George Biddle
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George Biddle (January 24, 1885 – November 6, 1973) was an American painter, muralist and lithographer, best known for his
social realism Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...
and combat art. A childhood friend of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, he played a major role in establishing the
Federal Art Project The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
(1935–43), which employed artists under the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
.


Biography


Education

Born to an established Philadelphia family, Biddle attended the elite Groton School (where he was a classmate of
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
). He completed his undergraduate studies and later earned a law degree from Harvard (1908 and 1911, respectively). He passed his
bar examination A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associ ...
in Philadelphia. Biddle's legal career was short-lived, however, and by the end of 1911 he had left the United States to study at the Académie Julian in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. In the next two years he studied at 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.
. Returning to Europe in 1914, Biddle spent time in
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
and
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
, studying printmaking in the Spanish capital, before trying his hand at
impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. As he remembered, "I gobbled up museums, French Impressionism, cubism, futurism, and the old masters; I copied Velasquez in Madrid and Rubens in Munich…." In 1917, with the United States' entry into the
First World War 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 ...
, Biddle enlisted in the
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. In the early interwar period Biddle continued his studies in far-flung locations such as
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...
, returned to France in 1924, and in 1928 went on a sketching trip through
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
with
Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
.


Career

Prior to his Mexican travels, Biddle had returned to the United States in 1927 and established a printing shop in New York, where he "began to explore the variety and richness of technique and expressionism possible in lithography", a medium which he hoped would "popularize American art by making it better known to the American public". He was a member of the
Society of American Graphic Artists The Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA) is a not for profit national fine arts organization serving professional artists in the field of printmaking. SAGA provides its members with exhibition, reviews and networking opportunities in the N ...
. In the 1930s, Biddle became a champion of social art and strongly advocated government funding for artistic endeavors. His correspondence with his former classmate (and recently elected president) Franklin Roosevelt Ladis, Andrew
“George Biddle, Raphael Soyer, and the Genius with a Thousand Faces”
Traditional Fine Arts Organization 2005: 2-. Resource Library. March 8, 2006
contributed to the establishment of the
Federal Art Project The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
,David Cook Fine Ar
“George Biddle"
an arm of the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
that produced several hundred thousand pieces of publicly funded art. Biddle himself completed a mural titled ''The Tenement'' for the Justice Department building in
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and made sketches of the opera ''
Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...
'' during its late 1930s tour. His works were exhibited at the 1939 New York World's Fair. During these years Biddle also wrote several books and taught at the
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC) is an arts center located just north of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Located on the same city block are the American Numismatic Association and part of the campus of Colorado ...
. Biddle was hired in 1940, along with eight other prominent American artists, to document dramatic scenes and characters during the production of the film ''
The Long Voyage Home ''The Long Voyage Home'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Thomas Mitchell and Ian Hunter. It features Barry Fitzgerald, Wilfrid Lawson, John Qualen, Mildred Natwick, and Ward Bond, among others. The f ...
'', a cinematic adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's plays. He served as President of the
National Society of Mural Painters The National Society of Mural Painters (NSMP) is an American artists' organization originally known as The Mural Painters. The charter of the society is to advance the techniques and standards for the design and execution of mural art for the enri ...
from 1935 to 1936. 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 opposing ...
, Biddle was appointed chairman of the
United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...
's Art Advisory Committee and served to recruit artists to that body. Biddle himself traveled through
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,
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,
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, and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
with the 3rd Infantry Division and produced works documenting that unit's activities. He wrote a book on his war travels: Artist at War Tunisia-Sicily-Italy, Viking Press, 1944. When the Art Advisory Committee was disbanded, he produced combat art for ''Life'' magazine. In 1950, Biddle was appointed to the
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, and was established in 1910. The CFA has review (but not approval) authority over the "design and aesthetics" of all construction with ...
, serving until 1951 and again from 1953 to 1955.


''Society Freed Through Justice''

Biddle's best known work is in the mural ''Society Freed Through Justice'', five fresco panels in fifth-floor stairway of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., produced under the U.S. Treasury Department's
Section of Painting and Sculpture The Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture was a New Deal art project established on October 16, 1934, and administered by the Procurement Division of the United States Department of the Treasury. Commonly known as the Section, it was rena ...
. At the time of Biddle's death in 1973, ''New York Times'' art critic
John Canaday John Edwin Canaday (February 1, 1907 – July 19, 1985) was a leading American art critic, author and art historian. Early life and education John Canaday was born in Fort Scott, Kansas, to Franklin and Agnes F. (Musson) Canaday. His family m ...
called the mural "the best he ever did. It depicted the everyday people of this country with extraordinary dignity, and it still stands up today." File:Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720249.tif File:Fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice," fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720191.tif File:Close up of fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice," fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720190.tif File:Fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice," fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720192.tif File:Fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice" near fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720158.tif File:Fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice" near fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720159.tif File:Fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice" near fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720160.tif File:Fresco painting "Society Freed Through Justice" near fifth floor stairway, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C LCCN2010720161.tif


Personal

George Biddle's brother was
Francis Biddle Francis Beverley Biddle (May 9, 1886 – October 4, 1968) was an American lawyer and judge who was the United States Attorney General during World War II. He also served as the primary American judge during the postwar Nuremberg Trials as well a ...
(1886–1968), who was Attorney General of the United States. During Francis' tenure as the Attorney General, the new Department of Justice Building opened featuring murals painted by George that incorporated Francis' image in the "Life of the Law" mural. George Biddle was married three times: *Anne (''Nancy'') Coleman (b. 1896), married from 1917 to 1921 *Jane Belo (November 3, 1904 – April 3, 1968) an anthropologist from
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, to whom he was married from 1925 to 1929 * Hélène Sardeau (July 7, 1899 Antwerp (Belgium) – 1969) a sculptor, to whom he was married from 1930 until her death. **Michael John Biddle (b. November 15, 1934). George Biddle died on November 6, 1973, in
Croton-on-Hudson, New York Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,327 at the 2020 United States census over 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt as part of New York City's northern subur ...
.


Style and influences

Some factors that contributed to Biddle's artwork are the many art movements that he was involved in. Biddle was involved in "French Impressionism; the American
Ashcan School The Ashcan School, also called the Ash Can School, was an artistic movement in the United States during the late 19th-early 20th century that produced works portraying scenes of daily life in New York, often in the city's poorer neighborhoods. ...
; the School of Paris and Cubism during those early and exciting days when it first exploded on the world; Regionalism, the Mexican Mural Movement, and the New Deal Subsidy of Art".Biddle, George. The Yes and No of Contemporary Art. London: Oxford University Press, 1957 He also was involved in the "post war currents of contemporary art". Many of his works of art were contemporary. Another factor that contributed to Biddle's artwork were his friendships with many great "painters, sculptors, and critics of the past generation and his life-long activity in behalf of fellow artists". He borrowed many of the other artists' styles and turned them into his own by using different techniques and images to get a different effect. Biddle believed that everyone's life should be influenced by every "fact with which one comes in contact, until one ceases to grow or is, actually dead". This is the reason why Biddle became such a successful American artist; he had his own style, and expressed real actual events. A further influence on Biddle was
Mary Cassatt Mary Stevenson Cassatt (; May 22, 1844June 14, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker. She was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh's North Side), but lived much of her adult life in France, where she befriended Edgar De ...
. Biddle met Cassatt at the Académie Julian in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
; she too was from Philadelphia. Cassatt helped to cultivate in Biddle an appreciation of the work of
Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...
. Some of Biddle's prints reflected "the style of these two artists in their intimate, domestic subject matter". Biddle put in his "personal feelings—affection, humor, compassion, irony, social outrage—as well as his technical mastery of the lithographic medium" to "enliven his work".Pennigar, Martha. The Graphic Work of George Biddle with
Catalogue Raisonné A ''catalogue raisonné'' (or critical catalogue) is a comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known artworks by an artist either in a particular medium or all media. The works are described in such a way that they may be reliably identified ...
. Baltimore, Maryland: Garamond/Pridemark Press, 1979
George Biddle achieved a lot of goals that helped other artists make their way. His work serves as a "kind of index to the many style and themes which occupied artists in the first half of the 20th century". When Biddle volunteered to go to the war, it changed his whole life and how he saw the world. He got to travel the country and study the art of different cultures thus enriching the art that he would produce. Biddle captured scenes and people how they naturally occurred in life. "Catfish Row" is a good example of Biddle capturing people and objects in their natural state. "Rejecting the stale formulas of academism and critical of what he saw as a loss of articulate emotional expressionism in much of modernist art, Biddle grappled with his own artistic identity throughout his life". The artist Margaretta S. Hinchman bequeathed a self-portrait by George Biddle to the Philadelphia Museum of Art upon her death in 1955.


Selected works

* Illustrations for ''
Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...
'' libretto (1930). Commissioned by
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
and Ira Gershwin. * ''Portrait of Helene Sardeau, the Artist's Wife'' (1931),
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. * ''Self-Portrait'' (1933), Philadelphia Museum of Art. * Murals for Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building (1936), Washington, D.C. * Murals for Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (1940), Mexico City, Mexico. * ''Portrait of
Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to eac ...
'' (1941), Philadelphia Museum of Art. * ''Portrait of
Frieda Lawrence Frieda Lawrence (August 11, 1879 – August 11, 1956) was a German author and wife of the British novelist D.H. Lawrence. Life Emma Maria Frieda Johanna Freiin (Baroness) von Richthofen (also known under her married names as Frieda Weekley, Fr ...
'' (1941), Philadelphia Museum of Art.Frieda Lawrence
from Philadelphia Museum of Art.
* Murals for
National Library of Brazil The Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (English: ''National Library of Brazil'') is the depository of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, the capital city of Brazil from 1822 to 1960, more specificall ...
(1942), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


Books by Biddle

* ''Green Island''. Coward-McCann, New York 1930. * ''Adolphe Borie''. American Federation of Arts, Washington, D.C. 1937. * ''An American Artist's Story''. Littlem, Brown & Co., Boston 1939. (memoir) * ''Artist at War''. The Viking Press, New York 1944. * ''George Biddle's War Drawings''. The Hyperion Press, distributed by Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1944 * ''The Yes and No of Contemporary Art. An Artist's Evolution''. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1957. * ''Indian Impressions''. The Orion Press, New York 1960. * ''Tahitian Journal''. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis 1968.


See also

* Biddle family *
United States Commission of Fine Arts The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, and was established in 1910. The CFA has review (but not approval) authority over the "design and aesthetics" of all construction wit ...


References


External links


List of Biddle's Artworks in Museum Collections
World Wide Arts Resources.

Web page on Biddle's 1933 lithograph, ''Alabama Code'' (click on picture for larger image)
Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...

George Biddle letters to Constance Biddle, 1943-1945George Biddle papers, 1910-1969Oral history interview with George Biddle, 1963
at
The Ned Scott Archive Ned Scott (April 16, 1907 – November 24, 1964) was an American photographer who worked in the Hollywood film industry as a still photographer from 1935–1948. As a member of the Camera Club of New York from 1930–34, he was heavily influe ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biddle, George American muralists 20th-century American painters American male painters 1885 births 1973 deaths
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
Cornell family Artists from Philadelphia Groton School alumni Harvard Law School alumni Section of Painting and Sculpture artists United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army soldiers People from Croton-on-Hudson, New York Painters from Pennsylvania Painters from New York (state) Académie Julian alumni Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni American war artists Federal Art Project administrators 20th-century American printmakers Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters