Discovering the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Collection at the Georgia Museum of Art

This gift of 14 paintings greatly expanded the museum's holdings of major artists like John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer.

By Georgia Museum of Art

This selection offers a snapshot of some of the art world’s most important movements, genres, and artists

Misty Day, Venice (1869) by John Leslie BreckGeorgia Museum of Art

Mary Virginia Terry and her late husband C. Herman Terry are among the most generous donors in the history of the University of Georgia. Its business school bears their name, and they have supported faculty chairs, the general scholarship fund at the university, and the College of Pharmacy.

Two Girls on a Hillside (1879) by Winslow HomerGeorgia Museum of Art

The Terrys' legacy continues through this gift of paintings and works on paper to the Georgia Museum of Art. This selection offers a snapshot of some of the art world’s most important movements, genres, and artists, from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century.

View from the Holley House, Cos Cob (1901) by John Henry TwachtmanGeorgia Museum of Art

John Henry Twachtman taught summer painting courses to artists in Cos Cob, Connecticut. This small oil shows his ability to use color and form to express the atmosphere of a specific time and place.

Autumn Scene (1910/1913) by Maurice PrendergastGeorgia Museum of Art

Maurice Prendergast helped expose American audiences to modern French artists. This landscape reflects the influence of European modernism in its saturated colors and large, chunky brushstrokes.

The Mill Dam, Cos Cob (1903) by Childe HassamGeorgia Museum of Art

Impressionism emerged in Paris in the 1870s. Its revolutionary nature comes to life in landscapes by French and American painters.

Saint Palais (1895) by Armand GuillauminGeorgia Museum of Art

Armand Guillaumin was a founding member of the impressionists and a friend of Vincent van Gogh. He won the lottery in 1891 and was able to devote himself to painting.

Impressionist artists captured the fleeting effects of natural light with soft colors and rapid and broken brushstrokes. Bold colors and contrasts became a trademark of the modern art period that followed, setting new grounds and taste for audiences in Europe and the United States.

The Mill Pond (1919) by Ernest LawsonGeorgia Museum of Art

A lover of plein air painting and bright, pure colors, Ernest Lawson is often called a “true impressionist.” He favored the winter landscape of the Hudson River Valley, likely the location of this painting.

River Landscape (1910) by Ernest LawsonGeorgia Museum of Art

Two Girls on a Hillside (1879) by Winslow HomerGeorgia Museum of Art

Winslow Homer was 26 before he took up painting, virtually teaching himself. He often painted the activities of contemporary American women, here portraying a popular leisurely outdoor outing.

Misty Day, Venice (1869) by John Leslie BreckGeorgia Museum of Art

The son of a navy captain, John Breck became close friends with famed French impressionist Claude Monet. This work shows a scene from Venice, a popular spot for other American painters.

The Mill Dam, Cos Cob (1903) by Childe HassamGeorgia Museum of Art

Childe Hassam produced numerous views of the city and countryside during his successful career. This one shows the artists’ colony at Cos Cob, Connecticut.

Zinnias, Petunias and Delphinium in a Yellow Pottery Crock (1879/1952) by Laura Coombs HillsGeorgia Museum of Art

The tradition of still life, rooted in models of Dutch and Flemish painting, also continued to inspire artists.

The Good Life XXVIII (1979) by John Stuart IngleGeorgia Museum of Art

John Stuart Ingle is known for his realistic still-life watercolors. He insisted that his work was not photorealist but informed by his visual intuition.

Zinnias, Petunias and Delphinium in a Yellow Pottery Crock (1879/1952) by Laura Coombs HillsGeorgia Museum of Art

Laura Coombs Hills was an accomplished miniature painter who, due to failing eyesight, turned her attention to creating larger pastel still lifes at the age of sixty.

Carriage in St. Augustine (1900/1956) by Gifford BealGeorgia Museum of Art

Gifford Beal was known for his excellent use of color and his willingness to experiment and change his style, which he did several times over his long career.

The Portal of S. Giorgio Maggiore, Venice (1903) by John Singer SargentGeorgia Museum of Art

Between 1898 and 1913, John Singer Sargent visited Venice almost every year, attracted by the city’s beauty and unique landscape. He produced many spontaneous watercolors outdoors, like this one.

View of Paris from the Banks of the Seine (1869/1928) by Albert LebourgGeorgia Museum of Art

Albert Lebourg began his career as an architect but quickly decided to pursue landscape painting. He took up impressionism with a passion. The broken brushstrokes capture a fleeting contemporary moment.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Related theme
International Museum Day 2020
From iconic art to cutting-edge fashion, get a better appreciation and understanding of culture from around the world
View theme
Google apps