ATHENlEUM ITEMS A Library Letter from The Boston Athenceum No. 139 Sunznzer 2008 The Athenceum Acquires a Major Painting by William Paxton HE Boston Athen~um has recently acquired an exquisite late nineteenth-century painting by American artist William McGregor Paxton ( 1869- 1941). It is a portrait of Elizabeth Vaughan Okie, who met Paxton in about 1895 while they were both studying at the Cowles Art School in Boston. It was love at first sight-as clearly documented by the Athen~um's newest acquisi­ tion-and by the end of the century Paxton and Okie were married. \Villiam Paxton was born in Baltimore, t-.1aryland, in 1869, the only child of James Paxton and Rose Daughert}. His father, a nati\e of J\11assachusetts, had moved with his wife to Baltimore in search of work, but shortly after \Villiam was born they returned to Massachusetts, set­ tling in Newton, where James established a successful catering and confectionary business. After completing his early schooling in Newton, \1\filliam Paxton won a scholarship in 1887 to the Cowles Art School in Boston, where he was a student of Dennis Miller Bunker. Two years later he went to Paris, where he studied for four years at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under the French academic master Jean-Leon Gerome. Back in Boston, PaAtOn resumed his tudies at the Cowles School, this time under Joseph R. DeCamp, and began life-long friendships with fello'' tudents Frank Be11son and Edmund Charles Tarbell. s, the end of the century, Paxton was making a reputation for himself a an accom­ plished portrait painter. His early career culminated in his first solo exhibition, held at the St. Botolph Club m \Villiam McGregor Paxton (1869-1941) Boston in 1900. Elzzabeth Vaughan Okte, ca. 1895 Oil on cam as, 32 x 21 Vs mches Athena:!um Bicentennial purchase, 2007 ATHI:;"JA::UM ITEMS 1 In 1906, Paxton was appointed mstructor of drawing Boston. She was a member of the Guild of Boston Artists, at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, a the North Shore Art Association, the Copley Society, and position he held until1913. He was elected to membership the American Artists Professional League. As was true of in the Boston Art Club in 1898, was a founding member some of her husband's work, Elizabeth Paxton's paintings of the Guild of Boston Artists in 1914, and was made an were occasionally used by contemporary magannes as associate and then full member of the National Academy illustrations for short stories and advertisements. of Design in New York in 1917 and 1928 respectively. He is After her husband's death, Elizabeth Paxton moved to often identified with the Boston School of painters that the Fenway Studios in Boston, where she continued to included hts friends Benson, DeCamp, and Tarbell. These paint for many years. She died in Boston on April 2, 1972, and other artists also constituted the ((Ten American aged 95· Painters," most of whom worked, at least for a time, in the Impressionist manner. As far as is known, this portrait of Elizabeth Okie has never been reproduced and was probably exhibited only once, if at all, in 1900. It seems likely that Paxton painted The subject of this portrait is Elizabeth Vaughan Okie it as a gift to Elizabeth; she retained ownership of it for all who, according to family tradition, was seventeen years of her long life. (Only one earlier image of her by vVilliam old when it was painted. Elizabeth was born in Provi­ Paxton is extant: a profile study he painted in 1895 as a gift dence, Rhode Island, on March 17, 1878, one of three chil­ to her mother. It remains in pnvate hands.) The dren of Dr. Howard Okie and his wife Elizabeth Vaughan. Athenceum's painting is also a rare surviving example Elizabeth Okie began her art studies at the Cowles School from the first decades of Paxton's career, for about 100 of under Ernest Lee Major and Joseph R. DeCamp, and it his canvases, representing his early reuvre, were destroyed was there, in about 1895, that she met William Paxton. in a fire in the Harcourt Studios in Boston in 1904. This They were engaged by the next year, but decided to delay painting is a superb example of Paxton's early, Impres­ their marriage until Paxton was better established as an sionist style, and shows the influence of his contempo­ artist. Evidently, by 1899, they were feeling more confi­ raries, notably his friends Frank Benson and Edmund dent about their economic and professional future, for in Tarbell. that year they finally married. David B. Dearinger They first lived with William's parents at 37 Elmwood Susan Morse Hilles Curator of Paintings and Sculpture Street in Newton, Massachusetts, and then, following the elder Mrs. Paxton's death around 1905, at 19 Montvale Road in Ne\vton. Shortly after their marriage, they trav­ eled to Europe, and in 1900 they began spending sum­ Athenreum Trips mers in Rockport and East Gloucester, Massachusetts, and on Nantucket Island and Cape Cod where, in The Library has planned two trips for members in 2oo8- Provincetown, Paxton eventually established a studio. 2009, so please check your calendars and consider joining William's widowed father continued to live with the Director and Librarian Richard Wendorf as Athena visits younger Paxtons in Newton until his death in the 1920s. London and Greece. What's on the horizon? Poland, with William and Elizabeth Paxton had no children. Peter Lauritzen, in the fall of 2010. As this portrait suggests, Elizabeth Okie immediately became - and, as the artist's wife, would remain- one London-Behind-the-Scenes of \Nilliam Paxton's favorite models and sources of inspi­ September 2 9 , 2 008 - October 7, 2008 ration. She appears in many of his paintings, including The Crystal (1900 ), The Sisters (1904), and The Green How well do you know London? This trip, the Athe­ Dolman (Elizabeth Paxton) (1924). She was a very accom­ nreum's third to the English capital, challenges the plished and serious painter in her own right; she special­ Library's members to experience rich slices of London ized in painting still-lifes and interiors, both with and that are not known (or easily accessible) to the normal without figures. Her work was exhibited widely in Boston, tourist: dinner at the Foundling Hospital, visits to the New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Today, Geffrye Museum, Leighton House, the Linley Sanborne most of her paintings remain in private collections, but a House, the Guildhall Art Gallery, the only Roman ruin in fine example of her figural work, The Open Window London, Osterley Park, Eltham Palace - and li terally a (1922), is in the collection of the ~1useum of Fine Arts, dozen other wonderful surprises. A1HENifUM ITEMS 2 In the News: New Yo rk Times The Boston Athencrum and America's Afembersl11p Ltbrarics were both featured on ;vtarch 7 in a New York T11ncs "Escapes" feature about New England athenreums entitled "Where Greek Ideals Iv1eet Ne\\ Lngland Charm." The onhne versiOn of the stOr} includes a slideshov, of additional images taken at the Library, mcludtng the tea-ttme crowd, musicians rehearsing for Noon Music, a fifth-floor scholar reading, members brO\\ smg the stacks, a close up of the Cutter catalog, a bronze cast of Walt vVhttman's hand, and the building's red leather front doors. Reporter Roger Mummert and photographer Jodi Hilton also \ isited the Portsmouth, Salem, Pro\ 1dence, and Newport athenreums. See the New York Tunes online archives at www.nytimes.com for the full story. \Ve w1ll also enjoy three walking tours with Dr. a partner and children ages 5-21 living at home. The Life Andrew Duncan, best-selling author of Secret I ondon. Iv1ember's spouse or partner may continue to use the Life For information, call Anthony Worcester of Patron Membership upon the primary cardholder's death as Travel at 781-641-2679. Because of the walking tours, long as the Annual Assessment is kept up. Please call the space is limited on this trip. Membership office about upgrading to or giving the gift of a Life Iv1embership. Classical Greece Fam ily/Household Membership May 6, 2009 - May 16, 2009 The Boston Athenreum's "Family/Household" :tv1ember­ Join legendary lecturer Peter Lauritzen on this exc1ting ship covers any two adults living at the same address, plus tour to Athens, Delphi, Olympia, and Nauplion. The children under the age of 21. If you would like to add a recent Olympics brought renewed attention to Greece, roommate, partner, or child to your membership, you and the government responded by restoring many of the may upgrade from Individual to Household lv1embership major archaeological sites and museums, which are now at any time during the year. No additional references are in superb condition. required for the additional member. Please call the Mem­ More information about this tour will follow, but in bership office to add the new member and arrange for the meantime you can reserve a space by calling Susan payment of the difference in the fees. The fee for regular Gullia at Protravel International, 800-227-1059, x 456. Household Membership is $290 per year. An Associate Family/Household Membership has an annual assess­ ment of S>175 for members where at least one of the adults Membership Corner is under the age of 41. Life Membership Are Yo u Receivin g the Email Newsletter? Are you looking fo r the perfect graduation, birthday, or Members are encouraged to keep their email addresses anniversary gift for someone you love? Consider treating and other contact information up-to-date with the Mem­ a loved one (or you rselfl) to a Life Membership at the bership Office in order to receive timely news via email, Boston Athenreum.