Williamstown, Mass – The collection of Impressionist and American paintings at the Clark Art Institute is exceptional for a small museum. It is particularly strong in its Impressionist paintings, especially Monet and Renoir, as well as Americans like Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent.
But look what else I found at the Clark Art Institute: Girl at a Window by Gerrit Dou. In case you didn’t know, Dou is the subject of The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure, literary masterpiece written by Daddio and me! This painting is classic Dou, with the buxom lass leaning out of the trompe-l’oeil window frame. Always a thrill to see a Dou painting in the wild. (What other museums in the US have Dou paintings in their collections?)
The Clark’s collections are exquisite; but so too is the museum’s setting amid 140 acres of forests, fields and rolling Berkshire hills. I followed one of the walking trails to the summit of Stone Hill and also enjoyed some QT relaxing at the inviting poolside terrace. The Clark is so very civilized.
