Portrait of a Young Woman, by William J. Forsyth (1854-1935)

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Ohio-born painter William J. Forsyth (1854-1935) spent most of his life in Indianapolis and initially trained at the Indiana School … Read more Ohio-born painter William J. Forsyth (1854-1935) spent most of his life in Indianapolis and initially trained at the Indiana School of Art. But by 1882 Forsyth wanted to hone his drawing and rendering skills abroad. He enrolled at the Royal Academy in Munich, Germany. Fellow Hoosier students in Munich included artists T. C. Steele and J. Ottis Adams, which helped the new arrival’s transition.
Forsyth painted figures like this one while in Munich. One intriguing indication that this piece may have been done during the artist’s Academy period is that a very similar portrait of a remarkably similar sitter was described at auction as "German School, 1891" with the inscription "G. Büttner/Munich '91."
However, while there Forsyth shifted his interest to landscapes under the influence of American artist J. Frank Currier, who was also in Munich. This new approach of painting from nature represented a break with his past. And after five years away, Forsythe returned to the U.S. to focus on his home state’s landscapes, spending the remainder of his career in Indiana. During these years, he became a key figure in Indiana’s art scene and helped to found Indianapolis’ Herron School of Art where he taught until 1933. He ultimately became a force for the development of Indiana artists, ever working toward recognition for Midwestern American artists overall. His work can be found in the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art, the Indiana State Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. See less