Ernest Lawson
American, 1873 - 1939
Person TypeIndividual
BiographyErnest Lawson (1873 - 1939) was active/lived in New York, Connecticut / Canada, France. Ernest Lawson is known for Landscape, floral, genre and nocturne painting. Part of a group of New York painters called "The Eight*," Ernest Lawson was fascinated by the urban environment of early 20th-century New York and also the bucolic landscape of the Hudson River. His style was close to pure Impressionism*, and many of his works focus on the influence of human beings on the landscapes, quite often with the suggestion that someone has just been a part of the scene. He also completed numerous snow scenes as well as depictions of the less-than-beautiful side of life that including squatter's shacks, railroads and urban city views. Although he associated with the Social Realists* led by Robert Henri, he did not adopt that subject matter as the focus of his painting. On his canvases, he used a palette knife and heavy impasto with bold, bright colors.