THE ARTIST

 Hugh Breckenridge (1870-1937) American Artist

 

 THE WORK

 
Hugh Breckenridge, The Pestilence (War), 1918, Oil on canvas, 65 3/16 x 80 1/4 in.
 

1870 Born in Leesburg, VA

1880 Drawing at Miss Betty Wildman’s

1887 Opened a studio in Leesburg. Registers at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

1888 Enters PAFA and opens a studio with William J Edmonson

1889 Wins the Toppan Prize for Portrait of Edmonson

1892 Awarded ($800) scholarship to study in Paris with Bouguereau, Ferrier, and Doucet

1893 Accepts position at “Springside” in Chestnut Hills, PA

1894Accepts teaching position at PAFA

1895 Marries Roxanne Grace Home

1896Becomes member of the Philadelphia Sketch club

1897 Daughter, Grace, born. Becomes member of New York Watercolor Club

1899 Daughter, Grace dies. Becomes chairman of the jury of the Academy’s annual exhibition

1900 Opens Darby School of painting with Thomas Anshutz. Awarded bronze medal in Pan-American Exposition. Honorable mention at the Internationale Exposition Universelle in Paris France.

1902 Daughter Margaret born.

1904 Solo exhibit at PAFA. Commemorative medal at Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

1907 Gold Medal, Art Club, Pennsylvania. Appointed Curator at the PAFA for one year.

1916 Awarded honorary membership in the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Wins Bronze medal at the Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Painting at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.

1917 Wins Stotesbury Prize at Pennsylvania Academy Exhibition.

1919 Shows in American Exhibit hosted by French Govt. in the Luxembourg Gallery. Awarded the Gold Medal of Honor at the PAFA.

1920 Awarded Jennie Sesnan Gold Medal and the Fellowship Gold Medal at the PAFA

1926 Wins the Locust Gold medal and the Purchase prize PAFA

1927 Shows at Wildstein Galleries in New York. Awarded Bronze Medal at the Society of Washington Artists Exhibition.

1935 Solo Exhibit at PAFA.

1937 November 4, dies of a heart attack.

(McDonald)

Hugh Henry Breckenridge was born in Leesburg, VA on October 6, 1870 to Susan and Alexander Breckenridge. he enjoyed the Saturday art classes that he went to with the women who live in Leesburg. Although it was a class mainly for learning the finer points of decorating fans and china, Breckenridge learned techniques that would catapult him to have a major influence in the art world. In 1909, Walter Schofield (1867-1944) and Breckenridge left for Europe where Breckenridge experimented with Neo-Impressionism. He also became more interested in the avant-garde work of the European artists. Influenced by his recent trip abroad, he began to paint in a Neo-Impressionist style. His idyllic scenes of the Pennsylvania countryside and that of maritime activities are the most recognizable during this time period. 

(MacDonald)

 

THE WORK OF ART

MY REACTION

Breckenridge was not only a great artist, he was one of the most influential and successful painters in the Pennsylvania area. This painting it fits well into my theme because this piece was about World War 1 and how it effected the people who witnessed it. Breckenridge depicted his idea of war in, “The Pestilence”, which was done in 1918. In the painting, a chaotic scene is displayed, as people are lying helpless under a mysterious figure, believed to be that of war. As war conquers all, it introduced the people to death, where men, women, and children are no exceptions. This illustration of war can be related to Master Sun’s definition of war, stating, “Military action is important to the nation- it is the ground of death and life, the path of survival and destruction, so it is imperative to examine it” (Sun, Pg1). If war is the ground of life and death, this idea can be observed in the painting as skulls of death surround the people.

His fine brush strokes, use of color and placement are bold, expressive and very eye catching. I feel like it draws the viewer in. The way he placed the people piled on each other was very interesting, as if the ones who haven't died were trying to hide beneath the ones who already have. It can also be noted that the piece was originally titled, “War”, but later changed because he wanted to give the notion that war is the great disease of humanity.

 

WORK CITED

1. Cleary F. Thomas, Tzu, Sun. The Art of War: Complete Texts and Commentaries. Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1988. Print

2. Aubrey E. MacDonald. "HUGH BRECKENRIDGE" Sullivan Goss AN AMERICAN GALLERY.   WEB. 29 April. 2012. <http://www.sullivangoss.com/hugh_Breckenridge/>