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for Henry George Keller
1869 - 1949
Keller was born off Nova Scotia as his parents were emigrating from Klingenmunster in the Rhenish Palatinate to Cleveland. Keller grew up on a farm, and his early interest in animals, especially horses, was reflected in numerous drawings from that period. He began his artistic training in Cleveland in 1887, but the following year, in search of wider artistic horizons, set off for New York with a friend, travelling by freight train paid for by earning money working the barges of the Erie Canal.
Keller visited the New York museums and entered the artistic life of the city. Meeting W.M. Chase sketching in Central Park, the two became friendly, and Chase showed him his studio and advised him to study in Germany. In 1890 Keller set off for Europe where he visited Rotterdam, Cologne and Mainz, studied animal painting with Hermann Baisch at Karlsruhe, and in Munich with Heinrich Johann von Zugel.
Keller returned to Cleveland the following year where he apprenticed himself to the W.J. Morgan Lithograph Company. Always eager for travel and new influences, Keller studied at Cincinnati, in New York at the Art Students League where he associated with such artists as Kuhn, Davies, Meyers and Luks; and in 1899 returned to Munich where he continued his study with Zugel, spent two summers in Venice and won a silver medal at the 1902 Munich Academy exhibition.
By 1902 Keller was back in Cleveland, teaching part-time at the Cleveland Institute and part-time at the Art Institute at Pittsburg. In 1908 he resigned his teaching post at Pittsburg to work full-time at Cleveland where he remained until his retirement in 1945.
Keller's first major recognition in Cleveland came at the first exhibition of Work by Cleveland Artists and Craftsman(SP?) held at the Celeveland Museum when he was awarded a Specialized Prize for Maintained Excellence for the 14 pieces he exhibited there.
A painting trip Keller made to New Mexico and Taos in 1920 gave him a taste for Spanish subjects which led him to go to Spain (1922-23) where he worked in Madrid and Malaga. Then followed painting trips to Texas (1925), San Diego (summer 1925), Puerto Rico (1926), the Pacific Northwest to paint birds (1927), the Alps (1928), Canada (1929), and southern California (summers 1934-36).
Keller exhibited at the Albright Gallery, Buffalo (1926), at Kraushaar's, New York (1936, 1944), and received a Fortune Magazine commission in 1938. In 1948, upon the death of his wife, he moved to San Diego to live with his son.
Keller's art began with an interest in animals, and was buttressed by a strong training in drawing. While stylistically he began as an impressionist, which included experiments in the psychology of color vision with Dr. J.J.R. Maclead of Western Reserve University, he ultimately came to be concerned with design and rhythm and the work of Cezanne. While his landscapes were studies of pattern and rhythm, especially his works combining the beach, sea, and rock formations with animals and humans in fully defined settings. Keller was also a printmaker and often depicted people in folk settings, especially the circus.
Keller's most important student was Charles Burchfield. Keller was very active civically in the rebuilding of the museum in cleveland. Keller was proposed to the NAD by Arthur Covey.
Keller visited the New York museums and entered the artistic life of the city. Meeting W.M. Chase sketching in Central Park, the two became friendly, and Chase showed him his studio and advised him to study in Germany. In 1890 Keller set off for Europe where he visited Rotterdam, Cologne and Mainz, studied animal painting with Hermann Baisch at Karlsruhe, and in Munich with Heinrich Johann von Zugel.
Keller returned to Cleveland the following year where he apprenticed himself to the W.J. Morgan Lithograph Company. Always eager for travel and new influences, Keller studied at Cincinnati, in New York at the Art Students League where he associated with such artists as Kuhn, Davies, Meyers and Luks; and in 1899 returned to Munich where he continued his study with Zugel, spent two summers in Venice and won a silver medal at the 1902 Munich Academy exhibition.
By 1902 Keller was back in Cleveland, teaching part-time at the Cleveland Institute and part-time at the Art Institute at Pittsburg. In 1908 he resigned his teaching post at Pittsburg to work full-time at Cleveland where he remained until his retirement in 1945.
Keller's first major recognition in Cleveland came at the first exhibition of Work by Cleveland Artists and Craftsman(SP?) held at the Celeveland Museum when he was awarded a Specialized Prize for Maintained Excellence for the 14 pieces he exhibited there.
A painting trip Keller made to New Mexico and Taos in 1920 gave him a taste for Spanish subjects which led him to go to Spain (1922-23) where he worked in Madrid and Malaga. Then followed painting trips to Texas (1925), San Diego (summer 1925), Puerto Rico (1926), the Pacific Northwest to paint birds (1927), the Alps (1928), Canada (1929), and southern California (summers 1934-36).
Keller exhibited at the Albright Gallery, Buffalo (1926), at Kraushaar's, New York (1936, 1944), and received a Fortune Magazine commission in 1938. In 1948, upon the death of his wife, he moved to San Diego to live with his son.
Keller's art began with an interest in animals, and was buttressed by a strong training in drawing. While stylistically he began as an impressionist, which included experiments in the psychology of color vision with Dr. J.J.R. Maclead of Western Reserve University, he ultimately came to be concerned with design and rhythm and the work of Cezanne. While his landscapes were studies of pattern and rhythm, especially his works combining the beach, sea, and rock formations with animals and humans in fully defined settings. Keller was also a printmaker and often depicted people in folk settings, especially the circus.
Keller's most important student was Charles Burchfield. Keller was very active civically in the rebuilding of the museum in cleveland. Keller was proposed to the NAD by Arthur Covey.
