Charles Houghton Howard

Professor David Manley gave our first talk of 2020 on Charles Houghton Howard, an American artist who has only five pieces of art on public display in the UK. David became fascinated by Howard I think partly because he's quite an enigmatic figure, not unknown and not well known. David decided to visit the galleries where the five works by Howard were kept which is how he met Sophie Cummings, who then suggested we might like to invite David to come and talk to us.

 David's enthusiasm for Howard and his painting was infectious and knowing more about the painter,  his paintings can be appreciated much more. He gave an excellent and lively talk during which I took copious notes which don't make as much sense as I had hoped they would.
Howard was born in 1899 and was the third of three brothers, their father was a successful architect in San Francisco and all brothers and a sister engaged in artistic careers.

 Augustus Lunn was a big influence on Howard, this work by him entitled 'Fish' seen above, can be seen at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
 After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1917 Howard entered UC Berkeley but left to serve in the Student’s Army Training Corps until the end of World War I. He returned to UC Berkeley and earned a degree in journalism in 1921. He pursued a masters’ degree in English at Harvard University that fall and then transferred to Columbia University’s English program the following spring semester. In July he sailed for Europe, living in England, France and Italy for two years. During the summer of 1923 he traveled in Italy with the artist Grant Wood (1891-1942), who urged Howard to pursue a career as an artist rather than as a journalist. An altarpiece by Giorgione (1477-1510) seen below, in Castelfranco also inspired his choice of career.

 Grant Wood who was famed for his painting, 'American Gothic, a depiction of the rural mid West during the Depression

On returning from Italy Howard began painting and became quite successful, the painting below is an example of his early work.

He married twice, his second wife, Madge Knight, also an artist was British and they moved over to the UK in 1933, moving back to the States during the second world war, returning  to England in 1946 and 'settled in Helions Bumpstead, Suffolk, where he continued his art creations and began to develop an austere minimalism, using primarily black, white, and gray paints. He continued to exhibit widely while teaching at the Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts in London. After six years of teaching, Howard retired and moved to Bagni di Lucca, Italy, where he died on November 11th 1978. As an artist Howard earned his place in American art history from his biological machinery abstractions and biomorphic paintings. He will also be remembered for helping to introduce European surrealism into the United States.'
It's well worth clicking on one of the links to read more about Howard, he had a fascinating career, although apparently happy to remain out of the limelight. The works in this country are these:

 Above The Matement at The Fitzwilliam Museum, and below The Seated Crest which is held by Girton College.

 The painting above, 'The Cavern' is owned by Derbyshire and Derby School Library service

This painting is called 61-62 No 3 and is to be found at The Towner
 and here's 'our' Howard painting which I feel we are very fortunate to own courtesy of the Contemporary Arts Society

What a difference insight into the artist and their work makes to appreciation of the paintings by Charles Houghton Howard.