Frederick Arthur Bridgman

Frederick Arthur Bridgman ( born November 10, 1847 in Tuskegee, Alabama, † January 13, 1928 Rouen, France ) was an American painter of Orientalism, artist, musician and writer.

Life

Bridgman was the son of a doctor. When his father died in 1850, the mother took the two sons to New York. There Bridgman began in 1864 at the American Bank Note Company an apprenticeship as an engraver. At the same time he became a student at the Brooklyn Art Association ( BAA ) and later at the National Academy of Design.

Already in the following year Bridgman had a picture in an exhibition of BAA such an enormous success that some businessmen were prepared to promote it. Bridgman announced in 1866 and went to France. His first stop was Port Avent (Brittany ) where he became friends with Robert Wylie and his circle.

From autumn 1866 to autumn 1870 Bridgman was in Paris pupil of Jean -Léon Gérôme; but a few weeks in the summer, he spent more and at Wylie in Brittany. In the studio of Gérôme Bridgman made ​​soon the acquaintance of Thomas Eakins, Harry Humphrey Moore and Earl Shinn. Bridgman's first exhibition in Paris was the Paris Salon of 1870 and was a great success.

The Franco-German war broke Bridgman's career and forced him into exile; only in Brittany, and later to Spain. From there he went on his first study trip through North Africa and returned in the spring of 1873 returned to Paris.

In the winter of 1873/74 he undertook another journey: Charles Sprague Pearce together with, a pupil of Léon Bonnat, he went to Cairo in December 1873 and made ​​an extensive Nile journey. During this trip Bridgman discovered for the photography; in addition to many drawings and paintings he also brought hundreds of photographs as yield them home. His most famous picture of this trip was The Mummy's funeral and now finally founded his success as an artist. During these years Jay Hall Conaway became his pupil.

He married in Paris Florence Matt Baker from Boston. Since his wife was nervous suffering, the couple spent the winter of 1885/86 in Algiers, since there seemed climate conducive to the wife. The greatest success of the following years was probably attending the World's Fair of 1889 with five paintings.

1901 his wife died at their nervous disorders. After a three-year mourning period Bridgman married his second wife Marthe Yaeger. After the First World War, his fame began to fade. Although Bridgman painted still, but could not build on his earlier successes. He and his wife retired to Lyons -la -Forêt (Normandy) and died at the age of 80 years in 1928 in Rouen.

Bridgman did not care much for politics, on the basis of his letters, however, is to realize that he did not agree with the colonial policy of France. As an academic painter he admired the Impressionist Édouard Manet and Pierre -Auguste Renoir. Along with Edwin Lord Weeks Bridgman is an important representative of " Orientalists " of the American school.

Honors

Works

  • Afternoon in Algiers
  • The Spaniard
  • The Orange Seller
  • The Return
  • In the Kasbah
  • Winters in Algiers ( illustrated with woodcuts travel memoirs, published in 1888)
National Academy Museum and School Salon (Paris) Integrated Authority File
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