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Gari Melchers Home and Studio

Gari Melchers Home and Studio

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An Artist’s Fascination with Light

June 24, 2020 by Michelle Crow-Dolby 5 Comments

As an expatriate in Holland, Germany, and Paris and back in the United States, every time Gari Melchers pulled up stakes he was compelled to find a new studio to work in. First considerations were always given to light —and not just any light—northern light is the preferred choice of artists. Why? Not only does northern light not change direction throughout the day, eliminating shadows, but it provides a constant and consistent light and cool value. Paul Cezanne’s famous atelier in Aix-en-Provence, France, got it right.

Paul Cezanne’s Studio

Holland

Although not a personal studio, a house in Holland served as the backdrop for more than ten of Melchers’ paintings. It is no wonder given Schuylenburg’s gloriously high windows.

Detail of In My Garden, Butler Institute of American Art
Detail of In My Garden, Butler Institute of American Art

New York City

When not living abroad, New York City became Melchers’ commercial base. Here he made the rounds, painted, and was active in various social and cultural organizations. The city and overall artistic community were rapidly growing at the end of the nineteenth century and desirable studio space with large rooms and northern light was increasingly hard to find.

Completed in 1901, Bryant Park Studios was one of the city’s earliest buildings designed specifically to house artist studios. The structure was commissioned by prominent painter Abraham A. Anderson who, like Melchers, had spent time in Paris as an art student. Upon his return to the states, Anderson too had difficulty finding adequate artist working spaces. In his autobiography, Anderson writes, “Thinking other artists returning to America would be in the same situation, I decided to erect a studio building.”

Funded by his wife’s inherited Borden Dairy Company fortune, Anderson worked with architect Charles A. Rich to fulfill his dream. The handsome Beaux-Arts style building features twenty-four double-height, northern facing windows. Because Bryant Park is located directly across the street, it cleverly guaranteed unobstructed light. This building was designated a New York City Landmark in 1988.

Bryant Park Studios, 1901, Irving Underhill, photographer
Bryant Park Studios, 1901, Irving Underhill, photographer
Bryant Park Studios, photo by Historic Districts Council
Bryant Park Studios, photo by Historic Districts Council
Location of Bryant Park Studios, New York Public Library Collection
Location of Bryant Park Studios, New York Public Library Collection
Bryant Park Studio Interior Photo by David Seeve
Bryant Park Studio Interior Photo by David Seeve
Stationery Letterhead, GMHS Archives

Gari Melchers first rented studio space at Bryant Park Studios during extended stays in New York City between 1906-08. He subsequently occupied Studio 51 from 1916 until his death in 1932. Fun fact: in 1921, he paid $3,960 in annual rent. Melchers regularly took the night train while traveling back and forth between Virginia and the Big Apple. At Bryant Park Studios, Melchers was in good company. Illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, painter/designer Florine Stettheimer and photographer Edward Steichen all rented space during Melchers’ tenure.

Snow by Gari Melchers, view from Studio 51
Snow by Gari Melchers, view from Studio 51
Bryant Park (Twilight) by Gari Melchers, view from his first and lower level Bryant Park studio
Bryant Park (Twilight) by Gari Melchers, view from his first and lower level Bryant Park studio
Bryant Park Studio Paintings

Melchers wrote to Baltimoreon art patron Alice Warder Garrett from his Bryant Park Studio emphasizing the need to view her portrait in summer’s natural light.

“You won’t be angry and must forgive me if I ask you to make one little change in the schedule. Come to my studio before dinner and not after.  My artificial light is rotten and I insist you and John and your sister and Mr. Ellis see our picture by daylight.  Just compromise and set your dinner hour for 7:30 instead of eight o-clock and meet in my studio before going to the Coffee House.  Please do.”

The White House

Yes, even at The White House the artist chased light. In 1908, Charles Lang Freer commissioned Melchers to paint President Theodore Roosevelt’s portrait. While in Washington, D.C. painting the president, he often wrote to his wife, Corinne, about the important goings on. In one such letter he explains his work’s early stages.

After lunch, the President said that presently he would show me his riding outfit so that we might decide any details of his costume. In the meantime Mrs. Roosevelt took me around upstairs and downstairs to find a suitable studio and we decided on the small dining room which has a north light.

To learn more about this momentous occasion, I invite you to read my blog post, Painting a President.

Virginia

Back at Belmont, his Virginia country retreat, Melchers made light-infused plans for both his home and future studio. One of the first improvements Gari and Corinne made to their newly acquired Georgian home was to add a five-sided sun porch with multiple arched windows on the south side. The green-shuttered windows above offered guests exclusive bird’s eye garden views.

1916 Sun Porch Addition
1916 Sun Porch Addition
The Sun Porch by Gari Melchers
The Sun Porch by Gari Melchers

After occupying several temporary studio spaces in the village of Falmouth, Melchers engaged the services of friend and architect John Donaldson to design his pièce de ré·sis·tance on-site studio. The spacious interior was well suited for his mural work and an oversized northern window provided the artist with his coveted light.

Studio Architectural Drawing
Studio Architectural Drawing
Gari Melchers Studio
Stone Studio Completed in 1924

After the main stone studio building was completed in 1924, additional gallery spaces were added. The use of sky lights permeated these exhibition areas with abundant natural light.

Studio Gallery Interior
Studio Gallery Interior
Studio Gallery Interior
Studio Gallery Interior
Gallery Sky Lights
Studio Sky Lights

Finally, perhaps it is fitting that Gari Melcher’s first painting accepted by the Paris Salon, The Letter, and the last painting he completed, The Lace Cap, both feature Dutch women back lit by a window, thus bringing his fascination with light full circle.

~ Michelle Crow-Dolby, Education and Communications Manager, Gari Melchers Home & Studio

The Letter, 1882, by Gari Melchers, National Gallery of Art
The Letter, 1882, by Gari Melchers, National Gallery of Art
The Lace Cap, 1932, by Gari Melchers
The Lace Cap, 1932, by Gari Melchers

Category iconArt,  Art Gallery,  Artist Studio,  Bryant Park,  Bryant Park Studios,  Gari Melchers,  Gari Melchers Home and Studio,  Northern Light,  Studio and Galleries,  Visual Arts Tag iconart,  Artist Studios,  Bryant Park,  Bryant Park Studio Building,  Gari Melchers,  Gari Melchers Home and Studio,  New York City,  northern light,  Studio,  visual art

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carla Kager says

    June 24, 2020 at 4:31 pm

    Thank you for this nice story.

    Reply
  2. Lydia Stevick says

    June 24, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    I especially like Gari Melchers art and the backstories you provide . Hope you will continue as long as possible. How fortunate we are to have his home, Belmont and studio in our community. This story on “light” was very interesting.

    Reply
    • Michelle Crow-Dolby says

      June 27, 2020 at 11:36 am

      Glad you enjoyed the post, Lydia!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Gari Melchers: American Master | Gari Melchers Home and Studio says:
    July 13, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    […] World War I forced Americans expats stateside, Melchers opened a studio at the Beaux-Arts building at Bryant Park in New York City, 80 West 40th Street. THere he began the […]

    Reply
  2. Painting a President - Gari Melchers Home and Studio says:
    November 5, 2021 at 9:38 am

    […] Always looking for consistent, indirect north light while painting, Melchers did the same at the White House. He describes his hunt for light in another letter to his wife. […]

    Reply

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Gari Melchers Home and Studio
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Falmouth, VA 22405
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