HAGERSTOWN, MD (January 6, 2025) -- Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so the saying goes, and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (WCMFA) in Hagerstown, MD, is going to be offering six months of sincere flattery.

“The Sincerest Form: Master Art Copyists” is a new cooperative project, held in collaboration with the independent regional art organization Master Art Copyists (MAC). From January 18 through May 11, 2025, eight copyists will be at work in the museum painting their interpretation of works of their choice from the museum’s collection. Artists will be at work every Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during which time visitors may observe them at work and ask them questions.

WCMFA executive director Sarah H. Hall said the museum is using this project as an opportunity to focus attention on some of its own high-profile copies.

“Copying has a long history in the visual arts that goes back to the Renaissance,” she explained. “It was a way to disseminate images in the pre-photography era and in the early days of the Louvre, it was a way to produce art to hang in official buildings. Primarily, though, it has always been a way for artists to perfect their skills.”

Hall pointed out there’s a big difference between art copyists and forgers.

“Forgers aim to fool the viewer so they may try to mimic the effect of aging by distressing their work or even by using old materials, while copyists are working for personal and professional improvement.”

While not affiliated nor endorsed by the National Gallery of Art (NGA), MAC members have all been authorized as copyists by the NGA, which requires a rigorous approval process for its Copyist Program applicants. Additionally, all museums that allow copying, including WCMFA, have strict rules to ensure the protection of their collections; for example, the copy may not be the same size as the original, it has to be marked as a copy, and the original artist’s signature may not be reproduced.

In addition to the copyists working on-site, the museum has created a special installation to evoke the environment of a traditional artist studio, and is offering a free lecture by Master Art Copyist group president Chris Madden on February 5th at 5:30 p.m., on the history of the organization and his own approach to copying. He will also be offering a class for beginning and intermediate artists in March on master copyist techniques in oil.”

“There’s a huge fascination for the ‘magic’ of painting, those technical skills that are required in order to create illusion,” Hall said, “and this project is a way for us to engage with a broader cross-section of regional artists, use our collection in a new way, and foster a different kind of appreciation for art.”

The artists, their on-site schedule and the WCMFA works they will be copying* are:

January-Mid-March

Seana Gallager (Thursdays), “Sewing Girl” by Charles Webster Hawthorn

Gillian Collins (Fridays), “Michael” by Robert Henri

Christopher Madden (Saturdays), “Fish, Plate and Copper Container” by William Merritt Chase

Robert O’Brien (Sundays), “Nymph” by Henri Fantin-Latour

Mid-March to May

Sonia Gadra (Thursdays), “Scene on the Catskill Creek” by Frederic Church

Lesa Cook (Fridays), “Yellow Moon” by Edward Steichen

Tracy Donnelly (Saturdays), “A Summer Sky” by William H. Singer, Jr.

Renee Lachman (Sundays), “Portrait of a Scholar” by Marco Antonio Bassetti

*Photographs of original artwork are available from the museum.

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, located on Hagerstown’s historic City Park lakeside, was established in 1931 by William H. Singer, Jr. and Anna Brugh Singer and has an extensive, world-class permanent collection of paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures from the 18th century to the present, featuring celebrated and diverse artists. The Museum offers tours, classes, educational programs and community events and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free and free parking is available. For more information: wcmfa.org.