Governor Russell A. Alger
(1885-1887)

c. 1910
Painted by Julius Garibaldi (Gari) Melchers
Oil on Canvas

This portrait of Governor Russell Alger, painted by Julius Garibaldi (Gari) Melchers, illustrates the development of Melcher’s style in response to his time spent abroad. The painting depicts the governor leaning casually on the back of a chair. He rests one hand in his pocket and looks out at the viewer with a calm, focused expression. Books and papers are laid out on the table behind him, though the rest of the background is painted in neutral gray and brown tones.

Melchers was first exposed to naturalism in Germany, but he began creating work in the style while later studying in France. The artist subsequently lived in Holland for two decades, beginning in 1884, and many of his pieces from this period depict the Dutch working class through the lens of “rustic naturalism.” This style was practiced by contemporary Dutch painters in the Hague School, who produced naturalistic paintings with a more somber palette.  As Melcher’s career progressed, his brushwork took on a more impressionistic, direct style with loose, more visible brushstrokes. Here, the paint in the background appears to have been applied thinly, leaving evidence of the canvas, while areas like his hands and head are created with thicker and more opaque paint. This combination gives the viewer a sense of immediacy and life while still communicating the sitter’s likeness.