Charles Burchfield: Elemental

 The Whitney Museum of American Art presents Charles Burchfield: Elemental, an exhibition exploring Charles Burchfield’s (1893–1967) lifelong pursuit of what he described as the “tremendous force of nature.” Drawn entirely from the Whitney’s collection, the presentation brings together nine watercolors created between 1916 and 1960, tracing more than four decades of the artist’s singular engagement with the natural world and his transformation of landscape into an expression of emotion, atmosphere, and spiritual intensity. 

Opening October 22, 2026, Charles Burchfield: Elemental spans Burchfield’s career, from the radical experimentation of his early works to the expansive, visionary landscapes of his later years. Flowering meadows, insects, storms, rain, changing seasons, and turbulent skies become more than observations of the environment in Burchfield’s work. Through heightened color, rhythmic forms, and an intensely personal visual language, the artist rendered nature as something alive, psychologically charged, and continually in motion. 

“As we contend with a vulnerable planet, the watercolors in Charles Burchfield: Elemental are important and resonant today,” said Caroline Webb, Curatorial Assistant. “Burchfield's attention to the dynamic cycles of the natural world and the care and reverence with which he articulated his unique perspective on nature in its most expansive sense reveals, as he once put it, ‘how vital nature is, besides being beautiful.’” 

Among the works on view are Cricket Chorus in the Arbor (1917), An April Mood (1946–55), and Cold September Rain (1957). Together, the works reveal Burchfield’s remarkable ability to translate sensory experiences—the sound of insects, the movement of wind, fluctuations of light, or the arrival of a storm—into compositions that approach the transcendent. 

Rather than representing landscape as a fixed setting, Burchfield envisioned the natural world as an elemental force capable of reflecting states of memory, wonder, solitude, and awe. Burchfield began developing this distinctive approach to watercolor early in his career. His works from the 1910s demonstrate an already unconventional understanding of landscape, in which trees, flowers, weather, and sound seem to possess their own emotional and spiritual presence. Across the decades that followed, he continually returned to these subjects, expanding upon earlier compositions and developing increasingly immersive visions of the environment. 

The works gathered in Elemental demonstrate the extraordinary continuity of this pursuit across his career. The exhibition also marks seventy years since the Whitney organized Burchfield’s landmark 1956 retrospective, an important moment in the Museum’s longstanding engagement with the artist. 

The Whitney has collected Burchfield’s work for generations, establishing a significant representation of his practice within its holdings of twentieth-century American art. Charles Burchfield: Elemental offers a new opportunity to consider that history while examining the continued resonance of his deeply personal interpretations of the American landscape. American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. 

 Images

Charles Burchfield, Cricket Chorus in the Arbor, 1917. Transparent and opaque watercolor, brush and ink, and wax crayon on paper mounted on board, 22 1/8 × 18 3/16 × 1/8 in. (56.2 × 46.2 × 0.3 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Anne and John Straus 2009.203. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

Charles Burchfield, Cold September Rain, 1957. Watercolor, chalk and charcoal on paper mounted on board, 29 15/16 × 39 3/4 in. (76 × 101 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Charles Simon Bequest 96.60.10. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center Publicity

Charles Burchfield, The Tall White Sun, 1917. Watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite pencil on paper, 22 × 18 in. (55.9 × 45.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase 31.410. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center

Charles Burchfield, Winter Light, Backyard, 1949-60. Watercolor on board, 39 7/8 × 25 13/16 in. (101.3 × 65.6 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon K. Gross 76.34. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

Charles Burchfield, Overhanging Cloud in July, 1947-59. Watercolor on paper mounted on board, 39 7/8 × 36 in. (101.3 × 91.4 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with funds from the Friends of the Whitney Museum of American Art 60.23. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

Charles Burchfield, August Evening, 1916. Watercolor and graphite pencil on paper, 19 15/16 × 14 in. (50.6 × 35.6 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lesley G. Sheafer 55.43. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

 Charles Burchfield, Wet Snow and Ice, 1947-55. Transparent and opaque watercolor on paper, 37 7/8 × 30 in. (96.2 × 76.2 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Vincent B. Murphy, Jr. 95.89. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

 Charles Burchfield, An April Mood, 1946- 55. Watercolor and fabricated chalk on paper, mounted on board, 40 × 54 in. (101.6 × 137.2 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with partial funds from Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Fleischman 55.39. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

Charles Burchfield, Noontide in Late May, 1917. Opaque and transparent watercolor, and graphite pencil on paper, 22 × 18 in. (55.9 × 45.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase 31.408. Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation and the Burchfield Penney Art Center 

Artemisia Gentileschi in Florence

 From October 21, 2026, to April 4, 2027, the Museo degli Innocenti , for the first time, an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Artemisia Gentileschi’s Florentine period.

In Florence, Artemisia reached her artistic maturity: she was the first woman to be admitted to the Academy of Arts, received prestigious commissions from the Medici family, associated with Galileo Galilei and her contemporary artists, and was at the center of the cultural life of the time. Here, Artemisia established herself as an artist, free from the intrusive media attention that had forced her to leave Rome, and found her own path—one that would lead her to take her rightful place among the great masters of art history.

The exhibition aims to explore a crucial and formative phase in the painter’s personal and artistic journey, marked by her departure from Rome and her deep integration into the cultural, intellectual, and artistic fabric of 17th-century Medici-ruled Tuscany.

The exhibition, titled *Artemisia Gentileschi in Florence* and curated by Costantino D’Orazio, Cristina Acidini, and Sandro Bellesi, focuses on Artemisia’s stay in Florence, which marks the moment when the artist reached her creative maturity. Having left behind the complex and oppressive media attention that had marked her time in the capital, the painter found in the Tuscan city the ideal conditions to assert her talent. It was precisely in Florence that she achieved institutional milestones of exceptional significance for the time: Artemisia became, in fact, the first woman ever to be admitted.to the Academy of the Arts of Drawing. During her years in Florence, she attracted the attention and esteem of the Medici court, receiving highly prestigious commissions from the grand ducal family, forming friendships and associations with leading intellectuals such as Galileo Galilei, and engaging with the city’s foremost contemporary artists.

The exhibition also features two masterpieces by Caravaggio.

IMAGES

Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes (c. 1623–1625

Artemisia Gentileschi, Allegory of Inclination (1616; oil on canvas, 152 x 61 cm; Florence, Casa Buonarroti)

Artemisia Gentileschi, Bathing Bathsheba (circa 1645–1652; oil on canvas, 286 x 214 cm; Florence, Uffizi Galleries, Palatine Gallery, Berenice Room)

Artemisia Gentileschi, Susanna and the Elders (1652; oil on canvas, 200.3 x 225.6 cm; Bologna, National Art Gallery, Emilia-Romagna Museum Complex). Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture—Photographic Archive of the National  Museums of Bologna—Regional Directorate of National Museums of Emilia-Romagna

Shannon’s 2026 Fall Fine Art Auction October 29th

Shannon’s 2026 Fall Fine Art Auction Featuring Quality American Masterpieces

Shannon’s will host their annual Fall Fine Art Auction on Thursday, October 29th at 6PM ET. The auction, featuring roughly 200 lots, will showcase several examples of quality American Art.

Shannon’s excels at attracting quality 19th century American paintings and this sale is no exception. Quality still-life paintings are led by a Severin Rosen, Still Life with Fruits, estimated at $15,000-25,000. Originally sold by Shannon’s in 1999, this work has been in a private collection since.

A Thomas Worthington Whittredge depicting a picnic scene on the banks of the Hudson River will be offered at $20,000-30,000. The painting dates to ca. 1860 when the artist transitioned his European training into a distinctly American style. Whittredge expert Anthony Jansen identified the scene as likely Grand View just below South Nyack. Other 19th century American art including a group of works by Fidelia Bridges will be prominently featured in the auction.

American Impressionist works are led by a mother daughter painting by Charles Courtney Curran estimated at $25,000-35,000. The figure group framed by a blossoming rhododendron illustrates the artists expertise in painting both flowers and people. The sunlit composition is a beautiful dual portrait of a mother and daughter in the garden.

Contemporary American Impressionist Laurence A. Campbell will be featured with three paintings of New York City subjects. The largest of three, “Broadway in Winter”, 24 x 20 inches depicts American flags lining a busy New York City street scene. Shannon's is excited to offer Campbell's patriotic painting this year as a highlight of the broader 250th anniversary celebrations. The painting is estimated to bring $30,000-50,000.

Modernist paintings will be featured as well including a Henrietta Mary Shore titled Beach Flower. This abstract shell-like composition illustrates the influence of Georgia O’Keefe on the artist. Estimated at $40,000-60,000 this work will likely attract interest from both private collectors and museums. Shore was a Canadian-born artist who spent most of her artistic career working in Los Angeles and New York.

Other artists featured in the October 29th auction include Luigi Lucioni, Emile Albert Gruppe, Lester Johnson, Jane Peterson, Carrie Mae Weems, Aaron Douglas, and more.

Shannon’s will host a public preview at their gallery beginning on October 19th through October 28th (weekdays from 11AM-5PM) and on Saturday, October 24th (from 10AM-3PM). Sign up to receive periodic sale updates via email on shannons.com or follow Shannon’s on social media. Quality consignments are accepted year-round. For questions about the October 29th auction or consignments at Shannon’s, contact the gallery at 203-877-1711 or at info@shannons.com.

 

20: ALFRED JACOB MILLER (Attributed to), American 1810-1874, Green River, 1851, oil on canvas, 27 x 34 in. (68.6 x 86.4 cm.)

Estimate:$200,000 - $300,000
Starting Bid:$100,0000 Bids

73: WILLARD LEROY METCALF, American 1858-1925, Spring at Leete's Island, 1908, oil on canvas, 26 x 29 in. (66 x 73.7 cm.)

Estimate:$150,000 - $250,000
Starting Bid:$75,0000 Bids

80: WIFREDO LAM, Cuban 1902-1982, "Personnage 1", 1939, oil on card on canvas, 36 x 23 1/4 in. (91.4 x 59.1 cm.) (sight), Frame: 37 1/4 x 24 1/4 x 1 1/2 in. (94.6 x 61.6 x 3.8 cm.)

Estimate:$150,000 - $250,000
Current Bid:$75,0001 Bid

89: HENRY KOERNER, Austrian-American 1915-1991, "The Bride", 1950, casein on canvas, 56 1/2 x 40 in. (143.5 x 101.6 cm.), Frame: 57 1/2 x 40 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (146.1 x 103.5 x 5.7 cm.)

Estimate:$100,000 - $150,000
Starting Bid:$50,0000 Bids

34: EASTMAN JOHNSON, American 1824-1906, Crossing a Stream (Pig-a-Back), 1866, oil on canvas on board, 21 1/4 x 17 in. (54 x 43.2 cm.), Frame: 32 x 28 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. (81.3 x 71.8 x 8.9 cm.)

Estimate:$80,000 - $120,000
Starting Bid:$40,0000 Bids

99: RACKSTRAW DOWNES, English b. 1939, "Approach to Holland Tunnel with 75 Varick", 1989, oil on canvas, 35 1/4 x 60 1/4 in. (89.5 x 153 cm.), Frame: 36 1/2 x 61 1/2 x 2 in. (92.7 x 156.2 x 5.1 cm.)

Estimate:$70,000 - $90,000
Starting Bid:$35,0000 Bids

131: WILLIAM TROST RICHARDS, American 1833-1905, Autumn Landscape, oil on canvas, 13 1/2 x 20 3/4 in. (34.3 x 52.7 cm.), Frame: 22 3/4 x 29 3/4 x 4 in. (57.8 x 75.6 x 10.2 cm.)

Estimate:$60,000 - $80,000
Starting Bid:$30,0000 Bids

19: CARL HOLSOE, Danish 1863-1935, Reading by a Sunlit Window, oil on canvas, 30 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. (77.5 x 69.9 cm.), Frame: 39 1/2 x 36 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (100.3 x 93.3 x 8.9 cm.)

Estimate:$60,000 - $80,000
Starting Bid:$30,0000 Bids

35: BOB ROSS, American 1942-1995, Autumn Palette, ca. 1992, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. (61 x 76.2 cm.), Frame: 26 3/4 x 32 3/4 x 1 1/4 in. (67.9 x 83.2 x 3.2 cm.)

Estimate:$50,000 - $75,000
Starting Bid:$25,0000 Bids

29: IRVING RAMSAY WILES, American 1861-1948, "The Studio, Peconic", oil on canvas, 34 1/4 x 46 1/4 in. (87 x 117.5 cm.), Frame: 43 1/4 x 55 1/4 x 4 1/2 in. (109.9 x 140.3 x 11.4 cm.)

Estimate:$40,000 - $60,000
Starting Bid:$20,0000 Bids

45: HENRIETTA MARY SHORE, Canadian 1880-1963, Beach Flower, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm.), Frame: 23 1/2 x 27 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. (59.7 x 69.9 x 4.4 cm.)

Estimate:$40,000 - $60,000
Starting Bid:$20,0000 Bids

36: ERIC SLOANE, American 1905-1985, "The Red Bridge", oil on masonite, 24 x 36 in. (61 x 91.4 cm.), Frame: 29 1/2 x 41 3/4 x 2 1/4 in. (74.9 x 106 x 5.7 cm.)

Estimate:$30,000 - $40,000
Current Bid:$19,0004 Bids

128: FIDELIA BRIDGES, American 1834-1923, Portfolio of 79 pieces, mixed media, 13 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (34.3 x 47 cm.) (largest); 23 x 17 inches (portfolio, overall)

Estimate:$30,000 - $50,000
Starting Bid:$15,0000 Bids

102: JOHN STEUART CURRY, American 1897-1946, "Outside the Bigtop", 1932, oil on masonite, 19 1/4 x 25 1/2 in. (48.9 x 64.8 cm.) (sight), Frame: 25 3/4 x 31 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (65.4 x 80.6 x 4.4 cm.)

Estimate:$30,000 - $50,000
Starting Bid:$15,0000 Bids

From Gaudí to Picasso. Masterpieces from the Carmen Thyssen Collection

Palazzo Albergati, Bologna

9 October 2026 to 29 March 2027

Darío de Regoyos, El mes de María, 1884. Oil on canvas, 90 x 120 cm. 

René con il gatto (Renée with the Cat), created in 1920 by the Catalan artist Josep de Togores i 

 Presented for the first time anywhere in the world, the renowned and prestigious Carmen Thyssen Collection makes its debut in Bologna, in the magnificent historic rooms of Palazzo Albergati, bringing over 100 absolute masterpieces to the city.

From 9 October 2026 to 29 March 2027, the exhibition ‘From Gaudí to Picasso’ will take you on a journey of discovery through one of the most extraordinary and vibrant periods in the history of European art, recounting the remarkable era when Barcelona became the pulsating, unstoppable heart of modernity.

Through an exhibition itinerary brimming with charm and poetry, you’ll have the exceptional opportunity to admire up close the works of 20th-century giants such as Antoni Gaudí, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró, alongside great masters of the Catalan and international art scenes, including Santiago Rusiñol, Joaquim Mir, Isidre Nonell, Joaquim Torres-García and Julio González.

It is a total immersion in the bohemian energy spanning the late nineteenth century to the 1930s. Ranging from Modernism, Symbolism, Cubism and Surrealism, the exhibition is an invitation to dream amongst the tables of Barcelona’s historic cafés, to stroll whilst bathed in the warm Mediterranean light, and to breathe in that incredible creative revolution that shaped the avant-garde movements and transformed the history of art forever.

An unmissable event for anyone visiting Bologna this autumn and winter.Between the late 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, Barcelona was a creative hub where artists and architects experimented with new forms of expression, giving rise to a movement that would change the course of art history. This is the world that takes shape at Palazzo Albergati in Bologna with the exhibition *From Gaudí to Picasso: Masterpieces from the Carmen Thyssen Collection*, on view from October 9, 2026, to March 29, 2027.

The exhibition brings together over one hundred works by forty artists, many of which are on view in Italy for the first time. The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the artistic transformations of the Catalan capital, placing figures such as Antoni Gaudí, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí in dialogue with other key figures of the cultural scene of the time.

Curated by Jordi Falgàs, the exhibition features a selection of works from the Carmen Thyssen Collection, alongside important pieces from other institutional and private collections. 

Between the late 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, Barcelona was a creative hub where artists and architects experimented with new forms of expression, giving rise to a movement that would change the course of art history. This is the world that takes shape at Palazzo Albergati in Bologna with the exhibition *From Gaudí to Picasso: Masterpieces from the Carmen Thyssen Collection*, on view from October 9, 2026, to March 29, 2027.

Alphonse Mucha

 

Grand Hôtel-Dieu, Lyon

September 4, 2026 to January 24, 2027

For the first time , from September 4th , an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Alphonse Mucha , the father of Art Nouveau, one of the absolute protagonists of European figurative culture between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and an extraordinary poet of feminine charm and beauty, comes to Lyon.

Featuring over 90 original works of incomparable beauty—including posters, drawings, and paintings from Mucha's oeuvre—the exhibition explores how, in his research, the figure of women became the unifying thread of a universe in which theater, advertising, photography, nature, spirituality, and cultural identity intertwine, creating one of the most recognizable visual languages ​​of all time.

His female figures, today among the most celebrated images of the Belle Époque, are not merely symbols of elegance or beauty. Through them, Mucha explores theater, advertising, the birth of the modern brand, photography, nature, spirituality, national identity, and the relationship between art and society. Thus, women become the unifying thread of a new visual universe in which aesthetics and communication, symbol and market, memory and innovation intertwine in a surprisingly timely synthesis.

Everything will be housed in a new space, in the centre of Lyon, in the most beautiful historic building in the city, which will become a fascinating museum exhibition venue: the Grand Hôtel-Dieu , which will captivate visitors with the major exhibitions by Arthemisia and Fever.

The exhibition, curated by art historian Giulia Silvia Ghia , is produced by Arthemisia and Fever , in collaboration with Art Nouveau Production sro Collection and BRIDGECONSULTINGpro , thanks to the extraordinary loan of Portu Gallery Investments sro, Prague.

The Alfonse Mucha collection, managed by Art Nouveau Production, is heading to France. From September 4, 2026 to January 24, 2027, the collection will be on public display in the historic Grand Hôtel-Dieu de Lyon.

The exhibition presents over 90 original works divided into six thematic sections, from iconic Parisian posters to decorative panels and more personal work from his later years. The exhibition closes with an immersive projection room, where Mucha’s works come to life through light and projection.

Mucha and France: where Art Nouveau was born

Alfons Mucha left to study in Paris in 1887, and it was there that he built, over the following years, a successful career as an influential painter and graphic artist, one that made him one of the most prominent figures in European fine art at the turn of the century.

The turning point came in 1894, when Mucha designed a poster for the play Gismonda for Sarah Bernhardt, then Paris’s most famous actress, despite never having designed a poster before. The poster became an instant sensation, launched a six-year collaboration with Bernhardt, and laid the foundations of the style we know today as Art Nouveau.

The works are already in place

The collection’s move to France has been successfully completed.

Grand Hôtel-Dieu is one of the most significant historic buildings in the center of Lyon, where Arthemisia and Fever hold their major international exhibitions. The works are already settled into their places across the exhibition’s sections, and starting tomorrow, Friday, September 4, the first visitors will see them.

About the exhibition in Lyon

Visitors will see over 90 original works, from iconic posters to decorative panels and textiles, to the more personal and politically engaged work from Mucha’s later years after his return to his homeland. The exhibition culminates in an immersive room, where projection transforms his works into a moving, living scenography.

The exhibition is open from September 4, 2026 to January 24, 2027.