January 23 - April 29, 2018
Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl, The Duel, ca. 1891, oil on wood panel. Garry Trudeau.
Masterfully Human: The Art of Gaugengigl surveyed the work of Boston painter and etcher Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl (1855-1932), the first museum exhibition devoted to this Gilded Age artist. The Bavarian-born Gaugengigl created beautifully painted depictions of everyday life, often set in revolutionary-era France, that convey timeless themes such as honor, friendship, love, and beauty. His intimate and evocative works were sought after by Boston area collectors.
Gaugengigl was praised as a master of human expression, with the ability to tell a story in a single gesture or look. The historical characters that populate his charming pictures – cavaliers, lovers courting, connoisseurs, artists, and musicians – are thoroughly engaging. Gaugengigl further captivated viewers with careful research and skillful technique, including strong draftsmanship and luminous light and color. As the etching revival swept Europe and America, Gaugengigl was inspired to create etched versions of his most popular oil paintings. The freedom and directness of the etching process provided additional creative opportunities to enhance his compositions.
In addition to his popular historical genre subjects, the exhibition presented the artist’s work in landscape and portraiture. Gaugengigl’s congeniality helped him secure many portrait commissions from Boston’s elite. The resulting works were praised not only for expert figure modeling, but also for Gaugengigl’s ability to capture the essence of a sitter’s personality.
Organized by the Flagler Museum, Masterfully Human presented 75 works of art, on loan from major private and public collections from across the United States. Lenders to the exhibition were:
The Boston Athenaeum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Brooklyn Museum Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Childs Gallery, Boston Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Paine
Dahesh Museum of Art, New York Private Collection
John G. Hagan and Melody Tortosa The Saint Botolph Club, Boston
Harvard Musical Association Robert N. Shapiro, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Peter Heydon, Ann Arbor Garry Trudeau
D. Roger Howlett Steven and Jennifer Walske
Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New Hampshire
Masterfully Human was complemented by guided exhibition tours, offered each Wednesday at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.
The exhibition also included a two-part Lecture Series.
An illustrated catalogue accompanied the exhibition. To purchase the catalogue, click the image:
Exhibition Reviews:
"Gaugengigl: Flager exhibit revives interest in forgotten Boston painter"
Gretel Sarmiento, Palm Beach ArtsPaper
"Flagler Museum in Palm Beach features one of the best artists you’ve never heard of"
Jan Sjostrom, Palm Beach Daily News
"Tiny treasures: Small works offer a big lesson in Flagler Museum’s Gaugengigl show"
Gretel Sarmiento, Florida Weekly
Exhibition Lecture Series
Each lecture is free for Sustaining level members and above
$10 for Individual and Family members
$28 for Non-members (includes Museum admission)
Space is limited, advance ticket purchase required.
Masterfully Human: The Art of Gaugengigl
Tracy L. Kamerer, Chief Curator, Flagler Museum
3:00 pm Thursday, February 15, 2018
Watch This Recorded Lecture
Exhibition curator and catalogue author Tracy Kamerer discussed the career of Ignaz Gaugengigl in this illustrated lecture, examining his work within the contexts of the etching revival, American art, French history, and Gilded Age taste. A catalogue signing followed the lecture.
The Bostonians: Art and Artists in Boston, 1870-1930
Dr. Erica E. Hirshler, Croll Senior Curator of American Paintings, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
3:00 pm on Thursday, March 1, 2018
Watch This Recorded Lecture
Ignaz Gaugengigl, known for both his fine paintings and fine manner, was an important member of Boston’s art circles. This illustrated lecture explored painting in Boston through the work of William Morris Hunt, John La Farge, John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, Edmund Tarbell, and other contributors to the city’s vibrant artistic scene.
Exhibition underwriting provided by:
