Wadsworth

Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Like other cities in the Northeastern part of the US, colonial era buildings are tucked in amongst modern structures. This has always been one of my favorite features of these older cities- Boston, Philadelphia, Providence are other examples that come to mind. Hartford also has this feature-the gleaming modernity of the Connecticut Science Museum and the Convention Center are juxtaposed against the federal style Old State House (1796) and the classical revival style of the First Church of Christ and the Ancient Burying Ground (1807). Across the street from the Church is the art-deco style Traveler’s Tower, which looms over the Wadsworth Atheneum’s gothic style stone building. The castle-like structure stands out amongst this mix. Founded in 1842 and opened in 1844, the Wadsworth is the oldest continually operating public art museum in the United States.

I live approximately an hour and a half away from Hartford. My companion for the trip was my mom. We traveled to Hartford on a recent Saturday to see a traveling exhibition of the Sistine Chapel, which was held at the Convention Center. We parked at the Convention Center (note: the Wadsworth will validate the parking ticket so that the cost is only 3.00), and walked from the Convention Center to the Wadsworth. The walk was less than 5 minutes, it was well-marked with plenty of signs, there were crosswalks which made crossing traffic safe, and the surfaces were relatively flat. My 78-year-old mom and I had no issues, however, on the weekend, Hartford is quiet, it is possible to find on-street parking closer to the Wadsworth if you prefer not to walk.

Having lived in New England my entire life, and considering myself to be an art-lover, surprisingly I had never heard of the Wadsworth. But in November 2019, on a visit to Rome, I decided to go on a hunt for Caravaggio’s. I picked up a book about his life and work and saw that there is a Caravaggio on permanent exhibit at the Wadsworth. Since then, I’ve been waiting for the opportunity… Covid delayed my visit. So, when I purchased the Sistine Chapel tickets, I decided to combine the two, and truthfully, I expected to only pay a brief visit to the Wadsworth, having this singular Caravaggio mission in mind. I was pleasantly surprised- the Wadsworth is a treasure inside and out. My mom and I spent several hours there, and still did not manage to see everything.

Approaching the entrance to the museum, one cannot help but be impressed by the castle-like appearance of the building. The other feature that stands out is that as you walk up a small hill to reach the entrance of the Museum, at the top sits a large statue of Nathan Hale, a Connecticut hero of the American Revolution. In 1776, Hale was executed by the British for spying. Hale’s purported last words included the following, which have lived on through the centuries- “I only regret, that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

As we stepped inside to purchase our tickets (Level 1), my mom and I were both immediately impressed by the staff. They were very friendly and helpful. We were provided with a map, and a list of the day’s events. We entered the first gallery, which was an exhibition of modern art. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an Andy Warhol piece of Jackie Kennedy. However, despite this I did not allow myself to be distracted by my main purpose. A helpful young woman asked us if we were looking for anything specific, and I asked her where to find the Caravaggio. She knew immediately where to direct us. So, my mom and I took the elevator to Level 2.

We had to pass through the Impressionist Gallery on our way to the Caravaggio. Since we both love Impressionist art, we couldn’t help but stop and look. There was a self-portrait (1887) by Van Gogh, as well as paintings by Degas, Manet, and Cezanne. And for Monet fans, several works, including, of course, one of his ubiquitous water lily paintings (Nymphéas (Water Lilies), 1893), but also my mom’s favorite in the entire Museum, a painting by Renoir of Monet standing in his garden, painting, (Pierre-Auguste Renoir, “Claude Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil,” 1873).

We moved into the next room, which had Italian Baroque paintings. The Caravaggio- “St. Francis in Ecstasy” (1595 or 1596) was magnificent. The oil on canvas features the usual black background that is found in Caravaggio’s works, with his human subjects bathed in soft light that gives his subjects an ethereal glow. St. Francis is emerging from an ecstatic state, bearing Stigmata wounds, and is being cradled by a sweet-faced boy with a pair of wings.

I felt such a thrill being so up-close to a Caravaggio. And unlike Rome, where crowds gather to view his works, I was alone. I could study the painting uninterrupted, in peace and quiet. It was a special moment. Also having been to Assisi, and being a lover of animals, the subject matter was particularly appealing to me- St. Francis is my favorite saint. I spent about 10 minutes just soaking in every detail of the work.

Mission accomplished, my mom and I now wandered leisurely through the rest of Level 2 and enjoyed the rooms of European art. One work that surprised me was “Two Girls with Oleander” (c. 1890-1892) by Gustav Klimt. The painting lacked his usual gold ornamentalism. It was beautiful in its simplicity. This work was one of my favorites in the Museum.

We then climbed the short flight of stairs to Level 3, which houses the American collection. We made sure to stop and view some of my favorites- John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, and John Singer Sargent. The Wadsworth is also known for its large collection of painting from the Hudson River School. Those are not quite to my taste, however, in a corner I spotted a beautiful sculpture of Abraham Lincoln by Daniel Chester French (the designer of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.). Lincoln was standing in contemplation; it was a beautiful and moving piece.

We then wandered down to Level 1 to have a snack at the Cafe. On the way to the Café, we passed through a large white circular room. I spotted a work by Matisse that caught my eye (“The Ostrich-Feather Hat”, c. 1918). This area also has several paintings by Picasso, Dali, and Munch. We did not linger in this area, as we both needed to rest our feet for a bit.

The Café was cozy, and they had a case of various pastries that all looked tempting. My mom and I split a delicious chocolate chip cookie. We then visited the Museum Gift Shop. We were both very impressed by the wide selection of books, scarves, postcards, magnets, and other gifts. We each left with a large shopping bag. However, while looking at the postcards, I realized we missed the Grand Hall, so we backtracked through Level 1. I am so glad we did… the Hall is magnificent! I’ve never seen paintings displayed this way. They covered the walls from the bottom all the way up to the very high ceilings. The Hall was airy and bright. There were benches throughout where you can sit down and just take it all in. The paintings included religious themes, portraits, and military battles. My favorite was “The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775” by John Trumbull. I had to crane my neck to get a good look, it was hung almost as high as the ceiling. Ending our visit to the Wadsworth this way felt like the Grand Finale of a wonderful classical music concert.

My mom and I are already looking forward to returning to Hartford to visit some other places that we didn’t have time to see, and we will be sure to include the Wadsworth on our next trip to Hartford.

Colleen Quigley

Colleen Quigley is an attorney in the US who has spent most of her career in the aviation finance sector. Colleen loves reading, history, art, food & wine, and combines those interests with her passion for travel.