John Henry Twachtman Catalogue Raisonné
An online catalogue by Lisa N. Peters, Ph.D., in collaboration with the Greenwich Historical Society
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The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut, ca. 1890–91 (P.914). Verso: P.914, The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut, showing labels.
Verso: P.914, The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut, showing labels.
Keywords
P.914
The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut
Alternate titles: House at Hang Root; The Old Homestead; The Old House
ca. 1890–91
Pastel on brown paper
9 1/2 x 12 3/4 in. (24.1 x 32.4 cm)
Signed lower left: J. H. Twachtman–
Private collection
Provenance
(Milch, 1928)
Maxime Levin Brewer;
by descent to private collection, 1986;
to (Spanierman, 1998);
(Thomas Colville Fine Art, LLC, New Haven, Connecticut);
to present collection, 2000.
Exhibitions
1891 Wunderlich probably
H. Wunderlich & Co, New York, Paintings in Oil and Pastels by J. H. Twachtman, March 1891, no. 30, as House at Hang Root, pastel.
1904 St. Louis Universal Exposition
Department of Fine Arts, St. Louis, Universal Exposition, April 30–December 1, 1904, no. 1294, as The Old Homestead.
1928 Milch
Milch Galleries, New York, An Important Exhibition of Paintings and Pastels by John H. Twachtman, March 12–24, 1928.
1942–I Babcock
Babcock Galleries, New York, Paintings, Water Colors, Pastels by John H. Twachtman, February 9–28, 1942, no. 22, as The Old House.
2022 Greenwich Historical Society
Greenwich Historical Society, Cos Cob, Connecticut, Life and Art: The Greenwich Paintings of John Henry Twachtman, October 19, 2022–January 22, 2023. (Peters 2021–II), no. 1, as The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Literature
Hale 1957
Hale, John Douglass. "Life and Creative Development of John H. Twachtman." 2 vols. Ph.D. dissertation, Ohio State University, 1957. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms, 1958, vol. 2, p. 530 (catalogue G, no. 970), as The Old House. (Hale concordance).
Peters 2021–II
Peters, Lisa N. Life and Art: The Greenwich Paintings of John Henry Twachtman. Cos Cob, Conn.: Greenwich Historical Society, 2021. Exhibition catalogue (2022 Greenwich Historical Society), pp. 26–27 ill. in color (fig. 17), 104 ill. in color, as The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Peters 2021–III
Peters, Lisa N. "The Greenwich Paintings of John Henry Twachtman." American Art Review 33 (Fall 2021), p. 74 ill. in color, as The Old Homestead, Greenwich, Connecticut.
Commentary

It is likely that this was the pastel Twachtman exhibited as House at Hang Root (no. 30) in his 1891 solo exhibition Wunderlich Gallery. Hangroot was the name for the Greenwich neighborhood where Twachtman settled in 1890, which was then known for its occupancy by a number of African American families. 

Among Twachtman's earliest images of his Greenwich home, the pastel depicts a view toward the dwelling's north facade. Twachtman outlined the house in graphite as if to indicate his role in designing it. At the left is the farmhouse that stood on the land at the time of his purchase, with its three-bay front and central chimney. At the right is Twachtman’s first addition to the dwelling, consisting of a two-story somewhat taller structure with a single dormer facing north and a chimney at the roof’s western end. At the right, Twachtman used a few lines and green shading to suggest the grass-covered root cellar, set into the hill on a perpendicular to the house and obscuring its first floor.

Also at the left is Round Hill Road, where a tall tree marks the southeastern edge of Twachtman’s property. He recorded how trees were aligned with and framed his home. With all of this, he conveyed the harmony between the dwelling and its setting and gave his humble home a regal quality.

A label on the verso of the work indicates that this pastel was exhibited as The Old Homestead at the St. Louis Universal Exposition of 1904. The pastel remained in the artist’s estate until at least 1928.