Experience the spontaneous creative beauty of plein air painting at Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House on Sunday August 18 from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. when The Friends of Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House pay homage to the tradition of plein air “in the open air” painting, with talented regional artists curated by event chairperson and Sloatsburg artist Jessie Taylor.
The tradition of plein air landscape painting began with the Romantics (1789-1830) whose search for authenticity accorded particular value to sketching from nature with a keen eye for the way natural light at different times of the day and evening played upon the landscape and waters. Developed during the 19 th century by a series of artist colonies in France such as the Barbizon School and adopted by the
perhaps better- known Hudson River School of painters in the United States. Such accomplished, prolific and successful artists as Jasper Cropsey, Frederic Church, Thomas Cole & Archer Duran were particularly adept at capturing flora and fauna of the Hudson River Valley during the mid- 19 th Century.
Inventor, Manufacturer, Philanthropist & Builder of Harmony Hall house Jacob Sloat, was a friend of Jasper Cropsey. Cropsey an architect by trade in his youth, did a detailed graphite drawing of Harmony Hall circa 1850. A copy of this exceptional piece of Harmony Hall / Sloatsburg history hangs in the parlor. Lesser known landscape artists of the period such as Jules Arnaut, were also represented in the Sloat art collection.
Guests will enjoy meeting a diverse group of artists on August 18, vote for their favorite artist and see the interior restoration progress at state and national register Harmony Hall built in 1848. Refreshments and a convivial atmosphere does await guests on the great lawn of Harmony Hall!
