Imogene Robinson Morrell

Imogene Robinson Morrell (1828 – 21 November 1908) was an American portrait and historical painter, who won many medals and diplomas.[1][2]

Early life

Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, Imogene Robinson was the daughter of Otis and Sarah Dean (Raymond) Robinson. She studied art in Newark, New Jersey and New York City and then taught art in the Massachusetts towns of Charlestown and Auburndale. In the 1850s she taught at the School of Design in Worcester, Massachusetts with her friend and artist Elizabeth Gardner.[3] In 1856 she went to Europe, where she studied art in Düsseldorf and Paris.[2] In 1869 she married Colonel Abram Morrell but continued to live with Gardner.[3] In 1879 she became a widow.[1][2] In 1876 she moved to Washington, D.C. She was a very active member of the art community. While in Washington, D.C. she was a founding the National Academy of Fine Arts. She was the director of the National Academy of Fine arts for the next ten years.[3]

Career

Imogene Robinson Morrell was a history painter. Her paintings were patriotic and contained images of historical figures, often with horses.[3] Two of her most praised paintings, Washington Welcoming the Provision Trains and First Battle of the Puritans, were exhibited in 1876 at the National Academy of Design in New York City.[4] She painted portraits of a number of famous people, including General John A. Dix,[5] John C. Spencer,[6] Howell Cobb,[7] Mrs. Cleveland, Collis P. Huntington, W. W. Corcoran, and U. S. President Garfield.[1][8] Her portrait of General John A. Dix hangs in the United States Capitol Building.[3]

Later Years and Death

In 1896 more than 200 of her paintings in a Washington, D.C. warehouse were destroyed by fire, leaving her destitute.[1][3] After the fire she was supported by her friend, Elizabeth Gardner.[3] Morrell died in Washington, D.C. in 1908.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Morrell, Imogene Robinson". District of Columbia: Concise biographical dictionary of its prominent and representative contemporary citizens: 334. 1908.
  2. 1 2 3 Imogene Robinson Morrell, essay by David Sellin
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Calvin, Paula E.; Deacon, Deborah A. (2011). "Imogene Robinson Morrell". American Women Artists in Wartime, 1776–2010. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. pp. 60–61.
  4. ↑ "Two Historical Paintings". Scribner's Monthly. 11 (6): 903. April 1876.
  5. ↑ U.S. Senate: Dix, John Adams
  6. ↑ John C. Spencer (1843 – 1844), U.S. Department of the Treasury
  7. ↑ Howell Cobb (1857 – 1860), U.S. Department of the Treasury
  8. ↑ "Morrell, Imogene Robinson". Who's Who in America. Vol. 5, 1908–1909. p. 1339.


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