12/22/2023 0 Comments Fidelia bridges guest house salem ma![]() Taxation by the British Parliament, and events such as the "Boston Massacre" in March of 1770, had helped fuel the colonists' fire. Note: Major John Pitcairn, A Scottish-born officer in the British Marines, was sent to Boston in late 1774 with 600 marines under his command to help quell the unrest which had been brewing in the colonies. Provenance: According to typed inscriptions applied to the back of the frame the painting came from the estate of Duncan Phyfe, grandson of the late cabinet maker and from whom he inherited the painting. Condition: Toning, light creases, minor foxing. Watercolor on laid paper, 6 1/2 x 5 in., with applied marbled paper border in a period molded giltwood frame. Revere del.” l.r., and inscribed " Major John Pitcairn” in the same hand l.r., both outside of the border. (BOSTON, 1734-1818), PORTRAIT OF MAJOR JOHN PITCAIRN ON HORSEBACK. She entered into the quiet rural society dominated by a circle of maiden women who socialized frequently.PAUL REVERE, JR. She continued to paint, but rarely exhibited her work. In 1892 she moved from Brooklyn to Canaan, Connecticut, where she lived in a small hillside house overlooking a meadow and millstream. Critics have said this lonliness is seen in some of her art. This sadness at being alone without someone to share her experiences with was constant in her life. Her letters provide insights into her life, and often spoke of her loneliness. Throughout her life, Fidelia was a frequent letter writer, especially to her Salem friend, Rebecca Northey. Interestingly, Fidelia's friendships were often marked by her willingness to assist the family with their children in the role of nanny or governess. In 1883, she took a break from her usual routine of art to accept an offer to be governess to Mark Twain’s three daughters while the regular governess was in Europe. This lack of exhibitions had an impact on her achieving the stature of other artists. She continued to design Christmas cards until 1899.įidelia didn’t enjoy exhibitions of her art and preferred to sell to a small circle of supporters such as Prang and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). In 1881 she entered Prang’s Annual Christmas card design contest and was chosen as a designer. Her paintings were also used as illustrations by Scribner’s and Saint Nicholas magazines. In 1876 she sold paintings to Louis Prang, the lithographer and publisher who reproduced them as part of a book of months enhancing Fidelia’s reputation. She was the only female of these seven famous American artists at the time. Her reputation as a specialist painter of nature and birds gained her recognition and membership in the National Academy of Design in 1873 and in the American Watercolor Society in 1874. Her subject matter was usually small selections of nature and birds. She was able to produce works that were visually lyrical so much so, that she was asked to illustrate books of poetry. Switching from oil to watercolor, she found a medium that worked well for her. ![]() She returned to Brooklyn where she lived with her sister Elisabeth.įidelia was always interested in painting nature, as her art developed, she focused more narrowly on detailed renditions of flowers and birds. Thanks to Whitney and Richards influence as well as assistence from the Browns, Fidelia spent a year in Europe studying and painting. He also assisted her in selling her paintings to many of his patrons. The Pre-Raphaelite Approach, with its focus on detail, was a major influence on Fidelia’s art. Through Anne Whitney, Fidelia became personal friends with Richards and his family and accompanied him and his family on painting vacations. In 1860 at the request of Anne Whitney, Fidelia attended a series of lectures by William Trost Richards, a leading proponent of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. With the death of her sister Eliza from tuberculosis in 1856, her sister Elizabeth continued the school. While continuing to care for the growing Brown family, Fidelia also pursued her art and produced a number of oil paintings. The Browns urged Fidelia to move with them, which she did, along with her family who were assisted by Anne Whitney’s brothers in opening a school in Brooklyn. In 1854 the Browns moved to Brooklyn where William became a wholesale produce dealer. Fidelia became very close to the Browns who considered her family. William Augustus Brown was a ship owner and merchant. As Fidelia’s health improved, she became a mother’s helper to infant daughters of the Brown family on Federal Street. Anne Whitney was a lifelong friend to Fidelia and had a strong influence on her artistic career. During the late 1840s Anne Whitney, who would go on to be a noted sculptor, opened an art school in Salem and became friends with the Bridges.
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