In the Hills O' Brown: The Town of Nashville America, 20th century

In the Hills O' Brown: The Town of Nashville

1910, printed 1914

Gustave Baumann

(American, born Germany, 1881–1971)

America, 20th century

color woodcut

Support: Japanese paper

Image: 23.2 x 33.6 cm (9 1/8 x 13 1/4 in.); Sheet: 26.1 x 35.2 cm (10 1/4 x 13 7/8 in.)

Gift of Ann Baumann 2005.424.11

Catalogue raisonné: Chamberlain 18

Edition: 100

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

Baumann learned about Brown County, Indiana, from members of the Palette and Chisel Club, who relished the hilly scenery and isolated location, as depicted in this color woodcut. In 1910 Baumann arrived in the small farming town of Nashville, which was sparsely populated, old-fashioned, picturesque, and cheap, where he was inspired by fresh motifs: “[U]nexpected glimpses of landscape started visions of innumerable pictures. . . . Here was a new sketching ground that had not been covered with paint rags and palette scrapings as mute evidence of previous discourses. This was a new experience. I felt at home.” Baumann stayed six and a half years.