John Henry Twachtman
約翰·亨利·特瓦克特曼
美國印象派畫家， （1853-1902）
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約翰·亨利·特瓦克特曼
（John Henry Twachtman， 1853-1902），美國印象派畫家，出生於美國俄亥俄州的辛辛那提（Cincinnati， Ohio）。1871年，他進入麥克米肯設計學院學習。1875年至1877年就讀於在慕尼黑美術學院，師從路德維希·馮．略夫茲（Ludwig von Löfftz， 1845-1910）。1883年至1885年間，特瓦克特曼進入巴黎著名的朱利安學院（Académie Julian）做研究，並開啟法國印象派風格的學習歷程。1889年他受邀至紐約的自由派藝術學生聯盟（Art Students League）教授繪畫。
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特瓦克特曼的繪畫風格在整個職業生涯中變化很大，他的主要創作風格在藝術史上被歸類在美國印象派。但在印象派的那一代畫家中，
他中後期的作品帶有有很強的實驗性和個人風格，以其柔美優雅並帶有詩意的風景畫聞名。
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鑽研美國印象派的著名藝術史學者蘇珊·拉金（Susan G。 Larkin）稱特瓦克特曼具多面向性格：「不時合群而內省，躁動不安卻也平靜」（by turns gregarious and introspective， restless and serene），這些個性上的特質也都充分反映在他的作品當中。
特瓦克特曼繪畫的主題多以風景為主，他的畫中很少出現人物，也鮮有建築。
待在康乃狄克州的期間，特瓦克特曼的繪畫演變成具有獨特精緻的構圖和優雅的詩意的個人化風格，而有別於多數承襲印象派畫家們的創作。相對於古典油彩作品，印象派畫家們喜歡在畫面上留下明顯類似草稿般的筆刷痕跡，但在特瓦克特曼的許多作品中，呈現出硬筆觸和軟筆觸兩者間完美的平衡。
在硬筆觸的部分，當特瓦克特曼描繪畫面上的視覺主角時，他會使用形似鋼筆所繪製出的那種高色彩密度且結實的線條，除此以外，其他部分，他則使用軟筆觸來呈現將油彩稀釋後產生水彩般淡雅柔和的背景。
他的作品中運用了大量淡灰和綠色來表現樹木和田野，以及大自然中所存在靜謐冰凍的溪流和瀑布。
他也喜歡在同一地點，嘗試捕捉一天或不同季節中所顯示出的場景變化。
特瓦克特曼所使用的色彩，隨著年紀的增長而變得越來越淡。在前述提到可能受到惠特勒的影響後，他轉向了更輕、更低彩度的色調，減少畫面中的細節，使得畫面更為抽象化，並用稀釋過的薄油彩，讓畫面產生出顏料水洗的感覺，透過灰色和綠色的基底，繪製出或偏高或偏低的獨特視角、單純而富啟發性的作品。
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在他喜愛的風景畫中，他混入灰色和白色的顏料，將畫面中原本可能是強烈對比的色感，降到讓人宛若可當場感受到大自然中冷冽空氣所帶來的透徹清涼。這些特色和技巧在他所繪的風景畫中，都讓他的印象派美學顯得特別與眾不同。
特瓦克特曼曾說：與世隔絕是一件好事，然後我們就更接近自然了。
（“To be isolated is a fine thing and we are then nearer to nature。”）他熱愛自然，並享受著在自然環境中「那種無聲的感覺以及被大自然靜默後的狀態。」（that feeling of quiet and all nature is hushed to silence）。即使在世期間，人們並不完全理解、喜愛他的作品，僅有極少數作品得以銷售出去，
他卻透過他過人的天賦和努力，將穿越時空的大自然氛圍帶入作品之中，產生出一種具有平實美感，卻也帶有高度詩意的風景繪畫。
縱然特瓦克特曼在生前缺乏商業上的成功，但他孤獨不順遂的一生卻強化了他藝術創作的獨立性，使他從同儕藝術家的風格中獲得解放。他的存在，預示著美國繪畫史上得以和大西洋對岸歐洲一較高下的另一種更具現代性的風格，他所創作的那些作品，也留下繪畫史中清新雋永的詩篇。
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