CINCINNATI –The Cincinnati Art Museum recently acquired a magnificent Sanford Robinson Gifford landscape and a timeless glass sculpture by artist Karen LaMonte for its permanent collection.

Gifford’s landscape, The Wilderness, 1861, joins the Art Museum’s permanent collection thanks to a generous donation from a Cincinnati supporter. The painting’s acquisition fills a significant gap in the representation of the Hudson River School, the group of painters of the 19th century who celebrated the majesty of America’s unspoiled scenery. Although influenced aesthetically by European Romanticism and Baroque landscape painting, they formed what was in essence the first distinctively American art movement.

The painting represents a moment of absolute tranquility in which the monumental silhouette of a mountain is reflected in the still waters of a lake. With its warm rosy glow that suffuses the landscape, the work showcases Gifford’s mastery in depicting transcendent light and palpable atmosphere. The painting is a smaller variant of Gifford’s large exhibition picture of the previous year, also called The Wilderness, at the Toledo Museum of Art. The painting will be on view on the second floor (G217) American galleries starting on January 19.

The life-size glass sculpture by Karen LaMonte, Seated Dress with Impression of Drapery, created in 2005, has been added to the Art Museum thanks to funding and an endowment from Nancy and David Wolf. The sculpture presents a dress, worn by a seated female figure. The figure’s body is present only in the negative space within the dress and in the impressions left by the sitter’s torso, knees, legs and feet underneath the graceful, semi-translucent drape of the glass dress. In this way, the piece evokes timeless themes of presence, absence, personal image, space and transience.

“The Cincinnati Art Museum’s collection of nearly 66,000 artworks gives us the opportunity to tell the story of the power of art across 6,000 years of world cultures and history. The Gifford artwork is immediately of tremendous importance to our American collections and will become a favorite of all,” said Kitchin. “The LaMonte sculpture is a rare early example from a leading contemporary artist working in glass. We are fortunate that Seated Dress will call Cincinnati home.”

Nancy and David Wolf have been collecting contemporary art for nearly 40 years. In 2006, they were named among “America’s Top 100 Collectors” by Art and Antiques Magazine. They have been long-time and generous supporters of the Cincinnati Art Museum. Prior to 2009, the Wolfs donated 16 pieces of contemporary glass to the Art Museum’s collection. Since that time, the Wolfs have donated over 250 works of art to the Art Museum, in addition to their research library and a large endowment for the care of the collection. A selection of gifts and loans from the Nancy and David Wolf Collection are currently on view in the Nancy and David Wolf Gallery (G222).

About the Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum is supported by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Cincinnati Art Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Cincinnati Art Museum gratefully acknowledges operating support from the City of Cincinnati, as well as our members.

General admission to the Cincinnati Art Museum is always free. The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is closed Monday.