In Situ: The Painted Panels

The term in situ is Latin and means a^?oein its original place.a^?? During the first summers of the Lyme art colony the artists began to paint scenes on the door panels of the boardinghouse. By 1905, this tradition spread to the dining room where the artists installed double rows of painted panels on all four walls. Today, these 38 individual panels and the 8 double panels (those on doors that complete one scene) are all in situ in the Griswold boardinghouse. From classic Old Lyme subjects to exotic and faraway places, the panels present a treasure trove of artistic expression of the art colony. These are the paintings the artists selected to leave behind as their artistic legacy. Now, you can investigate the panels up close, front and back, and learn about the artists who painted them. 

The Fox Chase

One of the most celebrated works of art at the Florence Griswold Museum is the frieze-like painting titled The Fox Chase (1905) created by Henry Rankin Poore. Located in the dining room of the Griswold boardinghouse, he nearly 9-feet long panel depicts the members of the Lyme art colony in a mock fox hunt through the village of Old Lyme, Connecticut. Now, you can explore the history of the art colony by clicking on the people, places, and things found in the painting. Beginning with the boardinghouse for artists at the far right and ending with the fox at the far left, your journey down Lyme Street will introduce you to the key elements, ideas and artistic personalities that make the Lyme art colony a distinctive chapter Connecticut art and history.

Resources for Educators

Life-long learning has long been central to the Mission of the Florence Griswold Museum. Now, teachers and students alike are invited to use our on-line resources. Along with the two on-line exhibitions The Fox Chase and In Situ: The Painted Panels (both with links to scholar essays on the key interpretive themes), this component offers an array of teaching materials, lesson plans, activity sheets, timelines, pre- and post-visit materials, an annotated list of web links, an annotated bibliography, and information for students, teachers, and other groups (homeschoolers, scout troops, Elderhostels, etc.) to plan their visit to the Florence Griswold Museum.

These on-line learning sections will be available in the Spring 2007.