biography of John WHORF (1903-1959)

Birth place: Winthrop, MA

Death place: Provincetown, MA

Addresses: Brookline, MA/Provincetown, MA (permanently, 1937-on)

Profession: Painter

Studied: with his father, Harry C. Whorf; St. Botolphe Studio with Sherman Kidd, 1917 (age 14); BMFA Sch. with Wm. James and Philip Hale, 1917; in Provincetown, 1917-18, with C.W. Hawthorne; M. Bohm; R. Miller, G. Beneker, G.E. Browne & E.A. Webster; Acad. de la Grande Chaumière, …cole des Beaux-Arts & Acad. Colarossi, all in Paris, c.1919; J.S. Sargent in Boston, 1925-26

Exhibited: Grace Horne Gal., Boston, 1924 (first solo); AWCS; PAFA Ann., 1930; Oakland Art Gallery, 1930 (solo); Mills College, Oakland, 1931 (solo); Calif. WCS, 1934, 1939; AIC, 1939 (prize), 1943 (prize); WMAA; Kansas City AI; BMFA; Boston Soc. Watercolor Painters; Brooklyn Mus.; Phila. WCC; Albright-Knox Gal., Buffalo; Milwaukee AI; NOMA; New Rochelle AA;19th Venice Bienale; M.H. deYoung Mus.; Worcester AM; Cincinnati AM; Milch Gal., NYC (32 solos); Arvest Gal., Boston, 1984 (solo). Other awards: hon. degree, M.A., Harvard Univ., 1938

Member: ANA; NA, 1947; AWCS; Florida WCS; The Beachcombers; Provincetown AA

Work: BMFA; WMAA; MMA; MoMA; BM; LACMA; MIT; Fogg MA; Addison Gal. Am. Art; Amherst College AM; John Herron AI; TMA; Montclair Art Mus.; AIC; RISD; CAM; Univ. Illinois; New Britain Mus. Art; William Rockhill Nelson Gal. Art, Kansas City; St. Louis MA; Univ. of Miami (OH); Nat. Mus., Stockholm, Sweden; Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy; NOMA; Yale Univ.; Baltimore MA; Butler IA.

Comments: After his full recovery from a paralyzing fall at age 18, he left for Europe, and painted throughout France, Portugal and Morocco, working in watercolor rather than oil. From 1924-on, he was a highly-regarded watercolorist; his style was most influenced by John Singer Sargent.

Sources: WW53; exh. cat. Arvest Gal. (Boston, 1984); WW47; Falk, Exh. Record Series; info. courtesy North Shore AA.

Legals