Charles Hawthorne

American Impressionism

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At the height of Chase's teaching of Impressionism, Charles Webster Hawthorne arrived in New York City in 1894 at the age of 22 and enrolled in the Art Students League as a night student while working days to support his dream of becoming a painter. Hawthorne began studying under Chase in 1896 and experienced out-of-doors painting classes at Chase's summer school at Shinnecock that same year.    Hawthorne's fascination at the beauty of his Cape Cod surroundings was influential in his early works, but more importantly the area increased his desire to paint the people who worked and fished in the area. The study of the figure, reflected in the harsh, brutal realistic paintings of Portuguese fishing families along the Cape, was his first love. In his figures, he was noted for the placement of the head and the gaze emanating from his subjects.    The Cape Cod School of Art was the first outdoor summer school for figure painting and grew into one of the nation's leading art schools. Under thirty years of Hawthorne's guidance, the school attracted some of the most talented art instructors and students in the country including John Noble, Richard Miller, and Max Bohm. At his school, Hawthorne gave weekly criticisms and instructive talks, guiding his pupils and setting up ideals but never imposing his own technique or method. "Have as much fun as you can and don't feel that the edge of your canvas confines you - let your vision go right on."         - C. Hawthorne           (1872 - 1930)

American Impressionism

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