#629 Anna Hyatt Huntington and Brookgreen . . . horses, con't.

Please start this series of blogs about the horse with post # 616 -  March 11, 2015.

The focus of this post is American sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876 - 1973) and her favorite subject: The horse.  Spotlighted are two of her horse sculptures located at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina entitled:  "Don Quixote" and "Fillies Playing".  Additional information about Huntington can be found on the previous two blogs.

http://www.brookgreen.org

Below, is an image of Huntington's "Fillies Playing". . . Bronze, 1956, this example cast in 2010.

Anna Hyatt Huntington created two sizes of "Fillies Playing" in her studio at Stanerigg Farm near Redding, Connecticut.  The small version (1955) is believed to have never been cast; the large version (1956) apparently was cast only once during the artist's lifetime.  It was cast in aluminum by Roman Bronze Works in New York City, shown at the National Academy of Design, and Awarded the Elizabeth N. Watrous Gold Medal in 1958.  It was then donated by the sculptor 

to the University of South Carolina in 1960.  The sculpture shown above and below is a posthumous casting 

of the large version made in 2010 by Rome Bronze Studio with new molds from the original plaster model.

Below, is an image of Huntington's "Don Quixote" . . . Aluminum, cast in 1947.

Huntington envisioned Cervantes' famous subject as a pitiful character, rather than a comic one.  

She depicted him dazed and confused at the moment after he has lost his joust with windmills.

His dispirited horse, Rocinante, was first modeled in 1937 from local horses at the studio in Atalaya, the Huntington's winter home at Brookgreen . . . (see blog #218, posted April 23, 2012 for more information about Atalaya). 

 After becoming the first sculptor to use aluminum in 1932, it was often her medium of choice.

Below, are more images of the powerful monument, "Don Quixote".

When word got around that she needed a decrepit horse to model, offers poured in.  The specimen finally
chosen was so weak that it could not stand and had to be supported by a sling when work began.
The horse's health so mended as work progressed that it lived to an honorable old age.

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#628 Anna Hyatt Huntington and Brookgreen . . . horses, con't.

Please start this series of blogs about horses with post # 616

This post further examines the two Anna Hyatt Huntington [1876-1973] horse sculptures at Brookgreen Gardens 

that were spotlighted in the previous post, #627:  "Fighting Stallions" and "Youth Taming the Wild".  

In this post, I'll introduce another large horse monument at Brookgreen entitled "In Memory of the Work Horse"; 

created by Anna Hyatt Huntington, cast in bronze, and installed at Brookgreen in 1964. 

Anna Hyatt Huntington is recognized as one of the foremost American animaliers.  She was a pioneer in the use of aluminum as a sculpture medium which gave a life and brilliance of surface that showed fine modeling in poor light.  Below, are two images of "Fighting Stallions" located at the entrance to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell's Inlet,

 South Carolina.  More images of this dramatic monument can be seen on the previous post.

Many sculptors in France and in America began to specialize in animal sculpture in the nineteenth century and "animaliers" became a favorite branch of the sculptural arts.  Huntington was fascinated by horses and came to know their anatomy so well that she could model them from memory.  The first sculpture to be carved expressly for Brookgreen was her "Youth Taming the Wild", 1933.  With the pioneer movement westward still a reality, themes that underscored the conquest of the New World were popular.  Shown below, are three images of the monument . . . additional images of 

Huntington's "Youth Taming the Wild" can be seen on the previous blog.

During Anna's youth, she often observed and worked with large draft horsed used for plowing 

and hauling hay at the family farm in Annisquam, Massachusettes.  The memory of this image provided 

inspiration for several sculptures throughout her career depicting the work horse.

The heroic-sized bronze sculpture,  "In Memory of the Work Horse" was installed at Brookgreen in 1964 and depicts the team of farmer and horse . . . she expertly presents a vignette from the past in a poignant yet unsentimental manner.  Shown below are images of one of my favorite Huntington sculptures, "In Memory of the Work Horse".

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#627 Anna Hyatt Huntington and Brookgreen: horses, con't . . .

Please start this series of blogs about the horse with post # 616

Brookgreen Gardens in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina is home to the largest and most important collection of American figurative sculpture in existence.  Founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1931 this outdoor museum is a mecca for sculptors and a destination for lovers of sculpture, natural history, and the culture of the Carolina Lowcountry.

Brookgreen is an accredited museum and a National Historic Landmark.  Anna Hyatt Huntington's significance 

as a sculptor and patron of the arts and the importance of the museum's collection has given America a unique

 gift of sculpture in a beautiful natural setting.  Interestingly, there are number of women sculptors 

represented in the  collection which will be spotlighted in future posts. 

http://www.brookgreen.org,
www.google.com/AnnaHyattHuntington

The focus of this blog is part one of Anna Hyatt Huntington's favorite subject and model:  The horse.

Below, is Huntington's monumental sculpture, "Fighting Stallions".  This enormous work, created 

for Brookgreen's  entrance in 1950 and cast in aluminum, has become the iconic symbol of the museum.
Anna was a pioneer in the lightweight and light-catching qualities of casting in aluminum.

I was told by Robin Salmon, authority on Huntintingon's work and curator of sculpture at Brookgreen 

for over 35 years, that Anna and Archer wanted a dramatic, heroic image that would encourage travelers 

on the coastal highway to stop and enjoy the unprecedented beauty of outdoor sculpture in a natural setting. 

Below, are details of "Fighting Sallions".

Another outstanding Huntington sculpture on the vast, 9,000 acre grounds
at Brookgreen is "Youth Taming the Wild", shown below.

This stunning monument is placed by a secluded reflecting pool dotted with water lilies and
visited by an occasional Egret or Great Blue Heron.  Shown below, are  details of the work.

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#54 In the Field: New York con't . . .

Yesterday we spent the day in the museums.  I must comment on the Sorolla murals at The Hispanic Society of America:  The great portrait painter, Everett Raymond Kinstler (see yesterday's Blog) informed me  that these paintings inspired him to became a painter when he was only 11 years old. They are magnificent and are worth the trip to the upper west side, on Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets.

El Cid
Anna Hyatt Huntington  (1876-1973)
The Hispanic Society of America

Sorolla Murals
The Hispanic Society of America
New York, NY

Afterwards we joined the National Sculpture Society members and patrons  at the Cathedral of Saint John of the Divine on the upper west side for a private tour.  One of our National Sculpture Society Fellows, Greg Wyatt, is Sculptor in Residence at the Cathedral.  Greg has been a dear friend for over 30 years and is one of the most,  knowledgeable and passionate artists  I've ever met.  It was great fun talking art and reminiscing about times gone by.

Later we all met at a charming local bistro (we reserved the entire place for our group) near the Cathedral for a cocktail reception, dinner and a lively good time.

Sandy, Greg Wyatt, Robin Salmon and Fay Wyatt
In front of Greg's Peace Fountain

Robin is Vice-President and curator of Sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens (See Blogs Oct.3-9)
Fay is a recognized Shakespearean scholar

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish