Christopher High Shearer (1846–1926) was a prolific American painter inBerks County, Pennsylvania, known primarily for his largelandscape paintings. Christopher Shearer was born May 18, 1846, inReading, Pennsylvania to Christopher and Catherine Shearer. As a boy, Shearer spent time in thestudios ofartistsFrancis Daniel Devlan andJohn Heyl Raser. At age 18, Christopher showed an interest in painting professionally, and became a student of both Devlan and Raser. His father helped him by building him a studio in the backyard of his farm in Shearertown (present dayMuhlenberg Township). At the age of 21, Shearer opened his own studio in Reading and was very successful in selling his works locally. By age 27 Shearer was nationally recognized artist.
He later traveled to Europe, abandoning his wifeSallie Shearer and their sons, and studied inDüsseldorf andMunich. Shearer exhibited his works at thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and at an art exhibition celebrating theUnited StatesCentennial in 1876. In 1878, on a return trip toGermany, he was awarded a Gold Medal by theDüsseldorf School of Art.[1] He also exhibited many of his works in a studio he opened in Reading in 1883.
Shearer was a teacher as well as an artist. He held many art classes in his Reading studio to encourage the development of art in Berks County and elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Shearer was instrumental in the founding of theReading Public Museum.[2] As a friend of Dr.Levi Mengel (the founder of the museum), Shearer was appointed the museum's chief artcurator until his death. He also enjoyed collectingbutterflies,moths andbugs and kept detailed records and drawings of theseinsects. Shearer died in Reading in 1926.
Many of his works now hang in the Reading Museum or private collections. His paintings are part of several collections, including ones in Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United States.
