Image Credit: Elliot Daingerfield, Landscape, undated, watercolor on paper, 9 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches; Framed: 19 7/8 x 21 1/4 x 2 inches. On loan from The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina
May 31 – October 19, 2025 | Fort Gallery
Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct explores the development of Tonalism, a distinctly American artistic movement responding to early modernist impulses in painting. Emerging in the latter half of the 19th century, Tonalism was characterized by subtle color harmonies, soft atmospheric effects, and contemplative, mood-driven scenes. Often emphasizing twilight or dawn landscapes, tonalist works evoke introspective, serene, or even ominous atmospheres, prioritizing mood and emotional resonance over detailed realism.
Central to the exhibition is Elliott Daingerfield (1859–1932), one of North Carolina’s most celebrated artists. Daingerfield’s connection to Tonalism is reflected in his expressive interpretations of the Southern landscape, particularly around Blowing Rock, where he summered for over four decades. His art is distinguished by poetic subtlety and spiritual undertones—qualities highly valued by tonalist painters. Although Daingerfield resisted a single or dogmatic approach, Tonalism profoundly shaped his artistic evolution.