Alvin Loraine Gittins (17 January 1922 – 7 March 1981) was an English-born artist who was a professor at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

(U of U). He has been described as "one of he United Statesgreatest portrait artists ever".

Life and career

Gittins was born in

Kidderminster Kidderminster is a market town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester, England, Worcester. Located north of the River Stour, Worcestershire, River Stour and east of the River Severn, in th ...

, Worcestershire, England. He attended art school in London. Gittins was raised in

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) in England. He first came to the United States in 1946 and graduated from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

in 1947. He was appointed a member of the U of U art faculty in 1947. From 1956 to 1962 Gittins was head of the U of U's art department. Gittins painted 89 portraits of people connected with the U of U and at least one of his portraits hangs in almost every campus building. He focused heavily on the detail of human figures and sought to bring out his subjects feelings in his paintings. As a professor, Gittins was noted for insisting on intensive studies of anatomy and perspective at a time when most art programs focused on expressionist art. Among the many people Gittins painted portraits of were David O. McKay, Henry Eyring,

Maurice Abravanel Maurice Abravanel (January 6, 1903 – September 22, 1993) was an American classical music conductor. He is remembered as the conductor of the Utah Symphony for over 30 years. Life Abravanel was born in Salonika, Rumelia Eyalet, Ottoman Emp ...

, and

Haile Selassie I Haile Selassie I (born Tafari Makonnen or ''Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles#Lij, Lij'' Tafari; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, Rege ...

. However, not all of his subjects were living. He also painted a portrait of

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

, which is a popular image of the LDS Church's founder. Work done by GIttins was exhibited at the

Royal Society of Portrait Painters The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a charity based at Carlton House Terrace, SW1, London that promotes the practice and appreciation of portraiture art. Its Annual Exhibition of portraiture is held at Mall Galleries, and it runs a commi ...

and the Royal Society of British Painters in London as well as at Portraits, Inc. in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Gittins married Gwendolen Ellis and they had four children.''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...

'' Obituary for Christopher Gittins, 17 January 1998

Notes

References

* *.
Alvin Gittins
State of Utah Collections, Utah Division of Arts & Museums *

External links

Alvin L. Gittins Photograph Collection
at the University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections.
The Alvin L. Gittins Papers
at the University of Utah Marriott Library Special Collections.
Alvin L. GittinsUtah Artists Project

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gittins, Alvin 1922 births 1981 deaths Artists from Utah Brigham Young University alumni English emigrants to the United States English Latter Day Saints Latter Day Saint artists English portrait painters University of Utah faculty People from Kidderminster 20th-century English painters English male painters