James Taylor Harwood (1860-1940),
Black Rock, 1897, colored etching, 4 x 6 3/4 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1937.
Born in Lehi, Utah in 1860, James Taylor (“J.T.”) Harwood was the first Utahn to exhibit a painting in the Paris Salon in 1892. He is known for genre paintings, landscapes, as well as impressive watercolor and print works, like this sunset view of Black Rock—a recognizable monolith on the south end of the Great Salt Lake. This piece is a highlight from the MOA collection. Harwood spent time between France and Utah until 1904, when he returned to teach high school classes in Salt Lake City. Harwood’s style changed in the early 1900s from a studied naturalism to a broader impressionist style. He died in Salt Lake City in 1940.