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for William Fair Kline
1870 - 1931
The son of a traveling railroad engineer, Kline spent his childhood in various southern cities. His mother, an amateur artist, no doubt encouraged the sketching that Kline took up as a boy. His first professional instruction was with Hal Morrison in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kline moved to New York around 1887 and looked into classes at the Art Students League. Put off by what he later called "that wild crowd" (AAA 503, fr. 669), he switched to the National Academy where he attended the antique and life classes from 1887 to 1890, and the painting class, 1888-90. He excelled at the Academy school, winning a $50 prize in 1889, and both a $100 prize and a $500 traveling scholarship in 1890. In 1891, after spending nearly a year in Mexico with his family and developing an interest in Pre-Columbian art, he took his scholarship money and sailed to Paris. There he studied at the Académie Julian under William Adolphe Bouguereau and Benjamin Constant. Will H. Low, in residence outside of Paris, hired Kline as his assistant, and he continued to aid Low when they returned to the United States in 1892.
Kline went to Chicago in 1893 to assist Francis D. Millet with his work on the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building for the World's Columbian Exposition. He enjoyed his work enlarging the designs of Millet, but returned to New York to study under John La Farge and to compete for the Lazarus Traveling Scholarship, given under the auspices of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He won the 1894 competition and with its $1,200 stipend once again went to Europe. This time he studied at the Académie Colarossi, with his vacations spent in Italy, and at Barbizon, and Chartres in France; in Chartres he was with Bryson Burroughs.
Returning to New York in 1897, Kline did illustration work and designs for the Tiffany Glass Company. His paintings received some attention at the Academy, particularly when he won the Clarke Prize in 1901 and a Hallgarten Prize in 1903. Although he was known for his murals, stained glass designs, and paintings with Aztec and Mayan themes, Kline failed to sustain his early promise of achievement. For the most part he lived a quiet and unremarkable life in the Sherwood Studio Building. Later in life he moved to Alabama to be with relatives.
Kline moved to New York around 1887 and looked into classes at the Art Students League. Put off by what he later called "that wild crowd" (AAA 503, fr. 669), he switched to the National Academy where he attended the antique and life classes from 1887 to 1890, and the painting class, 1888-90. He excelled at the Academy school, winning a $50 prize in 1889, and both a $100 prize and a $500 traveling scholarship in 1890. In 1891, after spending nearly a year in Mexico with his family and developing an interest in Pre-Columbian art, he took his scholarship money and sailed to Paris. There he studied at the Académie Julian under William Adolphe Bouguereau and Benjamin Constant. Will H. Low, in residence outside of Paris, hired Kline as his assistant, and he continued to aid Low when they returned to the United States in 1892.
Kline went to Chicago in 1893 to assist Francis D. Millet with his work on the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building for the World's Columbian Exposition. He enjoyed his work enlarging the designs of Millet, but returned to New York to study under John La Farge and to compete for the Lazarus Traveling Scholarship, given under the auspices of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He won the 1894 competition and with its $1,200 stipend once again went to Europe. This time he studied at the Académie Colarossi, with his vacations spent in Italy, and at Barbizon, and Chartres in France; in Chartres he was with Bryson Burroughs.
Returning to New York in 1897, Kline did illustration work and designs for the Tiffany Glass Company. His paintings received some attention at the Academy, particularly when he won the Clarke Prize in 1901 and a Hallgarten Prize in 1903. Although he was known for his murals, stained glass designs, and paintings with Aztec and Mayan themes, Kline failed to sustain his early promise of achievement. For the most part he lived a quiet and unremarkable life in the Sherwood Studio Building. Later in life he moved to Alabama to be with relatives.
