The Art of Frederick W. Kost 1861-1923: Tonalist - Hardcover

The late nineteenth century was for many a prosperous period in America. By 1880, the ravages of the Civil War had been left behind, the East and West coasts had been connected by railroad, cities expanded, scores of manufactories were founded, and fortunes were made. Collecting art soon became one of the passions of newly prosperous entrepreneurs.

The painters of the Hudson River School thrived through the 1870's but by 1880, a new generation of painters was beginning to supplant them. Hudson river school paintings of the majestic grandeur of the American landscape were derided as old fashioned. Among the "new men" was New York born Frederick W. Kost (1861-1923), 19 years old in 1880 and proving his skill as a draughtsman and a painter.

Kost left few writings, diaries, letters, or manifestos, yet a number of anecdotes and reviews in newspapers and periodicals of the day, along with four portraits of him, attest to his active involvement in the art world. After the obligatory study trip to Europe, he returned to New York and tracked his style to the cries by art critics for a uniquely American art created by American artists in America. Artists took this directive seriously and developed a unique style we now call tonalism that focused on harmonious, subtle, poetic, restorative views of nature. Kost embraced the tonalist ethos and left many evocative images of the two places he cherished - Staten Island and Long Island.

Kost's life and work are traced through his paintings, his travels, his exhibition history, and his artistic and social contacts as he acted within and reacted to the developments of his day. The Art of Frederick W. Kost 1861-1923 provides a well-rounded picture of Kost's progress as he is impelled to create new forms, new compositions, and a uniquely personal art.