Emily Rutland: A Regionalist Legacy Rediscovered
March 16 - April 7, 2018
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In recent years, scholarship on Texas Regionalism, or “Lone Star Regionalism,” has largely centered around the artists associated with the legendary Dallas Nine, leaving out assessment of other Texas Regionalists working outside this urban center. One artist long overlooked is South Texas based painter and printmaker Emily Rutland, whose work developed alongside the trajectory of Texas Regionalism and into Modernism at mid-century. Having an opportunity to showcase selected works from the artist’s estate in addition to several private collections, Reaves | Foltz Fine Art is proud to present the first reassessment of this incredible artist through a closer look at her career and artwork in this presentation of paintings and prints dating from the 1930s through the 1960s.
sights about her, and began capturing scenes of daily life on a rural South Texas farm.
In 1927-28, she received formal training, studying theory of painting with Cyril Kay-Scott (1879–1960) in Taos, and attended the San Antonio Art School where she studied with Xavier Gonzalez (1898–1993). Gonzalez was impressed with her early works, and further encouraged her to exploit farm life on canvas and paper. Not long after, she began a successful career in art and subsequently had several short periods of formal training with Frederic Taubes (1900–1981) in 1947-1949); Jacob Getlar Smith (1989–1958) in 1948; Donald Pierce (20th century) in 1957; Leonard Brooks (1911-2011) in 1966; and received informal advice from Lenora McNess Smith (1901-1980). Later, she attended to art courses at Texas Emily Edith Schwarz Rutland (1890–1983) was born on A&I, now Texas A&M University-Kingsville. July 5, 1890 in Lee County to Oscar and Bell Schwarz. She In her early career, was reared on cotton farms and sketched from the time of her childhood growing up in Coryell and Nueces counties, Rutland was a school book in the Petronila area and in Kingsville, Texas. In 1913, she illustrator, but soon became married John Blake Rutland, and relocated to his farm in the an accomplished painter and printmaker. Referred to by one Robstown area where she spent the majority of her life. art writer as "A Rosa Bonheur Although Rutland had been interested in art since of the Barnyard," Rutland her childhood, it wasn’t until the 1920s that she began to often chose horses and mules pursue this passion, having had little opportunities to do so situated in dark, moody outside of farm life. Initially, she approached art through a landscapes as her subjects, correspondence school, from which she received a diploma. and throughout the 1930s, However, the only real benefit gained from this experience her serious study of horse were two good bits of advice: to study with a reputable artists; anatomy contributed to her and to paint what she knew, using life on the farm and the growing national recognition animals as sources for subject matter. Thus, while spending as a printmaker. long hours on the farm, Rutland found time to sketch the Image from Waco Tribune-Herald, December 3, 1961, page 41.
In a 1940 essay "Prints in Texas" published in Southwest Review by renowned art historian, art critic and curator emeritus of prints and drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Carl Zigrosser celebrates Rutland's printmaking, stating:
where she lived until she died on November 18, 1983. She is buried in Robstown. Since her passing, her work as exhibited posthumously in three significant regional museum exhibitions focusig on the Texas Printmakers Guild, Texas woman artist, and South Texas artists. Additionally, in 1998, a number of works by and from Rutland's art collection were donated to the South Texas Archives, a division of Texas A&M UniversityKingsville's Jernigan Library, and are available for public viewing and scholarly research.
Her lithographs stem from the soil and the animals she knows so well—mules and horses and cows—and the wide open spaces. Away off by herself on the farm, in daily contact with the elementals of earth and sky, she works with simple and modest integrity. She draws with intensity and amazing purity of feeling. Such genuine talents as hers, emerging unexpectedly here and there throughout Additionally, Rutland’s artwork can be found in the the land, represent the hope of American in art. following permanent collections: Art Museum of South Texas,
Rutland initially limited herself to drawings and lithographs, but later worked in oil, watercolor, and casein. Through the years, her favorite subjects continued to be the things with which she was most familiar—the farm animals and "lovely Petronilla Creek" near her house. She also sketched in the Rockies and in New Mexico and, as late as 1975, painted in Mexico. Throughout her career, Rutland exhibited widely throughout the United States during her career. In addition to numerous group exhibitions from the 1930-60s, Rutland had over 23 solo exhibitions at important regional museums and institutions during this time. Rutland was a member of numerous art organizations, including: the Texas Fine Arts Association; Southern States Art League; Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers; South Texas Art League (charter member); Texas Watercolor Society; Corpus Christi Art Foundation; and the Corpus Christi Art Guild. As one of the founding members of the South Texas Art League, Rutland taught watercolor to many area artists.
Corpus Christi, Texas; Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Corpus Christi, TX; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX; Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX; Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX; Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX; San Antonio Art League, San Antonio, TX; South Texas Institute for the Arts, Corpus Christi, TX; Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX; Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, TX; Texas A&I University, Kingsville, TX; Trinity University, San Antonio, TX; University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; and more.
In this cursory look at Emily Rutland's life and art, efforts were taken to bring together as much information on the artist as possible, knowing that more scholarship is needed to fully bring her work to the forefront. It is evident that Rutland had few advantages in furthering her career being a female, largely self-taught artist from rural South Texas, but it was through determination and love for art allowed her to many notable achievements in her lifetime. With this exhibition, we hope that collectors and scholars alike will take note of this important Texas artist, and other artists working throughout the state who embraced their own distinct version of "Lone Star In the 1970s, Rutland moved from the Robstown farm Regionalism."
where she had spent over five decades to nearby Kingsville
-Sarah Foltz, Reaves | Foltz Fine Art
Checklist for Emily Rutland: A Regionalist Legacy Rediscovered
Paintings 1.
Along the Escarpment
c. 1965
mixed media on paper
13 x 17.75 inches
2. Brahma c. 1960 oil on canvas 24 x 32 inches 3. Cacti in the Grass c. 1960 oil on masonite 24 x 20 inches 4. Calves 1957 mixed media on paper 24 x 30 inches 5. Curious Calves 1949 oil on canvas 18 x 24 inches 6.
Farm Scene with Mule
c. 1940
mixed media on paper
22 x 26 inches
7. Gone Fishing 8. Corral in the Rain 9. Landscape with Rocks 10. No Shelter
c. 1970
mixed media on paper
19 x 15 inches
c. 1968
mixed media on paper
16 x 22 inches
c. 1965
oil on canvas
28 x 30 inches
1948
oil on canvas
22 x 30 inches
11. Moonlight and Mosquitoes 12. Red Fence
c. 1945
oil on canvas
24 x 30 inches
c. 1970
mixed media on paper
21.5 x 28 inches
13. Rider on Donkey 14. Frolicking
c. 1965
oil on paper
15 x 22 inches
c. 1968
mixed media on paper
15 x 22 inches
15. The Water Trough (Thirsty Cows) c. 1948 16. Tree and Moon 1973 17. Two Cows with Mountains c. 1960
oil on canvas
36 x 40 inches
mixed media on paper
20.5 x 15.5 inches
oil on canvas
24 x 30 inches
18.
Untitled A
c. 1945
mixed media on paper
18 x 23 inches
19.
White Stallions
c. 1945
oil on canvas
24 x 34 inches
20.
Cattle Getting Up, Cold Morning 1943
lithograph on paper
7.75 x 9 inches
21.
Ouch, Mosquitoes!
c. 1940
lithograph on paper
10 x 13 inches
22.
They Had a Flat (Sunday Drive)
c. 1940
lithograph on paper
11 x 14 inches
Prints
1. Along the Escarpment, c. 1965, mixed media on paper, 13 x 17.75 inches.
Exhibition History: 1965, Solo Exhibition, University of Corpus Christi; 1966, Texas Fine Arts Association
2. Brahmas, c. 1960, oil on canvas , 24 x 32 inches.
Exhibition History: 1963, Solo Exhibition, Corpus Christi Theater
3. Cacti in the Grass , c. 1960, oil on masonite, 24 x 20 inches. Exhibition History: 1963, Solo Exhibition, Corpus Christi Theater
4. Calves, 1957, mixed media on paper, 24 x 30 inches.
5. Curious Calves, 1949, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches.
6. Farm Scene with Mule (possibly On the Farm), c. 1940, mixed media on paper, 22 x 26 inches.
7. Gone Fishing, c. 1970, mixed media on paper, 19 x 15 inches.
8. Corral in the Rain, c. 1968, mixed media on paper, 16 x 22 inches. Double-sided with study, en verso.
9. Landscape with Rocks, c. 1965, oil on canvas, 28 x 30 inches.
10. No Shelter, 1948, oil on canvas, 22 x 30 inches.
Exhibition History: 1948, South Texas Art League; 1949, Solo Exhibition, Trinity University, San Antonio.
11. Moonlight and Mosquitoes, c. 1945, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches. Exhibition History: 1951, Texas Fine Arts Association (prize winner)
12. Red Fence, c. 1970, mixed media on paper, 21.5 x 30 inches.
13. Rider on Donkey, c. 1965, oil on paper, 15 x 22 inches.
14. Frolicking, c. 1968, mixed media on paper, 15 x 22 inches.
15. The Water Trough (Thirsty Cows), c. 1948, oil on canvas, 36 x 40 inches. Exhibition History: 1949, Solo Exhibition, Trinity University, San Antonio
16. Tree and Moon, 1973, mixed media on paper, 20.5 x 15.5 inches.
17. Two Cows with Mountains, c. 1960, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches.
18. Untitled A, c. 1945, mixed media on paper, 18 x 23 inches
19. White Stallions, c. 1945, oil on canvas, 24 x 34 inches.
Prints
20. Cattle Getting Up, Cold Morning (Morning), 1943, lithograph, 7.75 x 9 inches.
Exhibition History: 1943, Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition; 1943, International Print and Drawing Exhibition, Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin; 1944, Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers Exhibition, Dallas (honorable mention); 1944, Texas Print Exhibition, Dallas; 1990, Texas Printmaker Retrospective, Southern Methodist University, Dallas
21. Ouch, Mosquitoes!, c. 1940, lithograph, 10 x 13 inches.
Exhibition History: 1944, Texas Print Exhibition, Dallas; 1945, Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmaker; 1948, Solo Exhibition, Corpus Christi Centennial; 1949, Solo exhibition, Trinity University, San Antonio
22. They Had a Flat (Sunday Drive), c. 1940, lithograph, 11 x 14 inches. Exhibition History: 1941, Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas
EMILY RUTLAND (1890-1983)
Selected Biographical and Career Highlights 1890 Born in Lee County, Texas 1913 Marries John Blake Rutland and moves to a farm near Robstown 1927-28 Formally studies under Cyril Kay-Scott in Santa Fe, New Mexico 1928 Studies under Xavier Gonzalez in San Antonio, Texas 1930-40s Received art training during summer workshops in Corpus Christi, Texas 1970s Moves to Kingsville, Texas 1983 Dies in Kingsville, Texas Selected Solo Exhibitions 1933 Solo, Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio 1934 Solo, Delgado Museum of Art, New Orleans 1935 Solo, Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio 1935 Solo, Delgado Museum of Art, New Orleans 1937 Solo, Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio 1937 Solo, Delgado Museum of Art, New Orleans 1939 Solo, Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin 1947 Solo, Texas College of Arts and Industries, Kingsville 1947 Solo, Corpus Christi Centennial Museum 1948 Solo, Corpus Christi Centennial Museum Including: Ouch Mosquitoes, Muddy Corral, The Frolicking Calves, October in the Rockies, Autumn Trees, Colorado Landscape, Redhead, Mother, On the Farm, Gulf Breeze, Morning Mail (watercolor), Chickens (watercolor), Backyard (watercolor), The Black Bull (watercolor), Night Wind, Goats, The Sleepy Calf, The Mule Colt, Night Wind, and While Leaving Pagosa Springs. 1949 Solo, Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin 1949 Solo, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin 1949 Solo, Trinity University, San Antonio Including: The Water Trough, Cats, The Struggle, The District, Contented Mules, No Shelter, Startled (oils), Horses Playing, Sunday Drive, Ouch! Mosquitoes, Baby White Faces, Thirsty Cows, Muddy Corral, Gulf Breeze (lithographs), Surprise, In the Hay Lot, Still Life, Mackie's, Browsing, Chickens, Little Mexico, Restless, Going Home, Red Door, Twilight, and Forlorn (watercolors).
1952 Solo, Corpus Christi Centennial Museum Including: Dust Storm, Changing Weather, Quien Sabe (watercolor), Browsing, Displeased, Moonlight and Mosquitoes, Green Period, Fine for Hay, The Barn (watercolor), Blacksmith Shop, The Joint, and Saltillo. 1953 Solo, Corpus Christi Centennial Museum 1957 Solo, Texas College of Arts and Industries, Kingsville 1959 Solo, Corpus Christi Art Supply 1961 Solo, Waco Museum for Contemporary Arts 1963 Solo, Corpus Christi Little Theater Including: Heigera, Cotton Pickers, Boats, Sunset on the Bay, Sketching Party, The Three Goats, Cacti in the Grass, Farm Buildings, Driscoll Slack, Brahmas, Guineas, Chickens, Fall Pasture, Red Pony and Calf. 1965 Solo, University of Corpus Christi Including Petronila Creek, Brown Pony, Remembering, Tender Moment, Along the Escarpment, Pink and Green, Still Life, Cacti and In the Brush. 1967 Solo, Pan American Galleries, San Antonio 1968 Solo, Texas College of Arts and Industries, Kingsville 1968 Solo, University of Corpus Christi (solo) Selected Group Exhibitions 1928 Dallas Woman's Club (etchings) 1929 Edgar B. Davis Competition, San Antonio, Cotton Harvest 1931 Texas Federation of Women's Clubs, Lubbock, Idling (honorable mention) 1932 Elks Club, Laredo 1933 Southern States Art League, Alone (print) 1935 Southern States Art League, Domineering (drawing) (prize) 1936 Southern States Art League, On a Cotton Farm; A Cold Spell Breaking (drawing); Attention (lithograph) 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, Dallas Mules (drawing) 1937 Southern States Art League, Approaching Norther (lithograph) 1937 Southeast Texas Artists Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Pete and His Podner (lithograph) (honorable mention), 1938 Southern States Art League, Pete and His Podner (lithograph) 1938 Texas Fine Arts Association 1939 Southeast Texas Artists Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Cotton Pickers Camp (watercolor); The Young Calf (drawing)
1940 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition 1940 South Texas Art League, Cows 1940 Corpus Christi Art Guild 1941 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Horses in a Rain Storm (watercolor) 1941 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas, They Had a Flat; Thirsty Cows (lithographs) 1941 South Texas Art League, Adoring the Twins; Skim Milk Calves; Jerseys; Rough Necks 1941 Texas-Oklahoma General Exhibition, Corralling Mules 1941 Corpus Christi Civic Center, Esherberger Gin-Robstown; Henhouse Scene (watercolors) 1941 Corpus Christi Centennial Museum, Around the Henhouse 1942 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas, Friends (lithograph) 1942 South Texas Art League 1942 Whitney Museum of American Art 1943 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Cattle Getting Up in the Morning (lithograph) 1943 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas, (prize) 1943 Texas Fine Arts Association, Morning 1943 Corpus Christi Art Guild 1943 International Print and Drawings Exhibition, Elisabet Ney Museum, Austin, Cows Getting Up in the Morning (lithograph) (honorable mention) 1943 Texas Print Exhibition, Dallas, Cold Wind (prize), Cattle Getting Up in the Morning (lithographs) 1944 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas, Cold Morning; Cattle Getting Up In the Morning 1944 Texas Fine Arts Association 1944 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Just for Fun; The Pasture 1944 Texas Print Exhibition, Dallas, Ouch! Mosquitoes 1944 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Exhibition 1945 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Young Calf 1945 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas, Ouch! Mosquitoes 1945 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Exhibition 1946 Texas Fine Arts Association
1946 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Cotton Picker 1946 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas 1946 South Texas Art League, Night Winds (honorable mention); Suspense; Black Nets (watercolor) 1946 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Exhibition, Wind and Rain 1946 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Street Scene (prize) 1947 Texas Fine Arts Association, Cotton Pickers, The District 1947 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Muddy Corral 1947 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas, Muddy Corral; Dark Thoughts 1947 South Texas Art League, Cotton Pickers (honorable mention) 1947 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Exhibition, Goats (prize) 1947 Corpus Christi Art Foundation 1948 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Contented Mules (prize), The Struggle 1948 Printmakers Guild/Texas Printmakers, Dallas 1948 South Texas Art League, No Shelter 1948 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Exhibition 1948 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Catty (prize) 1948 South Texas Fair, Kingsville, Redbirds (prize) 1949 Texas Fine Arts Association, Black Tom (honorable mention); Ouch! Mosquitoes (prize) 1949 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, (prize) 1950 South Texas Art League 1950 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Sun Bath; Thirsty Cows (prize) 1950 Texas Watercolor Society, Surprise 1951 Texas Fine Arts Association, Browsing 1951 South Texas Art League, Sunny Pastures (prize) 1951 Texas Watercolor Society, In the Stable 1952 Texas Fine Arts Association 1952 South Texas Art League, Calves; Onion Harvest 1952 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, (prize) 1952 Texas Watercolor Society, Quien Sabe (prize); The Lookout 1952 Woman's Friday Club Exhibition, Mexia, Calves (prize) 1952 Contemporary Texas Painters, Miami Beach Art Center, Florida 1953 South Texas Art League, Cotton Pickers (prize); On the Farm (watercolor) (prize) 1953 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Corpus Train (watercolor) (prize) 1953 Texas Watercolor Society, (prize) 1954 South Texas Art League, Shrimps; Mexican Study (watercolor) (honorable mention)
1954 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Jackdaws (prize) 1954 Texas Watercolor Society, The Lumber Yard 1955 South Texas Art League, Joy of Living (watercolor) (prize) 1955 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, (prize) 1955 Texas Watercolor Society, Shrimp Boat; On the Island (prize) 1956 South Texas Art League, The Shady Corral (watercolor) (prize) 1956 Corpus Christi Art Foundation 1957 South Texas Art League 1958 Texas Fine Arts Association, Composition in Painting 1958 South Texas Art League 1959 Texas General/Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Cotton Pickers 1959 Texas Fine Arts Association, Farm Buildings 1959 Texas College of Arts and Industries, Kingsville Landscape (honorable mention) 1959 Texas Watercolor Society 1961 South Texas Art League, Still Life (prize) 1961 Robert Talman Gallery, Dallas 1962 Texas Fine Arts Association, Young Steer (honorable mention) 1962 Texas Watercolor Society 1963 Texas Fine Arts Association, From Field to Field 1963 South Texas Art League 1964 Texas Fine Arts Association, The Swamp 1965 Texas Watercolor Society 1965 Texas Fine Arts Association, Solitude 1965 South Texas Art League, (prize) 1966 Texas Fine Arts Association, Along the Escarpment (prize) 1967 Texas Fine Arts Association, Young Steer 1967 South Texas Art League, Arroyo Petronila 1967 River Art Show, San Antonio 1968 Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Arroyo Petronila 1971 Texas Fine Arts Association 1973 Texas Fine Arts Association, Picnic Patterns 1990 Texas Printmakers Retrospective, Meadows Museum, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Getting up in the Morning; A Cold Wind 1993 Women Artists of Texas 1850-1950, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon 1997 Our Own Artists (1944-1972), Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi
Selected Public Collections Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi Art Foundation, Corpus Christi, Texas Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas San Antonio Art League, San Antonio, TX South Texas Institute for the Arts, Corpus Christi, Texas Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio, Texas Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
The Mission of Reaves | Foltz Fine Art
Reaves|Foltz Fine Art is dedicated to the promotion of premier Texas artists, from Early Texas Masters and Mid-Century Pioneers to Contemporary Regionalist Artists. The gallery showcases many of the region’s most accomplished and recognized talents who maintain a significant connection to the state of Texas. The gallery represents and exhibits artists working in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, works on paper, and photography.
The History of Reaves | Foltz Fine Art Since the gallery started in 2006 as William Reaves Fine Art on Brun Street in Houston, the exhibition program has been augmented by survey and group shows that investigate current themes in contemporary art within a historical context. Sarah Foltz joined the gallery as Director in 2013, became partner in 2014. At that time, the gallery becameReaves|Foltz Fine Art, and relocated to 2143 Westheimer in the historic River Oaks District. William Reaves retired from the gallery in December of 2017, and Sarah Foltz assumed ownership. She is dedicated to maintaining the core mission of the gallery. In addition to promoting the work of represented artists, our strength is guiding and educating both the new, as well as the seasoned, collector. We actively advise and assist institutions and private individuals in the acquisition and sale of artworks. Many of our represented artists have been acquired into impressive private and institutional collections around the world, with many earning their first museum exhibitions through the gallery. The gallery has mounted numerous monographic exhibitions, as well as published scholarly catalogues, and has aided in the publication of several book projects, both on represented artists and key environmental issues affecting Texas landscape and wildlife. Critically acclaimed gallery artists and their work have been reviewed nationally and locally in publications, such as Art in America, Art Houston, Paper City, Southwest Art, Texas Monthly, Art Ltd., Glasstire, The Houston Chronicle, Art + Culture Texas, and Culture Map, among others. William Reaves|Sarah Foltz Fine Art also has a strong reputation as a secondary market specialist, offering research and source artworks of exceptionally high quality with the utmost discretion. The gallery offers the following art services: Fine Art Appraisals, Brokering, Consulting, and Sales. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm and other times by appointment. William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art 2143 Westheimer Road Houston, TX 77098 713-521-7500 info@reavesart.com Sarah Foltz, Gallery Owner Mariah Rockefeller, Director sarah@reavesart.com mariah@reavesart.com