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for Ernest David Roth
1879 - 1964
Roth was five years old when his family emigrated to the United States. He entered the Academy school in about 1898, and remained a student into 1904. His teachers at the Academy were Edgar W. Ward, George W. Maynard, and most notably, James Smillie, with whom he studied etching. While a student at the Academy, Roth had painted en plein air with the Country Sketch Group, headed up by Van Dearing Perrine, and exhibited with them in 1899 and 190l. Roth would continue to work as both painter and etcher through his career, but focused on etching after 1905 when he made his first trip abroad.
In 1906 he married Elizabth MacKenzie, who was also an artist. In London, on the way home from their European honeymoon, he purchased his first etching press, which he set up in his West l4th Street, New York, studio. He would often print other artist's plates, including those of John Sloan and John Marin. However, his own early etching work was done in Europe. Roth concentrated on producing series of detailed architectural views of picturesque towns and regions, among them series on: Venice, 1905, 1906, 1907, 19l3; Florence, 1906, 1907, 19l2-l3; Constantinople, 1908; Italian Hill Towns, 19l3; Italian Series, 19l4-l5); and French Series; 19l4-l5. In this early work he used a meticulous technique where he applied the acid to individual parts of the plate with a feather, rather than submerging the whole plate at once into an acid bath. In his later work, where he turned to the city of New York for subject matter, his technique and style loosened considerably. In 1938 Columbia University Press published a series of six etchings devoted to the University buildings. A similar series was executed for the University of Pennsylvania.
Roth won numerous awards--for both his paintings and etchings--the first being the Salmagundi Club's Shaw prize for etching in 1911. Exhibitions of his work were held at the Newark (New Jersey) Museum, 19l3; Keppel & Co., New York, 19l4 and regularly thereafter; the Albert Roullier Art Galleries, Chicago, 1923; New York's Salmagundi Club, 1926; the Arts Club of Washington, D. C., 1935; and the Grand Central Galleries, New York, 1938. In the summer of 1927 he arranged and hung the American section of the International Graphic Art Exposition held in Florence.
In December 1928, Roth presented as his Academician diploma work a portfolio of six etched views of Spanish and Italian views, dating from 1912 to 1927. He had been a member of the Academy school faculty for three years, beginning in 1916; from 1931 to 1934, and the year of 1946-47; and again taught in the school the spring term of 1952. In 1944 the Council passed a resolution, "in view of the fact that Ernest Roth was elected an Academician in the Graphic Arts Class in error," transferring him to membership in the painters classification. No explanation for this extraordinary action was recorded.
Roth retired to his home in Redding, Connecticut, where he had passed summers since its purchase in 1926.
In 1906 he married Elizabth MacKenzie, who was also an artist. In London, on the way home from their European honeymoon, he purchased his first etching press, which he set up in his West l4th Street, New York, studio. He would often print other artist's plates, including those of John Sloan and John Marin. However, his own early etching work was done in Europe. Roth concentrated on producing series of detailed architectural views of picturesque towns and regions, among them series on: Venice, 1905, 1906, 1907, 19l3; Florence, 1906, 1907, 19l2-l3; Constantinople, 1908; Italian Hill Towns, 19l3; Italian Series, 19l4-l5); and French Series; 19l4-l5. In this early work he used a meticulous technique where he applied the acid to individual parts of the plate with a feather, rather than submerging the whole plate at once into an acid bath. In his later work, where he turned to the city of New York for subject matter, his technique and style loosened considerably. In 1938 Columbia University Press published a series of six etchings devoted to the University buildings. A similar series was executed for the University of Pennsylvania.
Roth won numerous awards--for both his paintings and etchings--the first being the Salmagundi Club's Shaw prize for etching in 1911. Exhibitions of his work were held at the Newark (New Jersey) Museum, 19l3; Keppel & Co., New York, 19l4 and regularly thereafter; the Albert Roullier Art Galleries, Chicago, 1923; New York's Salmagundi Club, 1926; the Arts Club of Washington, D. C., 1935; and the Grand Central Galleries, New York, 1938. In the summer of 1927 he arranged and hung the American section of the International Graphic Art Exposition held in Florence.
In December 1928, Roth presented as his Academician diploma work a portfolio of six etched views of Spanish and Italian views, dating from 1912 to 1927. He had been a member of the Academy school faculty for three years, beginning in 1916; from 1931 to 1934, and the year of 1946-47; and again taught in the school the spring term of 1952. In 1944 the Council passed a resolution, "in view of the fact that Ernest Roth was elected an Academician in the Graphic Arts Class in error," transferring him to membership in the painters classification. No explanation for this extraordinary action was recorded.
Roth retired to his home in Redding, Connecticut, where he had passed summers since its purchase in 1926.
