Armin Carl Hansen (1886–1957) was an American prominent painter of the
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French language, French for 'outdoors'), or plein-air painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein ai ...
school, and a native of San Francisco, best known for his marine canvases. His father
Herman Wendelborg Hansen was also an artist of the American West. Armin Hansen studied at the
California School of Design (now the
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) was a Private college, private art school, college of contemporary art in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1871, SFAI was one of the oldest art schools in the United States and the oldest west of the Mis ...
), and in Europe. He achieved international recognition for his scenes depicting men and the sea off the northern coast of California. He was elected an Associate to 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, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...
in 1926 and an Academician in 1948.
[.]
Early years
He was born Armin Carl Hansen in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, on October 23, 1886, and relocated 1891 with his family to the nearby island town of
Alameda
An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to:
Places Canada
* Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan
** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan
Chile
* Alameda (Santi ...
. Here his father gave young Armin his first training in drawing and watercolors.
At the
Mark Hopkins Institute he studied under several teachers, including the highly respected arts & crafts designer
Frederick Meyer and the Tonalist painter
Arthur Frank Mathews
Arthur F. Mathews (October 1, 1860 – February 19, 1945) was an American tonalism, Tonalist painter who was one of the founders of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. Trained as an architect and artist, he and his wife Lucia Kleinhans Mathews ...
, from 1901 until his abrupt departure in the spring of 1905, when he was arrested for hazing fellow students. Two unsuccessful attempts by the San Francisco District Attorney to prosecute Hansen for causing permanent and severe bodily injury to the young artist Albert DeRome created much negative publicity. These events combined with the April 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire persuaded Hansen to leave his Alameda home and study in Europe.
Moving to Germany, he became the student of Carlos Grethe at the
State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart
The State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart (, or ABK Stuttgart) is a public fine art university in Stuttgart, Germany. It was founded in 1761 and has been located on the Weissenhof since 1946. Its campus consists of three buildings: the Altbau, ...
in Stuttgart, Germany, and briefly studied at the
Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Wishing to see the world through marine eyes, he periodically served as a deck hand between 1908 and 1912 on a number of commercial vessels, one being a Norwegian steam trawler. His prolonged visits to the art centers in Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Bruges during his six years abroad led him to adopt many of the tenets of
Modernist art
Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...
. He spent a considerable amount of time at the art colony in
Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Nieuwpoort ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in Flemish Region, Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, in the province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town o ...
.
[An online facsimile of the entire text of Vol. 1 is posted on the Traditional Fine Arts Organization website]
Life in Northern California
Hansen arrived in San Francisco in the late fall of 1912 and during the following spring and summer he held very successful exhibitions of his European canvases at three of the most prestigious galleries: Helgesen's, Rabjohn & Morcom's, and Schussler Brothers. During his lifetime his paintings and prints appeared in over a hundred exhibitions in California and nationally.
In 1913 he first visited Monterey, where he eventually settled to teach and to find inspiration in the small fishing community and in the art colonies on the Peninsula. He painted in oils and watercolors and perfected his skills in graphic arts, especially etchings. Hansen became enamored of creating marine scenes, particularly involving man's relationship with the sea. In 1914 he produced a ''Self Portrait''. Hansen became extremely active in large
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel-by-the-Sea (), commonly known simply as Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, located on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,220, down from 3,722 at the 2010 census. Situa ...
art colony. He was not a founder of the
Carmel Art Association in 1927, but eventually joined that organization and served as president and on the board of directors. He was the co-founder of the Carmel Art Institute in 1938.
John Cunningham began at the Institute when he helped teach a painting class for Hansen when he fell ill. In 1940, Hansen and the Whitman transferred ownership of the institute to Cunningham and his wife.
In the early 1920s Hansen lived near the
Stevenson House, and he often entertained other artists, including members of the
Society of Six. By this time Hansen was not only one of the most well known California artists, but arguably the best teacher of the era. A typical Painting of his early period in Monterey, ''Men of the Sea'', illustrates his bond with his subjects. In 1920 he began outdoor lessons for both
Clayton Sumner Price and
August Francois Gay.
E. Charlton Fortune also studied with Hansen. Hansen was also unique in that he had friends in among the avant-garde and conservative artists in Monterey and Carmel. An important work of this period is his ''The Salmon Trawlers'' (1923), which is in the permanent collection of the
Monterey Museum of Art
The Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) an art museum located in Monterey, California. It was founded in 1959 as a chapter of the American Federation of Arts. The Monterey Museum of Art collects, preserves, and interprets the art of California from th ...
.
In the 1930s Hansen's paintings become more intense and use of light more pronounced. One of his masterpieces of this era was ''Sardine Barge'' circa 1933, which appropriately is in the permanent collection of the
Monterey Museum of Art
The Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) an art museum located in Monterey, California. It was founded in 1959 as a chapter of the American Federation of Arts. The Monterey Museum of Art collects, preserves, and interprets the art of California from th ...
. His work was also part of the
painting event in the
art competition at the
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...
.
Later in Monterey Hansen led a group of artists in opposing a plan to remove
Fisherman's Wharf as part of a grandiose
redevelopment
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses. It represents a process of land development uses to revitalize the physical, economic and social fabric of urban space.
Description
Variations on redevelopment include ...
scheme. The wharf was an important subject of their art, besides the fact that Hansen identified with the simple life of a fisherman. These artists were considered a
bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers.
* Bohemian style, a ...
group, living in the
Peters Gate area of Monterey, but amazingly they prevailed against bigger business interests.
Posthumous honors
In 1997, a film ''Time Captured in Paintings: The Monterey Legacy'' was produced honoring Hansen, along with
E. Charlton Fortune,
William Frederic Ritschel,
Xavier Martinez
Xavier or Xabier may refer to:
Place
* Xavier, Spain
People
* Xavier (surname)
* Xavier (given name)
* Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint
** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation)
* St. Xavier (disambiguation)
* Xavier (footballer, born ...
and others. The film, narrated by actor
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...
won the Golden Eagle Award from the prestigious
CINE for documentary films in 1997.
Permanent collections
*
Bowers Museum
The Bowers Museum is an art museum located in Santa Ana, California, Santa Ana, California. The museum's permanent collection includes more than 100,000 objects, and features notable strengths in the areas of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, Native Ame ...
*
Crocker Art Museum
The Crocker Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Western United States, located in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1885, the museum holds one of the premier collections of Californian art. The collection includes American works dating f ...
*
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF),
comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. FAMSF's combined attendance was 1,1 ...
*
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum).
LACMA was founded in 1961 ...
*
Monterey Museum of Art
The Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) an art museum located in Monterey, California. It was founded in 1959 as a chapter of the American Federation of Arts. The Monterey Museum of Art collects, preserves, and interprets the art of California from th ...
*
Museum of Monterey
*
National Museum of American Art-Smithsonian
*
Oakland Museum of California
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
*
Steven Stern Fine Arts
*
The Irvine Museum
*
University of Michigan Museum of Art
The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) is one of the largest university art museums in the United States, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with . Built as a war memorial in 1909 for the university's fallen alumni from the Civil War, Alu ...
References
Bibliography
* ''Facing Eden'', edited by Steven A. Nash,
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF),
comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. FAMSF's combined attendance was 1,1 ...
(1995)
* Ilene Susan Fort, ''Paintings of California'', Chameleon Press (1993)
* John Walton, ''Storied Land: Community and Memory in Monterey'', University of California Press (2003)
*
Kim Coventry, ''Monterey Peninsula'', Arcadia Publishing (2002)
*
Nancy Boas, ''
The Society of Six'', University of California Press
*
Susan Landauer, ''California Impressionists'', University of California Press (1996)
External links
Armin Hansen Exhibit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Armin
1886 births
1957 deaths
20th-century American male artists
20th-century American painters
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich alumni
American Impressionist painters
American male painters
American marine artists
Artists from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
National Academy of Design members
Art competitors at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Painters from San Francisco
San Francisco Art Institute alumni
State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart alumni
University of California, Berkeley faculty