American, 1879 - 1956
Beal studied at the Art Students League under George Bridgman and Frank Vincent DuMond from 1891 to 1892. However, his longest student association, lasting from 1891 to 1900, was with William Merritt Chase, both at his New York and Shinnecock, Long Island schools. In the later 1890s, he also worked with Henry Ward Ranger. During winters in this period Beal was commuting to his art classes from Princeton, New Jersey, where he attended the university, graduating in 1900.
Beal traveled widely in the early decades of the century, especially to the Caribbean islands and Central America. Notwithstanding these travels, he is remembered for his depictions of the city of New York, circus subjects, and scenes of coastal New England. He divided his time between the city, and summer trips to the northeast: In 1920, he summered in Maine; he lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for the year 1921-22; in 1923, he spent the first of many summers in Rockport, Massachusetts.
Beal was president of the Art Students League in 1916, 1918, and from 1920 to 1930. He also maintained a long association with the Academy, exhibiting first in 1901, and regularly thereafter. His prizes received in Academy exhibitions are exceptionally numerous: a Hallgarten, 1910; Clarke, 1913; Altman, in the winter exhibitions of 1919 and 1930; Carnegie, winter exhibition, 1932; Saltus medal, 1948; Morse, 1954; and Palmer, 1955. He served on the Council from 1934 to 1936, and was an instructor in the Academy school's life class from 1934 to 1939, and 1943 to 1947. In 1943, under a commission supported by the Academy's Edwin A. Abbey Mural Fund, Beal executed a mural for the Engineering Building of Princeton University.
Beal traveled widely in the early decades of the century, especially to the Caribbean islands and Central America. Notwithstanding these travels, he is remembered for his depictions of the city of New York, circus subjects, and scenes of coastal New England. He divided his time between the city, and summer trips to the northeast: In 1920, he summered in Maine; he lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for the year 1921-22; in 1923, he spent the first of many summers in Rockport, Massachusetts.
Beal was president of the Art Students League in 1916, 1918, and from 1920 to 1930. He also maintained a long association with the Academy, exhibiting first in 1901, and regularly thereafter. His prizes received in Academy exhibitions are exceptionally numerous: a Hallgarten, 1910; Clarke, 1913; Altman, in the winter exhibitions of 1919 and 1930; Carnegie, winter exhibition, 1932; Saltus medal, 1948; Morse, 1954; and Palmer, 1955. He served on the Council from 1934 to 1936, and was an instructor in the Academy school's life class from 1934 to 1939, and 1943 to 1947. In 1943, under a commission supported by the Academy's Edwin A. Abbey Mural Fund, Beal executed a mural for the Engineering Building of Princeton University.
