Lloyd Branson
Encyclopedia
Enoch Lloyd Branson was an American artist best known for his portraits of Southern
politicians and depictions of early East Tennessee
history.
One of the most influential figures in Knoxville's
early art circles, Branson received training at the National Academy of Design
in the 1870s and subsequently toured the great art centers of Europe. After returning to Knoxville, he operated a portrait shop with photographer Frank McCrary. He was a mentor to fellow Knoxville artist Catherine Wiley
, and is credited with discovering twentieth-century portraitist Beauford Delaney
.
) to English
parents. Around the time of the Civil War
, a Knoxville physician named John Boyd noticed a sketch of Ulysses S. Grant
Branson had made on a cigar box, and suggested Branson's parents send him to Knoxville for academic training. In 1871, Branson drew favorable attention for his exhibition at the East Tennessee Division Fair.
Branson moved to New York in 1873, where he attended the National Academy of Design. Two years later, he captured first prize at one of the Academy's exhibitions, which earned him a scholarship to receive further training in Paris
(some of Branson's later work showed elements of the French Barbizon school
). By 1876, he had returned to Knoxville, and quickly became a leading figure in the city's art community. He painted fellow Knoxville artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz in 1878, and became a regular at the masquerade ball
s attended by the city's elite at the Lamar House Hotel
. Branson won the gold medal for an exhibition at the 1885 Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta.
In 1889, Branson and photographer Frank McCrary formed Branson and McCrary, a portraiture company that operated out of a three-story building on Gay Street
in Knoxville. The company specialized in oil-painted photographs, oil copies, crayon-and-oil sketches, and illustrated souvenirs. Branson also taught art classes in the building, often to members of Knoxville's upper class. Impressionist Catherine Wiley was arguably his most well-known student during this period.
Branson reached the height of his career in 1910, when his work, Hauling Marble, won the gold medal at Knoxville's Appalachian Exposition. In the early 1920s, Branson began giving lessons to a young Beauford Delaney, whose sketches had impressed Branson. In 1924, Branson arranged to send Delaney to an art school in Boston
to receive further instruction. Branson died suddenly on June 12, 1925. He is buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville.
n frontier. His work is on display in the Tennessee State Museum
and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts
in Nashville
, and the Knoxville Museum of Art
, the Frank H. McClung Museum
, and the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville. One of Branson's most popular paintings, The Battle of King's Mountain, was displayed in the Hotel Imperial in Knoxville, and was destroyed when the hotel burned in 1917.
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
politicians and depictions of early East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
history.
One of the most influential figures in Knoxville's
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
early art circles, Branson received training at the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
in the 1870s and subsequently toured the great art centers of Europe. After returning to Knoxville, he operated a portrait shop with photographer Frank McCrary. He was a mentor to fellow Knoxville artist Catherine Wiley
Catherine Wiley
Anna Catherine Wiley was an American artist active primarily in the early twentieth century. After training with the Art Students League of New York and receiving instruction from artists such as Lloyd Branson and Frank DuMond, Wiley painted a series of impressionist works that won numerous...
, and is credited with discovering twentieth-century portraitist Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney was an American modernist painter.-Early life:Beauford Delaney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, in 1901. Delaney’s parents were prominent and respected members of Knoxville's black community. His father Samuel was both a barber and a Methodist minister...
.
Biography
Branson was born in what is now Union County, Tennessee (then part of Knox CountyKnox County, Tennessee
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...
) to English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
parents. Around the time of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a Knoxville physician named John Boyd noticed a sketch of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
Branson had made on a cigar box, and suggested Branson's parents send him to Knoxville for academic training. In 1871, Branson drew favorable attention for his exhibition at the East Tennessee Division Fair.
Branson moved to New York in 1873, where he attended the National Academy of Design. Two years later, he captured first prize at one of the Academy's exhibitions, which earned him a scholarship to receive further training 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...
(some of Branson's later work showed elements of the French Barbizon school
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of a movement towards realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870...
). By 1876, he had returned to Knoxville, and quickly became a leading figure in the city's art community. He painted fellow Knoxville artist Adelia Armstrong Lutz in 1878, and became a regular at the masquerade ball
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
s attended by the city's elite at the Lamar House Hotel
Bijou Theatre
Two Broadway theatres have been named the Bijou Theatre.The first was converted into a theatre in 1878 and rebuilt in 1883. It was often called the Bijou Opera House and was located at 1239 Broadway. It was also sometimes called The Brighton Theatre. It became a popular venue for operettas in...
. Branson won the gold medal for an exhibition at the 1885 Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta.
In 1889, Branson and photographer Frank McCrary formed Branson and McCrary, a portraiture company that operated out of a three-story building on Gay Street
Gay Street (Knoxville)
Gay Street is a street in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, that traverses the heart of the city's downtown area. Since its development in the 1790s, Gay Street has served as the city's principal financial and commercial thoroughfare, and has played a primary role in the city's historical and cultural...
in Knoxville. The company specialized in oil-painted photographs, oil copies, crayon-and-oil sketches, and illustrated souvenirs. Branson also taught art classes in the building, often to members of Knoxville's upper class. Impressionist Catherine Wiley was arguably his most well-known student during this period.
Branson reached the height of his career in 1910, when his work, Hauling Marble, won the gold medal at Knoxville's Appalachian Exposition. In the early 1920s, Branson began giving lessons to a young Beauford Delaney, whose sketches had impressed Branson. In 1924, Branson arranged to send Delaney to an art school in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to receive further instruction. Branson died suddenly on June 12, 1925. He is buried in Old Gray Cemetery in Knoxville.
Works
Branson was a sylistically conservative painter. Most of his work consisted of commercial portraits, but his most well-known tend to depict historical scenes of the AppalachiaAppalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n frontier. His work is on display in the Tennessee State Museum
Tennessee State Museum
Tennessee State Museum is a large museum in Nashville depicting the history of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Starting from pre-colonization and going all the way to the 20th century, the museum describes the American Civil War, the Frontier, and the Age of Jackson. The museum includes an area of...
and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Frist Center for the Visual Arts
-History:The museum is housed in what used to be the main post office designed by Marr & Holman Architects for the city of Nashville, which had been built in 1933-34 near Union Station, since most mail at that time was moved by train. As the city grew, the need for a more up-to-date main facility...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and the Knoxville Museum of Art
Knoxville Museum of Art
The Knoxville Museum of Art is a contemporary art museum located at 1050 World's Fair Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. The KMA is committed to developing exhibitions by emerging artists of national and international reputation.- History :...
, the Frank H. McClung Museum
Frank H. McClung Museum
The Frank H. McClung Museum is a general museum located on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Built in 1963, exhibits focus on natural history, archeology, anthropology, decorative arts, and local history...
, and the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville. One of Branson's most popular paintings, The Battle of King's Mountain, was displayed in the Hotel Imperial in Knoxville, and was destroyed when the hotel burned in 1917.
Historical paintings
- Sheep Shearing Scenehttp://tnsos.org/tsla/imagesearch/images/19256.jpg
- The Blockhouse at Knoxville, Tennesseehttp://tnsos.org/tsla/imagesearch/images/19258.jpg
- Assault on Fort Sanders
- Women at Work, 1891
- California to Oregon Stagecoach, 1900
- Hauling Marble, 1910
- Gathering of Overmountain Men at Sycamore Shoals, 1915
Portraits
Branson painted portraits of the following individuals:- Adelia Armstrong Lutz (1878)
- John Porter McCown, circa 1880 (attributed)
- Ellen McClung Berry http://www.tnportraits.org/branson-berry-kma.htm
- Horace Maynard
- George Armstrong Custer
- Abram Jones Price http://cmdc.knoxlib.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/p265301coll005&CISOPTR=632&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
- J. G. M. RamseyJ. G. M. RamseyJames Gettys McGready Ramsey was an American historian, physician, and businessman, active primarily in East Tennessee during the nineteenth century. Ramsey is perhaps best known for his book, The Annals of Tennessee, a seminal work documenting the state's frontier and early statehood periods...
- Thomas William HumesThomas William HumesThomas William Humes was an American clergyman and educator, active in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the latter half of the 19th century. Elected rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in 1846, Humes led the church until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he was forced to resign due to his Union...
- Joseph Estabrook
- DeWitt Clinton Senter
- Peter Turney
- Alvin C. York
- John Haywood
- John L. Cox
- James B. Frazier
- Montgomery Stuart
- Hester Thompson Stuart
- James Allen Smith
External links
- Works of Branson and McCrary — Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection
- Tennessee Portrait Project - Lloyd Branson entries