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There are more than a few descriptions of Kosciuszko’s Garden and like most historic observations, some contradict and some verify. In creating this painting I limited myself to the one quote in history, the most famous one for the garden, of Dr. James Thacher who was personally shown the garden while Kosciuszko was at West Point. "Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuzko, a gentleman of distinction from Poland...amused himself while stationed on this point, in laying out a curious garden in a deep valley, abounding more in rocks than in soil. I was gratified in viewing his curious water fountain with spraying jets and cascades.” I see this quote as a primary source, as opposed to quotes written of the garden years later. Therefore in creating this composition I wanted to reflect the key elements of this primary source: a deep valley, more rocks than soil, a curious fountain with spraying jets and cascades. We also know that the Hudson River ran right below the garden during the time of Kosciuszko’s stay at West Point, whereas now there is a level field below the garden where the river once ran.
Presence of planted wildflowers:
From other sources written later, (which I view as secondary sources) we discover some that reference Kosciuszko planting wildflowers that reminded him of the native wildflowers of Poland. I have also read in one of these sources that these flowers were surrounded by a circle of rocks. There are also later references to steps, but none of these observations were made by Dr Thacher. However, I have given a ‘nod’ to the tradition that Kosciuszko did plant wildflowers; in my painting I placed them around the fountain.
Creating a fountain outside my studio, I have planted flowers around it because it is so convenient to water them directly from the fountain, thus through my own experience I was inspired to place the wildflowers around the fountain in Kosciuszko’s Garden. I researched native wildflowers in Poland and in New York, and chose American ‘cousins’ of Polish wildflowers. The ones depicted in the painting include the Common Violet, Wild Geranium, Celandine Poppy (though the Poppies in Poland are red and some pink, the Poppy has long been a favorite of the Polish people. The American ‘cousin’ is a yellow Poppy, but I think Kosciuszko would have loved it none the less), Eyebright, Harebell and Dianthus (I portrayed the Deptford Pink). I chose the early summer of 1778 so that the wildflowers would be blooming together.
Concerning the Fountain:
The marble basin seen now in the garden was added in 1802 by cadets who restored the garden and found the remains of Kosciusko’s fountain. I think it is safe to assume that the marble basin is near the place where the original fountain was, however, I have read later sources that place it closer to the rock face. For the purposes of the composition of my painting, I have moved the fountain slightly more towards the foreground, as I wanted to show the overflow of the fountain as it ran down the cliff edge toward the Hudson River, thus bringing to life the cascades that Dr Thacher mentions.
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Being a sculptor, I have worked with fountains, and have one outside my studio that I change around every year. Using a single pump I am able to manipulate water pressure, the sound of falling water, the spray shape of the water all through the use of various size rocks that I wedge and/or place near the mouth of the fountain. With all the rocks in the garden, a nice bubbling spring, and the brilliance of an engineer who is also an artist, I like to imagine that Kosciusko used rocks as well to create the jets in the fountain. So I’ve interpreted the fountain as being built up with a ring of rocks, near the edge of the cliff to show the cascades, and then by his adroit use of rocks jets are created for this curious fountain.
Later additions to the garden:
In addition to the marble basin added in 1802 mentioned earlier, later references of the garden mention steps leading down to the garden. Various materials for the steps include brick, stone and wood. The grotto was a further addition to the added in 1869. The earliest photo that I have been able to discover was taken the year before in 1868, ninety years after the garden was first constructed.
These two photos taken a year apart, were a large part of my construction of my composition, after the primary resource of the verbal description of Dr Thacher. I also collected images of the garden prior to photography, etchings and engravings that all show the marble basin in some fashion, meaning they all date after 1802 and prior to the first photo of 1868.
The Hudson River School painting techniques:
Two years of research went into this painting, the style as well as the history and the composition.
My choice of style for the painting was never a question…. I knew that the Hudson River School style was the only style that could truly capture on a sublime and grand scale the serenity, solitude and pensive reflection that we all feel were part of Kosciuszko as he created the garden. Though a figurative sculptor by trade, I have a back ground in oil painting, and thoroughly enjoyed researching and learning the painting techniques of the Hudson River School masters, the most influential for me being Asher Brown Durand. I pulled from his technique of creating drama through the use of a bright middle ground and darker warmer foreground. Thus, the sunrise was the perfect and most dramatic time of day for the painting to be set in. We also know in Kosciuszko’s letter to a young man that the first part of the day was to be spent …..
Personal inspiration:
Through my own experiences in Kosciuszko's Garden I find myself in one of two places; standing and looking out over the cliff viewing the Hudson River and the shore opposite, and sitting near the fountain watching and listening to the water play in the basin. Therefore, I like to imagine this was the same with Kosciuszko. Although I have him standing and looking out over the Hudson River in the painting, I have also placed large rocks near the fountain convenient for sitting and reading or watching the water.
Several sources mention Kosciuszko reading books in his garden when he wasn’t working in it. So I have him holding a book in the painting. Really, the whole painting tells the story…. Early one summer day, at the first twilight he climbs down the valley to his garden. Once there he hangs up his coat and sets aside his hat, because he can relax in this place of solitude. Also I imagine that working hard moving rocks and soil would be much cooler in the summer without a hat and coat. He now takes a moment and reads beside the fountain, perhaps adjusting a rock or two to enhance the visual and audio display of water. As the sun continues to rise and breaks over the far shore, he stands and walks to the edge of the garden to watch the sun's progress, carrying his book with him.
Just my artistic interpretation…. Kosciusko in his garden, during that peaceful sacred time of a Summer Sunrise.
TRACY H. SUGG
Summer Sunrise in Kosciuszko's Garden. Original oil painting by Tracy H. Sugg |
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are sharing the good news with you: it was only yesterday, that Kosciuszko landed in Sydney! Not Kosciuszko in person, but in the form of a bronze sculpture. You can see Kosciuszko in his West Point garden, talking to his aide-de-camp Afro-American Agrippa Hull.Thaddeus and Grippy were friends for over 5 years during The American Independence War. This precious sculpture has been purchased by Kosciuszko Heritage Inc., as the plan is to donate it to an Australian institution where it could be viewed and admired by many Australians.
In the same garden: Kosciuszko and Agrippa Hull- a bronze sculpture by Tracy H. Sugg |
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