John Ottis Adams 1851 to 1927
Sunday, 29 April 2012 19:17
Indianaartonline
Biography of: John Ottis Adams
Death: January 28, 1927(1927-01-28)
Married: Winifred Brady Adams in 1898
Known for: Portraits, Landscapes
Associations: Hoosier School, Society of Western Artists (1896-1914)
Facts
He enrolled in Wabash College in 1871, leaving after a year to study art at the South Kensington School in London
After receiving a certificate from Kensington, Adams returned and to Muncie Indiana living there for four years
In 1880, Adams left for Europe to study at the Royal Academy in Munich Germany with fellow Indiana artists Theodore C. Steele and Samuel Richards.
Adams studied for two years in one of the Academy’s drawing schools before being admitted to the painting school of Ludwig von Loefftz. for three years
Adams left Munich in 1887, returning to Muncie, Indiana to teach art classes
In 1894, Adams participated in the highly praised group show of several Hoosier artists that traveled from Indianapolis to Chicago
Two years later, Adams, Forsyth, and Steele joined with other regional artists to form the Society of Western Artists.
Member of the Hoosier Group along with Theodore Clemet Steele, Richard Gruelle, William Forsyth and Otto Stark
In 1898, Adams and T.C. Steele purchased a house in Brookville, IN to paint the surrounding area, the house was later known as the Hermitage
Adams married Winifred Brady in 1898 and moved to the Hermitage during the spring of 1899.
Adam help found the John Herron Art Institute d in 1902 and, soon afterwards, joined the faculty as a drawing and painting instructor.
Adams resigned from the Herron in 1906
During a period of convalescence in Florida, Adams became interested in exploring and painting sup-tropical landscapes. So started spending winter months working in Florida,
During the last years of his life, Adams would work as often as he could in Florida and Michigan, finally returning to Indiana, for good, in 1926.
John Ottis Adams Indiana Art Auction Prices
Courtesy of "Indiana Art OnLine"
14x20, O/C, SLR,'90 Landscape of White River in Delaware County sold for $17,500 on 02/16/08
16x22, O/C, SLR, Brookville Winter sold for $16,000 on 03/27/11
William J. Forsyth 1872 to 1963
Sunday, 29 April 2012 10:14
Indianaartonline
Biography of: William J. Forsyth
Birth: 1854, California, Ohio
Death: 1935
Married: Alice Atkinson Forsyth (1872 - 1963)
Known For: still life, landscape, portrait, teaching and mural painting
Associations: Society of Western Artists (1896-1914), Hoosier School, American Water Color Society, Painters in Water Color, Boston Art Club
Facts
At age fifteen studied art with Barton S. Hays a leading Indianapolis artist and teacher
William and his brother started a house painting business in 1873 spending his off time around artist studios and galleries
Was the first student to enroll in John Love’s and Gookins Indiana Art school when it opened in 1877
After the school closed, Forsyth and friends form the Bohe Club to maintain studio space in the same building as the school
Thomas Hibben paid for Forsyth to study in Munich in 1882 with Steele in exchange for half the paintings he painted while abroad
Steele and Forsyth used their summer vacations to travel around Europe then send the paintings home to Hibben to sel
Forsyth finished his studies in 1886 but stayed another two years in Europe, sharing a studied with John Ottis Adams
Returned to Indiana in 1888 and assisted Adams at the Fort Wayne Art School
Forsyth left in Fort Wayne 1891 to go back to Indianapolis and become the principal instructor in Steele’s school of Art located downtown on the circle
Member of the Hoosier Group along with Theodore Clemet Steele, Richard Gruelle, John Ottis Adams and Otto Stark
In 1906 William moved his family from 938 Fletcher Av. to 15 South Emerson located in the small college town around the Butler University campus.
Also, in 1906 William joined the faculty of the Herron School of Art replacing J. Ottis Adams as principal instructor of drawing and painting.
In 1914 Forsyth supervised the painting of 33 murals throughout the Indianapolis City Hospital with Steel, Stark, Adams and eleven other Hoosier artists
In 1916 wrote an essay titled “Art in Indiana” written for the state’s centennial
Taught at Heron into his 70’s but was let go in 1933 due to the depression
William J. Forsyth Indiana Art Auction Prices
Courtesy of "Indiana Art OnLine"
20x16, O/B, SLR, Study of an Indian Brave sold for $350 on 9/11/2011
32x24, O/B, SLR 1926 Herron Annual Tag, "Sun Magic", sold for $4,000 on 9/11/2011
11x10, Mixed Media, SLR, Autumn Landscape w/ Stream sold for $ 600 on 05/17/09
15x24, O/B, SLR, Floral Still Life, sold for $9,000 on 03/28/10
18x24, O/B, SLR, impressionistic landscape w/buildings sold for $6,000 on 11/04/07
18x24, O/C, SLL, Cedar Farm with Oxen, in Thanhardt-Burger frame sold for $11,000 on 09/20/08
20x14,O/C,SLL "Munchen '87", Munich Village Scene with Figure, Bldgs. & Boats sold for $17,000 on 11/07/10
24x18, O/B, SLR, The Red Shed sold for $2,000 on 11/15/09
24x30, O/B, SLR 1933 Hoosier Salon Entry, "By the Side of the Road" sold for $24,000 on 03/27/11
Last Updated on Sunday, 29 April 2012 10:43
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Theodore Clement Steele 1847 to 1926
Thursday, 13 January 2011 21:12
Indianaartonline
Biography of Theodore Clement Steele
Birth: 9-11-1847, Gosport Indiana
Death: 7-24-1926
Married: Elizabeth (Libbie) Lakin, Selma Neubacher
Known For: Landscapes
Associations:
Awards:
Facts
Started painting at the age of five
Was considered talented enough that during his boyhood years he taught drawing at Waveland Collegiate Institute during his boyhood years
Moved to Indianapolis in 1873 and worked as a portrait painter
Studied at the Royal Academy in Munich Germany for five years financed by a group of investors
Became known as one of the prominent member of the Hoosier Group and nationally recognized
Discovered Brown County in 1907 and bought property in 1907
Built a house on a hill that was later named “House of the Singing Winds” by Selma
Gustave Baumann carved in the Steele’s fireplace mantle “Every morning I take off my hat to the beauty of the world”
Selma always referred to her husband as “the painter”
The Steele had many visitors on Sundays which later became know as “Sunday at the Steele’s”
T. C. was up by 4:00a.m. in the morning to hike his property and capture the first light of the day
In the early years the Steele’s spent the summers in Brown County and the winters at their home in Indianapolis
Selma loved flowers and created an extensive flower garden on the property which T. C. included in many of his paintings
The Steele’s made many improvements over the years building a studio in 1916 considered to be the largest in the Midwest
Selma gave the property to the State of Indiana prior to her death. The property is now the T. C. Steele Sate Historic Site
Sources:
1. M. Joanne Nesbit and Barbara Judd - Those Brown County Artists - "The Ones Who Came, the Ones Who Stayed, The Ones Who Moved On 1900 - 1950" - Nanna's Books 1993
2. Lyn Letsinger-Miller - The Artists of Brown County - Indiana University Press Bloomington and Indianapolis 1994
Theodore Clement Steele Indiana Art Auction Prices
Courtesy of "Indiana Art OnLine"
22x32, O/C, SLR, 1911, "Treetops" w/Estate Stamp"" sold for $15,000 on 11/04/07
25.5x37, O/C, SLR, 1892, "Over the Hills" sold for $19,500 on 02/16/08
20x24, O/C, SLR 1925, Floral still life in blue-green vase estate stamp September 3 1926 sold for $ 21,000 on 04/17/08
25x30, O/C, SLR, Fruit and Porcelain Still Life sold for $28,500 on 09/20/08
22x32, O/C, SLR, Sunlit Trees sold for $11,000 on 03/15/09
22x32, O/C, SLR 1911, Floral Still Life of "Dogwoods" sold for $85,000 on 03/28/10
Last Updated on Monday, 30 April 2012 18:49
Vance, Fredrick Nelson 1880 to 1921
Saturday, 03 April 2010 15:34
Indianaartonline
Biography of Fredrick Nelson Vance
Birth: 1880, Crawfordsville, IN
Death: 9-21-1926
Married:
Known For:
Associations: League of American Artists in London, Indiana Artist Club, Allied Artists of America in Paris and the Alliance Francaise in Indianapolis. Charter member of the Brown the Brown County Art Gallery Association.
Awards:
Facts
Son of George Vance, a mural decorator.
Studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Julian Colorossi and Vitti Academies in Paris, Smith Academy in Chicago.
At the opening of the Brown County Art Gallery in October 1926, the first painting sold was a landscape titled “Hill Cottage” by Fredrick Nelson Vance.
Unfortunately he had died a few weeks earlier, his Mother setup the Fredrick Nelson Vance memorial prize to be awarded annually.
Served in France and Italy during World War I.
In 1912 was in charge of the art school in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Built his home in Brown County in 1925 with a 22 X 30 studio.
Frederick Nelson Vance Indiana Art Auction Prices
Courtesy of "Indiana Art OnLine"
10x14, O/B, Signed Verso, "The Willows" sold for $ 200 on 11/04/07
Last Updated on Friday, 16 April 2010 20:22
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Past Indiana Artist Biographies
