Biography

Charles Webster Hawthorne was an influential American painter and educator, born on January 8, 1872, in Lodi, Illinois. He became renowned for his portrait and genre paintings, as well as for founding the Cape Cod School of Art in 1899, which was the first outdoor summer school for figure painting in the United States. Hawthorne's artistic journey began in New York, where he worked in a stained-glass factory by day and studied art by night. His education included studies at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League, where he was influenced by notable artists such as William Merritt Chase. Hawthorne's work is characterized by its rich color and the lusciousness of oil paint, reflecting the Munich tradition of tone values and tone painting that he embraced. His summers were spent in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he not only taught but also helped establish the Provincetown Art Association in 1914. His legacy as a teacher is significant, having guided many students who went on to become prominent artists, including Norman Rockwell and William H. Johnson. Hawthorne's notable works include "The Trousseau" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and "The Fisherman's Daughter" at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. He passed away on November 29, 1930, leaving behind a lasting impact on American art education and painting.