Florence Griswold Experience

I don’t know what I expected to find when I arrived at the Florence Griswold museum but it wasn’t what I anticipated as we pulled in to the driveway. I had heard my mother and some other family members talk about the museum; however, I had never gone so what I had in mind wasn’t close to what the museum had in store. As we pulled in I saw this beautiful older home in front of me; which I quickly took a photo of. It was the type of home that I would love to have and the setting was quaint as well. I thought to myself, wow, this isn’t what I expected. I am actually going to get to tour through this gorgeous home! I have to tell you that exploring through homes really excites me. I don’t know if it is because as a child my parents and I would always visit old homes and tour through them, even if they were abandoned. It was probably dangerous to go through the empty deserted ones but it was exciting. I grew up in a house that was built in 1690 so I have a real appreciation for older homes.
I was fortunate to have my mother along with me who has visited the museum several times before so she could give me some additional information on the home and the life of Florence Griswold.
I really found this museum so uncommon because the other museums that I have visited so far have been inside a building which was established for the purpose of a museum but this wasn’t entirely that way. There was more history to the property than just a building holding spectacular pieces of art; it was where the spectacular artists created their work. I thought how amazing to be where some of the most famous artists have lived and painted.
The tour began behind the Griswold home at the Krieble Gallery. This gallery was completed in 2002, it is a modern type building that has temporary and permanent exhibitions and a brief film. The gallery was much smaller than the others I have visited so far but still had some wonderful paintings. The Florence Griswold Museum is known as the Home of American Impressionism. So you can imagine that the majority of the work was impressionist paintings. Impressionism was a 19th century art movement where painters used distinct dabs of bright colors which were unaccustomed to the art of that time period. Impressionists create their picture using spontaneous brushed strokes of paint which remarkably formulate into a clear picture. It is really an interesting way to paint, from a distance it looks like a crisp, clear image but as you move in closer to the painting you can see how it is really made up of random strokes.
I was prohibited from taking photos in the gallery; however, as I ventured up to the house I snapped a picture of the rear of the building so that you can get an idea of just how beautiful this home really is. As my mother and I ventured inside we were greeted by two guides who gave us some interesting information about Florence’s life and then left us on our own to tour the house. It was so elegant inside; although most of the pieces inside aren’t original, they are representative of the time period that Florence lived. I secretly snapped a few photos inside, please don’t tell!This is one of the bedrooms that an artist would have stayed in while visiting at the Griswold home. I just love how old fashioned it looks and the bed is the original to the home.
The house was far from small; there were several rooms in the downstairs. The one that was of particular interest to me was the dining room. The artists would spend time inside the home painting on the doors and walls. The dining room was where most of this type of painting was done. Almost every panel had a different scene painted, it was quite interesting. Unfortunately the guide was there so I didn’t attempt to photo any of it. But it was certainly a sight to see if you ever have the chance.
As I headed upstairs, I found even more remarkable pieces. One that I found the most beautiful and stunning was this painting Summer at Hadlyme done by Willard Metcalf in 1914.This was a large piece that was displayed on an easel. I would have to guess it was probably 2 ½ ft by 3 ½ ft but don’t hold me to it; I am not all that good at determining size without a tape. It was large enough to make a statement but not too big to where it would overpower a room. I would love to have this painting over my fireplace mantle.
Metcalf was considered one of the leading impressionist landscape artists. The caption on the wall informed me that the woman in the painting is Metcalf’s second wife and his daughter. Through the door you can see the lush of the outdoors which is painted in an impressionist form. Metcalf spent a time at the Griswold house and then settled in the area with his family.
There are many gardens surrounding the estate, which unfortunately I was not able to appreciate as we are in the winter months now and the flowers have gone by. I plan on going back in the late spring with my mother again to see all the gardens in bloom. It looks as though it would be a beautiful sight. Miss Florence was an avid gardener; she had both flower and vegetable gardens. And with the river right behind the home there are many beautiful landscapes for artists to replicate in their work. Once you have visited the estate you can appreciate why so many famous artists aspired to this location.