Monadnock No. 2

Maker(s)
Artist: Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921)
Historical period(s)
1912
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
H x W: 90.2 x 90.2 cm (35 1/2 x 35 1/2 in)
Geography
United States
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1913.93a-b
On View Location
Freer Gallery 10: A Perfect Harmony
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Oil painting

Keywords
mountain, snow, sun, United States, winter
Provenance

1912-1913
Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921) painted in 1912 [1]

1913-1920
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from the artist, Abbott Handerson Thayer[2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer [3]

Notes:

[1] See Voucher No. 25, Charles L. Freer to Abbott H. Thayer, Box 119, Folder 12, Charles Lang Freer Papers, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, copy in object file.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Research completed July 29, 2022

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Abbott Handerson Thayer (C.L. Freer source) 1849-1921
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Label

Thayer's modest home in Dublin, New Hampshire, afforded a stunning view of Mount Monadnock, a magnificent peak that had  long provided solace and inspiration for the poets of New England.  Monadnock became the spiritual center of Thayer's life: he would feed his soul, he told Freer, by gazing on its unspoiled beauty.  He was particularly taken with the landscape in winter, when the region was almost deserted.  Although his versions may appear more expressive than representational, they were meant to be portraits, faithful to nature.

Published References
  • Eric Aho. New York. .
  • Susan Hobbs. Nature into Art: The Landscapes of Abbot Handerson Thayer. vol. 14, no. 3 New York, Summer 1982. pp. 4-55, fig. 41.
  • Ross Anderson. Angel in the Parlor: The Art of Abbott Thayer. vol. 34, no. 1 New York, December 1982. p. 30.
  • Elizabeth Lee. Therapeutic Beauty: Abbot Thayer, Antimodernism, and the Fear of Disease. vol. 18, no. 3 Washington, Fall 2004. p. 35, fig. 4.
  • Ross Anderson. Abbott Handerson Thayer. Syracuse. p. 102.
  • Where the Mountain Stands Alone: Stories of Place in the Monadnock Region. Hanover. p. 125.
  • Thomas Lawton, Linda Merrill. Freer: a legacy of art. Washington and New York, 1993. p. 161, fig. 108.
Collection Area(s)
American Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects