Earl Brewster

Earl Henry Brewster, (1878 - 1957). A US painter and friend of D. H. Lawrence.

Brewster was born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 1878. He studied art at the Cleveland School of Art, New York School of Art under the Impressionist Frank Vincent Du Mond at the Lyme Art Colony and at the Art Students League of New York. Living at Washington Square he became friends with other artists and writers, including the poet Vachel Lindsay. He was introduced to his future wife in 1904 after Lindsay mentioned that a woman on a magazine cover that he’d painted looked like Achsah Barlow, a fellow artist. Earl and Achsah were married in 1910 and had a daughter called Harwood in 1912.

After marrying, the Brewsters travelled to Europe and never returned to the United States except for a short visit in 1923. The couple lived a nomadic life in France and Italy, India and Ceylon. In late 1935, shortly before Harwood was married, they settled at Crank's Ridge in Almora, India. The Brewsters knew many well-known artists and writers of the time including D. H. Lawrence and Willa Cather, who became good friends. They met D. H. Lawrence and Frieda on Capri in 1921, who became known as 'Uncle David' and 'Aunt Frieda' to Harwood. The families maintained a close friendship and frequent correspondence. Together Earl and Lawrence toured the Etruscan sites and antiquities in 1927, which became the inspiration for Lawrence's Etruscan Places. Together, Brewster and his wife wrote a book of their experiences with the famous author - "D. H. Lawrence: Reminiscences and Correspondence".

Earl was interested in philosophy and religion, especially Buddhism. Most of his paintings are landscapes, although he also painted portraits and some abstract works.

Achsah died in 1945 and Earl remained alone in Almora until his death in 1957.

Exhibitions of Brewster's work

While living in New York, Earl exhibited his paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, The Boston Art Club, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and in New York City at the Society of American Artists '28th Annual Exhibition', the National Academy of Design and the New York School of Art. During this period, one of his paintings, "The Gray Harbor", was purchased by the artist William Merritt Chase, and another one was acquired by the Hillyer Gallery of Smith College. Later he exhibited paintings at the Galerie Cheron and the Grand Palais in Paris and at the Pincio Casino and the Secessione in Rome. In India they were shown at the Tagore Gallery in Calcutta and the Roerich Centre of Art and Culture in Allahabad. Paintings were purchased to be displayed in public buildings as well as in homes.

The personal correspondence of Earl and Acsah Brewster is kept at Drew University, NJ.

Books

* Achsah and Earl Brewster "D. H. Lawrence: Reminiscences and Correspondence". Martin Secker, London, 1934.
* Earl H Brewster and Caroline A.F. Rhys Davids. "The Life of Gotama the Buddha: Comp. Exclusively from the Pali Canon (Trubner's Oriental Series)". K. Paul, 1926. ASIN: B001AFJL4A
* Mohindar Singh Randhawa. "The art of E.H. Brewster & Achsah Brewster". Kitabistan, 1944. ASIN: B0007K0ZWG

External links

* [http://www.bostonartclub.com Boston Art Club: official site]
* [http://www.artnet.com/artist/88293/earl-h-brewster.html ARTNET page of Brewster paintings]
* [http://www.borghi.org/american/ebrewster.html Brewster's paintings at the Mark Borghi Fine Art site]
* [http://www.acagalleries.com/dynamic/exhibit_artist.asp?ExhibitID=138 Divine Pursuit: The Spiritual Journeys of Achsah and Earl Brewster and Their Circle.] 2007/08 ACA Galleries exhibition