Augustus Vincent Tack (1870-1949) stands as a significant, if sometimes overlooked, figure in the narrative of American art. His career spanned a transformative period, witnessing the twilight of academic tradition and the dawn of modernism. Tack navigated this shifting landscape with a unique sensibility, creating a body of work that encompasses evocative portraits, grand murals, and, most notably, deeply spiritual abstract paintings that prefigured later movements like Color Field painting. His art serves as a luminous bridge, connecting the symbolic and decorative impulses of the late 19th century with the introspective and abstract explorations of the 20th.
Early Life and Artistic Formation
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 9, 1870, Augustus Vincent Tack moved with his family to New York City in 1883. This relocation proved pivotal, placing him at the heart of America's burgeoning art scene. He received a classical education, graduating from St. Francis Xavier College in New York in 1890. However, his artistic inclinations soon led him to the renowned Art Students League of New York, a crucible for many aspiring American artists.
At the League, Tack studied under influential figures who shaped his early development. Among his teachers was H. Siddons Mowbray, known for his allegorical murals and refined classicism. Perhaps more significantly, Tack also came under the tutelage of John La Farge, a multifaceted artist celebrated for his stained glass, murals, and easel paintings, and a figure deeply interested in color theory and the integration of art with architecture. La Farge's eclectic approach and his explorations of spiritual themes likely resonated with Tack's own developing artistic and intellectual interests. Another prominent instructor at the League during this era, Kenyon Cox, championed academic principles, providing Tack with a solid grounding in traditional techniques even as he began to explore more personal modes of expression.
The Influence of Mentors and European Exposure
Tack's artistic education was not confined to New York. Like many ambitious American artists of his generation, he sought further refinement and exposure in Europe. He made several trips to France, notably in 1893, 1895, and 1896. During these visits, he immersed himself in the Parisian art world, studying independently and absorbing the currents of Post-Impressionism and Symbolism that were then captivating the avant-garde.
While in Paris, he is known to have worked alongside French painters, though specific names are not always extensively documented in relation to direct collaboration. However, the influence of French Symbolist painters such as Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, with his serene, decorative murals and allegorical figures, is palpable in Tack's later mural work and his approach to large-scale compositions. The atmospheric qualities and spiritual undertones found in the work of Odilon Redon, another key Symbolist, also find echoes in Tack's more abstract and mystical pieces. These European experiences broadened Tack's artistic horizons, exposing him to alternatives to American academicism and Impressionism, and fueling his interest in art that conveyed deeper, often intangible, meanings.
The Emergence of a Personal Vision: Symbolism and Early Abstraction
Upon his return to the United States, Tack began to forge a distinct artistic identity. While he continued to undertake portrait commissions, a genre in which he achieved considerable success, his personal explorations veered increasingly towards works imbued with symbolic and spiritual content. His early style showed an affinity with the Tonalist painters, such as Dwight Tryon and James McNeill Whistler, who emphasized mood and atmosphere through subtle gradations of color.
However, Tack pushed beyond Tonalism, incorporating elements of Art Nouveau's sinuous lines and decorative qualities, and the profound emotional depth of Symbolism. He was not alone in this pursuit; American artists like Albert Pinkham Ryder were also creating deeply personal, mystical works that resonated with a romantic, introspective view of nature and the human spirit. Tack’s paintings from this period often feature ethereal landscapes, suggestive figures, and a palette that favored rich, resonant hues, aiming to evoke rather than merely describe.
His early abstract works, which began to emerge in the 1910s and 1920s, were groundbreaking for their time in American art. These were not the hard-edged geometric abstractions of European Cubism or Constructivism, but rather organic, atmospheric compositions that seemed to emanate from an inner, spiritual source. They often drew inspiration from natural forms—clouds, mountains, water—but transformed these elements into almost purely abstract arrangements of color and light, anticipating the later explorations of artists like Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still, though Tack's spiritual underpinnings were perhaps more explicitly tied to traditional religious and philosophical ideas.
The Crucial Patronage of Duncan Phillips
A pivotal relationship in Tack's career was his long-standing friendship and artistic association with Duncan Phillips, the founder of The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., America's first museum of modern art. Phillips became Tack's most important patron, acquiring numerous works over several decades and providing him with consistent encouragement and a prominent platform.
Phillips, a discerning collector and critic, recognized the unique quality of Tack's vision. He saw in Tack's art a continuity with the great romantic and spiritual traditions of painting, yet also a distinctly modern sensibility. The two men collaborated on various projects, including the organization of the Allied War Salon in 1918, an exhibition intended to showcase art related to World War I and to support the Allied cause. This collaboration further solidified their bond and Tack's standing in the art world.
The Phillips Collection today holds a significant body of Tack's work, including some of his most celebrated abstract paintings. Works such as Aspiration (c. 1930-31), a soaring, luminous abstraction, exemplify the kind of art Phillips championed. For Phillips, Tack's abstractions were not mere formal exercises but profound "abstractions from nature" that captured its spiritual essence. This patronage was crucial, as it ensured Tack's work was seen and preserved, and it provided him with the financial and moral support to pursue his increasingly unconventional artistic path, especially during periods when abstract art was not widely accepted in America. Other artists championed by Phillips, like Arthur Dove and John Marin, shared Tack's interest in abstracting from nature, though their stylistic approaches differed.
Mastery in Mural Painting: Public Art and Grand Narratives
Alongside his easel paintings, Augustus Vincent Tack was a highly accomplished muralist, undertaking significant commissions for public and private buildings. His training with John La Farge, a master of decorative arts, undoubtedly prepared him for the challenges of large-scale mural work, which required not only artistic skill but also an understanding of architectural context and the ability to convey complex themes.
Tack's murals often blended allegorical figures with decorative motifs, reflecting the influence of both classical traditions and the more contemporary impulses of Art Nouveau and Symbolism. He served as President of the National Society of Mural Painters, a testament to his standing in this field. His contemporaries in American mural painting included figures like Edwin Howland Blashfield, who executed numerous commissions for state capitols and public buildings in a more academic, Beaux-Arts style, and Violet Oakley, one of the few women to achieve prominence as a muralist, known for her work in the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
Tack's mural projects included decorations for the legislative buildings in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and significant works in the United States. He created murals for the William Cullen Bryant Memorial in Central Park, New York, and for various university buildings, including a notable series at Penn State University. These public works allowed Tack to engage with broader audiences and to explore themes of history, culture, and human aspiration on a grand scale. His approach often sought a balance between traditional representation and a more modern, decorative sensibility, making his murals distinctive within the context of early 20th-century American public art.
The Nebraska State Capitol Murals: A Monumental Achievement
One of Tack's most important mural commissions was for the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, designed by the architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. Goodhue, known for his innovative Gothic Revival and Art Deco-influenced designs, envisioned a building that would be a cohesive work of art, integrating architecture, sculpture, and painting. Tack was selected in 1923 to create murals for the Governor's Suite.
Completed and officially opened to the public in 1927 and 1928, these murals are a remarkable fusion of symbolic representation and proto-abstract design. The series, sometimes referred to collectively as The State, depicts themes related to the history and aspirations of Nebraska, including panels representing the four seasons of agriculture, which were central to the state's identity. Rather than employing a strictly realistic or academic style, Tack used flattened perspectives, stylized figures, and rich, jewel-like colors, creating compositions that are both monumental and intimately decorative.
The Nebraska murals demonstrate Tack's ability to adapt his evolving style to the demands of a major public commission. The works possess a certain medieval quality in their patterning and symbolism, yet they also exhibit a modern sensibility in their bold use of color and abstracted forms. They stand as a testament to the fruitful collaboration between artist and architect, and represent a significant moment in American mural painting, where traditional allegorical content was expressed through an increasingly modern visual language. These murals are considered among his most original contributions to public art.
Later Abstractions: Exploring the Spiritual and the Sublime
In the later decades of his career, particularly from the 1920s through the 1940s, Tack increasingly devoted himself to abstract painting. These works, often referred to as his "spiritual abstractions" or "cosmic landscapes," are arguably his most original and enduring contribution to American art. They moved away from direct representation, seeking to evoke profound emotional and spiritual states through color, light, and texture.
These abstractions are characterized by their luminous, often non-representational fields of color, built up in layers that create a sense of depth and inner radiance. Titles such as The Voice of Many Waters (c. 1923-24), Time and Timelessness (c. 1943-44), and Release (c. 1930s) suggest the metaphysical concerns that animated these paintings. Time and Timelessness, for instance, was a monumental curtain designed for the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University, a vast expanse of swirling, atmospheric color that aimed to transport the viewer beyond the everyday.
These works share affinities with the romantic sublime found in the landscapes of 19th-century painters like Albert Bierstadt or Thomas Moran, but Tack translated this sense of awe and wonder into a non-objective language. There is also a strong connection to Eastern art, particularly Chinese landscape painting, in their emphasis on atmosphere, spiritual resonance, and the artist's inner state. Artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Marsden Hartley were also exploring abstraction rooted in nature and personal experience during this period, though Tack's particular blend of Western spiritualism and abstracted natural forms was unique. His late abstractions are seen by many art historians as prescient, anticipating the concerns of Abstract Expressionists like Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko, who also sought to create art that could evoke transcendent experiences.
Key Representative Works
Several key works encapsulate the breadth and depth of Augustus Vincent Tack's artistic journey.
Portraits: While not his most avant-garde works, Tack's portraits, such as that of his friend and patron Duncan Phillips or the sensitive depiction of Helen Keller, demonstrate his skill in capturing likeness and character with a refined, often introspective quality. These works provided him with a steady income and maintained his connection to more traditional art circles.
The Voice of Many Waters (c. 1923-24): This painting is a prime example of his early move towards spiritual abstraction. It features dynamic, swirling forms in blues, greens, and whites, suggesting the power and majesty of nature, perhaps a turbulent sea or a cosmic event, without resorting to literal depiction. It evokes a sense of primordial energy and the sublime.
Nebraska State Capitol Murals (1923-1928): As discussed, these murals, particularly those in the Governor's Suite, are a significant achievement in public art. They blend symbolic narratives about Nebraska's heritage and agricultural life with a decorative, semi-abstract style that is both monumental and visually rich.
Aspiration (c. 1930-31): Housed in The Phillips Collection, this work is often considered one of the pinnacles of his abstract period. It features a vertical composition with ascending forms and luminous colors, primarily blues, golds, and reds, creating a powerful sense of upward movement and spiritual striving. Duncan Phillips himself considered it a masterpiece of modern spiritual art.
Time and Timelessness (c. 1943-44): This massive stage curtain for George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium is one of his largest abstract works. Its vast, atmospheric fields of color were intended to create an immersive environment, reflecting Tack's belief in art's power to evoke profound, almost mystical experiences. The work explores themes of eternity and the ephemeral nature of time through purely abstract means.
These works, among others, highlight Tack's versatility and his consistent exploration of art's capacity to express deeper spiritual and emotional truths, whether through portraiture, public murals, or pure abstraction.
Tack as an Educator and Advocate
Augustus Vincent Tack was not only a prolific artist but also an active participant in the art world as an educator and advocate. He taught for many years at institutions such as Yale University and the Art Students League, where he had once been a student. His teaching would have exposed a new generation of artists to his ideas about the spiritual in art and the importance of personal vision.
His leadership role as President of the National Society of Mural Painters (from 1928 to 1930 and again from 1935 to 1937) underscores his commitment to this art form and his standing among his peers. In this capacity, he would have advocated for the importance of mural painting in public life and supported fellow artists working in the field. He was also elected an Associate Member of the National Academy of Design in 1939 and a full Academician in 1943, prestigious recognitions that affirmed his contributions to American art.
Furthermore, Tack was involved in organizations like the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework in Massachusetts, reflecting an interest in the Arts and Crafts movement and the integration of art into everyday life. His engagement with various artistic and educational institutions demonstrates a desire to contribute to the cultural fabric of his time beyond his own studio practice. He was a respected voice, and his opinions on art and aesthetics were valued by contemporaries like Duncan Phillips and the critic Frank Jewett Mather Jr.
Contemporaries and Artistic Milieu
Tack's career unfolded within a dynamic and diverse American art scene. He was a contemporary of the Ashcan School painters like Robert Henri and John Sloan, who focused on gritty urban realism, though Tack's own inclinations were more towards the poetic and spiritual. He also worked alongside the American Impressionists, such as Childe Hassam and J. Alden Weir, but his path diverged as he delved deeper into Symbolism and abstraction.
His explorations in abstraction ran parallel to those of other American modernists like Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Max Weber, all of whom were seeking new forms of expression in the early 20th century, often inspired by European avant-garde movements but also by a distinctly American sensibility. While Tack may not have been part of the Stieglitz circle, which included Dove, Hartley, O'Keeffe, and Marin, his work shares their pioneering spirit in forging an American modernism.
In the realm of mural painting, he was active during a period that saw major public art projects, influenced by figures like Kenyon Cox and Edwin Howland Blashfield, who represented a more academic tradition, and later by the social realists of the WPA era. Tack's mural style, however, maintained its unique blend of decorative elegance and symbolic depth. His interactions with architects like Bertram Goodhue were also crucial, highlighting the collaborative nature of much public art. The support of patrons like Duncan Phillips and critics like Royal Cortissoz (though Cortissoz was generally more conservative) also shaped the reception of his work.
Artistic Style and Techniques
Augustus Vincent Tack's artistic style is characterized by its evolution and its synthesis of diverse influences. His early works show a mastery of academic draftsmanship and a Tonalist sensitivity to color and atmosphere. As he matured, his style became more personal, incorporating the flowing lines of Art Nouveau and the evocative imagery of Symbolism.
In his abstract paintings, Tack developed a distinctive technique. He often worked on a textured surface, applying paint in thin layers or glazes, allowing colors to interact and create a sense of luminosity and depth. His palette ranged from rich, jewel-like tones to more ethereal, atmospheric hues. The compositions are often organic and flowing, suggesting natural phenomena like clouds, mountains, or water, but abstracted to the point where they become vehicles for spiritual or emotional expression.
He was particularly adept at creating a sense of light emanating from within the canvas, a quality that enhances the mystical or transcendent feeling of his abstractions. Unlike the more analytical abstractions of Cubism, Tack's approach was intuitive and emotive, aiming to connect with the viewer on a spiritual level. This emphasis on the subjective experience and the evocative power of color and form links him to a romantic tradition, even as his abstract language places him firmly within modernism. His use of materials, often oil on canvas, sometimes mounted on board, was conventional, but his application and vision were uniquely his own.
Legacy and Enduring Influence
Augustus Vincent Tack died in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in July 1949. While he was well-regarded during his lifetime, particularly through his association with Duncan Phillips and his public mural commissions, his reputation somewhat faded in the post-World War II era with the rise of Abstract Expressionism. However, in more recent decades, there has been a renewed appreciation for his work, particularly his prescient abstract paintings.
His legacy lies in his role as a transitional figure who successfully navigated the complex artistic currents of the early 20th century. He demonstrated that an artist could embrace modern abstract principles while remaining rooted in a deep spiritual and humanistic tradition. His abstract works, with their emphasis on color, light, and transcendent experience, are now seen as important precursors to later developments in American abstraction, particularly Color Field painting and Lyrical Abstraction. Artists like Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland, who were associated with the Washington Color School and also championed by Duncan Phillips, later explored similar concerns with the emotive power of pure color, albeit through different techniques.
Tack's murals continue to adorn public buildings, testaments to his skill in large-scale composition and his ability to integrate art with architecture. The Phillips Collection remains a key repository of his work, ensuring that his unique vision is accessible to contemporary audiences. His art reminds us that the path to modernism was not monolithic, but comprised many individual journeys, and Tack's journey was one of profound spiritual seeking expressed through the transformative power of color and light. He remains an important figure for understanding the diverse roots of American modern art and the enduring quest for the spiritual in an increasingly secular age.
