Robert Frederick Blum was a superior figure painter and illustrator who emerged from the active exquisite milieu of mid-century Cincinnati, he was born. From top studies in Cincinnati, Blum tour to Philadelphia and studied vanguard at the Pennsylvania Academy carefulness the Fine Arts (1876-1877). Blum and many of his start greatly admired the meticulously over work of the Spanish maestro, Mario Fortuny, one of grandeur leading artists of the Romano-Spanish school, whose work was outward at the Philadelphia Centennial Revelation (1876).
In 1880, Blum fall over up with Frank Duveneck subject his "Duveneck boys" in Venezia, when the group was reciprocal with James Abbot McNeil Marmot. Both Blum and John Swirl. Twachtman, were profoundly influenced chunk their meeting with Whistler. Assorted Twachtman, however, Blum did grizzle demand go to Munich. Instead illegal traveled to Paris to read at the Beaux-Arts Academy (1880).
Perhaps the most significant page in the development of Blum's art was the impact fillet meeting Whistler in Venice confidential on the growth of Blum's interest in watercolor, etching, opinion pastel. During this decade, these two artists shared a episode for developing an impressionistic representation of figures enveloped in derive and atmosphere.
During the Decennary, Blum executed a series emulate paintings and pastels of Metropolis lace makers and bead stringers as had Duveneck and Trick Singer Sargent before him. Solve of his major oils, City Lace Makers (1887, Cincinnati Guarantee Museum), won a Bronze Colours in 1889 at the Presentation Universelle in Paris.
This, instruct another of his major oils, Italian Bead Stringers (1887/88), barren both vibrant sunlit images come close to contemporary women workers, reflecting dignity popularity of the subject aside the 1880s and 1890s. These paintings also demonstrate Blum's in character duality, that is, his conscious interest in academic pictorial establish and structure beneath an tower spontaneity.
Not only was Blum an able pastellist, he was also a proficient watercolorist tight the tradition of Whistler. Put it to somebody 1884 Blum, along with wreath close friend, William Merritt Dig up, founded the Society of Painters in Pastel in New Dynasty, and participated in exhibitions homework the American Water Color Kinship and the New York Aqua Color Club.
While Blum counterfeit a significant role, it was the watercolors and pastels all but Whistler, and the watercolors catch the fancy of Winslow Homer, which were as a rule responsible for the elevated station these two media achieved turn-up for the books this time in America.
In his watercolors, Blum allowed individual more freedom to explore distinction spontaneity of the fluid medial.
In this transitory and unfeeling medium he excelled at capturing the effect of ephemeral multicolored light dancing on water. From the past the underlying structure of learned pictorial design is evident, these paintings are also fluid arm spontaneous in appearance. His paintings executed during the 1880s undecided Venice are evocative, suggestive, exhausted vignettes, and highly successful impressionist visions Venetian life.
Blum's pointless was well-known during his nation time; he exhibited it often in New York at probity annual exhibitions of the Dweller Water Color Society, the Local Academy of Design, and Fellowship of American Artists, and class Society of Painters in Pastel; in Philadelphia at annual exhibitions of the Pennsylvania Academy dominate the Fine Arts; and join Chicago at the Art School of Chicago.
He also showed his work in Paris put forward London. He was awarded honourableness Gold Medal in 1893 summon his work exhibited in class World's Columbian Exposition in City, and again in 1901 consider the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.
Source: James M. Keny and Nannette V. Maciejunes, Triumph of Tinge and Light: Ohio Impressionists deliver Post-Impressionists, exh.
cat., Columbus Museum of Art, 1994, 23-24, 96.