Greshville Antiques and Fine Art will present The Annual Berks County Art Show opening on Sunday, Oct. 5, and continuing through Sunday, Oct. 12.
It will be held in the gallery located in a restored 18th century Pennsylvania stone barn. This one week show features over 125 paintings by such artists as Ben Austrian, Christopher H. Shearer, John H. Raser, Mary B. Leisz and others from the school of Berks County artists from the 19th – 20th centuries. It is the only show of its kind.
This year the show’s feature of Berks County artists has been extended to include later ‘rediscovered’ artists from the mid to late 20th century. All works are by deceased artists.
Reading, Pa. was a thriving cultural center during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, as the coal, steel, textile and railroad industries flourished in Berks County. Along with theatrical and opera events, the local people and tourists enjoyed many art exhibitions that were held in the area. As a revival of that interest, Greshville Antiques and Fine Art has presented many shows over the years dedicated to the art created in Berks County.
Ben Austrian (1870-1921) is Berks County’s most well known artist of that era. His logo of a chick and broken egg shell for the Bon Ami Cleanser Company brought him international attention. Many fine examples of his work will be offered in this year’s show, including several of his tonalist landscapes from the early 1900’s.
Another artist often represented at our show is Francis Daniel Devlan (1835-1870), who provides us with ‘Mulley Cow’, a peaceful rendition of a ‘hornless cow’ on a knoll with a provocative landscape and skyline in the distance. This piece was painted by Devlan in 1868 for Colonel Thomas Zimmerman, the well known 19th century Pennsylvania-German writer and art patron, and retains a record of its history on the back.
Berks County’s beautiful countryside lured artists to the rivers and fields to put brush to canvas. Christopher H. Shearer (1846-1926) was the most prolific of the local landscape painters, with a career spanning almost sixty years. A sampling of Berks County landscapes by Shearer will be offered along with landscapes by his contemporaries: John Heyl Raser(1824-1901), Frederick Spang(1834-1891), and C. F. Witman(active 1870-1880).
Bird and animal illustrator Earl L. Poole (1891-1972) is represented by works in oil, watercolor, and also in a remarkable collection of pen and ink drawings that were utilized as illustrations for early Pennsylvania Game News issues. Rare wood carvings by Randy Rowe (1922-1978) and the more contemporary artist Stanley Seltz(1912-1991) add a new dimension to the show.
There is the collection of engaging paintings of man’s best friend, the dog , by artists from Papa Horning (1894-1986) to Alma Woods(1924-2007) that somehow came together for this event!
Kurt and Valerie Malmberg, the owners of Greshville Antiques and Fine Art, have been researching Berks County artists and their works for over 35 years. They are considered the leading authorities and appraisers of Berks County Art, and assist auction houses, institutions, appraisers, and collectors in evaluating and purchasing this rediscovered regional art.
The Malmbergs are members of several local and national antique and historical organizations, and participate in local lectures, shows, and charity appraisal days.
The Annual Berks County Art Show will be on display Sunday, October 5th through Sunday, October 12th, 2014 at Greshville Antiques and Fine Art, located on Route 562, near Boyertown. All of the paintings exhibited in this well attended show will be available for purchase and are guaranteed as represented. Along with the collection of Berks County Art, the gallery also carries a collection of 19th and 20th century American and European art, and quality American and European clocks and furniture.
For more information on The Annual Berks County Art Show, please contact Valerie Malmberg at Greshville Antiques and Fine Art at 610-367-0076 or at www.greshvilleantiques.com.