Peggy Bacon
Encyclopedia
Margaret Frances "Peggy" Bacon (May 2, 1895 – January 4, 1987) was an American
printmaker
, illustrator
, painter
and writer.
to artists Charles Roswell Bacon and Elizabeth (née Chase). The eldest of three children, Bacon's two younger brothers died in infancy leaving her an only child. Between the ages of nine and eleven, Bacon lived with her parents in Paris
and Montreaux-sur-Mer, France
. She had a close relationship with her parents and described her childhood as "delightful". She was taught by tutors until the age of 14 when she attended Kent Place School
in Summit, New Jersey
.
From 1915 to 1920, Bacon studied at the Art Students League
in New York
under George Bellows
, John Sloan and Kenneth Hayes Miller
. It was there that her parents had met and around 1916, that Bacon met her future husband painter Alexander Brook
. In 1919, they left New York to study at the Art Students League summer school in Woodstock, where they were taught by Andrew Dasburg
. They married in May 1920 and moved to London
, England
, where Peggy gave birth to their daughter Belinda.
During her career, Bacon contributed to Vanity Fair
and The New Yorker
and illustrated more than 60 books. In 1934, she won a Guggenheim Fellowship
in Fine Arts.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
printmaker
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, painter
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and writer.
Biography
Bacon was born May 2, 1895 in Ridgefield, ConnecticutRidgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
to artists Charles Roswell Bacon and Elizabeth (née Chase). The eldest of three children, Bacon's two younger brothers died in infancy leaving her an only child. Between the ages of nine and eleven, Bacon lived with her parents 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 Montreaux-sur-Mer, 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...
. She had a close relationship with her parents and described her childhood as "delightful". She was taught by tutors until the age of 14 when she attended Kent Place School
Kent Place School
The Kent Place School is an all-girls kindergarten through 12 independent college-preparatory day school in Summit, Union County, New Jersey, United States...
in Summit, New Jersey
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
.
From 1915 to 1920, Bacon studied at the Art Students League
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
under George Bellows
George Bellows
George Wesley Bellows was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City, becoming, according to the Columbus Museum of Art, "the most acclaimed American artist of his generation".-Youth:Bellows was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio...
, John Sloan and Kenneth Hayes Miller
Kenneth Hayes Miller
Kenneth Hayes Miller was an American painter and teacher.Born in Oneida, New York, he studied at the Art Students League of New York with Kenyon Cox, Henry Siddons Mowbray and with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art. He died in New York City.-Students:Miller taught at the Art...
. It was there that her parents had met and around 1916, that Bacon met her future husband painter Alexander Brook
Alexander Brook
Alexander Brook was an American artist and critic.He was born in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of twelve he was bed-ridden with polio. It was during this time that he received his first lessons in painting. In 1914 he entered the Art Students League, where he studied for four years. There he met...
. In 1919, they left New York to study at the Art Students League summer school in Woodstock, where they were taught by Andrew Dasburg
Andrew Dasburg
Andrew Michael Dasburg was an American modernist painter and "one of America's leading early exponents of cubism".-Biography:...
. They married in May 1920 and moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where Peggy gave birth to their daughter Belinda.
During her career, Bacon contributed to Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
and The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and illustrated more than 60 books. In 1934, she won a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in Fine Arts.
See also
- New Masses
- Art Students LeagueArt Students League of New YorkThe Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
- George BellowsGeorge BellowsGeorge Wesley Bellows was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City, becoming, according to the Columbus Museum of Art, "the most acclaimed American artist of his generation".-Youth:Bellows was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio...
- John Sloan
- Kenneth Hayes MillerKenneth Hayes MillerKenneth Hayes Miller was an American painter and teacher.Born in Oneida, New York, he studied at the Art Students League of New York with Kenyon Cox, Henry Siddons Mowbray and with William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art. He died in New York City.-Students:Miller taught at the Art...
External links
- Comrades in Art: Peggy Bacon
- Finding aid for the Peggy Bacon papers, 1893-1973, bulk 1900-1936 from the Smithsonian Archives of American ArtArchives of American ArtThe Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 16 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washington, D.C...