Edward Middleton Manigault
Encyclopedia
Edward Middleton Manigault (June 14, 1887 – August 31, 1922) was an American
Modernist painter.
Manigault was born in London, Ontario
on June 14, 1887. His parents were Americans originally from South Carolina
. Encouraged in art from an early age, he was commissioned at the age of 18 the city of London to make renderings of public buildings for reproduction as postcards.
Manigault moved to New York City
in 1905 and enrolled in classes at the New York School of Art. He studied under Robert Henri
and Kenneth Hayes Miller
. He moved away from Realism
by 1909 and began producing paintings in a Post-Impressionism
style. He first exhibited his work in New York that year, and in 1910 participated in the Exhibition of Independent Artists, which Henri had organized. In the spring of 1912, he traveled through England and France. In 1914, he staged a critically acclaimed one-man show at the Charles Daniel Gallery. His art was purchased by such notable collectors as J. Paul Getty
and Arthur Jerome Eddy
.
Manigault volunteered to serve as an ambulance driver with the British Expeditionary Force in 1915, during World War I. He married Gertrude Buffington Phillips two days before he shipped out. Manigault served as an an ambulance driver in Flanders from April to November of 1915. He received a medical discharge after being exposed to mustard gas; he suffered a nervous breakdown and his health would decline for the remainder of his life.
Manigault worked in a wide range of styles following the war, experimenting in abstract and Cubist styles that he found unsatisfying and mostly destroyed. He was inspired by the example of American modernists, including William and Marguerite Zorach
. In 1919 he and his wife resettled in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, California
. Manigault subsequently became inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement
, and began to produce decorative works, including ceramics and furniture. He also was commissioned by Oneida Limited
to design flatware.
Exacerbating his poor health, Manigault practiced fasting in an attempt "to approach the spiritual plane and see colors not perceptible to the physical eye." His wife normally monitored his habits, and after he traveled alone to San Francisco to work on a job, he collapsed and was hospitalized. He died on August 31, 1922 of starvation
and neurasthenia
.
Manigault is believed to have destroyed as many as two hundred of his paintings; consequently, few paintings by Manigault survive. His work notebooks only cover the years from 1906 to 1919. Interest was renewed in his work in 1946, with the inclusion of his paintings in the exhibition "Pioneers of Modern Art in America 1903-1918" at the Whitney Museum of American Art
. His work is in the permanent collections of the Columbus Museum of Art
in Columbus, Ohio
, and the Gibbes Museum of Art
in Charleston, South Carolina
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Modernist painter.
Manigault was born in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
on June 14, 1887. His parents were Americans originally from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Encouraged in art from an early age, he was commissioned at the age of 18 the city of London to make renderings of public buildings for reproduction as postcards.
Manigault moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1905 and enrolled in classes at the New York School of Art. He studied under Robert Henri
Robert Henri
Robert Henri was an American painter and teacher. He was a leading figure of the Ashcan School in art.- Early life :...
and Kenneth Hayes Miller
Kenneth Hayes Miller
Kenneth Hayes Miller was an American painter and teacher.Born in Oneida, New York, he studied at the Art Students League of New York with Kenyon Cox, Henry Siddons Mowbray and with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art. He died in New York City.-Students:Miller taught at the Art...
. He moved away from Realism
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
by 1909 and began producing paintings in a Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. Fry used the term when he organized the 1910 exhibition Manet and Post-Impressionism...
style. He first exhibited his work in New York that year, and in 1910 participated in the Exhibition of Independent Artists, which Henri had organized. In the spring of 1912, he traveled through England and France. In 1914, he staged a critically acclaimed one-man show at the Charles Daniel Gallery. His art was purchased by such notable collectors as J. Paul Getty
J. Paul Getty
Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist. He founded the Getty Oil Company, and in 1957 Fortune magazine named him the richest living American, whilst the 1966 Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen, worth an estimated $1,200 million. At his death, he was...
and Arthur Jerome Eddy
Arthur Jerome Eddy
Arthur Jerome Eddy was an American lawyer, author, art collector, and art critic. He was one of the first generation of Americans who collected Modern art...
.
Manigault volunteered to serve as an ambulance driver with the British Expeditionary Force in 1915, during World War I. He married Gertrude Buffington Phillips two days before he shipped out. Manigault served as an an ambulance driver in Flanders from April to November of 1915. He received a medical discharge after being exposed to mustard gas; he suffered a nervous breakdown and his health would decline for the remainder of his life.
Manigault worked in a wide range of styles following the war, experimenting in abstract and Cubist styles that he found unsatisfying and mostly destroyed. He was inspired by the example of American modernists, including William and Marguerite Zorach
Marguerite Zorach
Marguerite Zorach was an American fauvist painter, textile artist, and graphic designer and was an early exponent of modernism in America. She won the 1920 Logan Medal of the Arts.-Life:...
. In 1919 he and his wife resettled in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Manigault subsequently became inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
, and began to produce decorative works, including ceramics and furniture. He also was commissioned by Oneida Limited
Oneida Limited
Oneida Limited is one of the world's largest marketers of stainless steel flatware, and offers a range of tabletop products. Its operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Australia market stainless, silverplated, and sterling flatware products, china dinnerware, and...
to design flatware.
Exacerbating his poor health, Manigault practiced fasting in an attempt "to approach the spiritual plane and see colors not perceptible to the physical eye." His wife normally monitored his habits, and after he traveled alone to San Francisco to work on a job, he collapsed and was hospitalized. He died on August 31, 1922 of starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
and neurasthenia
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is a psycho-pathological term first used by George Miller Beard in 1869 to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, neuralgia and depressed mood...
.
Manigault is believed to have destroyed as many as two hundred of his paintings; consequently, few paintings by Manigault survive. His work notebooks only cover the years from 1906 to 1919. Interest was renewed in his work in 1946, with the inclusion of his paintings in the exhibition "Pioneers of Modern Art in America 1903-1918" at the Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
. His work is in the permanent collections of the Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus Museum of Art
The Columbus Museum of Art is an art museum located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, it was the first art museum to register its charter with the state of Ohio.-Building:...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and the Gibbes Museum of Art
Gibbes Museum of Art
The Gibbes Museum of Art is an art museum in Charleston, South Carolina. Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the museum moved into a new Beaux Arts building at 135 Meeting Street in 1905...
in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.