last trip in 1894. During these visits, Farny often became an active participant in the social life of the Indians he encountered. He gathered visual references in the form of sketches and photographs, as well as artifacts and other physical materials, which he would then utilize back in his Cincinnati studio to recreate the scenes and events he witnessed in the West.
Aided by his firsthand experiences, Farny depicted native people of the American West with a uniquely intimate understanding. His sympathetic, faithful portrayal of their culture became the cornerstone of his art and established his fame in the eyes of the turn-of-the-century public. Indeed, as featured in Farny’s paintings, Native Americans came to represent the ideals of dignity and nobility, a close connection to nature, and a simple and direct manner.
In the present work, Farny places the empathetic viewer among a group of Apaches huddled for safety amidst a conflict with an invisible adversary. As denoted by the title, this scene represents one of the many armed conflicts between the United States Army and the Apache tribes throughout the Southwest in the late 19th century known as the Apache Wars. Unlike many of his contemporaries who depicted action-packed dramas with violent Indians, Farny’s sympathy translates in this scene through his choice to depict them not as the attackers, but as the attacked. At the heart of the composition, a child hides behind a mother’s dress, protected by two noble warriors bracing for a shootout. As evidenced by their fallen companion and by the scattered dust clouds suggesting ricocheting bullets, danger abounds in this moment of heightened suspense.
As epitomized by Cornered, An Incident of the Apache War, the success of Farny’s subtler approach to his subject is heighted by his ability to employ light to great effect in his compositions. Between 1893 and 1912, Farny particularly embraced the power of light to create an atmosphere. In the present work, he elucidates the ethereal beauty of the untouched landscape through his use of soft shades of blue with grey rock forms. The entire composition is brilliantly developed with contrasting diagonal bands of cool tones, which effectively lead the viewer back and through the mountains to create a sense of the overall expansiveness of the landscape. The diagonal pattern joins with a characteristically strong vertical format and high horizon line, which Farny developed from an appreciation of Japanese art, to achieve both balance and strength. As in the related picture in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which may be a study for the present work, Farny strives to capture the dramatic nature of the landscape itself in its sense of depth.
In his most successful pictures, such as the present work, Farny's commitment to exacting detail and precise modeling combine with his firsthand knowledge and intimate portrayal of his subjects to achieve an intense clarity of vision and strength of emotion. The unmatched honesty of his representation of Native Americans resulted in great popularity and acclaim for Farny during his lifetime, and his continued celebration to this day. Theodore Roosevelt, a friend of Farny’s, once remarked to the artist, “…the Nation owes you a great debt. You are preserving for future generations phases of American history that rapidly are passing away.” (as quoted in C. Baltzer, Henry F. Farny, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1975, p. 1)
French by birth, Farny immigrated to Pennsylvania with his parents and thereafter settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. Following the path of earlier Cincinnati artists, Farny traveled to Germany to study, where he acquired technical skills and made the acquaintance of Albert Bierstadt. With encouragement from Bierstadt, Farny first traveled to the American West in 1881, spending time at Fort Yates along the Missouri River in present day North Dakota. He returned West again in 1883 and 1884 and continued to regularly visit until his last trip in 1894. During these visits, Farny often became an active participant in the social life of the Indians he encountered. He gathered visual references in the form of sketches and photographs, as well as artifacts and other physical materials, which he would then utilize back in his Cincinnati studio to recreate the scenes and events he witnessed in the West.
Aided by his firsthand experiences, Farny depicted native people of the American West with a uniquely intimate understanding. His sympathetic, faithful portrayal of their culture became the cornerstone of his art and established his fame in the eyes of the turn-of-the-century public. Indeed, as featured in Farny’s paintings, Native Americans came to represent the ideals of dignity and nobility, a close connection to nature, and a simple and direct manner.
In the present work, Farny places the empathetic viewer among a group of Apaches huddled for safety amidst a conflict with an invisible adversary. As denoted by the title, this scene represents one of the many armed conflicts between the United States Army and the Apache tribes throughout the Southwest in the late 19th century known as the Apache Wars. Unlike many of his contemporaries who depicted action-packed dramas with violent Indians, Farny’s sympathy translates in this scene through his choice to depict them not as the attackers, but as the attacked. At the heart of the composition, a child hides behind a mother’s dress, protected by two noble warriors bracing for a shootout. As evidenced by their fallen companion and by the scattered dust clouds suggesting ricocheting bullets, danger abounds in this moment of heightened suspense.
As epitomized by Cornered, An Incident of the Apache War, the success of Farny’s subtler approach to his subject is heighted by his ability to employ light to great effect in his compositions. Between 1893 and 1912, Farny particularly embraced the power of light to create an atmosphere. In the present work, he elucidates the ethereal beauty of the untouched landscape through his use of soft shades of blue with grey rock forms. The entire composition is brilliantly developed with contrasting diagonal bands of cool tones, which effectively lead the viewer back and through the mountains to create a sense of the overall expansiveness of the landscape. The diagonal pattern joins with a characteristically strong vertical format and high horizon line, which Farny developed from an appreciation of Japanese art, to achieve both balance and strength. As in the related picture in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which may be a study for the present work, Farny strives to capture the dramatic nature of the landscape itself in its sense of depth.
In his most successful pictures, such as the present work, Farny's commitment to exacting detail and precise modeling combine with his firsthand knowledge and intimate portrayal of his subjects to achieve an intense clarity of vision and strength of emotion. The unmatched honesty of his representation of Native Americans resulted in great popularity and acclaim for Farny during his lifetime, and his continued celebration to this day. Theodore Roosevelt, a friend of Farny’s, once remarked to the artist, “…the Nation owes you a great debt. You are preserving for future generations phases of American history that rapidly are passing away.” (as quoted in C. Baltzer, Henry F. Farny, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1975, p. 1)