Charles Anderson Landscape

History: Henry David Thoreau, A Naturalist Observes Lake Harriet

Despite Henry David Thoreau’s chosen life as a naturalist, he did not possess a strong constitution.

In 1861, Thoreau was suffering from increasingly severe bouts of tuberculosis, which he had contracted in 1835. Thoreau’s doctor recommended that he experience a change in climate.

It was upon this recommendation that Thoreau embarked on his only trip to the west, with Horace Mann Jr., a young botanist as his companion. The two traveled through Niagara Falls, Detroit and Chicago before traveling by boat to St. Paul.

Thoreau was not impressed with St. Paul. “At St. Paul, they dig their building stone out of the cellar; but it is apparently poor stuff,” he wrote. After his first day in St. Paul he chose instead to spend his time in St. Anthony and then Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Harriet.

During his time at Lake Harriet, Thoreau and Mann were often accompanied by Dr. Charles L. Anderson, the state geologist. The men spent their days in field observation, examining the lakes, marshes and woods that surrounded them.

Thoreau cataloged sightings of catbird, goldfinch, oriole, tanager, horned lark, flicker and killdeer.

He was enthralled by the birds in the area, and described the discovery of a wild pigeon nest in length: “Built of slender hard twigs only, so open that I could see the eggs from the ground, and also so slight that I could scarcely get to it without upsetting it…At first, seeing the bird fly off, I thought it an unfinished nest.”

After hearing about the existence of a wild crab apple tree, Thoreau spent time searching for it unsuccessfully before enlisting the help of local residents. The wild crab apple tree was unfamiliar to him in his observations on the east coast and he eventually found a number of specimens on the pastureland of a local farmer.

Thoreau’s enthusiasm for the wild crab apple was equaled only by his interest in the prairie gopher. He took detailed notes about the animal, remarking that their patterning reminded him of “the … pattern of some Indian work, — porcupine quills, " gopher-work " in baskets and pottery.”

Thoreau’s journals tell us that while he stayed near Lake Harriet, his focus was almost exclusively on the flora and fauna of the woods, prairies, lakes and other natural features of Minnesota. He had little time for the traders, soldiers, Native Americans and pioneer settlers that inhabited the landscape.

The Summer Exhibition Venue: The Whitehouse Gallery — Blog ...

As always The Whitehouse Gallery will be playing a pivotal role in the proceedings, as we bring together a host of exciting artists for our flagship Summer Exhibition. Some of Scotland’s best-known and respected contemporary artists will share floorspace with up-and-coming new talents. Paintings by fine artists Charles Anderson DA RSW, James Barclay, Joe Broadley HPAI, Emma Davis RSW, Jean Donaldson, James Fraser, Moira Kelman, Stewart Lammie, Brenda Lenaghan RSW, Catriona Mann RSW, Fiona Millar, Valerie Sadler and John Threlfall will be complemented by the work of applied artists and craftmakers including sculptors Urpu Sellar, Jennifer Watt and Elizabeth Waugh, jewellery designers Dianne King and Sheena McMaster, textile artist Morag McPherson and furniture maker Phil Crennell.

Image attached by Charles Anderson RSW – West Highland landscape

We are particularly proud to be showing works by the award-winning artist Charles Anderson DA RSW for the first time. Well-known for the first 30 years of his career as a sculptor and mural painter, Charles turned to the easel in the late 1990s and has since gained a formidable reputation in the fine art field.

Another first-time exhibitor at the gallery is Glasgow-born oil painter Joe Broadley HPAI, whose distinctively luminous landscapes and cityscapes are inspired by his extensive travels in Europe and Scotland.

Meanwhile, we are delighted to welcome back favourite previous exhibitors including abstract painter Emma Davis RSW, Brenda Lenaghan RSW with her other-worldly figurative and still-life works, and Catriona Mann RSW, whose delicate flower-inspired works proved so popular last year.

We are also honoured to be showing a retrospective collection of works by watercolourist Jean Donaldson, who died earlier this year. An active professional member of the Scottish Society of Women Artists and the Glasgow Society of Women Artists, Jean was a much-valued and respected contributor to the Scottish art scene. This selection of her work pays tribute to a talented artist and an exceptional person.

Also on display will be a fabulous selection of bespoke jewellery. Fife-based jeweller Dianne King specialises in one-off statement pieces . Sculptural, bold and dramatic, her pieces combine striking designs in silver and gold with unusual semi-precious and precious stones. Meanwhile Sheena McMaster, a one-time resident of Kirkcudbright now based in France, specialises in intricate hand-worked sterling silver augmented by the sparkle and colour of semi-precious gemstones.

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