John Elwood Bundy (May 1, 1853 – January 17, 1933) was an American Impressionist painter known as the "dean" of the

Richmond Group The Richmond Group also known as the Richmond School, is a group of American Impressionist painters who worked in the Richmond, Indiana, area from the late 19th Century through the mid-20th Century. While the Richmond Group had no formal organizatio ...

of painters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bundy was born to a Quaker family in

Guilford County, North Carolina Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population is 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat, and largest municipality, is Greensboro. ...

, and moved by

covered wagon The covered wagon or prairie wagon, historically also referred to as an ambulance or prairie schooner, was a vehicle usually made out of wood and canvas that was used for transportation, prominently in 19th-century America. With roots in the he ...

to a farm near

Monrovia, Indiana Monrovia is a town in Monroe Township, Morgan County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,063 at the 2010 census. History Monrovia was laid out in 1834, Laid after Liberia's Capital Name. The town's name is derived from Monroe To ...

, with his family at the age of five. He studied briefly in Indianapolis with Barton S. Hays but was primarily self-taught. Bundy did travel to New York to copy paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a time. He joined the art department of

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

in 1887 and took up painting full-time in 1895 from a studio behind his home on West Main Street in Richmond, Indiana. He was a founding member of the Society of Western Artists and was a central influence in the founding of the Richmond Art Museum in 1898. He was known for his portrayal of Indiana landscapes and particularly for his paintings of American beech trees, though he did make brief trips to paint in California and northern Michigan. Bundy's work continues to be sought after, and his is found in numerous private collections and museums, including the

Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art The Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art is a public museum in Lafayette, Indiana, housing the largest collection of Indiana art anywhere in the world. The museum is located in the Potter-Haan Mansion at 920 E State Street. The museum's collection ...

, the

Indianapolis Museum of Art The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, the Gardens at Newfields, the Beer Garden, and more. It ...

, the

Indiana State Museum The Indiana State Museum is a museum located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum houses exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Indiana from prehistoric times to the present day. History The original collec ...

and the Richmond Art Museum.

References

* Burnet, Mary Q. ''Art and Artists of Indiana''. New York; The Century Co., 1921. * Gerdts, William H
A Walk in the Woods: The Art of John Elwood Bundy
* Fedders, Kristin U. ''Poetic Woodlands: The Art of John Elwood Bundy'' Richmond Art Museum, 2002

External links

*
Bundy biography from Waynet.org
1853 births 1933 deaths 19th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century American painters American Impressionist painters Painters from Indiana People from Monrovia, Indiana Artists from Richmond, Indiana Earlham College faculty Burials at Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Indiana People from Guilford County, North Carolina American Quakers Painters from North Carolina 19th-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists {{US-painter-1850s-stub