Robert Bruce Crane

(American, 1857-1937)

Robert Bruce Crane was one of the leading landscape painters of the "American Barbizon." Beginning in 1876, he was painting on Long Island, the Catskills, and the Adirondacks. In 1882 he was at the colony at Grez-sur-Loing with Alexander and Birge Harrison and Kenyon Cox, and studying there with J.C. Cazin. He may have painted in Old Lyme as early as 1902, but most likely from 1904. His best known works such as his fall and winter scenes, convey a sense of weather and atmosphere. Crane is often referred to as a Tonal Impressionist. He died in 1937.

Studied

A.H. Wyant, c. 1877; ASL; Grez-sur-Loing, France, with J.C. Cazin, 1882.

Member

ANA, 1897; NA, 1901; SAA, 1881; AWCS; Artists fund Soc.; SC, 1888; Lotos Club; Union Internationale des Beaux-Arts et des Lettres; NAC

Exhibited

Brooklyn AA, 1876-84, 1891; PAFA, 1881-1926; Boston AC, 1881-1907; AIC; SAA, 1897 (Webb Prize); Paris Expo, 1900 (medal); NAD, 1876-1938 (1901, Inness gold medal; 1912, Saltus medal; 1919, prize); Pan-Am. Expo, Buffalo, 1901 (silver medal); Charleston Expo, 1902 (silver medal); St. Louis Expo, 1904 (gold medal); Corcoran Gal, 1907-35; CI, 1909 (prize); Pan-Pacific Expo, 1915 (medal); S. Indp.A., 1917; SC, 1917 (Shaw prize), 1933 (prize); Florence Griswold Mus., Old Lyme, CT 1984 (retrospective)

Work

MMA; NA; CI; NGA; Brooklyn Inst. Mus.; Montclair AM (NJ); Peabody Inst., Baltimore; CGA; Fort Worth AM; Hackley Art Gal., Muskegon, MI; Syracuse MFA; Mus., Oshkosh, WI; Univ. Nebraska, Lincoln; FA Club, Little Rock, AR; Akron (OH) AM; Richmond (IN) AA; Butler AI; Carnegie Public Library; Chrysler Mus., Norfolk, VA; Dallas MFA; Dayton (OH) AI; Flint (MI) IA; Heckscher Mus.; Henry AG, Seattle; Krannert AM (IL); Lang AG (CA); Rogers MA (MS); Lyman Allyn Mus. (CT); Florence Griswold Mus. (CT); Mead AM, Amherst, MA; Springfield MFA (MA); Nashville Parthenon (TN); Nassau Cnty Mus.; NJ State Mus.; Newark (NJ) Mus.; Phoenix AM; Reading (PA) Mus.; Univ of Vermont; Univ. Calif., Santa Barbara; Saginaw (MI) AM; Swope AG (IN); Tweed Mus., Duluth, MN; Virginia MFA; Wash. Countty (MD) MFA; Western College, Oxford, OH; Wheaton College, Norton, MA; Winterthur Mus.

Resources

WW38; exh. cat., Florence Griswold Mus., Old Lyme, CT 1984; Art in Conn.: The Impressionist Years