Edwin Blashfield
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Edwin Howland Blashfield (December 5, 1848October 12, 1936) was an American painter and muralist, most known for painting the murals on the dome of the Library of Congress Main Reading Room in
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.


Biography

Blashfield was born in
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in 1848 to William H. Blashfield and Eliza Dodd. He studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts after initial coursework in engineering at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
. He moved to Europe in 1867 to study with Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat in
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and remained abroad until 1881, traveling, painting, and exhibiting his work in salon shows. His academic background in painting and extensive travels in Italy to study fresco painting melded in work marked by delicacy and beauty of coloring. Following his early success as a genre painter, Blashfield became a widely admired muralist whose work ornamented the dome of the Manufacturers' and Liberal Arts building at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, in
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, several state capitols, and the central dome of the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
. Edwin Blashfield designed the 1896 two-dollar note. The mural on the obverse features Science presenting Steam and Electricity. Science is seated with two boys. The figures of Steam and Electricity are represented by the children and Commerce and Manufacture are portrayed by the two adults. The reverse of the note features portraits of inventors
Robert Fulton Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...
and
Samuel Morse Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor and painter. After establishing his reputation as a portrait painter, Morse, in his middle age, contributed to the invention of a Electrical telegraph#Morse ...
. He was a member of numerous arts organizations, including 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 ...
, the National Society of Mural Painters in which he served as President from 1909 to 1914.
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...
, and the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Blashfield served from 1920 to 1926 as President of 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 ...
. Among his many honors, Blashfield was awarded a Gold Medal by the National Academy of Design in 1934, an honorary membership in the
American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
, and an honorary doctorate of fine arts by
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
in 1926. He served on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts from 1912 to 1916. His circle of friends included sculptor
Daniel Chester French Daniel Chester French (April 20, 1850 – October 7, 1931) was an American sculpture, sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works include ''The Minute Man'', an 1874 statue in Concord, Massachusetts, and his Statue of Abr ...
, painters
John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...
and
Maxfield Parrish Maxfield Parrish (July 25, 1870 – March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustration, illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. His works featured distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery. The ...
, and architect
Cass Gilbert Cass Gilbert (November 24, 1859 – May 17, 1934) was an American architect. An early proponent of Early skyscrapers, skyscrapers, his works include the Woolworth Building, the United States Supreme Court building, the state capitols of Minneso ...
. His style was influenced by
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (; 14 December 1824 – 24 October 1898) was a French painter known for his mural painting, who came to be known as "the painter for France". He became the co-founder and president of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Ar ...
, Jean-Paul Laurens, and Paul Baudry. He married Evangeline Wilbour in 1881 and together they wrote ''Italian Cities'' (1900) and translated
Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work '' Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ide ...
's '' Lives of the Painters'' (4 vols., 1897). Wilbour died in 1918 and Blashfield married Grace Hall in 1928. He became president of the Society of Mural Painters, and of the Society of American Artists. Blashfield died in 1936 at his summer home on Cape Cod and is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in
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, New York City.


Gallery

File:The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators by American muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848-1936) 01.jpg, ''The Roman Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators'', 1878 File:Detail of The Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators by American muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848-1936) 02.jpg, ''Detail of The Roman Emperor Commodus Leaving the Arena at the Head of the Gladiators'' File:Edwin Blashfield - Angel with the Flaming Sword.jpg, ''Angel with the Flaming Sword'', 1890-1 File:Edwin H Blashfield (1848-1936) Ellen Day Hale.jpg, ''Ellen Day Hale'', 1890s File:EdwinBlashfield-Books1914.jpg, ''Books'', 1914 File:Resources of Wisconsin.jpg, ''Dome of the
Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor of Wisconsin, Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the ...
'', 1917 File:StateAssemblyChamberWI.jpg, ''
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...
chamber mural'', 1917 File:Edwin Blashfield - Spring Scattering Stars.jpg, ''Spring Scattering Stars'', 1927


Selected commissions

*in
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** a mural of the Good Shepherd St. Luke's Episcopal Church * in
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**a dome in the manufacturer's building at the 1893
World Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The c ...
**the Elks National Veterans Memorial * in Washington D.C. ** the dome of the Main Reading Room of the
Thomas Jefferson Building The Thomas Jefferson Building, also known as the Main Library, is the oldest of the Library of Congress buildings in Washington, D.C. Built between 1890 and 1897, it was initially known as the Library of Congress Building. In 1980, the building ...
of the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
** the mosaic of
Saint Matthew Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist. The claim of his g ...
in St. Matthew's Cathedral * the Iowa State Capitol at
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* the Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse in
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* the
Minnesota State Capitol The Minnesota State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Minnesota, in its capital (political), capital city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul. It houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the offic ...
at
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* the Governor's office in
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* the
Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor of Wisconsin, Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the ...
at
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* the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse in
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* the Mahoning County Court House,
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* the
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* in
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** Appellate courthouse **the grand ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel **the Lawyers' Club **the Great Hall of
City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...
, "The Graduate" mural,"New Book on Edwin Blashfield features CCNY Mural"
Press Release, City College of New York, Thursday, Sep 17, 2009
**the residences of WK Vanderbilt and Collis P. Huntington **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 ...
, "Saint Michael". * in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
**the residence of George W. Drexel (son of
Anthony J. Drexel Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. (September 13, 1826 – June 30, 1893) was an American banker who played a major role in the rise of modern global finance after the American Civil War. As the dominant partner of Drexel Burnham Lambert, Drexel & Co. of ...
) ** the chancel dome of the Cathedral Church of the Savior * the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
. Many paintings by the artist are present, including "North Wall Alma Mater", "South Wall Right Panel Humanity", "North Wall Left Panel Angels in Trees", et al., all painted 1923-1930. * in Mercersburg Academy, Pennsylvania


References


Notes

* * Cortissoz, Royal, introduction, ''The Works of Edwin Howland Blashfield'', Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1937
The Works of Edwin Howland Blashfield"
Art Inventories Catalog,
Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...
, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.


Further reading

* Blashfield, Edwin
''Mural Painting in America: The Scammon Lectures Delivered Before the Art Institute of Chicago, March 1912''
New York : C. Scribner's sons, 1913. * Vasari, Giorgio; Blashfield, Edwin, (editor
''Lives of seventy of the most eminent painters, sculptors and architects, Volume 4''
New York : C. Scribner's sons, 1902 * Weiner, Mina Rieur, (editor), ''Edwin Howland Blashfield: Master American Muralist'', New York : W.W. Norton, 2009. *


External links

*Morseburg Galleries


Iowa State Capital mural "Westward"


* ttp://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p15324coll13/searchterm/edwin%20blashfield/order/nosort Letters from Edwin Blashfield {{DEFAULTSORT:Blashfield, Edwin 1848 births 1936 deaths 19th-century American painters 20th-century American painters American muralists American genre painters American male painters Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters National Academy of Design members 19th-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists