Achsah Barlow Brewster
Encyclopedia
Achsah Barlow Brewster was an American painter and writer, and wife of artist Earl Brewster
(1878–1957). They are best known today for their close friendship with such prominent figures of the time as D. H. Lawrence
, Willa Cather
and the Nehru family.
Achsah Leona Barlow Brewster was born in 1878 in New Haven, Connecticut
. After graduating from Smith College
in 1902, she went to New York City
where she studied art under Kenyon Cox
, Arthur Wesley Dow
, Walter A. Clark and Frank Vincent DuMond at the Art Students League and with Robert Henri
at the New York School of Art. During 1906-07 she studied in France
at the Institut des Beaux Arts and the studios of Lucien Simon
and Castelluchio. She also visited art galleries in England, Belgium, Holland and Italy. After returning to the United States, she spent three summers at the MacDowell Colony
in New Hampshire
.
In 1904 Achsah and Earl Brewster were introduced by the poet Vachel Lindsay
after he noticed that Earl's imaginary portrait of a woman for a magazine cover closely resembled her. The Brewsters were married in 1910 and immediately moved to Italy
. They never returned to the United States except for a short visit in 1923. They lived mostly in southern Italy but also spent time in France, Greece
and Ceylon (Sri Lanka
). In 1935 they moved to Crank's Ridge in Almora
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
, where they lived from 1935 until they died, Achsah in 1945 and Earl in 1957. They had one daughter, Harwood, who was born in 1912 in Paris
and became the model for many of Achsah's paintings and the subject of her vivid memoir, The Child.
The Brewsters' art was influenced by Puvis de Chavannes, the Italian primitive painters and their own spirituality. Together they wrote L'oeuvre de E.H. et Achsah Barlow Brewster (1923}, which explained their artistic principles, influences and goals. Subjects of Achsah's paintings included religious figures, children and local people in Ceylon. Her paintings were often large (sometimes murals). She used bright colors and often included flowers, animals and an imaginative touch. In Paris Maurice Denis
and Georges Desvalliers invited Achsah to join their Atelier d'Art Sacre, but she declined out of concern for maintaining artistic independence. Her work was exhibited in Paris at the Salon d'Automne
, Galerie Cheron, the Salon des Societe des Artistes Independents and the Salon des Tuilleries; in Rome
at the Secessione and the Pincio Casino and in India at the Roerich Center of Art & Culture in Allahabad
and at the Indian Society of Oriental Art in Calcutta
. In India some of her paintings were bought to be displayed in public buildings. Recent exhibitions of the Brewsters' work were held in 2001 and in 2007-08 at ACA Galleries in New York City. Achsah's large Sermon on the Mount, a triptych, is still on view at St. Georges Church, Crecy-en-Brie, France. In 2008 her painting, Hamadryad, was acquired by the Telfair Museum of Art
in Savannah, Georgia
.
The Brewsters were remarkable in numbering among their circle of friends many prominent artistic, literary and political figures, including D.H. Lawrence and Willa Cather, both of whose writings they influenced, Elihu Vedder
, Vachel Lindsay and three generations of the Nehru family. The Brewsters and Lawrences met on Capri
in 1921 and maintained a close friendship and frequent correspondence. After Lawrence's death in 1930, the Brewsters compiled a book of his letters to them, with their memories of him. D.H. Lawrence: Reminiscences and Correspondence was published in 1934. Achsah also wrote many short stories and articles, including The Postmaster's Farewell and Ceylon the Luxuriant, which were published in Asia magazine. Her unpublished memoir, The Child, written in India during 1941-42, recounts the family's history during the seventeen years from Harwood's birth up to the time that she left for school in England in 1929.
The personal correspondence of Earl and Achsah Brewster as well as Achsah's The Child and a memoir by Harwood are housed at Drew University
in Madison, New Jersey
.
Earl Brewster
Earl Henry Brewster was an American painter, writer, and scholar, best known today for his close friendship with D.H. Lawrence, and for his compilation of the life of the Buddha, first published in 1926 and still in print. He was married to Achsah Barlow Brewster, also an artist.Brewster was born...
(1878–1957). They are best known today for their close friendship with such prominent figures of the time as D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
, Willa Cather
Willa Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
and the Nehru family.
Achsah Leona Barlow Brewster was born in 1878 in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. After graduating from Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in 1902, she went to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she studied art under Kenyon Cox
Kenyon Cox
Kenyon Cox was an American painter, illustrator, muralist, writer, and teacher. Cox was an influential and important early instructor at the Art Students League of New York...
, Arthur Wesley Dow
Arthur Wesley Dow
Arthur Wesley Dow was an American painter, printmaker, photographer, and influential arts educator....
, Walter A. Clark and Frank Vincent DuMond at the Art Students League and with Robert Henri
Robert Henri
Robert Henri was an American painter and teacher. He was a leading figure of the Ashcan School in art.- Early life :...
at the New York School of Art. During 1906-07 she studied in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the Institut des Beaux Arts and the studios of Lucien Simon
Lucien Simon
Lucien J. Simon was a French painter and teacher born in Paris.After graduating from the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, he studied painting at the studio of Jules Didier, then from 1880 to 1883 at l’Académie Julian....
and Castelluchio. She also visited art galleries in England, Belgium, Holland and Italy. After returning to the United States, she spent three summers at the MacDowell Colony
MacDowell Colony
The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
In 1904 Achsah and Earl Brewster were introduced by the poet Vachel Lindsay
Vachel Lindsay
Nicholas Vachel Lindsay was an American poet. He is considered the father of modern singing poetry, as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted...
after he noticed that Earl's imaginary portrait of a woman for a magazine cover closely resembled her. The Brewsters were married in 1910 and immediately moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They never returned to the United States except for a short visit in 1923. They lived mostly in southern Italy but also spent time in France, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Ceylon (Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
). In 1935 they moved to Crank's Ridge in Almora
Almora
Almora is a municipal board, a cantonment town in the Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Almora was founded in 1568.It is a town bustling with activity and a rich cultural heritage and history. It is considered the cultural heart of the Kumaon region of...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where they lived from 1935 until they died, Achsah in 1945 and Earl in 1957. They had one daughter, Harwood, who was born in 1912 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and became the model for many of Achsah's paintings and the subject of her vivid memoir, The Child.
The Brewsters' art was influenced by Puvis de Chavannes, the Italian primitive painters and their own spirituality. Together they wrote L'oeuvre de E.H. et Achsah Barlow Brewster (1923}, which explained their artistic principles, influences and goals. Subjects of Achsah's paintings included religious figures, children and local people in Ceylon. Her paintings were often large (sometimes murals). She used bright colors and often included flowers, animals and an imaginative touch. In Paris Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis
Maurice Denis was a French painter and writer, and a member of the Symbolist and Les Nabis movements. His theories contributed to the foundations of cubism, fauvism, and abstract art.-Childhood and education:...
and Georges Desvalliers invited Achsah to join their Atelier d'Art Sacre, but she declined out of concern for maintaining artistic independence. Her work was exhibited in Paris at the Salon d'Automne
Salon d'Automne
In 1903, the first Salon d'Automne was organized by Georges Rouault, André Derain, Henri Matisse, Angele Delasalle and Albert Marquet as a reaction to the conservative policies of the official Paris Salon...
, Galerie Cheron, the Salon des Societe des Artistes Independents and the Salon des Tuilleries; in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the Secessione and the Pincio Casino and in India at the Roerich Center of Art & Culture in Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
and at the Indian Society of Oriental Art in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. In India some of her paintings were bought to be displayed in public buildings. Recent exhibitions of the Brewsters' work were held in 2001 and in 2007-08 at ACA Galleries in New York City. Achsah's large Sermon on the Mount, a triptych, is still on view at St. Georges Church, Crecy-en-Brie, France. In 2008 her painting, Hamadryad, was acquired by the Telfair Museum of Art
Telfair Museum of Art
The Telfair Museum of Art, located in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia, is the South’s first public art museum. Founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair , a prominent local citizen, the museum opened in 1886 in the Telfair family’s renovated Regency-style mansion, known as the Telfair...
in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
.
The Brewsters were remarkable in numbering among their circle of friends many prominent artistic, literary and political figures, including D.H. Lawrence and Willa Cather, both of whose writings they influenced, Elihu Vedder
Elihu Vedder
Elihu Vedder was an American symbolist painter, book illustrator, and poet, born in New York City....
, Vachel Lindsay and three generations of the Nehru family. The Brewsters and Lawrences met on Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
in 1921 and maintained a close friendship and frequent correspondence. After Lawrence's death in 1930, the Brewsters compiled a book of his letters to them, with their memories of him. D.H. Lawrence: Reminiscences and Correspondence was published in 1934. Achsah also wrote many short stories and articles, including The Postmaster's Farewell and Ceylon the Luxuriant, which were published in Asia magazine. Her unpublished memoir, The Child, written in India during 1941-42, recounts the family's history during the seventeen years from Harwood's birth up to the time that she left for school in England in 1929.
The personal correspondence of Earl and Achsah Brewster as well as Achsah's The Child and a memoir by Harwood are housed at Drew University
Drew University
Drew University is a private university located in Madison, New Jersey.Originally established as the Drew Theological Seminary in 1867, the university later expanded to include an undergraduate liberal arts college in 1928 and commenced a program of graduate studies in 1955...
in Madison, New Jersey
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
.
Books/References
- Earl H. Brewster and Achsah Barlow Brewster. D.H. Lawrence: Reminiscences and Correspondence. London: Martin Seeker, 1938.
- Earl H. Brewster and Achsah Barlow Brewster. L'oeuvre de E.H. Brewster et Achsah Barlow Brewster: 32 reproductions en phototypie precedees d'essais auobiographiques. Rome: Valor Plastici, 1923.
- Lucy Marks and David Porter. Seeking Life Whole: Willa Cather and the Brewsters. Madison, NJ; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2009.
- Mohindar Singh Randhawa. The Art of E.H. Brewster & Achsah Brewster. Allahabad: Kitabistan, 1944. ASIN: B0007KOZWG
- The Divinity That Stirs Within Us. Exhibition catalog. New York: Borghi, 1992.
- Divine Pursuit: The Spiritual Journey of Achsah and Earl Brewster. Exhibition catalog. New York: ACA Galleries, 2007.