Charles Walter Stetson (March 25, 1858 – July 21, 1911) was an American artist often described as a "colorist" for his rich use of color.
Life
Stetson was born in
Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island on March 25, 1858.
His father was a Baptist preacher, and the family faced economic worries.
Stetson was a self-taught painter.
At the age of 14 he began painting, and at the age of 20 he opened his own studio in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
.
He became friends with fellow artists
Edward Bannister and
George William Whitaker. Their meetings together resulted in the founding of the
Providence Art Club on February 19, 1880.
He married
Charlotte Perkins in 1884. Their only child was born in 1885, they were separated in 1888, and they divorced amicably in 1894. Not long after, Stetson married Charlotte's cousin and closest friend, poet
Grace Ellery Channing
Grace Ellery Channing (December 27, 1862 – April 3, 1937) was a writer and poet who published often in ''The Land of Sunshine''.
Early life
She was born to William Francis Channing and Mary Jane (née Tarr) on December 27, 1862 in Providence, ...
.
After marrying Grace, Stetson moved to
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, and then in 1901 they moved to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...
.
Stetson died in Rome in 1911.
Influence and legacy
Stetson was more widely known outside of the state than other Rhode Island artists of his time.
His work stood out for its allegorical, imaginative qualities and greater richness of color.
Honors
Stetson was inducted into the
Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2011.
References
Further reading
*''Endure: The Diaries of Charles Walter Stetson'', edited by Mary Armfield Hill, Temple University Press (1985)
*''The Diaries of Charlotte Perkins Gilman'', edited by Denise D. Knight, University Press of Virginia (1994)
External links
Charles Walter Stetson, Biography and examples of his work
1858 births
1911 deaths
People from Tiverton, Rhode Island
Painters from Rhode Island
19th-century American painters
American male painters
20th-century American painters
19th-century American male artists
20th-century American male artists
{{US-painter-1850s-stub