Robert Lewis Reid (July 29, 1862 – December 2, 1929) was an
American Impressionist painter and
mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
ist. His work tended to be very decorative, much of it centered on depiction of young women set among flowers. He later became known for his murals and designs in
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
.
Life and work
Robert Reid was born in
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridg ...
and schooled at the
Philips Academy from 1880 to 1884. He studied at the
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston under
Otto Grundmann, where he was later an instructor. In 1884 he moved to
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 ...
, studying at the
Art Students League
The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists.
Although artists may study f ...
, and in 1885 he went to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to study at the
Académie Julian
The () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907). The school was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number and qual ...
under
Gustave Boulanger and
Jules Joseph Lefebvre. His early pictures were figures of French peasants, painted at
Étaples
Étaples or Étaples-sur-Mer (; or ; formerly ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, northern France. It is a fishing and leisure port on the Canche river.
History
Étapl ...
.
Upon returning to New York in 1889, he worked as a
portrait
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...
ist and later became an instructor at the Art Students League and
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...
.
Paintings
He painted three murals for the Manufactures Building at the 1893
World's 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 ...
in Chicago, and exhibited four paintings in its Fine Arts Building. His work, including the tragic ''Her First Born'' (1888), was awarded a medal for excellence.
Reid was a member of the
Ten American Painters, who seceded from the
Society of American Artists in 1897. His painting ''Dawn'' was awarded the 1898 First
Hallgarten Prize
Hallgarten is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Charles Hallgarten (1838–1908), German-American banker, philanthropist and social reformer
* George W. F. Hallgarten (1901–1975), German-American historian