Charles H. Ebert
American, 1873 - 1959
Charles Ebert spent his childhood in the Mid-West, then studied painting in New York and Paris. Upon his return to the United States in 1896 he opened a studio in New York and struggled to make ends meet until one of his satirical cartoons was published by Life Magazine. Ebert’s job as a full time illustrator for Life allowed him to continue painting, and after four years he was able to return to what he loved.
Ebert moved to Greenwich, Connecticut around 1900, and thereafter made this state his home. While in Greenwich, he studied under John Twachtman; and was introduced to Julian Alden Weir and Childe Hassam, whose influence led Ebert to paint the local countryside, and experiment with bold brushwork, a brighter impressionist palette, and unusual sky effects.
Beginning in 1909, he and his wife—the watercolorist Mary Roberts—spent most of their summers on Monhegan Island, Maine. The rocky coast, engulfed in mist and dotted with fishermen’s huts, suited Charles Ebert’s interest in capturing picturesque scenery with fleeting atmospheric conditions. Throughout the early years of the twentieth century it was primarily Impressionists from the summer colony at Old Lyme, Connecticut (founded by Childe Hassam) who visited the island regularly. This period would later be considered the golden age of the Monhegan Island Art Colony era. After the heyday of the artist colonies, Ebert moved down to Sarasota, Florida. The final phase of his career was spent painting landscapes in Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, frequently in watercolor.
Ebert’s works can be found in venerable institutions such as the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, ME; Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT; Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT; Bush-Holley Historical Museum, Greenwich, CT; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; Monhegan Museum, Monhegan, ME; and the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI.
Ebert moved to Greenwich, Connecticut around 1900, and thereafter made this state his home. While in Greenwich, he studied under John Twachtman; and was introduced to Julian Alden Weir and Childe Hassam, whose influence led Ebert to paint the local countryside, and experiment with bold brushwork, a brighter impressionist palette, and unusual sky effects.
Beginning in 1909, he and his wife—the watercolorist Mary Roberts—spent most of their summers on Monhegan Island, Maine. The rocky coast, engulfed in mist and dotted with fishermen’s huts, suited Charles Ebert’s interest in capturing picturesque scenery with fleeting atmospheric conditions. Throughout the early years of the twentieth century it was primarily Impressionists from the summer colony at Old Lyme, Connecticut (founded by Childe Hassam) who visited the island regularly. This period would later be considered the golden age of the Monhegan Island Art Colony era. After the heyday of the artist colonies, Ebert moved down to Sarasota, Florida. The final phase of his career was spent painting landscapes in Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, frequently in watercolor.
Ebert’s works can be found in venerable institutions such as the Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, ME; Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT; Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT; Bush-Holley Historical Museum, Greenwich, CT; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; Monhegan Museum, Monhegan, ME; and the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI.
Ebert was born on July 21, 1873 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and died on October 2, 1959, in Preston. He was in Greenwich, c. 1900-19; and in Old Lyme, 1919-59.
Charles Ebert moved from New York to Greenwich around 1900 and thereafter made Connecticut his home. While in Greenwich, Ebert studied under John Twachtman and stayed seasonally at the Holley House, where he was introduced to Julian Alden Weir and Childe Hassam. Under their influence, especially that of Twachtman, Ebert painted the local countryside, experimenting with bold brushwork and unusual atmospheric effects.
In 1903, Ebert married another of Twachtman's pupils, Mary Roberts, and in 1919 the couple moved to Old Lyme. By this time the art colony had long since made its conversion to Impressionism and its importance as a center of American art was already diminishing. While in Old Lyme, both of the Eberts exhibited regularly at the Lyme Art Association.
Beginning in 1909, the Eberts spent most of their summers on Monhegan Island, off the coast of Maine, meeting there at times other Old Lyme Impressionists, including Walter Griffin and Frank Bicknell. The rocky seacoast, engulfed in mist and dotted with fishermen's huts, especially suited Charles Ebert's interest in capturing brilliant color, picturesque scenery, and fleeting atmospheric conditions.
Ebert's early art training began in 1892-93 at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. He then spent a year in New York at the Art Students League and moved in 1894 to Paris, where he studied at the Academie Julian under Benjamin Constant and Jean-Paul Laurens. Upon his return to the United States in 1896, Ebert opened a studio in New York City and tried to earn a living as a free-lance illustrator. He eventually landed a full-time position as political cartoonist for Life magazine. Mary Roberts Ebert, whose own finances were secure, persuaded her husband to abandon illustration in order to devote his full attention to painting.
Ebert first exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1907. Following this recognition, his paintings were included in exhibitions at such major museums as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Carnegie Institute. Additionally, Ebert was awarded a bronze medal at the Buenos Aires Exposition of 1910 and a silver medal at the San Francisco Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. He was a member of the Lyme Art Association, Salmagundi Club, and Allied Art Association, and he was a founder of the Greenwich Art Society. A retrospective exhibition of his work was organized by the Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, in 1979.
Further reading:
Charles II. Ebert 1873-1959. Exh. cat., Lyman Allyn Museum, 1979.
Raynor, Vivien, 'Rediscovering an Impressionist.' New York Times, November 4, 1979, Sec. 2, p. 20.
Three American Impressionists: From Paris to Old Lyme; Lucien Abrams, George Burr, Charles Ebert. Exh. cat., A. M. Adler Fine Art, Inc., New York City, 1978.
Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton
Charles Ebert moved from New York to Greenwich around 1900 and thereafter made Connecticut his home. While in Greenwich, Ebert studied under John Twachtman and stayed seasonally at the Holley House, where he was introduced to Julian Alden Weir and Childe Hassam. Under their influence, especially that of Twachtman, Ebert painted the local countryside, experimenting with bold brushwork and unusual atmospheric effects.
In 1903, Ebert married another of Twachtman's pupils, Mary Roberts, and in 1919 the couple moved to Old Lyme. By this time the art colony had long since made its conversion to Impressionism and its importance as a center of American art was already diminishing. While in Old Lyme, both of the Eberts exhibited regularly at the Lyme Art Association.
Beginning in 1909, the Eberts spent most of their summers on Monhegan Island, off the coast of Maine, meeting there at times other Old Lyme Impressionists, including Walter Griffin and Frank Bicknell. The rocky seacoast, engulfed in mist and dotted with fishermen's huts, especially suited Charles Ebert's interest in capturing brilliant color, picturesque scenery, and fleeting atmospheric conditions.
Ebert's early art training began in 1892-93 at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. He then spent a year in New York at the Art Students League and moved in 1894 to Paris, where he studied at the Academie Julian under Benjamin Constant and Jean-Paul Laurens. Upon his return to the United States in 1896, Ebert opened a studio in New York City and tried to earn a living as a free-lance illustrator. He eventually landed a full-time position as political cartoonist for Life magazine. Mary Roberts Ebert, whose own finances were secure, persuaded her husband to abandon illustration in order to devote his full attention to painting.
Ebert first exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1907. Following this recognition, his paintings were included in exhibitions at such major museums as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Carnegie Institute. Additionally, Ebert was awarded a bronze medal at the Buenos Aires Exposition of 1910 and a silver medal at the San Francisco Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. He was a member of the Lyme Art Association, Salmagundi Club, and Allied Art Association, and he was a founder of the Greenwich Art Society. A retrospective exhibition of his work was organized by the Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, in 1979.
Further reading:
Charles II. Ebert 1873-1959. Exh. cat., Lyman Allyn Museum, 1979.
Raynor, Vivien, 'Rediscovering an Impressionist.' New York Times, November 4, 1979, Sec. 2, p. 20.
Three American Impressionists: From Paris to Old Lyme; Lucien Abrams, George Burr, Charles Ebert. Exh. cat., A. M. Adler Fine Art, Inc., New York City, 1978.
Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton
