William B. Van Ingen
Encyclopedia
William B. Van Ingen was a stained glass artist
and painter
perhaps best known for his Panama Canal
murals.
at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
in Philadelphia, before moving to New York City
, where he apprenticed under noted stained glass artists John La Farge, Francis Lathrop
, and Lewis C. Tiffany
. Van Ingen was also known for his abilities in mural painting, particularly for the work he did for the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C.
, the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, and the Panama Canal Authority.
mural
s were executed on nearly 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) of canvas
and depict the excavation of the canal. They are mounted in the Panama Canal Administration Building in Balboa, Panama
. Van Ingen agreed to produce the murals at $25 per square foot. The paintings are apparently the largest group of murals by an American artist on display outside the United States .
Of the murals, Van Ingen said, "I tried to compose into one picture the views to be seen from different standpoints, but united in the mind. It enabled me to combine different periods of time in the construction work." He also said,
"[a]ny success the paintings may have had, came, I believe, from an endeavor to see with the eyes of the man in the ditch."
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
perhaps best known for his Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
murals.
Life
Van Ingen was born in Philadelphia. He was a student of Christian Schuessele and Thomas EakinsThomas Eakins
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
in Philadelphia, before moving 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 he apprenticed under noted stained glass artists John La Farge, Francis Lathrop
Francis Lathrop
Francis Augustus Lathrop was an American artist.He was born at sea, near the Hawaiian Islands, being a great grandson of Samuel Holden Parsons and the son of George Alfred Lathrop , who for some time was United States consul at Honolulu. He was a pupil of T. C...
, and Lewis C. Tiffany
Charles Lewis Tiffany
Charles Lewis Tiffany founded Tiffany & Co. in New York City in 1837. A leader in the American jewelry trade in the nineteenth century, he was known for his jewelry expertise, created the country's first retail catalog, and, in 1851, he introduced the English standard of sterling silver.His son,...
. Van Ingen was also known for his abilities in mural painting, particularly for the work he did for the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, and the Panama Canal Authority.
Panama Canal murals
The Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s were executed on nearly 1000 square feet (92.9 m²) of canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
and depict the excavation of the canal. They are mounted in the Panama Canal Administration Building in Balboa, Panama
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
. Van Ingen agreed to produce the murals at $25 per square foot. The paintings are apparently the largest group of murals by an American artist on display outside the United States .
Of the murals, Van Ingen said, "I tried to compose into one picture the views to be seen from different standpoints, but united in the mind. It enabled me to combine different periods of time in the construction work." He also said,
"[a]ny success the paintings may have had, came, I believe, from an endeavor to see with the eyes of the man in the ditch."