It would probably surprise Samuel F. B. Morse, and not pleasantly, that future generations know him for his invention of Morse code and his services to telegraphy, rather than for his paintings, produced over six decades, that were the serious business of his life. The size of the painting below blows me away .... it measures 6 feet x 9 feet. I can't even begin to count the paintings within this masterpiece that took him two years to complete.
Samuel F. B. Morse (1791–1872), Gallery of the Louvre (1831–33), oil on canvas, 73-1/2" x 108". Terra Foundation for American Art, Chicago. Read more ... article in The Magazine Antiques ... Morse at The Huntington Library.
3 comments:
Simply amazing! The more you look at it, the more unbelievable it becomes. I had no idea Morse was a painter.
Mama Pea...
Nor did I.
... --- ...
That's all we were taught.
SOS
I'm glad we know now.
xo, Rosemary
Yes, good to highlight this. Morse was featured significantly in David McCoulough's book, The Greater Journey. It's such an interesting story, and he details Morse's time spent in the Louve painting this.
He was a very frustrated man, not being recognized for his painting.
This is a good book, and I would recommend it to anyone. It's about Americans venturing to Paris to learn and make their way. At the time Paris was the virtual center of the earth. Medicine, Art and Letters.
Karen in VA
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