George Bruestle 

(1872-1939) 

The collector whose bank account is never aligned with his taste (doublespeak for “can’t afford what he wants”) learns early on to anticipate which artists are on the verge of breaking through. Although never my primary interest, the Old Lyme artists have always intrigued me, and one that always struck me as very competent with a distinctive and unmistakable look was George Bruestle. Infrequent examples I saw in the late 1980s and early 1990s, showed a desire for a grittier, more rugged interpretation of the Old Lyme region than his peers, especially in rendering stone and wood structures. In 1992, I discovered a good-sized and well-painted piece by George Bruestle at Babcock Gallery in New York at a reasonable price. I liked it but really wondered whether enough of Bruestle’s work would ever emerge to establish him as a significant figure in Old Lyme. I bought the piece, and within six months, the Cooley Gallery, specializing in Old Lyme artists, turned up a sizeable cache of George’s and little- known son Bertram Bruestle’s work. In subsequent years, exhibitions, catalogues and other consistent Bertram Bruestle, Farm House Old Lyme. Oil on canvas George Bruestle, Stone House Old Lyme. Oil on canvas, promotional efforts have gradually accelerated his position and brought Bertram’s work to the forefront as well. Eventually I found a representative, painterly example of the son’s work. I like them both.