George William Whitaker
| George William Whitaker | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
September 25, 1840 Fall River, Massachusetts |
| Died | March 6, 1916 (aged 75) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Barbizon School |
| Known for | Co-founder of the Providence Art Club |
| Movement | Tonalism |
George William Whitaker (September 25, 1840 – March 6, 1916) was a prominent Rhode Island landscape painter during the late 19th and early 20th century, known as the "Dean of Providence painters" or the "Dean of Rhode Island Artists."
Whitaker was born September 25, 1840, in Fall River, Massachusetts to James and Elizabeth (Monday) Whitaker. George's father James was born in England and came to the United States as a child. Both George's parents died at a young age, leaving George an orphan at the age of two. George was raised by his maternal grandparents in Providence, Rhode Island.
George attended public schools in Providence, where his skills at drawing became evident. At age 14, George lived at the North American Phalanx, a transcendental community at Red Bank, New Jersey. There he studied with a painting instructor, Professor Guilledeau. The following year he apprenticed with his uncle Nathaniel Monday, an engraver in New York City. George Whitaker worked in New York as an engraver until he was 31 years old.
Whitaker married Sarah L. Hull, daughter of John and Lydia N. (Sherman) Hull, on May 27, 1863. They lived in the Fruit Hill section of North Providence, and were active in neighborhood improvement associations. They were members of the Church of the New Jerusalem on Trinity Square, in Providence. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Wood (Whitaker) Stiff.
During his time working for his uncle the engraver in New York City, Whitaker became interested in painting. He began studying with painters of the Hudson River School. Whitaker was mentored by landscape artists George Inness and Alexander Helwig Wyant. His attention then turned to Europe, and went to study with Hungarian painter László Paál in Paris. Whitaker was heavily influenced by Jean-François Millet and the Barbizon school in France.
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