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, the literary masterpiece that Daddio and I wrote together. 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.
