Thomas Doughty and Patrick J. Sullivan
HUNTINGTON MUSEUM OF ART
The Huntington Museum of Art in Westvirginia has recently acquired two important paintings—the rarest of their kind by each respective artist—that relate to the history of art in the Mountain State.
The first is an oil by noted landscape painter Thomas Doughty, Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The piece, which has a warm, glowing quality to it, portrays the intersection of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. Dated 1825, the painting was likely started one year prior when the famous ferry that gave Harpers Ferry its name was discontinued and replaced with a covered wooden bridge. “This work was an amazing acquisition for our museum as it has now become one of the earliest dated landscapes depicting West Virginia to be housed in the collection of any museum in the state,” says Geoffrey K. Fleming, executive director of the Huntington Museum of Art. “It has been a privilege to bring this work back home where it belongs.”
Tranquility, the second acquisition, comes from Patrick J. Sullivan, one of the most famous surrealist artists to emerge from West Virginia. Completed somewhere between 1939 and 1941, the oil painting was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in 1943, though Sullivan’s success lasted for only a brief period, and the artist eventually abandoned painting. “It had been four decades since one of his paintings appeared for sale, so it became a do-or-die moment for us,” says Fleming. “We needed to act as quickly as humanly possible to secure this work as it might have been another four decades before another became available. Being able to acquire one of his masterpieces, and one that had been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art during his lifetime, was a miraculous opportunity.”
This quote keeps repeating in my mind since John first posted it on Twitter on March 30, less than a week before he passed away from COVID-19. The thought of us all celebrating together, now without him, brings a tremendous sadness to me. I keep thinking about the last time I saw him, in November at The American Art Fair. I remembered how absolutely dedicated he was to his wife while she was ill and I asked him if her health had improved. A smile quickly lit up his face, and he joyfully informed me that she was back in good health and they were looking forward to getting their lives back to normal.
I don’t know what to say about the passing of a friend, acquaintance and client. I will miss talking to him about all his projects, from the Minnesota Marine Art Museum to the Palmer Museum of Art; I’ll miss his warm personality, gentleness and accessibility that always made him so easy to talk to; I’ll miss his guidance and knowledge; and of course I’ll miss his friendship and smile. Right now, I can’t imagine The American Art Fair happening without his booth in its usual spot. From what I’ve gathered, from speaking with his director, Kate Kamp, the family is planning to continue with the gallery, so let’s hope they will be present when we all come together in November. We might not be able to celebrate again with John, but having his loved ones present will at least create some comfort in our sorrow.
“John was transformed and transfixed by art from a young age and nothing excited him more than a discovery of a new artist or artwork, or a relevant mention in an old book,” says Kamp.“he was a brilliant scholar and had an incredible eye. John taught us, his colleagues, how to really look at a painting inch by inch and to learn from every clue. It was thrilling to work with him every day. He was so uniquely generous with his knowledge and experiences. John was passionate about the impact art had on all our lives and the importance of the work we do.”
“I knew John from his early days in Boston at the Driscoll & Walsh gallery,” says Howard Godel. “He went on to an illustrious career and sold art to so many museums all across America. He will be greatly missed.”
Fortunately, before he passed away, we were able to publish an article on John’s donation of more than 100 drawings to the Palmer Museum of Art at his alma mater, Penn State University. At the time, Adam Thomas, curator of American art at the Palmer, said the following:“rarely do gifts of art to a museum transform a collection. In quality, size and scope, John Driscoll’s gift is truly transformative…thanks to John’s generosity we will be able to provide a more comprehensive history of American art to our tens of thousands of visitors each year.”
Joshua Rose