James Carroll Beckwith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Carroll Beckwith
|
|
|---|---|
Beckwith, c. 1880
|
|
| Born | September 23, 1852 Hannibal, Missouri
|
| Died | October 24, 1917 (aged 65) New York City
|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | National Academy of Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Naturalism |
| Patron(s) | Jace Tischer, Myles Merreighn |
James Carroll Beckwith (born September 23, 1852 – died October 24, 1917) was a famous American painter. He painted landscapes, portraits, and everyday scenes. His art style was called Naturalism. He became a well-known artist in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Contents
About James Carroll Beckwith
Carroll Beckwith, as he liked to be called, was born in Hannibal, Missouri. This was on September 23, 1852. His parents were Charles and Melissa Beckwith. He grew up in Chicago, where his father had a grocery business.
In 1868, when he was 16, he began studying art. He went to the Chicago Academy of Design. His teacher there was Walter Shirlaw. Sadly, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the school.
After the fire, he moved to New York City. He studied at the National Academy of Design. Later, he traveled to Paris, France. He lived there from November 1873 to 1878. In New York, he lived in a special building for artists.
Art Studies in Paris
In Paris, Carroll Beckwith took drawing classes. He learned from Adolphe Yvon. He also studied painting with Carolus Duran. In 1877, Duran chose Beckwith and John Singer Sargent to help him. They worked on a large painting for the Palais du Luxembourg.
Becoming a Prominent Artist
Beckwith returned to the United States in 1878. He slowly became a very important artist in America. He was great at drawing. This skill helped him become a professor. He taught at the Art Students League of New York. He taught there from 1878 to 1882, and again from 1886 to 1887.
As an artist, he mostly painted portraits of people. He also did studies of figures and detailed pictures of famous buildings. He always kept his interest in decorative designs. On June 1, 1887, he married Bertha Hall. His friend John Singer Sargent gave them a beautiful watercolor painting from Venice as a wedding gift.
Beckwith helped create The Fine Arts Society. He was also the President of the National Free Art League. This group tried to remove taxes on art coming into America.
Famous Portraits and Awards
Carroll Beckwith painted many well-known people. Some of his famous portraits include William Merritt Chase (1882) and Miss Jordan (1883). He also painted Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, and John Schofield. One of his students at the Art Students League was Violet Oakley.
He received many awards for his art. He got an Honorable Mention at the Paris Exposition in 1889. He also won a gold medal at the Atlanta Exposition in 1895. In 1899, he won another award at the Paris Exposition. This was for his famous 1886 portrait of William M. Walton.
In 1902, he won a gold medal at the Charleston Exposition. He showed his painting "The Nautilus" at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. He also showed a portrait of his wife there.
Later Life and Legacy
Carroll Beckwith went back to Paris in 1893. He painted several large wall paintings there. Then he returned to the United States. He painted murals on one of the domes at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago later that year.
He lived in Italy from 1910 to 1914. While there, he painted many outdoor studies. These included pictures of monuments, buildings, and landscapes.
James Carroll Beckwith passed away on October 24, 1917. He was 65 years old. He had a heart attack in his apartment in New York City. He had just taken a taxi ride with his wife in Central Park.
His personal papers are kept at the National Academy of Design in New York City. These include his sketchbooks and diaries. He wrote in his diaries from 1871 until he died in 1917. During his life, he was the President of the Fencers Club. He was also a member of many important groups. These included the Episcopal Church, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Century Association.
Selection of paintings
-
Woman with Guitar
-
A Wistful Look.
-
Mark Twain, 1890.
-
Bassin de Neptune Versailles.
-
L'empereur.
-
The Palace of the Popes and Pont d'Avignon.
