Lydia Amanda Brewster Sewell (February 24, 1859 - November 15, 1926) was a 19th-century American painter of portraits and genre scenes. Lydia Amanda Brewster studied art in the United States and in Paris before marrying her husband, fellow artist Robert Van Vorst Sewell. She won a bronze medal for her mural ''Arcadia'' at The
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
in 1893. She continued to win medals at expositions and was the first woman to win a major prize at the
National Academy of Design
The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...
, where she was made an Associate Academian in 1903. She was vice president of the
Woman's Art Club of New York The Woman's Art Club of New York was founded in New York City in 1889 and provided a means for social interaction and marketing of women's works of art. The club accepted members from the United States and abroad. In 1913, the group changed its name ...
by 1906. Her works are in several public collections.
Early life
Lydia Amanda Brewster, the daughter of Benjamin T. Brewster and Julia Ann Washburn Brewster,
was born in
North Elba, New York
North Elba is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 8,957 at the 2010 census.
North Elba is on the western edge of the county. It is by road southwest of Plattsburgh, south-southwest of Montreal, and north of ...
on February 24, 1859. Sewell painted
William Brewster, a ''
Mayflower
''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...
'' passenger and one of her ancestors, when she was a young girl.
Education
In 1876, Sewell studied in the antique class of the
National Academy of Design
The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...
.
She studied with
Swain Gifford and
Douglas Volk
Stephen Arnold Douglas Volk (February 23, 1856 – February 7, 1935) was an American portrait and figure painter, muralist, and educator. He taught at the Cooper Union, the Art Students League of New York, and was one of the founders of the Min ...
at the
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...
, the
Art Students League of New York under
William Sartain and
William Merritt Chase
William Merritt Chase (November 1, 1849October 25, 1916) was an American painter, known as an exponent of Impressionism and as a teacher. He is also responsible for establishing the Chase School, which later would become Parsons School of Design. ...
In Paris, she studied under
Tony Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury (1 September 18378 December 1911) was a French painter, known primarily for historical scenes. He was also a prominent art teacher, with many famous artists among his students.
Biography
He was born just outside Paris, and st ...
and
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (; 30 November 1825 – 19 August 1905) was a French academic painter. In his realistic genre paintings, he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female ...
at the
Académie Julian;
She also studied at
Émile-Auguste Carolus-Duran's
atelier
An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or ...
and in 1886 exhibited at the
Paris Salon for the first time
and again in 1887 and 1888.
Marriage
She married Robert Van Vorst Sewell, a painter, on April 12, 1888.
He was born in 1860 and became an
Associate National Academian in 1901. The couple lived on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, New York in the Fleetwood House in
Oyster Bay.
designed by her husband. He learned to be a sculptor to create wood carvings and sculptures for the house, fashioned after
Medieval designs. ''American Homes and Gardens'' said it was among the country's most notable residences. They were on the
Social Register
The ''Social Register'' is a semi-annual publication in the United States that indexes the members of American high society. First published in the 1880s by newspaper columnist Louis Keller, it was later acquired by Malcolm Forbes. Since 2014, ...
in 1918. One of their sons, William Joyce Sewell, married Marion Brown, the daughter of artist
Bolton Brown.
Career
After having completed her studies in Paris, Sewell opened a studio in New York. The painted portraits, including Mrs.
Peter Cooper Hewitt
Peter Cooper Hewitt (May 5, 1861 – August 25, 1921) was an American electrical engineer and inventor, who invented the first mercury-vapor lamp in 1901. Hewitt was issued on September 17, 1901. In 1903, Hewitt created an improved version t ...
, Mrs. Helen Jennings Ranger (wife of
Henry Ward Ranger
Henry Ward Ranger (January 29, 1858 – November 7, 1916) was an American artist. Born in western New York State, he was a prominent landscape and marine painter, an important Tonalist, and the leader of the Old Lyme Art Colony. Ranger became a ...
), Mrs. Flora Bigelow Dodge (wife of Charles Stuart Dodge, mother of
Lucie Bigelow Rosen
Lucie Bigelow Rosen (June 28, 1890 – November 27, 1968) was an American Theremin soloist known for popularizing the use of the instrument in the 1930s and 1940s, and a founder, along with her husband, Walter Tower Rosen, of the Caramoor festi ...
and
Johnnie Dodge
Major John Bigelow Dodge (15 May 1894 – 2 November 1960) also known as "the Artful Dodger" was an American-born British Army officer who fought in both world wars and became a notable prisoner of war during the Second World War and survived ...
), and her husband, Robert Van Vorst Sewell. She was also a decorative painter.
The National Academy of Design said that her "artistic tendencies were stimulated by the mountain scenery around her home and before she received any instruction she attained considerable facility in the use of color."
In 1888, Sewell won the Norman W. Dodge Prize at the National Academy of Design.
Sewell
exhibited her work at the
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally constructed for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to ...
and
the Woman's Building at the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
in Chicago, Illinois.
She was awarded a bronze medal for was ''Arcadia'', a side mural for the Hall of Honor of the Woman's Building.
Kirsten Swinth says that "Amanda Brewster Sewell's ''Arcadia'' displayed her ability to paint the human figure, develop complex compositions, and manage the subject matter of history painting." Other works exhibited include ''Pleasures of the Past'', ''Sylvan Festival'', ''Mother and Son'' and ''By the River''.
File:Amanda Brewster Sewell, Portrait of a Lady, by 1893.jpg, ''Portrait of a Lady,'' by 1893
File:Amanda Brewster Sewell, Sappho, 1891.jpg, ''Sappho,'' 1891
File:Amanda Brewster Sewell, Arcadia mural, 1893 World's Exposition.jpg, ''Arcadia mural,'' 1893 World's Exposition (black/white photograph)
Sewell exhibited ''A Pastoral'', ''A Sylvan Festival'', and ''Pleasures of the Past'' at the
exhibition between December 21, 1896 – February 22, 1897. She won a bronze medal at the 1901
Pan-American Exposition
The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...
, a silver medal at the 1902
Charleston Exposition in South Carolina, a bronze medal at the 1904
St. Louis Exposition,
and the
Thomas B. Clarke prize for best figure composition at the 1904 National Academy of Design exhibition in New York for ''The Sacred Hecatomb''. The painting, called an "important" work by ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', depicts dancing Greek maidens and children leading a procession of cattle to the sacrifice. ''Harper's Weekly'' commented, "These joyous figures, moving in a leafy glade into which the sunlight filters, are charming in color and rhythmic movement, and as a piece of admirably conceived and executed decorative painting it stands alone in the collection." She was the first woman to earn a major prize at the National Academy.
Her self-portrait was an
Associate National Academian (ANA) diploma presentation on March 7, 1904;
It was also exhibited with in the ''National Academy of Design Portraits'' exhibition held by the
National Arts Club in 1916.
By 1906 she was vice president and member of the selection jury of the
Woman's Art Club of New York The Woman's Art Club of New York was founded in New York City in 1889 and provided a means for social interaction and marketing of women's works of art. The club accepted members from the United States and abroad. In 1913, the group changed its name ...
, which was formed in 1890 as a social club for women interested in art and as a forum to exhibit women artist's works.
Death
Sewell died in 1926 in Florence, Italy. Her husband, Robert Van Vorst Sewell died in 1924, also in Florence.
Collections
Awards
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References
Further reading
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External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sewell, Amanda Brewster
American portrait painters
American women painters
19th-century American painters
World's Columbian Exposition
1859 births
1926 deaths
20th-century American painters
People from Essex County, New York
Painters from New York City
National Academy of Design alumni
Cooper Union alumni
Art Students League of New York alumni
Académie Julian alumni
National Academy of Design associates
20th-century American women artists
19th-century American women artists