Artist Biographies
Anna R. Brewster
1870 - 1952
Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1870. Her father, William Trost Richards, designer and later seascape painter. She began her art studies at Cowles Art School, in Boston, Massachusetts and won the first scholarship for women in life class. Studied in New York City with John LaFarge and William M. Chase. Won Dodge Award while still in her teens, for best picture, exhibited by a woman, at National Academy. Painted in England, Scotland and Ireland; often along with her father, between 1890-1905. Had studio in Clovelly and (Chelsea), England, 1895-1896. Studied and copied Turner’s watercolors and Constable’s paintings. Studied with George Frederich Watts, noted English painter. In Chelsea, she lived near Whistler and Carlyle for a period of nine years. Her paintings were exhibited twice at Royal Academy of London. Several times she exhibited at National Academy. Columbia University commissioned her to do eight of the professors. Many of her paintings hang in Barnard College and Columbia University. Colleges, art museums, libraries and private individuals from London to Los Angeles own her paintings. Her poster for Red Cross was reproduced across the country during World War I. In her lifetime she painted over 4,000 pictures, most of her sketches were 9" x 13" in size. She painted what she saw beautiful in nature, only taking limited liberties with the subjects, and only to improve composition. She painted with a thorough knowledge and skill of drawing and color, rarely having to change or retrace a brush stroke. She worked fast, with confidence in the results to be obtained. Some would say she was a poet of nature with canvas, color and brush. She loved nature and saw no reason to change or distort it, desiring only to transform the beauty of that moment upon canvas as her appreciative eyes saw it.