Frank Mathewson (1862-1941). "Landscape with Bridge", 1902. Watercolor on paper. Initialed 'FCM' and dated, lower left. Dimensions: 4 1/2" x 6 3/4". Housed in original frame: 10 1/2" x 12 3/4". In this present day, Frank Mathewson has become one of the most obscure artists of the early Providence Art Club. Upon reviewing his life story, one discovers a very talented, well trained and respected artist in his lifetime. He was listed by Weber in 1975 in the publication, "American Painters of the Impressionist Period Rediscovered". This charming landscape shows his mastery of watercolor medium and ability to capture the most charming landscapes wherever he traveled. Frank Mathewson's love for the arts was cultivated by his mother who was a painter and singer. It was only after a dismal failure in business that his career choice in art became clear. In 1888, with the financial support of his family, he began seriously studying art. He began his study in the evening class at the Rhode Island School of Design. He then attended the Lowell School of Practical Design, the National School of Decorative Art and the Ecole De Beaux Arts in Paris under Paul Laurens. Mathewson painted in watercolors and oils. Both were dominated by his love for color and he continuously demonstrated in the steady succession of works in his lifetime that color meant more to him than anything else. The subjects which interested him most were landscapes and flowers. He painted them with sincerity and clarity of vision and it was a Providence Journal Art critic who identified in Mathewson's landscapes that "the chief element of his strength was a striking capacity for catching distance."Mathewson split his career between Providence and New York. He accumulated prizes and credentials which made him an important figure in the Rhode Island and New York art world. He won the Rhode Island School of Design Sullivan Prize in 1903 and the Providence Art Club's Member's Prize in 1933. He founded the South County Art Club and was a member of the New York Water Color Club, Chicago Water Color Club, North Shore Arts Association of Glocester, South County Art Association, Salmagundi Club, American Water Color Society, Providence Art Club and Internationale Societe D'Aquarellistes.

Good

10.5 x 12.75 in

2 lb