Five Paintings - Five Olympic Tales

A visit to the newly restored Victorian mansion, the Hamilton-Worthington House, in Quilcene, just might indeed leave you speechless. One of the final acts in this remarkable decade-long volunteer project by the Quilcene Historical Museum is the hosting of a painting collection by Northwest artists whose heydays coincided with that of the mansion.

The sixteen painting collection is on loan from Allan and Mary Kollar of A.J. Kollar Fine Paintings, LLC. Both Allan and Mary, volunteers since 2011, share a commitment to the cultural and educational mission of Worthington Park. They are also in large part responsible for the historical furnishings in the mansion. “We would like to thank the Kollars for the loan of these lovely paintings and for the amazing support they have given the project since 2011,” said the new Chair of the Museum, Christine Satterlee. The Museum is exploring ways now to showcase the mansion interiors, including this extraordinary art collection, to the public in 2021. What follows are five representative paintings culled from the collection for their significance.

Women artists of the 19th and early 20th century had an uphill battle in a world of practicing artists. The Academies were founded by men. The exhibitions were judged by men. Women had to rise above the norm to break into art establishments. The Hamilton-Worthington House is exhibiting four paintings by three women artists of the period: Abby Hill, Harriet Beecher, and Eliza Barchus. Two of those artists’ works are profiled here:

Abby Hill moved to Tacoma, Washington from Iowa in 1889. She exhibited her art in the 1893 Columbian Exposition at the Chicago World’s Fair, the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, and in many other national art exhibitions. She won two gold medals in the 1909 Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Her great fame was established by her numerous landscape commissions from the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railways to promote tourism. She left her personal painting inventory to the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA.

Harriet Beecher moved from Indiana to San Francisco to study at the School of Design. She moved to Port Townsend in 1880, and later moved to Seattle in 1893. Beecher was considered one of the most noted female artists of the 19th and 20th century in America. She was one of the first women artists to be selected to serve on the Panama-Pacific International Exposition’s Advisory Board. FJORD

Harriet Foster Beecher, Pondering, 1895.\ photo: Jeff Childs

Her works were exhibited nationally and she was the recipient of numerous awards. This romantic young lady in an interior, represents a signature work of the Victorian Era in America. The sitter’s formal dress is a sign of classic upper-middle class. The writing desk as a symbol of communication, and the roses, a symbol of love, present us with a young woman pondering a possible suitor.

In addition to these outstanding works by regional women artists, there are also several notable paintings in the collection by their male colleagues:

Paul Gustin was born in Fort Vancouver, Washington. He was a painter and printmaker of Northwest landscapes. His work has been exhibited in New York galleries, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pan-Pacific International Exposition in the San Francisco (1915), Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. as well as the Seattle Art Museum. He taught at the University of Washington in the 1920’s. He has murals in many Northwest buildings.

Stuart painted several paintings in the Hood Canal area in 1891. He started painting at eight years of age. He titled and dated his work on the reverse of his canvases, and is reported to have painted over 5,000 landscapes, many in the Pacific Northwest. He was the grandson of America’s famous 19th century portrait painter Gilbert Stuart, and his paintings have appeared in the White House.

Parrott was considered one of the most accomplished artists of the Northwest. He opened his first studio in Portland, Oregon, in 1867. In 1887 , he closed his studio and painted in the woodlands of northern California, Oregon, and Washington. He moved to Klickatat, Washington, in the 1890’s, but exhibited widely in New York City, Paris, and London. He eventually settled in Goldendale, Washington, where he spent the rest of his life painting the beautiful Northwest. He did not sign many of his donated paintings as he wanted his style and imagery to speak for itself.

Visit worthingtonparkquilcene.org for the 2021 Worthington Park event schedule and updates. Background content on the painting collection provided by Allan Kollar.

The Worthington Estate has a rich history. Learn about the Worthington and Hamilton Families, how the estate came to be acquired by the Quilcene Historical Museum, and read about the restoration of the mansion to its original architectural style. worthingtonparkquilcene.org