John White Alexander

Identity:

John White Alexander was a portrait painter, illustrator and decorator.

Life:

Alexander began his career in New York in 1875 as a political cartoonist and illustrator for Harper's Weekly. In 1877, he left for Europe to further his art education. From Paris he travelled to Munich where he enrolled at the Kunstakademie under Gyuala Benczur.

In 1878 he joined a colony of American painters established by Frank Duveneck in Polling, Bavaria. In 1880 the 'Duveneck boys', a group which also included Otto Henry Bacher, Robert Frederick Blum, Charles Abel Corwin, George Edward Hopkins, Harper Pennington, Julius Rolshoven and Theodore M. Wendel, travelled to Italy where they formed friendships with Whistler and Henry James. The young painters were in awe of Whistler's experience and reputation. Whistler, who enjoyed their admiration, happily discussed his work and gave advice to the students. He even moved in with the group at the Casa Jankowitz on the Riva San Biagio in Castello, and would frequently sketch from its windows.

Following his return to New York in 1881, Alexander's paintings showed the impact that Whistler's work had made on him with their limited palette and evocative mood, e.g. Walt Whitman (1886-89; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).

Alexander became an extremely successful society portrait painter. Many of his later portraits showed an interest in Symbolist ideas with their vague, abstracted shapes and strong lighting.

In 1900 Whistler's Scottish patron John James Cowan, who had commissioned a portrait from Whistler in 1893, Arrangement in Grey and Green: Portrait of J. J. Cowan y402, but despaired of ever receiving it, commissioned Alexander to paint his four daughters and a portrait of himself. Whistler was in correspondence with Alexander from 1897-99.

Bibliography:

Monrey, G., 'An American Painter in Paris: John W. Alexander', International Studio, vol. 11, 1900, pp. 71-77; American Magazine of Art, vol. 7, 1916; Catalogue of Paintings: John White Alexander Memorial Exhibition, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, 1916; Goley, M., John White Alexander (1856-1915), Washington, 1976: Leff, S., John White Alexander (1856-1915): Fin-de-siecle American, exhibition catalogue, Graham Gallery, New York, 1980; Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer, and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980 ; MacDonald, Margaret F., James McNeill Whistler. Drawings, Pastels and Watercolours. A Catalogue Raisonné, New Haven and London, 1995 ; MacDonald, Margaret F., Palaces in the Night: Whistler in Venice, London, 2001; Moore, Sarah J. , John White Alexander and the Construction of National Identity, University of Delaware Press, 2003.

Eleanor Jones Harvey, 'John White Alexander', The Grove Dictionary of Art Online, ed. L. Macy.

'John White Aexander', Wikipedia.