Abbott Handerson Thayer

Artist

Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921) was an American artist, naturalist, and teacher. Born and raised in a wealthy Boston family, he was a leading figure in the New York art world , selling portraits and allegorical paintings to European Renaissance collectors . However, after the death of his wife, his art underwent a dramatic change. He moved to the Dublin, New Hampshire artists' colony and began to pursue a new form of expression that was integrated with nature.

Abbott Handerson Thayer Biography

• Born August 12, 1849 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• In the early 1870s, he studied at the Brooklyn Academy of Art and Design and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
• He became a successful portrait painter in New York in the 1880s.
• In 1892, after the death of his wife, he moved to Dublin, New Hampshire.
• In 1901, together with his son, he published "Cryptic Coloration in the Animal Kingdom" and became known for his research into protective coloration in nature.
• Died May 29, 1921, Dublin, New Hampshire (aged 71)

Representative works

• Angel (1887)
• Virgin Enthroned (1891)
• Young Woman in Olive Plush with Carnations , Lilies and Roses (1892)
• Mount Monadnock (Early 1900s)

Thayer's style and achievements

In his early years , Thayer was influenced by European classical painting and Renaissance art, and painted idealized female figures and allegorical works. However, after the death of his wife, his work changed dramatically, and he began to paint women and children living in nature, using delicate colors and light effects.

He is also known for his research into camouflage in nature, which he published in a book called "Cryptic Coloration in the Animal Kingdom," and which is said to have influenced the development of military camouflage during World War I.

In addition to his success as a portrait painter , Thayer was also active as a naturalist and teacher. His work occupies an important place in the history of American art, and his delicate depictions and poetic expressions continue to deeply inspire us today.