A picture is emotion, not industry. – Ralph Albert Blakelock [1]
Lori Bookstein Fine Art is pleased to announce an exhibition of paintings in Gallery II by Ralph Albert Blakelock [1847-1919]. This is the gallery’s first solo-show of the artist’s work.
This show will consist of small paintings from the 1870s - 1890s. As with much of the work in this exhibition, Blakelock's landscapes often feature a dark silhouetted foreground heavily painted in pigment that he sometimes mixed with bitumen, resulting in a rich black ground. Blakelock occasionally included a small figure or figures within the landscapes and encampments of his compositions, such as Landscape with Teepee. Day Is Done (Landscape with Indian Canoe), is typical of Blakelock's work, with a dark foreground that contrasts starkly with a background illuminated by evening light. The highlight of the exhibition is a rare early landscape from the mid-1870s, when Blakelock was working in a style closely aligned to that of the Hudson River School.
Ralph Albert Blakelock (b. 1847, New York; d. 1919, New York) is one of the most foremost American landscape painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in New York City, the artist originally studied medicine before dropping out of school to become a painter. From 1869-1872, Blakelock traveled throughout the American West, observing and documenting the rural landscape and Native American life. In subsequent years, Blakelock continued his travels, journeying south to parts of western Mexico and Central America where he continued to paint scenes of unspoiled nature. In 1899, Blakelock was placed in the first of what would be a series of mental institutions. The artist died in 1919.
Ralph Albert Blakelock be on view from June 4 – July 3, 2015. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, June 4th from 6-8 pm. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. For additional information and/or visual materials, please contact the gallery at (212) 750-0949 or at joseph@loribooksteinfineart.com.
[1] Ralph Albert Blakelock as quoted in “The Tragedy of Ralph Albert Blakelock,” Commerce and Finance, Vol. 5, No. 16, April 19, 1916. p. 449.