Doris Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doris Emrick Lee
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Doris Lee circa 1935-1937
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| Born | February 1, 1905 Aledo, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | June 16, 1983 (aged 78) Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
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| Education | Kansas City Art Institute, California School of Fine Arts |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking |
| Spouse(s) | Russell Lee, Arnold Blanch |
| Awards | Logan Medal of the Arts |
| Patron(s) | Works Progress Administration, Michigan State University, Colorado Springs Fine Art Center |
Doris Emrick Lee (born February 1, 1905 – died June 16, 1983) was an American artist. She was famous for her paintings of people and her printmaking. She won the Logan Medal of the Arts in 1935. Doris Lee is known as one of the most successful female artists during the Great Depression in the United States. This was a time when many people faced tough economic challenges.
Contents
About Doris Lee
Her Early Life and Art Training
Doris Lee was born in Aledo, Illinois. She went to a girls' school called Ferry Hall School from 1920 to 1922. Later, she graduated from Rockford College in 1927.
She studied art with Ernest Lawson at the Kansas City Art Institute in 1929. Lawson was an important American painter. At the institute, she met another painter, Arnold Blanch. She later married him. Doris Lee also studied at the California School of Fine Arts in 1930.
After her schooling, Lee moved to Woodstock, New York. She became a well-known artist in that area. She lived and worked there for the rest of her art career.
Her Art Career and Famous Works
In the 1930s, the U.S. Treasury Department asked her to paint several murals. Murals are large paintings on walls. In 1937, she painted two murals in the Main Post Office in Washington, DC. She also painted one in the Summerville, Georgia, Post Office.
That same year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art bought her painting Catastrophe (1936). Her 1935 painting "Noon" was even mentioned in the famous book Lolita. During the 1930s and 1940s, she made many lithographs. These are a type of print.
Later, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Life magazine hired her for several projects. She created articles and illustrations about her travels. She visited places like North Africa, Mexico, and Cuba. Around this time, her art style became more modern. She focused more on colors and simple shapes.
Doris Lee also taught art at Michigan State University. She was invited to be a guest artist at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
In the 1960s, Lee stopped painting. She passed away in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983. Her art can be seen in many public collections. These include the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Famous "Thanksgiving" Painting
In 1935, Doris Lee's painting Thanksgiving became very famous. It showed a busy kitchen with women preparing a Thanksgiving meal. This painting was shown at the Art Institute of Chicago. It won the important Logan Medal of the Arts.
The painting showed themes like Thanksgiving, country life, and family. Lee painted it in a simple, folk-art style. This style was very popular during the Great Depression. People were looking for comfort and a return to simpler times. Her painting offered a sweet picture of home life. It appealed to those who were tired of the difficulties of modern life.
Many people loved her work for its down-to-earth feeling and humor. One art critic said her paintings were "fresh, with the charm of innocence." Thanksgiving truly celebrates the happiness of family connections. The kitchen in the painting is full of life and love.
However, not everyone liked it. Josephine Logan, who donated the prize, thought the painting's style was too broad and exaggerated. She even started a group called the Society for Sanity in Art. But this controversy only made Doris Lee more famous! Thanksgiving is still known as a very popular and warm picture of this American holiday.
Awards and Recognition
Doris Lee received the Logan Medal of the Arts. She won this award at the 46th American Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture. This event was held at the Art Institute of Chicago.
See also
In Spanish: Doris Lee para niños
