John Hemming Fry, 'The Fates'. Oil Painting on Canvas. Provenance: Canton Art Institute
John Hemming Fry (American, 1860-1946) 'The Fates'. Oil painting on canvas in giltwood tabernacle frame. Provenance: Canton Art Institute, Canton, Ohio. Bearing various labels and notes to verso. Written on moulding, 'donated by J.H Fry'. Please refer to photos. This painting was exhibited at Knoedler & Co., in February of 1916 at their Exhibition of Feminine Themes from Classic Myths by John Hemming Fry. https://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15324coll8/id/7122/

Fry created epic imagery in a dreamscape romanticized style, borrowing from classical greek, roman and celtic folklore and imagery. The painting depicts the three fates, clotho, lachesis and atropos, the three greek/roman goddesses who presided over the course of mankind, with every person's destiny symbolically represented as a thread spun, measured, and cut by the three fates.

Prior to the artists' studies in paris, he meets his wife, the artist Georgina Timken Fry at the st. louis school of art and they both travel to paris, where the influence of the academicians of the ecole des beaux arts helped to form his aesthetic principles that he carried throughout his life and work. In paris he studied under Gustave Boulanger, Jules Lefebvre, Fernand Cormond, and Benjamin-Constant. Upon returning to the us he returns to teaching at saint louis school of fine arts, 1887-1892, serving on the jury of painting for the chicago exposition, 1893. His work is shown at the st. louis expo in 1898; the art institute of chicago, 1903-05; and the pennsylvania academy of fine arts in 1922.

In 1916, the Frys, along with painter Lawton S. Parker, founded Rodin Studios, a cooperative apartment building in new york city intended to provide housing and studio space for artists. The building, designed by Cass Gilbert, opened the next year, with the Frys occupying a large apartment on the top floor. He later publishes 'The Revolt Against Beauty: The Source and Genesis of Modernistic Art', as a critique of modern art in 1934. Select awards/honors include the chevalier legion of honor, 1928, officer, 1932; commander of the crown of italy, 1933; The painting 'Ode to Sappho', is awarded honorable mention at the paris salon, 1931. Elected corresponding member section of fine arts, institute of france, 1933.
Canvas - 30 3/8" high x 20 1/8" wide Framed - 40" high x 29 1/2" wide.

Relined. Areas of in-painting. Frame: Overall good, with wear and losses commensurate to age.