Lillian Genth facts for kids

Lillian Mathilde Genth (born in 1876, died March 28, 1953) was an amazing American impressionist artist. She showed her paintings in 233 exhibitions over about 30 years. While she was very famous for her art during her lifetime, her story and beautiful artwork are not as well known today.

Early Life and Education

Lillian Mathilde Genth was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Matilda Caroline Rebscher and Samuel Adam. Lillian started her art journey by getting a scholarship to the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. To help pay for her schooling, she also worked as a dress designer.

At the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, her main teacher was Elliott Daingerfield. He really shaped her artistic style. You can see his influence in her landscape paintings, which often had similar soft colors and tones. Lillian graduated from the school in 1900. She won the William L. Elkins European fellowship. This award allowed her to paint in Europe for a whole year.

Early Career

Paris, France

Lillian first went to Paris, France in October 1900. There, she joined art classes at the Académie Carmen. This art school was run by the famous artist James McNeill Whistler. Whistler became a big influence on Lillian's art. She was even known as one of his favorite students!

In 1900, Whistler visited the school and was very impressed by Lillian's work. He gave her a paint palette, which was a huge honor. She used and cherished this palette for her entire career. This was an amazing compliment because Whistler rarely accepted women painters.

Many people say Lillian's style was inspired by Whistler. This is because her paintings often had soft, tonal qualities. He also taught her to see her paintings as a complete picture, not just separate parts. After the Academie Carmen closed in 1901, Lillian stayed in Europe for three more years.

New York

In 1904, Lillian Genth came back to the United States. She settled in New York City. This is when her art career really took off! In 1904 alone, she showed her art in three big exhibitions. These included the National Academy of Design, the Art Club of Philadelphia, and the Worcester Museum.

In October of that year, she had her first solo show at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Also in 1904, she won the Mary Shaw Prize for the best landscape painting. This was for her work Peasant Houses, Normandy. Critics and the public started to notice and love her art during this successful year.

Over the next few years, Lillian continued to show her art. Her work was seen in the nation’s most important art galleries, museums, and clubs. She stopped painting European landscapes and started focusing on the human body, especially women. When asked why she changed her style, she said: "Because to me the most beautiful thing in the world is the human figure outdoors." She explained that one day in Brittany, she posed a model outside. She then realized all the beauty she had been missing.

Lillian was known for her strong personality. She kept going even when things were tough. In 1908, her painting, The Lark, won the Shaw Memorial Prize. This was at the 83rd Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design.

Also in 1908, Lillian was chosen to be an Associate of the National Academy of Design. She was the youngest woman ever to get this position at the academy! From 1910 to 1929, Lillian showed her art in at least 164 exhibitions. During these years, she became very successful, popular, and wealthy.

She split her time between two homes. One was an apartment in New York City. The other was a large estate in the Berkshire Mountains in Connecticut. She called this estate Hermitcliff. Hermitcliff was a huge property with 70 acres of woodland. Here, Lillian could paint her models without being disturbed. She loved going to Hermitcliff and used it often. She once said about her beloved estate: "The things I have learned have come from the soil in the depths of my woods in Connecticut."

Late Career

Spain

Throughout the 1920s, Lillian Genth made many trips to Spain. She fell in love with the sunny weather and the culture of this exciting country. She even wrote an article about her travels in Spain called “Castles in Spain.” In it, she wrote: “No one knows the glamour of Spain unless you have lived there—the glorious sunlight and flowers.”

Between 1926 and 1927, she traveled all over Spain. Her paintings from this time show her passion for Spanish culture. They often include images of strong women. Her paintings use bright colors and show her women as powerful, beautiful, and brave.

One of her most famous paintings from this time is Las Abanicas. This painting shows four women in brightly colored clothes. They are taking part in the Seville Fair, a festival in Sevilla, Spain. The painting has many patterns, colors, and brushstrokes. They all come together to create a beautiful and bright picture. Lillian was also interested in bullfighting. She created two notable paintings about this theme: La Novia del Torero and Bull Fight.

North Africa

During her travels in 1926, Lillian also stopped in North Africa. She painted in the major cities there. Lillian was a curious woman. She was determined to find new and interesting subjects to paint and explore. She traveled alone and carried all her art supplies and paintings with her. Her time in North Africa was short but very busy.

The art she made during these trips showed many different scenes of everyday life. She also painted portraits of the local women. In her own article, “A Painting Trip in North Africa,” she wrote about her experiences. She described the challenges of painting while traveling. She talked about the lively markets and the unique culture. But mostly, she described the beautiful and special colors of the cities.

The Orient

In 1931, Lillian Genth returned from a trip to Asia. She announced that she would stop painting European and African subjects. Instead, she would focus on the Orient (a term used for Eastern countries). When asked why, she simply said, “People live in cycles.” One main reason for her trip was a special request from King Pradjadhipok, the King of Siam.

Lillian first stopped in Japan. There, she watched and painted sumo wrestling. While in Japan, she also painted a series of Tokyo cityscapes. One of her most famous paintings from this time is Theatre Street, Tokyo.

Next, Lillian traveled to Hong Kong, China. There, she painted Hong Kong at night. This is a beautiful painting that shows the contrast between the light and dark of the city from far away.

Then, Lillian traveled to Siam, which is now called Thailand. She went there to paint for the king. In Bangkok, Thailand, she created the painting, The Royal Barge. This painting shows the king and his boats during the Water Festival.

Lillian's favorite stop in Asia was Papua. She loved it because the island was very remote. It was also mostly untouched by outsiders. A ship had not landed there in over four years! In Papua, she painted Papuan Wedding (Port Morsby). This painting captures a lively marriage ceremony using earthy colors.

After Papua, she traveled to Fiji, Bali, and Pago-Pago. Then, she returned to New York City.

Later Years and Death

Lillian Genth lived the rest of her life in New York City. She showed her art in a few more exhibitions during the 1930s. However, her shows became less frequent as she got older. In her later years, she was driven to upstate New York every fall. She loved to see the leaves change colors and would paint small landscape sketches.

She passed away on March 28, 1953, at her home in New York City. She was 76 years old.

Collections

Lillian Genth's artwork is kept in the permanent collections of many places. These include the Hickory Museum of Art, the Frye Art Museum, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, the Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, the Salisbury House, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

See also

In Spanish: Lillian Genth para niños