Summer

Object Details

• Artist

  Dwight William Tryon (1849-1925)

• Designer

  Stanford White (1853-1906)

• Description

  A mass of woods across an open field.

• Signatures

  Signature- D.W. Tryon, MDCCCLXXXII, in lower left corner.

• Label

  In 1891, Tryon offered to paint a picture or two for the house Charles Lang Freer was building in Detroit "a dream of Beauty," as it was described, "inside and out." Freer readily accepted Tryon's offer, and before long the commission had grown to include five landscapes for the main hall: Summer, Autumn (F1893.16), Winter (F1893.17), Springtime (F1893.14) and Dawn (F1906.86). In these "decorations," as Tryon called these paintings, the artist attempted to maintain the classic "purity" of the interior design by keeping a consistent horizon in every scene. Although some of the paintings were occasionally exhibited separately, Freer and Tryon always regarded them as an "ensemble."

• Provenance

  From 1893 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from the artist, Dwight William Tryon on April 12, 1893 [1]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See Voucher No. 22, April 1893, Box 2, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Curatorial Remarks, S. Hobbs, 1978: One of a series of four canvases based on the seasons, the painting was commissioned for Freer's new home in Detroit which was built in 1892-1893.

  [2] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Choice Spirits: Works by Thomas Dewing and Dwight Tryon (March 9, 1996 to July 7, 1997)

  The Sixty-Seventh Annual Exhibition (January 10, 1898 - February 22, 1898)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dwight William Tryon (1849-1925) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  United States

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1890s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tryon, Dwight William

• Place

  United States

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, American Art, Summer

• Culture

  Americans

• Object Type

  Paintings