GAUGEN WHO?
Flagler Museum has 1st Gaugengigl exhibit
If you’ve never heard of Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl, you’re not alone. His name has fallen into obscurity.
But late in the 19th century he was one of the most celebrated painters in Boston.
In 1885, the travel guide “King’s Handbook of Boston” declared “the time is at hand when no public or private collection in America will be complete without a specimen of Gaugengigl’s choice work.”
Gaugengigl’s popularity with Boston collectors is one reason why his work is not better known. Most of his work remains in private collections.
It’s taken more than 130 years but Gaugengigl finally has his first museum show and catalog, thanks to the Flagler Museum. With more than 74 paintings, etchings, drawings and objects, “Masterfully Human: The Art of Gaugengigl” is the largest exhibition ever devoted to his art.
“This is a darn good artist who people ought to know,” said chief curator Tracy Kamerer, who organized the exhibition.
Gaugengigl, who trained in the academic tradition, was admired for his draftsmanship, use of color and luminous light. But it wasn’t only his technique that made him so popular.
“He was known as a master of human expression,” Kamerer said. “With just a facial expression or a gesture he could tell an entire story.”
In the painting “The Chess Players,” one player’s posture and gaze says it all. He’s obviously waiting with barely disguised impatience as his opponent ponders his next move.
Gaugengigl composed the painting like a stage set, stripping the background of detail to focus attention on the figures, which he painted with meticulous care.
“His pictures are designed to direct the eye to specific places,” said collector and art dealer John Hagan, a lender to the show. “With Gaugengigl, it goes directly to the face.”
Gaugengigl emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1878 and settled in Boston, which was then as much of an art hub as New York. He blended easily with the burgeoning art and social club scene — and his paintings were snapped up nearly as fast as he created them.
Which wasn’t very fast. On average, he created about eight paintings a year. He was a meticulous craftsman.
The exhibition includes four versions of “The Duel” — a painting plus three etchings featuring subtle variations in which the artist experimented with different points of emphasis.
Gaugengigl preferred making small, intimate paintings. “The Chess Players” is only 7 inches by 8 inches.
His favorite subjects were romanticized figures of the past, particularly France in the 1790s. Many works, such as “On the Promenade,” depict royalist counter-revolutionaries, who expressed their political views with outlandish dress.
He also painted several works depicting artists, musicians, readers and art connoisseurs.
He had a lively sense of humor, as can be seen in works such as “Scherzando,” in which a suitor attempts to captivate a young woman with his lute playing. She leans as far away from him as possible, using her fan as a barrier.
When historical genre subjects declined in popularity at the turn of the 20th century, Gaugengigl turned to portraiture. His skill and social connections ensured that he had plenty of commissions.
“These are the most powerful businessmen in Massachusetts,” Kamerer said. “They’re painted so sensitively, you feel you can know who they are.”
The anti-German sentiment ignited by World War I destroyed Gaugengigl’s career.
In his final years, he relied on a small group of friends to obtain commissions. He died in debt in 1932, nearly forgotten by the art world.
The Flagler Museum will continue to do its part to popularize Gaugengigl’s work even after the show closes April 29. The museum has acquired five etchings and an illustrated book by the artist. The etchings will be hung in the second-floor period rooms.