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Mary Hortense Webster

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Name
  
Mary Webster

Mary Hortense Webster (1881–1965) was a known mainly as a sculptor. She also had instruction as a painter at the Art Academy of Cincinnati with Barnhorn and Nowattny, the Academie Julian in Paris, Verlet, Waldmann, Paris, with George Hitchcock in Holland, and Charles Hawthorne in Provincetown. Yet, afterwards, she decided to focus upon sculpture as her specialty. Webster trained under the distinguished American portrait sculptor Lorado Taft at the Art Institute in Chicago in his Midway studios, the city in which she eventually settled. She was a native to Oberlin, OH and one of the early members of the Women's Art Club of Cleveland.

Contents

She also took classes at Oberlin College for drawing and painting.

She was best known for painting and sculpture. Within these mediums, her main subjects were portraits, busts, and sculptures. She was most active in Chicago, IL, and Portland, OH. She also received training in Chicago, Cincinnati, Holland, Paris and Provincetown, MA. Under Taft, she also worked as his assistant and secretary at his Midway Studios in Chicago. She was also a teacher in Lock Have, PA, Owatona, MN (1907–10), and was Head of the Art Department in Portland Art Museum Schools(1910–13).

Works

Horace Mann- Sculpture (Created between 1905-1936)

  • Dimensions 125.6 cm x 95 cm x 5 cm
  • Medium- Gilt Plaster
  • Current Owner: Stanford University-Dispersed Art Collection
  • With her instructor, Taft(1860 - 1936), she created a sculpture of the well known American politician.

    Mrs. Forest Bidwell - Portrait (1916)

  • Featured in the Catalogue of the One Hundred and Eleventh Annual Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (February 6th, 1916- March 26, 1916)
  • At this time, she lived at 51 South Professor Street, Oberlin, Ohio.
  • She was also mentioned in the Magazine in Art for upholding high standards in 1921.

    Exhibitions and Collections

    A list of her exhibitions and collections can be found here.

    After Death

    In the gallery of Cordon in 1965, her sculpture had an honored place in the exhibition of work of member artists with an "In Memorium" art tea. She was the president of the Cordon at the time of her death in January. The guest speaker at this event was Harold Haydon who was associate professor of art at the University of Chicago and director of the Midway studios. She lived to be 83.

    References

    Mary Hortense Webster Wikipedia