Hugh Henry Breckenridge 1870-1937

Landscape with House by Hugh Henry Breckenridge demonstrates the artist’s lifelong fascination with color as well as the influence of French Impressionism. Breckenridge made two trips to Europe, one in 1892 and the other in 1909, during which he was exposed to both academic and avant-garde styles of painting. The vibrant palette and heavy impasto of this work make it a fine example of Breckenridge’s impressionist paintings. He imbues the quiet landscape with energy by using a mosaic of brushwork to create the forms. The rich coloration reveals his experimentation with post-impressionist and expressionist palettes. And despite its small size, the painting pulsates with life through Breckenridge’s masterful command of color.

Hugh Henry Breckenridge has long been associated with Philadelphia. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1887 to 1892, and subsequently taught there for forty years from 1894 onward. Throughout his career he worked in several styles, ranging from impressionism to expressionism to portraiture to abstraction. However, no matter in what style he was painting he maintained an abiding fascination with color.

Breckenridge enjoyed wide acclaim throughout his lifetime. Critics and clients alike admired his work and he was a beloved teacher. He was a professional member of the National Academy of Design, the Philadelphia Watercolor Club, and the American Federation of Arts, to name only a few. His paintings are part of the esteemed collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the San Francisco Museum of Art, and the Delgado Museum.