Sydney Richmond Burleigh
Encyclopedia
Sydney Richmond Burleigh (July 7, 1853 – February 25, 1931) was an American artist
, known primarily for his watercolors
but also for his oil paintings
, drawings
, illustrations
, and building and furniture designs.
He was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island
, a descendent of the Pilgrim William Bradford. In 1875, he married Sarah Drew Wilkinson (1851-1952) and, with her encouragement and wealth, became a full-time artist. He studied in Paris
with Jean-Paul Laurens
from 1876 to 1880 and then returned to Rhode Island
, where he spent most of his life.
Burleigh rose to national prominence after receiving a bronze medal
at the St. Louis Exposition
in 1904 and an open prize from the Buffalo Society of Artists in 1913. He exhibited regularly at the Boston Art Club
as well as the National Academy of Design
, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
, and the Newport Art Museum
.
He also worked as an illustrator and collaborated with writer William Henry Frost on several children’s books.
He was a painter in the realist
style, consistent with the academic
style of his teacher, Laurens. Mabel Ducasse, an art critic for the Providence Journal, wrote of Burleigh’s art that "there is a quality in his work which suggests that of the masters of the Renaissance when they chose to employ line and wash. It is character — born of perfect certainty of touch and flowing freedom of line. It is seldom achieved by modern watercolorists, who most often mistake the function of their medium, which is that of drawing rather than painting."
A man of versatile creativity, Burleigh designed the Fleur-de-lys Studios
in Providence
in collaboration with the architect
Edmund Russell Willson of Stone, Carpenter, and Willson
. Built in 1885 in conjunction with the Art Workers Guild
, the building was to be used for art studios, including Burleigh’s own. It is an important monument to the American Arts and Crafts Movement
and was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1992. It is now owned by the Providence Art Club.
Another of his studios was a unique and eccentric little building known as the "Peggotty." Burleigh built it over the hull of a small sailboat that had been used as a ferry between Little Compton and Middletown, Rhode Island
. It featured a thatched roof
, and today it is on display at the Little Compton Historical Society.
Burleigh was a leading member of the art community in Rhode Island. He was a founder of the Providence Art Club in 1880 and was the first president of the Providence Watercolor Club. He had a long association with the Rhode Island School of Design
, serving on the board of directors (1887-1893), as a teacher (1897-1906), and as a trustee (1919-1931). He received an honorary degree
from Brown University
in 1912.
His works are held in several private and public collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
and the museums at Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Rhode Island Historical Society
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, known primarily for his watercolors
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
but also for his oil paintings
Oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the...
, drawings
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, illustrations
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, and building and furniture designs.
He was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island
Little Compton, Rhode Island
Little Compton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. Its population was 3,492 at the time of the 2010 census. Little Compton is located in southeastern Rhode Island, between the Sakonnet River and the Massachusetts state border...
, a descendent of the Pilgrim William Bradford. In 1875, he married Sarah Drew Wilkinson (1851-1952) and, with her encouragement and wealth, became a full-time artist. He studied in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with Jean-Paul Laurens
Jean-Paul Laurens
Jean-Paul Laurens , was a French painter and sculptor, and one of the last major exponents of the French Academic style.Born in Fourquevaux, he was a pupil of Léon Cogniet and Alexandre Bida...
from 1876 to 1880 and then returned to Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, where he spent most of his life.
Burleigh rose to national prominence after receiving a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the St. Louis Exposition
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
in 1904 and an open prize from the Buffalo Society of Artists in 1913. He exhibited regularly at the Boston Art Club
Boston Art Club
The Boston Art Club, Boston, Massachusetts, for nearly 157 years, serves as a nexus for Members and non Members to access the world of Fine Art. Currently more than 250 members maintain an active environment for the support and promotion of these works....
as well as the National Academy of Design
National Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
, and the Newport Art Museum
Newport Art Museum
Newport Art Museum, founded in 1912, is located on 76 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. The museum operates a gallery in the John N. A...
.
He also worked as an illustrator and collaborated with writer William Henry Frost on several children’s books.
He was a painter in the realist
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
style, consistent with the academic
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
style of his teacher, Laurens. Mabel Ducasse, an art critic for the Providence Journal, wrote of Burleigh’s art that "there is a quality in his work which suggests that of the masters of the Renaissance when they chose to employ line and wash. It is character — born of perfect certainty of touch and flowing freedom of line. It is seldom achieved by modern watercolorists, who most often mistake the function of their medium, which is that of drawing rather than painting."
A man of versatile creativity, Burleigh designed the Fleur-de-lys Studios
Fleur-de-lys Studios
Fleur-de-Lys Studios, also known as Fleur-de-Lis Studios or Sydney Burleigh Studio, is a site in Rhode Island.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.-See also:...
in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in collaboration with the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Edmund Russell Willson of Stone, Carpenter, and Willson
Stone, Carpenter, and Willson
Stone, Carpenter and Willson was a Providence, Rhode Island based architectural firm in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. It was named for the partners Alfred E. Stone , Edmund R. Willson , and Charles E. Carpenter...
. Built in 1885 in conjunction with the Art Workers Guild
Art Workers Guild
The Art Workers Guild or Art-Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British architects associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of all the arts', denying the distinction between fine and applied art...
, the building was to be used for art studios, including Burleigh’s own. It is an important monument to the American Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
and was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1992. It is now owned by the Providence Art Club.
Another of his studios was a unique and eccentric little building known as the "Peggotty." Burleigh built it over the hull of a small sailboat that had been used as a ferry between Little Compton and Middletown, Rhode Island
Middletown, Rhode Island
Middletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,150 at the 2010 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown."-Geography:...
. It featured a thatched roof
Thatching
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge , rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates...
, and today it is on display at the Little Compton Historical Society.
Burleigh was a leading member of the art community in Rhode Island. He was a founder of the Providence Art Club in 1880 and was the first president of the Providence Watercolor Club. He had a long association with the Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
, serving on the board of directors (1887-1893), as a teacher (1897-1906), and as a trustee (1919-1931). He received an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1912.
His works are held in several private and public collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
and the museums at Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Rhode Island Historical Society
Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Rhode Island...