Jack Daniel’s Mural
Completion: 2003
Location: Louisville KY
The Brown-Forman Corporation commissioned this large format linen mural. Inspired by Renoir’s Impressionist work, “Luncheon of the Boating Party,” the painting recalls an idealized version of southern Americana culture. The background features a quintessential Kentucky landscape, the vast rolling agricultural horizon seamlessly transitioning into a distant industrial distillery. Brewing is a central component of the region’s economy and its influence permeates the surrounding social and cultural interests. The people interacting on the porch come from all walks of local life: farmers, southern belles, and businesslike gentlemen are brought together over the social act of sharing a drink, with a neighborly crowd in the background serving beverages by the barrel. Two ladies examine a photo album together, emphasizing the importance of personal history and legacy within a fixed physical space, values highly endemic to that region.
Impressionism is marked by the use of visible oil brush strokes to emphasize movement within a still frame and the interaction of light and object. These techniques spotlight the immediacy and liveliness of the subjects, placing the focus on general impressions of action rather than photo-realistic object details. The contrast of light colors with harsh shadows highlights the intensity of sunlight in the scene, both for its brightness and its heat, evoking the physicality of a hot Kentucky summer.
The Impressionist movement was marked by the desire for independence and a rejection of conventional artistic techniques, and the use of their styles emphasizes the spirit of alternative innovation embodied by Brown-Forman and the Kentucky region it calls home. Renoir in particular notably modeled his imaginary subjects after his friends in much of his work, and the mural similarly conveys a sense of friendly welcome, connecting the viewer’s sense of home with that of Brown-Forman.