Butler became especially known for capturing momentary scenery, and for his methodology of writing down what he saw in shorthand. Butler’s ability to beautifully reproduce the moment from those quick notations caught the attention of amateur astronomer Edward Dean Adams, who invited Butler to be the artist in residence for his 1918 solar eclipse expedition to Oregon, according to the Transient Effects website. Butler would jot down three color theory components as he viewed an eclipse: form, color and value. He timed and practiced this technique so that when the brief total solar eclipse appeared, he would be ready to capture the instant of totality , when, for just a few minutes, the sun’s disk would be completely covered by the moon.
When Arcomano began her work as a curator, a member of the Asian art division told her that she had to find these astronomically themed paintings, which used to be displayed at Princeton. As she would come to find out, the mysterious paintings were unforgettable to many people.
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