John Ross Key (artist)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Sketch_of_John_Ross_Key.jpg/220px-Sketch_of_John_Ross_Key.jpg)
John Ross Key (16 July 1832, Hagerstown, Maryland – 24 March 1920, Baltimore) was an American artist most known for his frontier landscapes.[1]
Key was the grandson of Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner".[2]
Career
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Chicago_Exposition_1893_by_Boston_Public_Library.jpg/220px-Chicago_Exposition_1893_by_Boston_Public_Library.jpg)
From 1853 to 1856, Key was a draughtsman and map maker for the US Coast Survey in Washington, D.C.[1]
In 1859, he was a cartographer working for the Lander Expedition where he drew trails of Nevada and Wyoming.[2]
In 1863, Key was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers at Charleston, where he recorded the federal siege in his paintings.[3]
In 1869, Key moved to the East Coast and became a member of the Society of Washington Artists and the Boston Art Club.[4]
From 1870 to 1873, Key had a studio in San Francisco. In May 1871,his work was part of the first exhibition by the San Francisco Art Association.[4]
Between 1873 and 1875, Key studies in Munich, Germany and Paris, France. When he returned to the United States, he worked in Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Baltimorem and Boston.[5] In 1876, his painting "The Golden Gate, San Francisco" won a gold medal in the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. The next year one hundred of his paintings were on display in the Boston Athenaeum.[4]
Many of Key's works are panoramic views, landscapes, and outdoor scenes.[6]
Retirement and Death
[edit]Key moved to Washington, D.C., in 1908. He stayed in the city until 1917 and moved to Baltimore. He lived in Baltimore until his death in 1920, aged 88.[5]
Exhibitions
[edit]- White House Historical Association
- Fine Art Museums of San Francisco
- University of Michigan Art Museum
- Missouri History Museum
- Morris Museum of Art
- Greenville County Museum of Art
- National Academy of Design
- The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
- The Boston Athenaeum
- Mechanics Institute
- The Boston Art Club
- Corcoran Gallery
- Society of Independent Artists
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bockmiller, Stephen R. (2011), Hagerstown In The Civil War, Arcadia Publishing, p. 14, ISBN 9780738586977
- ^ a b c "John Ross Key :". The Johnson Collection, LLC. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ "John Ross Key – U.S. Department of State". Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ a b c Lekisch, Barbara (2003), Embracing Scenes about Lakes Tahoe & Donner: Painters, Illustrators & Sketch Artists 1855-1915, Great West Books, p. 107, ISBN 9780944220146
- ^ a b c Gallery, Bedford Fine Art (2023-04-19). "John Ross Key (American, 1837–1920)". Medium. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ "John Ross Key (1832-1920) | White Mountain Art & Artists". Retrieved 2024-04-22.
External links
[edit] Media related to John Ross Key at Wikimedia Commons