Nelson Shanks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nelson Shanks
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Self-portrait by Shanks
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| Born |
John Nelson Shanks
December 23, 1937 Rochester, New York, U.S.
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| Died | August 28, 2015 (aged 77) Andalusia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Occupation | Artist, painter |
| Spouse(s) |
Leona McShea Shanks
(m. 1989) |
John Nelson Shanks (born December 23, 1937 – died August 28, 2015) was a famous American artist and painter. He was best known for his amazing portraits. Some of his most famous paintings include a portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales and one of President Bill Clinton. The Clinton portrait is now in the National Portrait Gallery.
Nelson Shanks was also a teacher. He taught at many art schools, like the Memphis Academy of Arts and the Art Students League of New York. He lived in Andalusia, Pennsylvania. He was also an honorary member of the American Society of Classical Realism Guild of Artists.
Shanks was a painter, a teacher, and an art historian. He helped bring back a style of art called Classical Realism in the United States. His portraits of kings, queens, presidents, and famous people made him well-known around the world. He was seen as one of the best figurative painters of his time. Shanks shared his ideas and skills by teaching at different schools. In 2002, he started Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Leona Shanks. This school teaches realist art using Shanks's ideas and methods.
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Early life and art studies
Nelson Shanks was born in Rochester, New York. He spent most of his childhood in Wilmington, Delaware. He studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute and in New York City. In New York, he attended the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League.
While at the Art Students League, he earned his tuition by helping out in classes. He also studied privately with famous artists like John Koch and Henry Hensche. He received special grants that allowed him to study in Florence, Italy, with Pietro Annigoni. After his studies, he taught art in Memphis, Chicago, and Pennsylvania. He had his art studio in Pennsylvania for over 30 years.
Famous art career
Important portraits
Nelson Shanks completed his portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1996. This painting was first shown in New York City. Today, it hangs in Princess Diana's family home, Althorp.
He painted many other important people, including:
- Pope John Paul II
- President Ronald Reagan
- President Bill Clinton
- The famous singer Luciano Pavarotti
Art exhibitions
Shanks's artwork has been shown in museums and galleries all over the world. You could see his paintings at places like the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Royal Palace in Stockholm, and Kensington Palace in London.
In 2011, he had solo exhibitions in Russia. His work was shown at the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg and the Russian Academy of Art in Moscow. He was one of only two living American painters invited to show their art at these important places.
His art has also been displayed at many other famous locations. These include the National Academy of Design, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts also held a large exhibition of his work. In 2004, the city of Sarzana, Italy, hosted a special exhibition of his paintings in an old fortress. The Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia also showed over 50 of his works. His paintings are part of many important art collections worldwide.
Portrait painting style
Nelson Shanks was known for his amazing skill in capturing the true nature of the people he painted. His portraits helped him become one of the most important figurative painters of his time.
Some of his well-known portraits include:
- Diana, Princess of Wales
- Pope John Paul II for the Vatican Museum
- Margaret Thatcher
- U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton for the National Portrait Gallery
- Luciano Pavarotti for the Metropolitan Opera
- Mstislav Rostropovich for the Kennedy Center
- Opera singer Denyce Graves for the National Portrait Gallery
- King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia of Sweden
- Queen Juliana of the Netherlands
- United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
- Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
His work has been shown in many famous places, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Royal Palace in Stockholm, and Kensington Palace in London.
Teaching art
Nelson Shanks was a realist painter. This means he tried to paint things exactly as they looked. He wanted to capture the true feeling of his subjects through careful observation and great technical skill. Whether he painted a still life, a landscape, or a person, his art aimed to make viewers feel something and look closely.
Shanks believed that a realistic painting should make you think deeply about life and people. He said it should create a likeness that makes you imagine things and remember moments. It should include everything the realist painter sees and feels.
Shanks's teaching ideas focused on learning and training students to "see" properly. He knew it took many years of hard work to become a skilled painter. Throughout his life, Shanks painted almost every day. He painted landscapes, still life, figures, and portraits. He always wanted to grow and improve with each painting. He encouraged his students to do the same.
Shanks taught at several art schools, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also started an apprentice program at his home studio in Bucks County. Here, artists could live and learn from him for free. About 30 different artists, like Bo Bartlett and Eleanor Greaves, were his apprentices over the years.
In the late 1990s, he started popular art workshops. Many students wanted to learn his painting methods. This led him to open a full-time art school in 2002 called Studio Incamminati. This name means "those who are progressing" in Italian. It also honors a famous art studio from the Renaissance period.
Nelson and his wife, Leona Shanks, founded Studio Incamminati to give artists a place to study realist painting. They also taught other skills needed for successful art careers. Nelson Shanks wanted to change how the world saw art. Through Studio Incamminati, he attracted people who shared this goal.
Death and lasting impact
Nelson Shanks passed away from prostate cancer at his home in Andalusia, Pennsylvania, on August 28, 2015. He was 77 years old.
His son, Alexander Shanks (born in 1996), is also a painter, continuing his father's artistic legacy.
See also
In Spanish: Nelson Shanks para niños
