1876-1954
Theme/Style – Impressionism, portraits, figurative art, landscapes, still lifes
Media – Oils, watercolors
Artistic Focus – John Hubbard Rich is best known for his portraits, interior, and still life paintings done in impressionist style. His interior figures often were posed against a wall or piece of furniture with emphasis on the play of light and horizontal and vertical lines. His portraits were realistic and reflected each individual’s mood and personality.
Career Highlights –
- John Hubbard Rich was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1876. He and his family later moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he worked as a commercial artist for the Minneapolis Times and took art classes at night.
- In 1898 Rich went to New York, where he studied at the Art Students League for four years, attended the Boston Museum school, and subsequently received a scholarship to study in Europe.
- When Rich returned from abroad, he taught classes at the Groton School in Boston and shared a studio with artist friend William Vincent Cahill.
- In 1914, Rich and Cahill moved to Los Angeles, where they established the School for Illustration and Painting and taught in the impressionist style.
- The school was eventually sold, and Rich went on to teach at the University of Southern California, and later at the Otis Art Institute for twenty-eight years.
- Rich remained active in the Los Angeles art scene as a member of the California Arts Club, the Salmagundi Club, and the San Diego Art Guild, and was a frequent exhibitor at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He passed away in Los Angeles in 1954.
Bibliographic references are available upon request.