Thomas Nast

John White Alexander prints show one of the most elegant American painters of the Gilded Age. Alexander rose from telegraph boy to celebrated portraitist and muralist, and his slender women in sweeping gowns, painted in soft, muted colour, won gold medals in Paris and Saint Louis. Our collection of fine art prints includes his figure paintings, portraits of Walt Whitman and Mark Twain, and his Evolution of the Book murals for the Library of Congress.

About John White Alexander

John White Alexander was born in Allegheny, now part of Pittsburgh, on 7 October 1856. Orphaned as a baby and raised by his grandparents, he became a telegraph boy at twelve. Edward J. Allen of the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company noticed his drawing talent and adopted him.

At eighteen he moved to New York and worked at Harper's Weekly as an illustrator and political cartoonist alongside Edwin Austin Abbey and Howard Pyle. He then trained in Munich and at Polling in Bavaria with Frank Duveneck, met Whistler in Venice, and studied in Florence, the Netherlands and Paris.

Back in New York from 1881, he became a sought-after portraitist, painting Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Burroughs and, in 1889, Walt Whitman. His Paris Salon debut of 1893 was a great success, and honours followed: the Legion of Honour, gold medals at Paris in 1900 and Saint Louis in 1904, and the presidency of the National Academy of Design from 1909 to 1915. He painted the murals Apotheosis of Pittsburgh for the Carnegie Institute and helped found the National Society of Mural Painters. He died of heart disease in New York on 31 May 1915.

Style and Subjects

Alexander is best known for his paintings of women: tall, slender figures in long, flowing dresses, often seen in profile or turning away, with the curves of the fabric and hair forming graceful lines across the picture. His colours are soft and restrained, with greys, greens and creams, showing the lessons of Whistler.

His portraits are direct and lively, and his murals combine clear storytelling with decorative design.

Famous Works

• Walt Whitman (1889), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The poet painted from life in the last years of his life.
• Repose (1895), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A woman at rest, one of his best-known figure paintings.
• Evolution of the Book (1896), Library of Congress, Washington. Six murals tracing writing from the cairn and oral tradition to the printing press.
• Isabella and the Pot of Basil (1897), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A heroine from Keats's poem, painted the year after his murals.
• Apotheosis of Pittsburgh (1905–1907), Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh. Murals covering a three-storey entrance hall.
• Study in Black and Green (1906), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A figure study whose title names its colour harmony.
• The Ring (1911), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A late figure painting from 1911.

Decorating with Alexander Prints

Alexander's women in long gowns suit bedrooms, dressing rooms and quiet living rooms, especially in soft greys, greens and creams that echo his palette. June or Repose looks fine in a slim gilt or dark frame over a bed or sofa.

The portraits of Whitman and Mark Twain make good choices for a study or library, and the Evolution of the Book murals are a natural set for a home office, reading room or bookshelf wall.

FAQ

Who was John White Alexander?

John White Alexander was an American portrait, figure and mural painter and illustrator who lived from 1856 to 1915. He served as president of the National Academy of Design from 1909 to 1915.

What is John White Alexander known for?

He is known for elegant paintings of women in flowing gowns, portraits of figures such as Walt Whitman, and murals including Evolution of the Book at the Library of Congress.

Who influenced John White Alexander?

He trained with Frank Duveneck in Bavaria and took advice from James McNeill Whistler in Venice. Whistler's influence shows in his soft, harmonious colour.

Where can I see John White Alexander's paintings?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has several, including Walt Whitman and Repose. Others are in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Library of Congress and the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh.

Did Alexander paint Walt Whitman from life?

Yes. He painted the poet's portrait in 1889, commissioned by Mrs. Jeremiah Milbank, and it is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Related Artists

• Frank Duveneck: his teacher at Polling in Bavaria
• Howard Pyle: fellow illustrator at Harper's Weekly
• John Singer Sargent: leading American portraitist of the same era
• Thomas Wilmer Dewing: American painter of graceful women in soft tones
• William Merritt Chase: American painter who also trained in Munich