Catching Light invites visitors to compare how two early twentieth-century American artists captured the transient effects of light on water. Frederick Oakes Sylvester's The Mississippi at Elsah (1903) reveals the Missouri artist's poetic vision of his beloved river through soft, atmospheric tones, while Daniel Garber's River Bank (August 1910) uses the broken brushwork of French Impressionism to render flickering light across a Pennsylvania waterway. The pairing demonstrates how direct observation of nature could be transformed into evocative, personal artistic visions.
The two paintings are on view in the Gallery of European and American Art on the focus wall, a dedicated space for rotating displays that provide additional context and perspectives on works from the collection.
Financial assistance has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Catching Light: Two River Views is on view February 27 through July 12.
Frederick Oakes Sylvester (American, 1869–1915), The Mississippi at Elsah, 1903, oil on canvas, gift of Mr. and Mrs. George Schriever (86.65)
Daniel Garber (American, 1880–1958), River Bank, August 1910, oil on canvas, transferred from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, MU (2004.86)