Maine and American Art - by Michael K Komanecky & Jane Biano & Angela Waldron (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this expansive volume devoted to one of the premier art collections in the U.S., the rich and full picture of Maine's central role in American art from the early nineteenth century to the present is chronicled.

Published on the occasion of Maine's bicentennial, the book considers more than 200 major works of American art from the Farnsworth Art Museum's impressive holdings and details how the state has figured prominently in the development of American art. The volume includes artists as diverse as Andrew Wyeth, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O'Keeffe, Francesco Clemente, Robert Rauschenberg, and Alex Katz, among others. Through their work, a fascinating depiction of the state--and indeed of the development of American art--emerges. The volume will feature two historic sites: the Farnsworth Homestead (the National Register of Historic Places home of founder Lucy Copeland Farnsworth) and the National Historic Landmark Olson House, inspiration for some 300 works by Andrew Wyeth, including Christina's World.

The book also considers Lucy Copeland Farnsworth's distinctive vision to create a museum, library, and historic house, placing her among the few and still under-recognized women who created museums throughout the United States in the early twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"The straightforward title might suggest a straightforward survey of the Farnsworth's collection, but not so...Collectively, [the books] tell[s] the story of two centuries of Maine art from a variety of angles. The fascinating first chapter isn't much about artwork at all: it's a fresh evaluation - supported by recently discovered correspondence - of Lucy Copeland Farnsworth's effort at willing an ambitious art museum into existence in Rockland." --DownEast.com

"Guided by the museum's mission to celebrate Maine's role in American art, the book features a diverse range of American artists from Marsden Hartley, Winslow Homer, and Georgia O'Keeffe to Francesco Clemente, Robert Rauschenberg, and Alex Katz. Through more than 200 images, the story of the Farnsworth Art Museum is told variously through monographic chapters devoted to Jonathan Fisher, the Wyeth family, Louise Nevelson, and Robert Indiana, among others; thematic chapters, including Maine's landscape, its many industries, and important inhabitants; and includes important areas of concentration in the Farnsworth collection, such as watercolors and photography." --ARTFIXDAILY.COM

"...an expansive 384-page volume devoted to the Farnsworth collection...In it, the rich and full picture of Maine's central role in American art from the early 19th century to the present is chronicled." --CAMDEN HERALD

About the Author

Michael K. Komanecky is chief curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum, in Rockland, Maine. Jane Bianco is curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum. Angela Waldron is registrar at the Farnsworth Art Museum.