Harriet Blackstone facts for kids
Harriet Blackstone (born November 13, 1864 – died March 16, 1939) was an American artist. She was known for painting people, especially portraits. She often painted important business people and their families. She also painted many famous musicians.
Early Life and Learning
Harriet Blackstone was born in 1864 in New Hartford, New York. She had a brother named Edward Charles. Her family moved to the Midwest in 1883. Harriet was related to early American settlers like William Blaxton and Roger Williams.
When she was younger, she worked as a book editor. She published a book called The Best American Orations of Today in 1903. She also taught drama and elocution (the art of speaking clearly and well) at Galesburg High School in Illinois.
In 1903, Blackstone moved to New York to study art. She went to the Pratt Institute. There, one of her teachers was the famous artist William Merritt Chase. After that, she traveled to Paris, France, to study at the Académie Julien. She worked with the painter Jean-Paul Laurens. In 1907, her art was shown at the important Paris Salon exhibition. A few years later, in 1912, she studied with William Merritt Chase again in Belgium.
Her Art Career
Harriet Blackstone started her art career in Glencoe, Illinois. She designed and built the first bungalow (a type of small house) in Glencoe. It even had a separate studio in the back for her to paint.
During World War I, she worked for the U.S. government in New Mexico. Her job was to paint Native Americans and their homes. She also created special paintings called range-finder paintings. These helped train soldiers to aim military guns better. In 1920, she moved to New York City. She lived there until she passed away in 1939.
Blackstone's portraits were admired for being unique and direct. People also praised her great painting skills. One art expert said, "How does she get that flesh color? It is as luminous as life itself." This means her painted skin looked very real and glowing.
She painted many well-known people. These included the singer Amelita Galli-Curci and the architect D. Everett Waid. She also painted many business leaders and their families from the Midwest.
Harriet Blackstone was part of several art groups. These included the National Arts Club and the Chicago Society of Artists. Being a member of these groups showed her importance in the art world.
Her artwork can be seen in several museums. Some of these are the De Young Memorial Museum in San Francisco and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The Brooklyn Museum in New York and the Milwaukee Art Museum in Wisconsin also have her pieces. Her personal papers, including sketches and photos, are kept at the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
Harriet Blackstone's art was shown in many important exhibitions:
- Paris Salon (1907)
- AIC Annual Exhibition of Oil Paintings & Sculpture by American Artists (1907-1916)
- Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (1908-1910)
- Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia (1909, 1912)
- National Academy of Design, New York (1910, 1911)
- Panama-Pacific Exposition, San Francisco (1915)
- AIC Annual Exhibition of Works by Chicago Artists (1915, 1916)
See also
In Spanish: Harriet Blackstone para niños
