Sanford Gifford (1823 - 1880)
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Sanford Robinson Gifford (1823-1880) was a member of the Hudson River School, a group of landscape artists whose works reflect a romantic aesthetic; their paintings mostly depict the Hudson River and surrounding natural features. Gifford was particularly known for his ability to capture light in his paintings. During his lifetime, he painted more than 700 landscapes.
Gifford was born in Greenfield, New York, and was raised in Hudson, New York. After studying at Brown University in Rhode Island for two years, he returned to New York in 1845 to study art full-time; there, he received instruction from John R. Smith while taking classes at both Crosby Street Medical College and the National Academy of Design. After two years at the National Academy, he exhibited his first painting, a landscape. From here, he gained associate status at the National Academy in 1851, upgraded to an academician in 1854. He immediately set out for Europe in order to find a varied and diverse body of landscapes which he could paint. In addition to his time in Europe from 1855 to 1857, he also traveled extensively throughout New England, amassing a large body of landscapes from his travels.
Gifford's travels were interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861; he served as a corporal in the Union Army while continuing to paint when he could; his paintings from this period reflect the despair that he felt about the war. After the Civil War ended, he returned to Europe in 1868, this time opting to also visit the Middle East; he spent a significant amount of time in Venice, a city which would be clearly depicted in the paintings of his last decade. After returning to the United States, he became a founding member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He continued to paint works which many consider to be some of his finest, perhaps inspired by his marriage to Mary Canfield in 1877.
Gifford died in 1880 after contracting a respiratory disease. His reputation secured as one of the most influential American painters of the 19th century, he became the subject of the Metropolitan Museum's first retrospective. In addition, a catalog of all of his works was released, documenting 735 of his most influential paintings. During the 20th century, many of his letters and papers were donated to the Archives of American Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. In 2007, these were made available online as the Sanford Robinson Gifford Papers Online.
Gifford was born in Greenfield, New York, and was raised in Hudson, New York. After studying at Brown University in Rhode Island for two years, he returned to New York in 1845 to study art full-time; there, he received instruction from John R. Smith while taking classes at both Crosby Street Medical College and the National Academy of Design. After two years at the National Academy, he exhibited his first painting, a landscape. From here, he gained associate status at the National Academy in 1851, upgraded to an academician in 1854. He immediately set out for Europe in order to find a varied and diverse body of landscapes which he could paint. In addition to his time in Europe from 1855 to 1857, he also traveled extensively throughout New England, amassing a large body of landscapes from his travels.
Gifford's travels were interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861; he served as a corporal in the Union Army while continuing to paint when he could; his paintings from this period reflect the despair that he felt about the war. After the Civil War ended, he returned to Europe in 1868, this time opting to also visit the Middle East; he spent a significant amount of time in Venice, a city which would be clearly depicted in the paintings of his last decade. After returning to the United States, he became a founding member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He continued to paint works which many consider to be some of his finest, perhaps inspired by his marriage to Mary Canfield in 1877.
Gifford died in 1880 after contracting a respiratory disease. His reputation secured as one of the most influential American painters of the 19th century, he became the subject of the Metropolitan Museum's first retrospective. In addition, a catalog of all of his works was released, documenting 735 of his most influential paintings. During the 20th century, many of his letters and papers were donated to the Archives of American Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. In 2007, these were made available online as the Sanford Robinson Gifford Papers Online.