Hydrangeas, c. 1886
Alberta Binford McCloskey (American, 1855-1911)
Oil on canvas; 47 1/4 X 39 1/4 X 2 5/8 in.
74.22.19
Gift of Mrs. Eleanor Russell
Born c. 1855 in Missouri, Alberta Binford early on demonstrated her natural talent in music and the visual arts. In the early 1880’s she moved to Denver, Colorado where she worked as an artist – a difficult task in an almost exclusively male dominated art world. In 1883 she met and married William J. McCloskey who like herself shared the love of oil painting. Over the years the couple moved from city to city where they would open their studio for viewing by the public and critics who constantly extended their accolades to the couple on their abilities to produce still life, portrait and genre paintings. Moving first to Los Angeles and then New York the McCloskey’s became very prominent artists, participating in solo exhibitions and important group exhibitions of the time. In New York the artists created a number of still life images of fruit, of these oranges wrapped in paper became the most popular and sought after. The Bowers Museum is fortunate to own 41 paintings by the McCloskey’s, including still life images of paper wrapped fruit.
Of all the paintings we are very proud to have in our collection Alberta Binford McCloskey’s "Hydrangeas." According to Nancy Moure who wrote the McCloskey’s biographies in the exhibition catalog "Partners in Illusion," Alberta exhibited the painting in New York in 1887 where the painting was much admired and celebrated. “The work proved so spectacular that it was reproduced in G.W. Sheldon’s 'Recent Ideals of American Art' which remains an important American art book even today.” Alberta felt that "Hydrangeas" exemplified her skills as an artist and she kept the painting with her wherever she went.
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