James Wells Champney stands as a significant, if sometimes overlooked, figure in the landscape of late 19th-century American art. Born on July 16, 1843, in Boston, Massachusetts, and tragically passing on May 1, 1903, in New York City, Champney's career traversed various artistic mediums and styles, reflecting the dynamic shifts occurring in the art world during his lifetime. He was an accomplished painter in oils and watercolors, a celebrated master of pastels, a skilled illustrator, and an enthusiastic photographer, whose work captured the essence of American life, from the rural South to the sophisticated drawing-rooms of the North.
Early Life and Artistic Awakenings
James Wells Champney, often known as "Champ," was born into an artistic milieu. His father, Benjamin Champney (1817–1907), was a respected landscape painter and a prominent figure in the White Mountain School of art, known for its romantic depictions of the New Hampshire wilderness. This familial connection undoubtedly provided early exposure to the world of art, though James's initial artistic path led him to an apprenticeship as a wood engraver at the age of sixteen. This craft, demanding precision and a keen eye for detail, would lay a foundational skill set for his later endeavors.
The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 interrupted his burgeoning career. Champney enlisted in the 45th Massachusetts Volunteers and served for nearly a year. His military service, however, was cut short by a severe bout of malaria, leading to his medical discharge. This period of convalescence and reflection seems to have solidified his resolve to pursue painting more seriously. Upon regaining his health, he briefly taught drawing at Dr. Dio Lewis’s school for young women in Lexington, Massachusetts, before embarking on a more formal artistic education.
European Sojourn: Forging a Style
Like many ambitious American artists of his generation, Champney recognized the necessity of European study to refine his talents and absorb contemporary artistic currents. In 1866, he traveled to Europe, a journey that would prove pivotal. He first enrolled at the Royal Academy in Antwerp, Belgium, where he studied under the academic painter Jozef Van Lerius (1823–1876), known for his historical and genre scenes. This provided him with a solid grounding in traditional techniques.
However, it was his time in France that perhaps had the most profound impact. Champney spent time in Paris and, significantly, in Ecouen, a village near Paris that was an artists' colony. There, he studied with Edouard Frère (1819–1886), a highly regarded French genre painter whose sentimental and detailed depictions of peasant life and children were immensely popular. Frère's influence is discernible in Champney's later focus on genre scenes and his sympathetic portrayal of everyday life. During this period, Champney also traveled, sketching in the Rhine Valley and other picturesque locales. His European experiences culminated in his first major public recognition when his painting, The Scribe, was accepted into the prestigious Paris Salon of 1869.
Return to America: Illustration and "The Great South"
Champney returned to the United States around 1870, his skills honed and his artistic vision broadened. He quickly established himself as a capable artist and illustrator. A significant commission came in 1873 from Scribner's Monthly (later The Century Magazine). He was tasked, alongside writer Edward King, to travel through the American South and produce illustrations for a series of articles titled "The Great South." This extensive project, published between 1873 and 1874, offered many Northerners their first comprehensive visual and textual account of the post-Civil War South.
Champney's illustrations for "The Great South" are a valuable historical and artistic record. They depict a wide array of subjects: landscapes, cityscapes, agricultural scenes, and portraits of the diverse peoples of the region, including recently emancipated African Americans. These works demonstrate his keen observational skills and his ability to capture the character of a place and its inhabitants. While working on this series, he met his future wife, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Williams, a writer for children's books, whom he married in 1873. Their collaboration extended beyond the personal, as they often worked together on illustrated books.
Genre Scenes and the Influence of Impressionism
Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Champney continued to paint genre scenes, often depicting charming vignettes of rural life, children at play, and domestic interiors. These works, reminiscent of his teacher Edouard Frère, found favor with the public. His paintings often told a story, imbued with a gentle sentimentality that appealed to Victorian tastes. Works from this period show a meticulous attention to detail and a warm, inviting palette.
While his early training was academic, Champney was not immune to the winds of change blowing from France, particularly the rise of Impressionism. Though he never fully embraced the broken brushwork or purely optical concerns of radical French Impressionists like Claude Monet (1840-1926) or Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), his later work, especially his landscapes and some portraits, shows a lighter palette, a greater interest in capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, and a looser handling of paint. He can be considered part of the first wave of American artists, alongside figures like Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) and John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) (though Sargent's style was uniquely his own), who absorbed Impressionist principles and adapted them to an American context. Other American contemporaries exploring Impressionism included Childe Hassam (1859–1935), Theodore Robinson (1852–1896), and J. Alden Weir (1852–1919).
The Master of Pastel
Perhaps James Wells Champney's most enduring legacy lies in his mastery of the pastel medium. In the late 19th century, there was a significant revival of interest in pastels, a medium favored in the 18th century by artists like Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1704-1788) and Jean-Baptiste Perronneau (1715-1783), but which had fallen somewhat out of fashion. Artists like Edgar Degas (1834–1917) in France and, in America, William Merritt Chase (1849–1916) and Mary Cassatt, were instrumental in this resurgence. Champney became one of its foremost American proponents.
He found pastels particularly suited to portraiture, allowing for a softness, vibrancy of color, and immediacy that was highly effective. His pastel portraits became highly sought after, particularly by society figures. They were seen as elegant and fashionable, capturing not just a likeness but also a sense of personality and vivacity. His skill was such that he was often lauded as one of the finest pastelists in America. He exhibited these works widely, including at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) and other major national exhibitions, where they garnered critical acclaim.
A notable achievement in this realm was his 1897 exhibition at Knoedler Gallery in New York, titled "Types of American Girlhood." This series of around forty pastel portraits celebrated the diverse beauty and character of young American women, from the debutante to the more demure country girl. These works were praised for their charm, technical brilliance, and insightful characterizations.
Landscapes and the White Mountain Legacy
Given his father's prominence in the White Mountain School, it is unsurprising that James Wells Champney also engaged with landscape painting. While perhaps not as central to his oeuvre as his genre scenes or pastel portraits, his landscapes demonstrate a sensitive appreciation for nature. An early example, Sunset Landscape (1862), painted before his extensive European studies, already shows a promising handling of light and atmosphere.
His landscapes often depicted the pastoral scenery of New England and other parts of America he visited. Unlike the grand, sublime vistas favored by earlier Hudson River School painters like Thomas Cole (1776-1848) or Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), Champney's landscapes were often more intimate and imbued with a gentle, sometimes impressionistic, light. He shared this affinity for the more tranquil aspects of nature with other artists associated with the later phases of the White Mountain tradition or those influenced by Barbizon aesthetics, such as George Inness (1825-1894). His connection to the White Mountains was not just familial; he spent summers in the region, sketching and painting, continuing the artistic exploration of this iconic American landscape. Other artists who painted in the White Mountains around this time or were influenced by the school included Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880) and John Frederick Kensett (1816-1872), though their primary association is with the Hudson River School.
Photography, Teaching, and Artistic Affiliations
Champney was a man of diverse artistic interests, and photography captured his imagination. In an era when the relationship between photography and painting was hotly debated, with some artists like Thomas Eakins (1844–1916) using photography extensively as an aid to their painting, Champney embraced it as both a tool and an art form in its own right. He became a keen amateur photographer and later opened a photography studio in New York, specializing in what was termed "naturalistic photography." This interest likely informed his paintings, particularly in terms of composition and capturing momentary effects.
He was also involved in the artistic community of his time. He was a member of the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York, a hub for artists and art lovers, and the American Watercolor Society, reflecting his proficiency in that medium as well. For a period, he also held a teaching position as a professor of art at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, from 1877 to 1884, where he would have influenced a new generation of young women interested in the arts. His wife, Elizabeth, also lectured there.
Artistic Style: A Synthesis
James Wells Champney's artistic style cannot be easily pigeonholed. It was a synthesis of various influences and a reflection of his versatile talents. His early training in wood engraving instilled a discipline of line and detail. His academic studies in Antwerp provided a solid foundation in drawing and composition. His time with Edouard Frère nurtured his inclination towards narrative genre painting, characterized by careful observation and sympathetic portrayal of human subjects.
The influence of Impressionism is evident in his later works through a brighter palette, a more broken application of paint in some instances, and a heightened sensitivity to the effects of light and atmosphere, particularly in his landscapes and outdoor scenes. However, he generally retained a stronger sense of form and narrative clarity than many of his French Impressionist counterparts.
His mastery of pastel allowed for a unique expression, combining the immediacy of drawing with the richness of color. In these works, his touch could be both delicate and bold, capturing textures from the softness of fabric to the luminosity of skin. He was a skilled draftsman throughout his career, and this underpinning of strong drawing is evident even in his more painterly or impressionistic pieces.
Anecdotes and Character
Champney was described by contemporaries as a genial and hardworking artist. His collaboration with his wife, Elizabeth, on numerous illustrated books, such as the "Three Vassar Girls Abroad" series, speaks to a harmonious personal and professional partnership. Their son, Edouard Frère Champney (1874–1929), named in honor of James's esteemed teacher, became an architect, continuing the family's artistic lineage.
One interesting, though perhaps apocryphal or debated, anecdote mentioned in some sources involves Champney expressing a controversial opinion about a damaged painting, suggesting a missing head was a casualty of the French Revolution. Such stories, whether fully accurate or not, add to the human dimension of historical figures. His extensive travels, first for study and later for commissions like "The Great South" and a trip to Brazil (also for Scribner's in 1878-79), indicate an adventurous spirit and a desire to experience and record diverse cultures and environments.
Tragic End and Lasting Legacy
James Wells Champney's productive career was tragically cut short. On May 1, 1903, while at the Camera Club in New York City, he accidentally fell down an elevator shaft and died from his injuries. He was just shy of his sixtieth birthday. His sudden death was a loss to the American art world.
Despite his contemporary success and recognition, Champney's name may not be as widely known today as some of his peers like Winslow Homer (1836-1910) or the leading American Impressionists. However, his contributions remain significant. His illustrations for "The Great South" are invaluable historical documents. His genre paintings offer charming glimpses into 19th-century American life. His pastel portraits are among the finest produced in America during that period, showcasing technical virtuosity and psychological insight.
His work can be found in the collections of numerous American museums, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Deerfield Academy, among others. His painting A Puritan Maiden is a well-regarded example of his work in the Colonial Revival spirit that was also current during his lifetime.
James Wells Champney was an artist who successfully navigated the evolving artistic landscape of his time. He absorbed traditional academic training, responded to the allure of Impressionism, and excelled in the revived medium of pastel. His diverse body of work reflects a deep engagement with American subjects and a commitment to capturing the world around him with skill, sensitivity, and charm. He remains an important figure for understanding the richness and complexity of American art in the latter half of the 19th century. His ability to connect with a broad public through various media, from magazine illustrations to elegant society portraits, underscores his versatility and his role as a chronicler of his era.
