Charles Paul Gruppe (1860 - 1940) Canada
Watercolor on Paper
Measure 13 3/4"in H x 21"in W and 22 3/4"in H x 30"in W with frame

Known for: Marine, landscape, and genre painting
Biography: Landscape and marine painter Charles Paul Gruppe was born in Picton, Canada, September 3, 1860. Largely self-taught, Gruppe did study in Holland and a good portion of his work consists of Holland inspired scenes. He should not be confused with his son, artist Emile Gruppe, who painted many well-known New England scenes. When Gruppe was ten, he moved with his family to Rochester, New York, after the death of his father. Interested in painting from an early age, he spent much of his time sketching and creating watercolors and oils. To help support his mother and sisters, he worked in a sign-painting shop, soon mastering the craft. Eventually, at age twenty-one, he had earned enough money to travel steerage to Europe, where he traveled through France, Germany, and Holland, searching for a place to settle and practice his art. He was taken with Holland, perhaps attracted to its fishing villages with their picturesque boats and quaint houses, and decided to stay. He built a home and studio in the little fishing village of Katwyk Ann Zee and painted much of his European work in the vicinity of that town. Gruppe returned to America, becoming both a painter and dealer/broker in the art of Dutch painters, and popularizing Dutch art among American collectors and art connoisseurs. His son, Emile, who was to also become a well-known painter, was born at the family residence in Rochester in 1896. Soon thereafter the Gruppes moved back to Katwyk Ann/Zee, Holland, but in 1909, the family returned to the United States as the clouds of World War I gathered. They both continued to paint in the Cape Ann area for the rest of their lives. The elder Charles P. Gruppe died at age 80 in Rockport, Massachusetts, on September 30, 1940 at his studio where he had been established during the summers for 15 years. The remainder of each of those years, he had spent in New York City, where he was an active member of the Salmagundi Club. All four of his children were exposed to art and artists at tender ages, and eventually all established themselves in the arts: sculptor, Karl, was a member of the National Academy; musician, Paulo, is a cellist. Virginia was a watercolorist/art dealer who painted Rockport and Gloucester scenes and owned a gallery selling Gruppe and other paintings in Rochester, New York, where she lived until her death in the 1960s. Charles' son, Emile, was a highly regarded painter. Emile's son, Robert C. Gruppe is also an artist and operates a studio in Rocky Neck today; Paolo's son, Charles C. Gruppe, born 1928, became a painter in Connecticut. Work by this younger Charles Gruppe is often signed C. Gruppe, while work by the grandfather normally is signed Chas. P. Gruppe.

Any lots which remain on Coral Gables Auction premises longer than 30 business days following the sale will incur a charge for storage and handling of $5.00 per day for each lot. All paid items left after 3 months will be considered abandoned property and properly disposed of

Important Message Regarding Payments : All invoices that exceed the amount of $ 2000 including the buyer premium, must make the payment through check or wire transfer, if we receive the payment through the platform, the money will be reimbursed automatically to your card

Coral Gables Auction strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder

Statements by Coral Gables Auction regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only And should Not be relied upon as statements of fact, and do Not constitute a representation, warranty, Or assumption of liability by Coral Gables Auction

All lots offered are sold "As Is"

For condition report please contact our auction house via email info.coralgablesauction@yahoo.com