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 George Baker was born in Muncie, Indiana and moved to Richmond, Indiana in
his early teens. Considered a brilliant colorist, Baker demonstrated
artistic ability early in his life. This interest in drawing landed him a
job at the Gaar-Scott Company where like Charles Conner; he painted scenes
on farm equipment. The farm equipment could be decorated with anything from
pinstripes to completed landscapes. It was Mr. Scott who introduced Baker to
the dean of the Richmond Group, John Bundy. In addition to art instruction
with Bundy, Baker studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy and at the Boothbay
Art School, Maine.
Baker was a charter member of the Richmond Palette club, serving as the
president of the organization. His was known for his landscapes of all
seasons and moods, painting nature around Wayne County. His daring use of
bold color led to rumors of alcoholism, yet these cannot be confirmed. When
asked about his use of color Baker responded, “I don’t paint nature the way
it is. I paint nature the way I wish it was.” Considered to be one of the
finest landscape painters in Indiana, Baker was invited to serve as a
visiting instructor for two semesters at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio in
1925.
Later in his career he worked in pastel and depicted marine scenes. Baker
painted on the New England coast and in the mountains during the summer of
1931. In that same year, sixty oil paintings of Marine scenes and pastels
were placed on display in the Westcott Hotel. He exhibited in Cincinnati,
New York, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and various cities throughout
Indiana and Ohio winning numerous awards including the Howard Spaulding Jr.
prize of $100 at the Hoosier Salon Exhibition, Nye Prize, 1930 and the
Muncie Prize in 1910. Baker was a prominent local artist of his time and
influenced many Hoosier artists. Artists that studied with Baker include
Harry Townsend, Zeb E. Pottenger, Lawrence McConaha and Howard Leigh |
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Learn More About George Herbert Baker |
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Born: 1878
Died: 1943 Preferred Media:
Painting
Additional
Information & Images:
Images
Biography
Sources:
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Baker, George. Art Notes; What I Know About Art
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Anna Dev. The Art of George Herbert Baker. July
2001.
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Lanier, Parker W. George Herbert Baker: Indiana
Modernist Painter
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White, Esther Griffin. Typed biography on George
Baker-Kathleen Postle Archive
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Palladium and Sun-Telegram, Friday, March 12, 1943.
Obituary.
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The Richmond Item, Sunday, February 20, 1927
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The Richmond Item, November 1, 1931. page 6.
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Richmond Palladium Item, Monday, June 26, 1989.
page A7 Rumors fuel artist’s popularity.
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Richmond Palladium Item, Monday, February 1, 1993
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___The Richmond School; Presented by Jay County
Arts Council and the Art Association of Richmond, September, 1985.
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Photo Courtesy of Earlham College |
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