Harriet Hallowell (1873–1943) was an expatriate American artist who lived in France for fifty years. She was born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

to a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

family. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

she remained in France and volunteered at a hospital. The hospital was near the home she shared with her aunt

Sarah Tyson Hallowell Sarah Tyson Hallowell or Sara Tyson Hallowell (December 7, 1846 – July 19, 1924) was an American art curator in the years between the Civil War and World War I. She curated a number of major exhibitions in Chicago, arranged the loan exh ...

, located in the village of

Moret-sur-Loing Moret-sur-Loing (, literally ''Moret on Loing'') is a former commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is situated on the river Loing, close to its confluence with the Seine. Moret–Veneux-l ...

, which borders the Forest of

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissement ...

. Because of her war relief efforts on behalf of the French and Allied soldiers, the French government awarded her the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

in 1930.

Early life

Harriet Hallowell was born in Boston on June 15, 1873.Harriet Hallowell - October 15, 1917. Passport Applications, January 2, 1906–March 31, 1925. NARA Microfilm Publication M1490, 2740 rolls. General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Her father was architect Lewis Morris Hallowell (1844–1909) and her mother was Harriet Hawley Hallowell. Harriet had a brother born in 1871, George Hawley Hallowell who was an artist. He died in 1926 and the following year Harriet donated one of his works, ''St. George and the Dragon, after Carpaccio,'' to the Fogg Museum of the

Harvard Art Museums The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985), and four research ...

Artistic career

United States

Hallowell, known for her work as a miniature painter, may have had her work exhibited in Boston in 1893 before her departure for France in 1894.

France

Hallowell worked as an artist and had a studio in Paris. She often lived with her aunt,

and grandmother, Mary M. Hallowell in Paris and the small town of

, which is located six miles from Fontainebleu.Perot Family Papers - Collection 1886.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. April 2004. pp. 13, 14. Retrieved August 17, 2014. Her works were exhibited in the mid-1890s in France. The Hallowells may have taken the Moret-sur-Loing house by or about 1900, because the painting she sent to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1901 bears that address. She exhibited ''Near Fountainbleu'' at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1901.

War relief work

Harriet and her Aunt Sarah lived in Moret during

and volunteered at the local hospital. They established a center in their home for crocheting clothing for soldiers and refugees. Injured soldiers and local residents assisted in making the clothing. Their efforts, which continued after the war, were supported by donations from their cousin, T. Morris Perot in Pennsylvania and others. The French government honored her with the Croix d'Honneur for her war work in 1930.

Later life

Harriet Hallowell's aunt Sara died in July 1924 and she inherited her aunt's estate.Perot Family Papers - Collection 1886.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. April 2004. p. 15. Retrieved August 17, 2014. While not rich in cash, the estate had important works of art, with paintings by artists such as

Anders Zorn Anders Leonard Zorn (18 February 1860 – 22 August 1920) was a Swedish painter. He attained international success as a painter, sculptor, and etching artist. Among Zorn's portrait subjects include King Oscar II of Sweden and three American ...

(1860–1920) and two works of sculpture that were made and gifts by

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

(1840–1917), her aunt's friend. She continued to paint and remained active with the Paris chapter of the

American Artists Professional League The American Artists Professional League (AAPL) is an American organization that promotes artists and their works. It was formed in 1928 in New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of Unite ...

. She exhibited her work with the American Women's Club of Paris and at the annual Salon."Work of 39 American Artists in Paris Salon," ''Fitchburg Sentinel,'' June 4, 1925 Beginning in 1933, Hallowell experienced financial difficulties due to the devaluing of her French stocks and the Depression, which became "desperate" during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. As Germans troops the area, she needed to move often to avoid them. She rejected offers from her relatives in the United States to leave France.Perot Family Papers - Collection 1886.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. April 2004. pp. 13, 15. Retrieved August 17, 2014. Hallowell died in 1943 in her Moret home.

Memberships and affiliations

*American Artists Professional League, Paris Chapter *Daughters of the American Revolution

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hallowell, Harriet Landscape artists 1873 births 1943 deaths Hallowell family Artists from Boston American Quakers American expatriates in France American women painters Painters from Massachusetts 20th-century American painters 20th-century American women artists