CONTRASTS & HARMONIES
Between 1909-1911, Manigault periodically abandoned his subdued palette in order to adopt one of brilliant jewel-like color. Paintings produced on these occasions, such as Gazebo in Central Park, appear to glow, as if they were illuminated from within. During this phase of his career, he also began to explore avant-garde styles that were less grounded in realism. Many of the resultant works feature colors and techniques adopted from Post-Impressionist and Fauve sources that he may have encountered at Alfred Stieglitz’s “291” gallery.

In a number of paintings from this stage in his career, Manigault composed forms in this work out of discrete dots of color. This technique, known as Divisionism, was popularized by French Post-Impressionist painters, including Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. Although varying in subject matter from still lifes to landscape and urban settings, and even a religious narrative scene, the paintings in this period are all characterized by an exploration of color contrasts and harmonies and by their colorful mosaic-like patterning.

These years also marked increasing attention
for the artist. In 1909 and 1910, Manigault’s work was exhibited in two solo shows at the Haas Galleries in New York, as well as in the influential “Exhibition of Independent Artists” in 1910. Comprised of work by many of Robert Henri’s students, this exhibition revealed how Manigault’s new dappled facture and vivid aesthetic separated him from those artists still working within the style of the New York School. The bold colors in Manigault’s paintings from this period prompted a critic for the New York Tribune to state that “Mr. Middleton Manigault’s pictures rival the peacock in gorgeous hues.”
THE ZOO
(MENAGERIE IN CENTRAL PARK)
1911
Collection of Mr & Mrs
Raymond L Balsamy