The Folk Spirit of Albany Tammis Groft
F
or the first time the folk art from the collection of the Albany Institute of History and Art was brought together last winter for a major exhibition, accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue. All of the 120 works date from the 18th and 19th centuries and were either made by Albany area artists, are likenesses of Albany related people, or are landscape or genre scenes from the upper Hudson Valley. More than half of these works were exhibited and published for the first time and together they constitute a significant regional folk art collection as amassed by the Albany Institute over the past 100 years. The "Spirit of Albany," expressed in the art produced during the 18th and 19th centuries, emphasizes a rich historical and cultural heritage. Much of this art was done in the folk tradition and The Folk Spirit of Albany illustrates how some Albanians viewed themselves and their surroundings. Albany's folk spirit derives from at least three distinctive aspects of her history. First was the influence of the early Dutch settlers who, aside from developing a strong mercantile system, brought with them from the Netherlands a love for art. This latter feeling was most aptly expressed in the early 18th century Hudson Valley portraits and scripture paintings, the so-called "Patroon School." A second aspect which encouraged folk art to flourish here was Albany's commercial prosperity, a result of its strategic location at the confluence of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. This prosperity brought considerable wealth to the area and the means for the emerging middle class to indulge its interest in art in the 19th century. The third aspect was Albany's picturesque setting in the Hudson Valley, which drew numerous artists to the area to record the beautiful river and highlands. As a comprehensive regional collection, virtually all of the characteristic forms of folk art are represented from the early Patroon School paintings to late 19th century horse and house portraits; each a reflection of some aspect of Albany's history. The art tradition of painting portraits of wealthy Dutch merchants and scripture scenes from the Bible flourished
Pau de Wandelaer (1713-?), attributed to the Gansevoort limner, possibly Pieter Vanderlyn,circa 1730, Albany County, oil on canvas, 44-7/8" x 35-3/4". In the background of this painting is one of the earliest known painted views of a Dutch sloop. (Albany Institute of History and Art; gift of Mrs. Catherine Gansevoort Lansing)
in the Hudson Valley during the only extended period of peace in New York State (between Queen Anne's War (circa 1715) and King George's War (1745))in what was otherwise more than a century of war. Six paintings of this Patroon School were selected for the catalogue from the Albany Institute's collection of thirty six. It is generally assumed that during wartime neither leisure time nor money is directed towards the arts. An exception to this generalization is American engraved powder horns, a distinctive form of early American folk art which is predominantly a military tradition. Most horns made in New York depict the Hudson River and the city of Albany, reflecting the singular importance of this region in American military history. The quality of the folk art of Albany was enhanced by the prosperity of its residents. Professional folk artists and craftsmen alike were drawn to the Albany region as the demand increased for portraits and landscapes. The affluence of the upper Hudson Valley also supported the growth of academies and seminaries where it was fashionable for young 41