The Ipswich Painters - An Introduction

The “Ipswich Painters,” as they were known, included Edna Baylor, Arthur Wesley Dow, Henry Kenyon, Arthur Kimball, John Mansfield, Carl Nordstrom, Jane Peterson, Francis Richardson, and Theodore Wendel-all of whom chose to live in Ipswich. (Dow was born here and called Ipswich his residence throughout his life.) All were born in the nineteenth century and survived several decades into the twentieth. Most of them were here when Dow was alive. Some were summer residents (Kimball), some became more or less permanent (Baylor and Peterson). Others were full time residents (Kenyon, Mansfield, Nordstrom, Richardson, and Wendel­.)

All were inspired by the open spaces, the “ancient” houses and old bridges of the town. Many concentrated on the marshes and the rivers and creeks which flow through them. A few painted portraits of people, but most of these artists were looking at nature. Baylor and Peterson combined portraiture and nature with their “flower portraits.” These men and women congregated here, knew each other, exhibited together, but were not of one mind. Their painting styles were different as were their life styles. Some were part of the national art scene, others were well know locally, but each one was serious about art and left a legacy of paintings. The commonality for all was Ipswich. The names of their houses reflect their reverence of place. Baylor’s “Oblivion,” Kenyon’s “Riverbank,” Peterson’s “Rocky Hill,” Richardson’s “Meadowview,” and Dow’s “Bayberry Hill” describe the place they were fortunate to call home.

All of these artists were trained elsewhere. Mansfield was the oldest and the first to go to Europe for study. Dow, Kenyon, Richardson, and Wendel studied in Paris and knew each other there. Peterson traveled abroad many times, studying in Madrid, Paris, and London, but also studied under Dow at Pratt Institute. On the other hand, the School at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was the training ground for both Baylor and Nordstrom. Kimball was a music professor at Oberlin College, but returned during the summer months to join this vibrant community of artists in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Most of these painters were proficient in more than one medium. Many used successfully oil, watercolor, pastel, ink, and pencil to create images. Photography was in its infancy and some of these artists (Nordstrom and most notably Dow) experimented in that field. There must have been a rich exchange of ideas among these talented artists.