Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Gustave Baumann was one of the first printmakers associated with the Brown County Art Colony. In 1909, he became a part-time resident of Nashville, Indiana, and a close friend of painter T.C. Steele. Baumann continued to travel between southern Indiana and Chicago until 1916, because as he said: “I went to investigate art possibilities. Brown County was easy to commute to and I found that restful something we all yearn for. Life was simple; I could stay two months for $100.” While Baumann used colorful paintings on paper as the basis for his woodcuts, no corresponding print has been identified for this work. Nevertheless, its octagonal format, purple decorative border, and floral bouquet in a checkered vase closely recalls his print Sunny Messengers (1915).

Baumann had a particular love of flowers, which can be seen in numerous watercolors, drawings, and prints in the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art's collection, including Hoosier Garden (2009.64.1-.7), Stem with Bell-shaped Pink Flowers (2020.47), and Chinese Still Life with Bowl of Flowers (2020.42).