Medicine in American Art Schatzki Medicine in American Art Special Articles Medicine in American Art
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First Aid
F
rancis William Edmonds (1806– 1863) was a remarkable figure of the mid-19th century who, in addition to being a renowned painter, had a successful career in finance. Edmonds was born in Hudson, NY, on November 22, 1806, and at an early age preferred drawing to his other schoolwork. However, at the age of 17, his uncle offered him a position as an underclerk at the Tradesman’s Bank in New York City, beginning a lifelong career in banking. In 1826, he began to fuse his two worlds when he initiated study at the National Academy of Design, where he met William Sidney Mount (1807–1868) and other artists who would have a profound effect on his artistic career. Three years later, a submission to an exhibition at the National Academy was so well received that he was elected an associate member of the National Academy. However, in 1830, he was appointed cashier of the Hudson River Bank in his home town, and his artistic career was temporarily put aside. In 1832, Edmonds returned to New York as the cashier of the Leather Manufacturer’s Bank and 7 years later, after the financial panic of 1837, he was elected cashier of the Mechanic’s Bank of New York, a large and important bank. Meanwhile, Edmonds began to paint again and also became involved in numerous artistic organizations. Membership in the Sketch Club, which combined artists, writers, and patrons, enabled him to meet prominent artists and literary leaders in an informal setting. The interchanges at these meetings were important in Edmonds’ growth, but, as the artistic focus of the meetings began to decrease, the artists, in 1844, formed a new group, the Artist’s Sketch Club. Meanwhile, Edmonds had become an Academician of the National Academy in 1840. While maintaining his banking responsibilities, Edmonds became heavily involved in subsequent artists’ organizations, including the Century Association, the Apollo Association, and the Art-Union, in which he served on the executive committee. The Art-Union was important in American art history for its wide-
spread popular dissemination of engravings of important American paintings. The paintings of the Art-Union were eventually moved to the New York Gallery, where Edmonds served as a vice president, and in 1857 the paintings and sculptures were transferred to their final resting place at the New York Historical Society. The National Academy of Design, recognizing Edmonds’ administrative abilities, chose him to serve in several capacities, including treasurer and trustee. In 1857, he helped found the Artist’s Fund Society, which raised funds to help artists’ widows and children. By 1850, Edmonds, now 44 years old, had been in the banking business for more than 25 years and had developed a great deal of respect and influence in financial circles. In 1853, he helped develop the New York Clearing House to facilitate the transfer of funds between banks and was chairman of the first Clearing House committee. The following year, he was appointed as New York City’s chamberlain, a post that controlled the city’s funds. However, in 1855, Edmonds suddenly resigned as cashier of the Mechanic’s Bank amid a controversy over misappropriation of funds at the bank. Edmonds gave a vigorous defense to these charges. He did not completely leave the world of business, continuing as a director of the Harlem Railroad and helping found a bank note engraving business, the American Bank Note Company. Given Edmonds’ banking career and his deep involvement with artistic organizations, it is not surprising that there are only 54 of his finished paintings known today. By the mid 1840s, he was among the most important American painters and submitted paintings to the exhibitions at the National Academy every year from 1836 until 1859, with the exception of 1841 when he was in Europe. Edmonds’ paintings resembled those of the 17th-century Dutch genre painters. His works typically took place in a boxlike room of a rural home. As was frequently true in the 17thcentury Dutch pictures, a single corner of the room is shown. There is light from a single
Francis W. Edmonds (1806–1863), First Aid, circa 1840–1845, 17 × 14 inches (43.2 × 35.6 cm), Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire. Bequest of Henry Melville Fuller, 2002.20.23.
door or window or reflected light. Edmonds’ paintings frequently were humorous and contained rural ideals, although Edmonds’ life did not follow this path. First Aid, signed but not dated, is thought to have been painted between 1840 and 1845. The title is thought to be modern. It is not typical of most of Edmonds’ works because it takes place outdoors, yet the wooden fence creates somewhat of a boundary to the story. The overall feeling is more English than Dutch, but the stolid child with a round face and no neck is very much like those seen in 17th-century Dutch works. Francis W. Edmonds, who contributed so much to the world of art, not only with his paintings but also with his commitments to artistic organizations while at the same time maintaining a successful career in finance, died on February 7, 1863, at his country home, Crow’s Neck, in Bronxville, NY. Stefan C. Schatzki1 1 Department of Radiology, Mount Auburn Hospital, 330 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138. Address correspondence to S. C. Schatzki ([email protected]).
Keywords: art, First Aid, Francis W. Edmonds DOI:10.2214/AJR.13.12257 Received November 11, 2013; accepted without revision November 19, 2013. AJR 2014; 202:1395–1395 0361–803X/14/2026–1395 © American Roentgen Ray Society
AJR:202, June 2014 1395
Downloaded from www.ajronline.org by Library Of Medicine on 06/05/14 from IP address 128.103.149.52. Copyright ARRS. For personal use only; all rights reserved
First Aid
F
rancis William Edmonds (1806– 1863) was a remarkable figure of the mid-19th century who, in addition to being a renowned painter, had a successful career in finance. Edmonds was born in Hudson, NY, on November 22, 1806, and at an early age preferred drawing to his other schoolwork. However, at the age of 17, his uncle offered him a position as an underclerk at the Tradesman’s Bank in New York City, beginning a lifelong career in banking. In 1826, he began to fuse his two worlds when he initiated study at the National Academy of Design, where he met William Sidney Mount (1807–1868) and other artists who would have a profound effect on his artistic career. Three years later, a submission to an exhibition at the National Academy was so well received that he was elected an associate member of the National Academy. However, in 1830, he was appointed cashier of the Hudson River Bank in his home town, and his artistic career was temporarily put aside. In 1832, Edmonds returned to New York as the cashier of the Leather Manufacturer’s Bank and 7 years later, after the financial panic of 1837, he was elected cashier of the Mechanic’s Bank of New York, a large and important bank. Meanwhile, Edmonds began to paint again and also became involved in numerous artistic organizations. Membership in the Sketch Club, which combined artists, writers, and patrons, enabled him to meet prominent artists and literary leaders in an informal setting. The interchanges at these meetings were important in Edmonds’ growth, but, as the artistic focus of the meetings began to decrease, the artists, in 1844, formed a new group, the Artist’s Sketch Club. Meanwhile, Edmonds had become an Academician of the National Academy in 1840. While maintaining his banking responsibilities, Edmonds became heavily involved in subsequent artists’ organizations, including the Century Association, the Apollo Association, and the Art-Union, in which he served on the executive committee. The Art-Union was important in American art history for its wide-
spread popular dissemination of engravings of important American paintings. The paintings of the Art-Union were eventually moved to the New York Gallery, where Edmonds served as a vice president, and in 1857 the paintings and sculptures were transferred to their final resting place at the New York Historical Society. The National Academy of Design, recognizing Edmonds’ administrative abilities, chose him to serve in several capacities, including treasurer and trustee. In 1857, he helped found the Artist’s Fund Society, which raised funds to help artists’ widows and children. By 1850, Edmonds, now 44 years old, had been in the banking business for more than 25 years and had developed a great deal of respect and influence in financial circles. In 1853, he helped develop the New York Clearing House to facilitate the transfer of funds between banks and was chairman of the first Clearing House committee. The following year, he was appointed as New York City’s chamberlain, a post that controlled the city’s funds. However, in 1855, Edmonds suddenly resigned as cashier of the Mechanic’s Bank amid a controversy over misappropriation of funds at the bank. Edmonds gave a vigorous defense to these charges. He did not completely leave the world of business, continuing as a director of the Harlem Railroad and helping found a bank note engraving business, the American Bank Note Company. Given Edmonds’ banking career and his deep involvement with artistic organizations, it is not surprising that there are only 54 of his finished paintings known today. By the mid 1840s, he was among the most important American painters and submitted paintings to the exhibitions at the National Academy every year from 1836 until 1859, with the exception of 1841 when he was in Europe. Edmonds’ paintings resembled those of the 17th-century Dutch genre painters. His works typically took place in a boxlike room of a rural home. As was frequently true in the 17thcentury Dutch pictures, a single corner of the room is shown. There is light from a single
Francis W. Edmonds (1806–1863), First Aid, circa 1840–1845, 17 × 14 inches (43.2 × 35.6 cm), Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire. Bequest of Henry Melville Fuller, 2002.20.23.
door or window or reflected light. Edmonds’ paintings frequently were humorous and contained rural ideals, although Edmonds’ life did not follow this path. First Aid, signed but not dated, is thought to have been painted between 1840 and 1845. The title is thought to be modern. It is not typical of most of Edmonds’ works because it takes place outdoors, yet the wooden fence creates somewhat of a boundary to the story. The overall feeling is more English than Dutch, but the stolid child with a round face and no neck is very much like those seen in 17th-century Dutch works. Francis W. Edmonds, who contributed so much to the world of art, not only with his paintings but also with his commitments to artistic organizations while at the same time maintaining a successful career in finance, died on February 7, 1863, at his country home, Crow’s Neck, in Bronxville, NY. Stefan C. Schatzki1 1 Department of Radiology, Mount Auburn Hospital, 330 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138. Address correspondence to S. C. Schatzki ([email protected]).
Keywords: art, First Aid, Francis W. Edmonds DOI:10.2214/AJR.13.12257 Received November 11, 2013; accepted without revision November 19, 2013. AJR 2014; 202:1395–1395 0361–803X/14/2026–1395 © American Roentgen Ray Society
AJR:202, June 2014 1395
