French Church Series No. 6: Bourges America, 20th century

French Church Series No. 6: Bourges

1925

John Taylor Arms

(American, 1887–1953)

America, 20th century

etching

Support: Wove paper

Sheet: 42.8 x 26.3 cm (16 7/8 x 10 3/8 in.); Platemark: 35.6 x 23 cm (14 x 9 1/16 in.)

Gift of Carole W. and Charles B. Rosenblatt 2010.703

Courtesy of John Taylor Arms/© Suzanne Arms Hawkins

Catalogue raisonné: Fletcher, 166

Location: not on view

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

Arms’s admiration for Gothic architecture was a reflection of a revival exemplified by the publication of John Ruskin’s 1951 book, The Stones of Venice. The influence of Gothic art spread to America where Ralph Adams Cram, an architect and writer active around the turn of the century, also vigorously supported the Gothic style as one of spirituality, honest design, and fine craftsmanship. In an era marked by increased modernization and urban growth, Cram celebrated pre-industrial values such as honesty, truth, and beauty, reflecting a nostalgia for a simpler, more sincere age.