133:
492:
439:
458:
477:
376:
used this wealth to expand his estate on School Street in Dedham and to establish his studio there. This was the site where he did most of his paintings from the 1850s until his death. He continued to complete portraits as a source of income but his main love was for landscapes and marine scenes. Throughout his career he marketed his works in a variety of ways: he organized auctions to dispose of surplus stock, encouraged clients to buy on installment plans, and placed works on consignment as far away as
Mississippi. Mabel Munson Swan states in her article
160:
389:
38:
156:, Herman Warner Williams, Jr., wrote, "As our first native-born painter to specialize in genre subjects and to engage a wide audience for them, Alvan Fisher is entitled to more than the slight notice that has been given him ... Only the canny Alvan Fisher was successful in turning a profit from the new themes in his paintings."
247:
In April, 1825, Fisher sailed for a tour of the great art centers of Europe. He was the first important
American landscapist to make such a tour. He visited England, France, Italy and Switzerland, countries considered important for any artist's professional stature and artistic maturation. In London
375:
in Boston to a house in Dedham near where he had lived as a youth. He had accumulated significant wealth from his artistry and also from his business acumen. He and his brothers had invested in land in Maine and he had also accumulated stocks in textile mills, in copper mines and in railroads. He
222:
for wide distribution to the public. The images of
Harvard Yard were later reproduced on Stafforshire transfer-printed earthenware produced by several English companies for the American market. He was commissioned by Charles Henry Hall, owner of the Harlem Stud Farm in New York, to paint portraits
347:
wrote, "Fisher has contributed a number of his best compositions, comprising landscapes with groups of figures, barn-yard and cattle scenes, and portraits of children. We cannot ... write a critical notice of such productions, but for variety of style, elegance of design, harmony and richness of
151:
in Boston. During his first ten years as a painter, he set the tone of his entire career. He traveled extensively painting landscapes, rural scenes, portraits of animals, and portraits of people. The growing popularity of landscape and genre painting coincided with the growing population of the
352:
illustrations was perhaps the most important factor contributing to his growing popularity. These "gift books" were elegantly decorated and made small so as to fit comfortably in the hand. Engravings of his original paintings were used to illustrate widely circulated
American annuals such as
285:
stones in France by the noted lithographer
Isadore Deroy, and brought back for printing on one of the first lithographic presses used in the United States. Portfolios of these prints were sold as souvenirs building on the popularity of General Lafayette.
280:
in 1824 when
Lafayette stopped at Dedham during his triumphal tour of the United States. Fisher was granted permission to complete paintings of Chateau La Grange, Lafayette's estate outside Paris. His four views of La Grange were then drawn on
326:
where he exhibited forty-three paintings of a variety of subjects—landscapes, genre scenes, portraits, and paintings of marine scenes. This gave the public a unique opportunity to appreciate the breadth of his artistic talent. In 1837, The
112:, around 1805 where he worked as a clerk in his brother's store. After that, he always called Dedham his home. At the age of eighteen, he determined, with the support of his family, to become a painter and began an apprenticeship with
348:
coloring, and interesting choice of subjects, Fisher has no superior on this side of the
Atlantic." His collection of works received the MCMA's gold medal. During this period, the frequent publication of his pictures as
174:
Fisher traveled throughout the northeastern United States searching out sites of landscape beauty such as the views of
Springfield, Hartford, and Providence and the spectacular scenery of the
380:
magazine, August, 1955, "In one of three notebooks ... is a checklist he made of more than one thousand of his paintings, with the names of the purchasers, dates of sale, and prices paid..."
438:
457:
152:
United States and an economically improved middle class. This was the age of democracy and people wanted art that depicted their own contemporary life. In his book,
491:
214:, were completed following his visit there in 1820. His interest in depicting topographical subjects was activated when he obtained a commission to paint views of
335:
was the first president of the association.) Unlike any previous exhibition in Boston, it appealed to a broad segment of the public who filled the galleries of
531:
328:
132:
750:
730:
298:
in Boston where he is said to have been the first landscapist to hang out a professional sign in Boston. His friend, the landscapist
476:
760:
755:
314:
for $ 350, then the highest price he had realized for a painting. During the early months of 1834, he joined with Thomas
Doughty,
735:
666:
277:
268:
who was there to study the effects of smallpox inoculations. (Dr. Fisher is noted for his work on smallpox and was a founder of
577:
467:
671:
745:
720:
561:
276:.) Also while in Paris, Alvan Fisher undertook a project similar to his views of Harvard College. He had evidently met
647:
Robert C. Vose, Jr., "Alvan Fisher 1792-1863: American
Pioneer in Landscape and Genre," Connecticut Historical Society
372:
199:
521:"In the Presence of Beauty: Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Paintings." exh. cat. New York: Hawthorne Fine Art.
124:. There he learned portrait painting while assisting Penniman in decorating carriages and painting commercial signs.
404:. Perhaps the greatest recognition of his skill as a landscape artist came one hundred years later when First Lady
740:
448:
432:
painting of the same title, hangs in the Dedham Town Hall, a testimonial to the town's most illustrious painter.
355:
167:
538:
725:
323:
269:
365:
319:
303:
295:
294:
After his return from Europe in the fall of 1826, Fisher's mature career began. He opened a studio on
248:
he visited private collections and was inspired by the composition and subject matter of landscapes by
689:
223:
of the famous American race horses of the period. He completed at least six portraits of the renowned
619:
Fred B. Adelson, "Home on La Grange: Alvan Fisher's lithographs of Lafayette's residence in France,"
421:
315:
108:, the fourth of Aaron and Lucy (Stedman) Fisher's six sons. He moved with members of his family to
413:
273:
424:
has a collection of his paintings, sketches and biographical material. His largest oil painting,
178:
of New Hampshire. He sketched outdoors and began to compose pastoral scenes in his studio before
364:. He typified the artist who appealed to the gift book audience. Prominent engraver from Boston
299:
183:
96:(August 9, 1792 – February 13, 1863) was an American landscape and genre painter.
683:
265:
105:
61:
397:
207:
117:
109:
715:
710:
401:
211:
8:
676:
191:
147:
In 1815, at the age of twenty-two, he began his professional career, opening a studio on
113:
405:
175:
307:
202:, Harvard, Massachusetts, is his earliest extant pure landscape. His paintings of
371:
In 1840, Fisher and his wife, Lydia (Ellis) Fisher, moved from their townhouse on
261:
215:
187:
141:
498:
429:
249:
121:
704:
340:
203:
148:
85:
336:
236:
154:
Mirror to the American Past: A Survey of American Genre Painting, 1750-1900
20:
159:
417:
388:
332:
282:
253:
179:
661:
228:
682:
349:
219:
218:. These paintings were executed expressly for the purpose of issuing
37:
612:
Fred B. Adelson, "Alvan Fisher in Maine: His Early Coastal Scenes,"
565:
The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year
302:
had his studio a few blocks away. In 1827, he was elected into the
662:"Seeking the Realization of a Dream": The Paintings of Alvan Fisher
322:
and other local contributors in opening the Artists' Exhibition at
640:
Mabel Munson Swan, "The unpublished notebooks of Alvan Fisher,"
607:
Alvan Fisher (1792–1863): Pioneer in American Landscape Painting
257:
252:. In Paris he studied drawing and made copies of works by the
235:, the first magazine attempting to improve the breeding of
310:
began to purchase paintings for exhibition and bought his
260:. While in Paris, he was joined by his younger brother,
378:
The Unpublished Notebooks of Alvan Fisher, Antiques
626:Fred B. Adelson, "The Paintings of Alvan Fisher,"
368:was commissioned to make many of his engravings.
312:Composition from Scenery in the State of New York
702:
400:on February 13, 1863, and is buried in Dedham's
667:Fruitlands Museum search on "Artist" = "Fisher"
231:prints made from these paintings were used in
329:Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association
633:Alan Burrows, "A Letter from Alvan Fisher,"
343:to see the exhibits. A critic in the Boston
138:View of Springfield on the Connecticut River
698:Many of these links talk about his Images.
609:, (Ph.D. diss., Columbia University, 1982)
392:Fisher's headstone in Old Village Cemetery
583:. Dedham Village Preservation Association
306:as an Honorary Academician. In 1828, the
120:, along with other young artists such as
387:
158:
131:
703:
630:, vol. XIII, no. 4 (July–August, 2001)
468:Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
331:(MCMA) held an arts and crafts fair. (
164:A General View of the Falls of Niagara
136:Alvan Fisher (American, 1792–1863).
570:
13:
751:19th-century American male artists
731:Artists from Dedham, Massachusetts
599:
358:, The Garland, The Jewel, The Lily
194:gave serious attention to nature.
14:
772:
672:View of Springfield Massachusetts
655:
651:, vol. 27, no. 4 (October, 1962)
567:Gray And Bowen Boston 1833: p. 1
490:
475:
456:
437:
426:Washington at Dorchester Heights
36:
761:Burials at Old Village Cemetery
756:People from Beacon Hill, Boston
644:, vol. 68, no. 2 (August, 1955)
616:, vol. 18, no. 3 (Summer, 1986)
449:Rhode Island Historical Society
445:Providence from Across the Cove
168:Smithsonian American Art Museum
736:19th-century American painters
555:
524:
515:
289:
99:
1:
637:, vol. 32, no. 3 (July, 1944)
428:, a nine-by-six foot copy of
242:
746:Hudson River School painters
483:La Grange North-Western-View
270:Perkins School for the Blind
7:
721:American landscape painters
501:, Pond and Adjacent Scenery
198:, now in the collection of
10:
777:
304:National Academy of Design
233:The American Turf Register
18:
422:Dedham Historical Society
383:
127:
81:
69:
47:
35:
28:
677:Alvan Fisher's Paintings
614:The American Art Journal
508:
410:The Remnant of the Tribe
345:Saturday Evening Gazette
274:Watertown, Massachusetts
206:, commissioned by Judge
196:The Watering Place, 1816
42:Alvan Fisher (1792–1863)
19:Not to be confused with
690:The American Cyclopædia
623:, vol. 134 (July, 1988)
464:Eclipse with Race Track
227:between 1822 and 1823.
140:, 1819. Oil on canvas.
741:American male painters
393:
266:Harvard Medical School
171:
144:
106:Needham, Massachusetts
62:Needham, Massachusetts
684:"Fisher, Alvan"
398:Dedham, Massachusetts
391:
208:Daniel Appleton White
162:
135:
118:Boston, Massachusetts
110:Dedham, Massachusetts
726:Painters from Boston
408:chose his painting,
402:Old Village Cemetery
212:Salem, Massachusetts
628:American Art Review
532:"Farnsworth Museum"
239:horses in America.
192:Hudson River School
190:, or others of the
114:John Ritto Penniman
406:Jacqueline Kennedy
394:
172:
145:
605:Fred B. Adelson,
578:"List of burials"
412:, to hang in the
324:Harding's Gallery
320:Francis Alexander
296:Washington Street
278:General Lafayette
200:Fruitlands Museum
91:
90:
73:February 13, 1863
768:
694:
686:
593:
592:
590:
588:
582:
574:
568:
562:"S. G. Goodrich"
559:
553:
552:
550:
549:
543:
537:. Archived from
536:
528:
522:
519:
494:
479:
460:
441:
430:Gilbert Stuart's
366:Edward Gallaudet
308:Boston Athenaeum
264:, a graduate of
225:American Eclipse
76:
57:
55:
40:
26:
25:
16:American painter
776:
775:
771:
770:
769:
767:
766:
765:
701:
700:
681:
658:
602:
600:Further reading
597:
596:
586:
584:
580:
576:
575:
571:
560:
556:
547:
545:
541:
534:
530:
529:
525:
520:
516:
511:
504:
495:
486:
480:
471:
461:
452:
442:
386:
316:Chester Harding
292:
262:John Dix Fisher
245:
216:Harvard College
188:Asher B. Durand
176:White Mountains
142:Brooklyn Museum
130:
104:He was born in
102:
74:
65:
59:
53:
51:
43:
31:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
774:
764:
763:
758:
753:
748:
743:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
696:
695:
679:
674:
669:
664:
657:
656:External links
654:
653:
652:
645:
638:
635:Art in America
631:
624:
617:
610:
601:
598:
595:
594:
569:
554:
523:
513:
512:
510:
507:
506:
505:
496:
489:
487:
481:
474:
472:
462:
455:
453:
443:
436:
385:
382:
300:Thomas Doughty
291:
288:
250:Claude Lorrain
244:
241:
184:Thomas Doughty
129:
126:
122:Charles Codman
101:
98:
89:
88:
83:
82:Known for
79:
78:
77:(aged 70)
71:
67:
66:
60:
58:August 9, 1792
49:
45:
44:
41:
33:
32:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
773:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
708:
706:
699:
692:
691:
685:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
659:
650:
646:
643:
639:
636:
632:
629:
625:
622:
618:
615:
611:
608:
604:
603:
587:September 30,
579:
573:
566:
563:
558:
544:on 2018-12-16
540:
533:
527:
518:
514:
502:
500:
499:Chocorua Peak
493:
488:
484:
478:
473:
469:
465:
459:
454:
450:
446:
440:
435:
434:
433:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
390:
381:
379:
374:
369:
367:
363:
359:
357:
351:
346:
342:
338:
334:
330:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
287:
284:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
240:
238:
234:
230:
226:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
204:Niagara Falls
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
169:
165:
161:
157:
155:
150:
149:School Street
143:
139:
134:
125:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
97:
95:
87:
86:Landscape art
84:
80:
72:
68:
63:
50:
46:
39:
34:
27:
22:
697:
688:
648:
641:
634:
627:
620:
613:
606:
585:. Retrieved
572:
564:
557:
546:. Retrieved
539:the original
526:
517:
497:
482:
463:
444:
425:
409:
395:
377:
370:
362:The Magnolia
361:
354:
344:
341:Quincy Halls
311:
293:
283:lithographic
246:
237:thoroughbred
232:
224:
195:
173:
163:
153:
146:
137:
103:
94:Alvan Fisher
93:
92:
75:(1863-02-13)
30:Alvan Fisher
21:Alvin Fisher
716:1863 deaths
711:1792 births
418:White House
396:He died at
373:Beacon Hill
333:Paul Revere
290:Later years
254:Old Masters
180:Thomas Cole
100:Early years
705:Categories
548:2007-07-27
414:Green Room
243:Grand tour
229:Lithograph
220:engravings
54:1792-08-09
356:The Token
350:gift book
649:Bulletin
642:Antiques
621:Antiques
485:(1826).
466:(1823),
447:(1818),
166:(1820),
693:. 1879.
503:(1860).
420:. The
416:of the
337:Faneuil
256:at the
384:Legacy
360:, and
258:Louvre
128:Career
64:, U.S.
581:(PDF)
542:(PDF)
535:(PDF)
509:Notes
589:2019
339:and
70:Died
48:Born
272:in
210:of
116:in
707::
687:.
318:,
186:,
182:,
591:.
551:.
470:.
451:.
170:.
56:)
52:(
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
