American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists

Exhibited:

(Possibly) New York, National Academy of Design, "Winter Exhibition," January 1920.

Pittsburgh, Carnegie Institute, n.d., no. 465 (as The Blueberry Pickers).

Literature:

(Possibly) American Art News, New York, January 3, 1920, vol. 18, no. 11, pg. 7.

Lot Note:

The Blueberry Pickers exemplifies Frank Desch's embrace of American Impressionism, evident in the painting's loose brushwork, emphasis on natural light, and depiction of an everyday scene. The subject matter, women and children harvesting blueberries, reflects a common theme in late 19th and early 20th-century American art: the depiction of rural life and leisure activities. Although born in Philadelphia and trained by William Merritt Chase at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Desch's artistic development was significantly shaped by his time in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he studied with Charles Hawthorne and was a key figure in the establishment of the Provincetown Art Association. This involvement placed him within a thriving art colony that attracted many artists who, like Desch, were drawn to plein air painting and focused on portraying figures engaged in leisurely outdoor pursuits.