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Martha Walter Portrait Paintings

American, 1875-1976
Walter was born in Philadelphia in 1875. She enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where she studied under William Merritt Chase, who became her primary mentor. At his insistence, she entered a number of Academy student competitions and eventually won a prestigious Cresson Traveling Scholarship in 1908. This award enabled her to travel throughout Europe, where she continued her art education at the Grande Julien in Paris. Soon disenchanted with the academicism of the Parisian schools, Walter set out on her own and began producing plein-air paintings in the manner of the French Impressionists. At the outbreak of World War I, she returned to the United States and took up painting at various East coast beach resorts such as Coney Island and Gloucester. In her beach scenes of this period, colorful bathing suits, gowns and umbrellas punctuate a tranquil, pastel surface. Her expertise in the treatment of light and shadow is evident in her depictions of these settings at various times of day. In 1922, she spent some months painting the thousands of immigrants kept in the detention hall at Ellis Island. The dreadful, crowded conditions inspired a group of paintings that were exhibited that year in the Galerie Georges Petit in Paris. One was selected for the permanent collection of the Musée de Luxembourg. An exhibition at the Art Club of Chicago in 1941 featured a group of watercolor paintings inspired by the artist's travels through Spain and North Africa. These works were intensely colored visions of such subjects as Algerian street scenes, mosques and Spanish fishermen. Walter worked well into her nineties, continuing to paint portraits of women and children, beach scenes, gardens and marketplaces. Before her death in 1976, she had exhibited widely, and her works are included in major national and international private and public collections. Hammer Galleries had several exhibitions of her work during her lifetime, the last taking place in 1975 when the artist was one hundred years old.
(Biography provided by Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio)
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Artist: Martha Walter
Clara with Charles
By Martha Walter
Located in New York, NY
This piece is a pertinent example of Martha Walter's most precious oil portraitures. Her use of the pallet is effortless with bold brushwork, strong executions, and soft details. Wal...
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Early 20th Century American Impressionist Martha Walter Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

"Portrait of Young Boy and His Toy Train"
By Martha Walter
Located in Lambertville, NJ
This particular piece is one of Walter's signature images of children, among the subjects for which she is known. Clearly a formal portrait, it was likely commissioned for the home of an affluent client, given the child's elegant costume and the portrait;s grand size. In this arresting portrait, she captures the delight of a young blond boy...
Category

20th Century Martha Walter Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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Martha Walter portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Martha Walter portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Martha Walter in canvas, fabric, oil paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Impressionist style. Not every interior allows for large Martha Walter portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 22 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Marjorie May Blake, Hollis Dunlap, and Lu Haskew. Martha Walter portrait paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $40,000 and tops out at $170,000, while the average work can sell for $105,000.

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