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John Ross Key (artist)

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Portrait of John Ross Key in 1854 by James McNeill Whistler.

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

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Chromolithograph of John Ross Key's painting of the 1893 Chicago Exposition.

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

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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

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Source:[2][5]

  • 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

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  1. ^ a b Bockmiller, Stephen R. (2011), Hagerstown In The Civil War, Arcadia Publishing, p. 14, ISBN 9780738586977
  2. ^ a b c "John Ross Key :". The Johnson Collection, LLC. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  3. ^ "John Ross Key – U.S. Department of State". Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c Gallery, Bedford Fine Art (2023-04-19). "John Ross Key (American, 1837–1920)". Medium. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  6. ^ "John Ross Key (1832-1920) | White Mountain Art & Artists". Retrieved 2024-04-22.
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Media related to John Ross Key at Wikimedia Commons