George Whiting Flagg

Lady Jane Gray Preparing for Execution
George Whiting Flagg , 1835
Oil on canvas
142.2 x 117.5 cm
New-York Historical Society , The Henry Luce II Center for the Study of American Culture

George Whiting Flagg (born June 26, 1816 in New Haven , † January 5, 1897 on Nantucket ) was an American painter who primarily focused on historical scenes, genre and portrait painting and often made religious paintings.

Life

He was born into a wealthy family to Henry Collins Flagg and Martha Whiting Flagg; his father was mayor of New Haven for a term. George's brothers were also active as artists Jared Bradley Flagg (* 1820, † 1899) and Henry Collins Flagg III (* 1811, † 1862) and the Reverend Edward Octavus Flagg. In 1824 the family moved to North Charleston , South Carolina .

There he began studying art, which he and Jared continued with their uncle Washington Allston in Boston . In the early 1830s he received support from the well-known patron Luman Reed , who financed a study trip through Europe for him between 1835 and 1838. Flagg then lived in London until 1844 . Immediately upon his return to the United States, he opened a studio in New Haven, but then moved to New York City . The high point of his artistic career was the painting Lady Jane Gray Preparing for Execution , completed in 1835 , which made him famous. This fame soon waned, however, as history painting went out of fashion. Nevertheless, Flagg was elected honorary member of the National Academy of Design in 1842 (in the then "amateur" category ). Unusually, he was elected a full academic member again in 1851 because he believed that all academy members should submit a special piece of work to the jury - and he did so with a self-portrait. In later years he worked temporarily in a parish office.

George Whiting Flagg, who was married to Louisa Henriques and had four children, died at the age of 80.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ nationalacademy.org: Past Academicians "F" / Flagg, George Whiting NA 1851 ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed on June 21, 2015)  
2. ↑ David Bernard Dearinger: Paintings and Sculpture in the Collection of the National Academy of Design , Hudson Hills Press, New York, 2004. ISBN 978-1-55595-029-3 (page 193/194)

Works (selection)

• A Boy Listening to a Ghost Story
• A Young Greek
• Jacob and Rachel at the Well
• Murder of the Princes
• The Match Girl
• Haidee
• The Scarlet Letter
• Laying of the Atlantic Cable
• Landing of the Pilgrims
• Washington Receiving His Mother's Blessing
• The Good Samaritan
• Columbus and the Egg
• Lady Jane Gray Preparing for Execution (1835)

literature

• Dara LD Powell, Anthony Szápáry: The Flagg Family. An Artistic Legacy And The Provenance Of A Collection . Burton & Mayer, Pound Ridge / Milwaukee 1986