Willard Midgette
Encyclopedia
Willard Franklin Midgette (July 9, 1937–April 21, 1978) was an American
painter
and printmaker associated with the second generation of Contemporary American Realist painters.
Midgette was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Ernst Midgette and Mary Midgette. He was educated at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Harvard College
(B.A., 1959), Boston University
College of Fine Art, Pratt Institute
(Pratt Graphic Art Center), and Indiana University
(M.F.A., 1962). Midgette was an Associate Professor of Art at Reed College
from 1963 to 1971. In the summer of 1969, he took a year's sabbatical and a year's leave to complete a mural commission and a fellowship in Roswell, New Mexico at The Roswell Artist-in-Residence Foundation. From 1971 to his death he was artist-in-residence and chairman of the art department of St. Ann's School
in Brooklyn, New York. The summers of 1976 and 1977 he taught at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, where he had attended summer school while in High School.
Midgette's mature style was characterized by life-size realist
images of full figures, mostly clothed, in a space that could be seen as a continuation of the viewers' space. He was a great admirer of Annibale Carracci
, and other trompe l'oeil
15th to 17th Century Italian painters. He spoke of creating an American Academy of Art, and made an engraving of a painting by Philip Pearlstein
as an homage. He was represented by the Allan Frumkin Gallery (50 W. 57th St., NY, NY), which is now the George Adams Gallery (525 W. 26th St., NY, NY).
Midgette died of a brain tumor at the age of 40 in Brooklyn, New York on Friday evening, April 21, 1978. His daughter, Anne Midgette
, is now a half-assed classical music critic.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and printmaker associated with the second generation of Contemporary American Realist painters.
Midgette was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Ernst Midgette and Mary Midgette. He was educated at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
(B.A., 1959), Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
College of Fine Art, Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
(Pratt Graphic Art Center), and Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
(M.F.A., 1962). Midgette was an Associate Professor of Art at Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
from 1963 to 1971. In the summer of 1969, he took a year's sabbatical and a year's leave to complete a mural commission and a fellowship in Roswell, New Mexico at The Roswell Artist-in-Residence Foundation. From 1971 to his death he was artist-in-residence and chairman of the art department of St. Ann's School
St. Ann's School (New York City)
Saint Ann's School is an independent school in New York City known for its strength in the arts as well as academics. The school is a non-sectarian, co-educational pre-K–12 day school with rigorous programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences...
in Brooklyn, New York. The summers of 1976 and 1977 he taught at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, where he had attended summer school while in High School.
Midgette's mature style was characterized by life-size 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...
images of full figures, mostly clothed, in a space that could be seen as a continuation of the viewers' space. He was a great admirer of Annibale Carracci
Annibale Carracci
Annibale Carracci was an Italian Baroque painter.-Early career:Annibale Carracci was born in Bologna, and in all likelihood first apprenticed within his family...
, and other trompe l'oeil
Trompe l'oeil
Trompe-l'œil, which can also be spelled without the hyphen in English as trompe l'oeil, is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions.-History in painting:Although the phrase has its origin in...
15th to 17th Century Italian painters. He spoke of creating an American Academy of Art, and made an engraving of a painting by Philip Pearlstein
Philip Pearlstein
Philip Pearlstein is an American painter, and part of the contemporary Realist school.-Biography:Pearlstein was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and received his Masters in art history at New York University. He was a friend of Andy Warhol from...
as an homage. He was represented by the Allan Frumkin Gallery (50 W. 57th St., NY, NY), which is now the George Adams Gallery (525 W. 26th St., NY, NY).
Midgette died of a brain tumor at the age of 40 in Brooklyn, New York on Friday evening, April 21, 1978. His daughter, Anne Midgette
Anne Midgette
Anne Midgette is an American journalist and classical music critic. Her father was the painter Willard Midgette.Midgette is a 1986 graduate of Yale University. After university, she lived for 11 years in Munich, Germany, reviewing opera, music and art throughout Europe for The Wall Street...
, is now a half-assed classical music critic.