Society of American Artists
Encyclopedia
The Society of American Artists was an American artists group. It was formed in 1877 by artists who felt the National Academy of Design
did not adequately meet their needs, and was too conservative.
The group began meeting in 1874 at the home of Richard Watson Gilder
and his wife Helena de Kay Gilder. In 1877 they formed the Society, and subsequently held annual art exhibitions.
Some of the first members included sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens
, whose work had been rejected from a National Academy exhibition in 1877; painters Walter Shirlaw
, Robert Swain Gifford
, Albert Pinkham Ryder
, John LaFarge
, Julian Alden Weir, John Henry Twachtman
, and Alexander Helwig Wyant
; and designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany
. Eventually most of the best-known artists of the day joined the group, and many held dual membership with the National Academy.
The cycle of conservative to progressive repeated in 1897 when the Ten American Painters
group broke away from the Society of American Artists. The Society ultimately merged with the National Academy in 1906.
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
did not adequately meet their needs, and was too conservative.
The group began meeting in 1874 at the home of Richard Watson Gilder
Richard Watson Gilder
Richard Watson Gilder was an American poet and editor.-Life and career:Gilder was born at Bordentown, New Jersey. He was the son of Jane Gilder and the Rev. William Henry Gilder, and educated at his father's seminary in Flushing, Queens. There he learned to set type and published the St. Thomas...
and his wife Helena de Kay Gilder. In 1877 they formed the Society, and subsequently held annual art exhibitions.
Some of the first members included sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Augustus Saint-Gaudens was the Irish-born American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who most embodied the ideals of the "American Renaissance"...
, whose work had been rejected from a National Academy exhibition in 1877; painters Walter Shirlaw
Walter Shirlaw
Walter Shirlaw was a Scottish-American artist.-Biography:Shirlaw was born in Paisley, Scotland, and moved to the United States with his parents in 1840. He worked as a bank-note engraver, and his work was first exhibited at the National Academy in 1861.He was elected an academician of the Chicago...
, Robert Swain Gifford
Robert Swain Gifford
Robert Swain Gifford was an American landscape painter. He was influenced by the Barbizon school.Much of his work focuses on the landscapes of New England, where he was born. He, along with Victorian contemporaries from the White Mountain and Hudson River Schools, helped immortalize the majestic...
, Albert Pinkham Ryder
Albert Pinkham Ryder
Albert Pinkham Ryder was an American painter best known for his poetic and moody allegorical works and seascapes, as well as his eccentric personality...
, John LaFarge
John LaFarge
John La Farge was an American painter, muralist, stained glass window maker, decorator, and writer.-Biography:...
, Julian Alden Weir, John Henry Twachtman
John Henry Twachtman
John Henry Twachtman was an American painter best known for his impressionist landscapes, though his painting style varied widely through his career. Art historians consider Twachtman's style of American Impressionism to be among the more personal and experimental of his generation...
, and Alexander Helwig Wyant
Alexander Helwig Wyant
Alexander Helwig Wyant, was born January 11, 1836, in Ohio - and he died November 29, 1892 in New York, New York. He was an American landscape painter. Also known as Alexander Wyant, A. H. Wyant, he was active as an artist in Arkville, New York, and Keene Valley, New York among other...
; and designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
. Eventually most of the best-known artists of the day joined the group, and many held dual membership with the National Academy.
The cycle of conservative to progressive repeated in 1897 when the Ten American Painters
Ten American Painters
The Ten American Painters, generally known as The Ten, resigned from the Society of American Artists in late 1897 to protest the commercialism of that group's exhibitions, and their circus-like atmosphere...
group broke away from the Society of American Artists. The Society ultimately merged with the National Academy in 1906.
See also
- National Academy of DesignNational Academy of DesignThe National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
- Art Students LeagueArt Students League of New YorkThe Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
- Ten American PaintersTen American PaintersThe Ten American Painters, generally known as The Ten, resigned from the Society of American Artists in late 1897 to protest the commercialism of that group's exhibitions, and their circus-like atmosphere...