Adam Emory Albright
Encyclopedia
Adam Emory Albright was a painter
of figures in landscape
s. He was born in Monroe, Wisconsin
and spent his working life in Warrenville
and the Chicago
area.
Albright studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (later the Art Institute of Chicago
) and under Thomas Eakins
, but also in Europe
during the nineteenth century.
Albright began as a landscape painter but moved to strongly foregrounding individuals in most of his paintings. A particular interest for his paintings was children. He painted in oil
s, using almost pastel
tones and visible brush-strokes, creating realistic paintings that approached Impressionism
in style. Themes portrayed by the man called the James Whitcomb Riley
of the brush include country children at quiet play, at rest, and walking. Many country scenes were from the town of Warrenville and then-rural areas of what is now Chicago.
, who became the most prominent Chicago artist of the time. Ivan was commissioned by MGM to create the portrait from the film, The Picture of Dorian Gray
. Malvin also submitted a painting that was not used for the film.
As an elderly man, Albright decided to sell his paintings on monthly installments to be paid as long as he lived, so that he would have an insured retirement income. Many people thought they would get his paintings at a very low price since he was already an old man, but his longevity served him well.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of figures in landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
s. He was born in Monroe, Wisconsin
Monroe, Wisconsin
Monroe, known as "the Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA", is a city in and the county seat of Green County, Wisconsin, United States. The population, was 10,843 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Monroe and partially in the Town of Clarno.-Geography:Monroe is located...
and spent his working life in Warrenville
Warrenville, Illinois
Warrenville is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 13,363 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor.-History:...
and the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area.
Albright studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (later the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
) and under Thomas Eakins
Thomas Eakins
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
, but also in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
during the nineteenth century.
Albright began as a landscape painter but moved to strongly foregrounding individuals in most of his paintings. A particular interest for his paintings was children. He painted in oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
s, using almost pastel
Pastel
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation....
tones and visible brush-strokes, creating realistic paintings that approached Impressionism
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
in style. Themes portrayed by the man called the James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
of the brush include country children at quiet play, at rest, and walking. Many country scenes were from the town of Warrenville and then-rural areas of what is now Chicago.
Later life
Albright later married Clara Wilson Albright, and they had three sons, including twins Malvin, who became a sculptor, and IvanIvan Albright
Ivan Le Lorraine Albright was an American magic realist painter and artist, most renowned for his self-portraits, character studies, and still lifes.-Youth:...
, who became the most prominent Chicago artist of the time. Ivan was commissioned by MGM to create the portrait from the film, The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine...
. Malvin also submitted a painting that was not used for the film.
As an elderly man, Albright decided to sell his paintings on monthly installments to be paid as long as he lived, so that he would have an insured retirement income. Many people thought they would get his paintings at a very low price since he was already an old man, but his longevity served him well.
External links
- Adam Emory Albright, 1862-1957 - Lawrence J. Cantor and Company
- Albright, Adam, E at RHLovegalleries.com
- http://cafe.daum.net/pathwithheart