An Alum’s Solar Portraits: The Art of the Eclipse

To celebrate the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, the University Art Museum has several dramatic paintings on display through Oct. 8 as part of the exhibition “Transient Effects: The Solar Eclipses and Celestial Landscapes of Howard Russell Butler.” Butler, an 1876 graduate of the University and founder of the American Fine Arts Society, was known for his paintings of people, land and seascapes, and celestial objects. He worked with astronomers and traveled across the United States to portray several eclipses in the early 20th century, including the one shown above: “Eclipse of 1925: Connecticut-New York.” Butler also worked for Andrew Carnegie for many years and was instrumental in the creation of Lake Carnegie — he convinced the philanthropist to fund the project and supervised the lake’s construction.  By A.W. For more information and images, visit the exhibition website: bit.ly/transienteffects