Abbott F. Graves, born in 1859, was a decorative painter known for his floral still lifes and garden scenes. He studied in Paris at the Academie Julian and with Laurens and Gervais. In 1900 Graves travled to Bermuda to paint. His work was done with thick impasto brushwork with bright colors and natual light. Graves taught at the Cowles Art School in Boston and then opened his own art school in 1891. He moved it to Kennebunkport, ME but it closed in 1902. Graves died in 1936 and was widely acclaimed as a garden painting specialist throughout New England and Paris. His work is held at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine.

Biography courtesy of The Caldwell Gallery, www.antiquesandfineart.com/caldwell

Abbott Fuller Graves was a renowned specialist in decorative open-air garden paintings and floral still lifes. His use of thick, impasto brushstrokes, bright colors and natural light, most evident in his later garden paintings, shows the influence of European impressionism.

Born in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1859, Graves studied both in New England and abroad. He attended, but did not graduate from, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Although already considered one of the best flower painters in Boston, Graves went to Paris and Italy in 1884 to continue his studies. In Europe, he roomed with Edmund C. Tarbell and studied still-life painting.

After returning to Boston in 1885, Graves became an instructor at the Cowles Art School. Also teaching there was his close friend and colleague, Childe Hassam. The two painters undoubtedly influenced one another. In 1887, Graves returned to Paris to study figure painting at the Academie Julien. There he studied under Cromon, Laurens and Gervais until 1891.

After 1891, the majority of Graves's works depict gardens and floral landscapes. Often these oils, pastels and watercolors include female figures. Some portray exotic gardens of Spain and South America. The bright sunlight and bold use of color and paint, as well as the subject matter of the garden paintings, reflect the influence of European impressionism on Graves's work.

Throughout his career, Graves continued his travels between New England and Paris. In 1891, he opened his own art school in Boston. The school moved to Kennebunk, Maine and closed in 1902. From 1902 to 1905, Graves was employed as a commercial illustrator for magazines in Paris. When Graves died in 1936, he had achieved wide acclaim as a specialist in garden painting, both in New England and Paris.

Memberships:
Allied Artists of America
American Art Association of Paris
Artists' Fund
Boston Art Club
Boston Society of Watercolor Painters
Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts
Copley Society of Boston
National Arts Club
National Academy of Design
North Shore Art Association
Salmagundi Club

Public Collections:
Art Museum, Portland, Maine
National Arts Club, New York City

Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton