Walter Launt Palmer (August 1, 1854 – April 16, 1932) was an

American Impressionist American Impressionism was a style of painting related to European Impressionism and practiced by American artists in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth. The style is characterized by loose b ...

painter. Palmer's father

Erastus Dow Palmer Erastus Dow Palmer (April 2, 1817March 9, 1904) was an American sculptor. Life Palmer was born in Pompey, New York. He was the second of nine children. He showed early artistic promise, and pursued his father's trade of carpentry. Palmer married ...

was a prominent sculptor, and the family residence was frequented by his father's friends, notably

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, ...

. Palmer began his formal artistic training under portrait painter

Charles Loring Elliott Charles Loring Elliott (1812–1868) was an American painter known for his portraits. He was active in central New York for 10 years as a young man, then in 1845 moved to New York City to pursue his career. He was elected to the National Academy ...

, but it was Church, the period's premier landscape artist, who later tutored the young Palmer in landscape painting. In 1873, Palmer made one of many trips abroad in order to work with

Carolus-Duran Charles Auguste Émile Durand, known as Carolus-Duran (Lille 4 July 1837 – 17 February 1917 Paris), was a French painter and art instructor. He is noted for his stylish depictions of members of high society in Third Republic France. Biograph ...

. It was at this time that he met one of Carolus-Duran's other young students,

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

. The artist continued to take frequent and lengthy trips to Europe, and acquired a growing interest in French Impressionism as well as an enduring attraction to Venetian subjects. When Palmer returned to the United States, he spent most of his time in Albany, where artists like

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

and James Hart,

Homer Dodge Martin Homer Dodge Martin (October 28, 1836 – February 12, 1897) was an American artist, particularly known for his landscape paintings. Examples of Martin's work are in many important American museums. Biography Martin was born in Albany, New York o ...

, and Edward Gay also painted. Here, Palmer began painting building interiors, his first significant series of work. He also spent some time working out of New York City at the

Tenth Street Studio Building The Tenth Street Studio Building, constructed in New York City in 1857, was the first modern facility designed solely to serve the needs of artists. It became the center of the New York art world for the remainder of the 19th century. Situated at ...

. Palmer's most notable works are winter landscape scenes, a tradition he continued from the mid-1880s to the end of his life. For these accomplishments he has been called the "painter of the American winter." Exhibitions featuring Palmer's work have included Hawthorne Fine Art's ''A Perfect Solitude: The Art of Walter Launt Palmer (1854–1932)'' (December 12, 2006 – February 10, 2007) and the

Albany Institute of History & Art The Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) is a museum in Albany, New York, United States, "dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley region". ...

's ''Walter Launt Palmer: Painting the Moment'' (March 28 - August 16, 2015).

Exhibitions

Palmer works were exhibited in group shows and solo exhibitions throughout his career. Many of his works are collectable and can be found in museums and private collections worldwide. * Universelle Exposition, Paris, 1900 *

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 ...

, Washington, D.C., 1908, 1910, 1912 * Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, 1906

Prizes

* Second

Hallgarten Prize The Julius Hallgarten Prizes (defunct) were a trio of prestigious art prizes awarded by 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 Samue ...

for ''January'', National Academy of Design, 1887. * First Prize, Columbian World Fair, Chicago, 1893. * Gold Medal,

Philadelphia Art Club The Art Club of Philadelphia, often called the Philadelphia Art Club, was a club in Philadelphia, founded on February 7, 1887, to advance the arts.

, 1894. * Gold Medal,

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 ...

, 1895. * W.T. Evans Prize,

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 ...

, 1895. * Silver Medal, Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901. * Silver Medal, St. Louis Exposition. * Silver Medal, Philadelphia Art Club, 1907. * Bronze Medal, St. Louis Exposition. * Butler Prize,

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 ...

, 1919. * Elected into 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 ...

, 1887.

Gallery

File:Moonrise Over a Snowy Landscape, Late 19th century.png, ''Moonrise Over a Snowy Landscape'', late 19th Century watercolor, gouache, and crayon on paper laid down on board. File:Autumn Moonrise, ca. 1910.png, ''Autumn Moonrise'', ca. 1910, Oil on canvas.

References

External links

Artwork by Walter Launt Palmer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Walter Launt 1854 births 1932 deaths 20th-century American painters 19th-century American painters 19th-century American male artists American male painters Artists from Albany, New York Orientalist painters World's Columbian Exposition 20th-century American male artists