Jean Leon Gerome Ferris | |
|---|---|
 The First Thanksgiving 1621 | |
| Born | (1863-08-08)August 8, 1863 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 1930(1930-03-18) (aged 66) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
| Known for | Painting |
Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (August 8, 1863 – March 18, 1930[1]) was an Americanpainter best known for his series of 78 scenes fromAmerican history, entitledThe Pageant of a Nation, the largest series of American historical paintings by a single artist.[2]
Born inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, Ferris was the son of Stephen James Ferris (1835-1915) : a portrait painter who was a devotee ofJean-Léon Gérôme (his teacher after whom he was named), and also an admirer ofMariano Fortuny.[3] He grew up around art; he was trained by his father[2] and his unclesEdward Moran andThomas Moran were both acclaimed painters.[4]
Ferris enrolled in thePennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1879 and trained further at theAcadémie Julian beginning in 1883 underWilliam-Adolphe Bouguereau.[2] He also met his namesakeJean-Léon Gérôme, who greatly influenced his decision to paint scenes from American history. Ferris wrote, "[Gérôme's] axiom was that one would paint best that with which he is most familiar".[4]
His early subjects wereOrientalist in nature since that movement was in vogue when he was young. In 1882, he exhibited a painting entitledFeeding the Ibis which was valued at $600.[5] By 1895, he had gained a reputation as a historical painter, and he embarked on his dream of creating a series of paintings that told a historical narrative.[citation needed]
In 1898, he soldGeneral Howe's Levee, 1777, but he later realized that such a series could not be complete if the separate paintings could not be kept together. Consequently, he never sold another, but he did sell the reproduction rights to various publishing companies. This had the effect of greatly popularizing his work, as these companies made prints, postcards, calendars, and blank-backed trade cards to use in advertisements. Laminated cards of these works were still being sold as late as 1984.[2]
Ferris married Annette Amelia Ryder in 1894, and the couple had a daughter named Elizabeth Mary.[6] He died inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania in 1930 at age 66.
The paintings showed idealized portrayals of famous moments fromAmerican history. The complete series was shown atCongress Hall in Philadelphia from 1913 to 1930. In later years, it was shown in a number of locations, including theSmithsonian Institution, before being returned to the Ferris family.[5] His works were widely popular for many years, but modern critics are far less generous in their praise.
TheAmerican Philosophical Society claims that his historical paintings confuse "verity withverisimilitude",[7] and art historian Gerald Ackerman describes them as "splendid in the accuracy of accessories, clothing and especially in the details of land conveyances and ships", but "extremely dry in execution and rather monotonous in composition."[5]
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