Frederic Church in Jamaica: Grief, Colonial History, and Rare Sketches at Cooper Hewitt

New York, United States, Source:

This fall, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum invites you to explore a deeply personal chapter in art history with "Frederic Church in Jamaica." This landmark exhibition showcases rarely seen sketches from the acclaimed American painter’s 1865 journey to the Caribbean. Running from Friday, October 30, through Monday, February 15, 2027, the show presents over 60 works that document Jamaican flora and landscapes with meticulous detail. These pieces are not just botanical records but windows into Church’s life during a time of profound grief following the loss of his two young children. The exhibition also situates these intimate moments within the broader framework of British colonial rule in Jamaica.

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Church’s birth, this exhibition leverages the Cooper Hewitt’s extensive holdings, which include more than 2,000 of the artist’s oil studies and graphite sketches. As the largest collection of Church’s work globally, these materials offer an unprecedented look into his creative process. Caitlin Condell, curator and head of Drawings, Prints & Graphic Design at Cooper Hewitt, highlights how these oil studies and 'en plein air' sketches have seldom been displayed publicly. She notes that the bicentennial provides a perfect opportunity to celebrate Church’s extraordinary contributions while reinterpreting these objects through the lens of Jamaican history.

Known for his monumental landscape paintings, Church (1826–1900) was a dedicated traveler who sought inspiration worldwide. His April 1865 trip to Jamaica with his wife, Isabel, was driven by a need for emotional and spiritual healing after their two young children died of diphtheria. For five months, the couple trekked on foot and horseback, recording the island’s topography and capturing dramatic shifts in light and weather. Created during a period of intense private sorrow and public upheaval in the United States, these breathtaking sketches demonstrate the expressive and restorative power of drawing from nature.

The sketches reveal Church’s remarkable artistic versatility. Whether completed in minutes or hours, these atmospheric drawings and oil studies reflect his commitment to accurately recording details of light, color, and form while conveying the emotional resonance of a place. His graphite sketches often feature brief annotations that are both informative and poetic. The exhibition also provides crucial historical context by highlighting the voices of Black Jamaicans like Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, who navigated political tensions on the island. Reproductions of period photographs and rare books from Smithsonian Libraries and Archives add further depth to this narrative.

Throughout the exhibition, a dynamic schedule of public programs offers contemporary perspectives. On Thursday, November 12, Victoria Johnson, author of the 2026 biography *Glorious Country*, will deliver an illustrated lecture placing Church within the global context of his era. Additional programming includes a hands-on workshop with Smithsonian botanical illustrator Alice Tangerini, focusing on native Jamaican flora. In 2027, Cooper Hewitt will launch a digital platform featuring high-resolution photography and new scholarship on its expansive collection of Church drawings, enhancing accessibility and encouraging international research.