Have you ever tried something new that you thought and believed to be wonderful and great, only to find out that other people laughed at it or made fun of what you did? Or have you ever felt like you are not appreciated and you might not ever be until you have passed on in this life? These are questions that typically can run through the mind of any artist. One artist I would like to focus on is Philip Henry Barkdull. While many people have never and may never hear about this artist, he did in fact paint a wonderful painting which I had the chance to admire in the Museum of Art. What is the Great White Throne and why did Barkdull feel inspired to paint this majestic scenery? In order to answer these questions we need to first take a closer look at who Philip Henry Barkdull was.
Philip Henry Barkdull was born on March 22, 1888 in Hatton, Utah. He was born into a rural farming family who struggled to stay afloat and keep the farm and family together. Due to the fact that Barkdull lived in such a rural community there was no schools close enough for him to receive a formal education. Instead his early education consisted of learning things around the farm.
By the time Barkdull was 23 years old he decided to further his education by moving to Provo to attend Brigham Young High School. In order to try to fit in better with his peers Barkdull lied about his age, for he was much older than the rest of his class. After High School he went on to attend Brigham Young University. At BYU Barkdull continued his art studies. However, before he was able to graduate more changes came into his life as he was called up into the Armed Forces.
After his Military service began to teach art throughout the state. During this time he met a man that would forever change and inspire him in a way that nobody else was able to. This man was Birger Sandzen, a Swedish-American landscape painter. Sandzen believed in strong brushwork and bright colors and his influence on Barkdull is evident in his later life paintings, including The Great White Throne.
In the Museum of Art among these Southwest Paintings there is a plaque that reads:
“Many artists trained in gentler climates with softer sunshine were stunned by the brilliant contrasts of light and shade in the Southwest. Paintings in this gallery show how they developed a more intese palette of warmer colors, brighter highlights, and deeper shadows to reflect their new surroundings more accurately. The ever-changing sunlight and clouds in the thin, clean air sometimes became the principal subjects of their paintings. Thunderstorms trailing wisps of rain, dramatic rainbows against dark skies, and the spectacular colors of desert sunsets.”
While this quote speaks of all the paintings in general, this is exactly the feeling as I admired The Great White Throne. This painting was done in oil on canvas and had very beautiful visable brushstrokes that make things stand out more. This painting was heavily influenced by Sandzen and his Neo-impressionist movement. While this style was appreciated back East in places like New York, it was not well received on the home front. While other Utah artists were behind the times in not understand or appreciating his art, Barkdull was leading the way unbeknownst to the other artists.
Before Barkdull could really make a name for himself in the art world he passed away in 1968. Due to constant health issues throughout his life Barkdull was never able to become the artist that he hoped and dreamed to be. Because of this he faded into the background to be forgotten and unappreciated. It hasn’t been until recently that people have viewed his art and have seen him as a great artist.
The piece that I had a chance to admire was the Great White Throne. This painting is set down in Zion’s National Park in Southern Utah. The Great White Throne has a very spiritual connotation to it. Zion’s National Park area was settled and named by early Mormon settlers. Many peaks and cliffs have names that reflect that early religious history. Great White Throne is no different. This reference is directed at God and his supreme rein over everything. Anyone who has ever seen the Great White Throne in person can attest to the grand magnitude of this mountain and can see why it has the name it does.
One can not help but wonder why Barkdull decided to paint this particular site. Is Barkdull trying to show his reverence and respect for not only the mountain, but for its namesake? While viewing the painting one can not help but feel small compared to the great mountain and its grand size. However, while you are feeling those feelings of being very small you also start to take in feelings of awe and wonder as you go over the delicate cracks in the mountain and the wildflowers that grow so tenderly and loving nearby.
While Barkdull may not have been appreciated in life and may still not be appreciated by some now, I really appreciated this piece of art. Having seen the Throne in real life I believe that he did a great job of capturing the feelings that you can imagine having seeing the real thing. I would be happy to own this piece of art for myself.
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