The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

The Building of the Dam

1908

Julian Alden Weir

(American, 1852–1919)
America
oil on canvas
Framed: 93.5 x 118.5 x 7.5 cm (36 13/16 x 46 5/8 x 2 15/16 in.); Unframed: 76 x 101.6 cm (29 15/16 x 40 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1927.171
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The artist was the 14th of 16 children born to his parents.

Description

Julian Alden Weir's painting shows the construction of the Scotland Dam, built between 1907 and 1909 on the Shetucket River near his summer home in Windham, Connecticut. The artist had a vested interest in the subject, as the dam ensured an energy supply to the area's inhabitants that included his family.
  • The artist's estate
    Phillips Memorial Gallery, Washington, DC, purchased in 1923
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, purchased in 1927
  • Cleveland Museum of Art. Catalogue of an Exhibition of American Painting from 1860 until Today at the Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland]: [Printed by the Artcraft Printing Co.], 1937. Mentioned: p. 44, no. 204
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 548 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 189 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 189 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 234 archive.org
    Dawson, Anne E. "J. Alden Weir in Windham, Connecticut, 1882-1919." In Rare Light: J. Alden Weir in Windham, Connecticut, 1882-1919. Anne Dawson, editor, 9-90. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2016. Reproduced: p. 48, fig. 2.35
  • The Golden Age of American Impressionism. Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, Long Island, NY (organizer) (November 22, 2003-February 1, 2004).
    Heckscher Musuem of Art (11/22/2003 - 2/1/2004): "The Golden Age of American Impressionsim"
    L'Impressionisme Américain 1880-1915. Fondation de l'Hermitage, Lausanne 8, Switzerland (organizer) (June 6-October 20, 2002).
    Lausanne, Switzerland, Fondation de l’Hermitage, L’Impressionnisme Américain 1880-1915 (6 June 2002-20 October 2002), illus. cat. no. 57, p. 112 as The Building of the Dam (La construction du barrage).
    Storrs, CT, The William Benton Musuem of Art, J. Alden Weir: A Place of His Own (4 June-18 August 1991); traveled to Greenwich, CT, The Bruce Museum (15 September-3 November 1991), illus. cat. plate no. 15 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    American Impressionist Paintings. Gallery Thyssen-Bornemisza, Lugano-Catagnola, Switzerland (organizer) (July 22-October 28, 1990).
    Lugano-Castagnola, Switzerland, Gallery Thyssen-Bornemisza, American Impressionist Paintings (22 July-28 October 1990), illus. cat. no. 26, p. 75 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, J. Alden Weir: An American Impressionist (14 October 1983-8 January 1984); traveled to Los Angeles, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (9 February-6 May 1984); Denver, The Denver Art Museum (13 June-19 August 1984), cat. not numbered, illus. p. 243, fig. no. 6.20 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    Storrs, CT, The William Benton Museum of Art, Connecticut and American Impressionism (17 March-30 May 1980), did not travel with show; illus. cat. no. 76, p. 19 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    Connecticut and American Impressionsim: The Artists and the Landscape. University of Connecticut, William Benton Museum of Art, Storrs, CT (organizer) (March 16-May 30, 1980).
    Paintings by J. Alden Weir. The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC (organizer) (May 6-June 8, 1972); Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH (June 20-July 9, 1972); Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Provo, UT (September 1-October 5, 1972).
    Washington, D.C., The Phillips Collection, Paintings by Julian Alden Weir (6 May-8 June 1972); traveled to Columbus, The Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts (20 June-9 July 1972); Provo, Utah, The Brigham Young University Art Gallery (1 September-5 October 1972), illus. cat. no. 14 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    Landscape. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 9-April 22, 1962).
    New York, The American Academy of Arts and Letters, J. Alden Weir 1852-1919: Centennial Exhibition (1 February-30 March 1952), cat. no. 8 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    35th Anniversary Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 20-September 30, 1951).
    Pittsburgh, Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute, A Century of American Landscape Painting, 1800-1900 (22 March-30 April 1939), cat. no. 41 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, A Century of American Landscape Painting, 1800 to 1900 (19 January-25 February 1938), cat. no. 65 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    Exhibition of American Painting from 1860 Until Today. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-October 4, 1937).
    Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Exhibition of American Painting from 1860 Until Today at The Cleveland Museum of Art (23 June-4 October 1937), cat. no. 204 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 4, 1936).
    Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition of The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition (26 June-4 October 1936), cat. no. 375 as Building a Dam, Shetucket.
    Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Memorial Exhibition of Paintings by Thomas Eakins, Albert P. Ryder, and J. Alden Weir, (15 December 1927 - 23 January 1928)
    New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Memorial Exhibition of the Works of Julian Alden Weir (17 March-20 April 1924), illus. cat. no. 39 as The Building of the Dam.
    New York, Montross Gallery (April-May, 1917), see Unpublished References: Correspondence between Doreen B. Burke and William S. Talbot (1981) for reference from Weir's journal.
    Chicago, Union League Club (April, 1916), see Unpublished References: Correspondence between Doreen B. Burke and William S. Talbot (1981) for reference from Weir's journal.
    Lynchburg, VA, (March, 1916) see Unpublished References: Correspondence between Doreen B. Burke and William S. Talbot (1981) for reference from Weir's journal.
    Denver, Denver Public Library (January-February 1916); see Unpublished References: Correspondence between Doreen B. Burke and William S. Talbot (1981) for reference from Weir's journal.
    Portland (ME?), Portland Art Asssociation, Loan Exhibition of Paintings (22 September-22 November 1912), cat. no. 17 as The Dam.
    Buffalo, Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Albright Art Gallery, A Collection of Paintings by J. Alden Weir, N.A. (6 September-15 October 1911), cat. no. 15 as Building a Dam on the Shetucket.
    Boston, St. Botolph Club (1911); opened 11 January 1911; see 1990 exhibition catalogue from Lugano-Castagnola, Thyssen-Bornemisza Foundation, p. 74.
    New York, Montross Gallery, The Ten American Painters (24 March-16 April 1910), cat. no. 29 as Building the Dam-Shetucket.
    Pittsburgh, The Carnegie Institute, Thirteenth Annual Exhibition, (29 April-30 June 1909), cat. no. 282, illus as Building a Dam on the Shetucket.
    Washington, D.C., The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Second Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Contemporary American Artists (8 December 1908-18 January 1909), cat. no. 239 as Building a Dam on the Shetucket.
  • {{cite web|title=The Building of the Dam|url=false|author=Julian Alden Weir|year=1908|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1927.171