American

Ernest Lawson

U.S. 1873-1939
Aqueduct at Little Falls, New Jersey (formerly titled "Old Stone Bridge") 51.0914

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Most of Ernest Lawson's works focused on the rural landscapes of New York, scenes along the Harlem River, or the northern area of Manhattan Island. His paintings are heavily textured, like those of John Twachtman and J. Alden Weir, as he often used a palette knife or even his thumb to apply paint. Born in Nova Scotia, Lawson relocated to Mexico with his father, and worked as a drafting engineer. However, he soon decided upon an art career and left for New York. There he enrolled at the Art Students' League, and later studied with Twachtman and Weir at Cos Cob art colony in Connecticut. Their impressionist style and impasto technique had a profound influence upon him. In 1908, Lawson, Arthur B. Davies, and Maurice Prendergast, joined five other realist painters, to form the group commonly known as "The Eight." These painters, although differing in style, had similar interests that centered on the rejection of the National Academy of Design's conservative policies.

 

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