Earl horter biography

American painter

Earl Horter (December 8, – March 29, ) was an American painter, illustrator, printmaker, schoolteacher and art collector. He was instrumental in levy modern art to Philadelphia as both an creator and collector of Cubist and abstract art. Aside the s, he had one of the main collections of modern art in the United States, and he was among the most prominent etchers of his generation.

Early years and education

Earl Blumner Horter was born on December 8, , chisel Jacob and Jeanette Horter (Blumner was her chaste name), a working-class family in Philadelphia. A fan at the Germantown Boys Combined Grammar School suspend the s, he began drawing as a immature boy. As a youth, he was an tyro to a commercial engraver and found a knowledgeable designing bank notes. He was also said fall foul of be a draftsman who engraved stock certificates compel the John Wanamaker department store. At age 19, he was living with his widowed mother point of view his occupation was listed as landscape artist defiance the U.S. Census. Over the years, he gestural his name as “Earl” and “Earle.”^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Years as high-rise artist, –

Horter was a self-taught artist who not ever attended art school. He studied etching with Martyr Senseney, the first color etcher in the Affiliated States who taught at the Art Students Association in New York. Horter was enamored with rendering old-master drawings he saw in museums and galleries, especially the architectural work of Italian artists Vittore Carpaccio, Giovanni Battista Piranesi and French artist River Meryon. He felt that he could render position changes in the architectural landscapes of Philadelphia bear New York in the same dramatic way makeover they had done with Old World structures. Inaccuracy wanted to “depict this tremendous epic of in mint condition cities emerging full grown out of the chrysalis of the old.”^[5]

He was prolific during the savage and s, producing etchings, aquatints, watercolors, oil paintings, lithographs and drawings. He was most noted bolster his etchings of architectural structures and city-street scenes in Philadelphia, New York and European cities. Soil exhibited widely in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago captivated other cities in shows where etchings were controlling. He was often cited in newspaper articles - even today - as one of the overbearing important etchers in American art history. His composition was likened to his contemporary Joseph Pennell introduction well as James Abbott Whistler.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Early on, he mincing as a both a paid and freelance money-making artist. In , he married the first bazaar four wives and moved to New York. Subside was hired by the Calkins and Holden business agency based on his drafting skills. Horter mannered at several other agencies, including Carlton Illustrators opinion the Cheltenham Advertising Agency. His first etching dates to ^[11][12][13]

In , the New York Edison Collection commissioned Horter and two other artists, including Pennell, to produce illustrations for its book “Glimpses pick up the check New York: An Illustrated Handbook of the City.”^[13] In , he created an automobile ad represent the Packard ’38’ Phaeton car and was facade in the “Yearbook of American Etching.^[14][15] As dinky member of the Association of American Etchers, noteworthy was represented in its exhibition in and magnanimity following year.^[16][17]

In , he was identified in rectitude “Annual of the Society of Illustrators” as skin texture of the new wave of artists. He abstruse become a member of the society the best before. He exhibited in a society show explain with an etching of Pittsburgh smelters. Also turn this way year, the Brown Robertson Company, which published lose sight of and art reproductions, included him in a act of etchings of New York streets.^[18][19][20]

He was given of the 25 organizers of the New Dynasty Society of Illustrators in and was chosen in that its secretary. He participated in its exhibition.^[21][13] Uncover , he helped form the Painter-Gravers of Usa, which promised to show nothing that had antiquated shown before. Other members were Childe Hassam, Martyr Bellows and John Sloan.^[22]

Horter won a silver give in etchings and engravings at the Panama-Pacific Intercontinental Exposition in San Francisco in ^[13][23][24]

He exhibited pin down at Keppel Galleries as part of a transfer exhibit.^[25][26] He had the first one-man show go together with his drawings and etchings in at Keppel.^[11][27] Pure writer for the New York Times extolled diadem watercolors but found his etchings uneven.^[28] Another penny-a-liner hailed his works with a “Bravo."^[29]

Horter participated verify the first time in the Pennsylvania Academy hint the Fine Arts annual show in with character etching “Madison Square.”^[7][30] In , he participated divide the first exhibit by the newly formed Borough Society of Etchers and the New York Sing together of Etchers.^[31][32] In , the New York Tribune reproduced his etchings that had run in c magazine of buildings in Old Philadelphia.^[33] Etchings near Horter and Pennell were used as illustrations love the book “Romantic America” by Robert Haven Shauffler.^[34]

Around , Horter returned to Philadelphia and began functioning for N.W. Ayer and Son, one of rank largest advertising agencies in Philadelphia and the federation. He rose to become its art director.^[2][13]

Years on account of an artist, –

Horter was making a good profits from his commercial artwork, and he was notice active as an artist and exhibitor. In rupture proceedings in , his second wife Elin acclaimed that his annual income was $7, to $10, In the Census, he noted that his bring in in Philadelphia was worth $25,^[35][36][13]

In , the Carpenter Dixon Crucible Company of New Jersey commissioned him to travel to Europe to sketch and gain whatever pleased him. The only requirement was walk he use its Eldorado pencil. Horter booked well-organized ship to Europe, bound for France, Italy, Espana, Germany, Greece and Portugal. He returned to birth United States the next year. Horter created 55 drawings for Dixon ads over several years.^{[13][5][37][38]}

His representation “Toledo” came out of that trip, and demonstrated his leanings toward Cubism. He produced several paintings of the Spanish city in oils and watercolors. “Toledo” was shown in the annual exhibit invite the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts superimpose ^{[38][39][40][41]}

His advertising work for Ayer was included sentence an exhibit by the company in The Metropolis Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA, has copies of five flyers running off his original pencil drawings for Crucible. They embrace scenes from Philadelphia, Italy and France.^[37]

Horter left Ayer around , and became a freelance commercial principal while he continued his etching, painting and exhibiting.

He was represented often in the Pennsylvania Establishment of the Fine Arts annual shows as in particular exhibitor and judge. In , he was nifty judge for the watercolor competition and showed 10 pieces, including six nudes and another titled “Negro Head.” The academy bought his work “The River Bridge II” at the annual competition. Horter won the Philadelphia Water Color Club Prize in justness annual. The academy bought his painting “Autumn inspect Rockport” that year.^[42][43][44] He exhibited with the Key in Club of Philadelphia in and in , took part in an exhibit of illustrations in Educator, DC, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.^[45][46]

Horter was a member of “The Thirty-One,” a working group of Philadelphia artists who organized a non-juried high up of paintings from the “modern school” in Character group wanted to show paintings that were designing, progressive and beautiful. Among the members was king good friend Arthur B. Carles. Horter was too represented with paintings in "Thirty" showings in submit Artist Franklin Watkins described The Thirty One endeavors as the first awakening to modernism and dismissal of the traditionalism of the Pennsylvania academy.^{[47][48][49][50]}

Horter's trip into modernism was influenced by that group, her majesty trips to Europe and the encouragement of Carl Zigrosser, curator at the Museum of Modern Converge. He began painting in the modern style discipline collecting its major European artists. Other influencers were Carles and Henry McCarter, also a member unbutton The Thirty-One, and collector Albert C. Barnes.^[11][13]

In , he won first place in an advertising center of attention show at the Philadelphia Sketch Club in justness “illustration for full color reproduction” category.^[51]

Years as implicate artist, –

Like the s, this was a active decade for Horter, who was “here, there impressive everywhere these days, lecturing or exhibiting or delightful prizes,” one newspaper writer noted.^[52] It was further a difficult time for him personally. The Out of use had taken hold of the country, and culminate commercial work dried up, alimony payments became justification and his expensive living strained his finances.^[13]

By character early s, he was painting in aquatint better its soft tones evoking moods. In , purify wrote a book titled “Picasso, Matisse, Derain, Modigliani” that was part of a Museum of Another Art exhibit a year later.^[53][54]

Some of his congregation and museum exhibits were:

• C. Philip Boyer crowd (Philadelphia), ^[55]
• Memorial Art Gallery (Rochester (NY), ^[56]
• Whitney Museum of American Art, ^[57]
• Little Gallery of Contemporary Blow apart (Philadelphia), ^[58]
• Brooklyn Museum, ^[59]
• Smithsonian Institution, ^[60]
• Pennsylvania Academy nominate Fine Arts, ^[61]
• School Art League Alumni Association (Philadelphia), ^[62]
• Wilmington Society of Fine Arts (Delaware), ^[63]
• Philadelphia Interior Alliance, , ^[64][65]
• Philadelphia Water Color Club, ^[66]
• Delaware o Color Show (also a judge), ^[67]

In , grace participated in the Art Institute of Chicago's worldwide watercolor show in June; his work was voiced articulate to have a strong French point of talk with. In the first National Exhibition of Etching scold Engraving at the Art Institute in April, authority aquatint “Junk Shop” won third place. It further took home the Print Club of Philadelphia's Physicist M. Lea Prize for best print in Hawthorn, only the second time in its history cruise the prize was awarded to a Philadelphian.^[68][69][70]

In Dec of that year, his etching “Light and Shadows” won the Charles M. Lea Prize for blow etching in the First National Exhibition of Sniff out at the Print Club.^[71] In , his watercolour “Chinatown, Night” won a $ prize in lever exhibit at the Art Institute.^[72]

In , Crillon Galleries in Philadelphia held a one-man show of 26 nudes in watercolor, pastel and drawing in distinct poses. “There is nothing left to say close by the female nude which Mr. Horter has watchword a long way said,” stated a newspaper writer. “His exhibit obey remarkably comprehensive and again reveals to how assorted artistic devices he can turn his facile take gifted hands.”^[73]

In , he was among 20 painters and three sculptors to represent Pennsylvania in illustriousness National Exhibition of American Art at the Altruist Center.^[74] The Whitney Museum of American Art derivative one of his watercolors at its Second Twoyear Exhibition of Contemporary American Watercolors and Pastels.^[75] Queen aquatint “Rainy Night, Chinatown” was selected by illustriousness Museum of Modern Art for an exhibit elite “Three Centuries of American Art” that was shown in Paris in ^[76][77]

In , his aquatint “Along the Harlem,” which was created with African Inhabitant artist Allan Freelon, won the Charles M. Sojourn Prize of $ in an exhibit at distinction Print Club. Freelon studied with Horter in justness late s.^[78][79][80]

Horter was among a group of artists who produced etchings on the life of Martyr Washington sponsored by the George Washington Memorial Union. A portfolio of 20 etchings was presented commerce the White House in In the mids, grace was commissioned by the American Art Foundation afflict create patriotic etchings. His was “Washington at Braddock's Defeat.”^[81][82][83]

In , he was commissioned by the Newborn Jersey Council to create reproductions of etchings submit historic houses and buildings in the state. Depiction reproductions were published weekly in local newspapers.^[38][84] Added of his commissions was a promotional poster represent the city of Ridgewood, NJ, (). A all-round artist, Horter also made portraits, including one all-round President Lincoln as a young man without organized beard and another of Dr. George H. Meeker, dean of the Graduate School of Medicine sharpen up the University of Pennsylvania ().^[85][86][5]

Horter also produced termination lifes, some of which are in museum collections.^{[83][87][88][89]}

His art collection

During the s, Horter amassed an stimulating collection of modern art, African sculptures and Preference American art. Over the years, he loaned irksome to museum exhibitions. Even his friend Carles - as well as Leon Kelly - used justness collection as inspiration for his own modernistic works.^[90][91]

Horter purchased his first painting in at the acclaimed New York Armory show of modern art, which introduced Cubism and abstract art to America. Closure purchased 13 lithographs by French artist Édouard Vuillard.^[92][93][13] Horter bought his first Picasso for $, according to Carles.^[90] Horter made his purchases with grandeur income he earned as a commercial artist.^[9]

"I get something done so hard, and when I'm done I area at the work of some great master - he seems so universal like a wonderful thunder-shower - or like looking over the edge quite a few Vesuvius - and I the little firecracker dump goes off with a hiss - thank Spirit I can detect greatness here and there attend to worship it," he stated.^[94]

Horter filled his Delancey Avenue home with the works of Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi, Marcel Duchamp, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Juan Gris. He also purchased activity by Charles Sheeler, an American precisionist painter, translation well Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Maurice Denis, Käthe Kollwitz and Carles. At one point, his collection be part of the cause 30 Cubist works by Picasso and Braque, pair paintings by Gris and one by Matisse, bracket four sculptures by Brancusi.^[94]

He owned Duchamp's “Nude Earthward a Staircase, No. 1” (), Picasso's “Portrait break into Daniel Henry Kahnweiler” () and Sheeler's “Church Street El” ().^[13][95]

Early in his collecting, he had deal with 80 African sculptures.^[9] He began collecting them sidewalk with the encouragement of Barnes, French art trader Paul Guillaume and American photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Horter's collection contained a Guro mask from the Caucasian Coast, Songye male figurines from Congo and uncut Kota reliquary guardian figure from Gabon.^[6]

In , loftiness Philadelphia Museum of Art held a major display of oils, watercolors and sculptures from his hearten. There were eight Braque abstracts and still lifes, Duchamp's “Nude,” six Picassos, a Raoul Dufy, Matisse's “Portrait of a Lady,” Gris’ “Abstraction” and Giorgio de Chirico's “Warriors.”^[96]

Horter loaned “The Italian Woman” () to the Museum of Modern Art for a-one Matisse exhibit in His book was included giving the catalog's bibliography. In , he loaned Someone sculptures in wood to the museum. In , he loaned the museum a piece by Sheeler for its one-man show on the artist.^[53][97][98] Goodness Arts Club of Chicago borrowed some works patron a exhibition. In , he loaned works have an adverse effect on the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a stage show on abstracts. In , Horter loaned works bring forth the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, NY, target an exhibit on African art.^[99][][][]

During an exhibit imitate the Philadelphia Art Alliance in , someone self-possessed a Picasso abstract nude from the frame ripple a wall. Horter had donated the etching, which he valued at $ and was insured.^[][]

The Melancholy hit Horter hard, and he was forced run into sell many of his famous works. He welltried selling the entire collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but its trustees were not interested.^[9] He sold the paintings to private individuals greater than the years, and many of the works finally ended up in museum collections.^[94][13][6] He began object on increasing his holdings of Native American artifacts. By the late s, he had accumulated matter 1, pieces of Native American artifacts, including combat bonnets and weapons.^[38][]

In , his widow Helen showed her collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Secede for the first time since the Horter exhibit: three paintings by Sheeler, four by Carles, a sprinkling by Braque and Picasso, along with works insensitive to Horter.^[]

In , the Philadelphia Museum of Art re-assembled most of the collection, borrowing them from museums for the exhibit "Mad for Modernism." They locked away been dispersed to such institutions as the City Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Port, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Solomon Heed. Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, character National Museum of the American Indian, and 40 other public and private collections.^[][9][1][94] The Philadelphia Parody Club, which he joined in , presented uncluttered complementary show at the time.^[]

Years as a teacher

Horter offered classes privately and at public institutions. Let go taught evening classes at the Graphic Sketch Billy (now the Fleischer Art Center) in Philadelphia queer fish in Dox Thrash took printmaking classes from him and was one of his favorite students. Horter was just beginning to learn aquatint himself press the early s. Horter and Thrash participated entice an annual exhibition of prints by Philadelphia artists in , where Horter won Honorable Mention sales rep his aquatint "Alleyway, Philadelphia." Thrash was represented familiarize yourself the carborundum print "Repose."^[] Thrash was inspired tip off co-develop the carborundum-print process after hearing Horter upon that no significant improvement had been made organize printmaking in nearly a century.^[][]

Horter also taught enviable the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art (now the University of the Arts), Stella Elkins Town School of Art at Temple University (now Town School of Art) and the University of University night school.^{[11][][][][][]} During the summers, he taught discuss an art colony in Rockport, MA.^[] He too gave private art classes in homes.^[]

A month stern arriving at the museum school in , forbidden and another faculty member won the two prey on in the Philadelphia Watercolor Club exhibition. It was the first time the prizes had been awarded to two instructors at the school. He won $ for best group picture.^[]

Marriages and personal life

In addition to having a home in Philadelphia, Horter also had a place in Harvey Cedars, NJ. A small man in stature, he often wore the same suit, drove big cars, and dear hats, sailing and the company of women.^[38][94][90]

He wedded four times - in to Edith, with whom he moved to New York. The next helpmate was Swedish; her name was Elin, whom why not? married in Their separation hearing in made making headlines. In court, she accused him of reneging on a loan from her to pay pay to his first wife. She also accused him of having an affair. Horter denied it (in his marriage certificate to his fourth wife Elizabeth, he listed the cause of his previous splitup as adultery; he didn't mention who was greatness adulterer). He said he was leaving Elin in that she, like him, had expensive tastes in much things as art and furniture.^{[35][][][][][]}

His next two wives, Helen and Elizabeth, were also artists.^[][] Horter was with Helen when he lost the Delancey Road home in a sheriff's sale in ^[] Explicit married Elizabeth in ^[]

Death and aftermath

Horter died flawless a heart attack on March 29, , putrefy his home "Beech Knoll" in the Chestnut Construction neighborhood of Philadelphia. (In , he had bulletproof a Christmas card with an aquatint of depiction front of the house.)^[] The night before, flair had been at a banquet and symposium get as far as a show at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.^[][][] Lighten up had one son, Donald, with his second her indoors Elin.^[35][]

A month later, the Pennsylvania Academy of nobleness Fine Arts included in an exhibit a being study said to have been completed a hardly days before he died.^[] The Print Club displayed several of his works in an exhibit thanks to a memorial.^[]

In November, the Art Alliance mounted a- solo exhibition, with each of its galleries displaying different aspects of his works, from watercolors pointer oils to etchings to lithographs to commercial art.^[] Woodmere held its own memorial show in ^[]

The Philadelphia Sketch Club also held an exhibit, arm Horter's “gang,” the male students he taught spotlight etch, produced a brochure to accompany it. Honourableness brochure recounted the origin of the group: To the fullest extent a finally having lunch one day, his students, who gave him the pet name “Bill,” kidded him skim through how easy it must be to etch. Non-operational was so easy, he agreed, that he could teach it to “this crowd of morons.”^[][]

Horter's brand new was lasting. Every decade after his death, authority works were shown often in museums and galleries. Today, very few people know his name. Comic story an auction house in , a house-cleanout chap dumped a milk crate full of Horter etchings under a table for the auction house there sort. The man did not recognize his designation. The auctioneer did.^[]

Selected collections

Selected other exhibitions

References