Alethea Hill Platt facts for kids
Alethea Hill Platt (born December 31, 1860 – died May 23, 1932) was a talented American artist and teacher. She was known for her beautiful paintings of country scenes. Her art showed landscapes from places like France, England, and different parts of the United States, including the Adirondacks and New England.
Her paintings were shown in about 200 art exhibitions! Important places like the National Academy of Design and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts displayed her work. Critics praised her art, with The New York Times saying it had a "quality of serenity," meaning it felt very peaceful. American Art News even called her one of "America's leading women painters."
About Alethea Platt
Alethea (say it like: uh-LEE-thee-uh) Platt was one of about nine children. Her parents were Laura Sherbrook Popham and Lewis Canfield Platt, who was a judge in White Plains, New York. Even as a child, Alethea loved drawing more than anything else.
She studied art with famous artists like Henry B. Snell and Ben Foster. She also took classes at the Art Students League of New York, Columbia University's Teachers College, and a special art school in Paris called the Académie Delécluse. She learned a unique watercolor technique from Henry B. Snell, where she would bravely "smash" colors onto dry paper with stiff brushes.
For many years, Alethea lived and worked in New York City at the home of a relative, Rachel Lenox Kennedy. Rachel treated Alethea like her own daughter. They both supported charities, like a place that helped people get better after being sick.
After Rachel passed away, Alethea moved to a new art studio building. There, she became friends with many other artists, including Charlotte B. Coman and Mary Tannahill. People thought Alethea was "unusually intelligent, witty and broad-minded." She even taught art classes and held open houses at her studio.
Alethea loved to travel. She spent summers in England, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. She also visited beautiful places in the United States, like the Adirondacks, Maine, and the Berkshires.
Her favorite things to paint were:
- Cozy cottage gardens
- Villagers working in their shops and kitchens
- Sunny forests
- People working in harbors
- Rocky seacoasts
She also painted a few portraits, including ones of her father and nephew. Alethea was part of many art groups, like the American Watercolor Society and the National Association of Women Artists. She was very "self-sufficient and resourceful" and kept creating art throughout her life. She passed away suddenly after an operation.
Art Shows and Awards
Alethea Platt's paintings were shown in many group exhibitions at important art museums. Some of these included the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Her art was also displayed at state fairs and a big event called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
She even had her own solo art shows at galleries like Georges A. Glaenzer's and Powell Art Gallery. Sometimes, she teamed up with other artists for "two-woman shows."
Alethea won several awards for her art:
- In 1903, she won a watercolor prize from the National Association of Women Artists.
- In 1909, she received an award from the Minnesota State Art Society.
- In 1928, she won the Brodie art prize from the National League of American Pen Women.
Her art was praised for its "forceful appeal" and how it captured the "atmospheric qualities" of light in forests and cozy homes. People also admired her art for its "rhythm of line, beauty of color and general charm."
Alethea Platt's Legacy
Today, you can still see Alethea Platt's artworks in different places. For example, the Anderson Public Library in Indiana owns her painting An Old World Garden. Wesleyan College in Georgia has her Cottage Scene. The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University owns her painting Shore Landscape at Dusk.
Her letters and other writings are kept in special collections, like at the Jones Library in Massachusetts and the Archives of American Art. These help us learn more about her life and work.
Images for kids
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Shore Landscape at Dusk by Alethea Hill Platt, Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University
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Alethea Hill Platt photographed by Mary Tannahill
