Becky Suss Exhibition Opens at Cheekwood

From January 25 through March 16, Cheekwood Mansion hosts an intimate exhibition of 10 new paintings by American artist Becky Suss. The paintings are inspired by author Ann Patchett’s 2019 novel, “The Dutch House,” which story centers on a fictional mansion in a suburb of Philadelphia.

By interpreting the literary details from Patchett’s narrative, Suss recounts memories shared by the novel’s two adult siblings as they relate to their upbringing and complex relationships within the context of their family home.

Suss also incorporates her own experiences by interweaving literature and personal stories and researching objects and architectural details to fit within the novel’s time period.

Becky Suss (American, b.1980), The Dutch House (Drawing Room), 2023, oil on canvas, ©Becky Suss. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Becky Suss (American, b.1980), The Dutch House (Maeve’s Room), 2023, oil on canvas. ©Becky Suss. Courtesy of JLS Collection.

Through her paintings, Suss brings new life to “The Dutch House,” which was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

In addition to being an acclaimed, award-winning author, Ann Patchett owns the immensely popular Parnassus Books in Green Hills.

Tickets to Cheekwood Estate & Gardens can be found here.

ICA Chattanooga, a program of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, organizes the Dutch House. The UTC College of Arts and Sciences provides originating support for the Dutch House.