Hugh Bolton Jones (20 October 1848 – 24 September 1927) was an American landscape painter.
He grew up in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, Maryland, where he received his early training as an artist. While studying in New York he was strongly influenced by
Frederic Edwin Church
Frederic Edwin Church (May 4, 1826 – April 7, 1900) was an American landscape painter born in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a central figure in the Hudson River School of American landscape painters, best known for painting large landscapes, ...
of the
Hudson River School
The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism. The paintings typically depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area, ...
. After spending four years in Europe he settled in New York in 1881, where he shared a studio with his brother
Francis Coates Jones for the rest of his long life.
He was celebrated for his realistic depictions of calm rural scenes of the eastern United States at different times of the year, usually empty of people.
He won prizes in several major exhibitions in the US and France. His paintings are held in public collections such as the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
and the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
.
Early years
Hugh Bolton Jones was born to a respected family in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, Maryland on 20 October 1848.
His parents were Hugh Burgess Jones and Laura Eliza Bolton.
His mother was descended from a family that had come to Pennsylvania with
William Penn
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...
and later moved to Baltimore.
His father was an officer in a local insurance company.
Hugh attended the
Quaker School for his secondary education.
He went on to study at the
Maryland Institute College of Art
The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a private art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, making it one of the oldest art colleges in the U ...
in Baltimore under David Acheson Woodward, the portrait painter.
Between 1865 and 1876 Jones spent a large part of his time in New York, while retaining Baltimore as his residence.
In 1865 he took lessons in New York from the art designer Carey Smith (1837–1911).
For a few months he studied under
Horace Wolcott Robbins (1842–1904) before Robbins and
Frederic Edwin Church
Frederic Edwin Church (May 4, 1826 – April 7, 1900) was an American landscape painter born in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a central figure in the Hudson River School of American landscape painters, best known for painting large landscapes, ...
(1826–1900) left for Jamaica.
Church had a major influence on his style.
Jones began to exhibit 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 fin ...
in 1867.
He became a close friend of the painter
Thomas Hovenden
Thomas Hovenden (December 28, 1840 – August 14, 1895), was an Irish artist and teacher who spent much of his life in the United States. He painted realistic quiet family scenes, narrative subjects and often depicted African Americans.
Biog ...
(1840–1895) in New York.
In 1868 Jones and Hovenden set up a shared studio in Baltimore.
In the summer of 1870 Jones spent four months in Europe with his family.
He exhibited scenes from England and Ireland at the 1871 Baltimore Artists Sale.
He had joined the Allston Association of artists and collectors in Baltimore by 1872.
He spent the summer of 1873 sketching in Maryland and Virginia, traveling by railway.
His 1874 painting ''Summer in the Blue Ridge'' was exhibited at the National Academy of Design and was highly praised.
In 1876 Jones and his younger brother
Francis Coates Jones left for a four-year visit to travel and paint in Europe.
They visited
Edwin Austin Abbey
Edwin Austin Abbey (April 1, 1852August 1, 1911) was an American muralist, illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings ...
in his home in London before moving to
Pont-Aven
Pont-Aven (, Breton: 'River Bridge') is a commune in the Finistère department in the Brittany region in Northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 2,821.
Demographics
Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called ''Pontavenistes'' in French. ...
, Brittany.
H. Bolton Jones may have spent some time at the
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number a ...
.
He spent most of his time in the American artists' colony at Pont-Aven.
There the brothers painted with Thomas Hovenden,
Robert Wylie (1839–1877) and
William Lamb Picknell
William Lamb Picknell (October 23, 1853 – August 8, 1897) was an American painter of landscapes, coastal views, and figure genres, known for his rapid painting style. He was born in Hinesburg, Vermont and died in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Li ...
(1853–1897).
They lived cheaply at the
Gloanec Pension, where
Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetism, Synthetist style that were d ...
would stay in the late 1880s.
He also sketched in Spain, England, Italy, and Morocco.
He exhibited in London and in Paris at the
Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
and the
Exposition Universelle of 1878.
Later career
H. Bolton Jones returned to Baltimore in June 1880 and sold a set of his paintings in an auction.
He then traveled in Spain and North Africa before returning to New York in 1881.
In New York he shared a studio with his younger brother Francis.
In 1881 Jones became a member of the Society of American Artists, and in 1883 he was elected an academician 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 fin ...
.
He joined the
American Watercolor Society
The American Watercolor Society, founded in 1866, is a nonprofit membership organization devoted to the advancement of watercolor painting in the United States.
Qualifications
AWS judges the work of a painter before granting admission to the soc ...
(1882), the
National Institute of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqua ...
and the
National Arts Club
The National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and members club on Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1898 by Charles DeKay, an art and literary critic of the ''New York Times'' to "stimulate, foster, and promote public ...
.
Jones was an enthusiastic woodcarver, and made his own frames.
He also undertook most of the interior decoration of the showpiece studio that he eventually established at 33 West Sixty-Seventh Street in Manhattan.
Jones painted in
Annisquam, Massachusetts between 1883 and 1889 with William Lamb Picknell and others from the former artists' colony of Pont-Aven.
In 1888 the Jones brothers moved to the Clinton Studio Building with their sister Louise Chubb, who was widowed.
Jones traveled to the western US around 1890 to obtain material for ''Our Italy'', a book about western America by
Charles Dudley Warner
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
that was published in 1891.
He bought a summer cottage in
South Egremont, Massachusetts
The South Egremont Village Historic District encompasses most of the village of South Egremont, Massachusetts, a well-preserved village whose architecture has seen relatively little alteration since the 1840s. It is located along Massachusetts ...
.
From this base he painted
the Berkshires
The Berkshires () are a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and northwest Connecticut. The term "Berkshires" is normally used by locals in reference to the portion of the Vermont-based Green Mountains that ex ...
, and made expeditions to Maryland and West Virginia.
He won medals in various major exhibitions between 1893 and 1915.
In 1905 or 1906 the Jones brothers moved to the Atalier Building. H. Bolton Jones joined the
Century Association
The Century Association is a private social, arts, and dining club in New York City, founded in 1847. Its clubhouse is located at 7 West 43rd Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It is primarily a club for men and women with distinction ...
and the
Charcoal Club of Baltimore
The Charcoal Club has been an arts club in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on an intermittent basis since 1883.
History
Started as the Sketch Club in 1883 by a group of male artists in Baltimore who "desired to draw and paint from life" (meani ...
. His social life came to revolve around the Century Association. He was a trustee of the
Baltimore Museum of Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of ...
from its foundation in 1914 until his death at age 78 from pernicious anemia on 24 September 1927 in New York City.
Work
Jones is best known for his paintings of the flat country of New England and New Jersey.
The influence of Frederic Edwin Church and the
Hudson River School
The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism. The paintings typically depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area, ...
shows in his handling of light and the precision of his ''
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
'' depictions of nature.
He painted the varying landscapes of each season of the year, in peaceful harmony.
The
Rahway River
The Rahway River is a river in Essex, Middlesex, and Union Counties, New Jersey, United States, The Rahway, along with the Elizabeth River, Piles Creek, Passaic River, Morses Creek, the Fresh Kills River (in Staten Island), has its river m ...
in
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 575,345, making it the seventh-most populous of New Jersey's 21 counties. Its county seat is Elizabeth. was one of his subjects according to
Frank Townsend Lent
Frank Townsend Lent (1855–1919) was a residential architect, painter and author. Lent designed many suburban and ''summer cottage'' homes in Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, and Ontario around the turn of the century in the Victorian architec ...
in A Souvenir of Cranford New Jersey (1894).
His subtle
Barbizon
Barbizon () is a commune (town) in the Seine-et-Marne department in north-central France. It is located near the Fontainebleau Forest.
Demographics
The inhabitants are called ''Barbizonais''.
Art history
The Barbizon school of painters is name ...
-style studies drew praise, but his insistence on accuracy in his representation of nature was also criticized.
His earlier paintings are lit by a clear, bright light, and sharply detailed, while his later works were more muted and lyrical. In his last decades, Jones' work became increasingly stale, repeating the same subjects and compositions in an outdated style.
Thomas B. Clarke (1848–1931) said of him in 1891,
Jones exhibited at the National Academy of Design between 1867 and 1927.
He exhibited at the Paris
Salons (1877–81),
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[Boston Art Club
The Boston Art Club, Boston, Massachusetts, serves to help its members, as well as non-members, to access the world of fine art. It currently has more than 250 members.
History
The Boston Art Club was first conceived in Boston in 1854 with the co ...](_blank)
(1881–1909).
In 1884 Jones exhibited with the first exhibition of the Society of Painters in Pastels.
He also exhibited at the
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
,
Society of American Artists
The Society of American Artists was an American artists group. It was formed in 1877 by artists who felt the National Academy of Design did not adequately meet their needs, and was too conservative.
The group began meeting in 1874 at the home of ...
(1902) and the
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
(1907–12).
He won prizes for his submissions 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
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordi ...
(Chicago, 1893),
Exposition Universelle (Paris, 1889),
Exposition Universelle (Paris, 1900),
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...
(St. Louis, 1904) and
Panama–Pacific International Exposition
The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely se ...
(San Francisco, 1915).
Jones' paintings are held by the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, the
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...](_blank)
, the
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...
, and the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
.
File:Hugh Bolton Jones 1873 Morning on the Severn River, Maryland.jpg, ''Morning on the Severn River, Maryland'' (1873)
File:Hugh Bolton Jones 1874 Summer in the Blue Ridge.jpg, ''Summer in the Blue Ridge'' (1874)
File:Hugh Bolton Jones 1893 South End Of Wooded Island.jpg, ''South End Of Wooded Island'' (1893)
File:Hugh Bolton Jones 1898c A Clear Stream.jpg, ''A Clear Stream'' ()
File:Hugh Bolton Jones 1900 On the Green River.jpg, ''On the Green River'' (1900)
References
Sources
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Further reading
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External links
Artwork by Hugh Bolton Jones
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Hugh Bolton
1848 births
1927 deaths
19th-century American painters
20th-century American painters
American male painters
Artists from Baltimore
Maryland Institute College of Art alumni
Orientalist painters
Painters from Maryland
19th-century American male artists
20th-century American male artists
Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters